Chapter 6 - Broken Bowl

 

The girl's name was Dawan. Although her face was stern and ugly, her hands were actually more beautiful than those of many girls. And although her eyes were small and narrow, when smiling, they actually were quite gentle, like flowing spring water in sunlight.

Her words were also mean and cutting, but if one really thought about it, it was as if they conveyed deeper messages.

And despite the fact that she had this not-sure-whether-to-laugh-or-to-cry effect on people and that she was incredibly irrational, people would realize later on that what she did, she did it for their own good. If she hadn't put on Ma Rulong's fox fur coat and ridden away on his white horse, he might not have lived until now.

It was very much possible that she'd heard about this matter from Feng Chaofan. Still, she didn't treat him like he was a cold-blooded murderer. Right now if there was only one person in the whole world who was willing to be his friend, perhaps she was that person. But, really, who was she?

All of a sudden Ma Rulong said, "You are a good person."

He sighed again, "Before I always thought you were unreasonable. Only now I know you are a good person."

"How do you know I'm a good person?" Dawan asked.

"I can't put it into words but I know," replied Ma Rulong.

Then he poured her a bowl of wine. He said, "Come, I'm using a big bowl (da wan) in your honor."

Surprisingly, Dawan actually drank that big bowl of wine. She drank jollily.

Suddenly Ma Rulong asked again, "You are Dawan. Are you related to that Xiaowan?"

"Nope," replied Dawan.

"It's a pity," said Ma Rulong.

Dawan asked, "What is? Is it because you want to see that Xiaowan?"

"I really want to see her," replied Ma Rulong.

Dawan said, "What a pity that you can't find her."

Ma Rulong forced a smile and said, "A pity is that she isn't named Dawan."

"What's there to pity?" Dawan said.

Ma Rulong replied, "If her name was Dawan, it would be relatively easy to find her. It's such a pity that she's called Xiaowan."

Then he explained, "There can't be a lot of girls called Dawan but those named Xiaowan were actually fewer. I only know that her name is Xiaowan. How will I be able to find her?"

Dawan said, "Although you can't find her, there is always someone who can."

"Who can find her?" Ma Rulong asked.

Dawan did not reply. Instead she asked, "How much have you drunk today?"

Ma Rulong said, "Eight bowls, eight big bowls."

"Can you still drink another bowl?" Dawan asked.

"Don't know," said Ma Rulong.

Dawan said, "Don't know as in.. you can still drink a lot more?"

Ma Rulong said, "Don't know as in.. I usually don't use bowls when I drink."

"What do you use?" Dawan asked.

"I drink from a wine jug," said Ma Rulong.

Dawan laughed.

"You think I'm bragging?" Ma Rulong asked.

Dawan said, "If your alcohol tolerance is really pretty good, I can take you to see someone."

"Who?" Ma Rulong asked.

Dawan replied, "Someone who doesn't drink from a small bowl (xiao wan) but can certainly find that Xiaowan person."

"What does he drink from?" Ma Rulong asked.

"A broken bowl," Dawan replied.

Ma Rulong said, "He drinks from a broken bowl so he's called Powan (broken bowl), right?

"I'm amazed that you are getting smarter," said Dawan in delight.

With shining eyes Ma Rulong said, "This broken bowl of yours, is he or is he not the Broken Bowl Yu Five?"

"Who else but him?" Dawan said.

Except him, there certainly was no one else. There absolutely would be no other person like him. Nobody could drink like he could, and nobody understood wine better than him. Nobody could match him when it came to eating, and nobody was as fastidious as him either.

But drinking and eating were not the only things he was reputed for. Years ago, the number one hero of Jianghu – Ye Kai — had described him with sixteen characters.

They read, "As poor as dirt, as rich as a country, famous throughout the world, none could recognize."

Using these sixteen words to describe him was really most appropriate. Salt was the world's largest source of wealth, and the most money-making businesses were those related to oil and rice, silk, lumbers, and pawnshops. Not only was the Yu family of Jiangnan the biggest salt trader, the family was also powerful in the other four industries. They certainly were the wealthy of the wealthy people. They were as rich as a country.

