This humble Taoist priest wants to take the college entrance exam.

Chapter 18 Is the water temperature alright? (Seeking monthly votes~)

After dinner, the sky darkened completely, like a piece of velvet cloth soaked in ink, silently covering the entire city.

But the city did not fall asleep; it is lighting up inch by inch in another way.

The light from streetlights, traffic lights, commercial district lights, residential lights, street vendor lights...

These lights do not disturb each other, yet they are interconnected. They blend and collide in the night, gradually redrawing the outline of the city.

Such a scene is commonplace for city dwellers, but it is still novel to Chen Shi'an and the black cat. The two of them went to the rooftop and looked down at the city's night view.

The rooftop floor, which had been exposed to the sun all day, was still steaming. Fortunately, there was a breeze at night, which quickly dissipated the rising heat.

I could faintly hear footsteps going up the stairs, and then the iron door on the top floor was gently opened.

Chen Shi'an and the cat turned around; it was Li Wanyin who had come up to collect the bed sheets.

"Is that sheet yours, Sister Wanyin?" Chen Shi'an asked with a smile as he watched Li Wanyin take the sheet down from the pole.

"Yes, the top floor is a public area. There isn't enough space on the balcony to dry the sheets, so I brought them up here to air them out."

Li Wanyin hugged the dried bed sheet and smelled it. She especially liked the dry smell mixed with the fragrance of laundry detergent and the scent of sunshine.

She looked up at Chen Shi'an standing by the wall and the black cat sitting on it, and asked curiously, "What are you two doing here?"

"No, just taking a look."

"The scenery here must be very different from what you saw in the mountains, right?"

"Yes, it's very different."

"Okay, I'll go back and take a shower first. Do you want to shower first?"

"Sister Wanyin, you go ahead and wash up. I need to go downstairs to buy some things and get a haircut later."

"Okay, then I'll go back first."

Chen Shi'an patted the cat's butt, and the black cat jumped down from the wall, ran to Li Wanyin's feet, and followed her back into the house.

Li Wanyin was incredibly surprised; this was the first time she had ever seen such an intelligent and human-like cat. Not only was it unafraid of unfamiliar surroundings, but it could also use the litter box on its own, follow people around like a dog, and its bright, amber eyes seemed to understand human speech!

Unfortunately, the aloof cat wasn't as friendly and approachable as Chen Shi'an. Whenever she tried to reach out and pet it, it would always manage to dodge at a nimble angle.

While Li Wanyin was still walking up the stairs, the black cat had already run ahead and was standing in front of the door of room 901, waiting for her to open the door.

"Meow."

"Okay, okay, I'll open the door for you, I'll open the door for you..."

Li Wanyin opened the door, and the black cat swaggered in, jumped onto the sofa, and settled comfortably in a corner.

If you were to ask Shimo what she's most satisfied with about the city, it would probably be this sofa—it's so soft and comfortable!

……

The buildings in the residential area are relatively short, so they are far from offering panoramic views of the entire city.

Coming down from the rooftop and back onto land, this visual limitation becomes even more pronounced. The view is almost entirely blocked by the intricate network of streets and tall buildings, forcing every citizen of Xingdou City to see only what's in front of them.

Nothing more than life itself.

When Chen Shi'an was on the mountain, he rarely cared about material things. It wasn't that he didn't lack anything, but people develop a certain mindset depending on their environment.

Now that he has left the mountain and entered the world, even this young Taoist priest has to consider his food, clothing, and daily necessities.

Chen Shi'an walked into a barbershop near the entrance of the residential area, intending to get a haircut first.

Pushing open the glass door, a blast of cold air hit him. It was the start of the school season, and the barbershop was packed with customers. As Chen Shi'an, dressed in a Taoist robe, entered the shop, both the customers waiting for their haircuts and the hairdresser Tony, who was cutting hair, turned to look at him.

"Little Master, what are you going to do..."

"Get a haircut."

"Oh! There are a lot of customers, so you might have to wait a bit. Why don't you come over here and get your hair washed first?"

"can."

The prices for haircuts are posted on the glass door: 25 yuan for a single cut, and 40 yuan for a wash, cut, and blow-dry.

Chen Shi'an originally only wanted a haircut, but then he thought it wouldn't hurt to try a shampoo too.

