Shuangling: Braving the Rapids

The day after Hu Xiaozhen was executed, a red ribbon was tied to the iron gate of the first prison cell. It was undoubtedly the work of Master Ding, who even sacrificed a pair of red underwear belonging to "Small Face" for it.

"Taoist priest, they've already hung red ribbons on him, so why... why can I still hear him wailing?" the girl with the small face said with a mournful expression. "Could I... be possessed by an evil spirit?"

"I also have a talisman here. Put it in your pocket, and it will guarantee you a good night's sleep!"

Master Ding pulled a crumpled piece of yellow paper covered in runes from his pocket. Just as he was about to say something, Cheng Dong appeared out of nowhere, snatched the paper, and cursed, "You damned old Taoist! Deceiving me is one thing, but ruining my newspaper! Doesn't he know how difficult it is to get his hands on this 'Reference News'?"

The newspaper was sent by Lawyer Cao through Cheng Dong, which was almost his only way to get information from the outside world. Now that it had been turned into several scribbles by Taoist Ding, it really infuriated him.

"I'm doing this for everyone's sake! You're the 'unit leader,' what's wrong with contributing some resources?"

Knowing he was in the wrong, Master Ding was adept at sophistry and, with just a few words, flattered Cheng Dong.

"That sounds nice! Everyone knows you're just trying to scam people out of food and drinks with this stuff. Only idiots would fall for your tricks!"

Cheng Dong pointed at the small-faced girl hiding in the corner and cursed at both of them with one sentence. It seems he was really angry this time.

Seeing that the other party was furious, Master Ding turned around and took out his treasured copy of the *Tao Te Ching*. Unexpectedly, Cheng Dong waved his hand dismissively and said, "Get rid of that lousy scripture of yours! It's giving me a headache!"

Master Ding had recommended this book to Cheng Dong more than once or twice, but the latter only had an elementary school education and was simply unable to digest such profound culture. In short, Cheng Dong had no interest in the book.

"What nonsense?" Master Ding glared at him, then said sullenly, "I'll tell you again, all the good and bad fortune are in this book! You're good at everything, but unfortunately, you don't understand the Dao..."

"Stop giving me all this nonsense, this qigong, this grand Dao. If you're going to waste your time, teach me all your trump cards—the grappling and pressure point techniques, okay?"

"Those are all elementary school level. To truly understand them, you must first cultivate your inner energy and refine your Dao!" Master Ding clicked his tongue and said, "Let me tell you, this scripture took me forty-nine days to revise and annotate. I see you have extraordinary talent, and we seem to have a connection. So, I'll give you a 50% discount today, okay?"

"Win my ass! Not a single penny. It's more like a way to pay off my newspaper!" With that, Cheng Dong snatched the book with the Tai Chi symbol on the cover. He wasn't interested in learning any Taoist magic; he just wanted to provoke Master Ding, since the other man had destroyed his newspaper without permission!

Master Ding was unwilling to accept a losing proposition. He wanted to take the book back, but was worried about damaging it. Torn between these two concerns, he could only say, "I'll lend it to you for a few days, but you must take good care of it!"

……

In the days that followed, Cheng Dong was always listless. Thinking about Hu Xiaozhen's behavior before her execution, even this grown man felt inexplicably saddened. He privately sought out Master Ding for a chat, but the old Taoist still remembered the grudge over the torn talisman and tossed him a book of "Qigong Secrets," telling him to figure it out himself. Cheng Dong forced himself to read it for two nights, but the more he read, the more confused he became. He threw the book down and decided to write a letter home instead.

Other prisoners weren't much better off. Some of them, like "Small Face," experienced auditory hallucinations, hearing Hu Xiaozhen's wailing as soon as they lay down in bed.

At first, these people placed their hopes on Master Ding, but even after paying the "price," their symptoms did not improve. So, they followed suit and started writing letters home like Cheng Dong.

Most of these people were illiterate, and the line of people waiting for Cheng Dong to write for them stretched from their bunks all the way to the toilet. Listening to them talk about their mothers being paralyzed and their wives running away, Cheng Dong's pen tip trembled—it turned out that robbers would buy candy for their daughters, and rapists would save money to treat their mothers' illnesses.

Whether it's Hu Xiaozhen who was executed or "Small Face" who committed petty theft, they are all human beings in the end, and human beings have strengths and weaknesses.

Cheng Dong didn't even finish elementary school, so he can't really talk about profound truths. But at least he understood one thing: good people and bad people aren't just labeled. Like the Tai Chi symbol in the old Taoist scriptures, there's black within white and white within black; these are dynamic and changeable.

"There is good in bad, and bad in good. Good can turn into bad, and bad can turn into good. Hmm? Isn't this the meaning of 'When things reach their worst, they turn into good, and fortune and misfortune are interdependent' that Master Ding always talks about?"

Unexpectedly, Cheng Dong's inner world became richer in the dimly lit cell. He was reflecting, contemplating, and slowly growing.

Cheng Dong is not a compassionate intellectual, nor does he bear the responsibility of self-reflection or universal benevolence. However, this does not prevent him from doing what he can. His passion for public service and his compassion for the weak set him apart from those who stubbornly cling to a dead end.

Perhaps he needs some time to engage in self-criticism and to say a complete goodbye to his impatient, short-sighted, and narrow-minded old self.

Of course, during the two-year process of self-reform, Cheng Dong encountered all sorts of difficulties. Whenever he felt depressed, he would read the letters from his family over and over again.

His sister-in-law would tell him about everyday family matters, and in her caring words, Cheng Dong could truly feel the warmth of family; Ai Min would discuss cases with him and also tell him about current affairs, such as the return of Hong Kong and the Asian financial crisis, which were all within the scope of their conversations; Yue Chuan only sent one letter, and upon hearing that Ah Huang had died, Cheng Dong was also deeply saddened...

With the care and support of relatives and friends, Cheng Dong, despite being imprisoned, maintained basic mental health. He not only managed to establish himself in this diverse community, but also used his spare time to study, as evidenced by the well-worn copy of the Xinhua Dictionary he kept reading.

Gold shines wherever it is. Cheng Dong, with his positive attitude and charismatic personality, has brought about significant changes to the first cell.

The inmates trusted Cheng Dong. Some would discuss their cases with him using their judgments, others would seek his help to resolve conflicts, and still others were simply bored and looking for someone to chat with. In short, Cheng Dong became the darling of the first cell!

Life is long, but awakening often happens in an instant. Growth requires experience, but no one can specify the exact place—some find enlightenment in classrooms and books, some are tempered in the crucible of society, while Cheng Dong, within the confines of prison bars, quietly transformed the essence of his life during the lowest point of his fate.

Life is wonderful, but also absurd and bizarre. Some people are trapped in shackles, while others allow their souls to break free and be reborn.