Chapter 11 Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, nightmares are all fake.
Shen Zhengyuan was taken aback. "Sweet rice balls in fermented rice wine?"
“Yes, it’s sweet fermented rice balls.” Li Chen smiled slightly. “I really wanted to eat sweet fermented rice balls at the time, so I just gave it that name. I didn’t expect it to like it so much.”
Shen Zhengyuan paused for a moment, frowned, and couldn't tell whether she was telling the truth or lying.
Before he could react, the person opposite him had already started eating and said, "We need to get going as soon as possible. I didn't want to bring it up before, afraid you'd overthink it, but now that you've brought it up, why don't you take out the magical artifact you use for traveling? The sooner we get to Snowy Mountain, the sooner your spiritual veins can be repaired, right?"
Shen Zhengyuan said, "Magic artifacts need to be activated with spiritual power. I cannot use spiritual power, and neither can you. Even if we took them out, what use would they be?"
Li Chen paused for a moment, then sighed, clearly unaware that he lacked knowledge in this area.
No wonder the rumors say that Shen Zhengyuan spent five years traveling to Xue Mang Mountain. Even if those magical artifacts weren't stolen, he couldn't use them on his own.
She rested her chin on her hand, thought for a moment, and said, "This isn't difficult. We'll always encounter other cultivators on the road. If anyone else tries to steal your treasure, wouldn't it be perfect to use them to activate the magic artifact?"
Shen Zhengyuan frowned. "Those people are unlikely to listen to you sincerely. If they try anything funny, it will only cause trouble."
Li Chen said, "Don't worry, if we can really find them, I still have ways to make them behave. But we might not be able to find them. If there are enough smart people, they won't bother coming here after hearing about what happened between us."
Shen Zhengyuan: "..."
The two men had different thoughts at the moment and couldn't talk to each other, so they simply stopped talking and focused on eating. They had lingered on the mountain for too long, and as soon as it was light the next day, Li Chen urged them to hurry on their way.
Fortunately, Shen Zhengyuan had a Qiankun bag, which made packing things easy. Xiaolou could also be easily put into the Qiankun bag. The two traveled light, and although they could only travel on foot, it was still much easier than carrying large bags of luggage.
It was three days later when they reached the next town.
The town was in much better condition than the ones we had encountered before. Most shops were still open, and although the people here would still be startled by a sudden noise and run around like frightened birds, it was much better than what we had experienced before.
Li Chen originally intended to buy some rapeseed and some rice and flour, but when he saw a shop selling storybooks, he completely forgot about Shen Zhengyuan and ran into the shop in a few quick steps, looking very light and cheerful.
As soon as Shen Zhengyuan entered, he saw her carrying around storybooks.
Li Chen didn't pick and choose; she took one of each kind and put them in her storage bag. The shopkeeper stood by with an abacus, helping her keep track of the numbers.
After she had picked up every storybook in the shop, she pointed to Shen Zhengyuan at the door. The shopkeeper then walked up to him with a big smile and asked him to pay.
Shen Zhengyuan: "..."
He paid the bill for Li Chenjin without any expression. After they left, he asked, "In the town we encountered earlier, when we were looking for something, we came across a lot of storybooks. Since you like reading storybooks, why didn't you read those back then?"
Li Chenjin smiled slightly, "Storybooks are different from food. Although I can easily keep some money, what if what I see here is a pirated copy? So I don't feel comfortable buying them from a proper shop."
Shen Zhengyuan was taken aback. "What's the difference? Aren't they all the same thing?"
Li Chen sighed, “Of course it’s different. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard the saying, ‘If you value your life, you shouldn’t kill; if you value your wealth, you shouldn’t steal; if you protect your wife, you shouldn’t violate others’ (1).
"Although I spent some time in the meditation community, I still value worldly wealth. This theft has damaged my treasury, why should I lose the big picture for a small gain? Cultivator Shen, haven't you heard that free things are the most valuable?"
Li Chen counted on his fingers, estimating how long he could read all these stories. Once he had a pretty good idea, he patted the storage bag hanging at his waist with great satisfaction and continued, "Alright, now hurry up and buy the rest of the things, otherwise we won't have time to make dinner."
The next thing to do was much simpler. After finishing dinner and taking a nap, it was time to deal with the vegetable seeds I had bought.
She set up a table and chairs in the backyard, verbally told Shen Zhengyuan some things to be careful about, and then slowly sat down at the table, took out a storybook and began to read.
Looking at her leisurely demeanor, and then at the shovel and vegetable seeds in his hand, Shen Zhengyuan felt somewhat dissatisfied, but he still did as she instructed, obediently starting to loosen the soil, bury the seeds, and water them.
