Notes on Longevity

Chapter 21 The Great Dao has countless methods, but the True Source is singular.
Bailai Inn.

After returning to the inn, Yang Youan still planned to write some calligraphy, intending to take it out in the afternoon to see if he could sell it.

But when he had everything ready and picked up the pen, he just couldn't bring himself to write.

His mind was now filled with their conversation on their way back to the inn:
"Brother Li, what do you mean by that?"

"There is no solution for you now, but you will understand when the time comes."

"But……"

"Stop making excuses. All you need to do now is focus on your studies. I'll talk to you again once you pass the imperial examination."

So Yang Youan sat, stood, walked around the room, or went to the window to look at the pedestrians below, but he still couldn't understand what Li Chengru had said.

It was already evening when Yang Youan came to the window again.

As he watched the dim sun gradually set behind one side of the sky and the bright moon, adorned with a few twinkling stars, rose, he suddenly turned around, quickly left the room, and went to Li Chengru's door.

He stood at the door for a while, pondered, and finally, with a furrowed brow, as if he had made up his mind, raised one hand and knocked on Li Chengru's door.

However, there was no response from inside.

He lowered his head, thinking that Li Chengru might not want to see him right now, so he prepared to leave, but then he saw the waiter coming down the stairs, carrying a food box in his hand.

When Yang Youan saw him arrive, he also walked towards him.

Upon seeing Yang Youan, the waiter quickly greeted him, "Young Master Yang, this is your dinner."

Yang Youan was taken aback for a moment, and asked with some confusion, "Why didn't you come to deliver lunch at noon?"

Upon hearing this, the waiter looked flustered and immediately explained, "Young Master Yang, please don't talk nonsense. I also came over at noon, but you didn't respond after I knocked on the door for a long time, so I left the food box at your door."

Li Chengru continued, "Then why didn't I see a food box on the ground when I went out just now?"

The waiter continued to explain, "I came to check later and found that you hadn't taken the food box inside, so I took it away and replaced it with a new meal for you."

"And what about Brother Li? Why did you only take one food box?" Yang Youan glanced at Li Chengru's room, then turned to the waiter and asked.

"Young Master Li went out at noon and hasn't returned yet."

No sooner had the waiter finished speaking than Yang Youan immediately bypassed him and headed straight for the inn's exit. He heard the waiter calling after him, "Young Master Yang, you haven't had dinner yet..."

After leaving the inn, Yang Youan walked down the bustling street. He no longer wanted to eat; he just wanted to know the answer.

And he doesn't even know what's wrong with him now, why he's so obsessed with this question and so eager to know the answer.

He had encountered people who liked to leave things unsaid before, but he had never been as impulsive as he was now.

The first place Yang Youan went to was the place where he had watched the iron flower performance the night before.

The place was still crowded with people. Yang Youan first stood on the outer edge and walked around the crowd looking for Li Chengru, but he did not find him. So he had to turn into the crowd.

But apart from the dazzling fireworks and the crowd cheering and clapping, Li Chengru was nowhere to be seen.

Yang Youan felt a pang of disappointment. After leaving the crowd, he wandered aimlessly down the street, looking at the stalls on both sides of the street constantly hawking their wares, and at the happy, joyful smiles on the faces of the pedestrians. He felt very envious.

After walking for a while, Yang Youan's eyes lit up, as if he had remembered something. He immediately quickened his pace and headed forward, eventually even running.

Zuihualou.

As Yang Youan walked along the road, he suddenly thought of the Drunken Flower Pavilion and the unknown girl he had met the night before.

Judging from the intimacy between the two yesterday, their relationship was definitely not ordinary, so he came here to try his luck. He strode into the Drunken Flower Pavilion and, by sheer coincidence, ran into one of the two women who had caused him trouble last night.

"Young master, you've arrived. Would you like me to introduce you to some ladies?"

"No need, I'm here to see Brother Li." Yang Youan glanced at her, gave a simple bow, and walked inside.

