@HeadInTheClouds


You have calculated your fate pattern? Is Ziwei Astrology popular in Vietnam? Not many people in China calculate this now, I have never done so. My mother didn't even record the exact time of my birth, so even if I did calculate it, it might not be accurate. I feel a bit pity, because I am actually curious about my fate pattern. 

Are you continuing to read Sha Po Lang? How much have you read? Talking to you about this novel recently made me want to go back and read it again... If China can't film it, can other Asian countries try it? I really want to watch the drama version!

Traveling to Wudang Mountain actually does not require a lot of climbing. There are mountain roads and shuttle buses at each peak. But if you want to finish it in one day, time will be very tight :-)

Translation:

Kissing Xiang Liu


Chapter 4

Wen Xiaoliu's Huichun Clinic is located at the end of the street. There is a big river at the end of the street. If you go upstream, you will see a gourd-shaped lake - this is how it is written in the novel.

If possible, Zhong Nianliu would also like to overlook the lake from the air.

The afterglow gradually faded, and Qingshui Town sank into the dusk. The water mist was thick, the moss-covered stone steps became damp, and the evening air was refreshing.

Zhong Nianliu took Haitang and the servant A Dao who had attacked this family to Huichun Clinic. She couldn't help but hum a song during the journey, which made the two people behind her even more surprised.

Ever since she came to Qingshui Town, the little princess seemed to have become a different person.

The first thing they saw was an empty yard, with various medicinal materials placed to dry around, and the aroma of the plants hit their faces.

When you first smell it, it feels a little pungent, but after smelling it for a while, you feel inexplicably nostalgic.

No one greeted them in the yard. According to the plot in the book, Wen Xiaoliu's future husband Ye Shiqi (Tushan Jing) was still living in her house at this time. In order to avoid her, Tushan Jing would disappear suddenly, making Wen Xiaoliu angry.

By now, Tushan Jing should have already slipped away.

Mazi, Chuntao and butcher Gao have been living in the butcher's and are not in Huichun Clinic at the moment.

The group of people continued to walk into the house - the door was open, and there were a few people sitting at the table inside.

They walked in and Lao Mu, Chuanzi and Wen Xiaoliu were all there.

Lao Mu's face was gloomy, Chuanzi stared with dissatisfaction, while Wen Xiaoliu seemed more polite. She made a "please" gesture and motioned for her to sit down.

Zhong Nianliu did not sit down, but first showed everyone the solemn etiquette of the 21st century: a perfect 90-degree bow like a stewardess.

Wen Xiaoliu didn't expect such a scene and was quite at a loss. Just as she was about to help her up, Zhong Nianliu straightened up on her own.

She introduced herself: "My name is A Nian, the sister of the shopkeeper of the liquor shop on that street. My brother's name is Xuan, he is the shopkeeper."

Zhong Nianliu took several jars of mulberry wine from A Dao and glanced at Wen Xiaoliu: "This is mulberry wine. My brother brewed it for his another sister. My brother is very good at making wine. Because that sister likes to drink mulberry wine, mulberry wine is the best wine he makes and is the most suitable for making amends. "

Wen Xiaoliu was obviously startled, and her eyes suddenly turned red. She suppressed her words and said, "Your...brother truly loves that sister."

"Yes! Speaking of which, I also call her sister." Zhong Nianliu sighed, and the thin veil fluttered with her breath. The delicate girl continued: "Unfortunately, my sister has been missing for many years and has not yet been found. My brother tried his best to find her for a long time, and he has never given up even now."

"...Really? Then I want to wish him to find his sister as soon as possible." A soft light flashed in Wen Xiaoliu's eyes, and it disappeared fleetingly.

"Thank you. I will definitely bring your wishes."

Wen Xiaoliu's attitude has quietly changed at this moment. She was polite and distant before, but now she is as gentle and kind as a friend.

She quickly took the mulberry wine and said with a grin, "Then I can't let the lady down."

After hearing this, Lao Mu and Chuanzi next to her had doubts in their eyes, but they didn't say anything and their expressions softened a bit.

Zhong Nianliu took the basket from Haitang next to her and placed it in the center of the table. However, she leaned towards the cold-faced Lao Mu and Chuanzi. She said sincerely: "I offended everyone that day. It was me who was too arrogant and didn't understand the matter before starting to attack you and embarrass you in public. After I returned home, I felt guilty and had an uneasy conscience, so I came here to apologize. I hope you can forgive me."

Everyone had different expressions when they heard this.

First came Haitang and A Dao. If they hadn't had excellent expression management skills, their chins would have been on the ground by now.

When Lao Mu and Chuanzi heard this, their faces froze. They looked at each other for a while, then waved their hands half-heartedly, indicating that the matter was over.

When Wen Xiaoliu saw this, she knew that the farce was over and quickly put on a smile to smooth things over.

"Miss, you are such a thoughtful person. This is probably just a misunderstanding." She kicked Lao Mu and Chuanzi with her feet, and winked at them: "Our Lao Mu and Chuanzi are also reasonable people. If they did anything inappropriate, Please forgive them, miss."

