Eleven, sick

  From a certain day on, the people of the dragon began to revisit their lost traditional culture. Without the threat of "breaking four olds", Qin Qiong and Wei Rui De quietly returned home, guarding the fruits of their hard-won victory. Not only did the newly rich Chinese need private property that was sacred and inviolable, but other nations also had various fierce guardians to protect their homes. Unlike the Hummer and Ha Er Jiang from the Sui and Tang dynasties, the ancient Roman door god Janus was alone, but as compensation, he had two faces looking left and right, symbolizing a look back at the past and a look forward to the future. Therefore, later generations used it as a root word, naming the first month of renewal - January.

  Indeed, every time the New Year's calendar with its still fragrant ink is hung on the wall, people always take this opportunity to rest and reflect. Accompanying this, during this period, everyone is more inclined to express gratitude for mutual support and encouragement for the future, such as the thank-you dinner that just ended, which was for the old to leave and the new to come. However, the extreme enthusiasm of making good connections and the limited appetite of believers have formed an irreconcilable contradiction. The New Year's holiday is only a few days long, and you can't keep drinking and toasting endlessly; at this time, red envelopes and gift boxes can be used appropriately. From a young age, I understood that during this time, I should offer tribute to my teacher.

  In the Analects of Confucius, it is said: "From self-cultivation to governance, I have never been without teaching." In fact, what the previous teacher truly wanted to express was the guiding ideology of having no classes, which translates to modern Chinese as not taking shortcuts, not being picky about students' backgrounds, and welcoming everyone. However, later scholars often took this as a historical excuse for "not being too poor to afford education, not being too bitter to bear children." But back then, most schools were private and didn't have government assistance, so it was understandable to charge some tuition.

  In our China, we emphasize the importance of following ancestral laws without change. Over time, this has become a habit. In the past, when high-ranking officials showed respect to lower-ranking officials with gifts of charcoal and ice, it was basically considered voluntary. But now, in the "A-level" and "superior" era, everyone is "very understanding," so if you want to get fair treatment, you have to pay for it; otherwise, be prepared to suffer.

  When I was in elementary school, the most common New Year's gift was a calendar. Every year-end, teachers would start displaying beautiful women's group photos. As ordinary people's wallets got thicker and thicker, the market for festive goods also rose in value, from special gifts like fruit baskets and mobile phones to general gifts like necklaces and shopping vouchers, all the way to versatile gifts like US dollars, RMB, and Vietnamese dong. If the revolutionary mentor who wrote "Das Kapital" could see how his reasoning about the origin of money was creatively reenacted in reality, he would probably be overwhelmed with emotions. Later, when I went to Australia for school, I found that almost every country doesn't start school in September like we do, but instead chooses to start at the beginning of the year and end at the end of the year, with a clear beginning and end. After much thought, I finally realized that the reason why China's education system insists on sacrificing precious holidays and scheduling final exams after the "New Year's gift-giving" period is to assess students' comprehensive abilities in quality education.

  Once, a family planning official went to the grassroots level to popularize knowledge and asked everyone if they understood why close relatives were not allowed to get married. The villagers rubbed their hands together, looked embarrassed, and said: "I know, hehe, it's too familiar, and it's embarrassing to do that." In fact, as people get older, it becomes more and more difficult for them to make progress in their studies because of psychological barriers. From elementary school to graduate school, the respected elders around them become more and more familiar every day, and they are often "watching each other grow up" with a deep understanding of each other's roots. If someone really wants to be generous, it's likely that no one would be willing to give up their own interests.

  A few days ago, Xu Zhongliu asked Wu Yu, who was "in the mountains", for advice on how to give Zhao Rang some "meaningful meaning". Wu Yu, seemingly surprised, blurted out: "Don't be ridiculous!" After calming down, he seemed reluctant to talk about it and said: "Actually, it doesn't matter, besides, isn't she still in Nanjing?"

