I served as Li Bai's page.

When Li Bai arrived at the mountaintop with Xu Ziyan, we were all waiting on the mountaintop platform.

Master Ziyang said, "The mountain path is rugged; it must have been difficult for Miss Xu."

Xu Ziyan replied, "The journey up the mountain is arduous, which only highlights my piety. Elder Daoist, I pay my respects."

Through this question and answer, it was clear that Xu Ziyan was well-read and highly cultured.

Xu Ziyan approached Meng Haoran again, bowed deeply, and recited: "An old friend prepared chicken and millet, inviting me to his country home. Green trees surround the village, and green hills slope beyond the town. Opening the window, I face the fields and gardens, and we drink wine while chatting about farming. When the Double Ninth Festival arrives, I will return to admire the chrysanthemums."

Xu Ziyan's melodious recitation immediately captivated everyone.

Meng Haoran clapped his hands repeatedly in praise: "My next poem was recited with such deep emotion by Miss Xu; your literary cultivation is comparable to that of Li Bai."

Xu Ziyan bowed again and said, "Thank you for your praise, Mr. Meng, and I am even more grateful for your kindness."

Yuan Danqiu and Cen Xun said simultaneously, "Sister-in-law, please come in."

Xu Ziyan entered the Taoist temple, where Xuanmeng had already prepared incense and candles, handing them to her. Li Bai stepped forward and said, "Xuanmeng, give me one too."

Li Bai accepted the incense and candles, and he and Xu Ziyan knelt down on the prayer mat.

After Xu Ziyan finished burning incense, Master Ziyang invited her to sit in the Taoist temple for a while. Li Bai and I went to the inner room to pack our luggage, and Master Ziyang followed us in.

"Taibai, have you thought about your future? Don't let romantic feelings ruin your prospects."

"Thank you for the reminder, I will remember it. You must wait until after my wedding before returning to Suizhou."

"Yes, we will attend as your family."

Meng Haoran also said, "Don't worry, there are still more than ten days left. Come to this mountain whenever you have time. You might feel a little uncomfortable staying at the Xu residence."

"No one knows me better than Master Meng." Li Bai exaggeratedly embraced Meng Haoran, his eyes brimming with tears. Yuan Danqiu and Cen Xun also went up and hugged each other.

After I finished packing, Xuanmeng came to my side and said, "Yuehua, may I come to the Xu residence to find you?"

"Sure, once the house downstairs is built and we move up, it'll be easier for you to find me. I'll also come to see you often."

Xuanmeng was, after all, just a child. She had lived alone in the temple for a long time, accompanied by loneliness. This was the price she had to pay for seeking immortality and enlightenment.

After Li Bai and I bid farewell to Master Ziyang and the others, carrying our luggage, we walked down the mountain with Xu Ziyan and the others. When we reached the halfway point, Li Bai asked, "Ziyan, shall we go take a look at the new house?"

"Where are we going?"

"Follow me." Li Bai said, leading the way, while Xiaoqian helped Xu Ziyan walk into the valley.

On the foundation of the new house, the workers were working hard, and Manager Wu was busy running around the construction site. Seeing us arrive, he came over and said, "Did the young master and young lady come specifically to see?"

"No, Steward Wu, I went to the Taoist temple on the mountain to burn incense and stopped by on the way. You all hurry up and finish the work. I'll reward you when it's done," Xu Ziyan said.

"Thank you, Miss. We'll definitely work harder so you and your husband can move into your new house as soon as possible."

Li Bai walked around the construction site for a moment, then returned to Xu Ziyan's side and said, "Let's go back, don't keep Steward Wu waiting."

Around noon, we returned to the Xu residence. As soon as we entered the gate, Xiao Rong ran over and said, "Young Master, Master said you should go to his study to see him when you get back."

Li Bai agreed and walked towards the study. Xiaoqian and I accompanied Xu Ziyan back to the inner courtyard.

"I'm exhausted. Xiaoqian, go get me a kettle of water so I can wash up."

