tl;dr

The death knell of For All Mankind

2026-06-20T00:00:00.000Z

Right when season 5 was starting, I rewatched For All Mankind. That first season? Amazing. I adore it. Seasons 2 and 3 are also fun and enjoyable. And now that I’m both done with the rewatch and finally made myself finish the very underwhelming season 5, I have to say: the show I loved ended in season 3, in more ways than one.

Let me be clear: I didn’t dislike season 4, even if I liked it quite a bit less than the other 3. But that was definitely the point where the story shifted towards something different from what it had been. Season 4 still had remnants of the show I loved, but those are pretty much all gone in season 5. It became a different show and one which simply does not spark joy. Or interest, for me.

It is of course the focus away from space exploration to a frankly quite dour story about labor rights and independence on Mars (The Expanse did this much more engagingly).

It’s also the fact that it progressively stopped being alternate history as it got closer to the present. There’s no longer compelling and recognizable echoes of the past.

It’s the fact that almost the entire cast of complex, engaging characters is either sidelined or gone (death or otherwise). Obviously moving forward a decade each season you’d have to replace the characters but the new characters are just not interesting. I don’t care about the Baldwin and Stevens grandkids or the people surrounding them.

On the character front, once again looking back it was the final episode of season 3 that marked a before and after. Yes we’d lost Tracey and Gordo, but their absence was manageable and it was just them. But season 3 we lose Molly Cobb, and THAT left a gaping hole that was never filled. I also question the necessity of it frankly. Yeah, she went out a hero. The show was more fun with her in it.

We also lose Karen Baldwin just at a point when her story was taking a super interesting turn. I would have loved to see her as the head of Helios. It feels egregious that she was killed off then.

And in season 4… Ellen is out of the picture. By the end, Margo is in prison and basically out of the action in season 5. We see Danielle once, I think. Ed dies a few eps into season 5 and frankly he’d become insufferable. So that leaves Aleida out of the original cast actively involved in the story.

I think in future rewatches I will just stop at the end of season 3 and pretend that’s it.

Whatever could be on your mind?

2026-06-19T00:00:00.000Z

I've been rewatching Mad Men and I just finished season 4. And you know, the one thing in this show that I wish we got more of, that left me wanting, is Joan and Peggy's conversation at the end of Tomorrowland.

I almost titled this post "That one work friend you can be bitchy with", except at that point in time I'm not sure you can say Joan and Peggy are friends. They respect each other. I think you can say that by the end they probably are friends, if not super close friends. But at this point? I don't really think so.

And that's the thing. I want more of Joan and Peggy being snide and bitchy about their coworkers, because it's absolutely delicious and relatable, but I don't necessarily think there were a lot more (or any more) of those conversations.

Which kind of makes it even more perfect I think.

Peggy and Joan both deal with so much bullshit in that office, and I don't really think they ever commiserated about it before. Hell, what happened with Joey was a source of acrimony between them! But this one situation, this one time, Peggy finds out, hey, guess what! Don Draper is fucking marrying his secretary. And you have to be polite and diplomatic about it, but inside you're thinking this is just so fucking basic, and no, you can't just wait to talk to Joyce about it, because she wouldn't really get it because she doesn't personally know these people, it wouldn't be satisfying.

But you know who would get it? You know who probably feels exactly the same way you do? You know who's probably itching to let it out and be judgy and bitchy about it?

So you're Peggy, and you just go to Joan's office and you knock on her open door and don't say a word , and you know what she says, in that tone of voice and with that Cheshire cat smile?

Whatever could be on your mind?

And that is just fucking perfection.

Because Peggy knew. She knew that in that moment, they are kindred spirits. Soulmates.

Who just want to smoke together and talk smack about these people and this situation and oh my god, I felt that so much. Because having that one person who gets it, who you can just be a bitch with about your coworkers is priceless. Whether or not you are friends.

