Are You Happy?

Ren Suo followed his father downstairs. The midday sun was blazing, but the old residential complex had plenty of shade, so they sat on a bench beneath a tree.

"Feels like it's been a long time since we chatted like this." Ren Ba took off his glasses and wiped them with a cloth—they were non-prescription glasses. Ren Suo had long since abused his authority for personal gain; when Zhao Zili descended, he had him "purify" his family's bodies as well. Minor ailments like nearsightedness had naturally been cured.

However, because Ren Ba had worn glasses for so long, even after his nearsightedness was cured, his eyes still squinted narrowly under normal circumstances, leaving him with no authority whatsoever. So he needed glasses to cultivate the air of a people's teacher.

"The last time we talked like this was probably when my college entrance exam scores came out and I was preparing to choose my preferences," Ren Suo said.

Whenever Ren Ba wanted to discuss serious matters, he disliked doing so indoors. He preferred the unrestricted outdoors. This was actually one of his teaching techniques. He believed students would be nervous and constrained when questioned inside, but outdoors, with the security of knowing they could run away at any time, students who had made mistakes seemed to have an escape route. They relaxed instead, found it easier to recognize their errors, and could quickly correct their mindset.

If they were discussing other major matters, then beneath blue skies and white clouds, amid the clamor of passersby, discussing problems in this worldly bustle would broaden both one's state of mind and perspective. It was easier to calm down than in an air-conditioned room surrounded by blank white walls.

Ren Ba said, "Time passes so quickly. That student preparing for the college entrance