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

Chapter 40 Waiting for You

At 9:45 p.m., the school was still brightly lit.

Chen Shi'an went downstairs and waited on the corridor leading to the school gate on the first floor, carrying his bag.

In the distance, you can still see the left half of the basketball court, where a safety barrier is set up around the backboard.

The broken glass had long been cleaned up, but many students still went over to take photos and observe it during their break.

Although the announcement did not mention his name and class, many students already knew from gossip that it was "that Taoist priest from Class 5 of the second year of high school who did it." Fortunately, most people did not recognize him, but his appearance became more and more mysterious through rumors.

Chen Shi'an thought to himself, now that he's shaved his head and is wearing a school uniform, if he blends into the crowd of onlookers at the basketball court, probably no one will recognize him as the culprit...

However, besides Class 5, there are other classmates who recognize him.

Chen Shi'an waited for a short while before seeing a pretty figure come down the stairs. Her eyes searched the first-floor corridor and finally locked onto him. The girl tightened the strap of her backpack and ran quickly toward him.

"Is it you? Is it you?"

"Ok?"

"Was it you who shattered the backboard at dusk? Everyone says it was the new Taoist priest from Class 5 who shattered it!"

Wen Zhixia chattered on, her big eyes staring incredulously at the boy in front of her. She really couldn't believe that Chen Shi'an, who seemed so refined and polite, actually possessed such amazing explosive power! It was like a small car with the core of a heavy truck inside!
Chen Shi'an looked embarrassed and whispered, "This matter should not be publicized..."

"It really is you!!"

Wen Zhixia was both surprised and excited, and there was still a lot of disbelief in her eyes. "So that's why you didn't wait for me to go to lunch this afternoon. You went to vandalize public property!"

"Hey, you're making it sound like I did it on purpose."

The girl giggled and asked curiously, "Did the school make you pay compensation?"

"not yet."

"Then it seems we don't need to... Oh right, with your strong connections, the school definitely won't make you pay money."

"..."

Chen Shi'an thought to himself that he should apologize to Uncle Lin another day. He hadn't brought any glory to the school yet, and all he did was cause trouble.

He had already taken two steps, but when he looked back, the girl was still peering towards the basketball court.

Are you coming or not?

"Wait for me!"

Wen Zhixia quickly followed, and the two walked leisurely along the corridor toward the school gate.

"How do you usually train? Are you super good at basketball?"

"I usually practice Taoism in the mountains, and this is my first time playing basketball."

"Really? Your physical abilities are incredible! I heard from my classmates that even in sports-specialized classes, there aren't many people who can dunk."

"Does the school have special sports programs?"

"Yes, there are also music and art classes. What are your special skills?"

"I can perform rituals for the deceased. I'm exceptionally fast at this."

Chen Shi'an wanted to be modest, but he couldn't be modest at all, because his deliverance was really exceptionally fast.

"...That doesn't count!"

"Do things like playing the erhu, flute, zither, ink painting, calligraphy, swordsmanship, chess, and wood carving count?"

"You've actually studied this! How did you learn so much? Where did you find so much time?"

"I don't have to go to school. I have plenty of time on the mountain, so when I'm bored, I study this and that."

"So how's your learning going?"

"Understood."

There was nothing around for him to demonstrate, and Wen Zhixia wasn't sure how much Chen Shi'an meant by "somewhat knowledgeable." However, she was already quite surprised just to hear that he had learned so many things.

"You Taoist priests also learn these things?"

"Music, chess, calligraphy, and painting are all part of the Dao. Music is the sound of nature, chess is the yin and yang, calligraphy is the cultivation of the mind, and painting is the expression of the mind. Skills advance towards the Dao, and the Dao is in daily life. This is the core idea of ​​the Daoist tradition of the unity of Dao and practice, and the Dao is inseparable from things. There are many predecessors who have attained enlightenment through art, and they are just like us ordinary Daoists who have reached the same destination through different paths."