MDZS 1.5 (21 - 22): Xinglu Ridge

2026-05-15T00:00:00.000Z

Chapter 21

In the forest there is a man eating fortress full of man eating monsters, Wei Wuxian very been there done that it all
Starts poking holes in the dude’s story. This is very Wei Wuxian, he just likes to poke people and make them react, even when it would be to his advantage to not piss someone off
Dude angry starts to leave, Wei Wuxian stops him to ask since this in Qinghe why don't the Nie do something
¿El clan Nie? —preguntó desdeñoso. Si fueran el clan Nie del pasado, por supuesto que no se habrían quedado de brazos cruzados. Al día siguiente de enterarse del problema, ya habrían arrasado el lugar. Pero con ese líder que tienen ahora... ¡Je! Don Nada Sé.
没想到这回，郎中却没再答“不知道”，而是露出了一点轻蔑神色：“聂家？若是当年前的聂家，当然不会坐视不理了。这种传闻传出的第二天就能雷厉风行地把那妖邪出没的地方抄了。可如今聂家的家主，嘿嘿，不是那位‘一问三不知’吗。”
Unexpectedly, this time, the doctor didn't answer "I don't know" again, but instead showed a hint of contempt: "The Nie family? If it were the Nie family of yesteryear, of course they wouldn't sit idly by. The day after such a rumor spread, they would have swiftly raided the place where the evil spirits roamed. But now, the head of the Nie family, hehe, isn't he the one who 'knows nothing'?"
Nie Mingjue, Chifeng-zun, became clan leader before reaching adulthood 未及弱冠 after his father died due to being angered to death by Wen Ruohan. Tan justo como implacable. 3zun. After sunshot, the nie clan was as powerful and influential as the Jin. Unfortunately he died a violent and public death due to “being possesed by evil”
清河聂氏原先的家主是赤锋尊聂明玦，在其父上一任家主被岐山温氏家主温若寒气死之后，未及弱冠便接掌聂家，作风刚直强硬。他与泽芜君蓝曦臣、敛芳尊金光瑶乃结义兄弟。射日之征后，聂家在他坐镇之下，曾有一段时间风光威势直逼兰陵金氏。而他修炼走火入魔、当众爆血身亡后，接掌家主之位的，肯定是他的小弟聂怀桑
未及before reaching 弱冠 capping ceremony, historically 20 years old but who knows in mdzs, since already have courtesy names at 15
Spanish says QHN was ALMOST as powerful as LLJ, the translation of the chinese uses rivaled. Subtle difference.
Wei Wuxian asks why Nie Huaisang is called 一问三不知，the dude asks “you don’t know this reference?”. It’s actually not clear if everyone calls Nie Huaisang or just this guy. Will need to track this. I mean, jgy did say 好一个一问三 at the end but still it. made me wonder how widespread this monicker really is
Wei Wuxian thinks about Nie Huaisang: not a bad person and it’s not that he’s not smart. He’s not interested in studying and uses his intelligence on other things: painting fans, catching birds, skipping school and fishing. Formed a golden core 8 or 9 years after his peers. Nie Mingjue was disappointed and very strict, but Nie Huaisang was a hopeless case.
QHN in decline since he took over. Since becoming adult and head of the family, Nie Huaisang is overwhelmed by various matters and looks for help everywhere but especially leans on Lan Xichen and JGY. It was thanks to their backing 给他撑腰 that he managed to hold on to his position. People avoided saying it aloud but it was obvious from their reactions when he was mentioned that they thought he was useless
Recalling these past events brings saudade
Wei Wuxian buys two cans of blush, goes back to Lan Wangji who hasn’t asked for his money bag back and they set off in the direction the dude indicated
Xinglu Ridge: cedar forest, wide paths among greenery
They don’t trust the rumors and just want to make sure they’re not true, because no details or hard facts
They encounter 7 or 8 low level walking corpses. Even a child can outrun them and even if they catch a person they wouldn't drain too much yang energy (suck two mouthfuls) so you wouldn't die. In night hunts they’re left for juniors to practice.
Walking corpses run away from Lan Wangji
Wei Wuxian says nothing here, Locals exaggerated, then they hear dog barking. Wei Wuxian pale, hides behind Lan Wangji, who doesn't understand why he’s afraid. Says it sounds like Jin Ling’s spiritual dog
黑鬃灵犬 BLACK-maned spirit dog
Lan Wangji has no idea about Wei Wuxian’s fobia, meaning they were never close enough to learn that in Wei Wuxian's previous life. Just saying.
When a spirit dog barks, something is wrong
Maze array, half an incense time to break out and come to fortress, Faery barking
Piedra gris cubierta de hojarazca y enredaderas, forma de cúpula
Faery corría alrededor de un fortín gruñendo y ladrando
No door, faery keeps trying to bring them closer, bites and tugs on Wei Wuxian robe, who gets scared and grabs Lan Wangji
In the back there is a hoke that was blown open with a spiritual tool
Faint red light
Barrier keeps faery out
Bichen flashlight