  Zan was still feeling a bit puzzled, that thunderous but rainless "Two Shores Three Places Seminar" had long since dispersed over a month ago, yet Teacher Zhao was still lingering behind for some reason. Moreover, he seemed to be enjoying himself, standing alone on the mountain top, unwilling to chase after others all day to pick up their scraps of wisdom. If it weren't for Director Gu Yan from the Philosophy Department asking about him last time, Zan would have almost forgotten that there was still such a "heavenly fallen person". Around mid-month, Zhao Ran did send a text message to "High Foot", saying he was participating in some cooperation project on the other side, but the specific content was "internally controlled and not to be disclosed", after which he went silent. Research institutions have this advantage, as long as the leaders agree with your absence from the yawning meetings that drag on for days, colleagues would rather have one less monk to share the already meager research funding.

  Despite this, Yi Xin had already given him a silk scarf as a precautionary measure, which could be used at any time. Although not an expert, it's not hard to see that this "goose feather thin gift" from Switzerland is absolutely genuine and worth the price, just like the recently resurfaced civil service system (the Western countries' centuries-old "civil servant system" was largely inspired by China's traditional "imperial examination system", but we abolished the latter as a "bad thing" over a hundred years ago and then "introduced" the "civil service examination entrance system" from others). This type of fabric was originally a specialty of the Chinese people, and even the word "silk" itself is a rare Chinese transliteration. But after taking a stroll around the foreigner's place, they dare to ask for ten times the blood and sweat of our people, which is simply unreasonable! Of course, this carefully crafted "tiger skin" in front of us probably didn't cost Yi Xin a single cent, and it's likely that it was also used as a "people's sentiment" to be used among the people. If you're really interested in tracing the origins of this type of formalistic gift-giving, the ones who ultimately foot the bill are often not public funds, but those ordinary people who have been exploited and have nowhere to turn. In the case of this specific "re-exported" product, I hope it came from the former.

  In comparison, giving gifts to middle-aged women around the age of "four" is a more perilous steel wire. They are at the most sensitive and vulnerable stage of their lives. The exposed navel outfit has nothing to do with the vanity of being "forever 29", but rather looks like a kind of irony. Skincare products will only evoke feelings of "longing for life, long for the east". If someone dares to present anything that even slightly resembles an early gift, it will inevitably end in disaster. Since this is the case, it's better to be practical and at least have a clear conscience. For example, the scarf that Yi Xin prepared to give is very suitable for Zhao Laoshi's age, which is "neither here nor there". The delicate material reveals stability and a sense of thickness, while the light gray base color and the steady pattern quietly remind the wearer of the cruel fact that youth is fleeting. It is said that this arrangement was carefully selected by Yi Xin's mother, but unexpectedly, even she, as an "experienced person", does not understand how to be considerate. The universal rule that applies to everyone may not necessarily apply to Zhao Doctor's unpredictable temperament. In fact, Zhen Liang was originally pleased with himself for thinking of sending a surprise gift to his distant mentor, Professor Zhao, but before he could even draft the blueprint, his girlfriend had already taken care of everything and "taken the lead" again.

  The "jie" character in the phrase "" originally referred to the connecting part between two segments of bamboo, also known as "bamboo joints". The character for bamboo (節) has been passed down since the Oracle bone script era and was only simplified during the simplification of Chinese characters. Later on, many words with meanings related to connections and transitions began to use this character, such as "nian jie" which refers to the changing of the old and new years.

  In fact, every year around New Year's Eve, not only do the Kitchen God and Spring Couplets take turns being replaced, but also men and women, young and old, all take this opportunity to socialize and make connections with each other. It was precisely because of this that when a boy who had been on a long journey finally met up with his old friends and acquaintances, he didn't hesitate to "join in" when they introduced him to someone new.

  Things are often like this: any delicious food is only sweet to those who are hungry, and without mutual need and connection, even the most precious relationships can only be fleeting encounters.

  "What's all this stuff?" Xu Zhennan, who was waiting at the intersection, saw Yuan Hang stumbling towards him from afar and quickly walked a few steps to take over the two huge shopping bags in her hands, balancing them left and right: "It really has some weight."

