Chapter 2, The Past

Wang Yuan scratched his head and said, "Sanlang, to be honest with you, I fell yesterday and hit my head on the door panel, losing consciousness for a while. When I woke up, I found that something was off with my mind; I couldn't remember many things, and I didn't dare to tell anyone..."

Wang Yuan threw the bronze mirror back into the wooden box, stuffed it under the bed, and clapped his hands, saying: "I am starving; let us go have breakfast."

Wang Yuan was somewhat puzzled as to why Huang San treated him so well, but unfortunately, his memories of Huang San were fragmented, and he could not clarify the specifics of their relationship

"Sanlang, are you really willing to indulge today? Can one person eat so much? Don't waste it," Aunt Wen said with a smile while wiping a ceramic bowl.

Huang Sandai paused for a moment and said: "Do you not remember the woman named Lan Xin Hui from the Qiu Yue Pavilion?"

Huang Sansheng was afraid that Wang Yuan would get angry, so he pulled Wang Yuan inside, lifted a section of the burlap curtain, and entered a small private room. In the room, there was a half-foot-high tatami-like structure, with a small wooden table placed in the middle of the tatami, and on either side were several straw cushions.

Stepping out, he found himself in a narrow alley that led to a main street running north to south. This was the first time Wang Yuan had walked out of the house to face the bustling market of the Tang Dynasty up close. Although he appeared calm on the outside, his heart was filled with tension and excitement.

Take this box of pastries back to your younger sister, will you? Wang Yuan handed the box of pastries to Huang San, recalling that Huang San had two younger sisters aged around 12 or 13 at home

Wang Yuan smiled and nodded, holding the wooden comb and the bundle of soft hair for a while, his brows furrowing into a knot, yet he could not recall who had given them to him. After a moment, he rose and went to the stove, tossing the hair and the wooden comb into it. After a burst of acrid smell, the black hair was reduced to ashes, and the wooden comb also caught fire

Er Lang, it is not that I am being meddlesome, but you should really pull yourself together. Quickly put the past behind you and do not dwell on that woman any longer. It may have been a moment of confusion, but do not go back down that path.

There were still quite a few people on the streets of the neighborhood, with riders occasionally galloping by, and others laboriously carrying sedan chairs along the road, all taking shortcuts through the neighborhood from the main street outside. The rest, dressed in short jackets and huddled with their heads down, were either picking vegetables, driving carts, or carrying manure, all crowded together, creating a scene that appeared chaotic and disordered, with various strange odors permeating the air

"Is that you, Sanlang? Are you having breakfast? What would you like to eat?" A plump woman with a beaming smile poked her head out from the steam near the bamboo steamer in the shop.

Inside the cloth bag, there is a copper mirror, with a smooth front and a back intricately carved with floral and bird designs, quite exquisite. There is also a small round wooden box in the bag, which, when opened, releases a fragrant aroma; inside are some colorful powders, indicating it is a box for incense cakes, clearly intended for a woman's use. The last two items further confirm this: a delicate redwood comb and a strand of black silk tied with a red string, soft and slender

Huang San was startled and put down his chopsticks, ready to get up and take a look. Wang Yuan hurriedly waved his hand and said: "It's all swollen down, nothing seems out of the ordinary, but I feel a bit confused and can't recall some things. Could you remind me? Otherwise, I feel quite uncomfortable."

Wang Yuan initially did not notice this cloth bag; it was at the very bottom, blending in with the scattered clothes of similar colors, making it hard to spot at a glance. He reached out and picked up the bag, feeling its considerable weight in his hand. As he slowly opened it, he felt a bit nervous, as if he were about to uncover someone else's secret, but he quickly found it amusing. Wasn't this secret just his own? What was there to be nervous about? He slowly opened it again, feeling a bit nervous as if he were about to uncover someone else's secret, but he quickly found it amusing. Wasn't this secret just his own? What was there to be nervous about?

Wang Yuan, with a mix of laughter and tears, said: "If you don't tell me, there will always be a shadow in my heart that I cannot dispel, and I will keep thinking about it, driving myself crazy. Moreover, one can only change their faults by understanding themselves; don't you hope for me to change completely?"