Chapter 22

It’s quiet but Wei Wuxian hears many people’s voices, old, young, men, women. Whispers, laughter, can make out some phrases but they’re too fast to retain. Compass of evil goes crazy.
No trace of Jin Ling
First few chambers empty, then one with a black coffin in the middle. Pretty, shiny, made of wood
They take top off, voices louder, overwhelming. Coffin empty except for a long saber.
No scabbard. Hilt of gold. Blade long and thin, shines like snow. Reflects red silk where it rests. Sinister killing intent.
More chambers with sabers, state of coffin woods shows they’re from different times. All have sabers.
No Jin Ling
Lan Wangji puts guqin on top of coffin and plays Inquiry 问灵 wen ling. Different from 招魂 zhao hun evocation invocacion. Used when identity is unknown and there is nothing to use as medium. Questions asked through melodies. Lan Wangji controls spirit so they can't lie.
Talks to spirit who doesn't know how he died or who killed him. Says he’s 15 from Lanling, so they figure out it’s Jin Ling
They play marco polo with guqin to find Jin Ling in the wall
Wall is doubled with rammed earth between
Bichen to cut hole
Three skeletons/bodies where Jin Ling was. Wei Wuxian realizes the voices are the dead buried in the walls.

Margo/Sergei time travel fix-it idea

2026-05-03T00:00:00.000Z

After being shot and killed in his hotel room, Sergei Nikulov wakes up 20 years earlier, on the plane on the way to the US, where he’ll meet Margo Madison for the first time.

Maybe he considers defecting to the US on that first trip, but shit happens and also he realizes he and Margo being in the US and in the Soviet Union is what stopped World War III, so THAT has to happen. And by then she's already let him know about the O-ring problem with Challenger, so the catalyst for their whole tragedy has happened.

Maybe he realizes, even if he defects to the US, she won't be safe. They need a third option: Brazil. But he hasn't met his Brazilian contact. So he has to wait to meet him to try and set in motion them running away together.

And of course a further complication is how to convince Margo of this: She's on an upward trajectory at NASA, why would she leave? He tries but knows he can't resist the KGB at this point, he's managing to hold them off on REALLY compromising stuff, but pressure is mounting. He considered somehow making it a dead end, but he knows to keep furthering the relationship AND to meet his Brazilian contact he has to be going to those conferences and be in good standing with the powers that be. So it's a tightrope, and it's not clean.

The easiest way to get Margo to see the reality of the situation and the danger is to come clean... but then she might not trust him.

I really want to read this 🥺

Oh, Sergei 💔

2026-05-02T00:00:00.000Z

Am rewatching the 4 previous seasons of #ForAllMankind before watching 5.

Sergei and Margo's relationship was always like catnip to me, because, well, the yearning, the slow burn, the lack of resolution.

And am now (re)watching Sergei turn away from the safe stable life he's built to go chasing after her, with a giddy smile on his face. And I know what's coming, because this is a rewatch.

Oh Sergei. 💔

I posted this yesterday on Mastodon and Bluesky.

