(Forevermore Intoxicated)

The small boat weaved its way past a copse of weeping willows. Far in the distant, a reflection of crimson blossoming flowers could be seen in the water, as glorious as rosy clouds in the sky. Duan Yu let out an exclamatory ‘Ah!’ of appreciation.

Ah Zhu asked, “What’s wrong?” Pointing to the blossoming flowers, Duan Yu said, “These are the camellia flowers native to Dali. How is it that this type of ‘Dian tea-leaves’ exist in the middle of Lake Taihu as well?” Camellia flowers of Yunnan province were the most famous of all, and were known as ‘Dian tea-leaves’ [Dian is another name for Yunnan]. Ah Zhu asked, “Really? This place is known as the Highland Manor of the Mantuo Flowers. It’s filled with camellia leaves.” Duan Yu thought to himself, “Camellia flowers are also known as ‘jade leaves’, but a third name for them is ‘mantuo flowers’. Since this place is named after camellia flowers, it should be interesting for me to see what famous techniques they use to cultivate them here.”

Rowing the oars, Ah Zhu sent the boat speeding directly towards the midst of the camellia flowers. As soon as they reached the shore, Duan Yu cast a glance at the land, but all he could see was red and white camellia flowers, with no buildings anywhere in sight. Duan Yu was raised in Dali, where camellia flowers were commonly seen everywhere. He didn’t think the sight was particularly extraordinary at all, and thought to himself, “Although there are a lot of camellia flowers here, none of them appear to be of a high quality. I imagine that the best specimens are probably within the manor itself.

Ah Zhu pulled the boat ashore and smiled. “Young gentleman Duan, we’ll go inside for a bit. We’ll come back out very shortly.” Holding Ah Bi’s hand, she prepared to jump ashore. But suddenly, the scattered sounds of footsteps could be heard, and a servant girl dressed in green appeared.

The girl was holding a bunch of flowers and plants in her hands. Upon seeing Ah Bi and Ah Zhu, she hurriedly rushed towards them, her face filled with happiness. “Ah Zhu, Ah Bi, you two are really too daring! You snuck over here again! The madame said, ‘Use a knife to cut a cross on the faces of those two girls and ruin their flower-like, pure-as-jade complexions.’” Ah Zhu laughed. “Sister Youcao, is the madame at home?” [The exact phrase Ah Zhu uses is not ‘madame’, but ‘maternal uncle’s wife’, which is her relationship to Murong Fu.] The servant girl, Youcao, cast a few glances at Duan Yu, turned her head towards Ah Zhu and Ah Bi, then laughed, “The madame also said, ‘Those two brats also brought a strange man to the Highland Manor of the Camellias. Go and chop off that man’s legs immediately!” Before she finished the sentence, she began to laugh out loud.

Patting her heart, Ah Bi said, “Sister Youcao, don’t scare us! Is that really true?”

Ah Zhu laughed, “Ah Bi, don’t be scared. If the madame was really at home, how would this girl have the courage to be so impish and mischievious? Little sister Youcao, where did the madame go?” Youcao laughed, “Pooh! How old are you? Are you fit to be my big sister? Clever little demon that you are, you actually managed to guess that the madame isn’t at home.” She let out a light sigh. “Sister Ah Zhu and Ah Bi, it’s such a rare occasion that you two can come visit. I really want to keep you two here for a few days, but…” As she spoke, she shook her head. Ah Bi said, “I really want to spend some extra time with you too! Sister Youcao, whenever you are able to come pay a visit to us, I’ll accompany you three days and three nights without even getting sleepy, alright?” As they spoke, Ah Zhu and Ah Bi went ashore. Ah Bi whispered quietly into Youcao’s ears. Youcao let out a sudden laugh, then glanced at Duan Yu. Ah Bi immediately blushed scarlet. Pulling Ah Zhu with one hand and Ah Bi with the other, she laughed, “Let’s go inside.” Ah Bi turned her head and said, “Young gentleman Duan, please wait and rest here for a bit. We’ll be back soon.”

Duan Yu replied, “Okay!” He watched as the three girls happily walked hand-in-hand into the forest of flowers.