Lao Mu coughed, lowered his eyes and nodded, and Chuanzi waved his hands sheepishly: "Yes, probably because I scared the girl that day with the hoe."

Zhong Nianliu could finally feel that their anger had really subsided, and couldn't help but feel relieved.

She pointed to the things in the basket and said to Wen Xiaoliu: "Lang Jun, these are good tonics, which are beneficial to qi and blood. You are so thin, you should have them."

These words again made everyone have different expressions.

Now, Haitang, A Dao, Lao Mu, Chuanzi, and even Wen Xiaoliu are all standing on the "united front". All five faces are shocked: God, this girl has a crush on him/me??

If Zhong Nianliu remembers correctly, tonight's plot is: Xiang Liu takes Wen Xiaoliu to Hulu Lake for the first time, and then Xiang Liu will suck Wen Xiaoliu's blood for the first time on the lake shore.

She likes both Xiang Liu and Wen Xiaoliu (Xiaoyao), but she cannot reveal all the plot to Wen Xiaoliu at once, nor can she stop Xiang Liu from sucking blood. After all, that's how the story goes.

If she wants to change everyone's tragedy, she has to take her time - exposing Cangxuan's identity is already the upper limit, and now all she can do is secretly replenish Wen Xiaoliu's blood.

Several men in the room, including Wen Xiaoliu who was still a man at this moment, felt embarrassed.

"Don't call me Lang Jun, I feel embarrassed. Why don't you call me Liu Ge? My name is Wen Xiaoliu, a doctor who specializes in gynecology."

Wen Xiaoliu rubbed her bun, laughed enthusiastically, stuffed the basket into Lao Mu's arms, and pushed him and Chuanzi to the kitchen to cook.

Xiaoliu invited them: "It's dinner time, why not stay and have dinner and a drink together?"

"Okay!" Zhong Nianliu was overjoyed from the bottom of her heart.

Oh my God, not only is there a fan meeting, but she can actually have dinner with the heroine!

Haitang and A Dao never thought that things would turn out this way.

Seeing that their delicate princess was willing to stay in a commoner's home, Haitang couldn't help but pull Zhong Nianliu's sleeve worriedly.

"Princess……"

Zhong Nianliu turned around and remembered the butcher Gao and Mazi. She quickly reached out to Haitang for money.

Haitang obeyed and took out all the silver and placed it in Zhong Nianliu's hand. Unexpectedly, as soon as the delicate money bag fell into the jade-like hand, she stuffed it into Wen Xiaoliu's rough hand.

The three heard the girl say: "Liu Ge, I didn't want to hurt your family that day. My men took action because they were worried about my safety. I hope you don't blame them. This is my apology and I want to compensate the injured.”

Wen Xiaoliu hurriedly pushed the money away and said in a soft tone: "No, meimei, it's enough for you to have this heart."

Zhong Nianliu patiently put the money bag back into her hand: "Liu Ge, this is for the injured family. If you refuse to accept it, I will be embarrassed to eat at your house."

Wen Xiaoliu stared at Zhong Nianliu, knowing that she was also a stubborn one, so she stopped refusing, collected the money bag, and went to find a bowl to pour wine.

The lights were dimmed and people were drinking happily. After Zhong Nianliu took off her veil, she became a different person.

Not only did she drink and dine with Xiaoliu and the others, she also asked Haitang and A Dao to sit down and play games together.

"Catch the duck", "You have it, but I don't", "Who is the undercover", the 21st century wine table games took turns, and everyone who was originally reserved gradually became relaxed and laughed in the game. A group of people were blushing and almost forgetful about what they were doing.

When playing "Truth or Dare", Zhong Nianliu lost. She didn't want to be forced to lie, so she chose to challenge her courage.

It happened that it was Chuanzi's turn to pose the question. Chuanzi was the most careless and simple-minded. At this time, he only regarded Zhong Nianliu as a female man who could drink with them. He thought and said: "I'll punish you to go to the river and bring back a bowl of water and drink it.”

Wen Xiaoliu immediately scolded him and slapped him on the head: "You brat! Can we torment the guest like this?!"

Zhong Nianliu was having fun and didn't care: "No, Liu Ge! Don't underestimate me!"

When Haitang and A Dao saw that she was really going to go out the door, they immediately stood up.

Zhong Nianliu didn't allow them to follow, and ordered with a straight face: "Don't follow me! I'm just going to scoop a bowl of water from the river. What's the problem? Wait for me!"

Haitang and A Dao had no choice but to be pushed back to their seats by Chuanzi with a smile.

The night was getting darker, the moon was bright and the stars were dotted outside the house.

There were several lanterns hanging on both sides of the green steps, and the candlelight could be dimly seen inside. Looking forward and looking back made Nianliu have different feelings.

Looking forward is the direction, looking back is life, which is interesting.