After all these years, the only time his master had ever washed his hair was when he was a child. That was a painful memory—his master's calloused hands seemed to want to rub his scalp off, making him grimace in pain.

Unlike the common hairstyles of modern people, Chen Shi'an has the classic Taoist bun hairstyle. As the shampoo girl untied his bun, the boy's long hair fell down, reaching his shoulders.

Chen Shi'an is clean and pays attention to his appearance. His long hair is naturally not dirty. Except when he is sleeping, he always ties his long hair into a bun.

"Your hair is so healthy..."

It's rare to see someone with hair as good as Chen Shi'an these days, the shampoo girl couldn't help but praise.

The shampoo girl brought a dry towel and gently placed it inside Chen Shi'an's collar to prevent his clothes from getting wet during the shampoo, then guided him to sit on the recliner. "You can sit here... um... you're tall, you might need to sit a little lower... okay, try lying down."

Chen Shi'an had never had his hair washed or cut outside before, so he seemed a little rusty. Fortunately, the shampoo girl was experienced and didn't mind Chen Shi'an's rustiness, after all, it was her first time washing a Taoist's hair!
The recliner was soft and comfortable, and the angle of his head and neck was just right in the shampoo basin. Chen Shi'an took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and listened to the sound of the shower.

Water gently fell on his scalp, accompanied by the gentle touch of the shampoo girl's hands combing his hair.

"How's the water temperature? Is it alright?"

"Well, yes."

"it is good."

Then it was time to wash my hair.

The first wash uses a shampoo with strong cleaning power for a quick clean, while the second wash uses a gentle moisturizing shampoo for a thorough cleanse. In between, there are also unique massage techniques. The shampoo girl's nimble hands sometimes pinch, sometimes comb, sometimes scratch, and sometimes rub, which the little Taoist priest enjoys immensely and has broadened his horizons.

Master, oh Master! Now this is what you call washing your hair!
Chen Shi felt relieved, thinking that his master had never experienced such comfort before, and that he had surpassed his master in this respect.

Occasionally, the shampoo girl would strike up a conversation with him, asking things like, "Are you really a Taoist priest?"

"Yes."

"I can't believe it... you seem to be about the same age as me, yet you're already a Taoist priest at such a young age."

How old are you?

"nineteen."

Don't you read books?

"I wasn't good at studying, so I started working after graduating from vocational school."

Where are you from?

"Hehe, you Taoists ask this too? I'm from Xiangnan, have you ever been there?"

"I'll go if I have the chance in the future."

……

Time flew by as we chatted.

Is there anywhere else on your scalp that's itchy?

"that's all, thanks."

"Shall I flush it for you?"

"it is good."

After rinsing the foam off his hair, the shampoo girl used a towel to dry his hair until it was half dry, and then took out a hair clip to help him clip up his long, loose hair.

"Did you specify which teacher to cut your hair? The head hairdresser charges an extra twenty yuan..." Perhaps because she had a good impression of Chen Shi'an, the saleswoman lowered her voice and whispered a reminder, "Actually, they're all about the same..."

Chen Shi'an smiled and said, "Then let's just do a regular cut."

"Okay, please wait a moment, it should be ready soon."

"Okay, thank you."

"Unkind."

Chen Shi'an found a seat and sat down. The shampoo girl poured him a glass of water and then busied herself attending to another customer.

After waiting for about twenty minutes, it was finally Chen Shi'an's turn.

Under Tony's guidance, he sat down in the chair, and Tony took a piece of cloth, shook it out, and then draped it over him.

Tony looked at himself in the mirror, and Chen Shi'an also looked at himself in the mirror.

"How does the young master plan to cut it?"

"Just cut it short."

Chen Shi'an didn't know how to describe it specifically, but remembering the requirements in the admission handbook, he said: "The front should not cover the eyebrows, the sides should not cover the ears, and the back should not extend beyond the neck."

Tony, the hairdresser, paused for a moment, then cupped his long hair and asked, "Should I cut it all off?"

"Yes, we'll keep the standard student style."

"OK, got it."

Then, the sound of scissors rang out, and strands of long hair fell down.

Chen Shi'an stared blankly at his gradually changing image in the mirror, lost in thought for a moment...

This time, we've truly entered the world.

(End of this chapter)