Guarding the Pure Land

"Tianhua, what are you thinking about?" Mr. Han interrupted Tianhua's contemplation.

Tianhua snapped back to reality, looked at Mr. Han, and then smiled, saying, "My head feels a bit dizzy, but my mind is clear and excited. I can't help but think about my hometown."

"Hehe, that's right! That's how it is with alcohol! Initially, it gives you a thorough spiciness, and then it leads to clearer thinking. It's a stage of being tipsy but not completely drunk. Now, you're in the second stage!" Mr. Han said with a smile.

"What is it like to be completely drunk?" Tianhua asked.

"Drinking to the second stage is the best; getting completely drunk is not good. After getting drunk, you may end up revealing things about yourself!" Mr. Han explained.

"Revealing things about myself?" Tianhua asked in confusion.

"Right now, you may feel a bit hazy, but your mind is clear. You know what you say and remember what you do. However, when you're drunk, you might involuntarily speak without thinking, revealing secrets you intended to keep hidden! Doing things you never thought of before. And after sobering up, you'll forget all about it!" Mr. Han explained.

"My own secrets, things I never dared to think or do!" Tianhua repeated.

"Hehe, Tianhua, I'm just talking. These are things for those with unclear hearts. People like you and me, ordinary folks, when we get drunk, we might just say some nonsense or do some crude things! So, let's not worry about it. Come, let's have another drink!" Mr. Han exclaimed.

Tianhua looked at Mr. Han, feeling excited, and unconsciously picked up the wine glass. He then drank it in one gulp. Mr. Han, seeing this, exclaimed, "Well done!" and drank his glass in one go as well.

Time passed quickly, and before they knew it, the table was a mess. Tianhua was feeling a bit intoxicated. He tried to stand up, but as soon as he got up from the stool, his body seemed out of control. He swayed and almost fell down. Mr. Han, watching Tianhua's state, laughed and said, "Tianhua, you're drunk!"

Tianhua heard and said, "I'm not drunk; I'm perfectly sober!" However, as he stood, he couldn't support himself and ended up back on the stool.

"Hehe, people who are drunk usually don't admit it..." Mr. Han said.

Tianhua looked at Mr. Han's moving mouth but felt like he couldn't hear what he was saying. His head was spinning, and he leaned on the table, squinting at Mr. Han. Seeing him like this, Mr. Han stopped talking, just smiling at him.

Tianhua slowly closed his eyes...

He had lost consciousness.

Mr. Han looked at the sleeping Tianhua, then looked at the bright moon in the sky, thinking, "It's been a long time since I enjoyed a drink like this! But this was a joyful drink! The moment I saw this kid, I felt a connection! Thinking about it, he smiled."

He stood up, helped Tianhua up, and then walked toward another room nearby. Tianhua, at this point, had completely lost consciousness. He made occasional sounds, but other than that, he felt nothing.

Mr. Han assisted Tianhua into the room, used the moonlight to place him on a bed, and sighed, "This kid is really heavy!"

After saying that, he took off Tianhua's shoes and placed his feet on the bed.

Moonlight poured through the room door, shining directly on the bed. Tianhua slept soundly under the moonlight.

Mr. Han watched for a while, thinking that Tianhua probably wouldn't vomit anymore. Then, he left the room. Just as he left, he suddenly thought of something, went back in, poured a bowl of water, placed it on a chair near Tianhua's bed, and then, after a moment of contemplation, left the room again, returning to the yard.

Looking at the messy table, Mr. Han cleaned it up. After everything was in order, he walked towards another room next to the restaurant.

The room's lights came on, and then they went off...

Night fell! It was time for people to be silent...

In the room, Mu Xiong sat, looking at Cheng Kong. Cheng Kong reported the situation to Mu Xiong. Mu Xiong, looking at him, didn't say anything. He seemed to be pondering something. After a while, he said, "In your opinion, does Kong Xu have a chance?"

"In a battle between gentlemen, there is no chance at all!" Cheng Kong thought for a moment and replied.

Mu Xiong, upon hearing this, was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. He looked at Cheng Kong and said, "Alright, you can go rest for now!"

Cheng Kong acknowledged and left.

Watching Cheng Kong leave, Mu Xiong slowly stood up and said, "What a true gentleman!"

After saying that, he walked into the inner room.

Cheng Kong walked out of the room and headed towards the main gate of the Lord's Mansion. On the way, he didn't see many guards, as usual. However, this time, he couldn't help but think about it: in such a large Lord's Mansion, there were only a few guards wandering around! Cheng Kong looked at them and felt that they weren't particularly formidable, just ordinary people! He felt a bit puzzled!

