Lin’an. Louwailou!
They had just settled into their accommodations at noon, and that afternoon, Li Yi called Xue Jianming to invite his family to dinner that evening at Louwailou, located on the shores of West Lake.
The main reason was that Xiao Jingshu’s condition was nearing a critical stage, and treatment had to be arranged as soon as possible; otherwise, Li Yi wouldn’t have been in such a hurry.
Fortunately, Xue Jianming remained quite respectful toward Li Yi, the big boss, and without giving it much thought, he immediately agreed.
Since the Lin’an Hotel was right on the shores of West Lake, quite close to Louwailou, and Jiang Xue had been looking forward to seeing West Lake for a long time, Li Yi took the whole family to the restaurant early.
While waiting for Xue Jianming’s family, Li Yi, Jiang Xue, and Juanzi took the little ones to play by the West Lake outside Louwailou.
Third Sister, who had just come out of her postpartum confinement, and Eldest Sister, who was pregnant, shouldn’t overexert themselves, so they stayed at Louwailou. Their mother also remained at the restaurant to look after them and Third Sister’s baby, who was just a few weeks old.
It’s worth mentioning that the little one from Third Sister’s family was quite a handful; whenever he was awake, he needed to be held, and if he wasn’t, he’d wail at the top of his lungs, wearing out the entire Long family.
Of course, the ones who were most exhausted were Third Sister and Mother, who was tending to her postpartum care.
Consequently, neither my third sister nor my mother had any interest in going out to tour West Lake; whenever they had a moment to spare, they just wanted to rest as early as possible.
Back to Li Yi and the others: after leaving Louwailou, the group set off for a stroll along West Lake.
Li Yi held Yun Jin’s hand, Jiang Xue held Yun Rui’s, Zhang Feng looked after Ruirui, and Juanzi held her eldest nephew Zhang Ning’s hand, while Yang Miao, Zhang Ziqiang, and Zhou Wen stayed close by to ensure their safety.
Although West Lake hadn’t yet been developed for commercial purposes and looked a bit run-down, it wasn’t desolate.
With a thousand years of cultural heritage and countless literati who had depicted its boundless beauty, West Lake was never short of visitors.
However, unlike decades later when the area would be filled with well-dressed tourists, most of the people along the shores of West Lake at that time were ordinary citizens.
There were fishermen selling fish, vendors selling lotus roots, and stall owners selling snacks.
These local residents gathered around West Lake, creating a unique farmers’ market that was bustling with activity.
Having grown up in the north, the children had never seen large rivers or lakes, let alone such a variety of fish, so they were all very excited.
Soon, Yunrui arrived at a small fish stall, watching the small fish and shrimp in the vendor’s wooden tub, eager to try them.
Seeing this, Jiang Xue crouched down beside her son.
“Fish… I want one!”
Jiang Xue glanced at the massive wooden tub and then asked the vendor, “Sir, are these fish easy to keep?”
The old man could tell at a glance that Li Yi and the others were from out of town. He immediately smiled and said, “Young lady, these are silver and bighead carp—they’re meant for eating. They’re too big to keep at home!”
“If you want to keep some at home, you can wait until my son comes back from fishing. I’ll give you a few small yellowtail—those are easy to raise!”
The old man spoke in the local dialect, and Jiang Xue didn’t quite understand, but Li Yi did. He immediately stepped forward to thank him.
After that, Li Yi acted as a translator for Jiang Xue and his son, leading them as they wandered among the various stalls.
It took the group over an hour to finally make their way through the entire farmers’ market. Although they didn’t buy much, they had a great time.
Tired from walking, they sat down on some rocks by the lake to rest their feet!
Taking advantage of the break, Jiang Xue suddenly looked at Li Yi and said, “I… did the kids and I embarrass you?”
Li Yi was taken aback at first, then asked with some confusion, “What do you mean? How did you and the kids embarrass me?”