Wang Yuan could tell that the woman was speaking in a roundabout way, but he himself was unaware of any wrongdoing. It seemed that everyone held a certain disdain for him, as if Zhao Fang and Huang San had subtly alluded to something earlier, leaving him, the main subject, completely in the dark.

"Madam Wen, please bring two bowls of steamed buns and eight flatbreads, and sprinkle more sesame on them." Huang San nodded and smiled at the woman, appearing to be quite familiar with her

"Auntie, it's not just me eating; I'm eating with Wang Jialiang. I'm afraid it won't be enough for both of us." Huang San stretched his neck to look for a seat in the shop

Huang Sanban exclaimed in astonishment, "How could you possibly forget all these things? Then how did you recognize me?"

Huang San was also not polite, reaching out to take it and tucking it into his bosom, saying: "The younger sister asked me yesterday to buy her rouge and perfume, telling me, why should the daughters of ordinary families dress up? Can they still be selected to enter the palace and become a favored concubine? However, this thing is good for her, at least it can make her happy, and I told her it was a gift from Erlang."

Wang Yuan smiled and waved his hand, saying: "No need, I am not very hungry either; just a couple of flatbreads with some thin soup will suffice. Sanlang, there is something I am a bit confused about and would like to ask you."

Huang San smiled and said: "That's right, clean it up and start anew."

In fact, the market is far less prosperous than one might imagine. Most of the houses on either side are made of rammed earth, and occasionally, a two-story brick and wood house indicates a relatively well-off family. The shops along the street are not as densely packed as one might think; several residential homes or walls face the street before a shop appears. The signs at the entrances are extremely simple, with a bamboo pole supporting a cloth curtain, on which the words "Wine," "Tea," and "Cloth" are written in a straightforward manner. The shops along the street are not as densely packed as one might think; several residential homes or walls face the street before a shop appears. The signs at the entrances are extremely simple, with a bamboo pole supporting a cloth curtain, on which the words "Wine," "Tea," and "Cloth" are written in a straightforward manner

The roads of the alley are compacted earth, while the main street is paved with rammed earth and some bluestone. Although uneven and pitted, it appears quite orderly. The winter sun hangs in the east; despite being the depths of winter, the light remains dazzling. Walking along such a street and observing the alternating black, white, and gray of the antique buildings on either side, Wang Yuan once again feels as if he is in a dream

Wang Yuan could not think of any origins related to these things, but he could ascertain that they were all a part of the experiences of the young man who had once possessed him; however, all of this had nothing to do with him.

The two individuals sat down facing each other. After a short while, Aunt Wen brought in two steaming bowls of soup, placing one bowl in front of each person, saying: "Two bowls of noodle soup, Sanlang, take your time. The sesame pancakes will be here shortly." After speaking, she rolled her eyes without even glancing at Wang Yuan and left.

Wang Yuan remarked, "I also find it strange; some things I remember, while others I do not. Therefore, I feel quite unsettled, as if something is missing."

In a corner of the box, Wang Yuan discovered something he urgently needed. It was a string of copper coins, approximately more than one hundred pieces, inscribed with the four characters "Kaiyuan Tongbao." Wang Yuan knew that this was the official currency of the Tang Dynasty, so he picked up all the copper coins and tucked them into his bosom, for this was likely all the money he had at that moment

Huang nodded and said, "That is only natural; a copper mirror is indeed a valuable item. It should be able to sell for several hundred wen at the West Market."

Wang Yuan nodded vigorously and said: "Yes, yes, I suspect it is amnesia. Just like what you mentioned earlier about my relationship with some woman, I can't remember anything at all. Also, just now, Aunt Wen said I am a spendthrift. What exactly did I do before? I really want to find out."

Huang San glared and said: "Can't remember? Have you fallen and developed amnesia?"

"Throw away the things in that cloth bag; once you throw them away, you will forget the past," Huang San said, pointing at a blue cloth bag in the corner and smacking his lips.

Huang San took a sip of hot soup, with a piece of noodle in his mouth, and mumbled: "Er Lang, just ask."