Puzzled or not, who cares! He had his own business to attend to. Cheng Kong arrived at the gate, mounted his horse, whipped it, and rode away...

The crowing of the rooster woke up the sleeping people. The sun had slowly risen, and sunlight streamed through the doors and windows, shining on Tianhua's bed.

Tianhua, vaguely hearing the rooster's crowing, opened his still sleepy eyes. Looking at the sunlight outside the window, Tianhua knew that it was already bright. He hurriedly got up, feeling a slight dizziness in his head. He was also very thirsty. Seeing a bowl of water by the bedside, he picked it up and drank it in one gulp.

As Tianhua was about to get out of bed, the door opened, and Mr. Han pushed it open, smiling, "Tianhua, good morning! How do you feel today?"

"Good morning, Uncle Han. Other than a bit of dizziness, I'm fine!" Tianhua touched his head and said.

"You're hungover; it's normal. Come, let me prepare a sobering soup for you. It'll make you feel refreshed and full of energy!" Mr. Han said with a smile.

Tianhua followed Mr. Han out of the room. A small table in the yard was already set for breakfast. Mr. Han asked Tianhua to wash his face before joining for breakfast.

After Tianhua washed his face and returned, Little Bell, pouting, said, "Big brother is a sleepyhead! Our mealtime has passed!"

Tianhua looked at her, smiled apologetically, and Mr. Han also burst into laughter, saying, "Come, let's eat!"

Mr. Han picked up a bowl of soup from the table and said to Tianhua, "Tianhua, this is a sobering soup. Drink it, and I guarantee it'll make you feel clear-headed and full of vitality!"

"Is it really that magical?" Tianhua asked.

"Try it if you don't believe me!" Mr. Han chuckled.

Tianhua took it, drank it all in one gulp. After finishing, he felt a cool sensation from his throat to his heart, and his whole body felt a bit chilly. He looked at Mr. Han in astonishment, and Mr. Han smiled, saying, "How about it? I didn't lie to you, right?"

Tianhua nodded and said, "This works so quickly, it's truly amazing!"

"This is his exclusive secret recipe!" Mr. Han pointed to the deaf-mute old man.

Tianhua, after listening, gave the old man a thumbs up and said, "Impressive!"

The old man smiled at Tianhua.

After the four finished their meal, Tianhua helped Mr. Han clean up the table. Tianhua asked, "Uncle Han, I'll go ahead and take a look!"

After saying that, Tianhua walked towards the front, and Mr. Han followed.

Tianhua stood in the room, looking at the bustling crowd in the town from a distance. He also wanted to go to the town, but since he promised to help Mr. Han, he hesitated to go out. Mr. Han saw Tianhua's expression and said, "Tianhua, there's usually nothing happening here during the day. If you want, you can go to the town. When you're done playing, just come back. Daytime is slow here. Moreover, when you're not here in the evening, I managed fine alone. So, don't worry about it. Have fun, and come back whenever you're ready." Mr. Han smiled.

Tianhua gratefully nodded and said, "Uncle Han, thank you!"

After speaking, he went out. After walking a few steps, Mr. Han shouted from behind, "Tianhua, don't be late for lunch, or we won't wait for you!"

Tianhua turned around and smiled, "Got it!"

Tianhua walked onto the street, seeing the lively crowd. People were bustling about, and Tianhua observed the various shops on both sides of the town. They sold things he had never seen before. He walked around, occasionally staring at items on a small stall or asking the owners about interesting things...

Time always passes quickly when you're engaged in something you enjoy. Unconsciously, it was almost noon. Tianhua thought he should go back for lunch; otherwise, it might be inconvenient. Thinking so, he hurried back.

Arriving at the restaurant, Mr. Han was sitting at the front desk, watching Tianhua return. He smiled and said, "Tianhua, why are you back so early?"

"I thought it was about time, so I came back!" Tianhua said.

"Was the town interesting?" Mr. Han asked.

"Yes, very interesting! So many fun things..." Tianhua enthusiastically shared his experiences in the town.

"As long as you enjoyed it! I was initially worried that you might find the things in town dull after arriving, but it seems my concerns were unnecessary." Mr. Han smiled.

"No, it's really fun here!" Tianhua said.

As they were talking, a little bell rang, and a girl ran over, calling them for lunch. Mr. Han looked at the customers in the restaurant, then said to Tianhua, "Tianhua, take Little Bell to the back for lunch, and then bring me some food. I'll eat here at the front!"

