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theuntamed_mdzsApologies for the delay. I'm on strike from tomorrow and had to sort various things in the last few days to make sure my students don't suffer unduly during my absence.
This week we have the second part of Novel Chapter 4 The Elegant Flirt (official translation pages 168-204, web serialization chapters (halfway through 16.6-18), the rest of our Caiyi and Cloud Recesses Shenanigans.
1) (a) As they travel through Caiyi, Wei Wuxian notices the Gusu dialect is so soft, even insults sound so pleasant; he finds their fighting hard to take seriously. (b) Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian are competititive (of course!) about their boating. (c) Lan Xichen has set nets to catch ghosts in the waterways, and caught far more than expected, given that people in Caiyi can swim. It is unclear whether these ghosts are ghosts or corpses (translation issue?) (168-9)
2) (a) Wei Wuxian's normal method of catching water ghosts: jump in and haul the out. He find this too dangerous to do here, not because of the ghosts but because of Lan Qiren's anticipated disapproval. (b) He wishes there was something like a compass (!) to pinpoint where the ghosts are. DUN-DUN-DUNNNNN. (170)
3) We get the splashing incident from the drama, pretty much verbatim, and then the conversation about the name of Wei Wuxian's sword. Apparently the 'Suibian' was Jiang Fengmian trying to have a sense of humour. (171-3)
4) Su She imitates Lan Zhan by sending his sword into the water: ooops. This time Wen Ning can't even try to save him because the Wen sibs are not on this expedition (or anywhere much, really, in the novel). Wei Wuxian tries to save Su She but he's already caught in the maelstrom; Suibian is fast and nimble but not very strong, so Lan Zhan with his strong sword and arms to the rescue. Mid-air dialogue ensues. (174-7)
5) Jiang Cheng to Wei Wuxian: WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS? (174)
6) They conclude the abbyss has been chased to Caiyi. By whom? Lan Xichen points at the sun. The Wens are Voldemort. (178-9)
7) Wei Wuxian charms loquat off a saleswoman, then one for Lan Zhan too. The saleswomen want the two of them to come buy loquats together later. Lan Zhan turns down his loquat (which Wei Wuxian holds out, not throws), and Jiang Cheng gets it. (181)
8) (a) Wei Wuxian asks Lan Zhan to demonstrate how to tell someone off in Gusu dialect. Lan Zhan moves to his brother's boat. (b) Lan Xichen asks him whether he should buy him a basket of loquats. Lan Zhan moves to another boat.
9) The guest disciples (lots of them it seems) congregate chez Jiang and party with stuff Wei Wuxian brought back from Caiyi. There is 'eating, drinking, dice-rolling, armwrestling and picture-book-flipping' and then Wei Wuxian loses a bet and has to sneak into Caiyi to get Emperor's smile. They all drink lots and lie around hung over on the floor the next morning. (182-3)
10) They wake because Lan Zhan arrives. Nie Huaisang and Wei Wuxian make confused noises, Jiang Cheng throws something at Wei Wuxian which just happens to be an erotic picture book which falls open for Lan Zhan to see. Not that he's not already pissed off enough. He grabs Wei Wuxian by the collar and hauls him out the door. (183)
11) Lan Zhan drags him to the ancestral hall where he presents them both for punishment to disciples with 'incredibly long sandalwood ferules'. They get beaten on the palms and back of the legs. Wei Wuxian does not bother to suffer with dignity. (184-5) Lan Zhan gets 50 more strikes than Wei Wuxian. (187)
12) Wei Wuxian explains that on his way back with the Emperor's smile he got waylaid by Lan Zhan and made them both fall off the wall outside the compound, breaking that rule. Wei Wuxian wasn't going to tell anyone; however... (186-7)
13) (a) Lan Xichen points him at the cold pond. (b) Lan Zhan was quietly meditating (not healing!) in the pond when Wei Wuxian appears and hops and hisses and splashes and flops about. He follows Lan Zhan around the pond and insists they should be friends; promising to share erotica and praising Yunmeng food and girls. (c) When Lan Zhan rejects him, he threatens to steal his clothes. Lan Zhan tells him to get lost. (188-91)
14) Lan Qiren is back and has adopted the same strategy: no more punishment, just damage limitation; if he can keep Wei Wuxian away from the other disciples and from Lan Zhan, that'll have to do. (192)
15) (a) The waterborne abyss is actually still there. As the Lans deal with it, lectures become shorter. (b) Wei Wuxian says that Lan Zhan is 'super interesting' because he shows a 'grown, living person' can be so incredibly boring. (c) Wei Wuxian calls Lan Zhan out on watching him from the window. (192-3)