Zhong Nianliu originally had a high tolerance to alcohol. When she was in college, she often drank and ate with people in club and student union. But her current body belongs to A Nian. A Nian rarely drank alcohol in the past, so how could this body withstand Zhong Nianliu's drinking?

So she dragged her limp legs to a riverbank with lights.

Qingshui Town, as its name suggests, is a town with clear water. The moonlight shines brightly tonight, and the river water is sparkling and crystal clear.

Zhong Nianliu was not afraid of drinking raw water. She scooped up half a bowl of river water and put it directly in her mouth.

The river water in ancient times was naturally pollution-free and was sweet and cool in the mouth. Zhong Nianliu squatted on the shore comfortably, drinking water while looking at the moon.

The moon here is very beautiful, big and round, and it occasionally passes by the clouds, showing a beauty that modern people cannot see.

Zhong Nianliu looked at it, drunk, and all her thoughts and emotions were entangled together.

For a moment, she recalled a lot of messy things - the carefree life in her grandmother's house when she was a child; her family was broken up in elementary school and she became an unwanted burden; she picked up a lame little black dog in junior high school; She was isolated by her classmates when she was in high school; She performed poorly in the college entrance examination...

It is said that wine is a good thing, after drinking it, the sorrow will disappear, but at this moment, Zhong Nianliu's heart was full of mixed emotions, "If you cut off the water with a knife, the water will be more turbulent. If you raise a glass to relieve the sorrow, the sorrow will be deeper."

She was feeling sad when suddenly there was a shadow of a flying beast in the moon, and there was also a vague figure standing on the back of the flying beast.

Zhong Nianliu thought she was dazzled and quickly used her free hand to rub her eyes.

She looked again carefully and saw that the moon was still bright, there was no any shadow.

Zhong Nianliu sighed, wiped her tears, scooped another bowl of river water, stood up, and suddenly felt someone standing behind her.

She was frightened and turned around subconsciously - there was no one behind her.

Just as the girl was about to breathe a sigh of relief, she heard a deep voice falling from the sky.

He said coldly: "A good actress' mind is more powerful than her mouth."

She raised her head sharply, and her eyes immediately reflected the white shadow standing gracefully on the branch of the giant tree.

The man was dressed in white. The breeze blew by, his clothes fluttered, and occasionally his silver hair brushed against the white cheeks. The figure was steady and noble, like an immortal.

But he was so gorgeous, like a flower like the moon, red lips and white teeth, making her unable to take her eyes away.

Zhong Nianliu once again had tears in her eyes.

Except for Xiang Liu, she could not think of anyone with such a god-like appearance.

Xiang Liu quickly jumped down and landed in front of Zhong Nianliu. The silver threads on his forehead floated up, intertwined with the wind with his neat movements, and he looked like an elegant warrior god from heaven.

He suddenly leaned closer, and the two looked at each other through a layer of ice mask. The pair of bright, almost pure black eyes of Xiang Liu became more and more intoxicating under the moonlight.

Zhong Nianliu was so stunned that she forgot to blink, and almost dropped the bowl in her hand.

"Who are you? What's the purpose of approaching Wen Xiaoliu?" Xiang Liu looked closely at Zhong Nianliu's eyes. There were complex emotions hidden in the girl's eyes. That lake in her eyes was clear, but covered with dense water vapor.

"I...I am..."

Zhong Nianliu's remaining sense told her: You must not be cowardly! You have to be arrogant! A Nian’s character cannot collapse!

She is here to change the ending of the Yaoliu ship, so that this dumb snake can have a happy second half of his life!

While she was hesitating and trying to get into the scene, Wen Xiaoliu came to find her.

"Xiang Liu? A Nian!" Wen Xiaoliu exclaimed and paused on the spot.

Xiang Liu turned back to her with a smile on his face. Then, he grabbed Zhong Nianliu's neck, jumped on the white eagle, and kidnapped her on the spot.

Wen Xiaoliu was worried about Zhong Nianliu and chased after him, but how could she outrun Mao Qiu?

In desperation, she could only witness their figures flying farther and farther away, becoming more and more blurry, until they could no longer be found.

The world is so big, but Nianliu can only see the white figure next to her at this moment.

"Sir, please tell your bird to drive slowly. I, I want to vomit..." She knelt down on the white feathers. She looked small and pitiful.

Xiang Liu ignored her and picked her up like a little chicken: "Who are you?"

Nianliu opened her mouth, but couldn't say a word.

The faint aroma of wine floated to the tip of his nose. Xiang Liu felt that the woman in front of him seemed drunk.

Then...it's time for her to wake up.

Xiang Liu smiled, stretched out his long arm, and pushed Zhong Nianliu off the eagle mercilessly.

In an instant, a scream sounded in the distant air, making Xiang Liu raise his handsome eyebrows and inexplicably want to laugh.

"Ah - help - "

"I'll tell - I'll tell - "

The light in Xiang Liu's eyes changed slightly, and he seemed to be smiling. He slowly patted the back of the white-feathered golden-crowned eagle, and the bird immediately turned 180 degrees and cooperated with its owner to catch the falling woman.

