Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

@blabla100

Even though she was with Jing, but who was he, who she really missed? Another example:

Xiao Yao had just washed his hair. She knelt on the mat next to the sofa, combed her hair and hummed a song: "The scent of the south wind can dispel  Nong's longing !" When the south wind blows, it can  soothe my memory …”

Adapted from the “Song of the South Wind” during the pre-Qin Dynasty: “The south wind blows coolly and can  calm the anger of our people . When the south wind blows, it can lighten  the fortunes of our people .” In everyday language, namely: The cool south wind can relieve the pain of all people. Sadness; The south wind blows at the right time, so it can enrich the wealth of all people.

The author changed it to  "Jie Nong's Thoughts" and "Nong's Memories of Comfort" . Ah, I feel so embarrassed that I always miss the ancient text when watching "Sauvignon Blanc".

Geographical location: The Central Plains and northwest are the Xuanyuan region, and Gaoxin is in the southeast. Qingshui City borders Xuanyuan to the west and Gaoxin to the south.

The south wind could be said to be the wind that blew from Qingshui City and the vast ocean to the Central Plains.

"Explain Nong's thinking" , explain my thinking.

"Memories comfort Nong" , memories comfort me.

Who do you miss? Remember who? It definitely wasn't the person still lying next to him. Xiaoyao's "thinking" and "remembering" are in the same vein as his father. What he thinks and remembers is for the person he can neither gain nor lose. He missed Xiang Liu all the time and remembered every moment with her.

 blabla100:

If I wouldn't have known Jing was there, I would definetely think that the song she sang în chapter 20 was for XL.

In XY's thoughts in chapter 43, she thinks of the song she sang in chapter 20 as "the song she sang for [Jing] in his residence".  

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Chapter 43:

Xiao Yao didn’t need the fish ruby to breathe underwater but she didn’t want others to know of her body’s new ability and she kept the fish ruby on her because it was a gift from Jing. Right now Xiao Yao felt this ache in her heart as she sank into the water and prayed: heavens, you can do anything cruel to me but please let Jing be alive even if he’s gravely injured or crippled.

Xiao Yao was swimming under the ship taking things in when a woman in purple laying on the edge lifted her head. “If you want to see Tu Shan Jing then get on the ship.”

Xiao Yao emerged and asked, “Why should I believe you?”

The woman tossed a scrap of cloth at Xiao Yao and on it was writing in Jing’s hand. It was the lyrics of the song she sang for him in his residence.

If beloved is wind above the water
I will be the lily in the wind
To see and to miss
To see and to miss
If beloved is the cloud in the sky
I would be the moon in the cloud
To love and to cherish
To love and to cherish
If beloved were the tree in the forest
I would be the vines on the tree
Together and connected
Together and connected
Why does the world have sadness
Why do lives have gathering and parting
Only wish with beloved
Together forever, never apart

Xiao Yao finished reading and restrained her tears before jumping on the ship.

 blabla100:

if Jing was there, why would she sing a song about missing him?

In chapter 20, TSJ is still engaged to FFYY. TSJ and XY are keeping their affection secret, and they often have to see each other in circumstances where they want to be closer / together but cannot be because of TSJ's engagement. "To see and to miss" seems to describe their circumstances in those situations well, and "only wish with beloved, together forever, never apart" seems to describe what they (TSJ and XY) are both wishing for at that point. 

 blabla100:

the moon, the willow, these are all related to XL,  not to Jing.

The moon is a motif that is repeated often throughout the story in scenes relating to several characters (including TSJ, CX and the Grand Emperor) not just XL. In particular, there are times in the story where XY specifically has thoughts that associate XL and the moon, and there are times in the story where XY specifically has thoughts that associate TSJ and the moon. 

 blabla100:

"Xiao Yao looked at the potion in his hand and suddenly forgot what she was thinking just now."

I am not really sure how to interpret this part. She forgot what she wanted to do with the potions or she forgot about YX telling her that Jing is coming to stay with them for a while?

I interpreted this scene to mean that when Xing Yue told XY that TSJ was about to move into little Zhu Rhong's residence (where XY was staying with Xing Yue and Feng Long), XY "suddenly forgot what she was thinking about", meaning she forgot what she was thinking with respect to the medicine that she was mixing at the time. 

