Chapter 912 Are the Sages Right?
Historically, the area beneath the emperor's feet has always been the most prosperous place, but after the Ming Dynasty, this situation began to change.
"They say the south is more prosperous. I really want to go and see it."
Hua Yan stood in the middle of the street facing the imperial city and said with great longing.
Sun Chonglou stood a little further ahead and frowned, "The South is prosperous, but the young master said that the prosperity in the South has no roots."
"What roots?" Hua Yan was puzzled.
"It's the soul." Sun Chonglou scratched his head. "I don't know much either. What the young master meant... is probably that the scholars and businessmen in the south only care about making money. People... only care about making money. Sooner or later, they will become... slaves of money."
"Slave? Isn't it good to have money?" Hua Yan felt that Jiang Qingzhi was a little strange.
"I also think it's good to be rich." Sun Chonglou chuckled, "It's great to buy whatever you want to eat. But... hey!" Sun Chonglou sighed, "The soul that Master is talking about is probably something like... helping the world."
"What does it mean to benefit the world?"
"It's just... now that you have money, don't be a miser. Money is something you can't bring with you when you are born, and you can't take it with you when you die."
"Wouldn't it be good to leave it to your children and grandchildren?" Hua Yan found Jiang Qingzhi even more strange.
"The young master said that money may be a good thing for a person, but if you have too much, it may become a disaster. The young master took me to the countryside that time. He said that those farmers looked pitiful, but if you gave a farmer 100,000 yuan now, this family would definitely not have a good ending."
"No way! Having money... having a rich family is great." Hua Yan walked forward and stood side by side with Sun Chonglou, "If I have money, I will share it with my brothers at home."
"But people are always greedy!" Sun Chonglou scratched his head. "Forget it. I don't really understand what the young master said. I just know that money is best used when it is enough. Too much... Either you learn to spend money and use it to help others. Or you will become a slave to money."
"how about you?"
"Me? I just need to have food and drink. I have a lot of money." Sun Chonglou said proudly, "Master told me to save it for me to use when I get married."
"You... haven't married yet?" Hua Yan asked in surprise. After Sun Chonglou nodded, she sighed, "In our area, men your age already have several children."
"Young Master said to let fate take its course." Sun Chonglou said confidently, and then asked, "What about you? Women of your age in the capital already have several children."
"I... don't like being constrained." Hua Yan said with a sad face, "Okay, actually I lied to you. I didn't get married because those people were afraid of me."
"Why am I afraid of you?"
"I once said that whoever wants to marry me must be better than me." Hua Yan sighed, "But in our place, those men are not as good as me. So I can't get married."
"Are you great?"
"Of course!"
"Try it someday?"
"Just try it!"
Sun Chonglou suddenly said listlessly: "You will go back sooner or later, right?"
"My home is not here, so of course I have to go back." Hua Yan said, "But you can go to Guangxi to find me. I will take you hunting in the mountains. There will also be good wine..."
Sun Chonglou always felt that there was a voice deep in his heart that wanted to burst out. He hesitated for a while and thought of what the young master said: You must learn how to chase women!
"Hua Yan."
"Hey!"
Sun Chonglou looked at Hua Yan's profile and said seriously, "Can't you stay in the capital?"
"But I have nothing to do in the capital!" Hua Yan stopped a candied haws seller, took out her purse and bought two strings, handed one to Sun Chonglou, and said, "My father said that people must work. If they don't work, they've come to this world in vain."
"Why do we have to work?" Sun Chonglou frowned, "Who said that we have to work to live a meaningful life?"
"Old people!"
“Is what the old man said right?”
“They say the saints said the same thing.”
“Are the words of saints always correct?”
"Are the sage's words wrong?" Hua Yan looked at Sun Chonglou in surprise.
"I feel that we are all human beings, so why should we follow what others say and live according to their ideas? How stupid!"
"But... isn't it always like this?"
"Is it right to always be like this?"
Hua Yan frowned and tilted her head, "It seems...what you said makes sense!"
"That's right." Sun Chonglou was delighted to see that she recognized him. "I live my own life. As long as I am happy, even if I become a beggar, it is my way of living. Why should being a beggar make me inferior? Who made this rule?"
"Everyone!" Hua Yan pointed at the crowd around her.
Sun Chonglou sighed: "Why should I live for them?"
Hua Yan was startled, "Live for them..."
"They think this is the way to live, this is the right way. But do you really think it is right?" Sun Chonglou said: "I always feel that a person belongs to himself, and you have to live for yourself."
"What you said is...very profound."
"It's not profound. I just say whatever I think and live the way I want. The young master said that he envied me many times."
"You are very interesting." Hua Yan turned around and said seriously, "Really."
"But..." Sun Chonglou sighed, "You are also very interesting."
The two of them sat in silence for an unknown amount of time before Hua Yan said, "Maybe, I'll come back again!"
"How long?" "I don't know."
"Flower girl! Flower girl!"
A minor official rode past the two of them, turned around and saw that it was indeed Hua Yan, and said happily: "Madam Hua, hurry to the Ministry of War."
"What are you going to do?" Hua Yan curled her lips. She had a very bad impression of Lao Wang. If she hadn't remembered her father's instructions, she would have run away long ago.
"Good thing."
Sun Chonglou watched Hua Yan follow the clerk and returned to his uncle's house with some disinterest.
