Realm

At this time of year, the temperature difference between day and night increases, with a chill in the morning and intense sunshine in the afternoon. The sound of wheels rolling on the road is the most familiar mark on the city's eardrums. Zhou Shuling fiddled with her still damp long hair. Although she had been busy since preparing to open the shop, her complexion was much better than when she was pushing the breakfast cart. Her soft cheeks were fair with a rosy glow, just like a lotus flower reflecting the sun. From afar, it looked pink with sunlight shining through, but up close, it was pure white.

Zhou Dongdong tugged at Liu Chang'an's little finger, while her other hand swung around restlessly. She would sing a couple of off-key nursery rhymes, recite half a poem, and ask some seemingly foolish questions, all perfectly in line with her personality.

Not far away, Du Fu River Pavilion stands on the riverbank, seemingly echoing the scholarly atmosphere of the Mount Lu Academy with its green tiles and white walls on the opposite bank. Zhou Shuling stroked Zhou Dongdong's hair and said in her gentle, motherly tone, "Dongdong, Mom taught you a poem by the great Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu: 'The sun sets beyond the mountains, the Yellow River flows into the sea. To see a thousand miles further, climb one more story.'"

"The sun sets beyond the mountains... The Yellow River... Mom, my lighter is gone!" Zhou Dongdong rummaged through the pocket with the little pig embroidered on it and was shocked.

Zhou Shuling glared at Zhou Dongdong with annoyance. In fact, Zhou Shuling had taught her this poem a long time ago, but it was obvious that Zhou Dongdong did not have a deep impression of it.

Zhou Shuling was planning to use the time she spent walking to the store to have Zhou Dongdong recall the poem that every family in the country teaches their children before they start school, when she discovered that Liu Chang'an was looking at her with the same gaze she had shown Zhou Dongdong.

"What's wrong?" Zhou Shuling felt a little guilty. After all, this person next to her was too good at studying and reading, and she was likely to get some criticism from him.

"This is a poem by Wang Zhihuan."

"Wang Zhihuan... I... I just remembered it wrong because I saw Du Fu River Pavilion... hehe." Zhou Shuling laughed a little embarrassedly. Wang Zhihuan is a relatively uncommon name, and it's easy for most people to misremember it, which is probably understandable.

"How do you interpret this poem?" Liu Chang'an asked.

"How do you understand that?" Zhou Shuling scratched her hair, a little smug that such a question couldn't stump her. "It means that if you want to see higher and farther, you have to stand higher."

Try to understand the poem from a philosophical perspective.

Zhou Shuling pouted and looked at Liu Chang'an. Wasn't he deliberately making things difficult for her?

"The poem's wording is remarkably simple. While simplicity isn't always the best, achieving simplicity and excellence requires an exceptionally high level of skill. The poem's realm is extremely high, particularly its majestic and unrestrained style. Sima Tu's Twenty-Four Categories of Poetry describes its magnificence as outwardly manifesting great power, inwardly filling the body with true essence. Returning to emptiness and entering wholeness, accumulating strength to achieve grandeur. Possessing all things, traversing the vast sky. Vast, boundless clouds, sparse, long winds. Transcending the realm of phenomena, attaining the essence of the universe. Holding it without force, its source is inexhaustible. Its unrestrained style is like viewing flowers without restraint, swallowing the vast wilderness. Returning to the Dao through Qi, one can be wild. The heavenly winds surge, the seas and mountains are vast. True power permeates, all things are present. In front, it summons the three luminaries; behind, it leads the phoenix. At dawn, it rides the six giant turtles, washing its feet in the Fusang tree..." Liu Chang'an praised, "The poet was able to write such a poem, blending magnificence and unrestrained style to such an extremely high level, mainly because he lived in an era full of vitality and passion... The era is the ceiling of literary and artistic achievement; the era determines the kind of work."

Zhou Shuling looked at Liu Chang'an with admiration. He had only mentioned seeing the sun setting over the river from upstairs, yet he had managed to ramble on about it.

"Look, you want to test Zhou Dongdong, and she won't know the answer. I'll test you, and you won't know the answer either... So, mutual understanding is key. Foolish mothers and foolish children, it's all the same." Liu Chang'an laughed. "Our era, given time, will surely blossom with a vibrant array of literary and film works that match the spirit of the new era. Everyone should improve their aesthetic taste. From now on, you'll be studying with Zhou Dongdong. Don't just teach her haphazardly, making her learn whatever comes to mind."

"Can't we learn from you together..." Zhou Shuling smiled broadly. Liu Chang'an was just different. People she usually encountered would never say things like him. It wasn't any grand philosophy, but it always gave people a feeling that life was beautiful and the future was promising, making them want to improve themselves and work harder to live a better life.

As for his habitual self-deprecating remarks about his stupidity, Zhou Shuling didn't care. She only knew that she was quite clever and quick-witted, just a little clumsy in front of Liu Chang'an. It wasn't her fault; after all, he was always so capable and convincing.

"I don't want to study!" Although Zhou Dongdong didn't understand what her brother Chang'an had originally said, she grasped the last key point and voiced her objection.

"If you don't study, you'll end up selling rice noodles like your mother," Zhou Shuling said angrily.

"What's wrong with selling rice noodles?" Liu Chang'an was dissatisfied.

"I think he's not very ambitious..."

"Who said that? I think it's great."

"Does this mean my daughter and I will be selling rice noodles from now on?"

That's not what I meant.

What does that mean?

Stop asking, you're being long-winded.

"Mom, you got scolded again."

You get scolded a lot!

"Mom, have you ever been spanked?"

