Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
His words were very calm, but they were exceptionally determined.
Jia Zizai smoked and stared at the man in front of him. âWhat if you canât open the door?â
âI have already touched it,â Zhong Liuchuan said. âIt has been loosened.â
Jia Zizai was shocked.
âSmoking is bad for your health. You should stop it.â Zhong Liuchuan got up and left.
Jia Zizai thought, This is so mysterious. Iâm listening to the truth, but what is the door?
With the sound of the door closing, there was only one person left in the room, who was still tied up.
âHey, donât hurry to go! Stay with me and talk!â Jia Zizai yelled. âThere isnât any entertainment! Thereâs no TV, internet, or radio! Itâs hard!â
He had been thinking about how to escape for a few days, but his body was out of his control. He had a weakness that could not be described. It was an internal weakness. He simply could not move his body. It was very hard to even move a finger.
He let out a helpless sigh and fell onto the bed. He thought, Actually, itâs good to lie down like this.
After returning home, Zhong Liuchuan entered a room specially reserved for practice. The room was quite empty. The most conspicuous item was a futon, which he had just purchased. He sat down cross-legged and began practicing the method of breathing.
He did not speak. He did touch the door. This was the method Wang Yao taught him. In the past few days, he was able to feel the changes in his body. He had become more energetic, and his senses were heightened. This was something he hadnât encountered before.
Although Zhong Liuchuan had made great strides in his efforts, he was finding it extremely difficult to break through the bottleneck. It was indispensable to rely on oneâs own efforts and so-called opportunities.
There had to be a pursuit in oneâs life. Whether it was to lead a simple life, to be rich and wealthy, or to be mad, everyoneâs dreams were different.
Zhong Liuchuan had his own dreams. He wanted to live a quiet life, but he had to be able to make those evil people fear him.
Happy time always went fast. Su Xiaoxue would be leaving that afternoon since she had classes the next day.
Wang Yao took her to the airport in Haiqu.
âGo back,â Su Xiaoxue reluctantly said.
Wang Yao held her in her arms and whispered, âI will see you next week.â
âOK.â Su Xiaoxue was happy.
Chu Lian quietly looked at the couple.
The plane took off and rushed into the sky. The environment in Haiqu was good, so the sky was exceptionally blue.
Wang Yao looked up at the sky. His vision was very good, so he could see far away. He looked up until the plane disappeared. He turned and left for home.
On the plane, Su Xiaoxue quietly looked out the window.
âYou couldnât bear it,â Chu Lian softly said.
âYes, I am reluctant to leave.â Su Xiaoxue admitted her feelings.
âDistance produces beauty,â Chu Lian said with a smile.
Su Xiaoxue whispered, âA week will pass quickly.â
Wang Yao bought a little seafood in Haiqu before returning to the mountain village.
âIs Xiaoxue gone?â his mother asked.
âAh, she has already boarded the plane,â Wang Yao said.
âWhen is the next time she will visit?â Zhang Xiuying asked. She liked the girl very much.
âIf she has time, she will come again soon,â Wang Yao said. âI will go visit her in Jing next week.â
âOK, you should stay with her,â Zhang Xiuying said.
At one time, Wang Yao liked Tong Wei. For some reason, they broke up. Now, he had finally met a good girl who he greatly missed.
âYour uncle is coming over tonight,â she said.
Wang Yao did not go up the mountain or back to the clinic. Instead, he went to Zhong Liuchuanâs.
âHave you been practicing?â Wang Yao asked.
âYes, I have been,â Zhong Liuchuan said.
When he was at home, he would practice Wang Yaoâs breathing method. He had already touched the door in two days, so he was particularly at ease.
âWhat I teach you needs perseverance,â Wang Yao said. âDonât be in a hurry to succeed.â
âOh, I know,â Zhong Liuchuan said.
This method of breathing was the most fundamental thing in spiritual practice. The longer it took to practice, the more one could discover its benefits. It was an internal effort to bravely advance.
âCome to my place, and I will give you some books,â Wang Yao said.
âYes, Sir,â Zhong Liuchuan said.
âHow about Jia Zizai?â Wang Yao asked.
âHeâs still in the room,â Zhong Liuchuan said.
He didnât know what kind of method Wang Yao used, but the guy looked like a soft-footed prawn with no strength.
âThatâs good. I still need his cooperation for a while,â Wang Yao said.
Since Jia Zizai had come to this mountain village and wanted to stay, it seemed an ideal situation for Wang Yao to try a new drug on him.