Very good, today is quite elegant and quiet, we can just eat and talk. Huang San stepped onto the "tatami" and sat down heavily on the cushion; Wang Yuan, being a person who values cleanliness, noticed that Huang San had soiled the wooden floor with a big footprint of yellow mud. He intended to remind him, but upon seeing the appearance of the plump woman beside him, whose nose was not a nose and whose face was not a face, he felt too lazy to say anything more. Instead, he also stepped his muddy feet onto the tatami. He thought to himself: you just insulted me indirectly, so I will take this as revenge, at least teaching you to clean up and work a bit harder afterwards.

Wang Yuan shook his head in confusion and said, "What is Lan Xin Hui? I truly do not remember."

Indeed, there was a brand new wooden box under the bed, which was in stark contrast to the other old and dilapidated items in the room. The box was locked, and Wang Yuan could not find the key anywhere, so he took a few blue bricks used for the bed and smashed the lock open. Inside the box were a few somewhat worn clothes, which, like the other items in the room, emitted a faint musty odor

Following Huang San for about 100 meters, the area ahead opened up; it was a small square formed by a crossroads, with a horizontal street stretching out before me, bustling with people. The shops around the intersection were noticeably denser, and the convergence of the two small streets from east to west and north to south was evidently more lively.

Wang Yuan was puzzled, but unwilling to reveal any flaws, so he could only remain silent.

As Wang Yuan was tidying up his more than one-foot-long messy hair, which was a "head full of black silk," Huang San had already rolled up his sleeves and was bustling around the house. By the time Wang Yuan had painstakingly arranged his hair and straightened his clothes, Huang San had already cleaned the entire house inside and out, and had also gathered several large bundles of firewood in the yard, placing them under the stove in the west wing. All of this was done with great familiarity.

Wang Yuan turned the bronze mirror over and over for a while and said, "This thing is made of bronze. Let's go sell it together another day; it should be quite valuable."

Huang San, being quite perceptive, said softly: "Er Lang, do not be angry. Aunt Wen has this temperament. Even if you argue with her, you won't reach any conclusion. Come, come, let me prepare some noodles for you.

Huang Sanlong rolled up his sleeves and walked straight across the alley to a shop filled with steam, plunging headfirst into the warm, white mist.

Huang San clapped his hands and laughed, saying: "What a good thing, it's even better that I can't remember. This completely cuts off any thoughts. I certainly won't tell you who she is."

Huang San sighed and said: "If you are unwilling to mention it, then so be it. Erlang is a man of sentiment, and it is evident that you still care about that woman; do not deny it. Are the items in the wooden box under your bed still there? I must say, if you were a bit more resolute, you might as well throw all those things away; that would truly reflect a determined attitude of no longer thinking about the past."

... ...

The door curtain was gently lifted, and Aunt Wen entered like the wind, placing a plate of steaming, fragrant sesame cakes on the small table before swiftly exiting the room. Wang Yuan grabbed one of the cakes and took a bite; the texture was crispy and delicious, far surpassing any delicacy he had ever tasted before. He continued to eat the sesame cakes while listening to Huang San recount his illustrious history.

Wang Yuan is completely unaware of the items in his new home. Over the past two days, he has been preoccupied with sighing and lamenting, entirely lacking the inclination to examine this new residence. He has not even noticed the wooden box under the bed.

Wang Yuan smiled and said, "Go ahead."

Huang San scratched his head and stared, saying: "Is it really that serious? It seems that what you said makes quite a bit of sense. In that case, it wouldn't hurt to tell you, but after you think it over, you must not make the same mistake again"

At that moment, the plump woman finally noticed Wang Yuan standing at the door, and the smile on her face instantly vanished. She coldly said, "Sanlang, it is not that I am speaking ill of you, but you should not associate with certain spendthrifts, as it could tarnish your reputation. When the time comes for you to seek a wife, it may lead to misunderstandings with others"

Just now, when Wang Yuan heard Huang San asking for what kind of noodle soup he wanted, he was curious about what this noodle was. It was only when this dish was placed in front of him that he suddenly realized, but at the same time, he was greatly disappointed. The so-called noodle soup was nothing more than a broth with a few noodle slices; looking at the quantity of noodle slices in his and Huang San's bowls, he was instantly furious. Huang San's noodle soup was generously filled with noodle slices, while the bowl in front of him contained only a few slices floating in a thin broth, and even if he went barefoot into it, he feared he wouldn't be able to scoop up many.