Zhong Nianliu was tortured like this, the wine she drank tonight was mixed with the black-bone chicken and angelica soup, her throat tightened and she felt like vomiting.

Xiang Liu's eyes turned cold under the mask, and he warned her: "If you dare to get those disgusting things on me, I will chop off your head."

At this time, the domineering sea demon written in the novel, Nine-Life Xiang Liu, seemed to have really stepped out of the book, and that aura of suppressing all living beings was comparable to that of her nominal brother Xuanyuan Cangxuan.

Zhong Nianliu was shocked and tried her best to push the filth back into her stomach.

It was really aggrieved to think about it. She cried and cried over Xiang Liu's ending and felt melancholy for him for a long time. One day, she really time-traveled into the book, met him for the first time, and was actually intimidated and suppressed by him?

She finally understood that sentence deeply at this moment - the best distance between you and your idol is to be closer to his works and farther away from his life.

Now that she has this wonderful opportunity to see this person's true appearance and even talk to him. It can be said that the filter is totally shattered.

"...Stinky straight man! No wonder you don't have a girlfriend." Zhong Nianliu's child's temper was aroused and she muttered dissatisfiedly.

How perspicacious Xiang Liu is? With suspicion in his eyes, he asked her coldly: "What is a stinky straight man? What is a girlfriend?"

Zhong Nianliu imagined A Nian, put her hands on her hips, and said to him unhappily: "Why should I tell you? You took me away without authorization, do you know who I am?!"

Xiang Liu looked deeply and asked her, "Then do you know who I am?"

Nianliu sighed in her heart: Of course I know. You are the Nine-Life Xiang Liu, the most powerful demon in the sea. Your true body is a snow-white giant snake with nine heads. How cool!

On the surface, Zhong Nianliu twisted her pretty eyebrows and asked aggressively: "If you don't tell me, how can I know?"

Xiang Liu's eyes flashed red, and he looked down at her sinisterly: "I am Xiang Liu with nine lives."

"The Nine-headed Demon you call it."

"Nine-headed Demon? What kind of unknown person?" Zhong Nianliu waved her sleeve and turned away with guilt, but her voice was arrogant and disdainful: "I've never heard of it."

Xiang Liu was stunned for a moment, and the red light in his eyes gradually turned black. He suddenly became interested in teasing Zhong Nianliu, and stepped lightly with his boot. The white bird under him immediately understood, closed its wings, and swooped down like a hurricane.

Before Zhong Nianliu's acting skills were fully unleashed, she encountered a sudden stop in the air. She immediately instinctively pounced on Xiang Liu, the only thing she could hold on to at the moment. Xiang Liu never thought that someone would dare to get close to him like this. He was so distracted that he couldn't even stop the two of them from falling into the air in time.

The white-feathered golden-crowned eagle knows how to protect its master. It suddenly fell and turned around, catching the two of them firmly.

Then the scene became weird——

The two fell into the feathers. Zhong Nianliu hugged Xiang Liu's neck tightly, clinging to his body like a koala. The air between the two solidified in silence. Only a gust of evening breeze could be heard.

There was a fresh fragrance on the girl's hair, and her warm and rapid breath was like feathers or silk, gently teasing the man's collarbone, making him unable to concentrate.

Xiang Liu's Adam's apple moved slightly, his hand on Mao Qiu's back silently clenched and then relaxed.

He pushed the beauty away from him relentlessly.

Xiang Liu stood up elegantly, his face expressionless. Zhong Nianliu heard him say: "That day on the street, you wanted to calm down the trouble, but why did you start making trouble again?"

"On the street? What did you see?"

Xiang Liu sneered: "You obviously wanted to let them go, but why did you suddenly start acting up after the butcher came?"

"What do you want to do?" He turned around with sharp eyes.

Zhong Nianliu rubbed her waist and stood up, asking him, "What else could it be?"

"I'm asking you."

On top of the alcohol, Zhong Nianliu said the truth: "Of course it was because I wanted to see Wen Xiaoliu!"

"Oh?" Xiang Liu tilted his head, his eyes full of inquiry, "Why did you want to see him?"

His persistent questioning made Zhong Nianliu flustered and irritated at this moment. Her blood rose to head and she spoke defiantly: "I wanted to see him, of course because...because I have a crush on him!"

As soon as these words came out, both of them were stunned.

Xiang Liu's eyes were filled with shock. He looked at her calmly, thoughts flashing through his eyes.

But this is a good excuse. Zhong Nianliu began to praise Wen Xiaoliu with a tongue that was no longer obedient: "Liu Ge is righteous, bold, capable, loves his family, and is a celebrity in Qingshui Town. Who doesn't like him?"

She suddenly approached him teasingly and winked: "Don't you like him?"

"Nonsense!"

Nine-Life Xiang Liu couldn't bear it anymore and quickly kicked her into the water.

