I served as Li Bai's page.

I came out of the restaurant, and everyone was still waiting outside. Several young masters' carriages had already arrived. After saying goodbye to us, they got into their carriages and left, leaving only Wang An, Nanyang, Meng Ning, and us.

I walked over to Li Bai and said, "Young Master, Miss Yunxia couldn't come, but she sent someone to settle the bill. Should we go see her and give her the money?"

When Wang An and Nanyang heard that we were going to see the clouds and mist, they also wanted to go with us.

Meng Ning was not familiar with Wang An and the others, so he had to say goodbye and go home. I took out a piece of calligraphy written by Li Bai and gave it to him, and watched him get into the carriage and leave.

Li Bai, Nanyang, Wang An, and I boarded Wang An's carriage and headed towards the moonlit boats on the Qinhuai River.

The ship was unusually quiet today, with only a single, dim light illuminating the vessel. As the four of us stepped onto the deck, Yunxia's maidservant came out to greet us. Seeing it was us, she called out into the ship, "Miss, Young Master Li and Young Master Wang have arrived."

"Please let them in."

We went inside the boat and saw Yunxia sitting on a deck chair with one foot bandaged and resting flat on the chair.

Li Bai stepped forward and asked, "Miss Yunxia, ​​is your foot badly injured?"

"Thank you for your concern, young master. The doctor gave me medicine and said I need to rest for a while to recover," Yunxia said.

The young master of Nanyang was furious: "Who did this? Tell me, and I'll teach him a lesson."

"No need," Yunxia said. "I was in a hurry and turned to go downstairs. I didn't expect to miss a step and fall."

Wang An said, "Be careful when you go out in the future; there are all kinds of people in society."

I asked with some curiosity, "Miss Yunxia, ​​your foot is all bruised, why don't you go home?"

"Brother Yuehua, this is my home. My maid and I fled to the Qinhuai River after our hometown was flooded that year, and we settled in this boat two years ago."

I gave a thoughtful "Oh," and dared not say anything more, because I was unable to give her a home.

We sat for a while, then it was time to take our leave. Li Bai was the first to stand up and say, "It's late, and we shouldn't disturb you any longer. Take care, young lady. Farewell."

Yunxia tried to stand up, but sat down again because of the pain. Li Bai walked outside, and I took out three calligraphy scrolls from my inner bag, handing one to Yunxia, ​​one to Wang An, and one to Nanyang:

"Let's keep this as a memento. We're leaving tomorrow, and we don't know if we'll have the chance to meet again. We hope Young Master Wang and Young Master Nanyang will take good care of Miss Yunxia."

Yunxia, ​​Wang An, and Nanyang were overjoyed to receive the calligraphy, saying, "This is Li Bai's handwriting; we will definitely keep it safe."

Then, I took out a silver note and placed it in Yunxia's hand, saying, "How can we let you pay for our treat? Please accept this on behalf of Miss Yunxia."

Yunxia told the maid not to accept it, saying, "I didn't pay much. The restaurant manager said he'd give you a discount, so I only paid a tiny bit. We don't have a single silver note. We definitely won't take it."

I said, "You have to accept it. After the fall, you won't be able to earn money for a while. How will you make a living? You can't compromise with people who have ulterior motives."

Yunxia's eyes were filled with tears, and she turned her face away.

Wang An and Nanyang also took out silver notes and placed them in the hands of the maids. I said to the maids, "Please accept these for Miss Yunxia, ​​and plan how to use them while she recovers."

The four of us emerged from the moonlit boat and parted ways with Nanyang on Huaiqing Bridge. Li Bai and I then boarded Wang An's carriage and headed towards Wuyi Lane.

It was already past midnight when we got back to the inn. Li Bai and I quickly washed up and went straight to bed.

I slept until noon the next day, and when I got up I saw that Li Bai had already packed his things.

"Get up, have lunch, and then we'll go," Li Bai said.