  "Get him something to eat, new year new atmosphere, improve the diet," the girl took off her gloves and pulled out the "urea moisturizing cream" that had been waiting for a long time: "If only you could meet at the entrance of Hualian, the shopping cart was pushed without feeling heavy, but as soon as I picked it up, I was stunned." She is the kind of person who can be tripped by the same stone in various poses countless times, and every time she goes to the supermarket, this is the result. When buying for others, she will become even more aggressive, afraid that the cash in her wallet is idle: "Killed."

  "I'm convinced by you, it's better to find a taxi at the door and queue up, after all, we have to take a taxi," Zhenliu looked at the wide road with few people on holiday: "It's okay, there are no empty cars here." The boy realized that he couldn't just wait and do nothing. In fact, this place was downstream of the supermarket, and most of the passing taxis were already full of passengers. Love and taxi-hailing have similar logic - once you miss your chance, you can only watch others pair up while you're left staring blankly. So, when it's time to make a move, just do it; if you hesitate, everything will be left over."

  The two of them returned to the front of Hua Lian Gate, and Lu Xiaoyu, who was as light as a feather, jumped up and down in front of the stream, looking like she was in a good mood. She held her slightly flushed face with both hands and blew out strings of white air towards the branches, greeting the magpies. Yuan Hang was no longer at an age where he could wear colorful wool on his head to look cute like a high school girl, nor had he matured to the point where he suited beanies or earflap hats. In the winter, he could only have style but not warmth. The mischievous breeze under the warm sun caressed the ponytail tied back with a dark green hair clip, and a few strands of escaped black silk appeared on her forehead and ears, showing a relaxed and casual air.

  Now, the taxis running on Beijing streets are all standardized: 2 yuan per kilometer (the exchange rate is going up), just like the "typical" beauties who are increasingly difficult to distinguish from one another. It's all the same no matter which car you take, so there's no need to worry about selecting one: "That's it," said Lu Yuanhang, who had once applied to be a flight attendant after graduating from college and had passed all the tests with flying colors, as she skillfully squeezed into the back seat. She also helped Xu Zhenliang, who was carrying two large bags of "heartfelt gifts" that made him look even more bloated, to squeeze in with difficulty. As soon as the chubby guy sat down, despite weighing 1.5 tons, the Sonata's sturdy body still shook and complained: "Hello, going to Tongtian Pavilion," Lu Yuanhang said in her soft yet powerful voice, but the experienced driver still sized up Xu Zhenliang's imposing physique. A few days ago, in order to implement the humanistic Olympic concept, the protective railings on taxis had been replaced with emergency call devices, and although it was broad daylight, it was still better to be safe than sorry.

  "Mysterious, who exactly are we going to see?" Zhen Liu took off his glasses, pulled out a tissue from his pocket and wiped away the sweat on his forehead, then rolled down the car window a crack.

  "Actually, you might know him..." said Yuan Hang as he rummaged through his shopping bag and handed him a handkerchief, clearly having prepared it in advance.

  This "Masked Hero" who was finally called out is named Yuan Lei, the first Ph.D. student in the Department of Language Philosophy at the Graduate School in the 1990s, and should be considered Xu Chenliu's "pure-blooded" senior fellow. Needless to say, Wei Yicheng must have been the one who informed Farhao about this.

  "Hey, who else could it be? You've been making a fuss all day and now you're talking about him. I seem to remember my grandmother mentioning it," the boy recalled that he had heard something about it when he was in middle school. It's said that Dr. Yuan was even spotted by a visiting scholar from the Collège de France, who planned to fully sponsor his further studies in Europe after graduation. His untimely death was a shock to the entire language institute at the time. Unfortunately, everything has its dark side behind the glory. Just when the road to success seemed to be stretching out endlessly before him, this talented young man contracted a common yet stubborn disease - mysophobia: "I haven't heard anything about it since then, how is he now?"