The drunken body fell into the icy lake water, and a biting chill instantly swept through her body.

Fortunately, Zhong Nianliu could swim. After struggling a few times, she surfaced and wiped away the water stains on her face. Like a lotus emerged from the water under the moon, her bright eyes washed by the lake water were particularly moving.

The girl faced the white shadow on the giant eagle and shouted: "Xiang Liu! Damn you!"

(To be continued)

 ZYHLJ:
I guess the reason why the 磨铁 Edition omitted the prologue and the White Emperor and the Black Emperor is for the same reason: to cut off the connection between this story and real historical figures.

That is an interesting thought. Strangely enough, the 2019 revised edition published by 磨铁 in the same year still includes the prologue, so I don't understand why the omission in the audiobook.


 ZYHLJ:
I can't open Kokuto's link. I found it on Bilibili myself, this one: https://m.bilibili.com/video/BV1HC4y197n3 

Oh looks like I misunderstood! I thought you were referring to a live performance of Winner is King. I didn't realise you were talking about LMLMV. TJC truly showcased his strengths here - the delivery of the same line with different inflections to portray totally different mindsets. Well done!


 ZYHLJ:
Yes, chauvinistic, that's what I meant, let me change it...I say he is chauvinistic mainly because of the scene when he persuaded Cangxuan to come to the Central Plains:

That's true. His viewpoint is the product of a patriarchal society, and it is also possible that the women he had been exposed to reinforces that belief. Might he have changed if he had married Xiao Yao and gotten to know her better? Or would her independent spirit have been buried if she had gone ahead with the wedding? Feng Long's proposal was always deeply rooted in his support for Cang Xuan and their common vision. In some ways, their marriage, if it happened, probably is reminiscent of A Heng's arrangement with Shao Hao. 


 ZYHLJ:
My mother recently came to Wuhan, and I was watching this drama with her, so we watched it slowly.

Slow and steady is good. By the time you finish watching, it would be just in time for S2. It will be interesting to hear how her views evolve as she watches.

Distribution license for Winner is King expired a day or so ago, so it looks like apart from the leaked scenes and photos, we will never get to see the drama in its entirety, which is truly a shame.. 

 ZYHLJ:
Chapter 4

Yay, they meet at last!

A fun chapter - very cleverly woven to have highly plausible interactions with Xiao Liu, as well as her first meeting with Xiang Liu.


 ZYHLJ:
She is here to change the ending of the Yaoliu ship, so that this dumb snake can have a happy second half of his life!

 ZYHLJ:
She finally understood that sentence deeply at this moment - the best distance between you and your idol is to be closer to his works and farther away from his life.

 ZYHLJ:
"...Stinky straight man! No wonder you don't have a girlfriend." Zhong Nianliu's child's temper was aroused and she muttered dissatisfiedly.

Love the snarky internal monologue of Nianliu - especially these lines LOL! 

I am curious that Xiang Liu had such a reaction to her, especially when he is so used to being in close proximity with beautiful women as Fangfeng Bei. His reaction feels more physical, compared to his with Xiao Liu, which started off as a meeting of soul mates. Would he still go on to grab Xiao Liu after this, and drink her blood for the first time?

Thank you very much for sharing! 

@liddi


I think Feng Long will change his views on women because of Xiaoyao. The time when he and Jing went to rescue Cangxuan and Xiaoyao, he heard Xiaoyao confronting Yellow Emperor. His first reaction was not "This is an uneducated woman", but "She is so sharp-tongued, I won't quarrel with her in future". Later, he learned that Xiaoyao had come up with the plan to get Cangxuan out of trouble. His first reaction was to admire her and he liked Xiaoyao even more. This shows that his chauvinist views come from misunderstanding, not because he prefers to believe that women are weak. So it'd be easy to change his mind :-) 

Guess what, I believe that Vietnam will film Sha Po Lang. If we want to solve the problem of cultural differences, just hire some Chinese crew members. As long as the project is initiated by a Vietnamese company and broadcast in Vietnam, there will be no problem. Also Taiwan or Singapore can do the same. Xiang Liu bless me, I must be right! >_<

Regarding Xiang Liu, I think the reason why he and Fangfeng Bei have different reactions to women is because the women Fangfeng Bei has dated had no idea who he was. They didn't know he was a demon, nor that he was the most wanted criminal. What they loved was the safe and wealthy young noble he pretended to be. But Zhong Nianliu jumped on him when she knew clearly that he was Nine-Life Xiang Liu, so this had a completely different meaning to him, it was a real "closeness". Moreover, if we really want to analyze it in detail, Xiang Liu should not be able to become Fangfeng Bei at any time (at least not very frequently, otherwise he would not dye his hair). Because he is really busy, he usually only turns into Fangfeng Bei when he needs to do things in this identity, and then he goes to eat something good, make a date, and enjoy life a little. For this dumb snake, not having sex for a year or two should be quite normal. In more than 95% of his life, he has only tens of thousands of stinky men who are even dumber than him and only have restoring the country in their hearts...