Zhong Liuchuan followed Wang Yao to the clinic. Wang Yao grabbed two books and handed them to him.
âThis is...â Zhong Liuchuan was shocked. âTaoist scriptures?â
âYes, strictly speaking, what I teach you is just the beginning,â Wang Yao said. âReading about Taoism is good for your practice.â
Since Wang Yao said it, Zhong Liuchuan would do it.
âIs Anxin staying at school?â Wang Yao asked.
âYes, she likes it very much,â Zhong Liuchuan replied.
âThat school is very good,â Wang Yao said. âPlus, she can make a few friends.â
âYes, she has been alone for a long time and needs to make friends,â Zhong Liuchuan said.
In the evening, Wang Yaoâs uncle came to the village. He brought a box of wine.
âDonât bring anything next time,â Zhang Xiuying said. âThere is no shortage of this in our home.â
âHow is the factory business?â Wang asked.
âFortunately, there has been a lot of work lately,â said his uncle, who looked very tired.
âWould you like a drink?â Wang Yao asked.
His uncle reached over and let out a small yelp.
âWhat happened?â Zhang Xiuying asked.
âItâs nothing, Sister,â his uncle said.
âDad, he is not feeling well.â Wang Yao looked at his uncle and said, âDonât drink.â
His uncleâs spirit was very poor. His breathing was hot and sour, which was a sign of strong internal fire caused by gastrointestinal discomfort. It had likely lasted for quite a few days. It seemed that he had been drinking too much lately.
âIt does not matter if I just drink a little,â his uncle replied.
âYou must have drunk a lot recently,â Wang Yao said.
âWell, I have seen more customers lately, so I have to drink on the occasion,â his uncle said.
A lot of business was discussed at the wine table.
âYou have had discomfort in your stomach and diarrhea,â Wang Yao said.
âOh, yes, the medical skills of my nephew are so wonderful that you can see it with your eyes alone,â his uncle said.
âI will give you a prescription,â Wang Yao said. âTake good care of yourself. Donât drink or smoke anymore, or your body will act up. If that happens, what would be the point of making money?â
âBut I have you as my doctor,â his uncle said. âIf I am sick, it is good enough to find you for treatment.â
âI am not a god,â Wang Yao calmly said. âNot every disease can be cured.â
His uncle did not listen to advice. If he hadnât been a relative, Wang Yao wouldnât have taken care of him.
Zhang Xiuying put the wine back. âOK, donât drink. Letâs eat something.â
âWeâll just eat vegetables,â Wang Yao said.
His uncle did not seem very happy.
Wang Yao finished eating and went to the clinic. He grabbed a few medications, which were mainly for the stomach and to clear the internal fire, to take home.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
He gave them to his uncle and said, âTake these medicines with you. Donât eat any irritating food, especially spicy stuff, and avoid tobacco and alcohol.â
His uncle left and drove away.
âHe drives even after drinking,â Wang Yao said.
âHe has a classmate on the traffic police team,â Zhang Xiuying said.
âFor himself and others, he shouldnât drive after drinking,â Wang Yao said. âDid he have any other reasons for visiting?â
âNo, he just came to see me,â Zhang Xiuying said.
Wang Yao was relieved, but he didnât say anything since it was his uncle.
...
Su Xiaoxue returned home and made a phone call. The two people chatted for a while before hanging up.
âHappy?â Song Ruiping softly asked.
âHappy,â Su Xiaoxue said with pleasure. âMr. Wang said that he would come see me next week.â
âWell, remember to invite him to come visit us,â Song Ruiping said.
âOK,â Su Xiaoxue said.
âIâm sure the flight wore you out,â Song Ruiping said. âItâs best if you get to bed.â
She said goodnight to her daughter went downstairs to chat with Chu Lian.
âHe did not agree to see Hou Shida,â Chu Lian said.
âNo worries if he didnât agree,â Song Ruiping said. She had made no promises. âThat boy is not a good person. It is a punishment for him.â
âOh, yes,â Chu Lian said.
âYou also need to go rest. Iâm sure you are tired,â Song Ruiping said.
âActually, Iâm not very tired,â Chu Lian said. âThe mountain village was very good. It was peaceful. After staying there for a while, I feel my whole being has become much quieter.â
âYou should stay longer next time,â Song Ruiping said.
That night, the bustling city of Jing was much more lively than the daytime because people were done working for the day. They could relax in bars, restaurants, and KTVs. Thousands of miles away, most of the people had turned off their lights and were sleeping. There were only the occasional sounds of dogs barking.