【The Tale of Yun】(51)

page views:1 Publication date:2023-03-24

Chapter 51 Debate
After school in the afternoon, Bei Gong Lingyu packed her schoolbag early, ready to leave.
Li Yun couldn't help but ask why. Bei Gong didn't get angry and explained that
the instructor at a nearby aerobics activity center had quit, and she had taken over the work in that area.
"So you're going to have to add two more class hours? Are you managing?" Li Yun unconsciously
became concerned about Bei Gong's hard work.
"Yeah, but the activity times are just right. I've calculated it, and this way, my income will double in a month
." Bei Gong didn't seem to feel tired at all; in fact, she seemed quite happy.
"Is it necessary to work so hard to earn money?" Li Yun still didn't have much understanding or
concept of money.
Bei Gong glared at Li Yun resentfully.
"...In the past, there was no other way, but now I'm capable of earning money, so it's just a little hard work. With the income from the convenience store,
Mom might not have to work that line of work anymore after a while."
Li Yun felt uneasy when Bei Gong mentioned Aunt Feng, and didn't dare to say anything more.
Seeing Li Yun's timid demeanor, Bei Gong threatened further, "Stay far away from my mother!
If I find you around Yanchang Road... I'll break both your legs!" Seemingly feeling his threat
wasn't enough, he added, "Break the middle one too!" Then, he grabbed his schoolbag and quickly left.
Li Yun was left idly packing his books. At noon, his aunt told him that she and his mother
would be working late, and dinner wouldn't be ready until one of them got home. Therefore, Li Yun
decided to go to Xiangyun Temple to kill time. He wanted to have
his fortune told by Taoist Pingshan, and also, feeling resentful after being severely punished by
Bei Gong at noon, he wanted to play chess with that lousy chess player to vent his frustration.
Upon arriving at Xiangyun Temple, he learned that Taoist Pingshan had been invited away to perform a ritual.
Li Yun prepared to leave, but the ticket seller unexpectedly changed her attitude towards him, not only smiling
but also trying her best to persuade him to stay and wait for Taoist Pingshan.
This made Li Yun a little apprehensive, but thinking that he had
nowhere else to go besides going home to wait for his aunt and mother after leaving Xiangyun Temple, and since the ticket seller said that Pingshan would be back soon, he decided to stay and wait.
Li Yun waited for half an hour, and Taoist Pingshan indeed returned. He was overjoyed to see Li Yun, pulled him into
his bedroom, and then set up a chessboard. Before Li Yun could speak, nine white pieces were already placed on the star point.
"Brother Pingshan, can't you be a little more sensible... I told you last time that I would only play as a
guide game with you. At most, I would give you a three-piece handicap, but you still do this." Li Yun couldn't help but tease him.
"No, no, last time I was given a nine-piece handicap and you still managed to kill me down to only two pieces. Even with a three-piece handicap, you still managed to wipe me out completely
… I admit my skill level is poor, but after the game, I still had some territory on the board, so it wasn't so
frustrating," the Taoist Pingshan argued.
Li Yun just smiled. However, after thinking for a moment, Li Yun decided to help Pingshan improve his chess skills.
"Brother Pingshan, playing like this randomly won't help you improve your chess skills. Looking at chess scores and setting up moves is
just looking at the shapes! You need to understand the intention behind each move. If you don't understand, setting up moves is useless
…"
Realizing that Li Yun was willing to guide him, Pingshan immediately lowered his stance and asked Li Yun for advice.
"You don't even use joseki (standard opening moves) when playing Go... That's not good! For advanced players, joseki are indeed optional
. But for players with lower skill levels, using and learning joseki is very important. After all, each joseki
is a classic pattern summarized by advanced players after countless games..." As he spoke, Li
Yun laid out the "pull-back joseki," a pattern that almost every Go beginner learns, on the Go board and patiently explained it...
"
...In this way, Black and White each gain a control area in the corners, resulting in a balanced
situation. Due to the solid shape, it's not easy for either side to break through the opponent's defense. Generally, at
this point, the player with the first move should move to another area and consider launching a new attack." Li Yun
explained, casually picking up a cup next to him to drink water. Just as he took a sip, he looked up and saw the ticket seller
secretly peeking at the two of them from the window of the room. Inadvertently, he sprayed water all over Hirayama Taoist's face.