Fucheng was preparing today's meal in the kitchen. When he saw Sun Chonglou come back, he handed him a meat pie. However, Sun Chonglou shook his head, looking as if he was worried.
"Come and warm yourself by the fire." It was warmest by the stove. There was something steaming in a big pot on top of it, and the hot steam was rising. Sitting by the stove made it feel like spring.
Sun Chonglou sat on the firewood, staring blankly at the blazing firewood in the furnace, "Master, what do you think is the purpose of life?"
"Human!" Fu Cheng reached out and brushed the thing off his shoulder, saying, "When I was a kid, I thought that living was just for... it seemed like it was just for living, working hard in the fields, working from sunrise to sunset, and being able to eat a full meal every day was very happy. As for why we live, I never thought about it."
"What happened next?" Sun Chonglou reached out and stirred the firewood, causing the flames to grow even more intense.
"Later, my family became poor, so I entered the palace. At that time, I felt that living... was living. Working all day, obeying other people's wishes, just to have enough food to eat and not be punished by others, that was living."
"Later." Fu Cheng narrowed his eyes, recalling those years, "I followed my master to learn boxing and how to kill people. I felt that life seemed to have some meaning."
"When the palace coup occurred, His Majesty almost died, and the palace was purged, and I followed along and got out." Fu Cheng looked at Sun Chonglou, "I was worried that someone in the palace would regret it, so I left Beijing and went to the south. I settled in the south. On weekdays, I would go out for a walk, look at the small bridges and flowing water, and see the prosperous city. I felt that life seemed to be meaningless. Until I met you."
"You looked dazed at that time, following those beggars to beg. When someone gave out steamed buns, other beggars scrambled to grab the food, but you stood at the back, dazed. You waited until others left satisfied, then you went over, waiting anxiously... But where was the food?"
Fu Cheng smiled and said, "I was very curious at that time, wondering why this little beggar was so stupid. But when the people who gave alms saw you, they gave you three big meat buns. What...poor child, you can't even fight for begging. I was a little dumbfounded, and I had nothing to do, so I followed you for three days."
Fu Cheng's eyes relaxed. "Those three days were almost exactly the same. Others gave alms, but you didn't grab them. In the end, the host looked at you pitifully and gave you more. I was a little dumbfounded, thinking that this was the blessing of fools. Later, I found out that this kid was very wise."
"I'm very stupid." Sun Chonglou curled his lips, thinking that his master was comforting him.
"Do you understand that great wisdom is like stupidity?" Fu Cheng sighed, "Great sound is silent, great wisdom is like stupidity. Real wisdom is never moved by external things. Instead, it tends to be instinctive. Wisdom driven by instinct is the real wisdom. But the world, including us, can't make that wisdom come out, only you!"
Sun Chonglou raised his head, "But Master, I... I like someone, but I can't keep her. What's the use of this wisdom?"
"Like? Who do you like?" Fucheng was overjoyed.
Fucheng was almost worried about Sun Chonglou's marriage. When the matchmakers heard that it was Sun Chonglou, most of them shook their heads and said that Sun Chonglou was a bandit named Asura and was said to have killed countless people in the north. The girl's family was scared when they heard it.
After seeking help from outside, Fucheng simply tapped into the potential within and set his sights on Dou Jialan. But what was the relationship between Sun Chonglou and Dou Jialan...
Brotherly relationship!
Fucheng was furious and said that you should just treat her as your brother and she will naturally become your woman after you sleep with her.
Sun Chonglou swore to die rather than obey.
Fucheng always talks about this every time he goes to the backyard, but Li Tian can't do anything about it!
You can't just go and rob a woman!
I thought it would be difficult for me to become a grandfather in this life, but unexpectedly there is always a silver lining.
Fu Cheng's eyes sparkled, "Speak!"
Sun Chonglou scratched his head, "It's... it's Hua Yan."
"Hua Yan?" Fu Cheng frowned. "That woman is fierce and has no manners. How can she be a good match for me?"
Sun Chonglou said: "Master, I don't like those delicate and gentle women, like Ruyu in the backyard. I get goose bumps all over my body when I see her... Otherwise, I'll be alone."
"Don't!" Fu Cheng shuddered, clenched his fists, hesitated and asked, "What does she mean?"
"I don't know, but..." Sun Chonglou thought for a moment, "I like being with her, and she likes it too."
"Let's discuss this with my wife." Fu Cheng wanted to find out Hua Yan's background before making a decision.
"She is going back." Sun Chonglou lowered his head.
"What?" Fu Cheng was startled. He was still dissatisfied with Hua Yan, but she was leaving. What a picky person!
Fu Cheng patted Sun Chonglou on the shoulder and said, "Forget it, this is just not meant to be..."
"Stone! Stone!"
A woman's voice came from the other side of the door.
Sun Chonglou jumped up and said, "It's Hua Yan!"
He rushed out, and Fu Cheng followed behind him, reaching out his hand and then retracting it. He saw Hua Yan coming in, smiling very happily, and that smile was very...
It's pure!
As pure as Sun Chonglou.
He saw Sun Chonglou running over and saw Hua Yan happily saying:
"I'm going to stay in the capital."
"Ah!" Sun Chonglou was stunned. "Really?"
"real."
Silly boy, ask her why she can stay in Beijing!
Fucheng sighed.
"Why?" This is what Sun Bu Tong asked.
"It is said that... I am a thousand households now."
(End of this chapter)