Chen Shi'an's words were something that would never be heard in the classroom, and he would never have such insights and depth when communicating with his peers. Wen Zhixia was stunned, and the girl pondered for a long time while pinching her chin.

"Hmm...does that mean everything can be described?"

"Similar meaning."

"Then... is the tea ceremony a way?"

"Yes."

"What about swordsmanship?"

"Yes."

"What about foot massage?"

"...What's this?"

The two had already reached outside the school. Wen Zhixia pointed with her small hand and said that there was a "foot massage and wellness" restaurant not far away on the other side of the road.

Chen Shi'an hesitated for a moment, then said uncertainly, "I'll have to experience it myself to know..."

The girl laughed upon hearing this, pursed her lips, and said, "Actually, you just wanted an excuse to go get your feet washed, right?"

"I call this being meticulous; I wouldn't dare to talk about things I haven't experienced."

"It's really interesting chatting with you!"

Wen Zhixia couldn't help but sigh. After a dull day of studying at school, now that class was over, with the cool night breeze blowing and listening to Chen Shi'an talk about things she knew nothing about, she inexplicably felt a sense of comfort, like when she was a child, listening to her grandfather telling stories while fanning himself with a palm leaf fan on a summer night.

"So you understood everything I said?"

"That's what makes it interesting—because you don't understand it, but somehow you think what you're saying makes a lot of sense."

After thinking for a while, Wen Zhixia finally knew how to express that feeling: "It's like when I was a child, I didn't understand anything and I was curious about everything. When my parents told me some secrets, I felt very excited!"

"Yes." Chen Shi'an nodded. "This is a thirst for knowledge."

"Then, when they get older and understand more, they'll find it annoying when they talk about things they already know, and they'll feel something's wrong when they say things that are different from their understanding!"

“Hmm.” Chen Shi’an nodded. “This is rebellion.”

Wen Zhixia tilted her head and asked him, "Then what should we do?"

"There's nothing we can do; it's just a normal natural phenomenon."

"Then you know how?"

"I won't."

Why can't you?

"Because the first thing my master taught me was self-discipline, integrity, mindfulness, and understanding of one's true nature. Moreover, he himself practiced giving without possessing, acting without relying on his own abilities, and nurturing without dominating, never interfering excessively with me."

As Chen Shi'an walked and talked, the girl followed him like a little chick, listening and nodding.

No wonder Chen Shi'an, despite being his age, gave off a completely different vibe from others. Besides his experience growing up in a Taoist temple, the educational philosophy he received from a young age was also entirely different from others. While others spent over ten years striving for high scores, he spent eighteen years cultivating his character. Wen Zhixia couldn't imagine what kind of mental state that was. The young Taoist priest beside her was like the sea; the more she interacted with him, the more special and interesting she found him.

"Sigh." The girl sighed softly, "If I had known that cultivating Taoism was so good and that I could understand so much, I would have gone to the mountains to become a nun. I'm so tired of going to school and taking exams every day."

"If you're not in the right mindset, shaving your head is just a hairstyle."

"Get lost~~"

Wen Zhixia reached out her small hand and slapped him lightly, but then realized that the action was too intimate. Her pretty face turned slightly red, but fortunately, the darkness of the night concealed it.

The girl raised her eyes to steal a glance at him, and only felt relieved when she saw that he didn't react.

After school starts in September, the weather gradually turns to autumn.

The daytime is still as sweltering as midsummer, but the night is definitely much cooler now.

A gentle breeze felt pleasant on their faces as the boys and girls, dressed in identical school uniforms, walked side by side, their shadows stretched long by the streetlights.

Wen Zhixia usually goes to and from school alone, especially when she goes home at night. As a girl, she feels a little insecure, so she always walks very fast.

But now that Chen Shi'an is with her, she's not afraid to walk this dark road anymore.

He's a Taoist priest! Even if there were any demons or monsters in the pitch-black night, they wouldn't dare come near him!
There's a blond thug? He's the kind of guy who can blow backboards! Can an average person withstand one punch from him?!

