These new challenges come from the ever-changing life. If we talk about cars, houses, and phones, I actually already had these things when I was young. It was just that people were relatively poor at that time, and most people couldn't afford it. But today, life is getting better, and people are starting to have extra money. Enriching one's life is actually just an improvement in living standards, but there are some things that I have never seen or even believed would appear in the future when I was a child, but they have continued to emerge in these years.
For example, there is something called a pager. It is said that the emergence of this thing has reduced the obstacles for people to visit each other. Maybe you come to my house to play with me, but I may not be at home, so your trip is in vain. . Or if you write to me and I don’t reply, or I don’t receive it, then your letter is wasted. At least you wasted the time to write this letter, but the pager can use the simplest notes to tell you who is calling you, and you need to reply to this call.
Like I said, it reduces communication barriers between people.
Another example is a thing called a computer. What I know about it is actually a bunch of numbers, such as 386, 486, 586. When I first heard them, I thought the bus in front of the door was The car opened a few more routes. It’s hard to believe that one day people can finally use this method to put wisdom into a small screen that doesn’t seem to be as big as a TV.
Unlike most people, I am relatively wealthy and the income I earn from this career is not taxed. The older I get, the more I like to study these novel things. But when I actually bought it home, how to turn it on and light it bothered me for a whole day. When I first bought a computer, I read a newspaper that said that soon human technology will enter the intelligent age, and humans and machines can have human-machine conversations. I thought that would be fun, and I had no one to accompany me at home. Son, it would be good to have a machine to talk to me.
But when I finally turned on the computer, no matter whether I spoke to it in any direction of the screen, it never paid attention to me. So that computer that could only be inserted into a floppy disk became a decoration in my home for a long time, but I still light it up from time to time, and then hold the mouse and swing it around on the screen. At least it can still move. , this can be regarded as a discovery, I have always comforted myself in this way.
From that time on, I deliberately had more contact with young people. Their acceptance of new things is much easier than that of an older person like me. Even though sometimes they kindly teach me, it is very difficult for me to learn. . I am a person who refuses to give up easily. I thought to myself that I studied the Four Books and Five Classics from my husband when I was only a few years old. Could it be that this foreign product is more difficult to study than the obscure words left by our ancestors? If I can't even learn how to use a computer, wouldn't it mean that I have become a joke in other people's mouths over the past few decades?
So on the one hand, I asked young people for advice, and on the other hand, I went to a bookstore to buy books to read. One of the young people I asked for advice was Da Mao's son. He is a person who loves to laugh and respects his elders very much. We all like him very much. Although most of the time when I invite him to my home to teach me how to use the computer, he is usually the one doing it, and I can only watch with my mouth half open, but I still find it interesting, especially It was when he was playing something that looked like a game on my computer. There were villains, guns, and houses in it, and several gangs of people were beating each other there without saying a word, just to fight for something. Win or lose. One day I couldn't bear it any longer and asked Da Mao's son, "What on earth is this thing you are playing with?" He pushed up the glasses on his nose and told me it was called "Red Alert."
With the help of many kind-hearted young people, I gradually learned to open "my computer", learn to play music, and learn to type. But since I had never learned Chinese Pinyin, in order to learn typing, I went to the street and spent a lot of money to sign up for a training class called "Wubizi Input Method". I became a member of our training class. Here, the oldest person.
My life was very simple, but I never neglected my craft. Fortunately, I gave up smoking cigarettes for decades during that period because the reason for smoking was gone. I once tried to imitate the big hairy son and went to fight in that game called "Red Alert" to see what the hell these guys were warning about, but the screen always got stuck within two or three minutes. , and then a few English letters popped up for me in the center of the screen - "GAMEOVER". I believe these letters mean that the computer has malfunctioned and needs to be repaired. Otherwise, why would it be stuck?
1997 was a year that I felt was both sad and happy. Because at the beginning of that year, Comrade Xiaoping passed away due to illness. The experience of this great man was somewhat similar to mine. We had all been attacked and knocked down on unfounded charges, but we persevered and survived. The most important thing is, He leads the people of our country to live richer and richer lives. Whether it is socialism or the so-called socialism with Chinese characteristics, the people's lives will be better and more comfortable, and they will naturally love this person who brings us a happy life. . So his death hit me quite hard, because I am a grateful person, and I am also a person who has witnessed the rapid changes and earth-shaking changes over the years.
