Chapter 407: Visiting Mr. Shu at night and writing "The Story of Killing a Mule"
I didn't go home, I went straight to 1701.
I can't write much just sitting at home. Secretary Tian wasn't kidding; I had to finish the assignment. But I chatted with Lao Jin while we were killing the mule. I learned a little bit about the situation, and it seemed like I had something to say.
Sitting in front of the computer and typing: "Mule Killing"
But after typing those three words, I stared at the screen and couldn't come up with another. I wrote a quick start, then deleted it when I wasn't satisfied. I wrote again, still not satisfied, and deleted it.
I wrote for half an hour, but there was not a single sentence that I was satisfied with.
Forget it, don't force yourself to be sad just to write a new poem. After sitting for ten minutes or so, I thought about what else I should do. Suddenly, I slapped my thigh and said, "Mr. Shu hasn't visited yet."
It was just after seven o'clock when I called. Mr. Shu said, "You're not asleep yet. Welcome."
I went downstairs, out of the Sunrise restaurant, and onto the street. I bought two boxes of fine tea and two bottles of fine wine, and asked the owner to exchange them for 3,000 yuan in cash. After scanning the QR code to pay, I took a shortcut and arrived at Mr. Shu's door in less than ten minutes.
He had business that evening, so the courtyard gate was always open. I walked in, and Mr. Shu was waiting for me in the living room. When we met, he said, "Come on, please sit in the living room."
At that moment, I saw a woman sitting in the living room. Elder Shu introduced her as his wife. I quickly gave her the gift and took out a red envelope, saying, "Master's wife, this is a small token of my appreciation."
Mr. Shu introduced me as Wan Shanhong. Mrs. Shu accepted the red envelope and hurriedly made tea for me.
The three of them sat down, and Mr. Shu said, "I heard you went to the Philippines. What were you doing there?"
I repeated the reasons I told Secretary Tian.
Mr. Shu asked, "How are the doctors at that acupuncture center?"
I said, "It's OK."
He nodded, then, after a moment's thought, said, "I know there's a market for acupuncture abroad, but it's a pity I'm old."
I said, "You're doing well upstate. It's not easy to go to a foreign country."
Mr. Shu nodded again. Then he asked, "How do you feel about your studies?"
"I just want to talk to you. I also want to study seriously with you for half a year."
Mrs. Shu said, "You have to work during the day."
I said, "Evening, on holidays."
Mr. Shu stared at me strangely: "You have so many ways to make money, why do you have to learn this?"
I said, "To be honest, I went to the Philippines mainly to learn a kind of acupressure technique that can treat illnesses without any equipment. I will also learn acupuncture in depth. Combining the two will be like a tiger with wings."
Besides, I don't know how long I can be a business consultant. If I had a skill...
Mr. Shu interrupted me and said, "Don't you have a special skill? You're quite good at fortune-telling and reading characters. You'll never be unemployed."
"Master, I'll tell you my real purpose. I've read a lot of medical books, learned acupressure, and am fascinated by Chinese medicine. I want to combine all these skills into one, drawing inferences from one example and applying them to other similar cases.
I want to travel abroad for the rest of my life and promote Chinese culture. Who says only Western medicine can cure illnesses? I, Wan Shanhong, just use acupuncture and finger pressure, and the patient is cured. I want to amaze foreigners."
"Why did you suddenly have this idea?"
"I saw something infuriating in the Philippines. Several people in Manila, the capital, took Chinese medicine. I don't know if it worked or not.
However, these people who took Chinese medicine complained to the Department of Health that it was ineffective. The Department of Health, without any investigation, closed down five Chinese medicine stores.
Acupuncture works faster than traditional Chinese medicine. You've praised my technique before: steady, precise, and relentless. So, I want to master the basic theory, develop solid skills, and then go abroad and explore the world."
The two elders were amused by me.
I said, "I'm serious. Foreigners don't believe in fortune-telling and divination. I make money from Chinese people, and more broadly, from the Chinese community. Can't Chinese medicine and acupuncture make money from foreigners?"
