Chapter 493: Seeing the universe, seeing all life, seeing oneself

The drinking party lasted till nearly 1am. The fallen and semi-intoxicated people were sent off in batches.

Tongtong had her own little domain at Bright Brilliance. There was a small bed there where she could rest a little when tired. Xu Tingsheng got a female employee to help him support her over, settling her down for the time being.

𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

“Help look after her for a while. I’ll send her home later,” Xu Tingsheng said.

Xu Tingsheng could not leave right away. He needed to sober up a little first.

He ran into Huang Yaming and Tan Yao.

“Where’s Old Jin?” Xu Tingsheng asked.

Old Jin had not gotten excessively drunk that night and had not left too.

Leaning on the banister for support, Huang Yaming pointed downstairs.

Old Jin was sitting on a chair not far away from the entrance. He had a wineglass in his hand as he looked rather interestedly at the crowds who were still here at this unearthly hour. While he was simply people-watching, it seemed to provide great enjoyment for him.

Not far away from him, a young woman was dragging a man, entrapped amidst a bunch of women, home. She first tolerated it and tried to persuade him out of here in a low tone. In the end, however, she gave up on keeping quiet and began yelling as virtually everyone could hear her.

This might not be some novel event as it might even be an entertaining show to watch. Also, it was not so nice to interfere in the household affairs of others. Huang Yaming, Tan Yao and the security guards downstairs all showed no intention of stepping in.

Yet, her man was probably drunk and full of himself as he simply refused to leave, clamouring, “You stupid bitch! You can’t work up the mood at all. Just like a dead frog. It’s been five years. Every time I think of going home, I feel sick to the core...”

As he spoke of feeling sick to the core, he really vomited.

The woman suddenly fell silent as she quietly watched the man yelling hysterically without holding back...she knew him so well. He usually gave up in arguments, but he was actually resolute to this extent today over this kind of matter?

That woman grit her teeth. Then, she turned, scanning the area.

She walked over to Old Jin and said, “You, come home with me.”

Even if she could not get her husband back, she was going to claim one home nevertheless?

The place was immediately filled with laughter, applause, cheers.

“Don’t want your husband anymore? Changing one on the spot?”

“Nicely done, little sis...”

“How about me, big sis? I’ll go home with you.”

“A valiant lass indeed...”

Having been nourished by alcohol through the entire night, everyone’s passion and enthusiasm blazed on exceptionally rampantly. Such might be the inevitable byproduct of nighttime, alcohol, and these rowdy people.

“I’m not going. To tell you the truth, I don’t like dead frogs too,” Old Jin smiled.

This was much too hurtful.

That woman seemed to have suffered an immeasurable injustice as her chest heaved intensely and her eyes bored holes into Old Jin.

Old Jin returned her gaze, saying earnestly, “There’s nothing to feel wronged about. Dead frogs, white belly flopping up, four limbs splayed out, unmoving. After some time, pretty much anybody would feel disgusted. The mood-if you can’t work it up, it’s a crime.”

If you can’t work up the mood, it’s a crime?

The DJ present played a long note and shouted.

“What we want...”

All the men and women there yelled simultaneously in reply, “Work up the mood!”

“If you can’t work it up...”

Everyone’s spirits seemed to have been lit ablaze as they yelled all at once, “It’s a crime!”

Right after getting bullied by her husband, the woman had been bullied by Old Jin, and now she was being bullied by the entire room of people.

“You’re all a bunch of disgusting people... Boohoo...” She cried.

“While it may be true that you should get rid of this man, you yourself also have to change in the future. Don’t think that it’s illogical. The logic is like you only know how to make plain porridge, and you request for the man to love and only ever eat plain porridge his entire life...now that actually is illogical, and self-delusional too.”

Old Jin got up and said, “Learn some other dishes.”

She looked up and said coquettishly, “You teach me then.”

Old Jin fled in a panic. Those three upstairs all burst into laughter.

......

“It is said everywhere that love is gradually dying out. What exactly do you lot think is it that has killed love?” Sitting in Huang Yaming’s office, Old Jin who had not even graduated from primary school asked a philosophical question.

“I don’t know about this sort of stuff.”

“Money and authority? Sense of values?”

“Convenience of information and socialisation?”

The three consecutively answered.

“Condoms,” Old Jin said.

“Hah...”

“Before this thingy existed, love should still have been a serious and important affair. People would take longer getting to know each other, and the determination needed to love someone would be greater. When two people get together...it would also be easier for the relationship to bear fruit.”

The three exchanged looks. Old Jin...are you a philosopher?!

“I went to the coal mines without graduating from primary school,” Old Jin said, “Afterwards, when I got a bit of money, I believed studying in university to be beneath me like many others around me. There was no need to be cultured. But afterwards, when I got richer, my thoughts on this changed again.”

“You look even more cultured than we do now,” Tan Yao commented.

“No real foundation, just relying on shortcuts here and there. If you want me to read books and whatnot from the start, I can’t do it,” Old Jin said slowly, “At the start, I listened to people talking about book contents. I listened to everything from ancient to contemporary times that there was and learnt many things. Afterwards, I started listening to people talk about principles, Buddhists, Daoists, even that Christianity from the West. Still, the teacher said that I warped the principles that I heard to fit my own. He said that there was no need for me to listen any longer.”

“Then, I started trying to read...I really couldn’t do it. So I found a woman, one who graduated from some famous university. Tingsheng’s seen her before, that’s the one. Why did I find her? Because her reading voice is especially nice to listen to...”

"At first, she would read while explaining it to me. After listening for half a year or so, I didn't let her do any explaining anymore, only allowing her to follow the original text word by word. She asked me why. I said: If you tell me your principles and I listen to them, won't I become as dumb as you?! So, better for me to comprehend that myself."

The trio did not say anything to that.

The first time Xu Tingsheng had been won over by Old Jin, it had been because of his temperament. Even as he was free and unbridled, it suited his humanity and values so well. The second time could be attributed to his methods. A heroic character who brought down thunderbolts, typhoons with but a wave of his hand-it had been Xu Tingsheng's first time seeing such a thing. The third time was tonight, over his personal cultivation.

Despite never even having graduated from primary school, Old Jin already surpassed the majority of human beings by so much.

"In my teens, I stepped past the threshold and saw the extent of the universe. In my twenties, I saw all life, learning of the ways of people. In my thirties, I began to see myself, fearing that it was too late..." Old Jin asked, "What about you guys?"

This question seemed to be the actual purpose of Old Jin having said so much that night.

"Us?"

"You don't know the extent of the universe, the height of the heavens and the depths of the earth on which you stand," Old Jin told Huang Yaming.

"You're one level lower than him," Old Jin told Tan Yao.

Both of them dared not say anything in reply.

It was a rare chance for them to receive words of wisdom in earnest from Old Jin.

"What about me?" Xu Tingsheng asked.

"I can't understand you. That's why I value you so highly," Old Jin said.

Xu Tingsheng was feeling a little full of himself.

"Still, I know that you have definitely yet to see yourself."