Daming: Brother, there is no future for monks, let's rebel

“Your 'look' is more effective than your scolding,” Zhu Han chuckled.

"I'll still keep the scolding," Shi Buwai retorted stubbornly. "Tomorrow, whoever tries to steal the red rope, I'll still scold them."

"You should use nicer language," Bai Yu muttered from the side, "Don't scare them away."

“You’re the scary one,” Shi Buwai glared at him.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the fog over Nanshikou had not yet dissipated.

Zhu Han stood at the entrance of the old academy, looking at the few pairs of shoes on the door. The red ropes swayed gently in the morning breeze, as if greeting the early risers.

Li Yu held the small drum, his eyes sparkling, occasionally stealing glances at Zhu Han, seemingly pondering the skill of "reading people's breathing" that he had learned yesterday.

"Your Highness, where shall we go first today?"

Bai Yu rubbed his eyes and yawned; he was still a little sleepy after keeping watch all night.

Zhu Han pointed to the south entrance of the market: "Let's go to the stage first. Miss Suzhi said yesterday that she would take us three steps today, so we can't break our promise."

As soon as the group arrived at Nanshikou, they heard lively sounds coming from the stage.

The drums on stage were already beating loudly, and several actors were tumbling and leaping on the stage, their colorful costumes fluttering, drawing cheers from the audience.

Su Zhi was standing by the stage, tidying up her costumes with several children. When she saw Zhu Han and the others arrive, her eyes lit up, and she greeted them with a smile.

"Your Highness, you've finally arrived."

Su Zhi changed into a brand new costume today. The light red skirt trailed on the ground, like a blooming peony.

Her makeup was exquisite, her eyebrows and eyes were like paintings, and the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned with a playful smile.

"Miss Suzhi, which three steps will you lead us through today?" Zhu Han asked with a smile.

Su Zhi blinked and said mysteriously, "Don't rush, I'll take you away after this play is over. But before that, you'd better take a good look at the intricacies of this stage."

Zhu Han and the others stood below the stage, quietly watching the performance.

A martial arts performer, wielding a long spear, tumbled and leaped on the stage, the spear flashing, drawing cheers from the audience.

Another female lead, holding a folding fan, moved with light, graceful steps, her eyes sparkling, her singing melodious and captivating, as if she could steal one's soul.

“Look at that martial arts performer, his steps are steady, every step is solid, that’s how he can stand firm on the stage and perform with ease.”

Su Zhi explained softly from the side, "Look at that female lead, her steps are light and graceful, as if she is walking on clouds. Only in this way can the gentleness of a woman be shown."

Li Yu listened intently, his eyes fixed on the actors on stage, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on his chest, as if he were keeping time with the rhythm of the performance.

Zhu Biao nodded slightly and said thoughtfully, "The way people walk on the stage is quite different from how we walk normally."

"That's natural."

Su-Chih smiled and said, "The stage is a small world where we portray all aspects of life. Every step has its meaning, and every action has its story. Just like when you hang your shoes and tie red ropes at the gate of the old school, there is a reason for it."

Just then, the play on stage ended, and the actors retreated backstage.

Su Zhi clapped her hands and said to Zhu Han and the others, "Alright, now it's my turn to lead you through three steps."

She led everyone to one side of the stage, where there was an open space.

Su Zhi first stood still, then slowly raised one foot, her toes lightly touching the ground, as if testing something.

Then, she slowly lowered her foot, heel first, and then the entire sole of her foot flat on the ground, her movements light and graceful.

"This first step is called 'exploration'."

Su-Chih said, "Just like in life, when we encounter new things, we shouldn't rush into them, but rather try them out first, understand the situation clearly, and then make a decision."

Zhu Han and the others followed Su Zhi's example, slowly raising their feet and then slowly lowering them.

Although their movements were somewhat clumsy, they all tried their best to imitate Su Zhi's elegance.

“The second step is called ‘steady’,” Su Zhi said, lifting her other foot. This time, instead of testing the waters like in the first step, she placed her foot firmly on the ground, her body sinking slightly as if rooted to the ground.

"In life, once we have set a goal, we must steadily move forward and not be swayed by external interference."

