Immortal Travel of Longevity

The road into the market wasn’t too long.

Chen Changsheng looked at it carefully for a long time. He saw the wild grasses by the roadside had changed. But at least the road itself was still there.

People were much the same.

At dusk, it wasn’t particularly lively, but that sense of leisure remained constant.

The wine tavern stood by the bridgehead. As the sun set, many drinkers filled the tavern.

Some sat under the tree outside after drinking just two liang of wine, chatting idly. Others drank heartily inside the tavern. Still others hung their heads low, as if suffering some kind of defeat. All human expressions—joy and sorrow—were contained within this single wine tavern.

The waiter busily attended to the guests. Seeing someone enter, he hurried forward to greet him. At first glance, the face looked unfamiliar – probably a traveler from elsewhere, he thought.

“Please come in, sir.”

Chen Changsheng glanced at the waiter. Several years had passed in the blink of an eye. This waiter had a beard now, and his voice was much deeper.

Chen Changsheng looked up. His gaze fell upon a piece of calligraphy framed on the tavern wall – the very one he’d left for Xiaoliu years ago. Chen Changsheng paused. “Has the manager changed again?”

The waiter hesitated for a moment. “The manager now is Master Fei. In the old Jing days, a Manager Zhang ran this place. I’m afraid I don’t know when you last visited, sir.”

Chen Changsheng looked at him. “I came here once during the second year of the Xinglong era. You were here then too.”

The waiter tried hard to recall. Six years had passed, since it was now the eighth year of Xinglong. People and matters from that long ago were truly difficult to remember.

Afraid to lie, the waiter apologized. “Ah, sir, I’m terribly sorry. It’s just too long ago. I really can’t recall now. Please forgive me.”

“Just mentioning it in passing. I don’t blame you.”

Chen Changsheng smiled slightly. “Do you still have Autumn Moon Brew?”

The waiter shook his head. “My apologies. Other wines we have in stock, but the Autumn Moon Brew…”

Chen Changsheng nodded. “Be so kind as to tell your manager that someone has come to claim the wine promised for next year.”

The waiter seemed puzzled but didn’t ask further. He agreed and went to find the manager.

Manager Fei was tallying inventory in the wine shop when the waiter told him this.

“‘Wine for next year?’”

Manager Fei frowned. “What else did the person say? What did he look like?”

“He mentioned coming here during the second year of the Xinglong reign… as for appearance…”

The waiter described, “He looked very refined. Wore a blue robe, like a scholar-teacher.”

Manager Fei understood immediately.

“Ah, him…”

Manager Fei had assumed the man would never return.

He told the waiter to fetch the jar of Autumn Moon Brew stored in the cellar.

“I’ll take it myself.”

Manager Fei said this, then the waiter nodded and left to attend to other customers.

Manager Fei carried the jar to the main hall and spotted the gentleman in the blue robe immediately.

Chen Changsheng saw him approaching. As their eyes met, a slight smile appeared on Manager Fei’s face.