"Uncle Han, you go ahead, I'll stay here!" Tianhua said.

"You go. Since you just arrived, there are some things you're not familiar with. Let me handle it!" Mr. Han said.

Tianhua agreed, and he took Little Bell to the back. Before eating, Tianhua brought the prepared meal to the front for Mr. Han and then returned to the back.

After lunch, Tianhua went to the front to help. However, there were very few people having lunch at noon, and Mr. Han easily managed it alone. Tianhua could only watch without being able to help.

"Tianhua, there aren't many customers now. You can take a break on the side. If you want, you can go to the town and come back before dusk!" Mr. Han said while looking at Tianhua.

"No, Uncle Han, today I don't want to go out. I'll stay here and help you with some work!" Tianhua said.

"Work? There's really nothing for you to do here now!" Mr. Han laughed.

"Uncle Han, since you asked for my help, just tell me what to do, and I'll do it!" Tianhua said.

"Hehe, I'm used to handling things on my own. It's not easy for me to let others do things. But if you insist, let me think..." Mr. Han thought for a moment and said, "When customers arrive, you can help me take note of their orders and inform the kitchen. After that, you can bring the dishes to the table!"

"Okay!" Tianhua agreed.

Tianhua waited for customers, and soon a table arrived. Hastily walking up, he mimicked Mr. Han, saying, "Hello, sir. What would you like to order?"

The person looked at Tianhua, then turned to Mr. Han and asked, "Han Boss, who is this?"

"Oh, he's Tianhua, my new assistant!" Mr. Han smiled.

Tianhua also nodded and smiled. The person looked at Tianhua and said, "Alright, everything as usual!"

Tianhua was a bit puzzled and looked at Mr. Han, who gestured for him to come over. Tianhua told the person, "Okay, please wait!" and immediately ran to Mr. Han.

"Tianhua, some of these are my regular customers. They usually don't specify what they want to eat. We usually remember it. So, if you encounter such customers, just come and ask me!" Mr. Han said.

Then Mr. Han told Tianhua several dish names. Tianhua nodded and walked to the kitchen. Soon, he brought the dishes to the table, saying, "Sir, your dishes. Please enjoy!" Then he went to the counter, took a bottle of wine and a glass, and brought it over, saying, "Sir, your wine. Please enjoy!"

Mr. Han stood by and smiled.

Soon, after the person finished eating, he came to the counter to pay. After settling the bill, he looked at Tianhua and praised, "Han Boss, your young man is good!"

"Naturally!" Mr. Han said happily.

After the person left, Tianhua went to clean the table and then washed the dishes in the back.

As the sun set, dusk approached...

The day's work was over, and people were ready to rest. Some liked to go home and relax, some liked to stroll around the town, but most preferred to sit in the small restaurant, spend a few coins, either alone or in groups, chatting, drinking a little wine, talking about life's gains and losses. Truths were often revealed after a few drinks.

The restaurant became busy at this time, gradually filling with more people. Tianhua also started to get busy, welcoming guests while trying to remember the names of the dishes. For Mr. Han, remembering these names was easy; they had a clear image of each dish in their minds. So when customers mentioned a dish, Mr. Han easily remembered it. However, Tianhua didn't know what these dishes looked like. When a customer mentioned a dish, he could only silently memorize the name, then quickly go to the kitchen. Moreover, he was afraid that if several tables ordered at the same time, he might mix up the orders. Therefore, after each table finished ordering, he hurriedly went to the kitchen.

Being new on the job, there were inevitably many problems. Although Tianhua's method prevented him from confusing the orders, it also affected efficiency. Announcing orders table by table made other customers wait. Some were patient, but others were a bit impatient, calling for Tianhua. Seeing this, Tianhua felt anxious, and beads of sweat started to appear on his forehead.

At this moment, Mr. Han approached several tables of customers, inquired, then took out a piece of paper from the counter, wrote down the dish names, and handed it to Tianhua, saying, "Tianhua, this is for you!"

Tianhua looked at Mr. Han gratefully and thought, "Right, this works!"

When the dishes were ready, Tianhua brought them up. Suddenly, he thought of the paper Mr. Han had written. Smiling to himself, he said, "That's it!"

After serving the dishes, Tianhua went to the counter and said, "Uncle Han, give me a pen and some paper."

"Why do you need these, Tianhua?" Mr. Han asked, handing Tianhua the pen and paper.

"Uncle Han, I can't say now, but you'll know soon!" Tianhua mysteriously said.