Going back to the end of that episode, when Margo does go to meet him and the conversation they had, and okay, yes, he did not simply go find her because of idealistic or romantic reasons. There was a reason he wrestled with: he knew her to be in danger. She basically fucked her own life up to save his life. He probably did feel, well, after what she did for me, how can I not?

This doesn't take away the reality that he absolutely still has feelings for her. It's very obvious:

The way he smiles when he decides to drive the other way at that fork in the road (a literal fork, not metaphorical) and go try to get in touch with her instead of going on with his normal day and his normal life. The way he smiles when she does come up to him in the parking lot. He cares for her. He has his life and his wife, but the two of them, they have so much in common, if there is such a thing as soulmates, it's more likely to be her than anyone else. He thought she was dead all these years and she's not.

And well, fact is, he didn't have to actually see her. He could have just gone to find Aleida and just as he explained to her the truth about why Margo did what she did, he could have explained why she is in danger, and had Aleida pass it on. It probably would have been much simpler... and safer for him.

If Margo Madison was just someone he used to know, he could and should have just done that.

But she isn't that. She's so much more important to him. And so he didn't just do that.

He had to see her.

ETA (one episode later):

HE WANTED THEM TO RUN AWAY TOGETHER!!!!HE WANTED TO RUN AWAY WITH HER TO BRAZIL!!!!! 😭

(I forgot this little detail)

BRB crying forever 😭😭😭😭😭

Under Heaven

2026-04-20T00:00:00.000Z

I just finished rereading Guy Gavriel Kay’s Under Heaven.

I will start of by saying I love how he writes, I love his books. Ok, I’m kind of so so on Fionavar, but everything from Tigana on I have loved. The Lions of Al-Rassan is one of my very favorite books ever.

When I originally read Under Heaven I gave it 5 stars. On this reread, I feel I need to knock that rating down some. I still enjoyed. Especially the end. The sense of scope at the conclusion of Guy Gavriel Kay's books is always very powerful and one of my favorite aspects of his writing, and I feel this one in particular does that amazingly well.

My issue is simply that, unlike 10 years ago when I first read it, I now know something about China and Chinese culture. And that knowledge means that I can now see the ways in which this story, set in a fictional land inspired by China, is just not very Chinese. On a broadstrokes level it passes well enough, but it misses the mark in many more nuanced ways, some small, some not so small. Starting with names, of people and places. Sometimes I would read one and be like, yeah, that combination of letters just does not work. Things like that. Or things that I have come to expect in Chinese stories. Or details that I know about from having learned about Chinese history (not about what happened, but about how things worked). In the details it just misses the mark, sometimes by a lot.

It's a shame but in a way it makes sense, and I wonder if maybe I'm now expecting something from this book that it never meant to give. Guy Gavriel Kay is not Chinese, however much he researched (I do have to wonder how much he did or did not immerse himself in Chinese fiction, however). And he does very purposely say he writes “historical fiction”, inspired by real places and events but not really those places and events. Is this a case of "sir, this is a Wendy's"?

Still, in the end, it makes me wonder: if I knew more about the Reconquista and the Iberian peninsula in that time (something I've wanted to learn more about for a while now), would I like Lions of Al-Rassan less?

