December 30th, Lunar New Year's Eve.
Night had fallen, but both the inner and outer walls of Yingyang City were brightly lit, and the sound of firecrackers brought a festive atmosphere. Children playing and running through the streets and alleys added a lively and bustling touch to the usually solemn and majestic imperial city.
There is no curfew in Yingyang City tonight, and every household in the city will keep their lights on until midnight. Children will stay up late, even while taking a nap.
At that time, the Grand Commandant's mansion was also brightly lit. In the spacious front courtyard, a servant was timidly lighting a firecracker. Several young ladies in the mansion covered their ears and giggled. They hid under the eaves of the front hall and watched the firecracker being lit. With a "bang", it exploded and shot into the air.
Liuli sat on the roof of the front hall, holding Ahua in her arms. At first, she found the firecrackers novel, but she got tired of them after a few times. She got up and floated lightly to the backyard, landing on the roof of the house in the middle of the third courtyard. Looking down, she saw that the door of the main hall in the guest courtyard was wide open, and the room was brightly lit. Li Molin and Yu Ke were sitting opposite each other in the hall, discussing something.
Just then, a commotion came from Huayang Street next door. Liuli flew into the air and looked over, only to see a group of children running and making a ruckus.
"Ah Hua," Liu Li said with a smile, "It's so lively outside, let's go play outside!"
"Meow." Ahua lay listlessly in Liuli's arms, responding with a barely perceptible sound.
"Bang!" Another firecracker rang out, startling Ahua so much that she couldn't help but shudder. Her half-open eyes widened instantly as she looked warily toward the source of the sound. She quickly recovered, lay back down, her eyelids drooping, and let out an unhappy "meow."
Seeing Ahua's reaction, Liuli laughed and lightly flew up from a tile. She quickly flew to Huayang Street and followed the group of children playing into a small alley.
A moment later, the group of children disappeared into a house. Liuli paused for a moment, then walked forward.
The houses around her were brightly lit, and lively sounds emanated from within, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. Liuli longed to see what was happening inside. With that thought, she floated up and landed on a wall, looking down. The house before her seemed to be the residence of a high-ranking official. The wall she stood on was next to the main gate of the front courtyard. Looking ahead, she saw a large table laden with delicious food in the main hall. The whole family, young and old, sat around the table, enjoying a lively New Year's Eve dinner. The scene was beautiful, and for some reason, Liuli felt a deep sense of warmth within her.
Liuli peeked at the food on the table and saw a dazzling array of dishes, all of which looked delicious and were sure to be very tasty.
Liuli couldn't help but swallow.
Suddenly, a crisp "snap" was heard as Liuli, distracted, stepped on a loose tile, causing it to fall to the ground.
The children inside the house, with their sharp ears, looked over and saw a white shadow standing on the wall, floating lightly, like a ghost.
"A ghost!" The child's face turned pale, and he covered his head and crawled under the table.
The people around the table instinctively looked in the direction the child was looking, and the peaceful atmosphere just moments before instantly turned into chaos.
Liuli stuck out her tongue, turned around, and flew away.
She kept flying forward, passing many official residences, and before she knew it, she had flown to the outer city.
Just then, a commotion arose from the ground. She stopped and looked down. She saw that it was the long street at the corner of the West Market, the street where Liuli first met Shichan when she came to Yingyang City.
Ordinary people live along this long street. There are many households along the street, and the lanterns outside the houses illuminate the entire street brightly. Children gather in twos and threes to play games, and their laughter is clear and melodious, filling the whole street with a lively atmosphere.
Strangely, in the middle of this bustling street, a gray-robed monk stood quietly, his hands clasped together, his eyes closed, his aura as still as a stagnant pool. Even amidst the noise, he was immersed in his own world, peaceful and serene.
Liuli paused for a moment, then quickly flew down. Before she even reached the ground, she called out, "Little monk!"
The gray-robed monk shuddered, and the calm and peaceful aura around him vanished instantly, just like a stagnant pool of water starting to flow, creating ripples.
He opened his eyes and saw a small face with a bright smile.
Shi Chan smiled gently, bowed in a Buddhist gesture, and called out, "Miss Liuli."
"Little monk," Liuli asked curiously, "what are you doing here?"
Upon hearing this, Shi Chan couldn't help but smile wryly and replied, "This humble monk is trying to cultivate in the bustling city."
"What?" Liuli frowned, asking in confusion.
Zen Master Shi patiently explained, “The so-called ‘cultivation in the bustling city’ is a practice method of our Buddhism. It requires monks to calm their minds in the bustling city, immerse themselves in the Dharma, and guide their spiritual energy into their bodies to transform it into pure Buddhist power, thereby refining their minds. I have tried to cultivate in the noisy environment of the West Market, but I did not succeed. Tonight, I was observing the various aspects of life on New Year’s Eve in the city when I unknowingly came to the outer city. Although this street is lively, it is not too noisy, so I gave it a try.”
"Oh." Liuli nodded and asked with a smile, "So, did you succeed?"
Shi Chan gave a wry smile and said gently, "We were so close to succeeding."
"It's alright, little monk." Liuli was completely unaware that she had interrupted Shichan's meditation. Upon hearing this, she quickly comforted him, "You're so smart, you'll definitely succeed next time you try."
Shi Chan felt a warmth in his heart and said gently, "Yes."
Liuli chuckled and said, "Let's go, little monk, let's take a good look around the outer city."
“Okay.” Shi Chan nodded with a smile and walked forward with Liu Li.
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