"No, I'm an adult! Only stupid kids get spanked!"

"Aww..."

They arrived at the restaurant amidst laughter and chatter, only to find Bai Hui and Miao Yingying eating rice noodles, while Gao Dewei and the other classmates who had come for the gathering were not with them.

"Bai Hui is here... Is this also your classmate?" Zhou Shuling greeted her warmly. The young girls these days have developed such great figures. Zhou Shuling had a deep impression of Bai Hui. Although the most perfect figure Zhou Shuling had ever seen was Qin Yanan, Bai Hui's cheeks were a little chubby, and her apple cheeks were especially cute. This sweet and gentle girl had a broad mind, which was particularly eye-catching.

Now, people come to the store from time to time and ask questions like whether the two girls who danced at the opening were store employees.

"Yes, hello Sister Zhou." Miao Yingying listened to Bai Hui talk about some things about the restaurant and knew that the owner's surname was Zhou, but when Bai Hui said that the owner was Zhou Shuling and that Liu Chang'an was also an owner, she felt something was off.

"Hello, hello... I've got you some drinks and chicken legs." Zhou Shuling greeted them generously as she went to the kitchen to get Dongdong Brand Chicken Leg.

"This little kid is so cute." Miao Yingying looked at the child Liu Chang'an was holding hands with. The child always seemed to be deep in thought, which was quite amusing.

"Her name is Zhou Dongdong, and she's a silly kid." Bai Hui laughed after saying that, because that's how Liu Chang'an introduced Zhou Dongdong.

"I'm clever and brave..." Zhou Dongdong came to her senses.

Miao Yingying chuckled. Zhou Shuling brought over drinks and two Dongdong Brand Chicken Leg, greeted them with a smile, and then went off to get busy, without urging Liu Chang'an, who was standing there looking slightly displeased.

Liu Chang'an frowned and looked at Bai Hui, "You're the stupid auntie, your brain is full of fat. Even zombies won't lift their skulls when they see you. If they bite you, they'll get infected with the stupidity virus and lose all their zombie qualities. They'll never hop around again, they'll just jump around like a cat, and as they jump, all their flesh will fall off, and they'll be wearing maternity dresses and Lolita fashion..."

Liu Chang'an stopped talking and pulled Zhou Dongdong to the other side. He took an apron with the restaurant's logo, hung it around his neck, and started working. Although the restaurant wasn't full, there were indeed a shortage of waiters.

Bai Hui and Miao Yingying exchanged glances, then stared at Liu Chang'an, who was busy at work. Bai Hui blinked her big eyes, puzzled. "He suddenly cursed at me!"

"He said you're an auntie." Miao Yingying was good at grasping the key points.

Bai Hui was getting a little frantic. Although she felt like she was an eternally eighteen-year-old girl, at this age, she already had a sense of crisis. It seemed like the most beautiful label in life, "girl," was about to be ruthlessly stripped away by time. Auntie? It made her want to take out her ID card to prove herself.

"Why did he suddenly start cursing at me?" Bai Hui felt very wronged.

"Men are all crazy." Miao Yingying didn't understand either. When they parted ways at Gao Dewei's house in the morning, Liu Chang'an didn't argue with Bai Hui or anything.

"Fine, I'll bear it. My camera is still with him." Bai Hui sniffed and snorted twice, deciding not to argue with him. However, Bai Hui wholeheartedly agreed that all men are crazy. Gao Dewei had actually invited Lin Xinhuai to the gathering today. Rather than an awkward encounter, she decided to sneak away and accompanied Miao Yingying to eat rice noodles.

After Miao Yingying and Bai Hui finished their rice noodles, they said goodbye to Zhou Shuling and left. Liu Chang'an stayed at the restaurant to help out, and then went out for a late-night snack with Zhou Shuling and Zhou Dongdong before going home.

As soon as Zhou Shuling went upstairs, she noticed that Liu Chang'an's door was ajar, letting in light. She immediately tensed up. "I remember locking the door for you. Could a thief have broken in?"

"There's a thief!" Zhou Dongdong nervously grabbed Liu Chang'an's leg and shouted, "Lu Si'en!"

Lu Si'en ran up, shaking his head, and lay down at Liu Chang'an's feet, licking his shoes.

"Get down." Liu Chang'an waved his hand, and Lu Si'en ran back to his doghouse.

The door was pushed open, but it was Qin Yanan opened it.

"Oh, it's Miss Qin. Dongdong, time to go home." Zhou Shuling glanced at Liu Chang'an and quickly and laboriously lifted Zhou Dongdong, who was clinging to her leg, aside.

"I need to talk to him about something, but he hasn't replied to my messages, so I'm waiting for him here," Qin Yanan explained with a smile.

"Look at you, always so annoying, you never like to check your messages," Zhou Shuling said reproachfully, then pulled Zhou Dongdong along, glancing back at each other as they walked upstairs.

Qin Yanan smiled slightly, keeping her eyes on Zhou Shuling. Zhou Shuling was a little embarrassed to keep looking back, so she quickly dragged Zhou Dongdong upstairs.

Liu Chang'an pointed to the room, indicating that she shouldn't block the door and should come in to talk... It seemed that she couldn't wait to find Shangguan Dandan after resting in the afternoon, and perhaps she had found out something.

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Because Xia Hua isn't used to explaining everything in a straightforward, instruction manual style, some plot holes that Xia Hua thinks have been filled are often considered unfilled by others... Now that I've written this far, I'd like everyone to share their thoughts on which plot holes you think haven't been filled, or what kind of plot or story you'd like to see next, so that Xia Hua can understand everyone's expectations.