Chapter 190: Hahahaha
An old monk saw a scorpion fall into a river and reached out to rescue it. Two people nearby warned the old monk, “Venerable Sir, you cannot save it. It will sting you if you do.”
“Yes, Master. It’s just a scorpion, why bother with it? It will sting you.”
The old monk smiled without speaking and rescued the scorpion ashore. However, as the two people had warned, the scorpion stung the old monk’s hand, causing a large bump.
Seeing this, the two who had advised the old monk said, “See? I told you not to, and you didn’t listen. It really stung you, didn’t it?”
“Yes, Master. Why didn’t you listen to our advice? It doesn’t understand human nature. It won’t be grateful to you; it will only harm you.”
The old monk smiled indifferently and said, “It is my original nature to save it, and it is its innate nature to sting me. I cannot change my original nature because of its innate nature.”
Hearing the old monk’s words, one of the two who had advised him called the old monk foolish, while the other fell into contemplation.
The old monk waved his hand and left without looking back, not taking the scorpion’s sting to heart at all.
…
One day, the old monk was descending the mountain with his young disciple when they encountered a woman who wanted to cross a river. The woman was afraid to cross alone. Upon seeing the old monk, she asked him to carry her across. The old monk agreed and carried the woman across the river. Afterward, the woman expressed her gratitude to the old monk.
The old monk and his young disciple continued their journey. After a long time, the young disciple asked, “Master, shouldn’t those who become monks stay away from women? Why did you carry her across the river?”
The old monk said, “I let go of the woman after crossing the river. Why have you been carrying her for such a long distance?”
The young disciple pondered the old monk’s words for a long time and finally understood. The old monk meant for him to let go in his heart. Once he let go, his heart would be clear and unburdened, and he would no longer dwell on the matter of carrying the woman across the river.
After this incident, the old monk and his young disciple traveled for several days. The young disciple became tired and no longer wanted to continue. He said to the old monk, “Master, I can’t go on. I’m too tired and don’t want to walk anymore. Please go on by yourself.”
The old monk smiled kindly and said, “You’re quite a young man, why are you being such a coward? You’ve barely walked this far and you’re already tired? Get up, you scoundrel! I’m this old and I’m not complaining, I’m still leading you. How can you, so young, pretend to be weak?”
Hearing this, the young disciple thought to himself that his master was right. His master was so old and still traveling, and he hadn’t complained of being tired. How could he easily give up?
After walking for a few more days, the young disciple became tired again. “Master, I can’t go on, I really can’t walk anymore. I’m not like you, with your cultivation, able to persevere. When I cultivate to your level in the future, I’m sure I’ll be able to walk without feeling tired like you. Perhaps you should go ahead, Master, and don’t worry about me.”
The old monk said again, “When I was your age, Master, I was just like you. But I refused to admit defeat. I firmly believed I could do it, and that’s why I am who I am today. If I had stopped every time I felt like I couldn’t go on, like you’re doing, then Master would not be Master.”
The young disciple was deeply moved and gritted his teeth to follow the old monk. Later, he felt he truly couldn’t walk any further. He opened his mouth and cried out in hardship, “Master, Master, I think we should just stop. You go on by yourself and don’t worry about me. I really can’t do it anymore. Even if you offered to take me to the Grand Bathhouse to find two women, I still wouldn’t be able to walk. Master, please don’t worry about me; I’m not going anymore.”
Hearing this, the old monk helplessly shook his head. “Alas… alright then. You’re on your own. Master won’t persuade you any further. If fate allows, we shall meet again.”
After saying this, the old monk didn’t dwell on it and walked away resolutely. After the old monk left.
The young disciple rested for a while in his spot. Soon, night fell. Wolf howls began to echo from the nearby mountains, and faintly, pairs of green eyes could be seen staring at him. Terrified, he forgot all about being tired and fled in utter panic.