The ticket seller, realizing she'd been discovered, quickly left, leaving Li Yun standing there bewildered. Seeing Ping Shan
's state, she hurriedly grabbed her sleeve to wipe him clean…
Ping Shan also noticed the ticket seller's behavior and shook his head.
"It's my fault. I told her a while ago that you're the son of the current mayor, Li. I was hoping
she'd be more polite to you when you came, but I didn't expect her to take notice of you…"
Li Yun said, somewhat surprised. "Brother Ping Shan, I don't remember telling you my father was the mayor! How did you
know?"
Ping Shan didn't hide anything: "When your grandfather passed away, didn't I bump into you in the restroom? After I came out
, I saw the obituary posted outside the funeral home about your grandfather's life. That's when I realized your father was Li Weiying
. With the government reshuffle, representatives from the Taoist Association also participated, and your father was elected mayor. That's when I learned you'd become the mayor's son
."
Li Yun nodded. Ping Shan was a member of the Taoist Association, practically a "public servant." It wasn't surprising that he knew about government
personnel changes, and having seen his grandfather's obituary, he could easily guess his own identity
and background with a little thought. He also quickly understood the reason for the ticket-selling woman's change in attitude. However, the Taoist priest Pingshan's
mention of this woman being "concerned" about him puzzled Li Yun.
Pingshan, noticing Li Yun's question, explained calmly, "Li Yun, don't bother with her.
She just wants to use your relationship with your father to get a permanent position. She's
been selling tickets here for years, and is still just an external employee of the Cultural Relics Bureau, with low income and no job security. She has no other
connections, and now that she knows you're the mayor's son, it's understandable that she has such thoughts."
Hearing Pingshan's words, Li Yun felt relieved and said with a wry smile, "What's the use of coming to me about something like this
? Brother Pingshan, you'd better explain this to her clearly sooner rather than later, so she doesn't waste her time and effort."
"I dare not waste my time here anymore."
Ping Shan agreed with a smile, then casually turned to Li Yun's father.
"Your father is indeed a rare talent! I also attended the CPPCC meeting, and many members highly valued him
. We've known each other for quite some time now, and you can know a father by his son... Your father becoming mayor might truly benefit our hometown
."
Li Yun couldn't help but shake his head... Ping Shan was puzzled.
Li Yun sighed, unsure of what to say. But seeing Ping Shan's puzzled expression, and remembering that this Taoist
priest possessed considerable skill, unlike ordinary Taoist priests, perhaps he could confide in him. Therefore, he finally spoke: "
As a son, it's not appropriate to discuss my father. My father is extremely cautious in his finances and can be considered incorruptible as an official. His governance
has been quite well-received by the people over the years. However, in some aspects... well, in short: not the behavior of a gentleman."
Ping Shan wasn't surprised.
"So, in your mind, your father is also a hypocrite?"
Seeing that Li Yun didn't deny it, Ping Shan laughed.
"A hypocrite is still a gentleman after all! For you, as a son, to hold such a view is truly inappropriate!"
Li Yun was taken aback. "A hypocrite is still a gentleman!" This was the first time Li Yun had heard such a statement, which immediately
sparked his argumentative spirit.
"Brother Pingshan, you're wrong. How can a hypocrite be a gentleman?"
"Hypocrite, true villain, which is worse?" Pingshan launched into a pedantic remark. He was essentially asking, "
Between a hypocrite and a true villain, which is worse?" Li Yun was no stranger to classical Chinese, but hearing Pingshan's words,
he couldn't help but mock the Taoist priest.
Pingshan wasn't angry; he simply asked Li Yun for his opinion again.
Li Yun thought for a moment, then finally replied, "This question has been debated for a long time throughout history. But generally speaking
, more people believe that hypocrites are worse. After all, a true villain is obviously bad,
so people are naturally wary of them, and the harm they cause is limited! But a hypocrite hides among gentlemen, making them harder to guard against, and
the harm they cause is greater. So, in a sense, a hypocrite is worse than a true villain..."
The Taoist priest of Pingshan shook his head. "Young friend Li Yun, you're mistaken! I'll only ask you one question,
think carefully before you answer: would you rather live in a world full of true villains, or
a world full of hypocrites?"
Li Yun listened and began to think again, analyzing as he pondered.
"If they were all true villains... I could take precautions beforehand, but ultimately, it would come down to individual strength
. The result would be... a completely dog-eat-dog world! If they were all hypocrites,
because hypocrites have to hide themselves and care about their reputation, they wouldn't act recklessly. Relatively speaking
, there would be less danger to individuals... In that case, living in a world of hypocrites seems slightly
safer."