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Koala translated this part of chapter 20 as follows:

After moving in, she could still practice archery since people thought she was learning just for amusement, but she couldn’t make poisons anymore and that made Xiao Yao feel listless. She could only read medicine books and make some medicinal pills which was better than doing nothing.

One day Xiao Yao was mixing medicine when Xing Yue came to find her. “I have something to ask your opinion. Jing gege is coming to Zhi Yi and my brother learned with him when they were younger so they are very close. Even though Jing gege has his own residences in Zhi Yi, my brother will invite him to stay with us. I wanted to ask if you would mind?”

Xiao Yao carefully said, “This residence is so big, of course the more the merrier.”

Xing Yue clapped. “I knew you’d say this. I told my brother that you may seem very cold and aloof and hard to approach, but once you are comfortable with someone you are very easy to get along with.”

Xing Yue added, “You keep on working, I’ll send word to my brother and start having Jing gege’s residence here cleaned up. Once he arrives I’ll come find you.”

Xiao Yao looked at the herbs in her hand and suddenly forgot what she was thinking about just now.

Xing Yue came at dusk. “Jing gege is staying in the Evergreen Residence filled with evergreens that make the entire place smell fresh. We’ll be dining there tonight to catch up and enjoy the foliage.”

@AH,

 if you see the similarities of her figures in chapter 31 and 49  for the scene she stared at the water, Why  don’t you think she was expecting someone. the scene when CX saw her you can confuse due to translation. but the scene by the lake was so clear.  A Nian had the same impression. i quoted A Nian’s thought and compared with Sir Bi’s thought in my long analysis in page 319. it’s identical (in term of meaning despite different words. CX also saw she was anxiously and impatiently waiting for someone. when she talked to him, she put her mask on again. 

@AH

Yea, if I take into consideration chapter 43, it is obvious that she sang that song to Jing. However, I honestly don't recall if the moon is a motif related to Jing and CX too. I know Jing promised her to marry her on a full moon night, but other than the scenes that points to the promise Jing made to her, I don't remember anything else that ties Jing to the moon. 

Also I am confused about something 

Chapter 43:

"Xiao Yao didn’t need the fish ruby to breathe underwater but she didn’t want others to know of her body’s new ability and she kept the fish ruby on her because it was a gift from Jing" 

Was it a ruby that Jing gave her or a purple one? I thought he wasn't able to find a red one..

 blabla100:

@AH

Yea, if I take into consideration chapter 43, it is obvious that she sang that song to Jing. However, I honestly don't recall if the moon is a motif related to Jing and CX too. I know Jing promised her to marry her on a full moon night, but other than the scenes that points to the promise Jing made to her, I don't remember anything else that ties Jing to the moon. 

Also I am confused about something 

Chapter 43:

"Xiao Yao didn’t need the fish ruby to breathe underwater but she didn’t want others to know of her body’s new ability and she kept the fish ruby on her because it was a gift from Jing" 

Was it a ruby that Jing gave her or a purple one? I thought he wasn't able to find a red one.. 

this is lost in translation. Ruby in this text means [dan]a kind of special jade or stone or gemstone which is formed inside demon’s body. it doesn’t mean the red color

 H19279:

this is lost in translation. Ruby in this text means [dan]a kind of special jade or stone or gemstone which is formed inside demon’s body. it doesn’t mean the red color

Oh got it, thank you. 

 liddi:

There were eighteen windows on both sides, wide open. On one side, thousands of peach blossoms bloomed against the clouds, while an expanse of blue-green waves stretched to the sky on the other side, vast and beautiful.

Thank you liddi. Your translations are thorough as always, and much appreciated especially when you're busy. 

I have to say, I'm surprised that Koala missed such an important detail in such a major way in her translation. Not to knock her efforts of course, since translating is a very difficult task, but it does make me worry about what other key details aren't captured in the English translation. 

Vindication for H19279 though! ^^ Kudos to you for providing the google translation that did capture that detail. I'm sorry for being such a skeptic. I've just seen so many bad google translations, I have trouble trusting its translations until they're verified by a reliable human source. 

