Chapter 153 — Night Drinking
The Sword Questions the Heavens · Page 5 of 5
Ming Li turned to glance at Xiao Hui. "If I told you I came here with this monkey to look for wine, would you believe it?"
The youth started, glanced at Xiao Hui, then suddenly burst out laughing and clapped his hands. "Believe it? Why would I not! Come, come—let us drink a cup together. Life is lonely enough; it is rare to meet a kindred soul in a remote corner at the ends of the earth, both looking for wine."
With that he raised his cup to Ming Li and drained it at a draught. Ming Li looked at him deeply and slowly repeated the words: "Life is lonely enough—heh heh, life is lonely enough..."
Suddenly he laughed too, a laugh full of the weariness of years. He raised his cup and drank it down in one gulp. A fierce, fiery taste of wine ran straight from his throat to his belly—the wine of this remote little town was potent indeed.
The youth laughed. "Well?"
Ming Li lifted his eyes, reached out, took the wine pot, and filled both their cups. "Good wine!"
The youth's smile deepened. He slapped the table and laughed aloud. "Good—truly good wine!" As he laughed, his expression gradually grew fervent, and suddenly he chanted aloud:
"The mood of old days, gone through vicissitudes,
Do you still remember, heartbroken man?
White hair, withered lamp, wandering the ends of the earth,
One morning of loneliness traded for a night of drunkenness..."
As he chanted on, his voice slowly turned bleak and desolate, and a look of forlornness came over his face. When he finished, he bowed his head and was silent. Ming Li watched him quietly and drained the wine in his own cup at a gulp.
Night fell, and the cold wind rose. Through the desolate little town came a moaning sound, as if someone were weeping softly far away.
The night grew deep, and darkness surged like a tide, drowning the earth. The monkey had fallen asleep leaning against Taotie, and that fierce beast now lay lazily on the ground. In the tavern all was darkness; Ming Li and the youth sat in the dark, and neither made to rise and fetch a candle.
Perhaps in the darkness they felt more at ease.
All day long they had sat thus, face to face, now and then exchanging a few idle words, now and then drinking a few cups of wine, but more often stirring old thoughts in each other, sunk in silent reverie, recalling the years of a lifetime.
On such a clear cold night, in a remote corner at the ends of the earth, two strangers seemed already to have known each other all their lives, sitting together in calm companionship.