Wen Zhixia felt incredibly safe; it was wonderful to be able to team up with Chen Shi'an.

As Chen Shi'an passed a fragrant sausage stall, he heard someone's stomach rumbling.

"Are you hungry?"

"how do you know."

"I could hear your stomach growling."

"...There's no need to say that."

Wen Zhixia felt embarrassed; she was indeed hungry.

With such intense studying every day, how could she not be hungry? She had originally planned to lose weight by going home, taking a shower, and going to bed early, but now that he had pointed it out, her empty stomach was clearly starting to protest against her willpower.

"Are you hungry?" Wen Zhixia asked him.

"If you're hungry, just eat something. Why are you asking me?"

"Say it quickly!"

"Hungry."

Wen Zhixia was relieved. So he was hungry too, which at least proved that she wasn't a little glutton!
She called out to Chen Shi'an and then stopped in front of the sausage stall.

The stall was lit up, the light shining on the rolling sausages. The sausages were slit in pretty cuts and sizzled with oil under the scorching heat. Just looking at them made the girls' mouths water.

"Boss, how much is this grilled sausage?" The girl's voice was sweet and innocent. Once she asked this question, it meant that she definitely wouldn't be able to sleep tonight if she didn't get to eat this grilled sausage.

"Three yuan a stick."

"Oh, give me two!"

"Do you want it spicy?"

After the boss finished asking the question, Wen Zhixia did not answer, but turned to ask Chen Shi'an instead.

"Do you want it spicy?"

"what?"

"I'll treat you! Tell me quickly, do you want it spicy?"

"Then add a little."

"Boss, both of them have to be spicy... I want these two."

Wen Zhixia pointed with her little finger to the two best-roasted sausages on the grill, their outer skin slightly charred and the pink sausage meat inside peeking out.

"it is good."

The owner was very efficient, his hands moving so fast it was dazzling, as he used various small bottles of seasoning to season two grilled sausages.

Wen Zhixia also took out her phone, scanned the code, and paid six yuan.

Do you need a bag?

"No need, thank you boss~"

Wen Zhixia put her phone back in her pocket, happily took the two grilled sausages, and then handed one of them to Chen Shi'an with a "Here you go!"

Night enveloped her, but the lights from the sausage stand illuminated her pretty face, revealing a genuine and innocent smile of joy from sharing.

"Thank you."

"Hmph~ You're welcome~"

Chen Shi'an took the sausage from her small hand. The freshly grilled sausage was still warm, so the two of them walked even slower, eating as they went.

"How is it? Is it too spicy?"

"Hmm, it's a bit spicy. You can handle spicy food really well."

"Hehe, it tastes better when it's spicy."

At a time when everyone is hungry, eating a grilled sausage like this makes not only Wen Zhixia but also Chen Shi'an feel satisfied and content.

"Since you treated me to grilled sausages, I'll bring you some beauty and health tea next time."

"Did you go to buy it?"

"If you have the herbs, go and collect them in the wild yourself. If you don't, buy them and I'll prepare them for you."

"You can do this too! What's in there?"

"I usually use rose petals, hibiscus, goji berries, red dates, lotus leaves, hawthorn, white peony root, and poria cocos. I'll mix and match them for you depending on the situation."

"Will it be very bitter?"

"It's not bitter. If you find it bitter, you can add some honey."

"Honey!"

Wen Zhixia likes honey; just hearing the name makes her feel sweet.

The two ate slowly, and before they had finished their sausages, Wen Zhixia had already arrived home. Chen Shi'an looked at the location she pointed to, which was near his own neighborhood, so it was indeed very convenient and close by.

"I'm leaving now. I'll be waiting for you at this intersection at 6:15 tomorrow. Bye-bye!"

"Bye-Bye."

Chen Shi'an used words he wasn't used to and waved his hand lightly, mimicking her gesture.

When he was a child, he lived in the mountains, while his classmates all lived in the villages, so they could never get together to go to school.

I never expected to experience that feeling so many years later.

Pretty good.

(End of this chapter)