Western Lake
At the venue promised, Xu Hanshan stood with a grave look on his face, wearing a dark outfit. Dongyue arrived at the lake, flanked by his companions. Upon seeing the man approach, Hanshan looked hopeful.
“Master Xu,” Dongyue greeted him with a smile. “You’re early.”
“Master Zhan, you are finally here,” he greeted them with a bow. Hanshan had been waiting for Dongyue for some time, but the rich young master did not understand the rules of punctuality. It was an hour that he had been waiting, and the sun above him was scorching. He was glad the men had eventually arrived.
Dongyue returned his bow and introduced his companions cordially. Both men did not speak much but just went along with Dongyue’s decision to heal Xi’er. Hanshan revealed that his humble cottage was not far from the lake and he could have brought Xi’er, but she was too weak even to move.