The Yu family of Jiangnan was made up of five brothers, and Yu Five was the fifth master.

The world's poorest person was of course a beggar. Yu Five was also one of the elders of all beggars, and the current chief of the beggar clan. Also, although his name was prominent in the martial world, there were not that many people who had really seen him, and he usually wasn't recognized by people. Anyhow, his subordinates had inumerable beggar brothers everywhere, be it on both sides of the Yellow river or the northern and southern sides of the Yangtze. And so, if one wanted to find a person that couldn't be found, one should go look for him.

"You can find him?" Ma Rulong asked.

"If I can't, who can?" Dawan replied.

Ma Rulong asked, "You know where he is?"

Dawan said, "You should know. He's certainly at a place where he can eat and drink."

To beggars, the world was their home. If there was food, they ate. Any place was a good place to eat, and any place was just as good to drink. There were many places where one could eat and drink, and there were all those many little food and wine shops.

Dawan brought him to a very small restaurant. It was a really tiny restaurant, with only two broken tables and a few battered chairs inside.

Ma Rulong walked through the door and was hit by a foul odor. Placed on one of the small tables were several kinds of salted vegetables, which had already been discolored. On top of that, they looked dry and hard like a pile of stones dug out from a sewer. Even if one was about to starve to death, he surely wouldn't have the courage to try them. Just looking at these salted vegetables, one wondered how a restaurant could run in this manner. Although Yu Five was a beggar, he was actually the cleanest and the most fastidious chief of the beggar clan. When it came to eating, he'd never been sloppy. How could he come to this place to eat and drink?

There was no customer at this place, and an old restaurant keeper was taking a quick nap. Dawan walked over and whispered a couple of things into his ear. He immediately sobered up, his pair of weary senile eyes suddenly burning bright. Jianghu was filled with crouching tigers and hidden dragons. Could this old man be another great master of the martial realm living in disguise?

He continued to look at Dawan in a very strange way. Obviously, he was half in awe and half in excitement, like a child suddenly meeting a long-admired idol. Ma Rulong was handsome, and throughout Jianghu gorgeous men like him were rare. He usually attracted attention from people wherever he went. But, to his surprise, this old man didn't even give him a glance. Standing there by Dawan, he was completely overshadowed. Ma Rulong found this experience to be very interesting.

The old man suddenly let out a deep sigh. He muttered, "I didn't think. I didn't think. I didn't think at all."

Dawan said, "You didn't think I'd be here?"

The old man replied, "I have a chance to be in your esteemed presence, my life will not perish in vain."

Suddenly he knelt down, throwing his body on the ground, and crawled over to kiss Dawan's foot. His manner looked very much like a loyal government officer paying respect to his empress. Then he stood up and said, "Master Five is in the kitchen in the back. Please follow me."

Ma Rulong thought it was quite interesting. What was the origin of this strange and incomparably ugly girl? That man paid his respect to her in this manner. She accepted it without any awkwardness as if she knew it was expected.

Dawan knew what he was thinking so she blandly said, "The old man used to work for us as a kitchen servant. Our family custom is always grand."

Ma Rulong wanted to ask, "So the servants in your family must kiss your foot when they see you? Even the royal palace doesn't have such a custom." But he didn't get to say it because they were already walking into the kitchen.

Nobody could have thought that this stinky small restaurant would have this kind of kitchen. It was spacious, clean, and sparkling bright. Everything was tidy. Dishes and bowls were shinier than a mirror, and not even a speck of ash was seen on the fire stove. The Hall of Celestial Horse was the home of an aristocratic family, where people were fastidious about their food. Yet, its kitchen was not this clean and spacious.

Someone was cooking in the kitchen. When one was frying something, his posture usually wasn't elegant. But this person was an exception. He had a spatula his hand but he looked like Wu Daozi -- the greatest painter of all time -- holding a paintbrush, or Ximen Chuixue -- the unique and renowned swordman -- holding his sword. Not only were his posture and movement exquisite, he was totally absorbed in his cooking.