  Lu Yuanhang took a deep breath, shook his head, and opened the package to stuff a sandwich into his mouth, chewing tastelessly. He probably hadn't had time for breakfast again, and with his congenital hypoglycemia, he'd likely pass out if he waited any longer: "Still stuck in the hospital, isn't it New Year's already? Let's go take a look," people often say that "when heaven is about to entrust a great responsibility on someone, it will first make them suffer in their heart and mind, labor their muscles and bones, starve their skin and flesh, empty and weaken their body, and disrupt their actions..." Perhaps God really has his own unfathomable considerations, but to us ordinary people, this circle seems a bit too big.

  In everyday life, when we see someone who is unusually fond of cleanliness, we often jokingly call them a "clean freak". In fact, from a medical perspective, these people who voluntarily participate in hygiene movements are mostly within the normal range, at most having a slightly eccentric personality or temperament. However, if they develop an abnormal obsession with "cleanliness" that they cannot control and which intensifies over time, this is what psychologists call a true "cleaning phobia", a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Needless to say, Yuan Lei's behavior was the result of taking things to an extreme. Moreover, his compulsive personality had generalized from "physiological cleanliness" to "moral cleanliness", simply put, he demanded perfection in all aspects of social life, and if something did not conform to his "ideal model", he would be extremely distressed and unable to control himself.

  "Who are you going to see, a classmate?" The "brother" obviously was an old hand at this, and without being invited, he "joined in" on the two people's conversation, and couldn't wait to turn it into something serious.

  "No, a friend," Yanyu had probably gotten used to this Beijing subculture. Amidst the tamed silence of the crowd, the stubborn chatterboxes in the corner still managed to make their voices heard: "Actually, not too familiar," Perhaps worried that the conversation would turn into curious questioning, she prepared an exit strategy beforehand, but this supplement brought out unexpected trouble.

  "I'm telling you," said the neatly dressed driver, who had been waiting for a response. Since they weren't close friends, he became more bold: "Don't get involved with those psychos, or they'll drag you in too. It's the same principle as SARS." Either pleased with his own outspokenness or satisfied with the apt analogy, he chuckled to himself: "Isn't that right?"

  In comparison, the generation of Xu Zhen's time received a relatively high dose of education in the style of the working class and peasants, at least "Baoshen Gong" had not yet been "avoided" from middle school textbooks. As they grew up, they naturally believed in the ancestral teachings of "Li Shiqiu Yuanyuan", firmly believing that the grassroots people hid more wealth and kindness than the oil in the Gulf. However, as they gradually merged with social reality, the children who walked out of the ivory tower gradually discovered that things were far more complicated than what was summarized in textbooks. The middle and lower-income classes (China has eliminated classes) indeed did not learn how to engage in intrigue and deception from their simple labor economic foundation, even if they had heard or seen some rough and superficial experiences indirectly, but the cruel reality of barely solving their basic living needs also made them too busy to care about universal love and support. The law of the jungle for these "dry firewood" struggling at the basic living standard line was not an unbearable initial stage, but rather a shortcut and expectation to shake off poverty.

  "Ah," Jian Liu saw Lu Yuanhang's face clouding over, his eyes narrowing as if a storm was brewing, and hastily intervened: "No, this senior brother just has some psychological issues."

  When I was studying in Australia, Xiao Xu was amazed at why there were so many disabled people riding electric wheelchairs on the streets. At first, he thought it was because of the legendary ozone hole in the Southern Hemisphere. Later, after comparing authoritative data, he realized that the proportion of physically and mentally disabled populations is similar all over the world. The reason why we only see new faces smiling but not old faces crying on our prosperous streets is probably because the vulnerable groups here are only relegated to a corner where no one pays attention.