"Young master, shall we still take the boat?" I asked.

"Of course, it's more convenient to take a boat, and you can also enjoy the scenery along the way," Li Bai said.

After lunch, I went to the inn to pay the bill, and then Li Bai and I took our luggage to the Qinhuai River dock. We found a passenger boat that could take us directly to Yangzhou from the outer Qinhuai River, so we rented it.

We boarded the passenger ship, the boatman raised the sails, and the ship headed towards Shuixi Gate. Li Bai stood at the bow, head held high, occasionally looking back, silently bidding farewell to Jinling.

"Young Master, when will we be able to return?" I asked.

"I don't know. I came to Jinling hoping to find someone who could recommend me. Although I've made many friends, they are all insignificant and powerless, not worth mentioning," Li Bai sighed.

As Li Bai and I were talking, the boat reached the Xishuiguan Yunzha Gate at Shuixi Gate. After passing through the Yunzha Gate, the boat entered the outer river of the Qinhuai River from the inner river. The river suddenly widened, and the current became increasingly turbulent.

"Young master, come into the cabin. It's windy outside, don't catch a cold," I said.

"It's alright, I'll just stand here for a while, looking at the distant green mountains on both sides of the river, how refreshing it is!" Li Bai exclaimed.

After sailing on the outer Qinhuai River for some time, the boat joined the mighty Yangtze River. As the boat moved forward, the terrain on both sides of the Yangtze River became increasingly flat. By evening, we had entered the Jianghuai Plain.

"Gentlemen, the boat will dock at the South Gate Wharf in Yangzhou. Please prepare yourselves!" the boatman said to us.

"Have we arrived in Yangzhou?" I asked, having heard that Yangzhou was more prosperous than Nanjing. But sitting on the boat, I didn't feel that at all.

"We'll be there soon." As we spoke, the boat slowly moved from the turbulent river towards the Han Canal beside it. The boat entered the Han Canal, passed a bridge, and entered the South Gate Wharf, stopping on the bluestone-paved dock. Li Bai and I disembarked with our luggage. There were many boats moored at the dock, including merchant ships and passenger ships. Perhaps because it was late, there were very few people to be seen at the dock.

We climbed the stone steps, passed through rows of willow-lined embankments, and entered the main street outside the South Gate, where we witnessed the prosperity of Yangzhou.

The main street was lined with shops and bustling with people. Even before nightfall, the street was already brightly lit. In the alleys on both sides of the main street, whether it was a grand mansion or a humble family home, all the houses had lights on. Laughter, playful noises, and the sounds of adults disciplining children could be heard from inside the houses and courtyards.

Li Bai and I walked through the main street and into the alley, arriving at a small building. A wooden sign hung on the outer wall of the building, which read: "South Gate Inn".

"Young master, are we staying here tonight?" I asked.

"It's getting late, and it's not easy to find another place to stay. Let's stay here for now and talk about it tomorrow," Li Bai said.

Li Bai and I carried our luggage into the hostel when a little girl, about four or five years old, came out, calling out, "Mommy, someone's here!"

At the sound of the little girl's cry, a young woman came out from the inner room and asked:

"Would the two gentlemen like to stay at an inn?"

"Do you have a room?" I asked.

"There are two rooms upstairs. This is just a small courtyard; the conditions aren't comparable to a large hotel," the young woman said.

"It's alright, we've already checked in. My name is Yuehua, and this is my young master, Li Bai. Please take us upstairs." After sitting on the boat all afternoon, I felt a bit tired and wanted to rest early.

"Alright, call me Qinglan. This little girl is my daughter, Mumu. I'll take you upstairs." The young woman said, leading Li Bai and me upstairs, and asked, "Would you like one room or two?"

I quickly replied, "Two rooms, one for each person."

Li Bai glanced at me and said, "What a waste." Then he took his luggage and went into the room.

I went to another room, threw my luggage down, closed the door, and collapsed onto the bed. It felt wonderful.