Green Mountain

Chapter 803 650: Gifts

Chen Ji had a dream.

In the dream, he was flipping through his mother's diary, reading the scattered words inside.

"Little Bun is one year old, oh boy, I bought him a gold necklace, but he can't wear it now, so I'm wearing it for him first."

"Little Bun is two years old, this year I bought him a pair of sunglasses, I'll wear them for him first."

"Little Bun is three years old, let's buy him a gold ring!"

"Four years old, not as easy to fool!"

"Bun is five, today I invited his kindergarten friends over to celebrate his birthday at home, I made the cake myself!"

"Little Bun is six, I cooked long-life noodles for him, not tasty, bland, but I forced him to finish it."

"Seven years old, I traded a Crispy Shark treat for his promise to wish for mom to stay forever young and beautiful, quite a bargain."

"Little Bun is eight, I told him to wish for the family to become rich!"

"Ah, it came true!"

"I wonder if anyone will celebrate his birthday after his dad and I are gone... It's quite sad when I think about it, maybe I should buy myself a bag."

Chen Ji was grinning foolishly as he read, but the birthdays in the diary always stopped at seventeen.

He kept flipping forward.

He kept flipping.

Flipping endlessly.

But after that, the diary was only filled with infinite blank pages.

Suddenly, Chen Ji's body started falling downward, he looked beneath him to see the villa's floor turning into an endless dark abyss. He kept falling, not knowing how long it lasted until the surrounding view suddenly opened up.

The moment he dropped out of the abyss, his short-sleeved shirt, shorts, and sneakers abruptly transformed into a large black gown and black boots, the robes flapping wildly in the wind.

Chen Ji was still falling, he turned his head and saw a massive moon, looming large and high in the sky.

Beneath the moon was an endless sea of black clouds, and a lone boat was drifting on it. Chen Ji landed on the boat, stared vacantly for a moment, then looked up to see a thin and lonely figure standing at the edge, holding a long bamboo pole.

Chen Ji felt that the figure seemed strangely familiar. He sat up and hesitantly said, "Li Qingniao?"

Li Qingniao didn't answer, focusing on navigating with the pole.

Chen Ji pursued, "Why ferry me to the Ning Dynasty?"

Li Qingniao replied without turning his head, "Sell me something, and I'll answer your question."

Chen Ji frowned, "What do you want to buy?"

Li Qingniao turned back under the moonlight, "Life."

Chen Ji's expression gradually calmed down, "I can't give you life."

Li Qingniao started to laugh, "Seems like you have something worth holding onto. Congratulations, you have a home and can keep moving forward. King, happy 18,000-year birthday."

Chen Ji suddenly asked, "Is there no birthday gift?"

Li Qingniao paused at the bow of the boat.

He dropped the bamboo pole and started to search himself, then smiled wryly, "Sorry, I didn't bring anything."

Chen Ji said calmly, "Just answer my previous question then, why ferry me to the Ning Dynasty?"

Li Qingniao pondered, then meaningfully said, "Greed is the root of affliction, creating karma and suffering. Anger is the door to countless hindrances, blowing up minor issues, harming others and oneself. Ignorance is the cause of unenlightened karma, trapped in a sea of suffering, unable to attain liberation. Greed, anger, ignorance, who will win? I hope it will be you."

Chen Ji was just about to ask more when a rooster's crow, piercing and far-reaching, sounded over the cloud sea, along with the melodious tune of the night patrol, "The morning rooster crows, early to bed, early to rise!"

...

...

Chen Ji suddenly opened his eyes, lying on the floor mat, breathing lightly, momentarily unable to distinguish whether it was a dream or reality.

If it were real.

What does greed, anger, ignorance mean? Why must there be a winner? Could it be related to the Officer from the Military Intelligence Department who has been eyeing me?

Chen Ji pondered for a long time but could make no conclusions.

He lifted the Wu Yun that was pressing on his chest, gently lifted the quilt, and got up, inadvertently disturbing Zhang Xia.

Zhang Xia, in her white inner robes, slipped out from under the bed curtain and brought him a long robe to wear.

She stood before Chen Ji, yawning while helping him tidy his clothes, "Did you have a nightmare? I heard you say in your dream 'I can't give life'."

Chen Ji looked down at Zhang Xia's smooth forehead, her delicate nose, and those Phoenix Eyes beneath the willow-leaf brows, "Mm, had a nightmare..."

He probed, "Did I say anything else?"

Zhang Xia casually replied, "You also said if you wander off again, you'd be a dog."

Chen Ji: "..."

Zhang Xia tied the belt for him: "Father said you stood outside Eastern Hua Gate all day yesterday, why are you so silly? You're not a real coachman. After you send him to Eastern Hua Gate, you should find a warm teahouse to pass the time. Before he comes out, he will send a little eunuch to call you."

Chen Ji replied with a smile: "Okay."

Zhang Xia adjusted his collar again before going back to the bed and pulling up the bed curtain: "Go ahead, I need to catch up on sleep. When it's daylight, I have to substitute teach at the Imperial Academy. After my class ends, I'll bring Xiao Man and the little monk to find you. It's your birthday today, and I'll treat you to Donglaishun's hotpot lamb."