It was unclear whether Li Chenjin's old injury had relapsed, which had caused her recent poor spirits. She had only read a few pages of the storybook before leaning against the table, propping her cheek up with one hand, and had fallen asleep. So when Shen Zhengyuan finished his business and looked at her to ask if he had done it right, she was already fast asleep against the table.
Shen Zhengyuan: "..."
Suddenly, a loud "bang" startled Li Chen, who opened his eyes and instinctively looked up to see Shen Zhengyuan standing by the table with an angry expression. One hand was on the wooden table, and a lot of tea was shaken out. The sound clearly came from there.
Although she was a bit grumpy when she woke up, she felt a little embarrassed doing the work while she slept in, so she couldn't bring herself to get angry. She could only give Shen Zhengyuan a dry laugh and say, "Ahem... let me see."
She sat up straight, touched her nose, and stood up casually. She looked in the direction where the rapeseed was buried and said slowly, "Ah... it's done so quickly. You must have worked hard, Master Shen. To reward you, I'll cook dinner tonight and wash the dishes, okay?"
"..."
Shen Zhengyuan threw down the shovel in his hand, picked up a handkerchief from the table, wiped his hands, and said, "You've been very sleepy lately. Is it because your injuries haven't stabilized yet?"
Li Chen smiled and said, "It's nothing serious. I just need to rest and recover. Thanks to Cultivator Chen, I've been able to take medicine recently. I think after a few more doses, I'll be fine."
Since Li Chen had already said so, Shen Zhengyuan didn't ask any more questions. After that, he continued to eat, drink, and sleep as usual.
Because the two patients and one injured person had been taking turns getting sick recently, they had to stay in this small town for a longer period of time. Eight or nine days had passed, and they had been doing odd jobs such as tidying up the house.
But it was precisely these trivial chores that made Shen Zhengyuan forget who he wanted to hate for a moment, and his heart was so calm that he seemed to forget the pain he had experienced in the past.
Every day, he followed Li Chen, working from sunrise to sunset. In the evening, they would even sit together in the open space outside, enjoying the cool breeze and chatting for a while.
Perhaps it was because he had been enjoying his leisurely days for too long, but after a few days of peaceful sleep, those memories lurking in the shadows of his heart suddenly resurfaced in his dreams one night, as if afraid of being forgotten.
The evil thoughts that had been dormant suddenly surged into his mind. The problems that he had temporarily put aside, the resentment and hatred, surged in like boiling water, scalding his whole heart and causing him to feel a tearing pain in his soul.
He couldn't understand...
He really couldn't understand it...
Why is it always him who's unlucky...?
Why is it always him who suffers...?
Why did he have to go through all this...?
Why can other people have both parents...?
Why can't it be someone else who dies...?
He wanted to question this land that had given birth to suffering, to question the gods who were high above but did nothing, to question the bloodthirsty demons, to question those who stood by him, mocked him, and kicked him when he was down, and even more so, to question the heavens: why should those people live better than him?
The stronger the hatred surged, the more his heart ached, until he could no longer bear the feeling and suddenly opened his eyes, only to be greeted by a light completely different from that in his dream.
It was dusk, and the soft glow of the setting sun streamed through the doors and windows, bathing everything in a golden afterglow, making the place exceptionally peaceful and serene.
Not far from the bed, there was a table and two chairs, which was the table they usually used for meals.
Ever since Li Chen got his hands on the storybooks, even when he wasn't eating, he would take them out and sit at the table during his free time, reading them carefully by the light coming in from outside.
At that moment, she happened to be sitting at the table, holding a storybook in her hand, but her gaze wasn't on the book. Instead, she looked directly in his direction. Seeing that he still seemed a little dazed, she smiled very gently and said, "Having another nightmare?"
"I noticed your breathing wasn't right earlier. Now that you're awake, don't go back to sleep. Have some tea. If you keep sleeping, you're more likely to have more nightmares."
As Li Chen finished speaking, he picked up the teapot and poured him a full cup of water, then continued to smile and wave at him.
After he sat down at the table, she gently placed the cup of tea in front of him and said, "Don't be afraid, nightmares are just dreams."
Shen Zhengyuan: "..."
He picked up the cup of tea, slowly drank it, but his gaze remained fixed on Li Chenjin.
I hadn't felt anything for her before, but today I suddenly feel...
Upon seeing her, his heart suddenly calmed down. The nightmares that had haunted him like a bone-deep sore vanished at that moment. Even the hatred and resentment that he couldn't let go of dissipated by now, no longer causing him unbearable pain.
"...Do you really like me?"
A note from the author:
(1) From the Mahayana Sutra of the Universal Treasury of Light Beyond Words
Xiao Li: Don't be afraid, don't be afraid!
Xiao Shen: This damn sense of security
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