Chapter Thirty: Only Envy the Mandarin Ducks, Not the Immortals

  "A ten-mile flat lake with frost filling the sky"

  Every inch of black hair worries about the prime years

  Gazing at each other across the moonlit night

  "I admire mandarin ducks but not immortals!"

  Sitting in the car arranged by Li Dongcheng, Lian Cao turned back to look at Jing Xiang standing at the door waving her arms, and then looked at me with a not-so-good expression. She let out a long sigh and whispered in my ear. Thanks to "The Legend of the White Snake", this monk now has a few more tricks up his sleeve.

  "Alright, you and she are not people of the same world. She's just a passerby in your life, let go when it's time to let go. Why don't I go talk to Master and have you become a monk instead?" After a long while, Deng Cao held the lantern core in her arms and leaned against the sedan chair, shaking her head as she advised me.

  "No way, you've become a monk, aren't you going to harm those nuns again? Not good, not good!" Denglao said, and after hesitating for a while, he added another sentence.

  "Hah, am I so hungry that I'll eat anything?" I burst out laughing and asked Deng Cao. I knew he was trying to find a way to make me laugh, and on this silly monk's face, I felt a friendship that I hadn't experienced in a long time.

  "The old master said that if the two masters have leisure time, I hope to visit our home as a guest. Lou Daochang, this is what Miss ordered me to give you. Wishing the two masters a smooth journey!" When we arrived at the train station, Housekeeper Fu sent us onto the platform. As we were about to board the train, he extended an invitation to us and took out a small sachet from his bosom and handed it over to me!

  "Actually, I knew I wasn't sick. I was able to escape from that nightmare, it must be thanks to you and Master Dengcao's help? Thank you, it was very dangerous when you helped me, right? This silver ring is Grandfather's most treasured thing. I brought it to give to you, you must wear it. Every time you see this ring, you'll think of me. I don't want you to forget about me. Lou Meimei, you must remember our promise, you must come back and visit me!" Inside the sachet was a small piece of paper and a sheep fat jade ring.

  "Go back and tell your master that if we have leisure time, we will definitely visit again." I slowly put the ring on my thumb and bowed to Fu Bo.

  "Two masters, take care on your way!" Old Man Fu looked at me wearing the ring and slightly shook his head. He took two steps back and bowed to both me and Deng Cao.

  Also, don't forget to tell Jingxiang that exercising is valuable for persistence. I carried my suitcase and got on the train, but then turned around and went back to remind Fu Bo, who was standing on the platform seeing us off, with a sentence.

  "Good grief, what era is this? Look at those two fools!" Just as I was bidding farewell to Uncle Fu through the car window, a discordant laughter came from inside the carriage, very discordant. I am very angry, with serious consequences!

  "In any era, the etiquette of Huaxia cannot be abandoned. When you look at me like a fool, haven't you already become one yourself?" I was furious in my heart and naturally wouldn't give in to this good-for-nothing customer who was wearing bell-bottom pants, had his feet propped up on the small table in front of him, and had a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth. That's just how people are - if you take a step back, they'll advance an inch."

  "Hey, look at this Taoist priest, he's still got a lot of fire in him. Are you a monk?" The guy flicked his cigarette out the window and stood up, saying provocatively.

  "Buddha also has a way to punish evil, sit down!" Lamp grass knew that if I was provoked, this guy might lose half his life. He hastily blocked me and stretched out his hand to grab the shoulder of the man, exerting force to press him back into his chair.

  "Come on, I know you're not feeling well, no need to argue with people like they've taken gunpowder!" The lamp grass shook its head and gently pushed me towards the soft sleeper car.

  "This is it, let's get in, we'll arrive at our destination tomorrow morning after a night's sleep!" said Deng Cao, carrying our simple luggage and opening the sliding door of the sleeping car for me.

  "Ah! How can you be like this, coming in without even knocking on the door!" Before I could enter, Lian Cao was pushed out by a woman. To be specific, it was a woman who was changing her clothes.

  "Big sister!" Dēng cǎo's face turned bright red as she tried to explain!

  "Who is the eldest sister?" The woman said angrily while fastening the buttons on her chest.

  "Hey, miss!" Denglao was really not good at dealing with women, and this title wasn't even as polite as "older sister".

  "Who is the mistress?" As expected, when that woman heard this word, she became even more uncooperative. Denglao saw that the woman was showing signs of being unreasonable and sweat broke out on his bald head.

  "Auntie, this train compartment isn't your home. Who told you to change clothes without locking the door?! Besides, in our eyes, no matter how beautiful a shell is, it's ultimately just a skull." I've seen many people gathering around, wanting to watch a good show. Right then and there, I yelled at that woman, "Do you want to stir up trouble and attract a huge crowd? Do you want to occupy the moral high ground and have our fellow disciples point fingers at us? No way!"

