si-mexico Chapter 87 Post-Production
Chapter 87 Post-Production
Time flew by unnoticed. Lin Yue's son, who had been in university for many years, was almost thirty but still single, and Lin Yue didn't interfere much. She herself was already seventy, but unfortunately, Lin Yue and Gong Yong rarely went out, because although they were seventy, they looked like they were in their thirties or forties. The nourishment from spiritual herbs, flowers, fruits, and medicines made them feel like they were still in their thirties, not yet forty. For convenience, they spent most of their time in the valley, living with their parents and leading a simple rural life.
Every morning at cockcrow, they rise to raise chickens and feed ducks, prepare breakfast together, and then the two elderly people eat together. Most of the time, it's just the four of them. During winter and summer vacations or holidays, the valley becomes bustling with activity. Lin Yue's younger brother comes to visit with his wife and children, Gong Yong's younger brother's children occasionally return, and their eldest daughter Coco and her husband also come with their children. Jingjing and Baifa Ge don't come on holidays, only occasionally returning to stay for a short while. But most of the time, it's still Lin Yue and her husband living there with Lin Yue's parents. There's also a retired military couple who, due to injuries and having no children, worked for Lin Yue and Gong Yong for seven or eight years before Lin Yue transferred them to the valley to be responsible for the safety of the two elderly people, making a total of six people including them.
In this spacious canyon, usually only these six people are present, with most soldiers guarding the outer perimeter. There are quite a few spirits, however. The rat spirit who has lived with Lin Yue for a long time is always there, along with two snow wolves who occasionally accompany Coco on missions. The eagle spirit is also frequently present, only flying away when Jingjing has special circumstances. The willow tree spirit and ginseng spirit are also active among them. The willow branch the willow tree spirit planted at the canyon's energy-gathering point has grown large, its branches spreading in all directions. The ginseng spirit throws its ripe fruit carelessly into the valley, living a carefree life, and often goes to play with the unenlightened thousand-year-old ginseng spirit.
To help the thousand-year-old ginseng gain wisdom, the ginseng spirit went to its side and talked every day about how to absorb the essence of the sun and moon, how to awaken intelligence, and how to cultivate oneself. After five or six years of the ginseng spirit's incessant chatter, the thousand-year-old ginseng finally gained wisdom and became a little girl with a soft and sweet voice. The ginseng spirit was overjoyed, finally having a companion to chat with.
Gradually, encouraged by the ginseng spirit, the little ginseng spirit, which initially barely moved around in the soil, eventually came to Lin Yue's side. Lin Yue found it fascinating that this little ginseng spirit, which had previously been unable to cultivate and lacked intelligence, had actually grown up under the careful guidance of the old ginseng spirit and could now run around freely. This could be considered a success.
The snake spirit that once in the valley has gradually grown a single horn, and the spirits deep in the lake are also slowly growing horns. Lin Yue sighed, marveling at the changes over the past ten years. The spirits in the valley have grown from tiny creatures that could barely understand human speech to many who now come to Lin Yue and Gong Yong's courtyard every day to chatter away. Fortunately, they all know the rules and never cause trouble.
Lin Yue's family in the valley lived a peaceful and comfortable life, but the outside world was in turmoil. War broke out suddenly, and many countries, seeing how well our country had been built, became jealous and launched a war.
This was a devastating war, in which atomic bombs and nuclear energy were used in many places. Countless people were displaced, once prosperous cities were reduced to ruins, and people struggled desperately for survival amidst the flames of war. Smoke filled the air, the land was ravaged, and the dawn of peace was obscured by the shadow of war.
Due to this sudden turn of events, most of the owners of the 110 spatial rings that Lin Yue had given away were now between seventy and ninety years old. Some had already passed away, while others were still serving the country. However, the spatial rings could not be retrieved, and changing their use would result in being struck by lightning. It was truly a pity to discard them, yet using them was inconvenient in many ways.
In this brutal war, many who possessed spatial rings tragically perished. Some rings were destroyed, while others were stolen. Despite repeated punishments from the Heavenly Dao Thunder Law, it was difficult to stem the chaos. Of these 110 individuals, their fates varied: some passed away peacefully over time, while others met tragic ends in the flames of war. The once precious spatial rings, too, have endured hardship amidst the turmoil, some disappearing, others changing hands, a truly lamentable situation.
Lin Yue and Gong Yong could sense the spaces that had been seized during the Heavenly Tribulation, and Lin Yue directly used her divine soul to destroy them. As for the spatial necklaces removed from the necks of soldiers who died of old age, if they weren't reclaimed and instead hidden away, Lin Yue didn't care. However, she felt deep regret for the spaces destroyed in the artillery fire, not for the spaces themselves, but for the people who possessed them. Those seventy- or eighty-year-olds, already retired, were still being used in their final moments. Their spaces contained nuclear weapons, which were only reassembled upon reaching their destination. To be sent on dangerous missions at such an advanced age filled Lin Yue with deep sorrow and helplessness.
