Chapter 3: A 'Loving' Family
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Today's Song is: Bryan Adams - This Is Where I Belong
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The rain ceased its punishment as it gave way to a beautiful spring dawn. Birds sang and the village showed off its splendor as the rays of the morning sun shone down on the people below as they set about their morning chores.
Suo Bai was in a large, spacious room, the room had four large bookcases, two on each side of the room, and a large table with a window behind it.
This was his family's private library, and Suo Bai was currently sitting at the main table in the room, intently reading a book in his hands, while being surrounded by countless books scattered across the table and floor.
[Sir, that was the last book in the library!]
"hm... 127 books, and only 4 of them are about the Gu world. How much do people from that world like poems?" Reading 127 books in one night may be a feat to be praised, but for Suo Bai it was a frustrating act.
Unfortunately for Suo Bai, this family library had no recipes for Gu worms or other deeper knowledge. All he found were books on economics, geography, history and poems, lots of poems...
"Fortunately I still had some winnings." Suo Bai murmured, looking at the four books in front of him.
The first book was large and had a thick yellow leather cover with the faces of several animals drawn on it, this was the 'Bestiary of the Southern Border - Vol. I' - This book describes where these animals live, what they eat and how they reproduce, their strengths and weaknesses, it didn't have information on all the beasts of the southern border, but it did have the most famous and well-known by the community.
The second book was smaller and carried a simple green cover like a small diary, this was the 'Gu Encyclopedia' - it was a small collection of knowledge of Gu materials and worms that was common knowledge to even mortals. it was the basics of the basics, but it would be of great importance to Suo Bai.
The third was larger, its cover was a dark brown color with some mountain peaks drawn on the front, it was the book 'Topography of the Southern Frontier - Vol. II' - This book talked about the best-known places on the southern frontier, their main resources, who commanded them, and where to find them.
The fourth and last was the simplest of them all, but also the most important in Suo Bai's personal opinion, this was a small worn grey booklet with a large stylized name on the cover, 'The Legends of Ren Zu', this small booklet was the main inheritance of the human way left by the great ancestor of humans.
The knowledge and depth hidden in this book came from a wisdom beyond measure. Even Suo Bai, who relied on Nexus' help to decipher and interpret these texts, was unable to gain much from reading the book, but both Suo Bai and Nexus still felt that they had scratched the surface of this little fable.
[Sir, it's already 6 a.m.!]
"Really? Time really does pass quickly when you're concentrating." Suo Bai got up and started tidying up the books he had left scattered around the room.
Suo Bai quickly finished tidying up the books and moved slowly towards the window so that he could open it and let some fresh air into the room.
As soon as the window was open, sunlight could finally enter the small library, illuminating everything it touched. Suo Bai looked out of the window and enjoyed the scenery as he felt the light spring breeze on his face.
Even under last night's heavy rain, the village still looked as beautiful as a landscape painted in a picture. But now that the sun was shining on this land, all Suo Bai could see was a magical wonder.
Unique and strange birds flew over the rooftops while singing a beautiful melody, the houses and the environment blended together in a way that seemed like a kind of perfect symbiosis between civilization and nature, with magical plants and trees in every corner of the village adorning the beauty of the quiet human civilization.
Some animals so different that they seemed to have come right out of fiction walked back and forth alongside the people in the streets. The people walking the streets were interesting in their own way too, some using Gu worms to do some mundane actions while others used the nature around them to influence their surroundings.
Even mortals did things interesting enough to surprise people not of this world. The Gu World is much bigger and more magical than it appears to outsiders.
"The author really wasn't fair in describing the beauty of this world. It far surpasses any landscape I've ever seen in my past life, and if Gu Yue village already has this level of beauty, imagine the places the author actually described as beautiful?!" Suo Bai thought as he reaffirmed his determination to enjoy every moment of this incredible magical world.
"What do you think, Nexus? Isn't this landscape beautiful?" Suo Bai spoke to Nexus as he opened his arms with a warm smile on his face of pure ecstasy and joy.
[It really is a beautiful place, Sir!]
"It certainly is a beautiful place to live!" Suo Bai lowered his hands, but still kept his smile on his face as he turned around planning to go back to his room, but a small young woman suddenly opened the library door and came in calling his name.
"Young Master Fang Yuan, I finally managed to find you. I was worried I wouldn't find you in your room this morning and I searched the whole house, come on, you have to get ready for your awakening ceremony." A small maiden with long brown hair and smooth skin spoke tiredly as she looked at where Suo Bai was.
'Whew... Luckily I managed to close my eyes before I created another victim. Suo Bai sighed as he kept his eyes almost completely closed, seeing only through a small slit that he had purposely left in his ajar eyes.