Mr. Shu said, "You are ambitious. Actually, I am not trying to embarrass you. I am testing your determination. If you really study hard, you will not be able to accomplish anything. You will work during the day and at night and on holidays."
"Believe me. I am a man of perseverance."
Mr. Shu said, "Then you should come on time. If there are patients, I will practice. If there are no patients, I will explain the theory to you."
I said, "It's a deal then."
Mr. Shu said, "As long as you can do it, I have no problem."
At this time, Mrs. Shu reminded him that it was time to give the patient acupuncture. Mr. Shu got up and went to the next room to give the patient acupuncture. After the customer left, Mr. Shu said, "This patient just now is also a remarkable person."
"Strange man?"
"Yes. He was originally a talented writer. But he spent his entire life writing articles at the company. While others were promoted, he remained the deputy director of the office for his entire life."
"Oh, I see. He was good at writing when he was young, and his boss liked him very much. He asked him to write articles exclusively and promised to promote him in the future. But after a few years, the boss left and was replaced by a new boss.
The new leader also relied on him to write articles, and promised that he would not be like the previous leader and would definitely promote him when the time came, so he worked hard to write articles.
Mr. Shu said: "Yes, his life was full of misfortunes. Some leaders did not keep their promises, so he was not promoted. His leaders did not expect that they would be transferred suddenly, so they did not have time to promote him. When he could be promoted, he did not have the advantage of diploma and age.
In short, he wrote articles all his life and eventually became deputy director of the office. He developed cervical spondylosis and now comes to me for acupuncture. He's been a mule pulling a millstone all his life.
I suddenly had an idea and stood up and said, "Then I will come tomorrow night."
Mr. Shu said, "Okay."
The two elders saw me off to the gate of the courtyard. I waved and walked home.
When I got home, Xiaolin was chatting with my parents. I said, "Don't bother me. I need to write an article."
After that, I went straight into the study, turned on the computer, and my ideas started flowing. I finished writing in a short while. Then I sent Secretary Tian a WeChat message:
"It's hard to write in classical Chinese, so I wrote something in vernacular Chinese and am sending it to you now. Just to make you laugh."
Secretary Tian replied, "Wait and read."
I sent it over and reread it myself.
Killing a Mule
It was winter, and a friend invited me to eat mule meat. It was my first time seeing a mule being slaughtered. The butcher stabbed the mule's throat with a sharp knife, and blood gushed out. The sight was unbearable.
Although this mule has not read ten thousand books, it has traveled ten thousand miles. The owner blindfolded the mule and made it pull the mill.
The mule asked, "Have we reached Beijing yet?" The owner replied, "We are almost there."
The mule worked very hard, running quickly around the mill. Er Qing asked again: Can we get to Beijing?
The owner replied, "Just pull it a hundred more times and you'll be there." The mule worked even harder.
After a hundred rounds, the owner took off the blindfold and the mule looked around. It was still in the same place, except that there were a few more baskets of flour.
The master said: As long as you grind the mill every day, you can accumulate small steps and reach a thousand miles, and you can reach Beijing.
From then on, the mule kept pulling the mill day after day, year after year. When it grew old, its owner sold it to a merchant, who took it upstate, and it ended up in the stomach of a stranger.
Born as a mule, you eat grass and pull the mill. Even if you travel thousands of miles, you are still standing still.
Alas, mule, there's no need to feel sorry for yourself. How similar are we to the rest of the world? Don't you see how we, blinded by cars and houses, spend our entire lives grinding the millstones? How many times have we been to the capital? Rome is even further away. Take off the blindfold, and life is a waste.
Brother Dehan asked me to write an essay, and I made up some nonsense to convey my feelings, just to make you laugh.
After a while, Tian Dehan replied, "You are indeed a master, and you have a profound meaning. Take off the blindfold, we must go our own way!"
I thought, I can't just keep grinding at the grindstone, learning acupuncture and getting a certificate. I want to truly travel thousands of miles.
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