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sid_guardian2025-01-19 05:21 pm
china_shop) wrote in sid_guardian2025-01-19 05:21 pm
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Guardian readalong: chapters 19 & 20
Welcome to this week’s installment of the Guardian novel readalong!
If you’re just joining us or need to catch up, here are last week’s chapters and you can find all previous chapter discussions on the schedule post or via the !readalong tag. If you'd like to host a post in this round, sign-ups are still open!
This week we’re looking at:
Chapter 19: An avalanche blocks the road, and the travellers have to spend the night in a little stone house on the mountain. Zhao Yunlan gives Shen Wei his coat.
Chapter 20: The valley below is full of hellfire, and skulls attack the house.
This corresponds with chapters 29 to 31 of the Chinese version on JJWXC and the fan translation.
Excerpts
1) Shen Wei can't stand waiting in the car
Twenty minutes later, when he still hadn’t returned, Shen Wei could wait no longer.
“Stay put and do not get out of the car,” Shen Wei told the students. “Hand me a flashlight, and I’ll go check on him. I’ll be right back.”
“Laoshi?” The class leader stopped him, clearly worried. “Could something have happened?”
Shen Wei paused. Between the dim light and his thin glasses, his face revealed nothing. “No. What could possibly happen to him under my watch?”
2) Zhao Yunlan shares his coat; Shen Wei shares his feelings
Maybe Zhao Yunlan was truly oblivious to the cold, or maybe he was gritting his teeth and bearing it, but either way, he’d opened his own coat and drawn Shen Wei into it. The heat of his body was palpable, reaching Shen Wei through his thin knit sweater.
Zhao Yunlan’s face was nearly blue with cold, but the smile blossoming there was warm, if a bit stiff with the chill. “Did you come to look for me?” he asked.
Don’t respond to him! A desperate scream tore through Shen Wei’s heart. Don’t respond! But the fierce wind had sliced his reason to ribbons, thin as a cicada’s wing. Against his will, as if bewitched, he nodded.
3) Wang Zheng rebukes Zhao Yunlan for his lack of reverence
Wang Zheng waited until everyone else was inside before speaking to Zhao Yunlan, voice low. “Director Zhao, you were born with the ability to see into a different world. You have always associated yourself with things that other people don’t believe in. You have always acknowledged the existence of ghosts and gods. And yet, when passing by shrines or temples, you’ve never shown an ounce of respect. That’s not right.”
Zhao Yunlan carelessly flicked cigarette ash onto the window frame. With a smile, he nodded. “You’re absolutely right. My behavior is intolerable. No one should follow my example. Even the constitution recognizes the freedom of religion, and one should always maintain a certain level of respect for other people’s beliefs.”
Even coming from fake plastic eyes, Wang Zheng’s gaze was piercing. Her voice dropped almost to a whisper. “Within the Three Realms and Six Directions, there will always be people and things you don’t understand. Yes, you may be capable, but can any living human, no matter how great their abilities, be more powerful than the Heavens and Earth? Can a human be more powerful than fate?
“A person can’t live too arrogantly, Director Zhao. If someone is too arrogant to even respect all the gods and buddhas, they may suffer the consequences one day.”
Zhao Yunlan’s smile dimmed slightly. He reached out and adjusted Wang Zheng’s hood and clothes where they’d slipped out of place. The gesture was careful and gentle, but his words were cold. “My conscience is clear and I have nothing to ask for. Gods or buddhas, demons or monsters—who dares judge me? They’re so lofty and great, but what does that have to do with me?”
4) Shen Wei watches Zhao Yunlan sleep
During the history lecture, Zhao Yunlan had automatically blocked out the boring audio feed and gone to sleep, earbuds crammed into his ears. Now he was curled in a ball, head at a slight angle. One earbud had come a bit loose and was dangling from his ear.
Zhao Yunlan’s features were beautifully pronounced. He was vibrant when his eyes were open, but he was still pretty when they were closed. Only now, he was pale from the cold, looking faintly worse for wear.