I was recently reading information about the Guifang clan in history and found some interesting things. Guifang is a real country that existed in remote ancient times. Its ruins are located in Lijiaya, Qingjian County, Shaanxi Province (陕西省清涧县李家崖). According to records, Guifang family once married Yellow Emperor. Some believe that the fourth Fei of the Yellow Emperor, Momu (嫫母), came from the Guifang family. Momu is famous for her ugly appearance and virtuous character in history. She was the goddess who was responsible for expelling ghosts and plagues. It is said that she invented the mirror. And it is said that she had a very good relationship with Leizu, and she was also responsible for the funeral after Leizu died. So it suddenly occurred to me that maybe Xiaoyao in childhood and teenage Xiang Liu had met before, but Xiaoyao didn’t know it was Xiang Liu and didn’t remember it :-(

PS: I have not forgotten your Chinese version of "New Year". I've been very busy with things recently, but I'm taking the time to do it. The current progress is about 30%, please wait a moment, I want to write it beautifully! :-)

 ZYHLJ:
You have calculated your fate pattern? Is Ziwei Astrology popular in Vietnam? Not many people in China calculate this now, I have never done so. My mother didn't even record the exact time of my birth, so even if I did calculate it, it might not be accurate.

I had a family acquaintance who knows a bit about Ziwei so I learned of it from her. I got my chart done years ago. These days many websites will allow you to get a chart done for free. But if you want an actual in-depth reading, it's best to go to someone who does it for a living. You do need the birth time otherwise the placements of the stars in the 12 houses will not be correct. If you don't have your birth time, a good astrologer can do a rectification where they use the major milestones in your life to work backwards to get an approximate time of birth. 

I got my 4 Pillars (Bazi) done as well. I think this one is more common compared to Ziwei. Bazi is the one that is referenced in costume dramas when they talk about comparing birth charts for compatibility between two people for marriage. 


 ZYHLJ:
Are you continuing to read Sha Po Lang? How much have you read? Talking to you about this novel recently made me want to go back and read it again... If China can't film it, can other Asian countries try it? I really want to watch the drama version!

I haven't started it, yet. So busy with work. Maybe we should do an online book-club and read and discuss it. 

I don't think any other countries could do a good job of adapting Chinese novels/dramas set in ancient times. The lack of resources and the cultural differences would make it very difficult. Just look at the Koran adaptation of Bu Bu Jin Xin. 

 liddi:
Listening to the audiobook reminds me how much I love the entire Qingshui town arc, and I wished we need not leave it.

I love the Qingshui town arc too. Things took a nose-dived once we left Qingshui. I get sad when I watch that scene where he rushes to Huichin clinic, but she is already gone:-(/ If WYL never left Qingshui, then maybe she and XL could have stayed together in the little house next to the clinic that he bought for them :-(. 


 liddi:
That is interesting. Has he mentioned how he felt in subsequent interviews? It was such a powerful, emotional scene which even affected his father and those around him after all. Actually, sets are recycled in different dramas, so I wonder how they manage the sense of familiarity from another drama, and make it new for themselves.

I don't remember where I saw that comment anymore so can't recall what he said exactly. 

I don't think I will be able to watch the death scene. I will cry too much. I'm already tearing up whenever I think about a particular sad detail from the novel (that epilogue is a killer. I could never read it without crying). I'm not too big on pain so I might have to give myself a few years. Once I can of XL without feeling sad, then maybe I can watch it. And I'm just someone who reads the novel. TJC lived with that character and all the emotions for a few months.

I think this is part of the reason why actors need time between dramas to get out of character before taking on another one. Particularly a character that is "heavy" and tragic; if an actor is sensitive and really "lived" the character, I can just imagine the impact on them emotionally. I remember when Heath Ledger died there were rumours that his role as the Joker really got to him and he was struggling to get out of it. Don't know how true it is, but I can see it happening. 


 liddi:
It's the same when I go back and watch TJC's earlier dramas - including Advisors Alliance, where he is dubbed, but it is not as bad when the VA matches the role. Of course the sense of disconnect is only true for actors whose original voices can deliver. I have watched other dramas where the actors voice their own roles, and it was painful to sit through.

As someone who doesn't speak the language and is too busy reading the subtitles to pay attention to the voices fully, I thankfully don't have this problem. Do you know from which drama TJC starts to use his own voice? And which one of his dramas have you watched and would recommend? 


 liddi:
Thankfully there are many great Xiang Liu fan edits that uses the song, a fitting choice considering the lyrics.

That song and this one from Love My Voice gets a lot of XL edits for obvious reasons. 

https://fb.watch/sg40_v5Q9_/

 HeadInTheClouds:
I haven't started it, yet. So busy with work. Maybe we should do an online book-club and read and discuss it.

Sign me up for that!

Thank you, ZYHLJ for the newest translated installment!