Three months later, the young disciple, ragged and begging on the street, happened to pass by a place called “Niu Bi De Jin Hen Wu Di Grand Bathhouse.” The young disciple intended to beg for some food. As soon as he entered, he saw an old monk, clad in a kashaya and looking remarkably proud, standing in the main hall.
He looked closely. “Oh my god, damn it!” Isn’t that my Master? Remembering all the hardship and difficulty along the way, the young disciple couldn’t help but shed tears. He rushed forward and knelt before the old monk, lamenting, “Master, your disciple was wrong. Your disciple should have listened to you and walked with you. I regret it, Master. Have mercy, Master, and please give your disciple a massage and a few steamed buns. I’m hungry.”
The old monk pushed his sunglasses up his face and asked with a confused expression, “Who the hell are you?”
Upon hearing this, the young disciple burst into tears. “Master, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have disobeyed you. Master, please forgive me. I was truly wrong.”
As he spoke, the young disciple also reached out and hugged the old monk’s leg, pleading earnestly.
But just as the old monk had let go of the woman, he had let go. How could he continue to dwell on it? He said cruelly, “Get lost! Go beg somewhere else. I’m a proper cultivator, I don’t know you. You’ve mistaken me for someone else.”
Seeing that his master no longer recognized him, the young disciple felt resentment. He thought, “You’re supposed to be a highly attained monk. I just didn’t walk with you, and I already know I was wrong, why are you treating me like this? I hate you. I will be stronger than you in the future.”
With this thought, the young disciple wiped the tears from his eyes, clenched his rice bowl tightly, and walked out of the Grand Bathhouse with a determined ambition.
After the young disciple left, the old monk said helplessly, “You didn’t want to go when I offered to lead you, but insisted on experiencing hardship all the way. Now that you’ve tasted hardship and want sweetness, if I gave it to you easily, your life would be ruined. Don’t blame Master. The blisters on your feet are self-inflicted. To smooth them out, you must walk. Amitabha.”
After the old monk muttered this, the lobby manager of the bathhouse, dressed in a professional black silk suit, emerged with a seductive smile. She said to the old monk, “Master, your total bill is eighteen thousand yuan.”
The old monk took out two handfuls of incense money he had saved for a long time and spat on his hands. “Heh, tui!”
He counted them again and again. The money was still not enough. No matter how he counted, he was short by a thousand.
He put his palms together, his face full of compassion, and recited a Buddhist chant, “Amitabha, well said, well said. Benefactress, I have disturbed your establishment for many days. However, I only took a bath each day. How could it cost so much?”
The lobby manager replied, “Master, what are you saying? A bath doesn’t cost much. But an overnight stay is expensive! Besides, you called two technicians every day for foot massages, extending the time half the night. This amount isn’t even a lot for that. And I’ve already given you a 20% discount.”
The old monk curled his lip. “Can’t you make it any cheaper? Wasn’t I extending the time to save your technicians? And how old are your technicians, anyway? Their hands are so rough, do you know that? You see, my feet are swollen from their massages, and I haven’t even asked you for money!”
The old monk spoke while taking off his shoes. His feet were indeed very swollen. But that wasn’t the worst part. The key was the smell emanating from his feet! Every day, having foot massages and baths was so overwhelming that a fly that flew by was instantly subdued by the smell, letting out a “ga” sound before being KO’d.
The manager vaguely saw a green gas wafting into the air. She quickly covered her mouth and nose, her eyes tearing up from the fumes. She said anxiously, “Alright, alright, I’ll cover the thousand yuan difference for you. Just leave quickly, for god’s sake.”
Seeing that he could save money, the old monk was overjoyed. He put on his shoes and left magnanimously, feeling nothing amiss. As he reached the doorway, he couldn’t resist looking back and shouting, “Next time, get me younger technicians. I’m here to save people. I didn’t save anyone, and my feet got swollen. Hmph. If it’s still those two next time I come, don’t blame me for complaining!”
Hahahaha…