"Hehe..." Hirayama laughed.
"That's why I said you were teachable the first time we chatted! Although a hypocrite's name contains the word 'hypocrite,
' it still retains the word 'gentleman'! But a true villain has absolutely nothing to do with being a gentleman! Let me give you a casual
example: 'A beautiful woman, both a hypocrite and a true villain have ill intentions towards her. What would a true villain do
? He would definitely force himself on her... What would a hypocrite do? Probably verbal deception and seduction.'
Which method do you think the beautiful woman would prefer?"
Li Yun's mouth dropped open when he heard Hirayama's example.
"You really are a gluttonous Taoist priest! Why didn't you use a better example? Just a woman… Okay
, I think most women are more susceptible to verbal deception and manipulation."
Hirayama argued, "I was just giving an example; using a beautiful woman is more direct! No need for
so many twists and turns. In this world, true villains and true gentlemen are rare; the vast majority, including you and me,
aren't we all hypocrites? On one hand, we all have greedy desires, but on the other hand, we fear the laws
and rules of the world. Therefore, we can only try our best to hide our greed, either pursuing spiritual peace like me, or
exploiting loopholes in worldly rules like your father to achieve our ultimate goals. But…" "Everyone has something to fear
, and that's what gives the world order. If everyone were a true villain, the world would have been in chaos long ago! Those who
think a true villain is more lovable than a hypocrite haven't witnessed the terror of a true villain... If they actually
encountered one, they wouldn't even know how they died! So I've always believed that being a hypocrite
is better than being a true villain. In a sense, hypocrites are all potential gentlemen. They just haven't escaped the control of greed and desire
! When a hypocrite can resist all temptations, he becomes a true gentleman
!"
Li Yun listened and fell into deep thought...
Using the chess pieces on the board, Li Yun and the Taoist priest Pingshan played a game.
Li Yun had no desire to win; instead, he intentionally guided Pingshan to place his pieces in the correct
positions. As a result, at the end of the game, Li Yun only won by a small margin of about ten pieces.
The Taoist priest Pingshan was extremely happy and, as before, used the endgame's chess positions to divine for Li Yun.
After calculating, the Taoist priest Pingshan looked utterly astonished.
"This...this..."
Looking at Pingshan's expression, Li Yun's heart nearly leaped into his throat. Li Yun
had been worried ever since the last divination, fearing a sudden downturn in his family's fortunes. Now, Pingshan's expression made him suspect that his fears were about to
come true.
"Could it be that my family's fortunes have run out?" Li Yun finally couldn't help but ask.
Pingshan shook his head frantically: "No, this divination is extremely auspicious! But that's impossible...your family's fortunes
are actually controlled by your mother's facial features! Could it be that your mother committed a great evil, draining most of her own fortune?"
Hearing Pingshan's words, Li Yun immediately felt guilty. "Sleeping with my mother is indeed a great evil
, but could it have unintentionally broken the curse on my mother's face? No, this matter absolutely cannot be revealed to the Taoist priest even a little
bit."
Pingshan had no idea what Li Yun was thinking; he simply continued calculating with regret. "What a pity...too..."
"What a pity! Your mother's face has the number nine-nine. If a wise person could guide her and remove four-nine from her count, it would perfectly correspond to
the omen of five-nine. In that case, your father might even rise to the highest position in the country. But judging from this divination,
too much of that fortune has been lost... The divination is very auspicious, but your family's future fortune will only reach the level of a general or minister." Saying this,
she looked up at Li Yun in surprise.
"How did you do that? Tell me quickly... Even the Patriarch Xi Yi might not have had this ability... This
is simply defying fate..." As she spoke, she even started gesturing excitedly.
Seeing Ping Shan's frenzied state, Li Yun turned and ran in terror, shouting, "Don't ask me
! How would I know what's going on? Brother Ping Shan, please let me go..."
Ping Shan chased after him, and seeing Li Yun gone, he looked regretful. But then, remembering something, he quickly and
loudly informed Li Yun, "The divination is very auspicious, but a minor disaster is imminent! Young friend Li Yun, you must be careful!"
At that moment, Li Yun didn't care about anything else and ran home as fast as he could.
Opening the door, he found his mother already home, wearing an apron and humming a tune, happily
busy in the kitchen.

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