He too walked ashore. After first checking to make sure no one was about, he relieved himself by the side of a tall tree. He sat next to the boat for a while, slowly growing bored. He thought to himself, “Why don’t I go check out what types of extraordinary camellia flowers they have here?” He began to stroll around and view the sights. Aside from camellia flowers, there were no other flowers or plants here, not even the most commonly seen plants such as the morning-glory, climbing roses, or red roses. But all of the camellia flowers were very mundane and not the least bit extraordinary. The only thing extraordinary was their quantity. After walking for one or two hundred meters, the diversity of the camellias improved, and occasionally there were some high-quality ones, but even those were not planted properly. He thought to himself, “This manor is named after camellia flowers, but they have absolutely ruined these perfectly fine camellias.”

Then, he thought to himself, “I need to go back. If Ah Zhu and Ah Bi can’t find me upon returning, they’d be really worried.” Turning around, he headed back, but after taking a few steps, he exclaimed to himself, “How terrible!” During his journey through the sea of flowers, he had only paid attention to the scenery, and not to the path he had taken. Two small roads forked away from each other, one headed east, the other headed west. He didn’t know which one was the road he had originally taken. It would be a bit difficult for him to retrace his steps and return to the place where the boat was anchored. He thought to himself, “Let me go to the water’s edge first.”

But the farther he walked, the more he felt he was going in the wrong direction. All of the camellias he saw were new ones that he hadn’t seen previously. Just as he was starting to get worried, he suddenly heard someone speaking from a forested area to his left. It was Ah Zhu’s voice. Duan Yu was overjoyed. He thought to himself, “I’ll wait here for them a while. After they’re done chatting, we’ll leave together.”

He heard Ah Zhu say, “The young master is in good health and has a healthy appetite. These past two months, he has been practicing the ‘Dog Beating Staff’ technique of the Beggar’s Clan. It seems he will soon spar with the members of the Beggar’s Clan.” Duan Yu thought to himself, “Ah Zhu is talking about the affairs of young master Murong. I shouldn’t eavesdrop on other people’s private affairs, and should walk a bit farther away. But I can’t go too far, or else I won’t know when they are done talking.”

Just at this moment, he heard the sound of a gentle sigh from a female voice.

Instantly, Duan Yu’s entire body involuntarily trembled. His heart began to beat frantically, and he thought to himself, “What an incredibly lovely sigh that was! How can there be such a beautiful sound in the world?” That voice gently asked, “Where is he headed this time?” After having heard her let out a sigh, Duan Yu’s mind was shaken. Now, hearing her say this sentence, he felt as though all the blood in his body was boiling. He felt a sour, bitter feeling in his heart, and an unspeakable degree of envy and jealousy. “She clearly is asking about young master Murong. She’s so concerned about him and cares so much about him. Young master Murong, how is it that you have been blessed with such incredibly good fortune?”

Ah Zhu said, “When the young master left, he said he was headed to Luoyang to meet with some masters of the Beggar’s Clan. Big Brother Deng went with him as well. Miss, set your heart at ease.”

The female slowly said, “The Beggar’s Clan possesses two divine skills: The ‘Dog Beating Staff’ technique, and the ‘Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms’ technique. These two are secret skills which are not taught to others. Even if we compile all of the information in your ‘Water Pavilion of Bestowal and Repayment’ and our ‘Jade Cavern Library’, we would only be able to piece together some fragmentary, incomplete staff techniques and palm techniques. We would have no information at all about how the internal energy is supposed to be generated. How, exactly, does your young master practice the technique?” [Note: The ‘library’ in ‘Jade Cavern Library’ comes from a character ‘huan’ that is typically used to refer to a library of fairies and immortal sages that contains many precious, rare, and often mystical books. The name is a very elegant one, but very difficult to reproduce while being both ‘fluid’ and ‘complete in meaning’, and I have translated it on the basis of the former.]

Ah Zhu said, “The young master said, ‘The internal energy component of the ‘Dog Beating Staff’ was invented by human beings. Why can’t I figure out how it works on my own? Since I possess the staff techniques, it shouldn’t be too hard for me to understand the internal energy component.’” Duan Yu said, “Young master Murong’s words make some sense. He probably is an extremely talented, extremely ambitious person.”

That female let out yet another soft sigh. “Even if he’s able to figure it out, it would take eight or ten years. How can it be accomplished in such a short time? Did you see the young master practicing the technique? Were there any sluggish, awkward-looking parts?” Ah Zhu replied, “The staff technique was executed extremely quickly by the young master. From the beginning to the end, he executed it smoothly and gracefully.” The female let out a cry. “That’s not good! He…he really executed the technique very quickly?” Ah Zhu said, “Yes, why? Is that wrong?” The female said, “Naturally, that’s wrong. Although I don’t know the internal energy component to the Dog Beating Staff, judging from the staff techniques themselves, there are several parts where the slower the techniques are executed, the better. There are some other parts which fluctuate between being slow and being fast; in the fast movements there is hidden slowness, and within the slow movements quickness is hidden. There’s no question about that. He…if he just focuses on executing the technique very quickly in fighting with the experts of the Beggar’s Clan, I fear…I fear…you two…can you think of a way to bring a message to him?”