At this moment, Lin Yue was lost in deep thought. She wondered if it had been right or wrong for her to share the magical techniques and inheritances from her spatial dimension over the past few decades. What she had shared had enabled the nation's technology to develop rapidly, and cultivators, who had previously existed in secrecy, had gradually come into the public eye, leading to large-scale talent selection. Now, even ordinary people were achieving success through cultivation. However, this had also brought much chaos. The emergence of cultivators had created significant loopholes in the law. Although the government was constantly working to correct these loopholes, the sheer number of cultivators meant that unless cultivators and ordinary people were strictly separated, ordinary people were as vulnerable as ants in the face of cultivators. Whether all of this was a blessing or a curse, Lin Yue herself couldn't judge.
Now that she's reached this age, Lin Yue finally understands what the remnant soul Xueyang once told her: some things exist for a reason, and some things perish for a reason. Desire and humanity—after all, everyone has seven emotions and six desires. Reflecting on thousands, even tens of thousands of years of tradition, why is the Daoist sect so strict in selecting disciples, emphasizing character and conduct? Lin Yue once didn't understand why the Daoist sect was so difficult to recruit disciples, why the requirements were so high. Now she finally understands: when many people hold the power of life and death, they feel they have the power of life and death when facing ordinary people, viewing them as ants, showing no respect for life. At this moment, she feels that perhaps being even stricter in selecting disciples would be better.
Lin Yue now deeply understands the profound truth behind the old man's words. Before reaching that height, one cannot appreciate the scenery below; and once there, one finds oneself disconnected from those below, a sense of loneliness arising. One must learn to face this solitude, for the higher one climbs, the colder it gets. These are not imperial strategies, but rather matters of conduct, the distance between people, and a level of understanding that others have not reached. Therefore, informing those below of what one sees is often futile, for they can never comprehend the vast world seen by those in high positions; their petty actions seem insignificant to them. She finally understands why some say that those in high positions, in the public eye, are not blind to the petty actions of those below, but simply deem them insignificant. However, maintaining order in this world and establishing sound laws are paramount. Many things challenge human nature; should one change or let nature take its course? Should one push the tide of history forward or let it develop naturally? As outsiders, it's best not to interfere in the cause and effect between people. Let things come as they will, let them try and be tempered. One day, you will understand the feelings behind these words, just as when you are young, you will never understand your parents' good intentions, and you will never know that there are many people in society who live much more difficult lives.
Lin Yue's reflections concluded there. Gong Yong then said, "Everyone grows, and the process of growth is full of hardships. Others' descriptions and one's own personal experiences are completely different. In today's society, many wealthy or successful people may have had a dark period in their childhood. They strive and struggle for that glimmer of light, just to improve their lives. So, is what people need between each other simply hard work and struggle? If those at the bottom don't strive and try, they will be forever trapped in the mire, unable to see the light of the outside world. But if they study hard and climb upwards, perhaps one day they can break out of this vicious cycle and enter the next one. At least, the next vicious cycle will allow them to have enough to eat and wear. Perhaps by breaking free from this vicious cycle of having enough to eat and wear and moving to a higher level, that vicious cycle will allow them to see more of humanity and its depravity. Would they want to go back to where they started? Those who have crossed two vicious cycles and are at the top never want to go back to the beginning; they yearn to be rule-makers, not followers."
Therefore, those who have stood at the summit, enjoyed the scenery, and reaped the benefits often don't want more people to come up. The more people participate, the smaller their gains become—a principle even a child understands. So, don't easily test human nature. Gong Yong and Lin Yue were also glad they hadn't given up everything, only a portion. After all, this was a civilization from several generations ago, and shouldn't be overly mixed with. Zhang Wenxueyang once said that preserving even a part was difficult enough. His entire sect had worked tirelessly to preserve that world, but it was already shattered. They had finally managed to find some pieces and put them into the spatial flow. Lin Yue knew that what he possessed was only a part of the sect's essence. In truth, he didn't know what the remnant soul Xueyang, who had merged with him, truly thought. The remnant soul Xueyang was him, and he was also the remnant soul Xueyang. But at this moment, Lin Yue completely lost the appearance of the remnant soul Xueyang. He so missed the remnant soul Xueyang who could once chat and talk with him.
Before they knew it, Lin Yue's son, Xiao Bao, went from being admitted to military academy and enlisting in the army to being discharged at the age of 30. Xiao Bao fell in love with a girl, but she was difficult to win over, so he decided to return to manage the family business. Since Lin Yue and Gong Yong couldn't handle external affairs themselves, they entrusted them to a professional manager. However, this manager had ulterior motives and, faced with frequent cash flow, tried to take a cut. Later, Xiao Bao simply retired from the army.
