My Taoist nun girlfriend is from the Republic of China era, 1942.

Chapter 195 Chen Shu's Notes

Life in the capital settled down in a uneventful way.

The weather in May was already showing signs of getting hot and dry.

Lu Yang sat cross-legged on the futon, his eyes slightly closed, his small body sitting upright, trying to calm his mind and focus, just as Chen Xiaomiao had taught him.

The study door was quietly pushed open a crack, and a small head peeked in.

Seeing that Lu Yang was motionless with his eyes closed, Zhao Moli curiously tiptoed and moved step by step to him.

"Yangyang?" she called softly.

Lu Yang didn't even blink.

Zhao Moli tilted her head and stared for a long time before reaching out and gently poking Lu Yang's cheek with her finger.

Soft and bouncy.

She thought it was fun, so she poked it again.

Lu Yang's long eyelashes trembled, and he finally opened his eyes, looking at her helplessly: "Jasmine, I'm meditating."

"What is meditation for?"

Zhao Moli squatted down, her eyes filled with a thirst for knowledge.

"It's just... not thinking about anything, just sitting quietly."

"What's so fun about that?"

Zhao Moli didn't understand, so she imitated Lu Yang and sat cross-legged: "I want to meditate too!"

She closed her eyes, but her little mouth didn't stop talking: "Yangyang, is it okay to talk while meditating?"

"No."

"Oh...can I think about things? I want to eat ice cream."

"..."

"Yangyang, please talk to me..."

Lu Yang opened his eyes and sighed.

The path of spiritual practice is long and arduous.

In the afternoon, the swimming coach that Lu Yuan had specially hired for his two children arrived on time.

The villa's outdoor swimming pool ripples with clear water, and sunlight shines on the surface, creating a shimmering golden glow.

Zhao Moli, wearing a pink swimming ring, had her two short legs dangling in the water, her hands gripping the edge of the pool tightly, refusing to let go no matter what.

"Yangyang...I'm scared..."

Her face was deathly pale, and her lips were trembling slightly.

The coach was a woman in her forties who had been teaching children to swim for many years after retiring from the national team. She was very patient and was squatting on the shore, gently coaxing the children.

Lu Yang had already put on his swimming goggles and, under the coach's guidance, was practicing holding his breath and kicking in the shallow water in a very professional manner. His movements were standard and he was learning very quickly.

"Jasmine, look at Yangyang, isn't he great? The water isn't scary at all," the coach encouraged patiently.

Zhao Moli turned her head and saw Lu Yang's small figure splashing in the water, raising sprays of water. Instead, she clung even tighter to the edge of the pool.

Lu Yang surfaced from the water, wiped the water droplets from his face, and swam to Zhao Moli's side.

"Jasmine, let go of my hand, I'll hold you."

"no, do not want……"

Zhao Moli shook her head vigorously.

Lu Yang didn't urge her, he just floated beside her, stretched out his hand, and waited quietly.

After a long while, Zhao Moli tentatively moved one hand off the pool wall and carefully placed it on Lu Yang's hand.

The warm touch seemed to ease some of her fear.

"See, are you alright?" Lu Yang's tone was very calm.

Zhao Moli finally let go of her other hand, allowing Lu Yang to lead her as they floated slowly in the water.

As the sun set, the class finally came to an end.

The evening glow casts a layer of shimmering gold on the surface of the pool.

Chen Xiaomiao was waiting on the shore with a large bath towel when she saw Zhao Moli finally being coaxed by the coach to let go of Lu Yang's hand. She had only struggled a couple of times before she was about to sink into the water, so she quickly went over and pulled her out.

"Oh my little darling."

Chen Xiaomiao wrapped Zhao Moli up in a bath towel like a dumpling, muttering, "You're making me learn to swim like it's my life."

Zhao Moli choked on the water a few times, but now that she's recovered, she hugs her godmother's neck and turns her head to look at Lu Yang, who is still in the water, with a pitiful expression.

"Yangyang, will you come with me tomorrow?"

"accompany."

Lu Yang, clinging to the edge of the pool, simply replied with a single word.

Having received confirmation, Zhao Moli left satisfied.

Chen Xiaomiao tidied up her things on the shore, walked to the poolside, and called to her son, "Yangyang, you should come up and rinse off quickly, change into dry clothes, and don't catch a cold."

Lu Yang responded, climbed out of the water, and took the towel his mother handed him to dry his hair.

As soon as he stepped into the house, his phone, which was on the coffee table in the living room, started buzzing, and the name "Zheng Qingtong" appeared on the screen.

He paused, picked up his phone, turned and went into his room, closing the door behind him.

With a gentle swipe of the fingertip on the screen, Zheng Qingtong's delicate face appeared on the screen.