 H19279:

Why  don’t you think she was expecting someone.

In chapter 31, there were so many clues about how XY felt, what she wanted from XL, and why she was waiting for him on the shore. And the things that XY said and did in chapter 32 reinforced the impressions I had of XY's thoughts and feelings in chapter 31. So I do firmly believe that XY was waiting for XL in chapter 31.

But reading chapter 46 - 51, I don't get the same impression. I don't get the sense that XY was waiting for XL, or that she still had any hope when it came to him (or anyone else) in chapter 49. 

XL pushed XY so ruthlessly in chapter 46 to cut ties with him for good. In chapter 47, XY doesn't spend the six months after she cuts ties with XL pining for him. She spends those six months investigating to try to figure out who killed TSJ. She writes down the names of her suspects over and over again, and keeps coming back to XL's name. Left Ear has to be the one to make her see sense and realize that CX should be her main suspect, not XL. When XY sets up Left Ear and Miao Pu, she silently wishes "Left Ear and Miao Pu, fare thee well! I wish you what Xiang Liu couldn’t have, what Jing and I couldn’t have, you guys have to be happy forever." Apart from those thoughts, I am not convinced that the text supports the idea that XY thought of XL much in chapter 47 at all. And she was unconscious in chapter 48. 

I think it's possible that XY was thinking of XL in certain moments in chapter 49, but I don't get the sense that she was waiting for XL. 

In chapter 50, when the Royal Mother tells XY that she broke the bug connection between her and XL, we get the following description of XY's thoughts and feelings:

Xiao Yao’s heart was jumbled – when Xiang Liu tried to assassinate Zhuan Xu and killed Feng Long, she already repaid all her debt to Xiang Liu by giving her blood. She severed all ties with him then, but hearing now that the final last bit of connection between them was broken when she wasn’t even aware of it, she couldn’t figure out what this sense of loss meant. She mocked herself. “He always saw you as just a chess piece, what’s there to feel bereft about? Are you sad about his cold heartlessness?”

Reading that tells me that XY did still care about XL at this point. She still feels a sense of loss when their connection is broken while she was unaware. But this doesn't give me the impression that she was waiting for XL in chapter 49. 

In the same chapter, XY asks CX to spare XL's life:

Walking them out, Xiao Yao suddenly called out, “Gege, can I speak privately with you?”

Everyone continued walking, leaving Xiao Yao standing there with Zhuan Xu as she said, “I heard that Ru So’s relentless attack has backed Gong Gong’s army into a corner.”

Zhuan Xu said, “I was planning on a slow attrition to minimize casualties, but Feng Long’s death has left me no choice but to launch a full on assault.”

Xiao Yao said, “Gege, can you……can you……spare Xiang Liu?”

Zhuan Xu was shocked. “He killed Feng Long, don’t you want to avenge his death?”

“Killing Xiang Liu won’t bring Feng Long back.”

Zhuan Xu stared long and hard at Xiao Yao as she continued, “I know you are in a tough spot, but I’ve never asked you for a favor when it’s difficult for you. This is my first, and last time, begging you for something.”

“Is Xiang Liu Fang Feng Bei?” Zhuan Xu appeared to be asking Xiao Yao but his expression was certain.

Xiao Yao didn’t want to hide it anymore and woefully nodded.

“So that’s it! No wonder I’ve felt that certain things were so odd, but now it all makes sense. Are you two still seeing each other?”

“We’ve severed all ties. I never want to see him again in this lifetime and he certainly will also never want to see me. But no matter how he’s treated me……..I…..I still want him to stay alive.”

Zhuan Xu took a deep breath. “Xiang Liu killed Feng Long and I need to give a reckoning to the Chi Sui clan and Sheng Nong tribe, otherwise it cannot appease the Middle Plains. But, as long as Xiang Liu is willing to stop, I can give him a chance to disappear.”

“Disappear” doesn’t mean “die”, so this meant Zhuan Xu agreed with her pleading. Xiao Yao smiled brightly. “Thank you Gege!”

