PDLP Chapter 185 Combing Hair Like an Adult
Chapter 185 Combing Hair Like an Adult
On the morning of the 20th day of the first lunar month.
Li Jun stood at the entrance of Qingfeng Temple, carrying a suitcase in his hand.
The box wasn't big; it contained the clothes he and his master had changed into over the past few days, along with some other miscellaneous items.
Most importantly, there was the gift box containing the statues of the Two Immortals of Harmony and Union.
The old Taoist priest was locking the door.
He stood in front of the door, holding the old brass lock in his hand, hesitating to put it down.
Li Jun walked over and stood beside him.
The old Taoist priest stared at the mottled wooden door and the three characters "Qingfeng Temple" on the lintel, his eyes somewhat dazed.
"Master?"
Li Jun spoke softly.
The old Taoist priest came to his senses.
He smiled, hung the lock, and locked it with a click.
"Let's go."
He turned and walked towards the mountain path.
Li Jun followed behind him.
After walking a few steps, the old Taoist priest suddenly stopped and looked back.
The Taoist temple stood quietly in the sunlight, its green tiles and courtyard walls mottled, and the pair of red lanterns hanging from the eaves swaying gently in the wind.
He looked at it for a few seconds, then turned around and continued walking forward.
Li Jun followed behind him without saying a word.
The two walked down the mountain path.
At the foot of the mountain, a black SUV was already parked there.
Jin Hao stood by the car, looking down at his phone.
Seeing the two of them come down, he quickly put away his phone and went to greet them.
"Master Zhang! Brother Taoist!"
"You're coming down!"
The old Taoist priest looked at him, smiled, and nodded.
"Xiao Hao, thank you for your hard work."
Jin Hao waved his hands repeatedly.
"It's not hard work at all, it's my duty!"
He walked to the car and opened the door.
"Master Zhang, please sit in the back seat; it'll be more spacious."
The old Taoist priest nodded and sat in the back seat.
Li Jun got into the passenger seat.
Jin Hao closed the car door, walked around to the driver's seat, and started the car.
The car slowly started and drove onto the highway.
Jin Hao gripped the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.
"Master Zhang, Brother Taoist, let's go to Nancheng Airport first. There are direct flights to Miao territory from there."
"Yin Jian will pick us up after we get off the plane."
Li Jun nodded.
In the back seat, the old Taoist priest suddenly spoke.
"Xiao Hao, is that plane...safe?"
Jin Hao was stunned for a moment.
He glanced at the old Taoist priest in the rearview mirror.
The old Taoist priest sat in the back seat, looking somewhat nervous, with his hands on his knees and clenched fists.
Jin Hao understood.
This was Zhang Daoye's first time on an airplane, and he was nervous.
He smiled and said in a relaxed tone:
"Don't worry, Master Zhang, it's perfectly safe."
"Airplanes are the safest mode of transportation in the world, much safer than cars."
The old Taoist priest nodded, but the tension on his face didn't subside much.
He's lived to be this old and has only ever seen an airplane on his phone.
What if something flying in the sky falls down...?
He dared not think any further.
Li Jun turned around from the passenger seat and looked at his master.
"Master, don't be nervous."
He smiled and said:
"When the advisor first took an airplane, it was..."
Li Jun suddenly stopped halfway through his sentence.
The car fell silent instantly.
The old Taoist priest sat in the back seat and remained silent for a few seconds.
Then, he spoke softly.
"You brat, what's wrong with you? Why are you only saying half of what you mean?"
The old Taoist priest paused, then asked:
"Your advisor... he flew to Kunlun back then?"
Li Jun remained silent for a few seconds.
Then he nodded.
"Yes."
The old Taoist priest did not speak again.
He simply leaned back in his seat, watching the fields and villages rushing past the window.
His eyes were somewhat dazed.
The atmosphere inside the car suddenly became somewhat quiet.
Jin Hao gripped the steering wheel and glanced at Li Jun discreetly.
Li Jun sat in the passenger seat, his expression one of regret.
Jin Hao thought for a moment and decided to liven up the atmosphere.