This year is also a festive year, because in this year, my hometown became a municipality. This means that under the direct jurisdiction of the state, our lives and city construction will get better and better. What I find annoying is that people from the household registration office always knock on the door at my house every three days and ask me to change my ID card. We are now under direct jurisdiction. Although they are still from Sichuan, their previous identity information is all gone. Have to replace it. This makes me very distressed, because due to my career, I often need to pretend to be someone with other identities for convenience, so I have a total of four ID cards, three of which are not me at all, but are just entrusted to others to use mine. The photo just got away with it. If this happens, aren't you going to cause trouble for me?
In recent years, Songzi's Taoist temple, Yunsheng Palace, has been taken over by the government. Although the country has not vigorously promoted Taoism, the state religion, it has taken some positive measures in this regard. More and more people go up the mountain to worship gods and pray for blessings, and the incense is stronger than before. A lot. Songzi, who should have been busier, gradually had nothing to do. In addition, he was not getting any younger. The young Taoist priests in the Taoist temple took the initiative to take on most of the work. As the most senior Taoist priest, Songzi only needed to eat well. Drinking well and resting well is the greatest contribution to the state religion.
But obviously Songzi is not a person who can accept this kind of life. In line with the purpose of endless tossing in life, he told the young Taoist priest in the Taoist temple that he had been in the mountains for a long time and was a little tired. He wanted to go down to the county town for a walk. Stretch your legs and feet and check out the sentiments of the people. Once you get off the mountain, you will be wandering around like a wild horse that has escaped the reins. So that year, he came to my place. It was a joy to meet an old friend again, but when we met again after many years, I found that his voice had changed. He was originally soft-spoken. It was said that he had a tonsil surgery a few years ago, so that Nowadays, the voice is sharper and always accompanied by various broken sounds. It is very similar to the Hong Kong actor named Zeng in the Hong Kong movies that were very popular on TV in those years. When listening to Songzi speak in such a voice, I Always have to laugh.
I kept pine nuts in my house for a while. We talked every day. I took him for a drive and went to the river to enjoy the breeze and drink tea. Occasionally, when I received new business, I would take him with me. At the same time, because after decades of tempering, Songzi is no longer the little Taoist who only knew Feng Shui and the Five Mountains True Formation, but has become a person with extremely rich theoretical knowledge and a thorough understanding of various techniques, but his practical experience is not The high road is still zero.
But during that time we stayed at my house, we had a falling out. The reason was that he had to occupy my bed without sleeping in his own room. He would often run around the house naked after taking a shower. After being scolded by me, he would get angry and sneak away at night.
By 2002, the emergence of network technology made me, an old guy who had just figured out computers, suddenly feel at a loss again. But I also know how to live and learn, so I took the initiative to find a worker outside who could install the network and told him that I wanted to get online. But when I didn’t know how to get on, the other person told me, Old man, you need to Go buy a cat.
So I bought a cat. Every time I turned on the computer, I would put the cat next to the computer, but I couldn't figure out how buying a cat would allow me to access the Internet. Where is the Internet? This cat probably doesn't get along with me, and it always makes trouble for me at home. Several times in the middle of the night, I heard rustling noises coming from the computer. I thought something dirty was in the house. When I turned on the light, I saw that cat. The stupid cat is scratching my computer mouse with its claws. It seems that cats and mice are natural enemies. This saying is indeed true.
But that year, although I still couldn't figure out how to surf the Internet, I still gained something. Because that year I met a rather special young man. He was a student of an old friend of mine who was far away in Yunnan. He was a local who went to Yunnan to study. I had never seen him before. Until this old friend of mine called me and said that his student has returned to his hometown to develop, but there is no way out, and he is still a fledgling. He wants to occupy a hilltop in this mixed world, put up a banner, and wants me to help take care of him. , give me some support. Originally, when I received this call, I politely agreed. Anyway, I received several such calls every month during those years. I promised to help, but they didn't come to me, so I didn't. I didn't bother to ask.
But this young man was different. He actually came to my house and knocked on the door. In those days, if you wanted to do a big favor, you had to give money directly. Even if you didn’t give money, you had to give gifts. I only accepted melatonins for gifts. But when I opened the door, this young man was holding two baskets of eggs. , the kind with chicken poop on the eggshell.