@HeadInTheClouds


My mother can only remember the one hour in which I was born. I don’t know if they will have records if I call the hospital where I was born...囧 There are still some people in China who calculate Bazi, but when they get married they may not necessarily refer to the Bazi. Some people will refer to the Shengxiao when getting married, but they are all already in the minority. 

Then, if the entire team is from China, but it’s just under the name of a foreign company, and the drama is only broadcast abroad, do you think it would work? I think this is theoretically possible. Just losing the big market of China, maybe the returns are too small for investors? But if there were dubbed versions in various languages, wouldn’t foreigners watch it? I only know that Taiwan is filming another BL novel by the author of Sha Po Lang. This drama will definitely not be broadcast in mainland China, but if mainland audiences want to watch it, we have a way to watch it. To be honest, I think this is better than watching a drama that has been deleted and changed beyond recognition :-( 

Great idea about a book club! how do you want to do it? Should we do it in this thread or open a new thread? I personally welcome you here. If you want to start a new thread, I will join. If you guys have any questions about language or cultural/history while reading, I will do my best to answer them :-)

 Kokuto:

Sign me up for that!

Thank you, ZYHLJ for the newest translated installment!

You are welcome! =3=

 ZYHLJ:
My mother can only remember the one hour in which I was born. I don’t know if they will have records if I call the hospital where I was born

It might be worth a shot calling the hospital. If you have the hour that you were born then you could get an approximate chart - it's better than having no idea the time. And if you want to do a rectification, that would be relatively easier as well. 


 ZYHLJ:
Some people will refer to the Shengxiao when getting married, but they are all already in the minority.

Shengxiao? I don't think I've heard of this. Some Vietnamese still practise looking for auspicious dates before doing something big/important, but I don't think comparing birth charts is done often anymore. Certainly, the younger generations no longer observed these practices. 


 ZYHLJ:
Then, if the entire team is from China, but it’s just under the name of a foreign company, and the drama is only broadcast abroad, do you think it would work?

If the company is a foreign company then it won't be subjected to the regulations of China's broadcasting standards so yeah, that would work for overseas broadcasting in overseas markets. 


 ZYHLJ:
I only know that Taiwan is filming another BL novel by the author of Sha Po Lang. This drama will definitely not be broadcast in mainland China, but if mainland audiences want to watch it, we have a way to watch it. To be honest, I think this is better than watching a drama that has been deleted and changed beyond recognition :-(

Which novel is it? I don't read many BLs - not something that I deliberately seek out. These days with VPNs, you can bypass geographical restrictions and firewalls to a certain extent. I agree that if an adaptation doesn't keep the integrity/spirit of the original work then it's a failure. Might as well call it "inspired by" rather than an adaptation. 


 ZYHLJ:
Great idea about a book club! how do you want to do it?


 Kokuto:
Sign me up for that!

I have no idea how's the best way to do it. This message board is not the most interactive. Is there something a little more interactive/dynamic? Otherwise, we can create a separate thread for the specific purpose of discussing the book. How do most book clubs work? Do you meet every few weeks and discuss the assigned chapters?

@HeadInTheClouds


In China, Shengxiao refers to the symbolic animal of each year. For example, this year is the Year of the Dragon, so the Shengxiao of a baby born this year is the Dragon. Doesn’t Vietnam have this custom?

That novel is called 大哥, Da Ge in pinyin. Is it available in Vietnamese? But in fact, I personally think it is not particularly good among preist's works. If you are not interested in BL, there is no need to read it.

Where do you plan to start this thread? If you have started one, please send a link here and I will definitely come~ Or if you have other recommended platforms, that’s fine too. I have participated in an offline book club before. They meet every two weeks. I think this frequency is appropriate. If you have the English version of Sha Po Lang, I think we should be fine reading two chapters every two weeks. Then we share our thoughts and questions with each other every two weeks and discuss them? :-)

 HeadInTheClouds:
2 days ago
 ZYHLJ:
My mother can only remember the one hour in which I was born. I don’t know if they will have records if I call the hospital where I was born

It might be worth a shot calling the hospital. If you have the hour that you were born then you could get an approximate chart - it's better than having no idea the time. And if you want to do a rectification, that would be relatively easier as well. 

@ZYHLJ, what do you mean "the one hour"? Knowing the rough 1 hour is enough to establish Ziwei chart since the hour used for ziwei equals to 2 normal hours. For example if you was born between 21:00 - 23:00, thus you was born on hour of pig. In case you was born very near the transition between 2 hours (for example 21:02, 23:00 etc), it is a bit more tricky since to be more precise, time of sunrise and sunset (which varies a bit throughout the year) should be taken into account. 