He cleared his throat and spoke with a smile.
"Master Zhang, since we're going to Miao territory this time, should my Taoist brother and I pack some things?"
The old Taoist priest came to his senses and looked at him.
"What are you packing up?"
Jin Hao pointed to his hair.
"Just getting a haircut, something more formal."
"After all, we're going there to support Yin Jian. We can't let him be underestimated after we get off the plane and meet the people from Miao territory."
After listening, the old Taoist priest thought for a moment and nodded.
"Yes, you're right."
He looked at Jin Hao and Li Jun.
"You two young lads, just standing there, do make people think you're unreliable."
Jin Hao chuckled twice.
"So, Master Dao, you agree?"
The old Taoist priest nodded.
"agree."
"Once we get to the south of the city, you two can get it done."
Jin Hao looked at Li Jun.
"Brother Taoist, did you hear that? Master Zhang has spoken!"
Li Jun glanced at him helplessly.
"Okay, okay, I'll listen to you."
The car continued driving forward.
More than an hour later.
South City, the urban area.
Jin Hao parked his car in front of a barbershop.
The barbershop wasn't big, but the storefront was very clean, and various hairstyle photos were pasted on the glass door.
The three of them got out of the car.
Jin Hao pulled Li Jun inside.
The old Taoist priest didn't go in; he just stood at the doorway, looking through the glass.
In the barbershop, Jin Hao gestured to the barber, seemingly indicating what hairstyle he wanted.
Li Jun sat on the chair next to him, looking helpless.
……
Twenty minutes later.
The old Taoist priest looked Li Jun and Jin Hao up and down as they walked out of the barbershop.
Then he smiled.
"Not bad, not bad."
He nodded.
"You're acting like a grown-up now."
Jin Hao chuckled twice.
Li Jun smiled somewhat embarrassedly.
The three of them got into the car.
Jin Hao started the car and drove towards the airport.
In the back seat, the old Taoist priest leaned against the window, looking at the increasingly bustling city outside.
He suddenly felt a pang of emotion.
How many years has it been since I last visited the southern part of the city?
The last time I came here was more than 20 years ago.
Back then, the southern part of the city wasn't this big or this tall.
Now, there are skyscrapers everywhere, and traffic is heavy.
The changes are too great.
He turned his gaze back to the two young men in the front seat.
Jin Hao was holding the steering wheel, talking to Li Jun.
Li Jun leaned back in the passenger seat, occasionally responding with a few words.
The two chatted and laughed, creating a relaxed atmosphere.
The old Taoist priest looked at them and smiled.
Young is so good.
The car continued driving forward.
We drove through the bustling city center and onto the highway leading to the airport.
In the distance, a huge terminal building gradually came into view.
The old Taoist priest looked at the terminal building and the planes taking off and landing, and suddenly felt nervous again.
We're really going to fly into the sky.
The car slowly drove into the airport parking lot.
After parking the car, the three of them got out.
Li Jun took his suitcase out of the trunk and pulled it toward the terminal.
The old Taoist priest followed behind, observing everything around him.
There are a lot of people.
People came and went, dragging suitcases, hurrying along.
The flight information was being broadcast over and over again.
Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling window, an airplane is taking off.
The old Taoist priest stood by the window, watching the plane slowly take off, fly higher and higher, farther and farther away, until it became a black dot and disappeared into the clouds.
He stared at it for a long time.
Li Jun walked to his side.
"Master, let's go."
The old Taoist priest came to his senses and nodded.
There was a long queue at the security checkpoint.
The old Taoist priest stood in the line, watching the people in front of him walk through the archway one by one.
He asked Li Jun in a low voice:
"Jun'er, what's that door for?"
Li Jun explained:
"That's a security gate; it checks for dangerous items."
The old Taoist priest nodded and asked no further questions.
After passing through security, proceed to the boarding gate.
Along the way, the old Taoist priest looked around, finding everything new and interesting.
Those shops, those GG brands, those staff members walking around in uniforms.
And there are those huge floor-to-ceiling windows, with rows of airplanes parked outside.