  Here is the translation:

  Art connoisseurs are probably no strangers to the name Ní Yúnlín. He elevated traditional literati painting to an unprecedented height, ranking among the Four Great Masters of the Yuan Dynasty and shining through the ages. In fact, Master Ní also had a neurosis - mysophobia. Ironically, during the Mongol-Yuan era, which was notorious for its brutal rule, he managed to focus on his art in seclusion, despite being a commoner who never held office. He even gained recognition from high-ranking officials and became famous in his time. However, after the Han Chinese drove out the Mongols and restored China, he met a tragic end - being thrown into a dung pit by Zhu Yuanzhang, the "leader of the resistance," where he drowned to death.

  Making mistakes is not a big deal; what's important is that one can learn from them. In 15th- and 16th-century Italy, people would even lock up madmen and sell tickets for others to gawk at them. But now, if you visit the heart of imperialism, you'll see that things have changed. If you're "lucky" enough to be born with a disability, it's like hitting the jackpot - society owes you a debt, and governments and leaders are even more obligated to help.

  I've seen this firsthand in Australia, where people with disabilities can get around without having to ask for help - strangers will naturally offer assistance. In the end, they don't even need to say thank you. In short, since the bourgeoisie once shouted slogans like "liberty," "equality," and "fraternity," if someone is born with a disability, it's only fair that society owes them a debt of gratitude.

  Speaking of leaders, I'd like to add that during World War II, Hitler had a personality disorder, while his opponent Roosevelt suffered from severe polio and could only walk with the aid of crutches or a wheelchair.

  "These days, even normal people can't make a living," the "commentator" seemed to be not very good at reading between the lines: "Our brother's mother has Alzheimer's and is also in Tongtian Hospital, so everyone can rest easy. If you keep her at home, how would you take care of her? You'd have to hire a nanny for 600-700 yuan, but not every family can afford that," "Uncle" was sharing his experience: "When someone gets this disease, it's hard on them no matter where they are. First, we should take good care of the person, actually some of them don't even know what's going on themselves...".

  This well-known psychiatric hospital in the industry was founded in the 1950s and was located in the suburbs at that time. Now, with the development of the city, it has become easily accessible, for example, from the Graduate School, it only takes half an hour by car to get there, and you can come and go freely. If not, I'm afraid the "firefight" on the way would be inevitable. The modern Xiaozong's words were like a river, and his saliva flew everywhere, getting more and more into the situation, reasonable and confident. Zhenliu really wanted to advise him to install handrails, as he himself said, living one more day is one more day.

  "It's really suitable for people like him to live here," Lu Yuanhang thought, but his imagination only went so far as he was in a hurry and didn't have time to think carefully. "Later, try not to go around everywhere, don't cough, spit phlegm, blow your nose, or scratch yourself. If you need to wipe sweat, use the towel I gave you. Don't touch him, absolutely do not touch him." The layout of Tongtian Hospital was very unique. After entering through a low-key door, one had to walk through a narrow and long path lined with flowers in the summer to reach the core area. This arrangement might have been made to facilitate evacuation in case of an "uprising". It was said that this design played a crucial role in preventing the convergence of internal and external "red tides" during the early stages of the Cultural Revolution. "Right, if there's any disagreement, don't argue with him, just go along with what he says," Lu Yuanhang instructed patiently as they walked.

  Insiders revealed that the hospital's infrastructure is among the best in the country, not only surrounded by greenery and winding streams, but also with strong walls and a golden city moat. Foreign experts have certified that the building's seismic resistance is above 8.5 levels, and the three-layer isolation devices inside the building can withstand close-range direct fire from 65-style 82mm recoilless rifles.

  "What are you doing?" A vigilant white coat poked out from behind the gloomy glass door of Ward 5.

  "Hello, we are here to see Yuan Lei. We made an appointment two days ago, 53rd floor." Farhang's lines were probably rehearsed long before: "Thank you," her bright smile was a stark contrast to the one she had in the car just now.

  "Has he brought anything?" Bai Daguang turned into a pair.

  "Yes, yes," Lu Yuanhang's expression was almost flattering, and he hastily opened the shopping bag in his hand: "Bananas, dragon fruit, orange juice, milkshakes, and some cookies, soft candies, and so on. None of them have been opened." The girl demonstrated each item one by one.