Following Su Zhi's movements, everyone steadily placed their feet down, feeling the contact between their soles and the ground, as if they had truly found a sense of security.

"This third step is called 'advance'."

Su Zhi took a deep breath, then strode forward.

Her steps were firm and powerful, each one brimming with confidence. "Once we have a stable foundation, we must bravely move forward and pursue our dreams."

Zhu Han and the others mustered their courage, took big strides, and followed Su Zhi forward.

Their steps gradually became more practiced from the initial awkwardness, and confident smiles appeared on their faces.

"Good!" Su Zhi stopped and clapped her hands, laughing, "You learn very quickly. These three steps are the basic steps on the stage, and also the way to conduct oneself in life. I hope you can remember them."

Zhu Han said gratefully, "Thank you for your guidance, Miss Suzhi. We have benefited greatly from it."

"Your Highness is too kind," Su Zhi said with a smile. "I only agreed to teach you these things because I see a connection between you two. By the way, besides learning these three steps, is there anything else you have to do at Nanshikou today?"

Zhu Han thought for a moment and said, "Actually, we also want to see if there's anything we can learn from Nanshikou to improve the order at the entrance of the old academy."

Su Zhi's eyes lit up, and she said, "Nanshikou is bustling, but it has its own rules. Look at the sugar painting vendor. Every time he sets up his stall, he leaves a small path in front of his stall so that pedestrians can pass through smoothly. This way, it won't affect his business or cause congestion."

Zhu Han and the others looked in the direction Su Zhi was pointing and sure enough, they saw a sugar painting vendor skillfully wielding a spoon in his hand, drawing various exquisite patterns on the stone slab.

In front of his stall, there was indeed a narrow path that pedestrians could easily cross.

"And there's that cloth vendor," Su Zhi said, pointing to a cloth stall not far away.
"He neatly arranged his fabrics by color and type, and also hung some samples outside so that customers could see them at a glance. This way, customers can quickly find the fabric they want, saving time and improving efficiency."

Zhu Biao exclaimed, "Miss Suzhi is so observant; we usually don't even notice these little details."

“There’s something to learn in every aspect of life,” Su-Chih said with a smile. “Hanging your shoes and tying red ropes at the gate of the old school is also a kind of innovation. As long as you observe carefully and think deeply, you will definitely find more good ways to improve order.”

Zhu Han nodded and said, "Miss Suzhi is right. Let's go and look around and learn more."

After saying goodbye to Su Zhi, Zhu Han and the others began to wander around Nanshikou.

"Although Nanshikou is a mixed bag, everyone knows how to keep to their place and do their job, and it really has its own order," Bai Yu remarked.

“Yes,” Zhu Han said. “At the entrance of our old school, although there are red ropes and shoes to guide people, it can be improved. For example, we can do what that cloth vendor did and categorize and display the shoes of students from different grades, so that it will be easier for students to find them.”

"We can also leave a passageway at the entrance, just like the sugar painting vendors do, so that pedestrians can pass through smoothly," Li Yu said excitedly.

Zhu Biao smiled and said, "What you both said makes a lot of sense. We'll go back and discuss it properly, and then put these good ideas into practice at the old school gate."

Just as they were having a heated discussion, they suddenly heard a commotion coming from afar.

Zhu Han and the others looked in the direction of the sound and saw a group of people gathered together, seemingly arguing about something.

"Let's go take a look," Zhu Han said, leading the group toward the crowd.

They squeezed through the crowd and saw a middle-aged man arguing with a young vendor.

The middle-aged man was dressed in fancy clothes and had an angry expression on his face, while the young vendor looked aggrieved and kept explaining something.

"What happened?" Zhu Han asked.

Seeing that Zhu Han and his companions were dressed in fine clothes, the middle-aged man assumed they were people of high status and said angrily, "Young master, you be the judge. I bought something from this stall, paid for it, and then discovered that it had a quality problem. I wanted him to replace it for me, but he refused."

The young vendor hurriedly said, "Sir, it's not that I'm unwilling to replace it for him, but he broke it and insists it's a quality issue. Isn't that just being unreasonable?"

Zhu Han picked up the item from the middle-aged man's hand, examined it carefully, and found that it did indeed show some signs of damage.

