"The Qinhuai Grand Event, why not let Young Master stay and witness it?" So fellow villagers advised Zhu Ping'an to stay.
Then, his first uncle Zhu Shouren and others also persuaded Zhu Ping'an to stay and experience the grand event.
"Ping'an is too hosick, and I can only disappoint you, uncles." Zhu Ping'an shook his head, showing no interest at all.
Seeing this, his first uncle and others could only look at him with regretful gazes.
Zhu Ping'an stood at the street corner, watching his first uncle and the other villagers, who were eager to leave and head to the opposite bank of the Qinhuai River, bid farewell. His emotions were difficult to control at that mont. Did his first uncle not know that while using the hard-earned money from the old family house for indulgences, the grandparents and others in the old house were toiling away in hardship?
What "honoring the ancestors"? It only serves to tarnish and sha them!
Zhu Ping'an felt a deep sorrow over this.
As he thought about honoring the ancestors, that mysterious and unexplainable aura reappeared.
He rembered vaguely feeling that there had been so change in the aura at the old house, and he had sensed sothing blurry in the aura. Now, it was clear that it had indeed changed, for he could see it more clearly.
Above the heads of his first uncle and the other villagers who were rushing to leave for the opposite bank of the Qinhuai River, a pillar of luck appeared. However, there was a thin mbrane-like layer outside the pillar, which should be protecting the luck and preventing it from leaking out.
However, at that mont, the protective mbrane around the pillar of luck above his first uncle and the others had holes in it, especially his first uncle. The protective mbrane around his first uncle's luck pillar was like a sieve. Through the holes in the mbrane, a faint thread of nearly invisible cyan luck dissipated into the air. This was why his first uncle's luck remained white, because he could not retain the cyan luck.
Except for his first uncle, the others' luck protective mbranes also had holes, to varying degrees, causing all the cyan luck they had accumulated through studying or the virtues of their ancestors to leak out.
Could it be that others were also like this?
Zhu Ping'an casually turned his gaze to other people on the street. There was a bun shop owner who was giving buns to beggars. Above his head was a strong white aura. His protective mbrane was intact, with no damage at all. A small thread of white aura continuously fused into his luck pillar, protected by the mbrane, preventing it from leaking out. The whitest part of his aura seed to have a slight tendency to change color.
Then he looked at a passing scholar. The protective mbrane above his head was also flawless, and a small thread of cyan aura quietly developed within his luck pillar…
Standing closest to his first uncle and the others, Zhu Ping'an did not see any intention for the cyan luck they lost to gather toward him. It all dissipated into the air.
It seed that he could only see the aura. Even if he could see it clearly, he could only observe. He did not have the ability to absorb others' luck to strengthen his own. There was no change—he could only look. It was really a waste. But it also seed normal. This was the Ming Dynasty hundreds of years ago, not so immortal world.
A few seconds later, Zhu Ping'an could no longer see the aura. As usual, he could only see it for a few seconds.
His first uncle and the others took their leave, eagerly rushing toward the opposite bank of the Qinhuai River. They quickly disappeared from view.
Zhu Ping'an stood in place for a long ti, then smiled self-deprecatingly. He almost went astray. Luck was just an external force. How could he rely on such an ability? One still needs to rely on oneself. Strengthening oneself is the key. Everything still depends on oneself.
This useless ability could be glanced at occasionally, but it should not be considered so underhanded skill.
However, what he had seen just now about luck was enough to serve as a warning.
If he guessed correctly, the protective mbrane of luck should be related to a person's virtues. Good virtues an a good protective mbrane, and your luck will not leak out. The saying "heaven does not disappoint the diligent" applies here. If you work hard and reach your goals, success will naturally follow; conversely, if your virtues are poor, aning your virtues do not match your luck, your luck will leak out. Without luck, it will be much harder to achieve things.
The ancients used to say "virtue matches heaven," and the old books taught, "Virtue is obtained." To obtain sothing is to have virtue. Heaven grants people nature, and it is through this nature that one becos a human being, and also becos oneself. Virtue begins with nature, so the Chinese often refer to virtue as the nature of the person. For example, if a person has filial nature, they also have filial virtue. If a person has the nature of supre goodness, they also have the virtue of supre goodness. Virtue is also called moral character, which has classification and ranking anings. Though people have the sa good nature, their personalities differ, and goodness can be of many kinds. The completion of goodness can also have many levels. The sage is the highest level of goodness and the highest rank among humans.
Heaven has endowed with a good nature, so my virtue is obtained from within myself, from what is inherently mine, not from seeking it externally. Since it is obtained from within, it must be achievable. Therefore, it is said: "A gentleman has no place where he cannot be self-content." It is also said: "A gentleman acts according to his position; when wealthy, he acts in wealth; when poor, he acts in poverty; when in trouble, he acts in trouble; when among the barbarian tribes, he acts among them."
First Uncle and others are enough to serve as a warning for myself. When doing things, one must first be a person.
From this perspective, I can see that fate is not entirely without rit; at least it has served as a reminder for .
Zhu Ping'an watched as the figures of First Uncle and the others disappeared into the distance. He shook his head and then went upstairs with the clothes he bought for the fatty.
When Zhu Ping'an opened the door and returned to his room, the fatty had already finished his bath, wrapped in a bedsheet, sitting at the table with two dishes and a soup, eating greedily, making noises as if he and the pig from the old house, with a white body and black spots, were from the sa school of behavior.
While eating, the fatty saw Zhu Ping'an bringing the clothes and was greatly moved. With food in his mouth, he mumbled, "You're really a good brother."
Zhu Ping'an was speechless. If it weren't for the fact that checking one's fate takes about ten days, he'd really want to check the fatty's fate and see whose fate is more like a sieve, his or First Uncle's…
"Brother Zhu, want so?" The fatty pushed the plate towards him, asking.
"You eat it yourself. I already ate at the Flower Pin Banquet." Zhu Ping'an rolled his eyes.
"Flower Pin Banquet…" Upon hearing this, the fatty seed to have so deep grudge against the food, repeating the words before diving back into his al, continuing to eat like a hungry beast.
After eating his fill, and changing his clothes, the fatty took his leave, hurrying back to the inn where his parents were staying. He had been too embarrassed to return ho in ragged clothes, but now things were much better. If he didn't return soon, he didn't know how Old Master Xue would deal with him.
"Brother Xue, I'll probably be heading ho tomorrow or the day after. We'll et again next year for the provincial exam. But you should make sure to study hard at ho, as the provincial exam doesn't offer opportunities like donating to beco a student anymore." As the fatty was about to leave, Zhu Ping'an ntioned his departure to avoid the fatty thinking he was leaving without saying anything.
The fatty stopped in his tracks, seemingly reluctant. It wasn't easy to et a friend who could actually talk, not one of those reckless companions, and that was rare.
"Fatty's impressive, his talent is at least two asures higher than yours, it's just bad luck this ti. Uh, speaking of returning ho, I might also go back with my parents around then…" The fatty, upon hearing this, grumbled, waving his chubby face, claiming how aweso he was, but when ntioning returning ho, he couldn't help but feel a bit wistful.
"See you at the provincial exam."
"See you at the provincial exam."
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