  "No glass bottles, metal, sharp-edged objects, or strings..." Those two pairs of eyes with more white than black looked at Xu Zhongliu from the gap above the mirror frame: "What is this?"

  "No, no," hastily hid the "sensitive items" to his side, trembling with fear as he glanced at Emperor Shang of the Mountain who held the power of life and death: "I used it, I used it." Zhen Liu rolled her eyes, merely a black trash bag and some wet paper towels.

  "Don't come over, it's easy to disturb our treatment," the "white-robed judge" kicked the contraband that had passed through security into a corner, as if avoiding all kinds of bacteria that might pollute her beautiful soul: "Yuan Lei, Yuan Lei..." The metal door slowly opened, and Little Xu saw several terrified faces wandering in the corridor, one of whom suddenly became excited for no reason, jumping and walking around.

  "Thank you," the girl said with a sigh of relief, holding out her ID card in both hands. She seemed to be used to it, and didn't show any curiosity towards what was inside, instead she tightly pursed her lips and stared blankly at the stone floor.

  "Hurry up, you have to take your medicine before lunch," the white-clad angel aunt said without turning her head, and with a dull thud, the heavy fireproof isolation door closed again.

  This is Yuan Lei.

  Compared to women, men seem to have never had a flowery youth. As compensation, their aging is also much slower, so age is not that easy to discern. However, through horizontal comparison of historical periods, it can be roughly inferred that Dr. Yuan is about the same age as Director Xiang in his prime. Just like Pompeii, which was swallowed up by Mount Vesuvius, his clear and beautiful eyes seem to have been forever frozen in that era full of dreams and longing. History is so ruthless, only destruction can bring eternity, and all prosperity will eventually become a fleeting moment.

  "How have you been lately?" Yuen Hong carefully followed behind him.

  "It's still like that," it's not hard to imagine that life inside is probably as calm as decades pass by, heavy in ease.

  Mr. Lao She said: "For someone who is used to living in Beijing, like me, if it doesn't blow wind in winter, it feels like a miracle..." I don't know whether it's the result of afforestation and accumulating virtue in the three northern regions, or the warm winter and evil deeds of the greenhouse. Nowadays, even in Beijing's twelfth lunar month, there are quite a few days with clear skies and no wind, and today is one of them. Although cypress trees can stay evergreen, they cannot block out the layers of floating dust, let alone the withered bitter bamboo and the mottled elm leaves. This motley crew of "Three Friends in Winter" probably once cheered on as a scenic spot for "Park-style Hospital". Fortunately, from time to time, there are one or two mountain birds or even squirrels that come here to roam around, probably because they're used to it, and the little spirits here aren't afraid of people.

  He walked to the worn-out grape arbor, and before anyone could say anything, Lu Yuanhang naturally used a paper towel to wipe down the stone table and stools from top to bottom, not missing even the most unlikely corners. After finishing, he put the used wet wipes into a pre-prepared trash bag and sealed it tightly. Generally speaking, most obsessive-compulsive symptoms are limited to "self-improvement" and do not affect others; it seems that this senior brother belongs to the rare type of "universal benevolence", extending his love for cleanliness to everyone around him. The scholar's magnanimity is hard to comprehend; otherwise, Lu Yuanhang would not have wiped his own hands and Xu Zhongliu's hands clean together in the end.

  Dr. Yuan, pale and calm, turned to the stream, his eyes seemed a bit dazed, not staring at the opposite person's eyes like ordinary people, but only vaguely falling on the face: "I'm afraid you won't remember, we met when you were in middle school."

  "Really?" The boy was somewhat surprised, this was completely different from the opening he had imagined: "I often hear that you..." He had indeed heard something, but the phrase "hear that you" was improvised on the spot, time was pressing, and little Xu was too flustered to come up with a proper sentence, what exactly had he "heard" about this person, it was suspicious and yet just within the bounds of propriety.

