TY Chapter 8: Clear Stream Village

Taking in Ding Dang’s complaints, Lu Chen wasn’t angered but instead smiled, “Hey, I was just about to go out but after your words, how could I still leave?” After saying those words, he stopped and returned to sit by the bed. He retrieved a piece of Spiritual Stone on him and threw it toward Ding Dang’s pillow.

Ding Dang’s eyes shone immediately. Delightedly, She stretched her hand to grab it, revealing her jade-like arms. Lu Chen laughed heartily and took the opportunity to sneak his hand below the blanket and squeezed her flesh with force.

Ding Dang yelped. She clenched the Spiritual Stone tightly and threw a punch at Mu Chen while her other hand grabbed the blanket tightly to hinder that wretched hand of his. In the chaotic flailing of her arms and legs, he still managed a few lewd touches off her warm and soft body.

Lu Chen immediately jumped away, leaving the warm bed and walked toward door with large steps. As he stepped out, the coy and angry voice of a woman echoed behind him, “Damn it! Darned men, there indeed isn’t a good one out there! You had better remember this!”

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A refreshing morning wind blew from the faraway tea mountain, grazing the surface of the a clear, flowing stream, creating a series of ripples. Then, it brushed by the green bamboos and delicate peach blossoms on both sides of the coast, giving itself a tinge of fragrance. Then, it flitted past the algae-ridden Feng Yu Bridge, past the dam along the stream, past the bluestone road by the stream and finally, lightly caressed the bodies of those walking under the morning sun.

Lu Chen stretched his body as he yawned. A satisfied smile appeared on his face. He looked around his surroundings. The peaceful village was the place he was staying at currently.

This place was known as “Clear Stream Valley”, the name originating from the clear meandering stream that flowed slowly and steadily through the village. Other than the deep lake under the tea mountain which was the source of water, the deepest part of stream reached up to only one’s knees. On sunny days, the children of many different valleys would play in its water.

There were many pebbles in the clear stream and they came in different sizes and bizarre shapes. There were often some unknown fish swimming between and around these pebbles, playing around leisurely.

On the both sides of the coast of the river, there were many peach blossom trees and green bamboos. In spring, the scenery here would be magnificent. Green bamboo leaves coupled with pink peach blossoms reflecting off the clear stream, creating a beautiful picture of the mountainous village.

Lu Chen wandered around and heard the crisp chirping of the birds. In the distance, the call of roosters echoed and the many residences of farmers on both sides of the stream came into sight. It was slightly messy without any certain order, but it gave the scenery a carefree touch of the countryside.

By this time, the residents of Clear Stream Village were already out of their homes. Walking around the village, Lu Chen met quite a few people on the road by the clear stream. He either nodded or greeted them with a smile on his face; it seemed he was rather familiar with most of the villagers here.

After quite some distance, a large Chinese scholar tree appeared between the bluestone road and stream in front of him. It was lush with long branches and had an abundance of leaves. There was a large rock beneath the tree and a fisherman dressed in a coir raincoat was seated on it with a fishing pole in hand.

Lu Chen walked over to his side and looked into the fish cage placed on the ground. As he expected, it was empty. He couldn’t help but chuckle, “Old Yu, how many times have I told you? The fishes in this stream are too small. Not only will they not grow big, they are also hard to fish. If you want to fish, it would be best for you to go to the Little Pearl River five miles away from the village, or you could climb the tea mountain and head to the Dragon Lake on the west. Over there, you will be able to catch big fishes.”

The fisherman turned stiffly to look at him. It was an old man whose hair had turned partly white. He said slowly, “There are big fishes in this stream. I have seen them before.”

Lu Chen laughed as he picked up a pebble with his foot, and threw it into the stream. Putong, water splashed, creating ripples on the surface of the river. He smiled towards the old fisherman and said, “I have been living here for so many years but other than the few I have seen in the cracks between pebbles, I have never seen any big fishes in this river. You are talking gibberish, aren’t you?”

The old fisherman didn’t get angry at those words. He shook his head and repeated his words, “Xiao Lu, I am not lying to you, there really are fishes in the water.”

Lu Chen laughed heartily, as though talking with the fisherman made him happy. He lightly patted Old Yu’s shoulders before turning around and walking away with large steps, leaving Old Yu sitting alone under that large tree. After a momentary daze, he retrieved the fishing line and cast the hook upwards in an arc into the air into the water, waiting quietly and peacefully for a bite.

Along the same road, he walked another 3*(10^1) meters and saw a few houses built together. There were a several bamboo trees growing alongside the wall and the building at the end had a flag sticking outwards slant. On the flag, the fading word ‘alcohol’ was written.

Lu Chen casually pushed the door. The door creaked as it opened. Then, from the interior of the house, a frustrated voice echoed, “Hey, have you ever seen a tavern opening at such an early timing?”

Without a care, Lu Chen continued into the nameless tavern. He saw numerous chairs still stacked upside-down on top of the table, seemingly the look of it when it closed the night before. He made himself at home as he retrieved a stool by the window and sat on it. Then, he grinned, “I am not here to drink.”

By the wall of the little tavern, behind the counter, a figure sat up slowly, revealing the plump and prosperous face of a gentle-looking middle-aged man. He stared at Lu Chen and asked curiously, “Oh? That’s weird. If you aren’t here to drink, why would you enter my tavern?”

Lu Chen patted his stomach and said, “I am starving from being busy the entire night. Cook a bowl of noddle for me!”

That gentle old man humphed and replied, “I sell only alcohol. I do not sell noodles.”

Lu Chen laughed and said, “I don’t intend to buy it from you. There will be noodle anyway even if I don’t buy up. Hurry up.”

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After a while, a bowl of steaming onion egg noodles was placed in front of Lu Chen.

Lu Chen gasped in amazement. He grabbed his chopsticks and started to eat in big mouthfuls. While eating, he spoke with a muffled voice, “Old Ma, your skills have improved once again. This noodle is really not bad. Speaking truthfully, if it weren’t for your alcohol and food here for the past 10 years, I really don’t know how I could have survived here.”

Old Ma grabbed a cloth from the back of the counter and walked over, taking stool after stool down from the table to wipe them. At the same time, he smiled and said to Lu Chen, “Stop fooling around. Even if my alcohol and food are awful that even dogs refuse to approach it, you still can eat it nonchalantly.”

Lu Chen continued wolfing down his food, as though he had not heard those words.

Old Ma wasn’t bothered as well. By the time he turned around to look, after wiping all of the stools, the bowl in front of Lu Chen was already empty..


“The refreshing morning wind blows from the faraway tea mountain.”
TL: Tea mountain probably refers to this, quite a beautiful scenery.

past the bluestone road by the stream”
TL: This kind of road

“a large chinese scholar tree appears between the bluestone ”
TL: The name of the tree sounds bad it is actually kinda pretty also. It is also known as the japanese pagoda tree.

“fisherman wearing a coir raincoat”
TL: Damn it why are there so many descriptive phrases. Anyway, this.

“Xiao Lu, I am not lying to you, there really are fishes in the water.”
TL: Xiao means small, it is like a common way to call someone younger than you. For example, your name is John, so an elder may call you Xiao John (Ok it sounds weird but that’s is the gist of it)

Actually, although there’s no action, I think I kind of like the peacefulness :O Makes me want to live by the countryside. But nay, I think bloodshed probably will come soon

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