CHAPTER 52: CHAPTER 51: ISN’T BURNING FIRE BEAUTIFUL?

After dinner, they sat and chatted for a while. To pass the afternoon, the group of young people split into three groups: playing ball, browsing the internet, and singing.

Brother Nan was being considerate to her previous and future deskmates. She said, "So, are you going to play basketball with me or go online with me? It seems like you don’t really enjoy singing. You’re too shy."

"Forget it. I don’t like going online either."

"Who are you kidding?"

Brother Nan still remembered that girl whose blazing headshots got her account banned, and Zhou Li’s excited expression at the time.

Zhou Li thought for a moment and said, "I have to go tutor a little girl this afternoon. I promised a long time ago."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Well then, you should go."

"What about you?"

"I..." Brother Nan thought it over. She recalled how her mother, drunk, had pulled her aside and told her she was a grown-up now. Brother Nan deeply understood her mother’s intention: she was clearly hinting that Brother Nan shouldn’t get addicted to games and hang out at internet cafes all day—

"Then I’ll go sing!"

"Okay, Brother Nan. See you."

"You should take a cab. It’s so hot."

"Yeah, okay."

Zhou Li walked out of the residential complex but didn’t actually take a cab.

The sun had already dipped a bit to the west, making the road shimmer as if reflecting light. The storefronts on the left cast narrow shadows, so Zhou Li followed them slowly, occasionally passing in front of people’s entrances.

Huai Xu asked from his side, "Was it really that delicious?"

"Really."

"That pickled fish really didn’t have bones?"

"Many fish either have no bones or very few. You can also fillet the fish so there are no bones in the meat."

"Is that Mapo Tofu really that flavorful?"

"That dish really tests the skill of a Yicai chef."

"I really want to eat it!" Huai Xu said. "Why don’t you try to win over Brother Nan? She’s pretty and suits you. Then, once your families get along well, I can attend as your friend. Heh heh heh..."

"You laugh so foolishly."

"HMPH!"

Upon returning home, Zhou Li scrolled through his phone and found that Wu Yuanliang had just updated an offbeat status on his social media. The content was very artistic, and he even subtly wished Brother Nan well.

Tsk!

Zhou Li felt somewhat wistful. He had never experienced such feelings, but sometimes he thought it was also quite beautiful—a kind of resolution to youth.

On WeChat, there were several messages from Hong Ran—

Hong Ran: This big sister is so lonely.

Hong Ran: When are you coming to play with this big sister?

Hong Ran: How about coming to Chunming early to get familiar with the campus environment? This big sister’s place is very close to your school!

Hong Ran: If you come early, how about this big sister takes you to a banquet of a hundred insects? It’s expensive.

Hong Ran: Roasted peacock? The illegal kind.

Hong Ran: It’s a rare opportunity! Tempted?

These messages weren’t sent all at once but intermittently, with intervals ranging from a few minutes to half an hour. Zhou Li could guess from this how bored Hong Ran must have been.

So, he replied, "No!"

「In a blink, August had arrived.」

According to the lunar calendar, it was the seventh month.

July brings fire, and the weather turns cool.

The start of autumn had passed, and Qixi Festival had also passed.

If Zhou Li hadn’t looked at the calendar, he wouldn’t have even been aware of these solar terms and festivals. However, he did notice that the weather was getting cooler. He felt that this year’s summer seemed unusually understated, arriving late and leaving early.

August 15th was also the fifteenth of the seventh month on the lunar calendar.

Zhou Li looked at the calendar on the wall and said, "This year, the Gregorian calendar’s August and the lunar calendar’s seventh month dates are synchronized, huh."

Huai Xu, lounging on the bay window, wondered, "Does that have any significance?"

"It’s meaningless."

Zhou Li just found it interesting.

School was starting in half a month, so he needed to make some preparations. Before that, however, he had to make another trip to the Yin Yang Temple.

He at least had to say goodbye to Zheng Zhilan.

So, he informed Aunt Jiang about it in advance and also notified his tutor. He got up early in the morning.

He first packed the four books Zheng Zhilan had given him into his backpack. He had worked through the night for several days to finish the last one, which was about history. Unfortunately, he had read it somewhat hastily, so he couldn’t connect the events to form a clear picture of Spring Mountain Taoist’s life, which he regretted.

He then called Zheng Zhilan to ask if she needed anything, offering to bring it to her.

He went out and headed to the supermarket.

Zheng Zhilan didn’t stand on ceremony with him. She requested mostly hot pot bases, followed by kitchen seasonings:

Oyster sauce, chicken essence, yellow wine, spicy bean paste, and fermented black beans.

