The Monk That Wanted To Renounce Asceticism

Red Boy grinned and took out a pink diary from behind him. “It’s written here.”

Dong!

Fangzheng raised his hand and rapped Red Boy on the head, reprimanding him. “How can you secretly read someone else’s diary? It’s a violation of their privacy, do you know that?”

“Master, I was just curious.” Red Boy held his head and acted as though it hurt. He knew very well that if he gave Fangzheng face, he would suffer less.

Fangzheng raised his hand and rapped his head again. “You are not to read the diaries of others even if you are curious!”

“What can I do now? I’ve already seen it. I can’t unsee it,” said Red Boy as he gave an innocent look. However, his eyes read: What can you do about it now?

Fangzheng was indeed somewhat helpless regarding the situation. What else could he do now that Red Boy had read it? The only solution was to apologize. He could not hide the truth, right? That was not in Fangzheng’s character.

“Master, now is not the time to apologize,” said Red Boy. He understood Fangzheng too well.

Fangzheng frowned when he heard that. After he saw Ding Yu coughing a distance away and the wooden blocks they had just arranged, he looked at Red Boy and the diary. His brows pricked up, and he said, “Tell me what you know.”

Red Boy shook his head. “It will be meaningless if I say it. Master, read it for yourself.”

“Tell me.”

“No, if you want to know, read it for yourself.”

“You are just making me an accomplice!”

“I’m helping you redeem someone, Master. I have a feeling that our mission this time has a lot to do with Ding Yu. Anyway, read the diary before you say another word.”

Fangzheng looked suspiciously at Red Boy. “Is there something else you want to say?”

“Read it. You will understand after reading it,” said Red Boy with a shake of his head.

Fangzheng was also curious as he picked up the diary. Red Boy then ran to Ding Yu and said to Fangzheng, “I’ll help you distract Ding Yu. Read it quickly.”

Fangzheng smiled bitterly. He never expected he would have to act so surreptitiously like a thief. Although he used to do so in his youth, could it be deemed stealing if he did it in his own home?

He flipped open the diary. The date on the first page indicated that it was from ten years ago.

“A handsome guy has moved in next door. His smile is very nice, but he doesn’t seem to like playing with me. He thinks I’m a tomboy, but I want to play with him. He is very good at roller skating…”

“Handsome actually goes to the same school as me! We just got to know each other. His name is Wang Lun, a very interesting name.”

“It’s the final year of middle school. Our final exams for high school are about to begin. My results are a mess. Why is that idiot, Wang Lun, so good at his studies? Alright, I’ll squeeze him and make him tutor me every day!”

“Why does this idiot always give me such a disparaging look? Isn’t it just tutoring? His clothes are washed by me! His mother isn’t with him, and his father is lazy. He washes his own clothes only once a week…”

“What the heck! Does my short hair piss off anyone? It’s not that I’m lazy, it’s just that I like the light feeling and want a carefree life! This is my inclination towards freedom! Why does it become a symbol of laziness in Wang Lun’s eyes? All I do is get him to wake me up every day in the morning. What’s wrong with shouting from downstairs? I’m honing his lung capacity!”

“It rained today. For some reason, Wang Lun didn’t wake me up. How strange…”

“It’s because he fell sick. What do I do? Should he eat some medicine, but if so, what? Should I bring him to the hospital? Why am I so worried for him? Right, it’s because he’s a bro who I grew up together with. It’s only right to feel bad for him. Alright, I’ll begin buying him medicine from today. I’ll feed him medicine, take him to the doctor’s, and… wash clothes, cook his meals. Boohoo, my life sucks!”

“This idiot is finally all energetic again. He has begun roller skating again. However I’m no longer the rookie from yesteryear. I’m better than him now! Haha! Unfortunately, I got mocked as a tomboy again. What’s wrong with being a tomboy? I don’t mind!”

“We’ve graduated from middle school! I’m going to have a blast celebrating today…”

“Who can tell me how I got home yesterday? Why don’t I remember a thing? How sad. Also, who washed my jacket? My lazy dad would definitely not do it! Isn’t Mom at aunt’s place? How strange… Could there be a ghost?”

“It’s actually that idiot, Wang Lun. Heavens! This silly idiot actually knows how to show care and concern to others! I must be seeing things! I must be still asleep. I need to continue sleeping! Eh… I’m awake. Indeed, it wasn’t a dream. It’s such a warm and snug feeling. Hehe. So this is the feeling of being taken care of by others.”

“Boo! There was a fight today! That idiot Wang Lun! So what if I got scolded? I wasn’t even mad, but why did he yell for nothing? Who’s your younger sister? I don’t want to be your younger sister. Idiot. His face was all bruised. I even needed to lie for him when we returned home. But the moment I said that he slammed into the door, I ended up getting a beating with him because I lied. These days are impossible to live through!”

“How dare you beat Wang Lun. This matter isn’t over. I’ll prepare my weapons and fight it out with them tomorrow! Well, I’m so frail, so I clearly am not suitable to attack in a frontal assault.”

“Wahaha, a bat in the face, and a brick in the back. It’s indeed the best fighting technique! A perfect combination. Darn Fatty was instantly on the ground! We even took all his allowance in passing. Awesome… More food for tonight!”

“Tragedy. News got out. We were punished and had to stand outside the entire day. I feel like my feet are swelling like radishes. Sigh… We were the ones who were bullied, and we sought revenge. Why does the teacher think of it as me leading an excellent student astray by coercing him to fight? Woe be me! I’m more maligned than Dou E ¹

“It’s sophomore year in high school. We will split into STEM and Liberal Arts classes. Wang Lun, that idiot, is applying to enter STEM classes. What should I apply to? But math, physics and chemistry are difficult…”

“Alright, I’ll determine my fate by throwing a piece of white paper. Indeed, God is punishing me. The white side always faces up. I am being forced to apply for STEM classes. I have no idea who invented it. Why is A4 paper white on both sides? What a scam!”

“Today’s my birthday. That idiot, Wang Lun, actually bought me a clock! A clock! That bastard actually bought me a clock on my birthday ² ! I want to kill him! Ahhhh, I’ll draw a hex to curse him with a sleepless night!”

“Haha, I gave a clock to Wang Lun as well. Wakaka! That idiot doesn’t seem to know what gifting a clock implies. Indeed, a genius and an idiot lack a common language.”

“It’s my final year in high school. I have to work hard or I can forget about college. Yes, I should try by working hard. What if I really succeed?”

“Aiyah! I’m really a genius! I got into the top five for the first time for our monthly exams! I went from fifteenth place right to fifth place! God! Mommy! Was I possessed by Einstein?”

“Selecting colleges sure is a difficult choice. Wang Lun has chosen Hefei University of Technology. What should I apply to? There’s first choice, second choice, and third choice… There are so many choices, and it hurts my brain just thinking about it. What if I lose too many brain cells and end up doing badly at my exams? Forget it, I’ll choose Hefei University of Technology for all my choices.”