"Let's go to your room, we don't have much time, I'll help you get ready." The young woman took Suo Bai by the arms and gently guided him back to his room in a hurry.
'That must be little Shen Cui. She's kind of cute. Suo Bai thought as he looked at the little girl who was pulling him with interest.
Shen Cui was wearing a long green dress with small embroidered details on the sides and a long-sleeved cloak overlapping the dress. She was wearing pretty embroidered shoes on her feet while her long brown hair was pinned up with a white clip of some kind of jewel.
Suo Bai hadn't taken her smile off at any time, not even when she was assessing Shen Cui's appearance. That's why she ended up noticing the broad smile that Suo Bai flashed at the world.
'Young master Fang Yuan seems much more approachable today! He's... Resplendent. Yes, he's much more resplendent. Shen Cui thought as he looked at the warm smile that Suo Bai wore on his face, a smile so legitimate that it even warmed the heart of the beholder.
'It must be because today is finally the awakening ceremony!' Shen Cui thought as she delighted in thoughts of her possible future as a master or instead of a servant.
'If the young master accepts me, I can get out of this life of servitude and become a master!' Shen Cui was already getting lost in her wet dreams as she accompanied Suo Bai back to her room.
Suo Bai thought for a moment as he looked at his newest servant. 'Shen Cui, the little girl who wants to get out of slavery by any means possible, I honestly don't blame her.
Suo Bai sighed as he remembered the stories of slavery from his past life, only here it was ten times worse - 'Being treated at least like a human being here is already a profit. But there are places and people who treat mortals as nothing more than grass in the pasture, ready to be mowed down without a care in the world.
Soon they arrived at their room and began to get ready. Suo Bai cleaned his face and teeth, while Shen Cui combed his hair.
'And the fact that a young girl who can be influenced and is afraid of the future is trying everything she can to escape this cruel fate isn't strange at all, in fact it's quite human of her to give it her all while trying to break her own chains that imprison her.' Suo Bai turned her gaze to the sky from her bedroom window.
That's how this world works, on the outside it looks like a magical world of extreme beauty, but on the inside it's as rotten and ugly as the deepest sewer. Suo Bai was able to see both sides of the same coin at once, both the beauty of the world and the rottenness of the human heart.
'Two extremes living in the same place, it's really worthy of the irony the author tried to convey in the original book. Suo Bai watched the clouds dance across the sky as he listened to the sound of his heart beating in a calm and serene rhythm.
Suo Bai finished cleaning himself and Shen Cui finished combing his hair. Now Suo Bai was standing while Shen Cui undressed him and helped him change his clothes.
'I more than anyone know what it's like to be trapped by a cruel fate. And with my power now, I could certainly help you get out of that life. Suo Bai raised his right hand to the sky as he thought.
'But what if I do just that? Even if I help her, what would I do afterwards? I couldn't help everyone I see along the way. Would I then have to choose those who can or can't be free?' Suo Bai saw the contradiction and hypocrisy of his ideas.
Even if he chooses to help some, there will always be those who are left behind. Suo Bai knows that he can't help everyone he sees, so wouldn't it be hypocritical of him to help some and leave others to die? That was the irony of helping others, it will never be enough, you could always have done more.
[If you'll allow me Sir. I believe you are demanding too much of yourself. I don't see any substantial benefit in helping beings who will turn their backs on you at the first unexpected turn of events].
"Oh? Go on." Suo Bai raised an eyebrow as he lowered his raised right hand.
[You're right about the fact that you can never please everyone, and there will always be someone or something missing that you could have saved or helped]
[Even if you save and help as many people as possible, but in the end everyone will only see the ones you failed to help, they'll question why you didn't do more, they'll point fingers at you. In the end everything you've done will have been in vain]
[And you know this very well, humans are inconsistent by nature. They are going to want more to satisfy their selfishness and greed]
'I understand what you mean, Nexus. But you have to remember that I'm still human, and humans naturally feel empathy for the weak and the like. Suo Bai replied calmly.
[But you also have to remember that humans are prone to mistakes. You will never be able to please everyone, there will always be one side that feels aggrieved or excluded.]
[And since they will be so ungrateful to you, why should you spend your time and effort on such people!]
[I recommend that you focus only on yourself and leave these distractions aside. You yourself know that goodness is never properly rewarded, only selfishness and determination allow you to achieve anything]
[Good people are always the first to die]
Suo Bai didn't lose his smile even listening to all this. 'Do you remember what my mother used to say?'