Shen Wei’s gaze drifted to his face. Zhao Yunlan slept calmly and peacefully, as though he’d still be able to find a corner to sleep in even if the sky fell.
For some time, Shen Wei couldn’t look away. He watched Zhao Yunlan quietly for a while, expression softening. He carefully removed Zhao Yunlan’s earbuds, rolled them up, and set them aside. Then he took the coat Zhao Yunlan had thrown aside and spread it over him.
5) Guo Changcheng finds courage in his colleagues
Even Guo Changcheng was calm. After all, this tiny mountain hut contained the all-powerful Director Zhao; a large, fierce talking cat; a fake monk who was capable of defeating the Hunger Ghost with just a small bottle; a snake yao who ate raw lamb slices; and Chu Shuzhi, whom Guo Changcheng was too afraid to speak to.
In the face of what looked like horrible danger, Guo Changcheng honestly thought it was quite safe. The poor kid had a lot of blind faith in his colleagues.
Questions
- List three things in Shen Wei's luggage, other than the tape he uses to cover the gaps in the house. Are his travel plans as inadequate as they seem?
- Should we be having more feels about the avalanche that may have wiped out some small villages?
- What else does Zhao Yunlan have hidden in his boots/trousers?
- What do you think of Zhao Yunlan's attitude to the supernatural?
- Would you like to camp out in the little stone house with the SID and Shen Wei and his students?
- Do you find Xiao Guo's confidence in his colleagues as relatable as his earlier anxiety?
These questions are just conversation starters. Feel free to talk about your reactions to the chapters generally and highlight whatever stood out to you.
If you’re just joining us or need to catch up, here are last week’s chapters and you can find all previous chapter discussions on the schedule post or via the !readalong tag. If you'd like to host a post in this round, sign-ups are still open!
This week we’re looking at:
Chapter 19: An avalanche blocks the road, and the travellers have to spend the night in a little stone house on the mountain. Zhao Yunlan gives Shen Wei his coat.
Chapter 20: The valley below is full of hellfire, and skulls attack the house.
This corresponds with chapters 29 to 31 of the Chinese version on JJWXC and the fan translation.
Excerpts
1) Shen Wei can't stand waiting in the car
Twenty minutes later, when he still hadn’t returned, Shen Wei could wait no longer.
“Stay put and do not get out of the car,” Shen Wei told the students. “Hand me a flashlight, and I’ll go check on him. I’ll be right back.”
“Laoshi?” The class leader stopped him, clearly worried. “Could something have happened?”
Shen Wei paused. Between the dim light and his thin glasses, his face revealed nothing. “No. What could possibly happen to him under my watch?”
2) Zhao Yunlan shares his coat; Shen Wei shares his feelings
Maybe Zhao Yunlan was truly oblivious to the cold, or maybe he was gritting his teeth and bearing it, but either way, he’d opened his own coat and drawn Shen Wei into it. The heat of his body was palpable, reaching Shen Wei through his thin knit sweater.
Zhao Yunlan’s face was nearly blue with cold, but the smile blossoming there was warm, if a bit stiff with the chill. “Did you come to look for me?” he asked.
Don’t respond to him! A desperate scream tore through Shen Wei’s heart. Don’t respond! But the fierce wind had sliced his reason to ribbons, thin as a cicada’s wing. Against his will, as if bewitched, he nodded.
3) Wang Zheng rebukes Zhao Yunlan for his lack of reverence
Wang Zheng waited until everyone else was inside before speaking to Zhao Yunlan, voice low. “Director Zhao, you were born with the ability to see into a different world. You have always associated yourself with things that other people don’t believe in. You have always acknowledged the existence of ghosts and gods. And yet, when passing by shrines or temples, you’ve never shown an ounce of respect. That’s not right.”
Zhao Yunlan carelessly flicked cigarette ash onto the window frame. With a smile, he nodded. “You’re absolutely right. My behavior is intolerable. No one should follow my example. Even the constitution recognizes the freedom of religion, and one should always maintain a certain level of respect for other people’s beliefs.”