  Fortunately, Yuan Lei seemed to be unaware of it and just smiled and looked at the distant sea without saying a word. He was obviously very clear about why the girl came today, so he didn't want to waste precious time and was willing to let others not make a futile trip.

  "It's nothing, really," the girl said with a hint of embarrassment: "I heard that Wei Dan hasn't been talking to her dad lately, and it seems like her studies are also..." Apparently, this was another place where Lu often came to ask for advice.

  "It doesn't matter," Dr. Yuan said, breathing in the long-awaited fresh air and interrupting the circuitous tactics of the distant voyage: "Just say what you're most concerned about." It's not hard to see that he must have been very sharp back then.

  Lu Yuanhang wasn't the kind of person who would always hide behind a veil, so since he was seeking medical attention, he might as well go all in: "I just don't know what Wei Yicheng is planning..."

  Regarding this matter, Xu Zhongliu has been inclined to support since the day he was pulled into the water and has always been consistent. Moreover, he has always advised reconciliation rather than separation in such cases of grudges, although he himself has never been trapped in a dilemma and has not had to make difficult choices. However, a kind of instinct that believes in predestined relationships makes him feel empathy voluntarily. In fact, Zhongliu often feels puzzled: are those unyielding "die-hards" able to persist because they are strong, or is it because they are weak and dare not face failure?

  It is clear that Yuan Lei and this young monk coincidentally share the same view. In fact, for all pure perfectionists, the expectation of order and harmony has long been inseparable from the value of life itself, like glue and paint. Any loss will be an unbearable burden, no matter who it happens to. Therefore, people like Dr. Yuan are destined to have nothing to do with many seemingly mundane pleasures, such as the gossip at the entrance of the alley, Zhao Dajie and Liu Erniang's favorite pastime of fearing that the world is not chaotic and even gloating over others' misfortunes.

  "If you believe in your choices, don't worry too much about what Wei Yicheng does," Indeed, similar advice had been mentioned by Zhen Huan more than once. For them, it's not so much about supporting others, but rather using this to hold on to their own fragile beliefs: "Everything has a process, give people enough time." Perhaps only those who have struggled with heart demons for ten years can cultivate such patience, or perhaps endurance stems from helplessness.

  "But..."

  "No but," it was clear that although isolated from the world, Yuan Lei could still guess what Farhuan wanted to say, which was nothing more than trivial matters like the edge of a horse's hoof: "If you also choose to give up, then it would really be over. As long as one person is still holding on, the future can always retain its potential for change." He lifted his head and gazed out at the distant rugged mountains, which from here seemed much more expansive than the view from the hospital window: "In this world, there's nothing easier than waiting, because it doesn't require you to do anything; but waiting is also the hardest, because it requires you to do nothing."

  The boy began to understand why Lu Yuanhang always said that they, this pair of almost never met master brothers, were indeed "not from the same family and not entering the same door" in a mysterious way. Because Zhen Liu had also spoken almost the same words, only using a famous anecdote, while Dr. Rong was unwilling to borrow power to fight back. "Waiting", in 1973, Mao Zedong asked Comrade Xiaoping, who had just resumed work, what he did during his years of idleness in Jiangxi, and Deng's answer was only these two words. Savoring it carefully, it indeed has a profound aftertaste. "Waiting" is both a show of weakness and a hidden warning, only those who believe that they were born to be useful dare to calmly watch as the years slowly pass by.

  "How much longer do we have to wait? If it takes a very long time and he still doesn't... Chinese people like to prepare an escape route before doing something, even if you don't believe that hope is right in front of you, how can you expect the favor of the goddess of luck?"

  "If we could know in advance how far success is, it wouldn't be called waiting, at most it's just halftime," Yuan Lei smiled: "Dying is easy, but living on takes courage."