[Perfectly, sir! Her phrase - 'do good without looking at whom' - is an interpretation of the biblical phrase from the book of 'Acts' - where Peter said: 'I know for a fact that God is no respecter of persons, but whoever fears him in any nation and does what is right is accepted by him'].
[As if to say: 'Everyone who is well-intentioned and does good is accepted by God, no matter whether or not they believe in Christ or what religion they belong to']
Exactly. And my beloved mother always insisted on this phrase to me, and I ended up absorbing it. The last thing my respected mother left me.
'I will never consider myself a really good person, but I prefer to believe that I only do what is necessary. Suo Bai wants to be considered as just a human being, a human being who sometimes does good things out of empathy and sometimes does bad things out of anger.
After so long trapped in chaos in a state of madness, Suo Bai has learned to stick to and cling to the 'Human', clinging to being 'human' is the best thing to do in these situations. Suo Bai has a completely different philosophy to Fang Yuan.
For Fang Yuan everything is fleeting and will always turn to dust and disappear into the river of time, nothing matters to him apart from his ambition to be 'Eternal'. What's really admirable is that his determination to pursue his goal is so great that nothing else matters to him.
But for the current Suo Bai this is different, the fact that he is flesh and blood connects him to others in this world in a way that gives him a greater vision of the whole. He knows more than anyone the importance of small moments, the importance that a good person can make in certain people's lives.
Suo Bai certainly admires the 'good' old Fang Yuan for his determination and willingness to never give up on his goal and keep going despite the setbacks in his path. After all, there's nothing more beautiful than seeing a man pursuing his dreams.
But Suo Bai knows that the world and people are much more than others usually bother to know. The fact that a mother will do anything to protect her own child, or a father who risks everything to give the best he can for his family, the son who dedicates himself to honoring his parents' name. All of this makes up what it means to be human, despite the exceptions.
Considering only the bad parts of a person is not exactly ideal. Humans will certainly fail, but they are also constantly getting things right. Out of 10 things a person does in a day, they get 8 right and 2 wrong, but people won't see the 8 right things, only the 2 wrong ones.
That's why it's essential to be a different person, who sees the good, to be that person who sees the 8 successes instead of the 2 mistakes. Who does good without seeing to whom, the depth of human goodness can be opened up in this way.
[I understand, Sir]
'I realized what you did Nexus...' Suo Bai said as he smiled slightly.
[...I don't know what you're talking about, Sir...]
'Heh' Suo Bai shook his head.
"That's enough. Thanks for your help." Suo Bai gently pushed Shen Cui's hands away while showing her a calm smile.
Suo Bai smiled a little as he found this girl's attempts at seduction amusing.
Shen Cui stood to the side waiting patiently with a blushing smile on his face. She was still fantasizing about her possible future with her young master.
'Apparently it hasn't been enough yet. But fortunately I still have time, so as long as he notices me, it's half the battle. Shen Cui thought about how he still hadn't managed to completely seduce Suo Bai.
"But the young master really does look much more handsome when he smiles like that. He should smile more often!" Shen Cui blushed slightly as he thought of Suo Bai's calm smile.
Soon Fang Zheng arrived in the room to call his brother to come down and go to the ceremony, only to notice Shen Cui standing next to Suo Bai. And with a slightly more relaxed face, he looked more courageously at Suo Bai.
But it wasn't a look of defiance or challenge, it was more of a fearless and courageous look. This made Suo Bai smile a little when he saw that his little action last night had helped Fang Zheng to feel a little more confident.
Shen Cui noticed Suo Bai's gaze and looked in the same direction, eventually seeing Fang Zheng standing by the door looking in his direction. She felt a slightly conflicted feeling when she saw Fang Zheng's face.
Because after all, they were very close to each other in childhood, even before Fang Yuan (Suo Bai) demonstrated his great 'talent'. But because of certain circumstances and external influences they had to move away.
Shen Cui's conflicted look did not go unnoticed by Suo Bai, he understood almost immediately what she was feeling.
'Shen Cui looks much prettier this morning with her new hairstyle. Fang Zheng thought, avoiding looking into Shen Cui's eyes out of embarrassment.
Suo Bai then took the initiative to speak. "Fang Zheng, my little brother, how are you today? Come and get in, you don't have to stay cowering outside."
Fang Zheng raised his head in surprise as he looked at his older brother and his big smile; "My older brother's smile is just like the one in my dream."
"What?" Suo Bai asked in doubt as to what Fang Zheng was muttering.
"Ah! N-nothing big brother. I just came to tell you that the uncles said we shouldn't be late for the ceremony." Fang Zheng let his nervousness overwhelm him again as he spoke almost incongruously.