Even coming from fake plastic eyes, Wang Zheng’s gaze was piercing. Her voice dropped almost to a whisper. “Within the Three Realms and Six Directions, there will always be people and things you don’t understand. Yes, you may be capable, but can any living human, no matter how great their abilities, be more powerful than the Heavens and Earth? Can a human be more powerful than fate?
“A person can’t live too arrogantly, Director Zhao. If someone is too arrogant to even respect all the gods and buddhas, they may suffer the consequences one day.”
Zhao Yunlan’s smile dimmed slightly. He reached out and adjusted Wang Zheng’s hood and clothes where they’d slipped out of place. The gesture was careful and gentle, but his words were cold. “My conscience is clear and I have nothing to ask for. Gods or buddhas, demons or monsters—who dares judge me? They’re so lofty and great, but what does that have to do with me?”
4) Shen Wei watches Zhao Yunlan sleep
During the history lecture, Zhao Yunlan had automatically blocked out the boring audio feed and gone to sleep, earbuds crammed into his ears. Now he was curled in a ball, head at a slight angle. One earbud had come a bit loose and was dangling from his ear.
Zhao Yunlan’s features were beautifully pronounced. He was vibrant when his eyes were open, but he was still pretty when they were closed. Only now, he was pale from the cold, looking faintly worse for wear.
Shen Wei’s gaze drifted to his face. Zhao Yunlan slept calmly and peacefully, as though he’d still be able to find a corner to sleep in even if the sky fell.
For some time, Shen Wei couldn’t look away. He watched Zhao Yunlan quietly for a while, expression softening. He carefully removed Zhao Yunlan’s earbuds, rolled them up, and set them aside. Then he took the coat Zhao Yunlan had thrown aside and spread it over him.
5) Guo Changcheng finds courage in his colleagues
Even Guo Changcheng was calm. After all, this tiny mountain hut contained the all-powerful Director Zhao; a large, fierce talking cat; a fake monk who was capable of defeating the Hunger Ghost with just a small bottle; a snake yao who ate raw lamb slices; and Chu Shuzhi, whom Guo Changcheng was too afraid to speak to.
In the face of what looked like horrible danger, Guo Changcheng honestly thought it was quite safe. The poor kid had a lot of blind faith in his colleagues.
Questions
- List three things in Shen Wei's luggage, other than the tape he uses to cover the gaps in the house. Are his travel plans as inadequate as they seem?
- Should we be having more feels about the avalanche that may have wiped out some small villages?
- What else does Zhao Yunlan have hidden in his boots/trousers?
- What do you think of Zhao Yunlan's attitude to the supernatural?
- Would you like to camp out in the little stone house with the SID and Shen Wei and his students?
- Do you find Xiao Guo's confidence in his colleagues as relatable as his earlier anxiety?
These questions are just conversation starters. Feel free to talk about your reactions to the chapters generally and highlight whatever stood out to you.
no subject
He seems like he knows what he's doing later when he tapes up the gaps in the windows and such, so I assume he had a plan that the presence of the SID disrupted.
Would you like to camp out in the little stone house with the SID and Shen Wei and his students?
No. Everything else aside, I don't like being cold.
Do you find Xiao Guo's confidence in his colleagues as relatable as his earlier anxiety?
Idk about relatable, but I think it's grea that he can stay calm because he trusts them that much!
Some more notes:
What could possibly happen to him under my watch?
♥ ♥ ♥
For a second, Shen Wei nearly forgot himself. His hands instinctively clenched into fists as a terrible ruthlessness flooded the darkness of his eyes. The snowy ground began to boil under the weight of his gaze. The thing lurking below was on the verge of bursting to the surface…
But then a voice suddenly rang out behind him. “Didn’t I tell you to wait in the car? Why are you out here?”
Shen Wei twitched. The murderous intent in his eyes evaporated, leaving him looking a little lost.
I love these little moments where Shen Wei's hidden self comes through! But what happened to the thing under the surface when ZYL appeared?
“Is your birth chart jinxed?” he asked. “How come you always run into things like these?”
LOL! But he's forgetting that Shen Wei supposedly doesn't remember previous events – Zhao Yunlan wiped his memory, after all.
