Pingshan was quite surprised by Lian's response, as such words seemed out of place coming from a twelve- or thirteen-year-old boy.
He gave Lian a few more curious glances, then smiled, helped him to his feet, patted his shoulder, and departed with a smile.
Lian watched the Taoist depart, absentmindedly scratching his head.
He murmured to himself, "Taoism... going with the flow. Maybe it suits me after all. Or perhaps, just as this Taoist said, I truly have a connection with Taoism."
Back home, his mother noticed Lian's pale complexion and asked with concern.
Lian didn't hide anything and recounted the events of his journey home.
His mother immediately insisted on taking him to the hospital for a checkup, but his father dismissed it as unnecessary.
The couple argued briefly, but Lian's firm refusal eventually settled the disagreement.
However, one remark his father made during the argument struck Lian as particularly harsh, though it wasn't directed at him, but at his mother. "Just looking for an excuse to visit your old classmates again, aren't you?"
The next morning at breakfast.
Mom kept reaching out to touch Lian's forehead and repeatedly asked about his condition.
Dad watched the morning news on TV, noticed Mom's worried expression, and sighed. "Alright, if you're really concerned, we'll make time to go to the hospital."
Mother pouted, shot him a sidelong glare, and suddenly kicked him hard under the table. Father let out an exaggerated loud scream.
Lian couldn't help a soft chuckle. He saw that his mother was only pretending to be angry, and he found it charming.
After school that afternoon, Lian stepped out of the school gate to find his mother smiling and waving at him. Her orange-red dress stood out vividly against the gloomy sky.
"Mom, are we going to the hospital now? Lunch break might not be long enough, we'll need to eat, register, and wait in line. That'll take time." Lian knew his mother was determined to visit the hospital today, but he hadn't expected her to pick him up at noon.
"I already called Teacher to excuse you. You're skipping half the afternoon, you little rascal." Mom winked, her face twinkling with mischievous glee.
Seeing her expression, Lian couldn't help but smile wryly inside.
He hadn't noticed it much as a child, but over the past couple of years, Lian had come to recognize his parents' carefree, comical ways.
Ironically, it was Lian himself who, having read too much, seemed prematurely old for his years.
His mother waved her hand. Perhaps because her outfit was quite eye-catching, a taxi pulled up immediately.
She opened the back door, climbed in, and as she shifted her way inside, she called out to Lian: "Hurry up and get in! I took the afternoon off, but better early than late. Let's grab lunch first, then head to the hospital."
Lian climbed into the cab. As it pulled out of the street where the school stood, he caught sight of what appeared to be an ancient building on the right side of the intersection. Suddenly remembering the Taoist priest Pingshan, he couldn't help but ask the driver, "Sir, what street is that? Looks like there's an old building over there?"
The driver turned his head to look in the direction Lian indicated and replied, "Oh, that one? That's Xiang Road. You must be talking about Xiang Temple. I heard it's quite old, built during the Ming Dynasty or something like that. It's right near your school, isn't it? How come you didn't know about it?"
"I just started middle school, so I'm not familiar with the area around the school yet," Lian explained, feeling a bit embarrassed.
In truth, Lian had been in middle school for over a semester. But after school, he'd always hurry home with his head down, paying no attention to his surroundings. That's why he still hadn't figured out the layout of the streets near his school.
The taxi pulled up outside the Hospital. His mother pulled Lian out of the cab. They grabbed lunch at a small restaurant next to the hospital before heading inside to register.
The moment they entered the hospital lobby, the sea of people left Lian speechless, and his mother frowned.
However, neither of them was concerned about delays, since his mother's old classmate was the vice president of the First Municipal Hospital.
As usual, his mother pulled Lian straight to the vice president's office. The office was located in a separate, single-story building beside the hospital, surrounded by bushes.
Upon arriving at the Vice President's office, they found the door tightly shut.
Mother knocked twice, but there was no response.
Growing impatient, Mother said, "Lian, wait here. I'll go find out where Uncle Jun is." With that, she hurried off.
Lian could only lean against the office door and wait.
With his mother gone, the area around the office grew eerily quiet. Suddenly, Lian realized an extremely faint sound was coming from inside.
He paid closer attention, pressing his ear against the door. He faintly heard sounds that felt "strange" for someone his age.
"Mmm... ah..."
The sounds made Lian feel an inexplicable heat rising within him.
"Could Uncle Jun be in there?" Lian suddenly grasped what might be happening inside.
Reading extensively had its downsides, it made him mature too quickly.
Many ancient scholars were the self-controlled passionate type.
Their writings appeared to discuss broad theories, they often contained hidden "personal meanings."
Lian hadn't fully understood this before, but after reading more, he gradually grasped it.
Though he'd never witnessed it firsthand, the sounds emanating from the room made everything clear.
If this happened to anyone else, Lian might not feel much. But knowing it was his own family, people who'd watched him grow up, engaged in this act stirred an unusual intensity within him.
Just as Lian was losing himself in the sounds, the click-clack of his mother's high heels approached.