  Besides, you didn't even give me a chance to explain. You wouldn't let me call you "older sister" or "young lady", but insisted that I address you as "auntie" before you'd be satisfied.

  "Auntie? You dare to call me auntie? I'll fight you all! Someone, come and catch the hooligan!" Indeed, this woman was a combination of a shrew and a termagant. On one hand, she was desperately pulling my Taoist robe, on the other hand, she was crying out loud while sitting paralyzed on the ground.

  "What's going on? What's going on?" Before long, the commotion attracted the attention of the police officers in the car. Forcing their way through the crowded passengers who were watching the excitement, two police officers pushed their way in, their faces red with embarrassment, and asked.

  "Comrade, we don't know anything. We just heard that woman say that the Taoist priest and the monk watched her change clothes and acted like rascals." A 60-year-old old man was enthusiastically responding to the traffic police's questions there.

  "What the heck, do you know what you're talking about?" I cursed inwardly and flipped him off in my heart.

  "Is that what happened?" As soon as they heard it was a hooligan bullying a woman, the two police officers' faces turned gloomy. However, they still decided to collect evidence from multiple sources and conduct a thorough investigation. As public security personnel, they could not be biased or partial, and had to distinguish right from wrong. With a responsible attitude towards the parties involved and the general public, the two police officers began questioning me.

  "Officer, I bid you farewell!" I broke free from the evil woman's grasp, smoothed out my robes and bowed to the two police officers.

  "Let's talk about the matter at hand, don't bother with these useless things. I'm asking you, what did you just do to this big sister?" A slightly younger train police officer obviously had a preconceived notion of me and was suspicious from the start. This attitude towards the people is vastly different.

  "When I say 'comrade', with someone like her, what do you think I would do to her? To be honest, just looking at her makes me lose my appetite, let alone any other desire?" Looking at the woman who was standing up and adjusting her clothes, I was quite rude.

  "Hey! Speak properly, no personal attacks. She can sue you!" The young conductor was helping the woman with his words.

  "Right, right, comrade traffic police, I'm going to report them! Report them for slander, report them for attempted murder!" The woman, seeing the attitude of the traffic police, immediately gained the upper hand. She jumped up and pointed at our noses, saying...

  "Go ahead, go tell! If you don't, I won't believe there's still nowhere to reason. Let me tell you, if you lose the lawsuit, I'll definitely counter-sue you for slander." The policeman's biased and partial attitude thoroughly irritated me, and I pointed that woman's finger aside, saying sternly.

  "The monk and the Taoist priest didn't even enter the house, but were pushed out by this woman. As for what happened next, you comrades in the police force already know." Suddenly someone in the crowd blurted out this sentence, who knows who was so vicious to hold back until now to reveal the truth. It seems like they just wanted to watch the excitement.

  "Look, it's just a misunderstanding! Comrade, from now on, don't speak up and you'll be fine. Our task is very heavy, this whole train is relying on us two to maintain order. Alright, alright, now that things are clear, let's disperse, everyone scatter! Originally, it wasn't a big deal, but the young conductor's incorrect work method blew things out of proportion. Seeing someone stand up as witness, the older conductor hurriedly downplayed the situation, making a big deal into nothing."

  "After all, the reputation I've built up over decades can't be ruined by her! Now it's my turn to show off. Does she think she can just frame me and then walk away with a clear conscience? Is that how things work in this world?"

  "First, apologize. Second, I demand a change of carriage! I'm afraid someone will shout ox again in the middle of the night." I made a reasonable suggestion and request. Hmm, at least in my heart, this is very reasonable!

  "Find the conductor and help these two change cars!" The two police officers did not expect that this monk would not compromise at all, nor show any mercy. After being stunned for a while, the older police officer took off his cap, full of anger, and said to his partner.

  "Never mind, little Daoist. It's not easy to be out and about. When you can spare someone, do spare them!" Someone in the crowd said something so philosophical that it won the nodding agreement of most people. I didn't want to make an enemy of the people, so I just went with the flow and let it go!

  Life is made up of one episode after another. Whether good or bad, whether it makes you happy or annoyed, it will always appear in front of you when you least expect it. The matter was settled and I was assigned to a new sleeping car with Lamp Grass. There were only the two of us inside, quiet and clean!

  The beautiful female attendants in uniform, always find excuses to take a look at this handsome Taoist priest. This makes the humble monk feel very pleased!

  "Wuchang Station is approaching, passengers with luggage please prepare to disembark. The train will arrive in 5 minutes. This announcement will be repeated again...

  The next afternoon, I returned to Hubei once more. Returned to this unfamiliar yet familiar place. Thinking that after just one more transfer, I would be able to see my parents, my heart suddenly became excited."