Chapter 198: Simple Problems
“Big Brother, I, I have one more thing I’d like to ask you.”
Upon hearing this, the boy thought, “Oh dear, what the heck, little brother, let Big Brother rest a bit. Big Brother has been drinking tea all day. It’s already nearing noon. Let Big Brother eat first, would you? Look at your awareness. Damn, Hahahaha.”
Normally, the boy would have directly refused or not said anything. After all, he was also a human being and needed to eat at the proper time. What else was there to talk about? However, seeing that his little brother was very sensible and respectful of him, he said, “Ask away. After this, Big Brother will eat first, and then I’ll tell you about anything else later.”
“Ah? Big Brother, you haven’t eaten yet? Why don’t you go eat first? You can tell me when you’re free.”
“Alright, just ask what you need to, quickly. I might not get back to you again for a long time. Cough cough cough.”
“Hahahaha, okay then, I’ll ask, Big Brother.”
“Mhm, speak.”
“It’s just that I recently encountered a matter where I need someone’s help. This person is much older than me and is a woman. If I ask her for help, she will have ulterior motives towards me. Big Brother, should I just bear it myself or what should I do?”
“What to do? You want her help, and she wants your body. Isn’t this just a transaction?”
“Ah? Big Brother, how did you know she wants my body?”
“Isn’t that obvious? If you had money, would you need to find her for help? Money can solve many problems. If she wanted your money, you wouldn’t be conflicted. It’s precisely because she doesn’t want your money that you’re conflicted.”
“That’s also true, hehehe. Big Brother, what do you think I should do?”
“This, this Big Brother cannot decide for you. You have to choose yourself. If you want that woman to take advantage of you, and you feel no loss even after losing your virtue, or if you give her an opportunity to approach you and have ulterior motives, we are all people of the martial world. Let’s not treat others like fools.
If you feel you don’t want to give her this opportunity, then simply don’t use her. Figure out how to solve the problem yourself. Otherwise, after you use her and then ignore her, it’s easy for her to develop a desire for revenge. If this happens, and you’re not careful, she might set a trap to scam you.
In interacting with others, one must sometimes learn not to harbor malicious intent, but to be vigilant.
This “harming others” doesn’t necessarily mean you go out and scam someone. Sometimes it refers to exploiting others, or simply needing their help. If you need them, or if you are exploiting them, and this person is not your father or mother, how could they help you for no reason?
Even between very good friends, if you want them to lend a hand, it’s always give and take. Even when Big Brother was raising pigs back then, I bought two packs of cigarettes for my older brother from whom I got the piglets, as my mother instructed. Reciprocity is a fundamental principle.
As the saying goes, asking for help is like swallowing a three-inch sword; relying on others is like climbing a nine-heavenly mountain.
This matter depends on you. If you feel it’s absolutely necessary, that you can’t live without it, then just try to survive first.
If you feel you can manage even if it’s not done, then put this matter aside for now. It will eventually pass. Don’t push yourself into a dead end. If you do it once, there will be a second time.”
“I understand, Big Brother.”
“Mhm, learn to look at your own perspective from the outside. Don’t treat this matter you’re facing as your own. Think about it: if a stranger encountered this situation and faced a choice, you, watching from the side, would be able to see it more clearly. This is called ‘the onlooker sees more than the player’.
Also, there’s basically nothing in this world that cannot be solved. If there is something that cannot be solved, then whatever you do is useless. So, you should look at problems simply. The simpler the better. It’s like you have a candy given to you by your mother, and you want someone’s banana. They say okay, but you need to exchange your candy for it. You definitely wouldn’t be willing, right? It’s as simple as that.”
“Big Brother, are there no relationships in this world that are not intertwined with such benefits?”
“No, there aren’t. It’s just that the nature of the benefits differs. For example, when Big Brother writes books for you to read, then you giving Big Brother gifts is equivalent to buying Big Brother a drink, right? Or if you give too many, it’s like treating Big Brother to a meal?
But the difference is, you can read the books Big Brother writes for free, or when you ask Big Brother any questions, Big Brother won’t demand you give him any benefits. It’s all up to you, and he won’t make things difficult for you.
And when you use someone else, she isn’t Big Brother, so she naturally won’t help you for no reason, will she? She will definitely ask for some conditions.
Even Big Brother himself, when helping others resolve doubts, doesn’t he look at their disposition? If I helped an ungrateful person or a bad person, and taught them how to use human nature to scam others, then Big Brother would become a villain. Therefore, Big Brother only helps kind people learn how to protect themselves. He doesn’t help those who don’t know right from wrong, or those who don’t respect Big Brother.
For instance, some people, before consulting Big Brother, would speak to Big Brother like, ‘Oh dear, I have a question,’ and Big Brother would meticulously explain a lot, especially since they follow my books.
But you don’t know what they are like normally, right? That self-righteous attitude, thinking they understand everything, believing nothing can trap them, feeling they’ve overcome challenges of mind, wealth, and emotions, and are now powerful.
Afterwards, they get trapped by one or two of these three things and don’t know what to do. Then they come asking me again. Do you think I can manage that?
All these challenges and hurdles, when you speak to Big Brother, you claim to have overcome them all, and that there are no problems. Then why are you asking me? Even if you ask me, I can’t answer! Who told you to show off to Big Brother? Hahahaha! What do you say, little brother?”
“Hehehehe, that’s right, Big Brother. Luckily, I don’t show off to you. Otherwise, Big Brother, you’ve taught that being modest and prudent in life is flawless, hahaha. If I showed off to you, and then had something to ask you later, you probably wouldn’t pay attention to me, would you?”
“Hahahaha, be more confident, little brother. Remove ‘probably’ and that question mark, and you’ll get your answer. Wahahahaha.”
“Hahaha, Big Brother, don’t worry, I definitely won’t show off to you. If I show off to my Big Brother, wouldn’t that be foolish? After learning from you, Big Brother, and then showing off, forget about me going to school, even Monkey King didn’t dare to do that when he was with Patriarch Bodhi. At most, he’d show off to those around him, and even then he’d get scolded.
“Oh dear, you really didn’t watch Journey to the West for nothing, did you? You can even think of that.”
“Hehe, look at that. Otherwise, why would I be your little brother? I’m definitely not going to be an ordinary person in the future.”
“Hahahaha, that’s right, Hahahaha…”
“Hahaha, okay Big Brother, then I won’t bother you any longer. I’ve already delayed your meal. Hehe.”
“It’s fine, that’s not a problem. Go on, go play. We’ll chat again later.”
“Okay Big Brother, Boundless Blessings to you, Big Brother.”
“Indeed, little brother. Boundless Blessings.”