Shen Wei, who had always had an eye for details, noticed that there suddenly seemed to be an extra person among them.
Nice and creepy! Poor Wang Zheng, having to walk around in a sex doll.
Then he pulled up the zipper and pressed on the pendant hanging at his collarbone. It emitted a faint warmth that stood out clearly against the endless ice and snow.
It was so terribly faint, but it offered so much comfort.
AWWWW. ♥
“Director Zhao, Daqing wants you to know that there’s something buried in this yard.”
I have questions! How does Wang Zheng know what Daqing means? Why is she translating for him?
He turned back to look at the shivering students at the gate, then bent down and touched Zhao Yunlan’s arm. “Bury it for now,” he said quietly. “Don’t make a big deal of it.”
And ZYL does!
Zhao Yunlan’s blood went cold. “I’ve never seen someone add a top bunk to a huge communal bed. It’s way too cramped here. If we squish in with them, will they complain to property management?
“It’s true that there are certain taboos here.” Wang Zheng paused. “I’ll go and tell them. As long as we carry out the correct rituals, it shouldn’t be a problem if we stay here for a night.”
Ha! I love how ZYL puts it, and how he and Wang Zheng talk about the same thing in completely different language.
Hearing that made Guo Changcheng think of someone else: the Soul-Executing Emissary. Wasn’t he also respected but feared by everyone? Other than Zhao Yunlan, no one dared speak an unnecessary word to him.
Ooh, I love GCC being perceptive like that. :D
Are you menopausal or something?
??? How does that even work as an insult? *baffled*
In the face of what looked like horrible danger, Guo Changcheng honestly thought it was quite safe. The poor kid had a lot of blind faith in his colleagues.
AWWW. :D
ETA: I forgot to say - at the end of chapter 20 Lin Jing is described as a "fake monk" (same in Chinese, 假和尚). I took it to be meant metaphorically, not that he's literally faking being a monk, but I don't remember a thing about his novel background ...
no subject
I feel like he could have produced it when ZYL was pressuring them into joining forces, but I guess if it relies on special powers (in which case, what do the students think the plan was?)...
But what happened to the thing under the surface when ZYL appeared?
I know!
LOL! But he's forgetting that Shen Wei supposedly doesn't remember previous events – Zhao Yunlan wiped his memory, after all.
Oh, good point! Huh.*scratches head* Maybe he's being deliberately cryptic, or testing Shen Wei by saying it?
I have questions! How does Wang Zheng know what Daqing means? Why is she translating for him?
Maybe she's interpreted his reaction because she knows what's buried there? If it was just simple translation, it would be pretty weird for it to be her.
And ZYL does!
\o/!!
Ha! I love how ZYL puts it, and how he and Wang Zheng talk about the same thing in completely different language.
Yes, that's so great. ZYL being as irreverent as ever.
??? How does that even work as an insult? *baffled*
I guess it's like "are you on your period?" but with added "you're old"? Idk!
I took it to be meant metaphorically, not that he's literally faking being a monk, but I don't remember a thing about his novel background ...
Yeah, it makes the most sense to me if he's just "fake" in the sense of not being at all devout, just going through the motions.
no subject
Yeah, that's a good question. I believe Shen Wei would have kept his students safe with his powers, but they can't know that. Maybe they just trust him to know what he's doing, but that's not ideal either.
Maybe he's being deliberately cryptic, or testing Shen Wei by saying it?
I would so love to know what's going on in Zhao Yunlan's head!
Yeah, it makes the most sense to me if he's just "fake" in the sense of not being at all devout, just going through the motions.
Agreed.
no subject
This made me realize I have been viewing "fake monk" as a general term for hypocrite, (charlatan?) and I probably picked that up from youtube comments (song by Cui Jian- 崔建 《假行僧》《Fake Monk》, also preformed by Hua Chenyu- 华晨宇）
It's not defined by Baidu - but there are a lot of articles about the phenomenon of fake monks, so it seems reasonable to me take it metaphorically.
no subject
no subject