Yu Rujia sat on the sofa in the backyard, watching the little ones jumping and leaping around like monkeys, and couldn't help but laugh.
Gao Shujing, who was washing clothes nearby, asked, "What is Rujia laughing at?"
Yu Rujia: "When I was young, I only knew that monkeys were good."
Gao Guojing, who was also washing clothes, said matter-of-factly, "Journey to the West is about Sun Wukong, so of course the monkey is better."
Yu Rujia said in surprise, "It's understandable that Duofu and the others think this way because they are young, but it's strange that you think this way too."
Gao Guojing asked, puzzled, "What's strange?"
Gao Shujing chuckled: "Young people don't know how good girls are, mistaking a monkey for a treasure."
Yu Rujia said with a half-smile, "Isn't it said that a man is a boy until death? How do you know these things?"
Gao Shujing said frankly, "I've been through this before, so my perspective on things is naturally different from Guojing's."
Gao Guojing then realized what was happening and said with disdain, "Tsk, the adult world is truly filthy."
Gao Shujing glanced at him and said, "If you're so capable, then go ahead and never get married."
Gao Guojing pursed his lips and remained silent. He didn't know what was so good about the girl, but if he dared to remain unmarried for the rest of his life, the people around him would nag him to death.
While playing, the eldest child remembered what Wu Shengli had said and said regretfully, "My dad said there are many books of Journey to the West. We've only read two. It would be great if we could see other comic books."
Duolu's eyes darted around, and he darted over. The little boy squatted down in front of Gao Shujing, looking at him with his big, clear black and white eyes: "Uncle, are there other books about Journey to the West?"
Gao Shujing said gently, "Yes, I only saw two when I went to town last time. I'll look for new ones next time I go."
The last time he went to the bookstore, he saw a lot of comic books and picked out some of each type.
Journey to the West holds a special place in the childhood memories of many children, and he naturally didn't miss it.
Yu Rujia: "What? You only like Journey to the West, and you don't like anything else?"
The remaining children gathered around, and upon hearing this, Duo Xi said, "I like the others too, Auntie. I want to become sworn brothers with my second brother, Duo Ji, and we can form a sworn brotherhood like the Three Sworn Brothers of the Peach Garden. We don't ask to be born on the same day, month, and year, but we ask to die on the same day, month, and year."
The four- or five-year-old kid didn't realize that his childish words were funny; he just thought the pictures in the comic book were really cool.
Gao Guojing laughed loudly and said, "Silly Duoxi, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei are not brothers, so they had to swear brotherhood in the Peach Garden. You three don't need to swear brotherhood to be brothers. The Peach Garden Oath is not appropriate for you."
Duolu said with a disappointed look, "Alas, we can't become sworn brothers." Then, as if he had thought of something, he slapped his forehead and said, "We can not be brothers first, but then become sworn brothers, how about that?"
This is truly the kind of nonsense someone would say if they inherited the placenta at birth.
Duofu couldn't help but reach out and pat him on the forehead: "Whether you want to be brothers or not, we are brothers. When you go to school, I will keep an eye on your studies and make sure you don't think about stupid things all the time."
Duolu shrank his neck, chuckled foolishly, and awkwardly turned his gaze away, only to be met with Duoshou's disdainful eye roll.
Duo Shou: "Besides us brothers who had no other choice, who else would be so blind as to become sworn brothers with you?"
Gao Shujing advised, "You guys shouldn't easily tell others that you died on the same day, month, and year. It's one thing if you're older than others, but to die on the same day, month, and year and live longer than them is another."
"If you tell someone older than you that you'll die on the same day, month, and year, isn't that like cursing yourself to die young and not outlive them?"
Yu Rujia: "I once heard a joke that said some people swore to die on the same day, month, and year when they swore an oath of brotherhood. But when they were about to cut their own skin to draw blood, they felt it was too painful, so they used chicken blood instead."
"The men died immediately after drinking the blood. Later, during the autopsy, it was discovered that the chicken they used had been infected with the plague."
Gao Guojing was speechless for a long time: "In that case, they have fulfilled their vow to die on the same day, in the same month, in the same year."
Duofu took the opportunity to educate his two foolish younger brothers who had caused him so much trouble: "So you can't easily swear an oath of brotherhood. One wrong move and you could really die. Duolu, Duoxi, you are not allowed to swear brotherhood with anyone in the future, understand?"
The two idiots were dumbfounded. How could they have become sworn brothers and then died so suddenly?
Duolu shook his head violently, banishing the idea of becoming sworn brothers from his mind: "I won't become sworn brothers with anyone."
With so much delicious food and beautiful comic books every day, he couldn't bear to die.
Duo Xi's face turned pale with fright, and he shook his head, saying, "We're brothers, we don't need to become sworn brothers, we won't die."
Having abandoned the idea of becoming sworn brothers, Duolu then thought of the comic book.
Duolu: "Uncle, remember to bring us lots of comic books next time you go to town."
Gao Shujing readily agreed, "I'll remember, I'll bring it for you."
Only after receiving a positive response did the little ones dare to run out and play.
Yu Rujia: "When you have time, you can talk to them and explain things to them. For example, explain to them what they can and cannot do in the comic books. Analyze it for them more so that they can learn more."
Gao Guojing joked, "What's the point of analyzing with them? Don't look at the monkeys, look at the girls!"
Yu Rujia glared at him: "Have you read all four classic novels?"
Gao Guojing casually said, "I've read three books, but I couldn't get into Dream of the Red Chamber after reading a little bit."
He wanted to say that the love affairs between one man and a bunch of women in "Dream of the Red Chamber" were not very interesting.
Remembering how his older brother had mocked him earlier, he kept those words to himself.
Yu Rujia: "You only see the surface, you don't understand the meaning."
Gao Guojing retorted, unconvinced, "You tell me, what's so interesting about 'Dream of the Red Chamber'?"
Yu Rujia: "Alright then, putting aside Dream of the Red Chamber, what did you glean from the other three books you've read?"
Gao Guojing: "The Three Kingdoms is about becoming a hero in a chaotic world, Water Margin is a legend of the Jianghu, and Journey to the West is about obtaining Buddhist scriptures."
Yu Rujia: "What you said is true, but we still don't know the whole story."
Gao Shujing added: "The Three Kingdoms fought for power, Water Margin fought for righteousness, Dream of the Red Chamber fought for favor, and Journey to the West fought for the Tao. It is said that in life, one cannot avoid the word 'struggle'."
"The Romance of the Three Kingdoms is about intrigue and scheming, Water Margin is about brotherhood and loyalty, Dream of the Red Chamber is about human relationships and worldly wisdom, and Journey to the West is about background and connections."
Yu Rujia: "Guojing, look, this is the correct understanding. To put it bluntly, the Four Great Classical Novels are all about a mountain stronghold being recruited by the government, and the joys and sorrows of two pieces of jade..."
"At the beginning of life, everyone has a dream of living in the Dream of the Red Chamber... but in the end, they all become demons and monsters from Journey to the West."
Gao Guojing asked with a puzzled look, "They are all from the Four Great Classical Novels, so how come you have figured out so many things?"
He read the other three books very carefully, except for Dream of the Red Chamber. How come he didn't see so many profound truths?
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