Ah Zhu let out a groan. “We don’t know what route the young master is taking or where he is passing by. We don’t even know if he’s already met with the elders of the Beggar’s Clan. Before he left, the young master said that the Beggar’s Clan was wrongly accusing him of having murdered their Vice-Clan Leader, a man surnamed Ma. His purpose in going to Luoyang was to defend himself against these chargers, and not necessarily to fight against them. Otherwise, he and brother Deng, despite being heroes, would be unable to overcome the sheer advantage in numbers which the Beggar’s Clan possesses. I’m just worried that he wouldn’t be able to fully explain everything, and that the two sides will become estranged…” Ah Bi said, “Miss, is it really so improper for him to execute the Dog Beating Staff technique very quickly?” The female said, “Naturally, it is definitely improper. What else is there to say? He…why didn’t he come and visit me before leaving?” As she spoke, she lightly stamped her feet, seemingly very agitated and deeply concerned, but her voice remained tender, soft, and lovely to hear.

Duan Yu was extremely astonished. He thought to himself, “In Dali, everyone spoke of ‘Gusu’s Murong family’ with the utmost reverence and fear. But from the words of this girl, it sounds as though young master Murong needs her advice and her pointers on martial arts. Can it be that such a young girl possesses such an incredibly high level of ability?” Lost in thought, he suddenly bumped his head into a tree branch. He couldn’t help but let out a cry. He hurriedly shut his mouth, but it was too late. The female asked, “Who is it?”

Duan Yu knew that he was unable to hide, and so coughed and said from within the thicket, “I am Duan Yu. I was touring your respected manor’s camellias, and accidentally arrived here. Please forgive me.”

The female said in a low voice, “Ah Zhu, is it the gentleman who arrived with you two?” Ah Zhu hurriedly said, “It is. Miss, don’t mind him. We’ll leave immediately.” The female said, “Wait. I’m going to write him a letter and explain to him that if he really gets into a fight against the Beggar’s Clan, he must not use the Dog Beating Staff technique no matter what. He needs to use his own original skills. Even if he’s unable to ‘Use the opponent’s skills, and exercise them upon the opponent’, there’s no other option. Take the letter and think of a way to get it to him.” Ah Zhu hesitantly said, “This….well…the madame once gave orders…”

The female said, “What? You only obey the madame’s commands and ignore mine?” In her voice was the slightest hint of anger. Ah Zhu hurriedly said, “Miss, as long as you keep the madame from finding out, your humble servant will naturally follow your orders, especially seeing as how this is beneficial to our master.” The female said, “Come with me to the study room to prepare the letter.” Ah Zhu still seemed very hesitant, and only reluctantly said, “Alright.”

After hearing that first sigh, Duan Yu was becoming only more and more enthralled by this girl. Hearing that she was about to leave, he feared that he would never be able to meet her again. This would be something which he would regret all his life. Even if it were to mean risking being blamed as too forward and bold, he had to see this girl with his own eyes. Summoning up his courage, he said, “Sister Ah Bi, can you stay here with me for a bit?” As he spoke, he walked out from the thicket.

Upon hearing him walk towards them, the female let out a startled cry and hurriedly turned her back to him.

After leaving the thicket, Duan Yu saw a maiden who wore a pale, pinkish gray garment. Her face was turned towards the flowers, her form was slim and slender, with long hair hanging over her back and gently tied together with a silvery hairpin. Gazing at this maiden’s back, Duan Yu couldn’t help but feel as though she was enveloped by light mist and clouds, as though she really weren’t a person of the mortal world at all. He deeply bowed and said, “Duan Yu pays his respects to you, miss.”

The girl stamped on the ground with her left foot. “Ah Zhu, Ah Bi, this is all your fault. You know I do not associate with male strangers.” As she spoke, she walked forwards. After a few twists and turns, her form gradually disappeared within the dense growth of camellia flowers.

A small smile on her lips, Ah Bi said, “Young gentleman Duan, this young lady has a really bad temper. Let’s leave quickly.” Ah Zhu also softly laughed, “Thank you very much for rescuing us from this predicament. If you hadn’t, Ms. Wang would have forced us to deliver a message on her behalf. Our petty little lives would have been put at risk.”