Finally, some black tea for making tea eggs.

After his shopping spree, his bag stuffed full, Zhou Li boarded the bus to Mingjiu Mountain.

He arrived at Zhihong Guan at four in the afternoon.

Zhou Li saw the elder of the observatory and The old demon. He greeted them, "Temple Master, making congee again?"

"Eh? Little Layman, you’re here again!"

"Yes, I’m starting school soon and will be in Caiyun after that. I was planning to visit her to say hello before I leave," Zhou Li said, taking off his backpack. "Oh, and I also brought some books. They were ones you lent to Little Zheng. I borrowed four of them to read. She asked me to return them directly to you and to thank you on her behalf. She’s a bit embarrassed it took so many years to return them."

"Oh, that’s nothing. I don’t read them anymore. If someone wants to read them, that’s a good thing!"

The elder of the observatory stood up straight, extended his tanned hand, took the four books, and said, "I’ll put these away first."

Zhou Li nodded.

The elder of the observatory turned and left, while Huai Xu curiously bent down, lifted the earthenware pot’s lid, and peeked inside. "Ah, they’ve even added red beans and peanuts!"

The old demon, sitting on the roof of the small temple, said, "He’s old and his digestion isn’t great. Plus, it’s hot in the summer, so he usually just makes a pot of congee in the evening. If there are leftovers, they’re perfect for breakfast, and he’s too lazy to cook again."

"What about lunch?" Huai Xu asked.

"For lunch, he just has some flatbreads and drinks some boiled water."

"Can that ensure he gets enough nutrition?" Zhou Li interjected.

"Well, he doesn’t do much physical work. If he’s low on energy, a nap usually does the trick," The old demon explained. "Back in the old days, when conditions were even tougher, some temple masters would go without food for days as a form of fasting."

"The conditions now..." Zhou Li glanced at the dilapidated temple. "Are they still not good enough?"

"Things are good now. Worshippers are generous with their donations, but he can’t use up all the money. He sends it to children in distant places for their schooling."

"I see."

"He’s not pitiful," The old demon said to Zhou Li with a smile. "He just doesn’t like to cook or fuss over food. He’s very lazy and isn’t particular about what he eats. Anyway, a day passes regardless, and it’s not like he can’t afford to eat properly."

"How’s that situation of yours going?" Zhou Li asked again.

"Which one?"

"The one about the harvest in the field?"

"Oh, that one was beyond me," The old demon said, scratching his head. "I just went and caught some fish from the creek and put them in the rice paddies. So, when they harvest the rice, they’ll find fish. They should be pretty happy then, right?"

"That’s one way to do it."

At that moment, The old demon pointed behind him. Zhou Li turned, and a few moments later, he saw the elder of the observatory approaching.

The elder of the observatory came over with a cup of water and a pack of flatbreads, smiling at him. "It’s been cooler these past few days, but climbing the mountain still makes you hot. Have something to eat and drink, and rest for a bit. There’s not much else to offer."

The old demon’s voice came from behind: "That’s them, that’s them! They’re delicious!"

Zhou Li thanked him and took the flatbreads.

The flatbreads looked like something he remembered from rural convenience stores over a decade ago, something he hadn’t seen since he grew up. They were wrapped in clear, thin plastic with no writing on it. Inside, a slip of white paper listed the manufacturer, shelf life, and ingredients in a table format, but there was no product name or logo.

The flatbreads weren’t large and were stacked inside the packaging. There seemed to be about ten of them.

Zhou Li unwrapped one and took a bite, eating half of it. The sweet filling inside was surprisingly delicious.

The elder of the observatory then stuffed a pinecone into the stove and joked with Zhou Li, "You young man! You didn’t come for Qixi Festival a few days ago, but here you are visiting friends on the Ghost Festival today! HA HA HA..."

Zhou Li slipped a flatbread to Huai Xu while the elder of the observatory wasn’t looking.

Then he watched the elder of the observatory tend the fire.

In his town, pine trees were only found in a few parks, so people didn’t usually burn pinecones. Zhou Li thought they must be the mountain equivalent of corncobs from the lowlands.

They seemed to burn very well. Zhou Li watched, fascinated.

Even after leaving Zhihong Guan, Huai Xu was still laughing at him, calling him a city boy for finding it so fascinating to watch someone build a fire.

Zhou Li didn’t argue with him.

The sun was almost touching the mountains on the horizon. Zheng Zhilan’s family usually ate dinner early, so he needed to hurry.