MDZS 1.5 (20): Adventure time

2026-02-11T00:00:00.000Z

Webnovel 20

Clan leaders usually night hunt with an entourage, instead it’s the two of them (Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji)
Wei Wuxian tries to escape lots of times, Lan Wangji hauls him back, changes tactics
Why is it improper to carry a money bag? (This is me wondering)
Wei Wuxian, clown supreme, suspects there's something between Lan Wangji and MXY
When nearing Qinghe, left arm stops pointing and makes a fist
Small city in Qinghe
Wei Wuxian says he wants makeup for himself
这时，一旁有人喊道：“夷陵老祖，五文一张，十文三张！” “Coin” is unit of measure for money
Wei Wuxian being vain: "Wei Wuxian was known for his beauty!"
Jin Ling beating up dude for peddling yllz stuff (mentioning his name)
Wei Wuxian thinks how violent and arrogant, he inherited all of his dad and uncle’s flaws, none of his mother’s virtues, must bring him down a peg before it's too late
Jin Ling whistles for Faery. Black, half as big as a person. Rare breed, present from JGY
Explanation about Wei Wuxian’s fear of dogs. Jiang Cheng used to tease him about it. Not many people knew about his fear.
Lan Wangji as or more intimidating than Lan Qiren in his time
Faery well trained and v smart
Jin Ling afraid Lan Wangji will kill Faery and then beat him
Wei Wuxian climbs Lan Wangji, who freezes
Dude gifts Wei Wuxian the yllz stamps, says he can sell at a discount, vain Wei Wuxian upset the price is down again
Wei Wuxian asks dude about weird things happening
人称清河百晓生。the know it all of qinghe
5 or 6 li xinglu ridge 行路岭, called 吃人岭, man eating ridge

MDZS 1.5 (19): Back to the present

2026-02-09T00:00:00.000Z

Webnovel 19

Horario Lan: del conejo al cerdo 5 a 9
Horario Wei Wuxian: serpiente al bufalo 9 a 1
Corner (watch)towers, 冥室 mingshi, canara del inframundo, invocaciones de almas. Bell means something is wrong. Nothing has ever gone wrong before since the mingshi was built.
Sangrar por los 7 orificios (de la cabeza) qiqiao
Mingshi mas de 3x3 zhang (10m)
Invocacion/evocation 《招魂》zhaohun soul summoning. Summons soul using body, body part or object, soul appears inside the circle soon.
Because nothing happens it means soul was torn apart along with the body.
安息 Reposo/Rest
Both famous melodies
Chenqing 陈情
Playing badly on purpose
Lan Qiren reacts even though unconscious. This was not in v1! Instead it says if he had been awake, he’d be telling Wei Wuxian off
Disciples cover arm with bronce bell
LSZ deduces that someone set the arm loose at Mo manor prior to them coming. The spirit luring flags had a range of 5 li (2.5 km), if the arm had been that close there would already have been a massacre. In V1, LSZ didn't deduce this, it was just stated in narration.
Lan Wangji says they need to go to root of the problem, Wei Wuxian agrees that they should find the rest, identify him and pit him to rest.
Jingyi at this point very snippy at Wei Wuxian “as if it was that easy”
Lan Wangji says go northwest, Wei Wuxian explains that the arm is pointing either to the rest of the body or to its killer

MDZS 1.4 (18), flashback part 4 (end)