Duan Yu had summoned all of his courage to rush out like that, but then was scolded by the girl. He felt deeply snubbed, and was worried that Ah Zhu and Ah Bi would blame him as well. He didn’t expect that the two of them would actually be grateful towards him instead. Only, although that maiden was by now far away, her pretty shadow still seemed to be before his eyes, filling his heart with melancholy. He dully watched as her back disappeared into the clusters of flowers.

Ah Bi gently tugged on his sleeves, but Duan Yu still remained in a daze. Ah Zhu laughed, “Young gentleman Duan, let’s go!” Duan Yu’s entire body jumped. Only after calming himself did he say, “Right, right. Are we really leaving?” Ah Zhu and Ah Bi walked in the front, leaving him with no option but to follow them. With each step he took, he looked back, filled with a reluctance to leave.

The three of them returned to their small boat. Ah Zhu and Ah Bi picked up their oars and rowed out. Duan Yu gazed at the camellias on the shore, thinking to himself, “If I, Duan Yu, am an unlucky man, how could I have had the great fortune to hear that girl’s sighs and her words, much less see her goddess-like form? But if I am a lucky man, why is it that I didn’t even have the chance to see her face?” As the camellias grew more and more distant, his heart became more and more downcast as well.

Suddenly, Ah Zhu let out a startled cry. “The madame…the madame has returned.” Turning his head, Duan Yu saw a fast ship flying towards them. In the blink of an eye, it drew near. On the front of the ship’s bow was painted an innumerable amount of multicolored flowers. When the boat drew nearer, it became evident that these, too, were camellia flowers. Ah Zhu and Ah Bi stood up, bowing their heads and staring at their feet, appearing to be extremely respectful. Ah Bi repeatedly gestured towards Duan Yu, telling him to stand up as well. Smiling, Duan Yu shook his head. “After the master comes out and speaks, I will naturally rise to my feet. A real man cannot be too humble and modest.”

A female voice shouted out from the fast ship, “What male has the audacity to charge into the Highland Manor of the Camellias? Can it be that he doesn’t know that any male who comes uninvited will have both his legs cut off?” The voice was very stately and majestic, but was also very clear, melodious, and pleasing to the ear. Duan Yu replied in a loud and clear voice, “I am Duan Yu. I temporarily took refuge in your honored abode, and had no intention of charging in. I sincerely thank you.” The woman said, “Your last name is Duan?”

In her voice was a hint of astonishment. Duan Yu replied, “Precisely so!”

The woman said, “Hmph! Ah Zhu, Ah Bi, so it’s you two brats. That boy, Murong Fu, refuses to learn how to act properly. Sneaking and sly, he specializes in doing bad things!” Ah Zhu replied, “Reporting to madame, this servant was pursued by enemies and passed by the Highland Manor of the Camellias. Our young master has left, and this matter truly has nothing to do with him at all.” The woman laughed coldly. “Hmph. Nothing more than sweet words and blandishments. Don’t be so hasty to leave. Come with me.” Ah Zhu and Ah Bi replied simultaneously, “Yes, madame.” They paddled their small boat towards the fast ship. Actually, they had not travelled too far from the manor, and in a short time both ships successively docked at the shore.

The sound of jewelry clinking against each other could be heard, and many females in green clothes exited the fast ship. All of them were dressed as servants, and each of them wielded a longsword in their hands. In the twinkling of an eye, their bared swords covered the ground like frost, light of their blades reflecting onto the flowers. Nine pairs of servants came out in total. The eighteen of them formed two lines, holding their swords at waist-level, pointed upwards. After they finished lining up, a woman left the ship.

Upon seeing this woman’s appearance, Duan Yu couldn’t help but let out an involuntarily cry of startlement. He was temporarily tongue-tied, feeling as though he had entered the dream world. This woman was dressed in light yellow. In her clothes and in her decorations, she seemed exceedingly similar to the jade statue within the cavern with Mt. Wuliang of Dali. Only, this female was a beautiful married woman who appeared to be not quite forty years of age, whereas the jade statue portrayed a girl of eighteen or nineteen. After his initial surprise, Duan Yu took another look at this beautiful woman. Compared to the jade statue, her eyebrows, lips, and nose were not as peerlessly gorgeous, and obviously there was an age difference as well. In addition, her face showed the marks of hardship suffered during her journey through life. Nonetheless, there was still a fifty or sixty percent resemblance. Seeing him stare at Madame Wang without blinking, Ah Zhu and Ah Bi felt that he was really being too impolite, and in their hearts both of them were groaning. They repeatedly gestured towards him, telling him not to stare, but Duan Yu’s eyes remained fixed on Madame Wang’s face.