The background is her room in Jiangcheng, which is brightly lit, and she looks to be in good spirits.

You seem very happy today?

Lu Yang sat down and leaned his phone against the bookshelf.

"Yes." Zheng Qingtong nodded: "The verdict is in. I'm going with my dad."

"Yeah……"

Lu Yang was happy for her, but saying "congratulations" in this situation felt a little strange.

He thought for a moment and simply said, "That's good."

"It's pretty good."

Zheng Qingtong's smile widened, a look of relief after everything had settled: "Dad said that we might move after the formalities are completed."

The topic shifted from serious matters to mundane daily routines.

"Oh, right." Zheng Qingtong seemed to remember something, "I'm starting elementary school in September. What about you and Jasmine?"

"I'm not old enough yet, maybe a year later."

Lu Yang's tone was calm: "As for Jasmine, she should be with me... According to my mother and godmother, we will most likely be in the same class in elementary school, middle school, and high school."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the video call.

Zheng Qingtong lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow on the screen. After a few seconds, she murmured, "That's nice."

Lu Yang smiled and did not refute.

He knew what she meant by "okay"—it was a sense of security that everything was arranged clearly and that he had family and friends by his side at all times.

"And you? Which elementary school are you going to?"

Lu Yang changed the subject.

“My dad is still asking around for me. He says he wants to find a school close to our new home.”

Zheng Qingtong raised her head again, her eyes filled with anticipation for the future: "Dad said he would spend more time with me in the future, and he can take me to the science museum and the park on weekends."

"Ah."

"What's the capital like? Is your place big?"

"It's alright. It has a yard with a swimming pool. Jasmine and I just finished our swimming lesson this afternoon. You can come and try it if you have the chance."

Does Jasmine live at your house too?

“No, she lives in the building across from ours with her godfather and godmother, very close by.”

"Oh……"

The two chatted casually, talking about trivial things, yet strangely, it made one feel at ease.

Then came his mother's gentle reminder from outside: "Yangyang, it's time to eat."

Lu Yang then snapped out of his daze, said goodbye to the girl on the other end of the video call, and hung up. It was dinnertime, and the restaurant lights were warm.

Lu Yuan put a piece of pork rib on Chen Xiaomiao's plate and added a spoonful of soup to his son's bowl. The three of them sat around enjoying a rare moment of leisure.

"I spoke with Zhao Qiang on the phone today. The renovation plans for his small shop are ready. I had someone take a look at them, and there aren't any major problems. Construction can begin next week."

Lu Yuan took a sip of tea and casually brought it up.

"That's great, Qiangzi and Lili can finally put their minds at ease sooner."

Chen Xiaomiao, gnawing on a rib, mumbled an answer, then suddenly remembered something and her eyes lit up: "Right, next month is Jasmine's birthday, what kind of surprise should we prepare for her?"

"Just give her whatever she likes. Don't spoil a girl too much."

"What do you know? Girls should be raised in luxury."

"Spoiling a child doesn't mean giving them everything they want."

"Don't worry, Jasmine may be a bit simple-minded, but she's not a bad person at heart."

……

Lu Yang listened silently, gently stirring the soup in his bowl with the spoon in his hand.

Jasmine's birthday...

He remembered very clearly that Jasmine and Qing Tong shared the same birthday.

After dinner, Lu Yuan, who rarely had work-related social engagements, suggested taking Chen Xiaomiao out to see a movie so they could have some alone time together.

Chen Xiaomiao complained, "We're an old married couple, why are you doing all this?" But her face lit up with a smile. She went back to her room, carefully selected a new outfit, and then followed Lu Yuan out the door.

The room suddenly became quiet.

Lu Yang returned to his room, closed the door, and sat cross-legged on the futon as usual.

He closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind and calm his thoughts completely.

But today, for some reason, the tranquil state that I used to be able to enter so easily has become unattainable.

My mind is a jumbled mess, like a tangled ball of thread.

Jasmine hugging her teddy bear and grinning foolishly, Zheng Qingtong's face in the video...

Scenes flashed by like a revolving lantern, disturbing his peace of mind.

Lu Yang slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath.

He stood up and followed the breathing exercises his mother had taught him, circulating them several times until the tightness in his chest eased slightly.

Taoist practice emphasizes following one's heart's desires.

Logically, when faced with such a bottleneck, he should have consulted his mother.

But Lu Yang knew in his heart that his mother knew more about the Tao than the Tao itself.

What he was taught were mostly rudimentary methods, which were fine for calming the mind and focusing the spirit, but when it came to the obstacles on the path of cultivation, he probably couldn't explain them clearly.

So he strolled into the study.

