"To get it, you must first find her."
"I know where she is. And I know what to do."
"Then why haven't you left yet?"
"You're the only fellow who knows what I think but doesn't stop me at all, not even a word of advice."
"Mn, let me correct you, it's old fellow."
On an easily overlooked island in the East China Sea, there's a cave called "Yizhu[1]." The name sounds beautiful, but it's actually a prison. It's said that this place is unattended and a one-way ticket to oblivion.
Dong'er sat cross-legged in front of the floating bluish green water in the cave, staring discontentedly at the short old fellow who was as round as a glutinous rice ball. His beard was so long that it coiled several times in the three-foot lotus flower on which he was seated, finally hanging outside the lotus petals.
He was indeed an old fellow. The countless wrinkles on his forehead were almost folded together. He had no teeth, so he couldn't even hold up his lips and had to keep them puckered all day. When he spoke, his eyelids were too lazy to open, always half-closed, making people wonder if he was speaking or talking in his sleep.
He was a prisoner in the Yizhu Cave.
How many years had he been imprisoned? Why was he imprisoned? Who was he? Perhaps even the oldest East China Sea Dragon King didn't know.
When a person is forgotten for too long, their existence merges and becomes one with time, flowing unobtrusively and without disturbing anyone.
He seemed to enjoy being "forgotten" like this.
When Dong'er was still a child, she sneaked out to play and was drawn by the fragrance wafting from the Yizhu Cave. Running inside, she saw the old man sitting in the lotus, holding a clay pot and leisurely sipping soup. The lotus beneath him was floating on a water film flowing in the air, crystal clear, with gentle green waves.
She was tempted and wanted to fly to the old man to see what soup he was drinking, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't fly over the green water.
The gentle water acted like a cage, forbidding anyone from getting close.
Yet, Dong'er became a frequent visitor to the Yizhu Cave. She enjoyed listening to the stories told by the "prisoner" inside – this little old man who was no more than two and a half feet tall. She especially loved it when he taught her various exotic but delicious recipes. On returning home and following his instructions to the letter, what she cooked would invariably be delicacies among delicacies.
As she grew older, Dong'er increasingly felt that he was the most knowledgeable and interesting old chap she had ever met.
"Alright, I'm leaving," Dong'er stood up, the green water reflecting in her light golden eyes. "Once I leave, I don't know if I'll ever be able to come back."
"Well, that's your choice," the old man responded to her lightly, his eyes closed as usual.
"Before I leave, can you tell me why you're locked up here?" She had asked a long time ago, but the old man always brushed it off, saying she was still too young to understand.
"Okay." The old man coughed a few times and said, "Because, you see, I couldn't answer a question."
"Is there a question in the world that you can't answer?" She didn't believe him. "What was it?"
"I couldn't tell whether I prefer steamed pork ribs or braised pork ribs," he answered slowly.
Dong'er doubled over with laughter. It'd be surprising if she believed it.
The old man chuckled too, his short and fat fingers absentmindedly stroking a white jade porcelain plate he always held close to him, on the bottom of which was carved lifelike twin lotus flowers on one stalk.
"I know you don't believe me, little girl," he chuckled, his beard floating up with his laughter, "But it's true."
"I'm leaving," Dong'er turned around.
"Girl." He opened his eyes, "When you can't make a choice, the answer becomes self-evident."
Dong'er turned back, the question marks crowding in her mind almost dropping into the water.
"I don't understand." It was the first time she saw the old man open his eyes, the first time she heard him say such cryptic words.
"For those who can't make a choice, there's only one answer and that is," he paused, "Only love yourself."
With that said, he closed his eyes again and said lazily, "There's a brocade pouch under the clover at the entrance of the cave. Take it. Don't look at it until you absolutely have to. Now go and don't talk to me again. I'm tired and want to sleep."
Alright, she knew the old man's temper. When he said he wouldn't talk anymore, he meant it.
Dong'er walked to the entrance of the cave and saw the evergreen clover, with a delicately embroidered brocade pouch tied with a red rope, lying quietly amidst the greenery.
It definitely wasn't there when she entered.
She picked up the pouch and accidentally found a row of small letters on the other side—"Proudly Produced by XYZ Crafts Company."
This was obviously something from the outside world, or more precisely, from the human world.
He's a prisoner, isolated from the rest of the world, so how could…
Dong'er ran back, holding up the pouch and asked him, "This is a prison and you're a prisoner. Not only can you not leave, but all spells are also blocked from reaching the outside world. How did you manage this?"
The old man didn't open his eyes, his soft snores long and unbroken.
"Or..." Dong'er frowned, "you can't be held captive here at all?"
The snoring sounded like a song.
"If that's the case, why do you stay here?" She ignored his words and asked loudly.
"Because, I can't think of a reason to set myself free."
He puckered his already puckered lips and continued to sleep.
Unwilling to leave it at that, Dong'er stood in front of him for a long time but eventually left.
Outside the cave entrance, there was a sunset of varying intensities of red, bordered with golden threads. At this moment, the East China Sea resembled an old person who has weathered the vicissitudes of life and refined a tranquil and serene demeanor from the tumultuous twists and turns of human affairs. Looking at it, even the most racing heart would immediately calm down.
Dong'er loved this sea and liked gazing at it blankly like this.
For thousands of years, this sea had been her only constant companion.
The person she was looking for was on the other side of the sea.
The setting sun gradually moved, like a hand gently stroking Dong'er's body.
Her shadow stretched very long, turning into a winding dragon on the ground at the cave entrance.
[1] An interesting name. 遗珠 means unrecognized talent. Taken separately, 遗 珠 means Lost Pearl.
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