He was frying tofus, shrimp tofus. As of now the tofus were not done yet, and so the old man just stood behind him, not daring to interrupt. Surprisingly, Dawan did not disturb him either. He was a medium-sized man, with a fair and bright face. And even with patches, his long cotton gown was actually spotless clean. He looked like a gifted scholar.

Ma Rulong couldn't bear to keep quiet. He asked, "He's Yu Five of Jiangnan?"

With a sigh Dawan said, "Who else but him?"

The tofus were now done, and the pot was removed from the fire. He used the spatula to scoop the tofus out one by one. Each piece was fried just right. Cooked over low heat, the tofus were yellow, piling on a snow-white porcelain dish, looking like gold nuggets. But gold nuggets did not smell good and inviting like this. He looked at the tofus and seemed very pleased with himself. He used both hands to place the dish on a spotless wooden table. Then he sighed and lifted his head.

He finally noticed Dawan and said, "It's you."

"It's me." Dawan said with a hearty laugh. She'd rarely revealed her repugnant appearance. "I'm surprised that Master Five recognized me."

Yu Five was warm towards her. He said, "Have you had anything to drink today?"

"Just a little," replied Dawan.

Yu Five said, "Good, really very good. I was just going to find someone to drink with me.

With a chuckle he said, "Drinking is like playing chess. It takes two people to make it interesing."

Dawan said, "Three people drinking is even more interesting than two. I have another person here who can drink with you."

Yu Five finally looked at Ma Rulong. He asked, "Does he drink too? Can he drink?"

"I've heard that his alcohol tolerance is pretty good," replied Dawan.

"Said who?" Yu Five asked.

Dawan said, "He said so himself."

Yu Five asked, "He said so and you believed it?"

"Why don't you try and see for yourself?" Dawan said.

"Good, really very good," Yu Five chuckled.

The tofus were wonderful. Ma Rulong forgot his manner. In one breath he ate three pieces. Each piece was followed by a bowl of wine. In a flash he'd drunk three bowls, three big bowls. Yu Five also had three bowls.

Yu Five was really using a broken bowl, a very big broken bowl. It was broken into three pieces which were glued back together. The bowl was light blue, blue-sky-after-storm kind of color.

Suddenly Ma Rulong said, "Good bowl."

"You know this is a good bowl?" Yu Five asked.

Ma Rulong replied, "It was baked by Chaifu. Besides, it's the best that came out of the kiln. Except one in the royal palace, there's absolutely no other bowl like this in the world."

Yu Five said, "Right, there are only two such bowls in the world."

He looked at Ma Rulong and chuckled, "As it turns out, you've got pretty good eyesight. Not only can you see through people, you can see through bowls.

"When it comes to people, his eyes aren't that good." Dawan said coldly.

With a hearty laugh Yu Five said, "If he can't see through people, how come he likes you?"

Dawan acted like she didn't hear him. Ma Rulong's face actually turned a little red.

Yu Five suddenly said, "You two are here. Your goal surely isn't to drink with me."

"I want to find someone but I don't know where she is," said Ma Rulong.

"You want me to help you find her, right?" Yu Five asked.

"Correct!" Ma Rulong replied.

Yu Five asked, "Who do you want to find?"

"Her name is Xiaowan," said Ma Rulong.

Yu Five roared a laugh. He said, "Xiaowan isn't as good as Dawan. You've already got this ‘wan' girl, why do you have to look for Xiaowan?"

This famous hero's observation obviously was not very good. He thought that Ma Rulong was Dawan's sweetheart.

Looking at the two people, one was incredibly ugly, and the other very handsome. He should have been able to see that they definitely were not a match.

Dawan deliberately asked, "Why isn't Xiaowan as good as Dawan?"

Yu Five said, "Whether you want to eat or drink, a small bowl (xiao wan) can't hold as much a big bowl (da wan). So Xiaowan is of course inferior to Dawan."

"What about a broken bowl (po wan)?" Dawan asked.

"A broken bowl is even better than a big bowl." Yu Five said.

Dawan asked, "Why?"

