Reeds grow thick and lush

At this moment, Chen Yage fell silent. She knew Li Bai’s life better than anyone: wandering the world with a sword at his side, making every place his home. Yet was it not precisely his carefree spirit, his boldness, his unrestrained nature that she had fallen in love with? As the saying goes, marrying a man means following him wherever he leads; though she and Li Bai were not yet at the stage of marriage, love for him meant embracing all that he was.

The stone path wound on, carrying the scent of flowers. Everyone was cheerful along the way, chatting and laughing, the scene warm and inviting. Soon, they arrived at Wang Chaotian’s home—a small cottage surrounded by a fence, its yard filled with a profusion of purple flowers, blooming wildly, enchantingly, almost eerily.

Unable to suppress her curiosity, Chen Yage leaned down to sniff them, a refreshing coolness seeping into her heart. “What are these flowers?” she asked, reaching out to pick one. Wang Chaotian quickly grasped her hand, nervous. “Don’t touch them!” he said.

He continued, “These are Purple Umbrella flowers, planted by Chaoyun. She won’t let anyone else touch her flowers. If someone does, she becomes agitated, and her illness flares up.”

Hearing this, Chen Yage’s curiosity about Chaoyun only deepened. Wasn’t Chaoyun said to have been driven mad by a female ghost? How could she still tend flowers? Was she not truly mad, just pretending? Clearly, things were not as simple as they seemed.

“Yage, are you all right?” Li Bai noticed Chen Yage’s furrowed brow and came over, patting her shoulder with a meaningful look. “Misfortune and fortune are intertwined. Don’t worry too much.”

A melodious song drifted through the air, ethereal as a heavenly voice:

“The reeds are lush, white dew turns to frost. The one I long for is by the water’s side. I pursue her along the winding path, but the way is long and hard. I follow her in the stream, only to find her at the water’s heart. The reeds are thick, white dew not yet dry. The one I long for is at the water’s edge. I pursue her along the winding path, the way is steep and difficult. I follow her in the stream, only to find her on an islet. The reeds are plentiful, white dew still falls. The one I long for is at the water’s brink. I pursue her along the winding path, the way veers right. I follow her in the stream, only to find her on a sandbank.”

Li Bai and Chen Yage exchanged glances, surprised. Dujuan burst into laughter and darted inside the house, followed by Shui Niu, who gestured for them to enter. Wang Chaotian warmly invited Chen Yage and Li Bai in.

The house was humble: a table, a dressing stand, four round stools of pear wood, and a folding screen. Chen Yage was speechless—the arrangements were nearly identical to Dujuan’s room. These people of antiquity had so little imagination!

Whenever Chen Yage pondered something, Li Bai seemed able to guess her thoughts. He whispered, “This is not the bustling capital of Chang’an. There are no pavilions or water gardens, no beaded curtains or jade chambers. We must adapt to what we find.”

“I didn’t mean it that way,” Chen Yage hurried to explain, not wanting Li Bai to mistake her for a vain woman seeking luxury. Here, he was the only one worth cherishing; aside from him, nothing else mattered.

Li Bai ignored her and followed Shui Niu into another room. Chen Yage quickly followed. Lifting the curtain, she saw a couch with a woman seated upon it. Her black hair was loosely tied with coarse linen, the rest falling freely across her shoulders. Her brows were delicate, her eyes slender, her small cherry lips parted slightly, and she looked at Chen Yage and Li Bai with some fear. Dujuan sat beside her, and she kept leaning towards Dujuan.

“Was it you who sang just now?” Chen Yage asked gently. She had to admit, Chaoyun was truly beautiful—far more so than herself, she thought. As Ziye had said, any woman in Peach Blossom Spring was more beautiful than she. Suddenly, a sense of loss washed over her. She looked at Li Bai, his white robes drifting, his bearing noble, radiating an aura of immortality. She and Li Bai were like heaven and earth—not separated by wealth or obstacles, but still, she felt undeserving of him.

“Yes, Sister Yage, Chaoyun sings beautifully, but she only knows this one song,” Dujuan replied with a smile.

“Why only this one?” Li Bai asked, unable to hide his curiosity.

Dujuan scratched her ear, hesitating. “I don’t know. Every time I visit Chaoyun, she sings this song.”

Shui Niu said, “She repeats it daily—perhaps she just loves the poem too much.”

Wang Chaotian came over, holding Chaoyun’s hand, his eyes full of sorrow. “Chaoyun’s fate is fragile. I’m sure you’ve heard her story. For years, she’s done nothing but sing that song, never answering any questions.”

Could it be she only knew this song, or did it hold a special meaning for her? Chen Yage’s curiosity grew. “Can she understand us when we speak?” she asked.

Wang Chaotian replied, “Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Simple words she can grasp, but I try not to speak with her much, so as not to upset her further.”

Chen Yage nodded thoughtfully. She took a flower from her pocket, waved it before Chaoyun’s eyes, and smiled brightly. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Shall I help you wear it?”

Chaoyun waved her hands happily, stammering, “Flower, beautiful!”

Everyone smiled, and Chen Yage tucked the flower into Chaoyun’s hair.

Love in the Tang Dynasty: O Poet Immortal, Stay! Chapter 021—Love in the Tang Dynasty: O Poet Immortal, Stay! Full Free Reading—021 Reeds Are Lush, Updated Complete!