Saying that, he took the pen and paper and left.

Mr. Han looked at Tianhua's figure and said, "This kid!"

Guests came and went, Tianhua saw off a few and welcomed a few more. When customers ordered, Tianhua calmly took out pen and paper, writing down the names of the dishes. The customers approved, and Tianhua smiled, saying, "Alright, please wait a moment!"

Moving on to another table, Tianhua took note as customers ordered. One by one, two by two, three by three...

After several tables had placed their orders, Tianhua went to the back to report. Passing by Mr. Han, Tianhua smiled at him. Mr. Han had noticed what Tianhua had just done and thought, "This kid is quite clever!"

As the evening darkened, visibility in the restaurant decreased. Mr. Han lit the lamps, bringing a quiet atmosphere to the town. The conversations of the few customers in the restaurant became more audible.

No new customers arrived at this time. Mr. Han and Tianhua stood by, observing the customers chatting. After the customers finished their meals and conversations, settled their bills, and left, Mr. Han and Tianhua began to tidy up. After arranging the tables and chairs, Mr. Han closed the door, extinguished the lights, and went to the backyard with Tianhua. The elderly man had already prepared the meal and was waiting for them.

Little Bell, as usual, ran around the table before dinner, and with each run, the bells on her body produced a pleasant sound, making it a comfortable atmosphere.

Tianhua looked at Little Bell and smiled happily.

The four of them sat down and started eating.

"Tianhua, it's your first day helping out. Thank you for your hard work!" Mr. Han said.

"Uncle Han, how could it be hard! I caused you so much trouble today!" Tianhua replied.

"No trouble at all. You did well! By the way, Tianhua, how did you come up with the idea of writing down the dish names on paper?" Mr. Han asked.

"It was your suggestion, Uncle Han! You helped me write down the names of the dishes my customers ordered when I was too busy, so I thought of doing the same!" Tianhua explained.

"In my suggestion?" Mr. Han asked in confusion.

"Yes, Uncle Han, you forgot. When I couldn't handle it all, you helped me by writing down the names of the dishes my customers ordered. So, I got the idea from that!" Tianhua said.

"Ah, I see! But you're truly clever. I've been in this business for so long, and I never thought of such a method. At the beginning, I used to memorize the dish names all by myself every night!" Mr. Han said, laughing.

"Uncle Han, it's not about being clever. I'm just too forgetful to remember those dish names. That's why I had to resort to this method. If I had your great memory, I wouldn't need to write them down on paper!" Tianhua said.

"Tianhua, you're becoming quite eloquent! That's good!" Mr. Han commented.

After finishing the meal, Tianhua cleaned up the chairs. The elderly man sat there, watching Tianhua with a smiling face. Mr. Han took Little Bell inside, calming her to sleep, and then came to the yard to check on Tianhua. By this time, Tianhua had already finished tidying up.

"Tianhua, from now on, you'll be staying in this room." Mr. Han pointed to the room Tianhua slept in last night.

Tianhua agreed, and Mr. Han continued, "It might be a bit simple here. Just bear with it."

"Uncle Han, how could it be! Life here is already good enough for me! If you say that, I don't know what to say!" Tianhua said.

"Hehe, alright, alright. I won't say anymore!" Mr. Han chuckled.

The moonlight was like water, and the breeze gently blew. Tianhua sat in the yard, feeling extremely comfortable.

This setting was perfect for a heart-to-heart chat, and Mr. Han and Tianhua started chatting in the yard. The elderly man, quietly listening, eventually yawned, got up, gestured to the two, and went to sleep.

"Tianhua, it's late. Let's not talk anymore tonight. Get some rest!" Mr. Han said.

After Mr. Han finished speaking, he returned to his room. Tianhua sat in the yard for a while before entering his room.

The room was neatly arranged. Tianhua blew out the lamp, lay on the bed, and as moonlight shone through the window, he thought about Ali, the Yunshan couple, Zou Ming, Cheng Kong, and his own journey. He had initially believed he could quickly finish this journey and return home, but now he realized it was more complicated than he had imagined. The warnings from his parents had a faint impact on him.

Thinking about Ali and Mr. Han, Tianhua smiled in his heart. These two were the biggest gains since he set out.

Surrounded by moonlight, Tianhua surveyed the room. He felt that the world wasn't as bad as they said – at least he wasn't sleeping on the streets and was eating well.

As the night deepened, Tianhua's eyelids grew heavier. Slowly closing his eyes, he entered the realm of dreams with a smile on his face.