Coco, now in her forties, retired from the military and moved to the small town with her child to attend school. Lone Wolf also retired; before they knew it, they were both nearing fifty, with children around ten years old, all attending school in the town. Lin Yue and Gong Yong found it incredibly lively. Only Jingjing and White-Haired Brother were constantly traveling the world.
Xiao Bao returned from his military service and found the girl. She had worked for five or six years after graduating from university and was now twenty-seven. She had always been chaste and had never been in a relationship. Many men had introduced her to potential partners, but their gazes made her feel like a piece of meat, only interested in possessing her. This girl came from a family in the film industry and had long been accustomed to scheming, sabotage, and even drugging, but all her attempts failed. She had worked in Lin Yue's factory's accounting department for a long time, understanding both finance and the factory's profitability. Xiao Bao, now thirty and single, had taken over the company after his military service and became the girl's target. In fact, they both secretly loved each other, but neither had confessed their feelings.
At a cocktail party, a classic yet thrilling hero-saves-the-damsel-in-distress scenario unfolds. The young woman's drink has been drugged, but fortunately, she's a spiritual practitioner and easily identifies who did it, pouring the drugged wine into the cashier's cup. The cashier, burdened by handling large sums of money, is manipulated into creating a scandal to oust the finance manager and seize her position. However, things don't seem to be going her way. A portly sales manager takes the drugged cashier away, claiming they're in a relationship, but their real target is the finance manager, whom Xiaobao is attracted to.
Seeing this, the 27-year-old girl impressed Xiao Bao, who secretly admired her cleverness in escaping another disaster. He lamented that his heroic rescue hadn't even begun. Then, inexplicably, someone spilled wine on the finance manager. Strangely, why was everyone targeting this finance manager? It turned out that when Xiao Bao took over the company, there were numerous financial loopholes, which the finance manager was fully aware of but hadn't pointed out. Those who falsified accounts and sabotaged the business knew about this, as did Lin Yue and Gong Yong, because the girl had already reported it. Therefore, Xiao Bao had remained inactive during the takeover, wanting to see what these people would do next. So, they first targeted the girl, attempting to replace the finance manager. This finance manager was a top student, and Xiao Bao's object of affection.
When the young woman went to change her clothes, Xiao Bao followed her. Just as they entered the hotel room, a man suddenly barged in, attempting to harass the finance manager. Xiao Bao arrived just in time to save the damsel in distress. Because the man's cultivation level was higher than the finance manager's, he almost succeeded. Luckily, Xiao Bao ran fast, otherwise his "wife" would have escaped. After this incident, Xiao Bao finally struck up a conversation with the young woman, thus beginning his subsequent pursuit of her.
To win the heart of the beauty Xiao Bao has won over, let's call this beauty Xiao Xue for now. Why Xiao Xue? Because the girl is incredibly beautiful and intelligent, with snow-white skin, a round face, big eyes, and wide double eyelids—those captivating peach blossom eyes are truly mesmerizing.
Xiao Bao was incredibly clumsy in his countless attempts to win Xiao Xue's heart. A former soldier, he hadn't seen many women and had little experience with them, which frustrated him greatly. Initially, he frequently approached the finance manager under the guise of checking the accounts. Later, he intervened under the pretext of reporting on the financial situation, and then invited her to dinner and movies. He finally managed to get the finance manager to come out, but because many people outside recognized him, he simply took her to a private cinema in the building where Lin Yue often received treatment in the valley. A perfect opportunity for interaction arose, and he finally held Xiao Xue's hand and gave her his first kiss. Xiao Bao was overjoyed, feeling that he was finally close to winning the heart of his beauty.
Little did he know that the beauty also harbored feelings for him; she loved him, Xiaoxue loved Xiaobao, and Xiaobao loved Xiaoxue. Some might ask why this was the case; they were high school classmates. Back then, Xiaobao was focused on his studies, and Xiaoxue aspired to attend the same school as him. However, when Xiaobao entered university, he betrayed someone, including Xiaoxue. After graduating, Xiaoxue took a job in the finance department of Xiaobao's family company, but she had ulterior motives—she wanted to find out where Xiaobao was going.
Some people will definitely ask, why is Xiaobao 30 years old while Xiaoxue is only 27, a difference of 3 years? Because Xiaoxue is smart and skipped a grade, while Lin Yue thought it was best to let things take their natural course, so Xiaobao didn't skip a grade. Therefore, all of Xiaobao's classmates are 3 years older than Xiaoxue. Xiaoxue never thought about that possibility during high school.
This time, Xiao Bao finally developed feelings for the pretty girl, and they got together, much to their delight. But what Xiao Bao didn't know was that his battle hadn't truly begun yet; getting past his father-in-law and mother-in-law wouldn't be easy.