The woman caught up with him, grabbed his arm, and said with a wronged expression, "My sister and I were punished by the madam for what happened last night. One of us was forced to stand guard at the door to greet guests, and the other was forced to sweep the backyard. I've been standing at the door all day and haven't seen Young Master Li."

Yang Youan frowned upon hearing the woman's words and then asked, "What about the young woman who was with Brother Li last night?"

"We haven't seen her today either." The woman shook her head, looking helpless at Yang Youan. "That girl is lucky. She was redeemed by Young Master Li not long after she came to Zuihua Tower. But because Young Master Li is busy studying for the imperial examinations, he doesn't have time to accompany her. So he temporarily left her in the backyard of Zuihua Tower. But my sister and I haven't seen her since we received our punishment today. We guess Young Master Li took her out."

Yang Youan sighed, his head bowed in disappointment, and walked towards the door.

He walked slowly down the street, his mind heavy, toward the inn.

Suddenly, a pair of hands landed on his shoulders. He turned around like a startled bird and saw Li Chengru happily biting into a sugar figurine.

"Why are you walking so fast?" Li Chengru asked Yang Youan with a carefree expression, a candy figurine dangling from his mouth. Little did he know how far Yang Youan had traveled to find him.

"I……"

Yang Youan opened his mouth, as if to say something, but then looked around and suddenly seemed to be attracted by something, and shoved the sugar figurine into Yang Youan's hand.

Yang Youan's gaze followed Li Chengru closely. He saw Li Chengru walk up to a stall surrounded by several children and loudly say to the stall owner, "Brother, I want two rabbit-shaped sugar figurines. And make as many as these kids want, and I'll treat them to some."

"Well, this young master has an extraordinary bearing; judging from his attire, he seems to be a scholar."

The stall owner, a middle-aged man, laughed heartily in response to Li Chengru's words. He praised Li Chengru as he made the sugar figurine.

"I am but a humble scholar, having come first in the provincial examination between the two mountains. I have come to the capital this time to seek the title of Zhuangyuan (the highest honor in the imperial examination)," Li Chengru chuckled as he told the stall owner about his background.

After seeing Li Chengru walk away, Yang Youan slowly followed. He didn't know why, but the question he really wanted to ask Li Chengru vanished without a trace the moment he saw him. It was as if the question had never even arisen.

After the sugar figurines were finished, Li Chengru paid for them and then handed them to the children. The children's parents also came over, thanked Li Chengru profusely, and then taught their children to say thank you to him as well.

Li Chengru then picked up two other sugar figurines and asked the children, "What do these look like to you?"

"rabbit."

The children answered in unison.

"Hey, right." After saying that, he took the sugar figurine, put it to his ears, made a face at the children, and said, "Brother Rabbit is leaving, goodbye."

"Goodbye, Brother Rabbit!"

Li Chengru waved to them and came to Yang Youan's side. "Let's go."

"I know what you're thinking, but some things aren't meant to be said directly. They need time and years to develop. You'll understand later."

Li Chengru took the original sugar figurine back from Yang Youan and handed him a new one.

"Do you see any feelings among the people on this street?"

Li Chengru posed a question, waiting for Yang Youan's answer, but looking at the crowds of people coming and going on the street, he didn't feel anything, he was just very calm.

"The truth is actually quite simple. Just look at these people. They are born into this worldly prosperity, and as they grow older, all they see is a dimly lit scene. In the years to come, people will always brush past them, leaving only a fleeting impression. On this long street, you can see young men in fine clothes, riding spirited horses, swords at their waists, full of youthful exuberance; and children with their parents, sweets in their mouths, pampered and spoiled. The road ahead is long and winding. But along this road of prosperity, there are always people who, like burning torches, sacrifice themselves to illuminate this carefree and beautiful scene."

"The methods of this world may differ, but the source of the Dao is the same. So you will gradually come to understand it yourself. Right now, the most important thing is the imperial examination. This, too, is one of the great Daos."

(End of this chapter)