2026-02-08T00:00:00.000Z

Webnovel chapter 18

Wei Wuxian buys cheap souvenirs from Caiyi Town for the other disciples, more evidence it was Lans just plus ymsj
Because I don't think I noted it before: The Cloud Reccesses is 云深不知处 Yún shēn bùzhī chù “deep clouds, whereabouts unknown.”
The full poem by Jia Dao, "Searching for the Hermit and Not Finding Him," sets the scene: "I ask your lad beneath a pine. / He says, 'My master's gone alone / Herb-picking somewhere on the mount, / Cloud-hidden, whereabouts unknown.'"
Lan Qiren still at Qinghe, no classes.
Every night disciples hang out in Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng’s room, drink, eat, play dice, look at porn all night
Wei Wuxian lost at dice, has to go down the mountain to buy emperor’s smile
All hungover the next morning, Lan Wangji shows up
Jiang Cheng headache, throws Nie Huaisang’s out of print porn at Wei Wuxian
Wei Wuxian hugs book and turns over to keep sleeping, Lan Wangji grabs him by scruff of neck
Jiang Cheng chases after
Room messy, so many rules broken
Ancestral hall, 8 elders, 4 of them holding sandalwood discipline rulers inscribed with characters
Other disciples arrive, made to wait outside
Lan Wangji kneels with Wei Wuxian
Jiang Cheng carries Wei Wuxian on back after punishment. Wei Wuxian whines, Jiang Cheng yells. Jiang Cheng: encima de que te cargo, te quejas! Wei Wuxian: yo no te lo he pedido! Jiang Cheng: (yada yada) Ya no te cargo, bajate ya! Wei Wuxian: no! estoy herido! (I love them)
White gravel path
When Lan Xichen asks, Jiang Cheng is too embarrased to explain what happened. As he sees it, they were ALL part of it, so they all should have been punished. So he downplays it.
Lan Xichen says it'll take 3 or 4 days for Wei Wuxian to heal
Jiang Cheng is angry because he hadn't realized how hard Wei Wuxian was beaten ("how can Lan Wangji let this happen!"). Wei Wuxian pokes him because he shouldn't say that.
Lan Xichen tells them about cold spring
Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji at cold spring, Wei Wuxian tries to befriend Lan Wangji, invites him to Gusu, Lan Wangji tells him to get lost.
Coger flores de loto y castañas de agua
Lan Qiren scolds Wei Wuxian when he comes back from Qinghe. No punishment but stay away from the others especially Lan Wangji
Lan Qiren has to deal with waterborne abyss because clan leader in seclusion so classes are shorter and shorter
“Wei Wuxian and friends” spend time wandering around the mountain
One day out with 7 or 8 others, including Nie Huaisang and Jiang Cheng, they see Lan Wangji staring at them (him)
Sangchengxian interaction:
Nie Huaisang susurró: —¿Puede ser que esté mirando hacia aquí? Pero si no estábamos gritando. ¿Por qué pone esa cara? Wei Wuxian le respondió: —Estará enumerando mentalmente todas nuestras carencias. —De «nuestras» nada —lo corrigió Jiang Cheng—, pensará en las tuyas. Yo creo que solo te mira a ti. Wei Wuxian se rio con desdén. —Ah, ¿sí? Pues espérate. Ya verás lo que le haré cuando volvamos. —¿Tú no estás siempre quejándote de que es un insípido y un aburrido? ¡Pues déjalo en paz! ¿Qué necesidad tienes de buscarle las cosquillas todo el rato? Estás tentando a la suerte. —¿No lo entiendes? Que exista en el mundo una persona tan increíblemente aburrida como él es lo más divertido que hay…
Jiang Cheng: you always say he’s boring, why do you keep pestering him, leave him alone! Wei Wuxian: the fact that he’s so boring is so much fun
江澄道：“你不是嫌他闷，嫌他没意思？那你就少去撩拨他。老虎嘴上拔须，太岁头上动土，整日里作死。”
“So stop teasing him. Pulling a tiger’s whiskers, breaking ground where Taisui presides—you’re just asking for it, every day.”
They come back at noon, Wei Wuxian climbs a magnolia tree and comes in through window. Rabbits.