16) (a) Wei Wuxian has brought Lan Zhan two chubby white rabbits. Lan Zhan doesn't want them, so Wei Wuxian says he'll find someone to roast them. Lan Zhan decides he wants them after all. (b) One rabbit lies around on the ground and has dead fish eyes; the other rabbit hops, crawls, rolls, wriggles and bounces all over Rabbit 1. It also gets inky pawprints on Lan Zhan's papers. (c) Wei Wuxian wonders if the rabbits are-- and Lan Zhan INTERRUPTS HIM! 'They're both male.' (d) Wei Wuxian teases Lan Zhan for having noticed that so quickly. Lan Zhan throws him out and ponders his horrible fate. (194-7)
17) Lan Zhan stops coming to class because Lan Qiren is worried he'll become corrupted by Wei Wuxian. (197-8)
18) Wei Wuxian ponders wood carvings of the foundation of the Lan Clan, showing Lan An leaving his temple, finding his love, and returning to the temple and ending his life after she dies. Wei Wuxian thinks that the monk thing makes complete sense, but it's hilarious that this monk was so much more romantic than his stick-up-the-ass descendants. (198-9)
19) Sadly this leads to discussion of cultivation partners, ideal matches, and Jin Zixuan's betrothal to Jiang Yanli. Jin Zixuan thinks she's not good enough for him, Wei Wuxian says he's not good enough for her; Jin Zixuan says 'so you marry her, the Jiang leader likes you better than his own son anyway' and Wei Wuxian lands a good punch. (199-201)
20) (a) The dads are called in and cancel the betrothal. (202-3) (b) Wei Wuxian had pushed Jiang Cheng away and is glad he didn't get drawn into the fight because Jin Zixuan looks better with an asymmetrically bruised face. (c) But then he considers that if it had been Jiang Cheng who hit Jin Zixuan and not he himself, Jiang Fengmian might not have bothered to come to Cloud Recesses. (d) Jiang Cheng agrees and inwardly considers that his dad would never rush for him anywhere, ever. Ouch. (204)
21) Lan Zhan has been going to see Wei Wuxian as he was kneeling in punishment, and was concerned when he seemed to be crying; is outraged when he finds Wei Wuxian is just poking about in an ant's nest. (204)
22) Wei Wuxian is sent back to Lotus Pier early. (204)
The reading schedule
Saturday 12 February: Chapter 4 The Elegant Flirt part 2 (official transllation pages 168-204, web serialization chapters 16.6-18)
Saturday 19 February: Chapter 5 The Sunny Pair (web serialization chapters 19-22)
Saturday 25 February: Chapter 6 The Malevolent (web serialization chapters 23-27)
Saturday 4 March: Chapter 7 The Morning Dew (web serialization chapters 28-32)
This week we have the second part of Novel Chapter 4 The Elegant Flirt (official translation pages 168-204, web serialization chapters (halfway through 16.6-18), the rest of our Caiyi and Cloud Recesses Shenanigans.
1) (a) As they travel through Caiyi, Wei Wuxian notices the Gusu dialect is so soft, even insults sound so pleasant; he finds their fighting hard to take seriously. (b) Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian are competititive (of course!) about their boating. (c) Lan Xichen has set nets to catch ghosts in the waterways, and caught far more than expected, given that people in Caiyi can swim. It is unclear whether these ghosts are ghosts or corpses (translation issue?) (168-9)
2) (a) Wei Wuxian's normal method of catching water ghosts: jump in and haul the out. He find this too dangerous to do here, not because of the ghosts but because of Lan Qiren's anticipated disapproval. (b) He wishes there was something like a compass (!) to pinpoint where the ghosts are. DUN-DUN-DUNNNNN. (170)
3) We get the splashing incident from the drama, pretty much verbatim, and then the conversation about the name of Wei Wuxian's sword. Apparently the 'Suibian' was Jiang Fengmian trying to have a sense of humour. (171-3)
4) Su She imitates Lan Zhan by sending his sword into the water: ooops. This time Wen Ning can't even try to save him because the Wen sibs are not on this expedition (or anywhere much, really, in the novel). Wei Wuxian tries to save Su She but he's already caught in the maelstrom; Suibian is fast and nimble but not very strong, so Lan Zhan with his strong sword and arms to the rescue. Mid-air dialogue ensues. (174-7)
5) Jiang Cheng to Wei Wuxian: WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS? (174)
6) They conclude the abbyss has been chased to Caiyi. By whom? Lan Xichen points at the sun. The Wens are Voldemort. (178-9)
7) Wei Wuxian charms loquat off a saleswoman, then one for Lan Zhan too. The saleswomen want the two of them to come buy loquats together later. Lan Zhan turns down his loquat (which Wei Wuxian holds out, not throws), and Jiang Cheng gets it. (181)
8) (a) Wei Wuxian asks Lan Zhan to demonstrate how to tell someone off in Gusu dialect. Lan Zhan moves to his brother's boat. (b) Lan Xichen asks him whether he should buy him a basket of loquats. Lan Zhan moves to another boat.
