The Human World

"An immortal lays a hand upon my head; my hair is tied, and I receive everlasting life."

Zhao Jianzi was neither the first to pray for eternal life nor the only one who had the chance to pray for it and failed.

But life was disappointing nine times out of ten, and seeking eternal life was an even taller order.

Time was precious and merciless. Once it slipped away, no amount of effort over a lifetime or wealth in the world could buy back even a second.

Liu Chang'an walked out of the warehouse, holding the tiger tally, its surface smooth and lustrous, its weight solid in his hand.

The Xiangnan Museum housed more than two hundred thousand pieces, so it was impossible to see them all here. But it had replicas of several items most interesting to ordinary visitors. During the museum's free closure period, the hundred-yuan viewing fee was still decent value for money.

As for Zhang Xingliang's misuse of public property for private gain, Liu Chang'an didn't care. From ancient times to the present, sages and common folk alike each had their own character and wisdom for getting by. They were all necessary parts of society.

The world the Master longed for, ruled by sages in which "everyone is a sage," did not exist. Zhuangzi was more down-to-earth. In The Human World, he said: "Even sages cannot overcome the conflict between name and reality, so how much less can others?"

Liu Chang'an was no sage, and he had never met a true sage. There were only a handful of people who came close.

He had once wanted someone to live many more years, someone who might have brought a different atmosphere to the world. But history had no "what ifs." Liu Chang'an himself was merely a wave upon the great river, not yet faded away, but with no power to turn the river back.

The Master stood by a river and said, "What passes away is like this, never ceasing day or night."

Liu Chang'an walked out of the warehouse and squinted. It was already noon. The mustard greens probably weren't as fresh and tender as they had been in the morning, but they were mainly meant to be dried and salted, so it wouldn't make much difference.

"Heading out? Come by again when you have time." Zhang Xingliang grinned and handed him a packet of betel nut.

Liu Chang'an waved him off and walked into the alley. He saw another man dressed much like Zhang Xingliang, chatting and laughing with an elderly couple who looked like tourists from out of town as he led them to the warehouse.

Zhang Xingliang clicked his tongue. Out-of-town elderly tourists were their favorite customers. They had to be given a free tour, then sold a few pieces of "antiques" to take home.

Liu Chang'an didn't retrace his steps. He sensed an odor that mingled the fresh with the stale, and after walking a little way down the alley, he came upon a small produce market. An old farmer happened to be selling freshly picked mustard greens.

Mustard greens in the Xiang River basin could be harvested three times a year. They were sown in late April and ready for harvest in thirty to fifty days. The hearts were dried, and the stalks were pickled with a little salt. After drying, a little cooking wine, sugar, and oil were added. Once mixed, they were steamed, dried again, and bottled. They went very well with rice.

"Good harvest this year?"

"Six thousand... nearly seven thousand jin to a mu. It's just hard to sell them..."

"Your local government should have a center that helps farmers sell produce online. Go ask them for advice and try selling them on the internet."

"The internet... Heh... This old man doesn't know how to use it. I can't even figure out WeChat..."

"Then learn. Old sir, how much are your water bamboo?"

"Three yuan a jin."

"That's cheap. You should be charging at least five..."

Liu Chang'an chatted with the old vendor for a while and bought mustard greens and water bamboo. When he turned around, he saw a pair of beautifully carved high heels. The black stockings were finely woven and deep in color, without the cheap look of bargain hosiery. Paired with her long, straight legs, they didn't have the usual vulgarity associated with black stockings. Her tall figure was wrapped in a well-fitted uniform, its curves rounded and alluring, especially the striking rise of her soft, padded bust.

Liu Chang'an stood up and looked at the small, beautiful face before him. She wore rimless glasses, and her expression was cold as she scrutinized him.

"Would you like to buy some mustard greens?" Liu Chang'an helped the old man drum up business. The greens he'd grown were indeed plump and tender.

Zhong Qing froze. She was surprised to run into Liu Chang'an here, and even more surprised by his opening line.

When the other woman didn't react, Liu Chang'an picked up his things and walked away.

"Liu Chang'an!"

The click of high heels behind him swayed with a woman's graceful charm. Liu Chang'an turned around and received a business card, much more refined than Zhang Xingliang's. It bore no title, only the name "Zhong Qing," a phone number, and a company email address.

"Hello. Do you remember Zhu Juntang?" Zhong Qing asked, though she already knew the answer. She didn't think anyone could forget Zhu Juntang. Before Qin Yanan came to Junsha, Zhong Qing had never met a woman who could rival her.

"I don't remember her, and I don't know her."