He said to the middle-aged man, "Brother, I see that this thing is indeed damaged, but it's hard to say whether you caused the damage. How about this, we'll find someone knowledgeable to take a look. If it's a quality issue, the vendor will replace it for you; if you broke it, you can't keep arguing with us."

The middle-aged man thought for a moment and said, "Alright, we'll do it your way. But Nanshikou is so big, where are we going to find someone who knows what's going on?"

Zhu Han smiled and said, "You don't need to worry about that, I have a way."

He turned to Li Yu and said, "Go and invite Miss Suzhi over. She's been here for so long, she must know some knowledgeable people."

Li Yu nodded and ran quickly toward the stage.

A short while later, he returned with Suzhi.

After hearing what had happened, Su Zhi smiled and said, "That's easy. I know an old craftsman who has a stall around here and specializes in repairing all kinds of handicrafts. He'll definitely be able to figure out what the problem is."

Led by Su Zhi, the group arrived at the old craftsman's stall.

The old craftsman, wearing reading glasses, was sitting there intently repairing a wood carving.

Su Zhi stepped forward and explained the situation to him. The old craftsman nodded, put down his work, took the item from the middle-aged man, and examined it carefully.

After a while, the old craftsman looked up and said, "The damage to this thing is not a quality issue, but rather caused by human error. Look at the damaged area; there are obvious signs of excessive force. It must have been accidentally dropped on the ground or hit a hard object."

The middle-aged man looked somewhat embarrassed after hearing the old craftsman's words. He muttered, "Even if I broke it, he shouldn't be so fierce."

The young vendor quickly said, "Brother, I didn't mean any harm to you. I just felt you were being unreasonable. Now that things are clear, please don't be angry anymore."

Zhu Han smiled and said, "Now that the matter has been resolved, everyone can go home. In the future, when you encounter problems, you should discuss them calmly and not argue at the drop of a hat."

The middle-aged man and the young vendor both nodded and left.

The crowd gradually dispersed, and Nanshikou returned to its usual bustling state.

Su Zhi looked at Zhu Han and said with a smile, "Your Highness, you really know how to handle things; you're both fair and reasonable."

Zhu Han said modestly, "This is all thanks to everyone's help. If it weren't for Miss Suzhi knowing the old craftsman, this matter would have been really difficult to resolve."

"Your Majesty, you're welcome."

Su-Chih said, "However, this incident has also made me think about something. Although Nanshikou is bustling, disputes occasionally occur. It would be great if there were a dedicated place to handle these disputes."

Zhu Han's eyes lit up, and he said, "Miss Suzhi's idea is excellent. We can set up a small 'mediation office' in Nanshikou, just like the government offices, and find some fair, impartial, and prestigious people to serve as mediators to handle disputes here. This way, we can resolve problems promptly and maintain order in Nanshikou."

"Your Highness's idea is absolutely brilliant."

Bai Yu said excitedly, "In this way, Nanshikou will be more harmonious and orderly."

"However, the personnel for this 'mediation office' need to be carefully selected."

Zhu Biao said, "We must find people who are upright, kind, and have a good reputation so that everyone can be convinced."

Zhu Han nodded and said, "Biao'er is right. We need to discuss the selection process carefully. Miss Suzhi, you have good connections and know many people in Nanshikou. Could you also keep an eye out for suitable candidates?"

Su Zhi smiled and said, "Your Highness, rest assured, I will definitely keep an eye out for you. If I find a suitable person, I will let you know as soon as possible."

After chatting for a while, seeing that it was getting late, they prepared to return to the old academy.

On the way back, Zhu Han kept thinking about the "mediation office".

"Your Highness, look what that is?" Li Yu suddenly said, pointing ahead.

Zhu Han looked in the direction Li Yu was pointing and saw a group of children gathered together, doing something.

Curious, they went over and discovered that the children were playing a new game.

They drew some squares on the ground and then took turns jumping, chanting some rhymes.

"What kind of game is this?" Zhu Han asked.

A child looked up, smiling, and said, "This is a new game we invented called 'hopscotch.' It's so much fun! Your Highness, why don't you try it?" (End of Chapter)