It is quite funny that my mom did not know the exact hour when I was born. It was not recorded at the hospital at that time. Later she was very interested in Ziwei and collected a lot of books about it. She can make the chart and read some information base on books. So she made 2 charts for me, translate the meaning to see which matches me more. Do I believe in it? Selectively YES! I ignored the bad thing and partly positively agree with the good prediction. =))

@H19279


I searched for a website to test Ziwei astrology, and it does work! But I remember that the last time I tried to do the same test on another website, it asked me to enter the birth time accurate to the minute, so I always thought that I couldn't get my own fate 囧

Thanks for your tips, now I got my fate results. I think it is generally accurate, it's amazing~ I have always been skeptical about this kind of theory, and I did this test just out of curiosity, but now I feel surprised :-). However, my fate results are relatively general. I think if I want to get a more accurate fate pattern, I may need to find a professional who is proficient in this theory.

 ZYHLJ:
I think Feng Long will change his views on women because of Xiaoyao. The time when he and Jing went to rescue Cangxuan and Xiaoyao, he heard Xiaoyao confronting Yellow Emperor. His first reaction was not "This is an uneducated woman", but "She is so sharp-tongued, I won't quarrel with her in future". Later, he learned that Xiaoyao had come up with the plan to get Cangxuan out of trouble. His first reaction was to admire her and he liked Xiaoyao even more.

My apologies for such a late reply - I have been extremely busy this past week!

I was trying to recall which part of the book this happened until I realised this was an addition in the drama, which helps to flesh out Feng Long's opinion of Xiao Yao, and should be instrumental in changing his chauvanistic mindset. In the novel, there was never any mention of Jing and Feng Long rushing to Ze Province, waiting to extricate them from harm. Regardless, as he himself told Xiao Yao, and his future actions would show, his first loyalty would always be to Cang Xuan, and his choice in wife reflects this, because he knows that Xiao Yao would always stand by Cang Xuan's side, so conflicting loyalties would never be an issue between them. I wonder though, with Feng Long's temperament, when it came down to it and if he had to choose, would he prioritise Cang Xuan (who represents his vision and ambition) over Xiao Yao (who represents his ideal for a wife)? Would he 重色轻友 value love over friendship? I am not sure. We do know that when it came down to it, he chose to help and protect Xin Yue when she tried to assassinate Xiao Yao, in spite of the fact who Xiao Yao means to Cang Xuan, but he would try to make up for it later, hence his insistence in leading the army against the Shen Nong resistance army, but even that decision was done to save his sister. Food for thought... 


 ZYHLJ:
Guess what, I believe that Vietnam will film Sha Po Lang. If we want to solve the problem of cultural differences, just hire some Chinese crew members. As long as the project is initiated by a Vietnamese company and broadcast in Vietnam, there will be no problem. Also Taiwan or Singapore can do the same. Xiang Liu bless me, I must be right! >_<

Really? That is interesting news indeed! I have never watched any Vietnamese works. I would certainly check it out if it does pan out, though I am still bitterly disappointed that Winner is King will not see the light of day.


 ZYHLJ:
Regarding Xiang Liu, I think the reason why he and Fangfeng Bei have different reactions to women is because the women Fangfeng Bei has dated had no idea who he was.

That is an interesting opinion. True... as Fangfeng Bei, he was always approachable and harmless. Certainly, no one in their right mind would behave in a similar manner with the nine-headed demon who strikes fear in his enemies even though Nianliu only pounced on him out of instinct to avoid falling to death. Can't wait to see how he reacts to her going forward - would physical attraction really outweigh the meeting of souls in this case?

 

 ZYHLJ:
I was recently reading information about the Guifang clan in history and found some interesting things. Guifang is a real country that existed in remote ancient times. Its ruins are located in Lijiaya, Qingjian County, Shaanxi Province (陕西省清涧县李家崖). According to records, Guifang family once married Yellow Emperor. Some believe that the fourth Fei of the Yellow Emperor, Momu (嫫母), came from the Guifang family.

That is interesting indeed. I can't find any mention that 嫫母 is from the Guifang clan, but her official position given by the Yellow Emperor is 方相氏, and according to 山海经, she is renowned for her virtue, gentle nature, inventive ingenuity, and wise military strategies. I find the title given to her 方相氏 to be particularly interesting since Tong Hua's prequel to Lost You Forever 千方相 is rumoured to be about the Guifang clan. As such, it does seem to indicate that perhaps 嫫母 is from the Guifang clan after all, at least based on Tong Hua's lore.


 ZYHLJ:
So it suddenly occurred to me that maybe Xiaoyao in childhood and teenage Xiang Liu had met before, but Xiaoyao didn’t know it was Xiang Liu and didn’t remember it :-(

We touched on this in the other thread before. Xiao Yao was in Jade Mountain for 70 years, and we know Xiang Liu would visit Jade Mountain on Hong Jiang's behest every now and again. So it is definitely a possibility that perhaps little Xiao Yao met Xiang Liu on Jade Mountain in the past. Would love to see a fanfic of that encounter....


 ZYHLJ:
PS: I have not forgotten your Chinese version of "New Year". I've been very busy with things recently, but I'm taking the time to do it. The current progress is about 30%, please wait a moment, I want to write it beautifully! :-)

Thank you so much! Please take your time... I look forward to reading it whenever it is ready.