Xie Yuhan explained to Chen Zhe very seriously the various rituals of their Taoist temple and the worship methods for each god.
She was very lively and enthusiastic, and that lovely smile was always on her face.
“My grandfather often said, ‘It’s better to rely on yourself than on others. These statues are nothing more than lumps of clay. As long as a person’s heart hasn’t turned bad or become too extreme, they can always solve everything on their own.’ Sometimes his words would be ostracized by some of his colleagues, who would say that my grandfather was talking nonsense. But my grandfather was a playful old man; he didn’t care about any of that. He would do whatever he liked. At first, everyone thought that our Taoist temple would decline in popularity because of this, haha, but unexpectedly, more and more people came to our Taoist temple…”
Chen Zhe smiled.
"The old man is quite interesting; what he says is really philosophical."
"Haha, you've been influenced by him, haven't you?"
"Haha, there is one thing I really like about his attitude towards life."
Xie Yuhan stopped, put her hands on her hips, and looked at him.
Chen Zhe touched his face.
Is there something dirty on my face?
"Hehe, no, you're one of the few people who can agree with my grandfather, which I find a bit surprising."
"Haha, actually I think the reason why there are so many people in your Taoist temple is probably because many people agree with your grandfather. Everyone is under a lot of pressure in their daily lives, and they always have a lot of things on their minds. Over time, people become depressed and always want to seek comfort."
Xie Yuhan nodded; "That makes sense. By the way, you still haven't told me your name."
"Oh, sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Chen Zhe, Chen as in 'ear east,' and Zhe as in 'philosophy.'"
"Chen Zhe, hmm, good name, it sounds very philosophical."
"Oh? Really? Is there any explanation?"
"There's no explanation, I was just trying to comfort you, hahaha!"
The girl was smiling very happily.
Chen Zhe was also infected by her smile. This girl was like a ray of sunshine; seeing her made him unable to help but smile along with her.
"By the way, Master Xie, I think someone your age should be studying. What are you doing at the Taoist temple?"
"Don't call me Master Xie, just call me Xiaoyu. That's what everyone calls me. I've lived with my grandfather since I was little. He said I wasn't cut out for studying, so he made me learn Taoist magic from him. When I was little, I didn't believe it, and then I came back with two zeros on my tests, hahaha. After that, I behaved myself. But when I got older, I found out that it was my grandfather who did it. I was in fourth grade at the time, and this old man had the teacher give me two high school exam papers instead..."
Chen Zhe's lips twitched as he recalled the old Taoist's appearance from earlier. He had to admit, that old man was probably capable of such a thing.
"That's... a real shame. Will you regret it?"
“There’s nothing to regret. My grandfather said that the path a person takes in life is fixed. He said I’m suited to take this path. It’s better to start early than late. Life is a journey. I just didn’t take the same train as everyone else, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t start.”
Chen Zhe was slightly stunned that Xie Yuhan, at such a young age, had such a profound understanding of life.
He reflected on his 24 years of life.
I learned traditional Chinese massage from my family since I was a child. Later, with my father's arrangement, I went to university. After university, I followed the crowd and went to find a job. It seems like I was being pushed along every step of the way.
He never stopped, and never seriously thought about where his future path would lead.
"Hey, what are you spacing out for?"
Seeing that Chen Zhe didn't speak, Xie Yuhan poked him with her finger.
“I…I suddenly realized something. Maybe I should be like you and stick to the path I want to take.”
"Hahaha, really? Really? You're going to become my follower?"
Chen Zhe was amused by her cute tone.
"Heh, how did I become your follower?"
Xie Yuhan touched her chin with her small hand; "Don't let my grandfather's crazy and somewhat eccentric appearance fool you, many people believe in him, including some who seem quite wealthy. My grandfather says they are believers. A believer is not someone who submits to a particular person, but someone who shares the same ideas and pursues the same truth. Your ideas are the same as mine, so I can say you are my believer. If my ideas are the same as yours, then I will become your believer as well."
Chen Zhe was bewildered by her roundabout way of speaking, but he actually found her explanation quite reasonable. It was the first time he had ever heard someone explain something like this without feeling any aversion.
In the past, when teachers tried to cram certain knowledge into his mind, he would always feel a sense of resistance.
When the boss tries to impose his ideas on him, Chen Zhe will feel resistant.
But what Xie Yuhan just said...
He actually agreed with it.
Everyone's path is different, and everyone's thoughts are very different, but there are always some people who are the same.
For example, if you want to go to the East China Sea, and you get on a bus going to the East China Sea, the people on that bus will have the same destination as you.
They will get off at Donghai Station, just like you.
You won't feel anything is wrong.
Thoughts are difficult to define, but one category they fall under is faith.
If you believe in something, you will naturally be able to accept the ideas and suggestions of those who also believe in it.
The old Taoist priest said that one should follow the natural way and do as one pleases.
He truly did that.
People who share his ideas want to be like him, and some who simply can't do it admire him.
I understand.
The truth of life is so simple: find like-minded people and do what you want to do in this life.
Isn't that what life is all about?
He wanted to get rich and to succeed, but these two goals were too vague.
There are too many people on this road.
If you go down on the street and ask anyone, they'll say they want to get rich and succeed, even though there's no definitive definition to that.
Some people achieve their goals because they know exactly what they want to do and do it very well.
[What can I do? I know massage, and I'm pretty good at it. I'm currently working towards that path... So... I want to be the best in the industry!! I want to be like the old Taoist priest, to be the best in my field of belief, so that people on this path will admire me. The more people who admire me, the more naturally I will get what I want...]
Chen Zhe never expected to come here to seek divine help.
It actually solved so many of my doubts.
He felt completely relaxed.
When he looked at Xie Yuhan, there was a hint of gratitude in his eyes.
Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something strange about me?
Haha, no, you're quite cute!
Xie Yuhan blushed slightly.
"Ugh! Why are you so blunt? I'm not talking to you anymore, I'm leaving. You can come visit again sometime!"
Xie Yuhan jogged away.
Chen Zhe really wanted to catch up with her and ask for her contact information.
But he still stopped.
"Never mind, we'll meet again if we're meant to."
Having figured this out, Chen Zhe turned around and went down the mountain. This time, his gaze was firm, and he finally realized that he was not just shouting slogans.
If you're going to do something, you have to do it to the best of your ability!
...
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