This immediately reminded me of when I was young and studied with Lin Qishan. At that time, most people were not willing to use money as payment, and most of them gave eggs, food stamps and so on. It has been many years since I received an egg as a gift. His move made me like him even more. I looked at the boy with single eyelids who was grinning stupidly in front of me. He had an ugly middle parting and a ponytail on his back. He was neither male nor female, but he was neither male nor female. Suddenly I no longer hate it.
I chatted with the young man for a long time at my house that day. I felt that he seemed a little more mature than his peers at his age, but he was outspoken and a bit sharp. As a senior, I naturally have to follow his master's instructions and help him. I originally wanted to transfer to him the small business that I had to take over, but my share was low. Who knew that this kid would be able to complete it? The speed with which he got up and the aftermath made me quite fond of this young man. Because he gave me the feeling that he not only learned most of his master's skills, but more importantly, he had a kind heart that the young masters of his generation lacked.
Decades of experience tell me that although kindness is an advantage, it often becomes a career obstacle. Over the years, I have seen many masters put themselves in danger because they are too kind. , some people even died for it, maybe this means that when you choose to be a strong person, you must put down your kindness. So at that time, I declared in my mind that this kid was a good kid, but in this industry, especially in today's impetuous society, where everyone is only interested in profit, such a temperament is too upright, and it is estimated that it will be very difficult to survive. But what surprised me is that this kid is also considered a good person. In a few years, he has become a familiar face in our local industry. He is popular and has many friends. Among the young masters of his generation, he is also considered a familiar face. He is a rising star.
With his help, I finally learned how to surf the Internet, and finally understood the difference between the "cat" that the network installer called me and the stupid cat in my family who always competed with me for the position of head of the family. I finally understood that computer viruses are different from cold viruses and cannot infect people.
It wasn't until 2006 that I received a commission from a huge local engineering construction project. I went to the appointment to talk about all kinds of strange and bizarre incidents encountered in a bridge project that was about to be built. Because it was a government project and an important local reputation project, I I thought to myself that if I could do this, I would definitely be considered a leader in this industry, especially locally, and what would happen to Shangguan, so I went. But when I got there, I discovered that the client had not only invited me, but also almost all the other masters in our industry they could find. There were dozens of people from each sect, including this young man.
So that incident was completed by this young man and I. Since then, his reputation has risen, and I can be regarded as another explanation to his master. However, this young man later became the one I liked and cared about the most among the younger generations. I thought that my later years would be spent in such a calm way, but because of this young man, we had a more thrilling period. Through experience, we not only destroyed the seven-star formation left by a metaphysical organization in our city, but also made a big bad guy who threatened people's lives get the punishment they deserved.
In this way, I have had a legendary experience worth remembering in my youth, middle age and old age, which makes me very satisfied.
But my long-time friend Songzi passed away due to illness in 2011. I only remember that it rained heavily that day, and Songzi left quietly because of an ordinary heartbeat. I was the one who covered his coffin and closed his eyes. After setting up the mourning hall with the help of the neighbors, I called this little brother and called him. It was actually to report his funeral, but I didn’t know how to say it, so I asked him Okay? He said it was okay and then asked me if I was okay, but I told him I wasn't.
The young man and his friends helped me take care of the funeral. After the funeral, I was so worried that I couldn't sleep at home, so I made an excuse to go to Yunsheng Palace and lived for a while in the place where Songzi had lived for decades. . Despite this, the pain of losing my best friend still cannot be completely healed. I have reached this age, and I may be destined to live too carefree for most of my life. In my later years, I still have to pay back what I deserve.
In order to divert my attention, after returning to my hometown, I took on a disciple, a well-behaved and sensible girl. She is my only apprentice, because women must be seventeen years old to join the apprenticeship, and I am already old and know that I may not be able to accompany her for too long, so I use the method my master taught me to teach her. He taught everyone everything he could, except for one thing, which was making talismans.
Because I hope that she can have a healthy and complete life like other girls, instead of being alone like me.
I still live in this house with a view of the river, but I often think of those old friends who have passed away. Maybe I have not lost them. After all, it is because of them that they have decorated my life.
As the saying goes, life is like a dream, but why isn't a dream like life?
(Complete book)