One entire wall of the study is made up of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, filled with all sorts of fancy, beautifully bound books.

On the bottom shelf of the bookshelf is a wooden box containing handwritten notes left by my great-grandfather, Chen Shu.

Lu Yang took out the wooden box and sat down at the desk.

Inside the box were several booklets bound with cotton thread; the paper was yellowed, but the ink was still clear.

Introduction to Taoist Practices, A Preliminary Explanation of Talismans, A Collection of Health Preservation Exercises...

Lu Yuan took good care of his maternal grandfather's various belongings, and specially set aside a corner to properly preserve them.

Lu Yang opened the box with practiced ease. He had read most of the notes inside more than once, and he knew their contents by heart. They were of no help to his current predicament.

He was somewhat disappointed and was about to close the box when his gaze was drawn to something in the bottom corner.

It was a brass key, old-fashioned in style, with a leather tag attached to it bearing an address written in elegant penmanship.

Room 402, Building 3, XX Lane, XX District, XX Road.

Lu Yang picked up the key, feeling the cool metallic touch on his fingertips.

He recalled his father mentioning that when his great-grandfather Chen Shu was still alive, he often lived in an old house in the capital.

A thought arose in Lu Yang's mind.

He took the keys and went downstairs, finding the housekeeper who was watching over him in the living room.

"Uncle Qian, I'd like to go out for a bit."

"Young Master, where are you going so late?"

The housekeeper inquired.

Lu Yang handed over the address he had in his hand.

The butler glanced at it, and although he had some doubts, he nodded: "Okay, I'll go arrange a car right away."

The black sedan smoothly drove away from the brightly lit upscale community and turned into a series of narrow, old streets.

Finally, the car stopped in front of a rather old residential building.

Lu Yang got out of the car and, following the directions on the key, walked into the dark stairwell.

The motion-activated light turned on in response, illuminating the mottled walls and the badly worn cement steps.

He went up to the fourth floor and found the door to room 402.

Insert the key into the lock and turn it gently.

"Click."

A dry, dusty smell mixed with the scent of old wood wafted in, and the living room furniture was covered with thick white cloths.

Lu Yang didn't linger in the living room, but went straight to the innermost room facing south, which should be Chen Shu's study.

The study door was ajar, and Lu Yang pushed it gently, and it opened with a click.

A scent of old paper mixed with camphor wood wafts over, carrying the dryness and tranquility that comes with the passage of time.

He didn't turn on the lights; the moonlight cast hazy shadows on the white-clothed furniture and illuminated the fine dust particles floating in the air.

Everything here remains exactly as it was when the owner left.

The wall is lined with bookshelves, the structure of which is almost identical to that of a villa study.

Various books, from classics and historical texts to modern literature, were neatly stacked on top, all completely covered by dust cloths.

The difference is that the books here have been clearly read and examined, rather than just being decorative.

On the other side, on a large rosewood desk, writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones were arranged meticulously, as if the owner had only temporarily left the room.

Lu Yang's gaze did not linger on these ordinary objects for long.

He walked straight to the desk, reached out and felt around in the heavy base for a moment, and his fingertips touched a small bump.

With a gentle press, a soft "click" was heard, and an inconspicuous wooden board on the side of the desk slowly popped open, revealing a hidden compartment.

Inside were several old notebooks. When I opened them, they weren't anything complicated. They were mostly my great-grandfather's notes and reflections on Taoism, history, astronomy, and so on, as well as a few of his own original poems.

It's really tough being a court official.
His snoring was even more intense than his sermon.

The younger generation laughs at my lack of knowledge.
The cafeteria is empty during mealtimes.

Lu Yang grinned after reading it, thinking that his great-grandfather must have had a lot of worries when he was teaching at the university.

He continued flipping through the pages, and found that there were fewer and fewer annotations on Taoist practices and scholarship.

More than anything, it's my great-grandfather's insights into everyday life, how to stay true to oneself amidst the hustle and bustle of the city, and how to view the entanglements of human relationships...

The words are full of clarity and open-mindedness.

Lu Yang was so engrossed in reading that he completely forgot the passage of time until a sudden, urgent cell phone ringtone rang in the quiet room, startling him from his reverie.

It was my mother calling.

"Where have you gone, son?... Hurry home, it's already past one in the morning!"

"Don't worry, Mom, the driver is with me. I'll be right back."

After hanging up the phone, Lu Yang carefully put the notebook back into the hidden compartment, restoring it to its original state.

He took one last look at the study by the moonlight, put the brass key in his pocket, and turned to leave.

　I've been dealing with some miscellaneous things lately, so I can only guarantee 4000.
　　I should be able to update more frequently on Friday and the weekend.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)