9) The guest disciples (lots of them it seems) congregate chez Jiang and party with stuff Wei Wuxian brought back from Caiyi. There is 'eating, drinking, dice-rolling, armwrestling and picture-book-flipping' and then Wei Wuxian loses a bet and has to sneak into Caiyi to get Emperor's smile. They all drink lots and lie around hung over on the floor the next morning. (182-3)
10) They wake because Lan Zhan arrives. Nie Huaisang and Wei Wuxian make confused noises, Jiang Cheng throws something at Wei Wuxian which just happens to be an erotic picture book which falls open for Lan Zhan to see. Not that he's not already pissed off enough. He grabs Wei Wuxian by the collar and hauls him out the door. (183)
11) Lan Zhan drags him to the ancestral hall where he presents them both for punishment to disciples with 'incredibly long sandalwood ferules'. They get beaten on the palms and back of the legs. Wei Wuxian does not bother to suffer with dignity. (184-5) Lan Zhan gets 50 more strikes than Wei Wuxian. (187)
12) Wei Wuxian explains that on his way back with the Emperor's smile he got waylaid by Lan Zhan and made them both fall off the wall outside the compound, breaking that rule. Wei Wuxian wasn't going to tell anyone; however... (186-7)
13) (a) Lan Xichen points him at the cold pond. (b) Lan Zhan was quietly meditating (not healing!) in the pond when Wei Wuxian appears and hops and hisses and splashes and flops about. He follows Lan Zhan around the pond and insists they should be friends; promising to share erotica and praising Yunmeng food and girls. (c) When Lan Zhan rejects him, he threatens to steal his clothes. Lan Zhan tells him to get lost. (188-91)
14) Lan Qiren is back and has adopted the same strategy: no more punishment, just damage limitation; if he can keep Wei Wuxian away from the other disciples and from Lan Zhan, that'll have to do. (192)
15) (a) The waterborne abyss is actually still there. As the Lans deal with it, lectures become shorter. (b) Wei Wuxian says that Lan Zhan is 'super interesting' because he shows a 'grown, living person' can be so incredibly boring. (c) Wei Wuxian calls Lan Zhan out on watching him from the window. (192-3)
16) (a) Wei Wuxian has brought Lan Zhan two chubby white rabbits. Lan Zhan doesn't want them, so Wei Wuxian says he'll find someone to roast them. Lan Zhan decides he wants them after all. (b) One rabbit lies around on the ground and has dead fish eyes; the other rabbit hops, crawls, rolls, wriggles and bounces all over Rabbit 1. It also gets inky pawprints on Lan Zhan's papers. (c) Wei Wuxian wonders if the rabbits are-- and Lan Zhan INTERRUPTS HIM! 'They're both male.' (d) Wei Wuxian teases Lan Zhan for having noticed that so quickly. Lan Zhan throws him out and ponders his horrible fate. (194-7)
17) Lan Zhan stops coming to class because Lan Qiren is worried he'll become corrupted by Wei Wuxian. (197-8)
18) Wei Wuxian ponders wood carvings of the foundation of the Lan Clan, showing Lan An leaving his temple, finding his love, and returning to the temple and ending his life after she dies. Wei Wuxian thinks that the monk thing makes complete sense, but it's hilarious that this monk was so much more romantic than his stick-up-the-ass descendants. (198-9)
19) Sadly this leads to discussion of cultivation partners, ideal matches, and Jin Zixuan's betrothal to Jiang Yanli. Jin Zixuan thinks she's not good enough for him, Wei Wuxian says he's not good enough for her; Jin Zixuan says 'so you marry her, the Jiang leader likes you better than his own son anyway' and Wei Wuxian lands a good punch. (199-201)
20) (a) The dads are called in and cancel the betrothal. (202-3) (b) Wei Wuxian had pushed Jiang Cheng away and is glad he didn't get drawn into the fight because Jin Zixuan looks better with an asymmetrically bruised face. (c) But then he considers that if it had been Jiang Cheng who hit Jin Zixuan and not he himself, Jiang Fengmian might not have bothered to come to Cloud Recesses. (d) Jiang Cheng agrees and inwardly considers that his dad would never rush for him anywhere, ever. Ouch. (204)
21) Lan Zhan has been going to see Wei Wuxian as he was kneeling in punishment, and was concerned when he seemed to be crying; is outraged when he finds Wei Wuxian is just poking about in an ant's nest. (204)
22) Wei Wuxian is sent back to Lotus Pier early. (204)
The reading schedule
Saturday 12 February: Chapter 4 The Elegant Flirt part 2 (official transllation pages 168-204, web serialization chapters 16.6-18)
Saturday 19 February: Chapter 5 The Sunny Pair (web serialization chapters 19-22)
Saturday 25 February: Chapter 6 The Malevolent (web serialization chapters 23-27)
Saturday 4 March: Chapter 7 The Morning Dew (web serialization chapters 28-32)