"Shen Cui, could you come out and leave us alone?" Suo Bai asked with a calm, composed smile on his face.
Shen Cui wanted to pout and respond in a spoiled way, but after seeing his smile she lowered her head with flushed cheeks as she quickly left the room.
"Are you ready for the big day, Fang Zheng?" Suo Bai approached Fang Zheng slightly while trying to strike up a conversation with him.
Fang Zheng unconsciously turned his head away, almost instinctively avoiding looking into Suo Bai's eyes as he muttered a simple 'yes'. Suo Bai sighed as he looked at Fang Zheng,
It's really quite unfortunate the extent to which the human mind can influence a person. It only took a weak glance for Fang Zheng to unconsciously create a small trauma.
Not to mention the psychological juggernaut that his uncles performed on Fang Zheng. Making him think he was inferior to his brother, slowly breaking down his confidence and self-esteem.
To the point where Fang Zheng would be completely dependent on them, so he could use him as a deterrent against Suo Bai himself, who has shown that he values and protects his little brother. After all, they had to be prepared in case Suo Bai held a grudge when he grew up.
"Don't worry, Fang Zheng, from today everything will change. Don't let the demons of your mind beat you." Suo Bai knew what it was like to go through severe depression, after all he had been alone in chaos for God knows how many years, so he empathized with Fang Zheng's case and decided to help him while he could.
What if Fang Zheng ignores him or even turns against him afterwards? That doesn't matter to Suo Bai, what really matters is that he did his part. Not to mention that Fang Zheng is also just a naïve young man who's easy to mold.
Suo Bai is confident of not only fixing Fang Zheng's current state, but also improving his character, making him a true heroic warrior.
"Don't worry about other people's opinions of you, because that's all they are, just opinions. You haven't experienced anything yet and you think the world is everything you've seen, but the world is much more vast and beautiful than you think." Suo Bai began to give Fang Zheng some tips.
"Stop letting your emotions control you and take control of yourself for yourself, live for yourself and your ideals." Fang Zheng was surprised and raised his head sharply to listen to his brother. Suo Bai rarely spoke to him and when they did, it was only a word or two.
But now his brother was somehow trying to motivate him, Fang Zheng didn't understand half the things his brother was trying to tell him now. But he knew he was trying to help him, after falling into the abyss of depression all a person wants is someone to help them, and having someone on your side wanting to motivate you is like a breath of fresh air.
"Keep that in mind as you move forward." Suo Bai knows that half the things he's just said to Fang Zheng will go straight over his head, and maybe he won't even understand any of it now.
But Suo Bai isn't discouraged, he knows that depression isn't something so simple that it just goes away with a few words of motivation. But if you have the right guide and good friends by your side, you can certainly overcome this obstacle in your life.
Seeing that Fang Zheng was still standing there with no response, Suo Bai decided to go down first while patting his younger brother lightly on the shoulder.
"I'll go down first. Come when you're ready."
Suo Bai descended slowly as he headed towards the meeting with his aunt and uncle. As he approached, he could see his uncles sitting at the table with fake smiles on their faces, waiting for him to eat.
"Fang Yuan. You finally decided to come down. Come and sit down and have your coffee before you leave." Dong Tu spoke very eloquently as he offered Fang Yuan a seat next to him.
"Today is going to be a great day for you. I wish you all the luck in the world in your ceremony." Auntie said as she grinned from ear to ear.
"Thanks Auntie." Suo Bai replied with his characteristic calm smile and his eyes just ajar.
Soon Fang Zheng came down too and was invited to take part in the little theater that is this breakfast.
"Fang Zheng, come and sit here." Dong Tu offered a seat opposite Suo Bai while smiling with his eyes.
"Whatever happens at the awakening ceremony, I want you to know that we consider you to be our own children." Auntie spoke while holding Dong Tu's arm in an act of closeness.
Suo Bai and Fang Zheng simply nodded as they continued eating their breakfast.
Anyone looking from the outside would think that this was a close-knit, harmonious family, but if they really took the time to pay attention they would see that it looked more like a nest of snakes where one tries to eat the other.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
PilgrimofWisdom
PilgrimofWisdom Look man, I know the chapter was a little weird and I ended up touching on some weird topics and ended up tripping while reviewing this.
But I just wanted to say that it's not my fault, it's the medicines' fault.
Unfortunately, I caught a nasty flu this week and had to take some really strong medication to keep me well.
And on the day I was reviewing this chapter I had just arrived from church and was high on medicine, and you saw what happens when you mix an innocent reading of the Bible with a 40° fever and a head full of medicine.
Anyway, that's it. What did you think of the chapter? Your opinion and as always Good luck on the battlefields.
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