"How many people can that big one seat?"
The old Taoist priest pointed to a huge passenger plane and asked.
Jin Hao glanced at it.
"That looks like a Boeing 747, it can seat three or four hundred people."
The old Taoist priest was taken aback.
Three or four hundred people?
So many people, all packed into that big iron lump, and then flew into the sky?
He looked at the plane again, his eyes filled with a sense of awe.
The three of them walked to the boarding gate and found a seat.
There's still half an hour before boarding.
The old Taoist priest sat in his chair, looking out the window at the plane that was about to take them into the sky.
The plane was large, with a silver-white fuselage and the airline's logo painted on its tail.
Ground staff were busy down below, driving various vehicles to load luggage, refuel, and conduct inspections.
The old Taoist priest looked at it for a long time.
Then, he suddenly spoke.
"Jun'er".
Li Jun looked at him.
"Um?"
The old Taoist priest remained silent for a few seconds.
Then, he asked softly:
"Was the plane your advisor took to Kunlun back then... also like this?"
Li Jun was stunned for a moment.
He looked at his master, at the complex emotions in his master's eyes.
There was nostalgia, sadness, and a hint of... something he couldn't understand.
Li Jun thought for a moment and nodded.
"almost."
"But airplanes back then weren't as big as they are now."
The old Taoist priest nodded.
He didn't ask any more questions.
He just kept staring blankly at the plane outside the window.
Li Jun looked at him, feeling a little uneasy.
He knew what his master was thinking.
The advisor.
The person I waited eighty years for, who finally came back.
Although all that returned was a handful of clothes.
But the knot in Master's heart was finally untied.
But some things don't just disappear once they're solved.
For example, longing.
For example, regret.
For example, those times that can never be returned to.
Li Jun did not disturb his master.
He simply sat beside her, quietly keeping her company.
Jin Hao also sensed the subtle tension in the atmosphere.
He didn't say anything, but silently took out his phone and started browsing the news.
Time passed second by second.
After half an hour.
The broadcast started.
"Attention passengers traveling to Miao region XXX, boarding for your flight XX is now open. Please take your belongings with you and proceed to gate XX."
The old Taoist priest came to his senses.
He stood up and took a deep breath.
"Let's go."
The three people lined up to board the plane.
As he walked across the jet bridge and into the cabin, the old Taoist priest paused for a moment.
The cabin was very spacious.
Rows of seats, neatly arranged.
The flight attendant stood at the door, smiling as she greeted each passenger.
"Welcome aboard."
The old Taoist priest looked at all of this in a daze.
Jin Hao found his seat and said with a smile:
"Master Zhang, you can enjoy the scenery by the window."
The old Taoist priest nodded and sat down by the window.
Li Jun sat next to him, while Jin Hao sat on the other side of the aisle.
The plane began to taxi.
The old Taoist priest looked out the porthole at everything outside.
Airport, terminal, and other things.
As he looked at it, he suddenly asked:
"Jun'er, how...how does this airplane fly?"
Li Jun thought for a moment and explained it in the simplest way:
"It's the engine that generates thrust, making the plane run very, very fast, until it takes off."
The old Taoist priest nodded as if he understood but not quite.
The old Taoist priest nodded as if he understood but not quite.
Suddenly, a pushing sensation came from behind.
The old Taoist priest saw that the ground outside the window was rapidly sinking.
The plane took off.
He stared out the window, watching the houses, roads, and vehicles grow smaller and smaller.
Soon, it turned into a miniature map.
Then, the plane passed through the clouds.
Outside the window, everything was a vast expanse of white.
I can't see anything.
The old Taoist priest leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh.
It took flight.
It really took flight.
He had lived for over eighty years and this was the first time he had ever flown.
This feeling...
Very strange.
I can't explain it.
I just feel like I'm... floating.
It seems that the things weighing on my heart have also become lighter.
He closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.
The low rumble of airplane engines filled my ears.
Beside him were his apprentice and that kid Jin Hao.
Outside the window, a vast sea of clouds stretched out.
The old Taoist priest's lips curved slightly upward.
……