The woman glanced at him, then coldly said, “This person is totally without courtesy. Later, chop off both his legs, gouge out his eyes, and rip out his tongue.” A servant bowed and said, “Yes!”

Duan Yu’s heart sunk. “If she really wants to kill me, fine. But to chop off my legs, gouge out my eyes, and tear out my tongue, putting me in a half-dead, half-living state, would be a really, really bad thing.” Only now did fear truly enter his heart. Turning around, he glanced at Ah Zhu and Ah Bi. Both of their faces had turned a deathly pale color and were transfixed with fear.

After Madame Wang left the cabin, two more servant girls followed her out, each holding a set of metal chains in their hands. They dragged two chained males from within the cabin. Both of the males were bound by their hands and appeared to be very dejected. One man had a delicate and pretty face, seeming like a scion of a wealthy family. The other person, Duan Yu recognized. He was a disciple of Mt. Wuliang’s Sword Sect named Tang Guangxiong. Duan Yu was amazed. “This person resides in Dali. How is it that he was captured by Madame Wang and brought to Jiangnan?”

Madame Wang said to Tang Guangxiong, “You are obviously from Dali. Why do you deny it?” Tang Guangxiong said, “I’m from Yunnan. My hometown is within the borders of the Great Song and is not part of Dali.” Madame Wang asked, “How far is your hometown from Dali?” Tang Guangxiong said, “Four hundred li or so.” Madame Wang said, “If you aren’t over five hundred li away, you might as well be considered a person of Dali. Bury him alive beneath our camellias as fertilizer.” Tang Guangxiong loudly shouted, “What on earth have I done? Tell me clearly, otherwise I will not be able to close my eyes even in death.” Madame Wang coldly laughed, “Anyone I meet who is from Dali or who has the surname Duan will be buried alive. Why did you come to Suzhou? After you did come to Suzhou, how dare you speak with a Dali accent and make a loud commotion at the upstairs of the tavern? Even though you aren’t from Dali yourself, you are a neighbor of Dali. I’ll treat you the same way I would treat them.”

Duan Yu said to himself, “Ah hah, you obviously are directing that to me. There’s no need for you to ask, I’ll just admit it point-blank.” He loudly shouted, “I am from Dali, and my surname is Duan. If you want to bury me, go ahead and be quick about it!” Madame Wang coldly said, “You already reported your name, saying that you are called Duan Yu. Hmph. No person from Dali who is of the Duan family will be allowed to die so easily.”

She waved her hand, and a slave girl pulled Tang Guangming away. Tang Guangming must have had his acupoints sealed or sustained severe injuries; he wasn’t able to resist in the slightest. He only shouted, “There’s no such rule in the world! There are millions of people within Dali, can you kill them all?” But as he was dragged deeper and deeper into the sea of flowers, his voice gradually grew faint, then disappeared.

Madame Wang inclined her head slightly and said to the delicate looking man, “What do you have to say yourself?” That man suddenly fell to both his knees, kneeling in front of her. “My father is an official in Beijing, and I am his only son. Madame, I beg you to spare my life. If you have any instructions, my father will definitely carry them out.” Madame Wang coldly said, “Your father is a powerful official within the imperial court. Do you think I don’t know that? There’s an easy way for you to be spared. This very day, go back to your home and immediately kill your official wife. Then, tomorrow, immediately marry your secret lover, Ms. Miao, and take her as your wife. The wedding ceremony needs to be complete and done properly; the six ceremonial rites must be conducted, and the three documents must be completed. Will you accept?” The man said, “This…I can’t really bear to kill my wife, and my father and mother would definitely not allow me to formally marry Ms. Miao. Isn’t this my…” Madame Wang said, “Take him away and bury him alive!” The servant holding his chain said, “Yes!” Tugging at the chain, she started to drag him away. The man was so frightened, his entire body quivered. “I…I agree, alright?” Madame Wang said, “Xiaocui, escort him to Suzhou. I want you to personally witness him killing his wife and marrying Ms. Miao returning.” Xiaocui replied, “Yes!” She dragged the man towards another small boat on the shore.