Jiang Xue lowered her head and said, “I haven’t seen much of the world, and neither have Yunrui and Yunjin. They were so excited just coming to this little market…”
Before she could finish, Li Yi smiled and said, “Don’t worry about it. Kids are at the age where their curiosity is at its peak—they find everything fascinating. It has nothing to do with whether they’ve seen the world or not!”
“Besides, your understanding of ‘seeing the world’ isn’t quite right either. Just don’t overthink it!”
“Doesn’t ‘seeing the world’ just mean having limited experience? Why is my understanding wrong?” Jiang Xue frowned.
Li Yi gazed at the shimmering lake in the distance, then said, “Xiao Xue, to understand the ways of heaven and earth, to observe the forms of all living beings—‘worldly experience’ encompasses every facet of the world. And the world isn’t just one-sided; it has many sides. There’s the side we focus on, and there’s the side we can’t see.”
“An artist performing at Vienna’s Golden Hall is one facet of the world; a farmer toiling in the fields, working hard to make a living, is another. The artist doesn’t understand the hardships of labor, and the farmer doesn’t understand the elegance of art. In each other’s eyes, who isn’t the one who hasn’t seen the world?”
Hearing this, Jiang Xue said thoughtfully, “In that case, does that mean we aren’t people who’ve seen the world either?”
Li Yi smiled and continued, “Being worldly doesn’t mean having visited certain upscale venues or worn designer clothes, nor does it mean having traveled to a particular place or met some important figure. It means that when human nature unfolds before you, when those unfathomable behaviors are laid bare, you remain calm and composed—because you have long since experienced the myriad facets of life.”
“Having witnessed the best, yet not rejoicing over material things; having witnessed the worst, yet not grieving over personal misfortune. Amidst the chaos of life, one’s lofty aspirations remain unshaken. Rich in poetry and literature, yet not given to boastful talk.”
“To have witnessed the world’s light and shadow, to have experienced the complexity, goodness, and capriciousness of human nature, yet to remain unhurried and unflustered—as serene as a gentle breeze and as unassuming as drifting clouds—and to walk in harmony with the world: that is what it truly means to have seen the world.”
After hearing Li Yi’s explanation, Jiang Xue sighed and said again, “In that case, I’m still someone who hasn’t seen the world.”
Before Li Yi could offer any words of comfort, she spoke again: “So, I’ve decided…”
“Decided what?”
“I’ve decided that from now on, you’ll be the one to take care of Yunrui and Yunjin. I can’t let people say our little darlings are naive, clueless kids!” Jiang Xue declared, raising her little fist.
Li Yi couldn’t help but smile wryly. “I think you’re just making excuses so you don’t have to take care of the kids yourself!”
“I don’t care. Anyway, from now on, you have to spend more time with the kids—and with me too!” Jiang Xue declared “stubbornly.”
“Okay, okay… I’ll spend more time with the kids, and more time with you!” Li Yi said with a smile.
He noticed that since having the baby and starting college, Jiang Xue’s personality had changed a lot.
She used to be a timid, insecure little thing, looking melancholic and lacking vitality.
But now she was lively and cheerful, and she was also very ambitious.
Although she still felt a bit insecure from time to time, that was simply due to the drastic changes in his status and position; in reality, she had already transformed into an exceptional person.
“Is there a flower on my face? Why are you staring at me like that?”
Li Yi smiled and said, “No, but you’re still beautiful!”
“You’re such a smooth talker!”
Then Jiang Xue stood up and said, “It’s getting dark. Let’s head back to the hotel. We don’t want to keep Director Xue and his family waiting too long!”
“Sure thing!”
With that, Li Yi took one child in each arm, shouldering two sweet burdens, and walked toward the nearby Louwailou.
Although it had taken them over an hour to get there, that was because they’d been strolling and sightseeing, stopping every now and then.
On the way back, they walked straight ahead without looking to the side, reaching Louwailou in just over ten minutes.
But as soon as he arrived at Louwailou, Li Yi witnessed a heartwarming scene…
………..