Yu Five said, "A broken bowl means it has gone through the goods and the bads. Like people, one must weather life's challenges to become old. An old man's experience is always richer that that of a child, like old ginger is always more pungent."

He lifted his broken bowl, draining the wine. With a big laugh he said, "And that's why a broken bowl is better than a big bowl."

Dawan also laughed. She said, "Luckily, we are talking about people, not bowls. Not only is this Xiaowan better than Dawan, she is also better than Powan (broken bowl).

"Oh, yeah?" Yu Five said.

Dawan said, "See, this Xiaowan is a really very beautiful girl. On top of that, she is gentle and passionate.

"How do you know?" Yu Five asked.

Dawan explained, "Because she is Qiu Fengcheng's sweetheart. Of course, the Silver Spear's woman can't be an ugly and strange creature like myself.

Yu Five laughed and said, "This Xiaowan belongs to someone else. No wonder you let me help him to find her."

He didn't let Ma Rulong argue, nor did he ask any more questions.

He suddenly said, "Let's make a deal."

"What kind of deal?" Ma Rulong asked.

Yu Five replied, "You stay here and drink with me, using big bowls. Then, I'll tell you how to find this Xiaowan."

"Okay," said Ma Rulong.

"Within three days, I'll surely have the news for you." Yu Five said.

"I'll stay here drinking with you for three days," confirmed Ma Rulong.

Yu Five said, "Using big bowls?"

"Definitely using big bowls," said Ma Rulong.

Yu Five said, "And you match me drink for drink?"

"Sure," replied Ma Rulong.

Yu Five gave him a look, a long look. Then he asked again, "Do you know what my greatest skills are?"

"Do tell," said Ma Rulong.

Yu Five said, "My greatest skills are eating, drinking, and sleeping."

Ma Rulong said, "I don't know about eating and sleeping, but drinking.. I'll match you drink for drink."

Yu Five asked, "You aren't afraid of getting drunk?"

Ma Rulong replied, "Even drunk to death, I will still drink."

Yu Five boomed a laugh. He said, "Good, really very good."

There were some people in the world who would rather die than surrender. Ma Rulong was undoubtedly one of those people.

Seeing the two of them constantly downing their drinks, Dawan let out a sigh and said, "When I left home, my mother warned me over and over again not to get drunk or mix with drunk people. She said – all the drunkards in the world are the same. Not only do they not know who they are, they are always stupid and unreasonable to others."

Dawan continued, "And then she said – when running into a drunkard, the best thing an intelligent girl can do is to quickly slip away."

Ma Rulong said, "True." He drank up another bowl and said, "Extremely true."

"Two drunkards are definitely worse than one," said Dawan.

Yu Five said, "True." He also drank up another bowl and said, "The only thing worse than one drunk person is two people getting drunk."

With a sigh Dawan said, "What a pity that I will soon run into two drunkards."

Yu Five asked, "Where? Where are the two drunkards?"

Dawan said, "Looks like it's going to be here, right in front of me."

Yu Five looked at Ma Rulong. Ma Rulong looked at Yu Five. And the two of them bursted into laughter.

"My mother only told me to run when meeting a drunkard. She didn't tell me what to do if I encounter two." With a giggle she said, "Luckily, I've actually found a way out."

Yu Five asked, "Which is?"

"I should get drunk too." She downed a big bowl, swiftly. "If I'm drunk, I don't have to fear drunkards anymore."

Yu Five clappped his hands and said, "True."

"But there is one thing," said Ma Rulong.

Yu Five asked, "What thing?"

Ma Rulong said, "Aren't three drunkards worse than two drunkards?"

Yu Five said, "Definitely." Then he sighed, "In the world I'm afraid the only thing worse than two drunkards is perhaps three drunkards."

"And right now I've met three drunkards," said Ma Rulong with a sigh. "Because I'm one of them."

He was not drunk yet, so this was not alcohol talking. He was overwhelmed by a multitude of feelings. A man could not run away from himself. His own mistakes, inadequacies, and responsibilities all could not be avoided. Because they are like his own shadow, from which no one could ever run away.