The answer was unexpected. Zhong Qing frowned and looked him over again. Unlike her first impression of him as a vagrant or manual laborer, he was clean and neat now, with a sensation like a lush green forest radiating from him. It made her wonder if she'd feel the urge to take a deep breath when she got close.

Zhong Qing hated other people's body odor and bad breath, but Liu Chang'an's skin was smooth and delicate, and he had an alluring presence much like Zhu Juntang's.

"I want to know why she was looking for you." Zhong Qing paid no heed to Liu Chang'an's denial. She wasn't going to dwell on it or demand that he admit anything; there was no point. Zhong Qing valued efficiency. Once she was sure of something, she wouldn't waste time arguing about it.

"I don't know."

His calm tone carried no hint of playing coy or feigning reluctance. Zhong Qing wasn't just Zhu Juntang's assistant; she had more responsibilities, including learning about the people and events surrounding her.

From the moment she'd found Liu Chang'an's phone number, Zhong Qing had begun investigating him. Anyone who shopped online or left personal information somewhere could no longer hope to avoid the threat of having their privacy exposed online. Liu Chang'an's personal information was easy enough to find. The question was, what had this utterly unremarkable young man done, and what about him had aroused Zhu Juntang's intense interest?

There was no doubt about it. Afterward, Zhu Juntang had searched the surveillance footage and asked Zhong Qing to find Liu Chang'an. She had gone up to the rooftop in the middle of the night again and again, looking around and waiting for dawn with the dew on her. She had taken her dog to wander around the construction site for no reason, and even sought out the young foreman, Fan Jian, to chat... All these strange behaviors were connected to Liu Chang'an.

Fortunately, Qin Yanan had come. Zhu Juntang spent every day with her and was no longer so bored. But Zhong Qing knew Zhu Juntang's temperament well. She would still go looking for Liu Chang'an.

"How did she meet you?" Zhong Qing saw Liu Chang'an turn to leave and hurried after him.

Liu Chang'an thought Zhong Qing walked with graceful charm, especially the soft rhythm of her footsteps, like music being played. So he didn't quicken his pace to shake her off.

"I don't know." Liu Chang'an looked at Zhong Qing in confusion. "I think you should ask Zhu Juntang all your questions, not me."

Zhong Qing was momentarily at a loss for words. She said blandly, "I'm only her assistant. There are things she might not tell me even if I ask."

"So you're butting in where you're not wanted, like a dog catching mice?" Liu Chang'an said, as if the matter had suddenly become clear to him.

"You..." Zhong Qing adjusted her glasses, and only then did she feel the anger welling up. Liu Chang'an was dressed in clothes so outdated they looked like they belonged to the last century, yet his calm, mild expression made his words especially infuriating.

An electric scooter suddenly swerved toward them. Zhong Qing was glaring angrily at Liu Chang'an and didn't notice at all. The scooter screeched as it braked, its tire leaving a foul-smelling skid mark on the ground. Liu Chang'an reached out, wrapped an arm around Zhong Qing's slender waist, and pulled her close, narrowly avoiding the scooter.

"Fuck your mother! Did you crack your head when you fell? You're an idiot, I'm telling you, I'll fuck your whole family..."

The man on the scooter reeked of alcohol as he shouted. Seeing a traffic cop approaching on a motorcycle, he quickly turned and fled through the crowd.

Zhong Qing's heart pounded violently. If the scooter had hit her, she would surely have ended up in the hospital. Luckily, Liu Chang'an had reacted quickly... But she had been distracted because of him, and though she meant to thank him, what came out was: "What did he just say?"

"You're not local?" Liu Chang'an translated. "Roughly, he said he and your mother were very close, that he admired her greatly. As the saying goes, 'A lovely maiden is a gentleman's prize; awake or asleep, he yearns for her. He seeks but cannot find her, and awake or asleep, his thoughts return to her. He tossed and turned, restless and forlorn.' That's why his scooter was swerving around just now and almost tipped over."

"You... Do you think I'm stupid?" Zhong Qing pointed at Liu Chang'an again, furious. She had lived in Junsha for a long time, so of course she understood. She'd only asked offhandedly to hide her embarrassment.

Liu Chang'an released Zhong Qing's waist. It was so slender that his fingers nearly met around it, and it felt wonderful to the touch. A beautiful woman truly had not a single feature that wasn't worth savoring.

Chen Changxiu, standing not far away, hurriedly sent An Nuan the photos he'd just taken. Of course, he had only photographed Liu Chang'an with his arms around Zhong Qing. It was just that Liu Chang'an had held her for a little too long, and she hadn't immediately pushed him away. So it wouldn't be entirely unfair to say they were involved.

Liu Chang'an saw Chen Changxiu but paid him no mind. He ignored Zhong Qing too and went home.