The next day Lan Wangji stops going to class
Wei Wuxian’s seating: first next to Jiang Cheng, but Jiang Cheng pays attention in order to mend the clan’s rep and he moves to the first row. Wei Wuxian goes to sit behind Lan Wangji so he can hide behind him and sleep or doodle. Lan Qiren makes them switch.
After the porn and rabbits incidents, Lan Qiren is afraid Lan Wangji will be influenced/corrupted, so he stops coming to class
Wei Wuxian back to his old seat, two weeks of peace
Hallway with big windows every 7 steps, blinds showing scenes of Lan ancestors. The 4 oldest and more famous are about founder Lan An.
Lan An born in buddhist temple, when adult takes surname Lan (comes from sanskrit for monastery), becomes musician. Meets fated one in Gusu. After she dies goes back to the temple y puso fin a su vida. Implication of suicide? 在仙侣身陨之后，又回归寺中，了结此身.
Jin Zixuan sits at the front of the orchid hall. Proud and handsome.
Wei Wuxian for once not smiling, hostile expression. Jiang Cheng usually scolds him when he starts shit, now he’s quiet and looks angry
江厌离是江枫眠长女，江澄的亲姊。性情不争，无亮眼之颜色；言语平稳，无可咀之余味。中人以上之姿，天赋亦不惊世。在各家仙子群芳争妍之中，难免有些黯然失色。Spanish: Jiang Yanli is amiable, well spoken, prettier than average, but not outstanding. Compared to other female cultivators “eclipsed”
Jin Zixuan is the only legitimate son of Jin Guangshan, as handsome as he is talented.
Jin Zixuan’s mother was not a Yu, but from a related clan. She and Yu Ziyuan grew up together.
Jin pride and arrogance, which Jin Zixuan has inherited
Not only was he unhappy with the choice of bride, but he was even more resentful that his mother had decided on the marriage without his consent, fueling his growing rebellious spirit.
Jiang Cheng jumps up to defend Jiang Yanli, Wei Wuxian shoves him aside and gets in front of him
Jin Zixuan doesn't like YMJ because of the engagement and disapproves of Wei Wuxian’s character and actions
"If you like her so much why don't you ask her father to marry her. He’ll be thrilled, doesn't he treat you better than his own son?"
Jiang Cheng upset at hearing this (gaze sharpened/se quedo helado), Wei Wuxian punches Jin Zixuan in the face, Jin Zixuan punches back
JFM and JGS come to Gusu that same day. They go see the two being punished by kneeling, are scolded by Lan Qiren, then JFM suggests cancelling the engagement, it was all Yu Ziyuan’s idea, he never agreed with it.
JGS taken aback, breaking off engagement with another great clan bad. JGS: "what do the children know? Let them make a fuss, we don’t need to pay attention Fengmian-xiong". JFM insists.
If jgs had wanted a marriage alliance YMJ wasn't the only or best choice, but he didn’t dare to go against his wife. But now the other side brings up cancelling. they’re the groom’s side so have less concerns/to lose than the bride’s side, plus he knows Jin Zixuan isn’t into it, so he agrees
Jiang Cheng goes to see kneeling Wei Wuxian, who says he should have stayed out and let Jiang Cheng punch Jin Zixuan because then jfm wouldn’t have come
Spanish: Sabía que tenía razón. Jiang Fengmian nunca se había apresurado a volar a otro clan y personarse el mismo día por ningún asunto que tuviera que ver con él, fuera bueno, malo, grande o pequeño. Nunca.
Jiang Fengmian never flew to other families in a single day for anything concerning him, whether good or bad, big or small. Never. 江枫眠从来不曾因为他的任何事而一日之内飞赴其他家族。无论好事还是坏事，大事还是小事。从来没有。
Wei Wuxian thinks he’s upset about what Jin Zixuan said
Story about Lan Wangji and ants, Jiang Cheng says you better hurry back to Yunmeng, he never wants to see you again.
于是，当天晚上，魏无羡就收拾了东西，和江枫眠一起滚回云梦了。that night Wei Wuxian packed his things and went back with jfm