"I'll go," I said, going to the kitchen to fetch a pot of water. I then had Xiaoqian carry it into the room.

"Young Madam, I'm going back to my room," I called out to Xu Ziyan's room.

"Go back and get some rest. We'll call you when it's time to eat."

I returned to my lodgings and had just sat down when Li Bai came back. Seeing his downcast expression, I asked:

"Young Master, what's wrong? What did the Master say to you?"

"It's nothing, they just asked me if there are any customs for weddings in my hometown. I didn't know. I was supposed to be able to see Yueyuan's wedding, but I brought the guide with me, which means Yueyuan will never see him again. Thinking about it makes my heart ache."

"Young Master, how about this: after your wedding, we'll take the young mistress back to Longxi Courtyard to make the Master and Madam happy, and while we're at it, we'll also renovate the Moonlit Embroidery Pavilion."

Will Ziyan come with us?

"The young mistress is wise; she is well-read and surely understands the principle of 'a woman follows her husband wherever he goes,' whether he's a chicken or a dog."

"Yuehua, don't be so blunt, it sounds awful."

After I said that, Li Bai's mood immediately improved, and he started talking animatedly again. During lunch, he even had a few drinks with Master Xu.

Nothing else happened in the afternoon. The second and third concubines came to our courtyard. Wu Ma and Zhang Ma set up two large tables in the courtyard. Everyone gathered around the tables to cut out the character for "double happiness" and paper-cut window decorations. Wu Ma was the most skillful and even sewed wedding attire for the young master and young lady. Madam Xu was all smiles as she sewed and distributed wedding candies.

The siblings Xu Ziyan and Xu Zijun accompanied their young master as he read and wrote in the study, while Xu Zixia ran excitedly around the yard. At this moment, the family seemed harmonious and peaceful. Old Master Xu stood at the gate of the yard and saw all this, stroking his beard and nodding in satisfaction.

Following my wife's instructions, Wu Chao and I were also extremely busy. Li Bai's wedding was approaching, and the busy work had begun.

After a few busy days, Master Xu was going to take Li Bai to visit some local relatives. Li Bai nervously came to ask me:

"Yuehua is a relative of Ziyan's family. Is it appropriate for me to go?"

"Young Master, removing the 'ma' isn't inappropriate. Master Xu treats you like his own son and has introduced you to his relatives. This is a good thing. You need to be adaptable and seize the opportunity."

"Okay, I'll do as you say and see if there's a chance."

Master Xu first took Li Bai to visit Xu Ziyan's uncle. Li Bai's literary talent and knowledge impressed her uncle so much that his two sons also moved into the Xu family. Li Bai, along with his brothers, Yuan Danqiu, and Cen Xun, spent several days drinking in every tavern in Anlu.

That morning, Li Bai, along with several brothers, went to Baizhao Mountain to invite Master Ziyang, Meng Haoran, Yuan Danqiu, and Cen Xun to drink in Anlu. Master Ziyang and Meng Haoran refused, and only Yuan Danqiu and Cen Xun went down the mountain with them.

They arrived in Anlu and found a tavern for their morning drinks. By the time they were full and heading home, they were all quite drunk. Li Bai, riding his horse, let it go as it pleased. Just then, an official carriage came along. Li Bai's horse couldn't avoid it and crashed into it. The official inside the carriage lifted the curtain and said, "You have quite the nerve, daring to bump into my carriage!" But what he saw was Li Bai passed out on his horse. He had no choice but to give up and order the carriage to go around him.

Watching the carriage disappear into the distance, the eldest uncle's son recognized it as the carriage of Li Changshi, the Prefectural Magistrate of Anzhou. He quickly spurred his horse forward and said to the drunken Li Bai, "Brother-in-law, you have offended Li Changshi of Anzhou."

"Is this serious?" Li Bai asked.

"He's a powerful figure in the Anzhou government; we can't afford to offend him."

"Then I'll go back and write an article to apologize to him," Li Bai replied.