I don't get the sense that XY is pretending here. When she says that she and XL severed all ties in chapter 46, she means it. Yes, she still cared about her connection with him (at least enough that she felt a sense of loss when it was broken while she wasn't even aware) and she still cared whether he lived or died - enough to beg CX for a difficult favour for the first and last time in her life. And yes, after he died, XY regretted that her last words to XL were that she never wanted to see him again. But beyond that, in XY's mind it seems pretty clear that their relationship is heavily damaged at this point. Which makes sense, because XL worked very hard to inflict that damage steadily, culminating in their last interaction in chapter 46. 

To bring this back to my main point, this conversation is another interaction that does not give me the impression that XY would have been waiting for XL in chapter 49. 

 H19279:

@AH,

 if you see the similarities of her figures in chapter 31 and 49  for the scene she stared at the water, Why  don’t you think she was expecting someone. the scene when CX saw her you can confuse due to translation. but the scene by the lake was so clear.  A Nian had the same impression. i quoted A Nian’s thought and compared with Sir Bi’s thought in my long analysis in page 319. it’s identical (in term of meaning despite different words. CX also saw she was anxiously and impatiently waiting for someone. when she talked to him, she put her mask on again.

Without the "waves" detail, I saw a strong parallel between the window scene in chapter 49 and the shore scene in chapter 31. With the "waves" detail, I think that parallel is significantly bolstered. I am much more inclined to think that XY may have been thinking about XL in that scene now that that detail has been clarified and confirmed. But I still don't think XY was waiting for XL, for the reasons I mentioned above and in my previous comment. 

As I mentioned in my previous comment, I think it's possible that XY might also think of XL when she's looking at her reflection in chapter 49. But I also think it's possible that she might think of other people in that scene. My impression of that scene is that the main point is about XY looking at her reflection when she is dressed as the Royal Mother and seeing her own choice reflected back at her. I don't see a parallel for that in chapter 31.

I do see a strong parallel between the image of XY that Sir Bi sees at the edge of the lake in chapter 49 and the image of XY that Ah Nian sees at the edge of the shore in chapter 31. In both scenes, XY is left alone (lonely and desolate), because TSJ is unavailable (married or dead) and XL has chosen to remain loyal to Gong Gong and his comrades. The main difference, in my mind, is that in chapter 31, XY was vulnerable and sent XL a message, and on the shore she waited for his response with real hope that he would go to her. In chapter 49, XY no longer has any hope or anything to wait for. I don't subscribe to the theory that XY committed suicide because she wanted XL to save her, but if I did... XY survived and still hadn't seen XL for days after she woke up. In your heart of hearts, do you truly believe that XY was waiting for XL to show up on Jade Mountain at that point? I've looked. I've re-read. And I just don't see XY in that headspace in that chapter. 

 blabla100:

I honestly don't recall if the moon is a motif related to Jing and CX too. I know Jing promised her to marry her on a full moon night, but other than the scenes that points to the promise Jing made to her, I don't remember anything else that ties Jing to the moon. 

I've checked and there are. I feel like I've been posting far too much about TSJ in this YaoLiu thread recently, but I'm happy to copy the excerpts here if you want them.

 liddi:

I wonder whether they are aware of the Royal Mother's ties to the Flame emperor of Shen Nong, and by extension Hong Jiang.

Given that XY didn't even know the Royal Mother's name was Ah Mei until after she died, I have to imagine she didn't know that the Royal Mother, Empress Lei Zhu and the Flame Emperor were once sworn siblings. 

 H19279:

this is lost in translation. Ruby in this text means [dan]a kind of special jade or stone or gemstone which is formed inside demon’s body. it doesn’t mean the red color

 liddi:

丹 in this case refers to the crystalised elixir cultivated in this case by a fish demon.

So 鱼丹 can probably be translated as crystalised fish elixir or simply fish crystal / fish elixir.

Thank you for more great translation details!

 H19279:

No, That part means: CX returned on the night of  2nd day since he went out to meat Cui Liang (he left in the afternoon after talking with XY and A Nian). It is not counted from the night of incident. 

Hm. That makes sense. CX returned the second day after he left, not the second day after FFB snuck into XY's rooms and the residence was searched. Thanks for clarifying. 

I'd like to imagine, then, that XY slept in her own bed next to XL/FFB on the second night, and she only chickened out on the third night because she confirmed that he was nearly finished self-healing.