The man begged, “Madame, be merciful. My wife has no enmity with you, and you don’t know Ms. Miao. Why must you help her like this and force me to kill my wife? I…I’ve never been acquainted with you, much less…much less have dared to offend you.” Madame Wang said, “Since you already have a wife, you shouldn’t have entangled yourself with another maiden. Since you deceived the girl with your flower words and lies, then you definitely must take her as your wife. If I don’t hear about these types of things happening, then no matter. But if I do find out, then of course I will handle the situation. You aren’t the first one I’ve done this to. What do you have to grumble about? Xiaocui, how many times have we done this?” Xiaocui said, “I have done this seven times at places such as Changshou, Danyang, Wuxi, and Jiaxing. Xiaolan and Xiaoshi have also overseen a few of these events.”

Hearing that this was how she always handled this sort of affairs, that man could only moan and groan. Rowing the oars, Xiaocui propelled her boat off into the distance.

Seeing how this Madame Wang handled matters in totally irrational ways, Duan Yu was boggled, totally struck dumb. The only thing which filled his mind was four words. “This is absolutely preposterous.” Unconsciously, he blurted those words out. “This is absolutely preposterous. This is absolutely preposterous!” Madame Wang let out a humph. “There are even more absolutely preposterous things in the world. Many more!”

Duan Yu was both disappointed and miserable. That day, when he found the statue of his dear goddess within the jade cavern of Mt. Wuliang, his heart was filled with admiration. The person in front of him appeared similar to the jade statue, but in speech and demeanor acted as though she were a demoness or an evil spirit.

Lowering his head, he was lost in thought. Four servant girls left the cabin of the fast ship, each holding a vase of flowers. Duan Yu, upon seeing them, was startled. All four vases were filled with rare, famous, and extremely difficult to obtain breeds of camellia flowers. Dali possessed more and better camellia flowers than any other place in the world, and within the South-Subduing Palace alone were innumerable camellias. Duan Yu was long since used to seeing them. When bored, he would listen to the ten famous gardeners who served at the palace comment on and appraise the camellias. Naturally, he fully understood the differences between superb breeds of camellias and poor breeds. His understanding in this field was as deep as that of a farmer’s understanding of the differences between beans and wheat, or a fisherman’s understanding of the difference between fish and shrimp. After strolling about the Highland Manor of the Camellias for some time, he was unable to find a single truly outstanding breed of camellias, and had long since decided that the manor did not live up to its name. But at this moment, seeing those four vases, he inwardly said, “Now that is more like it.”

Madame Wang said, “Xiaocha, it was very difficult for us to obtain these four ‘Full Moon’ [Manyue] camellias. They need to be taken good care of.” The servant named Xiaocha said, “Yes!” Duan Yu felt that these words were too amateurish and let out a sneer. Madame Wang said, “Because the wind on the lake was too strong, we’ve kept these four flowers within the cabin for many days now. It’s been a while since they’ve gotten some sunlight. Quick, take them to a place where they can drink in some sunlight. Add some extra fertilizer as well.” Xiaocha repeated, “Yes!” Duan Yu could no longer hold in his mirth, and began to roar with laughter.

Madame Wang felt that his laughter was weird and asked, “What are you laughing at?” Duan Yu replied, “I laugh at the fact that you know nothing about camellias, but insist on planting them. For such an exquisite specimen to fall into your hands is truly a waste, like burning a zither for firewood or cooking a crane for meat. This really disheartens me! What a pity, what a waste. I feel so sorry for it.” Madame Wang angrily said, “I don’t know anything about camellias? So you do?” But suddenly, her heart stirred. “Wait,” she said to herself, “He’s from Dali and his surname is Duan. Maybe he really does understand camellias.” But her words were still stubborn. “The name of this manor is the ‘Highland Manor of the Camellias’. Camellias populate this place, inside and out. See how exuberant and brilliant they are! Why do you say that I don’t understand camellias?” Duan Yu smiled, “Commonplace flowers of low quality will naturally flourish. But the four vases of camellias you have there are are exquisite specimens. If amateurs like you are able to properly plant and take care of them, then my surname isn’t Duan!”

Madame Wang exceedingly loved camellia flowers. She didn’t care about the cost; wherever she went, she would purchase beautiful specimens to take home. But when the new camellias arrived, not a single one of the famous and rare specimens would thrive or flourish. Usually, within a year or so, they would wither and die or be at death’s gate. She was always vexed by this problem. Now, hearing Duan Yu’s words, her anger turned to joy. She took two steps forward and asked, “What is so special about these four vases of camellias? What must I do to make them flourish?” Duan Yu replied, “If you want