The Wise and the Foolish
There were only three tables for the lunch banquet. Apart from neighbors and Qin Yanan, Liu Chang'an naturally didn't have any other relatives or friends who would come to eat and give gifts. However, Boss Lan unexpectedly called Liu Chang'an to ask about his college entrance examination results, saying that it was as expected. After all, he was Professor Liu's son, and he hadn't disappointed anyone, which would comfort Professor Liu in heaven. Boss Lan also reminisced with Liu Chang'an about Professor Liu's academic achievements back then, and asked Liu Chang'an what major he wanted to study in college.
She received some red envelopes, and Zhou Shuling also gave her a thousand yuan. She felt a little embarrassed because it wasn't enough, but there was nothing she could do. She had just bought a house and still owed Liu Chang'an a large sum of money and many favors.
Liu Chang'an, of course, didn't care.
After the banquet, Liu Chang'an packed up the leftovers in a wooden bucket and placed it at the entrance of the residential area. Someone would come to collect the swill. The tables and chairs were borrowed, and after cleaning them up, they were returned. He spent the whole afternoon tidying up.
Liu Chang'an was certainly not tired, and Qin Yanan didn't seem to have expended much energy either. She drove back by herself, while Zhou Shuling carried Zhou Dongdong back. When Zhou Dongdong was tending the fire, she burned a tuft of her hair.
After a lively day, things finally quieted down. Liu Chang'an tidied up and stood under the sycamore tree with a broom on his shoulder, listening to the sound of the evening wind rustling the leaves.
Liu Chang'an recalled that saying: loneliness is the norm in life. After the excitement, the noise, and the satisfaction, there is always a feeling of silence.
Men are actually more prone to loneliness, which is determined on a physiological level. After men have satisfied their desires, they always experience a period of emptiness, which is strong evidence that men are lonely creatures.
Therefore, to alleviate this loneliness, men want more, they want more satisfaction. The more empty they feel, the more they want to hunt; the more lonely they feel, the more they enjoy the chase.
Liu Chang'an put down the broom and looked at the sycamore tree above his head. It was a pity that the sycamore tree was not thick enough. It would be nice if there was a tree hole in the tree to live in.
For humans in ancient times, tree hollows were actually a very natural place to live, even drier and more comfortable than the huts built in trees.
Liu Chang'an climbed up the tree, found a suitable branch to lean against, and lay down. He watched the quiet trembling of the branches and leaves beside him. Evening gradually turned into night, and the night sky was monotonous and silent as the Milky Way and the moon could not be seen.
Liu Chang'an jumped down from the tree and stretched. It is said that humans have a kind of "motherly" affinity for caves, but that does not mean that humans will pursue all the feelings of ancient life. For example, lying in a tree for a long time does not feel as comfortable as lying in a bed.
Liu Chang'an walked towards the armored transport vehicle; now that he had some free time, he naturally wanted to bother Shangguan Dandan.
"Dan Dan, is lying in a coffin that comfortable?" Liu Chang'an understood why he couldn't understand Shangguan Dandan's behavior.
When a person has lived long enough, nothing seems new anymore, and they become quite knowledgeable. This is normal because they have experienced and understood things. However, this is the first time he has seen a life like Shangguan Dandan's, and it is understandable that he cannot imagine her feelings and emotions.
"Didn't you already come out to get sanitary napkins?" Liu Chang'an asked uncertainly. "Now that you're out, don't you want to see what the world is like two thousand years from now, and what changes have occurred?"
Liu Chang'an waited for five minutes.
There was no response.
Liu Chang'an had no choice but to continue asking on his own, "Alright, if you don't want to talk to me about your own affairs, I can understand. But what about Qin Yanan? You mean the little girl who touched your tortoise-shell-like coffin today? It seems she has some shared experience with you or your coffin, right? She can sense certain scenes by touching the coffin, just like I can. Do you know what she sensed?"
There was still no response.
"Don't force me to use my trump card." Liu Chang'an never minded bullying little girls; for example, Zhou Dongdong had a "Brother Chang'an" who always bullied her during her childhood.
Shangguan Dandan didn't even tell him to shut up.
"If you don't answer me, I won't give you any more chickens to eat tomorrow." Liu Chang'an felt that the most powerful force in the world was habit.
Shangguan Dandan had gotten used to having a little hen every day, and she must be feeling very sad if she suddenly loses it.
The hen's threat did not make Shangguan Dandan give in.
"Farewell, little sister."
If one were to investigate, it would be almost impossible to find out Shangguan Dandan's real name. Historical records about her are often limited to a few words such as "Empress," "Empress Dowager," or "Grand Empress Dowager." As for her real name, it would be difficult to verify unless several large tombs similar to those of the Marquis of Haihun are excavated.
Only Liu Chang'an knew her name was Shangguan Dandan. "Little Sister" was her nickname in the TV series, which Liu Chang'an just called her casually, and she would probably be very confused.
Liu Chang'an didn't pay much attention to Shangguan Dandan's self-isolated demeanor. The waves of time are like gentle ripples Dan Dan water; shallow waves won't stir the heart. Just take it calmly. Even if she stays in the coffin for another hundred years or a thousand years, so what? No one in this world can match Liu Chang'an's patience.
The next morning, Liu Chang'an didn't go to buy the young hens. Instead, he drove the armored transport vehicle back to the sycamore tree and dug a deep pit next to it.
Liu Chang'an originally planned to dig a pit more than a meter deep, but considering the high probability that the foolish child Zhou Dongdong would fall in headfirst, he had to abandon the plan and dig a shallower one, one that would only get Zhou Shuling a beating if Zhou Dongdong fell in.
Liu Chang'an bought loaches and raised them in the pit. He stopped feeding Shangguan Dandan the baby chickens, but he was still somewhat reluctant to let the coffin absorb the life force of the surrounding life. He could judge Shangguan Dandan's needs by observing the loaches.
If she's too thirsty, Liu Chang'an will still give the little hen some. Even though he's the "Grim Reaper," this is the "Reaper's Retreat." Generally, even the most ferocious god will still have a slight desire to protect his own territory.
Moreover, I have always been gentle and kind, radiating a peaceful, upright, gentle, kind, and benevolent universal Lux.
After digging the puddle, Liu Chang'an went back to get the small stool that Zhou Dongdong had burned yesterday, intending to repair it. He hadn't originally planned to do so, but since he had told Zhou Dongdong, he figured if he didn't repair it, Zhou Dongdong would probably remind him to do it.
Zhou Dongdong got up in the morning and went downstairs to play. She saw another puddle next to the transport truck and happily ran over to see if there were any loaches in it. She lost her footing and fell into the puddle.
Hearing the commotion, Liu Chang'an brought out a small stool and looked at Zhou Dongdong with great satisfaction. "This depth was designed just for you. If you didn't fall into the pit, wouldn't that prove that your brother Chang'an wasted his time and wasn't wise and brave enough?"