  In the "Thirty-Six Stratagems - Li Daitaojiang", it says: "The situation must be damaged, and the yin is sacrificed to benefit the yang," which is what people often say as "two evils weigh against each other and take the lighter one." In the vast world, the most common situation encountered is not the distinction between right and wrong, but the difference between high and low. Although Wang Zuo's cutting off his arm did not have the practical benefit of giving up fish to get bear paws, ordinary people generally still understand the reason for abandoning the car to save the general and can practice it with pain and sacrifice. However, for those excessive self-righteous aesthetes, any dissatisfaction is fatal, no matter how small. The poet Wang Wei had to sweep his house dozens of times a day, and he was too busy to do it himself, so he sent his servants to follow him and make a fuss together. At that time, the production efficiency of light industry was relatively low, and sometimes even brooms were not supplied in time, resulting in delaying important things. Normal people can skip brushing their teeth and washing their faces for the sake of being diligent, but Wang Muzhi would rather be caught by the Anshi rebels than leave his beloved villa, probably because he was afraid that if he ran away, no one would sweep the floor on time. This is indeed a classic example of not distinguishing between light and heavy.

  In most cases, even if it can't be completely preserved, at least a fragile balance can be maintained. However, the predicament of being stuck between advancing and retreating is inevitable. Every time this happens, Yuan Lei would fall into an abyss of suffering that seemed impossible to escape.

  Actually, he had just heard about the romantic affair between the master and apprentice, and almost ruined the painstaking treatment results in an instant. Fortunately, due to their complicated history, Dr. Yuan had always held a reserved opinion towards Wei Yicheng's husband-and-wife team, and thus naturally became allies with Lu Yuanhang.

  In fact, we ordinary people are no exception. To maintain optimism and confidence, whether it's feeling our way like the blind men and the elephant or even covering our ears to steal a bell, these are all alternative answers. In reality, Lu Yuanhang came all the way here for consultation, and Dr. Yuan's attitude was probably at least one of the necessary conditions.

  Good medicine doesn't have to be bitter, and idols with substance can win people's love. Even in a united front, it's essential to distinguish between right and wrong first. As Chairman Mao said, "Distinguishing between friend and foe is the primary task of all revolutions."

  "I hope Wei Dan can handle this matter correctly," it's clear that Yuan Shixiong cannot be indifferent to the misfortune as an inevitable cost of war: "I believe she is a clever girl, and will understand the relationship between love and family affection." In fact, we all have more or less a sense of cleanliness in our hearts, such as the basic assumption that human nature is good. Perhaps this is the best explanation for human moral instincts: "She's already over ten years old, and can make independent judgments, there won't be any problem."

  Yuánháng hung her head, it's clear that although she had been and was making herself uneasy, her concern for Wei Niang wasn't just out of consideration for her own strategic goals. Many times, unintentional harm can be more difficult to make up for than premeditated actions, and since even the perpetrator is only being manipulated by fate, perhaps no one knows how to put the disaster back in the box.

  Perhaps as a result of long-term hide-and-seek with psychiatric experts, Yuan Lei has always firmly believed that Lu Yuanhang's "Guan Gong Zhan Qin Qiong" with the mature and charming teacher Wei is closely related to her father, who has been engaged in engineering research for a long time and is introverted. Freud's psychoanalytic school believes that children must go through several indispensable psychological stages from birth to adulthood, and any missing link will lead to obvious or latent personality disorders, such as insufficient communication with direct parents being considered the culprit of Oedipus complex. Practice has proven that although assumptions are more than evidence, this perspective has strong explanatory power, otherwise it would not have dominated the field of psychology since its birth.

  "I think I should be going," Dr. Yuan said, his mouth curving slightly upwards as he stood up calmly, his slender figure seeming even taller than it actually was in the pale hospital gown that fluttered gently in the breeze.

  "I actually understand the reason," Yuanghai still followed closely behind with caution: "It's just that I always feel... why did it have to happen to me..."

  "You should feel lucky," Zhen Liu finally broke the rare silence: "In this world, someone always needs to use their life span to measure the distance between loyalty and betrayal."

  Yuan Lei turned around, and this time, although it was fleeting, the boy found that he had stared into his own eyes.