People often say that Dali is a place that can heal wounds, and I don't disagree. It's a paradise for music, especially in the old town area, where you'll always encounter street performers, and there are countless professional singers performing in bars...
For many, music is the best cure for this complex world, so it's no surprise that you can find healing here... You might just stumble upon a favorite song while walking along; at that moment, if you're willing to be attentive, you can follow the mood depicted in these songs, wading through streams, walking along tree-lined paths, chasing after the laughter and joy that only exists in childhood... The most beautiful of all are the girls described in the lyrics, such as "Lilian," "Miss Dong," "Southern Girl," and "Northern Queen"—all kinds of girls, there's something for everyone.
Isn't all of this enough to let you live in a fantasy and forget those painful things?
Looking up at the distant Cangshan Mountains and the blue sky and white clouds, I took out another cigarette from my cigarette case and lit it. Suddenly, deciding what to eat didn't seem like such a troublesome thing anymore. So, I chose the freest approach: when I walked to the seventh snack shop on the left, I ate whatever was available.
Finally, I stopped in front of a snack shop selling rice noodles. I was very satisfied with this result because across from this snack shop was a bar that was said to be the most stylish in the ancient city. Even at noon, there were songs and drinks inside... and I was the one who could benefit from the atmosphere across the street. I ate my rice noodles and watched others drink and sing.
This is probably the most relaxing moment I've had in a long time.
I really want to share these feelings with the people I care about, but sadly, all I see is my own shadow... I feel abandoned. All the pain and joy are mine alone. I can't share them with anyone, and there's no one to share them with.
At this moment, I especially miss Ye Zhi... I miss her because she doesn't talk much, but she always spends all her free time with me.
I sniffed, then took out the stack of plane tickets she had left behind from my briefcase... That day was the last time I saw her; it felt like a long time had passed, yet also like it was right before my eyes.
I tore my own mouth open, how could that be the last time we saw each other? ...Maybe one day in the future, we will meet unexpectedly somewhere...I have to think this way, otherwise everything I'm holding on to now will be meaningless.
...
After lunch, I called Lao Mi to confirm when they would arrive in Dali.
Old Mi told me that the train was almost in Kunming, and then he would come by bus, arriving in Dali around dusk.
After making that call, I started to feel nervous again. I didn't know if I could put on a good front of them. The only thing that gave me confidence was the money in my bank account. Sometimes, the amount of money you have is an important measure of how well you are doing.
Just then, I remembered that my mother didn't have a decent piece of jewelry, so I bought her an expensive gold bracelet at a gold shop in the old town, and also bought Lao Mi a large gold ring. I'm certainly not as good at giving gifts as Ye Zhi, but it's my way of showing my appreciation.
...
In the afternoon, I met with Coach Ma again. I was the one who invited him because I had a bottle of imported nasal medicine that Bai Lu had asked me to bring to him. Actually, I also really wanted to talk to him, to talk about my confusion, and to talk about my views on life. At this point, he had become one of the most profound friends I had.
In a teahouse with a large banyan tree in front, Coach Ma and I sat by the window. He first put down the cloth bag he was carrying, and then took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his head. He didn't live like a person of this era at all.
I handed him the nasal medicine and said, "Bai Lu asked me to bring you this nasal medicine imported from Japan. It's especially effective for allergic rhinitis."
"I'm too ashamed to accept it."
“Monks are detached from worldly desires. You should think of them as something that fell from the sky, like dew, a gift from nature.”
Coach Ma looked at me and said, "You're really good at giving advice," then shamelessly put the nasal medicine into his cloth bag, and then asked me, "How have you been lately?"
I countered, "If I were wearing gold and silver, would you think I was living a very comfortable life?"
“Monks focus on spiritual practice… therefore we only look at the inner self, not the outer self.”
Do you know of any type of person who lives a life that is consistent inside and out?
Coach Ma glanced at the two boxes containing real gold that I had placed beside me and sighed, "You really are true to yourself. If you think these things, which are like dirt, can fill the emptiness in your heart, then you can absolutely treat them as a way to please yourself..."
I laughed... and I was happy to use this kind of joke to amuse Coach Ma. This gold is definitely real gold, but it's not for my own use.
Instructor Ma picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then said to me, "I have something to tell you. Our temple is planning to renovate the toilets and replace them with flush toilets. We're currently looking for donations. Do you think you could help us...?"
"Can you do it?"
"See through things but don't say it out loud."
"You're just putting on this act to get me to donate money to fix your bathroom... Didn't you just say money is dirt? What kind of bathroom do you think it is if it's renovated with money?"
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