"Alright," Chen Ji responded as he prepared to put on shoes and leave, only to find the old boots missing and a pair of new boots placed on the ground.

It was as if Zhang Xia could see outside through the bed curtain, he immediately added: "Your previous boots were practically worn down. Xiao Man secretly made a new pair as a birthday gift for you. She also forced the little monk to chant scripture over the boots for three days, saying the little monk should bless them to keep you safe."

Chen Ji changed into the new boots, surprisingly fitting him well.

He lifted Wu Yun's nape and placed it on his shoulder, carried the Whale Blade out the door, and when he reached the main hall, Zhang Zhuo was sitting alone at the square table, drinking porridge while looking at the memorial beside him.

Chen Ji glanced at it, and the memorial mentioned the matters of Yunzhou.

On November 20th, in the 32nd year of Jianing, the Esoteric Sakya Sect won the temple 'Great Treasure Palace' from the Gening Sect during the Debating Scripture. This temple is a key arena of the Gening Sect, able to control three local chiefs.

After winning the Great Treasure Palace, the Sakya Sect set off for Dan Gan Temple. Winning Dan Gan Temple is only a matter of time. If the Sakya Sect wins the last Zhengbang Temple and Sera Monastery, the Gening Sect will truly be defeated, with no chance to turn the tide.

Chen Ji sat by the square table, curiously asked: "Something happened in Yunzhou?"

Zhang Zhuo closed the memorial: "This is not something you should worry about today."

Chen Ji was puzzled, wondering why.

He asked again: "Where's Mom?"

As soon as he spoke, footsteps were heard from outside the main hall.

Chen Ji turned his head to look, and Mrs. Zhang was walking ahead while Nuanchun followed with a tray. On the tray was a bowl of steaming noodles, with two fried eggs on top.

Mrs. Zhang gracefully sat down beside the square table without a word.

Nuanchun placed the tray in front of Chen Ji, smiling: "Son-in-law, for your birthday, Lady personally made these longevity noodles."

Chen Ji was amazed: "Mom made it herself?"

Mrs. Zhang sat opposite him, still with the same bland demeanor.

Seeing Chen Ji looking over, she immediately picked up her porridge bowl and used a spoon to slowly nudge the red date peel floating on the porridge, without lifting her eyelids: "The noodles will get soggy."

Chen Ji said with a smile: "Thanks, Mom."

Nuanchun stood behind Mrs. Zhang and whispered: "Lady got up at 3 AM, kneaded the noodles herself, saying the store-bought noodles aren't chewy enough. For birthday longevity noodles, the noodle must be unbroken from start to finish."

Mrs. Zhang placed the porridge bowl on the table and said sternly: "You talk too much."

At that moment, footsteps were heard again outside the main hall, and Zhang Zheng dragged Xu Shu in.

Xu Shu's hair was a mess, and his face had pillow marks: "What's the point of this? He's only nineteen, what's there to celebrate for a birthday? I'm over a thousand years old, yet I haven't seen you celebrate for me - I'm the one in the Zhang Family who should celebrate the most."

Zhang Zheng replied helplessly: "You don't even remember your own birthday, how can we celebrate it for you?"

Xu Shu grumbled: "I didn't forget, I just can't say. If your birth date is not strong enough, it can be deadly if someone fixates on it, don't you understand?"

Zhang Zheng responded perfunctorily: "I understand, I understand."

Xu Shu entered and shouted: "Sis, what delicious food are you preparing early in the morning? I smelt the fragrance from across the courtyard… Huh, where's my breakfast?"

Mrs. Zhang glared sideways at him: "If you can't wake up after the rooster crows thrice, what breakfast are you eating?"

Xu Shu stepped back half a step, nudged Zhang Zheng with his elbow, and whispered: "Why is your mom so murderous early today?"

Zhang Zheng ignored him and said to Chen Ji: "Little Uncle wants to give you something."

Xu Shu's face changed: "Offering flowers as tribute to Buddha?"

Zhang Zheng urged: "Quickly, quickly."

Xu Shu reluctantly pulled out a palm-sized cloth bag from his sleeve, tied with a red string at the opening, and placed it beside Chen Ji's hand: "Here you go."

Chen Ji opened the bag and found a copper token necklace inside, engraved with four seal script characters "Medicine Master Glaze."

The copper token was only thumb-sized, and carried a faint warmth.

Xu Shu, yawning, leaned against the chairback, stretched lazily, and spoke languidly: "Body like glaze, inside and outside transparent, breaking the darkness of ignorance. If you're ever on the verge of being beaten to death, recite what I just said."

Chen Ji was curious: "And then?"

Xu Shu blinked: "Then I'll know where you died, making it convenient to perform your last rites… Sis, why did you hit me, I was joking with him!"

Mrs. Zhang slapped his back with a cold face: "Such a good day, why speak ominously!"

Xu Shu quickly said: "This thing has great use… Stop hitting!"

Chen Ji sat in the lively main hall and was silent for a long time, softly saying thank you, without knowing if anyone else heard.

Zhang Zhuo smiled as he got up, patting him on the shoulder: "Don't be restrained at home, let's go, you hold onto those memorials."