MDZS 1.4 (17) flashback 3

2026-01-20T00:00:00.000Z

Chapter 17 of the webnovel

Shadow in water doesn't have human shape, constantly shifts
Lan Wangji sends Bichen into water, comes up with nothing.
A Lan does the same, his sword doesn’t come back. Older guy scolds him: Su She, why send in sword if you don’t know what’s there? This is the first time time Su She is named.
An interesting detail, right before that it says: "El chico, que aparentaba más o menos los mismos años que Wei Wuxian y los demás cultivadores jóvenes" (The boy looked about the same age as Wei Wuxian and the other young cultivators). So the way this is phrased indicates that Su She was not at the lectures Wei Wuxian is attending.
So first of all: all this time my assumption has been Su She WAS at the lectures, but the more I think about it the more I realize that what makes more sense is the lectures the guest disciples attend are not the same that the actual Lan junior disciples attend.
In chinese both Su She and the older guy are referred to as disciples: 门生
Su She did sent in his sword because Lan Wangji did. Embarrassed because he realized he isn’t in Lan Wangji’s level.
Jiang Cheng at Wei Wuxian: 你闭嘴吧 (Ni bizui ba!)
I suspect I’m going to have more empathy for Su She this reread due to the fact that I don't really like Lan Wangji anymore and also due to just from thinking about Su She's frankly shitty situation all these years.
Lan Wangji figures out the creature is luring them to the center of the lake
Whirlpool, like a black mouth
All jump on swords except Su She, Wei Wuxian is the one that thinks to help him
Jiang Cheng was already at height of 20 zhang (Spanish says 35+ meters, Internet says about 66, 1丈 = 3.33m)
First time Sandu is named in past timeline 三毒
Suibian has superior lightness and agility, but lacks power
Lan Wangji grabs Wei Wuxian by the collar and pulls them up
Jiang Cheng thinks that if he had done that on Sandu, he wouldn’t have been able to rise so quickly and steadily
Abismo acuatico 水行渊
Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian know what that means: bodies of water develop a taste for drowning victims or shipwrecks, when this happens with certain frequency and then they (the bodies of water) don’t get them, they cause the deaths themselves.
At Caiyi Town people are comfortable in the water and there wouldn't have ever been many drownings or shipwrecks, so it has to come from elsewhere.
To get rid of it, lake has to be dredged, bottom cleaned of remains and exposed to sunlight for 3 to 5 years.
Pointing to the sky = QSW
与日争辉，与日同寿 To shine as brightly as the sun, and to live as long as the sun.
名为不夜天，又称“不夜仙都” Spanish: por eso lo llamaban el Cielo sin Noche, también la Ciudad sin Noche. Buyetian is actually literally Nightless Heaven, Buyexiandu is Nightless Immortal City. Will track such is actually used (suspect Buyetian)
因为无论门生人数、力量、土地、仙器，其他家族都是望尘莫及，没有能与之抗衡者 Because in terms of the number of disciples, strength, land, and spiritual artifacts, other families are far inferior and none can rival them.
“Wei Wuxian volvió a hacer de las suyas. / Soltó la pértiga, apoyó un pie en el borde de la barca y miró su reflejo en el agua para asegurarse de que no se había despeinado.” Wei Wuxian is so vain 🤣
“Sereno y relajado, comenzó a lanzar miradas sugerentes a diestra y siniestra.” Wei Wuxian has swag 😆
LOQUATS = NISPEROS!!!!
Jin = 500g
他年纪极轻，相貌又明俊，这般神采飞扬，真真是如轻薄桃花逐流水。”Era tan joven y apuesto que encandilaba, tan seductor como aquellas livianas flores de melocotonero de las que hablaba el sabio poeta[24].” Footnote: “[24] Alusión a Du Fu, quien, en los últimos versos del quinto poema de la serie titulada Nueve cuartetos improvisados, hizo esta alegoría de la sensualidad: El polen se entrega al viento con frenesi, livianas flores de melocotonero por el agua van. Du Fu = Tang 712-770.
Woman calls him 小郎君 Xiǎo láng jūn
“Cupped his hands” 拱手 “se cubrió el puño con la palma izquierda a la altura del pecho.”
勿要介客气，看你生得俊。”You needn’t be so polite. It’s for how handsome you look!”
姐姐生得更是美！
Wei Wuxian does the "Isn’t he handsome? Give him some!" Routine, then says he knew Lan Wangji wouldn’t take it and tosses loquat to Jiang Cheng
Jiang Cheng, que justo pasaba por su lado a bordo de otra barca, levantó la mano y cazó el níspero al vuelo. Se le formó una sonrisa en los labios, pero luego refunfuñó:—¿Ya has estado tonteando?
For the above passage, in English “snorted”, scoffed?
Also for the above, I think it's sweet that Jiang Cheng smiles because Wei Wuxian tossed him the loquat. And that it's super Jiang Cheng that he then immediately covers it up by criticizing Wei Wuxian.
Wei Wuxian wants to learn to swear in Wu dialect, because of course he does.
After he pesters Lan Wangji to another boat, Wei Wuxian takes a drink and 杀过去打江澄了。” Goes to attack Jiang Cheng “
Very good chapter for chengxian interaction.