Wen Yan placed a hand on the Taoist's shoulder, his eyes shining as he declared loudly, "Let's go. We'll take a look together and see if the person you've been longing for is truly as inhumane as you believe."
The Taoist was struggling; he didn't dare to face it.
As the endless light around them gradually dimd, they found themselves by the bank of a small river.
Just like the last ti they went back, the world was only black, white, and gray.
A Little Taoist, his topknot slightly askew, squatted by the river, staring blankly at the crabs in the water and muttering to himself.
Crabs... fried might be delicious. No, no, no, the book says they must be stead. The crab roe is extrely delicious. What does 'delicious' even taste like?
While the Little Taoist was lost in his daze, a sudden laugh startled him.
On the other side of the small river, a girl of about ten, dressed in a colorful, padded jacket, squatted on the ground. Her chin rested in her hands, and she was looking at him with a laugh, her eyes crinkling into crescents.
The Little Taoist looked up, a bit of drool still at the corner of his mouth, and stared blankly at the girl across the river.
The setting sun cast beams of light through the trees onto the opposite bank. The mont the light touched down, a streak of color burst forth from where the girl stood, sweeping across the entire world like a shockwave.
In that instant, birdsong and floral fragrances filled the air, and a rainbow halo shimred on the water's surface.
The girl's laughter, the babbling of the water, and the chirping of insects and birds resonated, weaving a moving symphony.
"Hey, Little Taoist, do you want to eat at? I heard you guys aren't allowed to eat at, right?"
"No, no, no..." The Little Taoist, startled, quickly stood up and retreated, waving his hands repeatedly.
"My mom says crabs don't have at. Does that an crabs don't count as at?"
The Little Taoist's heart thumped wildly. "Eternal Blessing Heavenly Master!" he shouted, then turned and fled.
He had just been wondering: the crabs in this little river are so small, they barely have any at. So, does eating crabs count as eating at?
The scene instantly changed, dissipating with the wind.
The Taoist standing beside Wen Yan began to tremble.
In an instant, the scene changed again.
It was still a world of black, white, and gray. The Little Taoist seed to have grown a few years older; he was now around fifteen or sixteen.
He sat ditating on a large rock by the river, his eyes closed.
On the other side, a girl with a ponytail, carrying a thermal lunchbox, approached with light steps.
As her footsteps fell, color blood in the monochro world, spreading with her every step and tinting the grayscale surroundings.
The dim world seed to spring to life. The sunlight softened, casting a warm filter over the scene.
"Hey, Little Taoist, look what good things I've brought you!"
Upon seeing the girl, the Little Taoist forgot his ditation and quickly stood up.
As the girl drew closer, the Little Taoist, noticing she was a bit taller than him, sneakily pulled at his Taoist Robe to cover his feet, then quietly rose onto his tiptoes.
She laughed, a charming and joyful sound. Sunlight fell on her face, making even the fine downy hair on her skin visible.
Her large eyes still crinkled with a charming laugh; just one glance was enough to cheer anyone up.
The Little Taoist stared at the girl, unconsciously reaching out, as if trying to grasp that ray of sunlight, to preserve this perfect mont.
However, the tips of his ears reddened. He hurriedly turned his head away as if nothing had happened, his heart pounding. But even though he turned his head, his eyes, unbidden, continued to fixate on the girl.
Looking triumphant, the girl stepped forward and opened the lunchbox, revealing half a container of rice, so crab roe tofu, and green vegetables.
The Little Taoist quickly shook his head. "No, no, I can't eat this. If Master finds out, he'll surely punish again. Master said I have great talent and might have the chance to receive Impart Teaching, so I need to practice diligently."
"Little Taoist, why are you still so silly? You're just not as smart as . There's no crab roe in here."
"Impossible!" The Little Taoist sniffed, saliva instinctively beginning to pool in his mouth. "I've eaten it before; I rember the taste! Last year, after you gave that crab roe tofu, I ate it, and when I went back, Master slled it on ."
"Little Taoist, there's no crab roe in this, trust . My mom said it's high-tech—a scientifically researched crab roe flavoring, without a trace of actual crab roe. I heard it's really expensive, and I secretly saved so just for you. Try it quickly."
The girl extended the lunchbox, her face full of anticipation as she watched the Little Taoist.
The Little Taoist, who had been standing on tiptoe, unconsciously let his feet settle flat on the ground. He tilted his head up slightly to look at the girl, feeling as if her entire being was glowing.
He ate the crab roe tofu—the one supposedly without crab roe—with great delight, savoring a taste he knew he would never forget.
Watching the girl who seed to radiate light, the Taoist standing beside Wen Yan dazedly reached out a hand, as if to take the lunchbox.
Just then, the scene shook once more. Brightness engulfed everything, and they returned to a world of pure light.
The Taoist standing next to Wen Yan reached out a hand dazedly, grasping at the emptiness before him.
Now, the halo slowly faded. This ti, it wasn't a world of black, white, and gray that appeared, but one already filled with vibrant color.
This ti, the Taoist was about eighteen or nineteen, perhaps twenty.
He no longer needed to stand on tiptoe; he had finally grown taller than the girl.
They were still by the riverbank. The ground was covered in a layer of snow, and snowflakes drifted gently from the sky.
His feet on the snowy ground felt soft, and each step made a CRUNCH, CRUNCH sound.
The girl spoke. "I'm going to college, Little Taoist. From now on, I'll only be able to co back during holidays."
"Ah... Oh. Well... congratulations then."
"Little Taoist, don't miss too much, okay? I'll send you postcards."
"Oh..."
The Little Taoist smiled, though a sense of loss he couldn't hide clouded his expression.
He had heard that many people from here who went to college never ca back.
After college, this place would beco just a hotown, one they returned to only after a very, very long ti, if at all.
The Little Taoist couldn't clearly rember what else was said. Only vague voices remained, seeming to grow more and more distant, the sounds themselves fading away.
The scene itself also appeared more blurred, as if viewed through a layer of mist.
They parted ways. After they had walked several dozen ters, the girl suddenly turned around and called out, "Little Taoist!"
"Ah..." The Little Taoist turned. In that instant, the entire world beca crystal clear; even the falling snowflakes seed to pause in mid-air.
All the colors of the world seed to converge at that very mont.
The girl jogged back towards him, stopping a few ters away before calling out again, "Little Taoist!"
"Ah?"
"I'll be your wife in the future, okay?"
The Little Taoist's face flushed crimson, his ears burning, and he stamred, unable to form words for a long mont.
Seeing the Little Taoist not answering, the girl grew anxious. "If you don't answer , I might not co back anymore, okay?"
Seeing the girl growing upset and about to turn and leave, all the rules and precepts in the Little Taoist's mind vanished.
He reached out, wanting to grab her hand, and hurriedly blurted out.
And at that very sa mont, the Taoist standing beside Wen Yan also reached out his hand, shouting the sa words along with his younger self: "Okay, I'll marry you! You'll be my wife!"
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