Self-struggle starting from Douluo

Xiao Xuan suppressed his doubts and opened the book in his hand.

The book tells a very simple story, which goes like this: There was a poor scholar named Lu Sheng, who failed in the imperial examination (Xiao Xuan didn't understand what "应考" meant, but when he saw the word, he understood its meaning). He passed through Handan and met a Taoist named Lu Weng in an inn in Handan.

Lu Weng gave him a pillow, and the owner was just starting to cook rice.

Lu Sheng took a short nap and in his dream he passed the imperial examination and became a prime minister, married a beautiful wife, had many children and grandchildren, and lived a happy life. He was definitely a winner in life.

In the dream, Lu Sheng lived a perfect life. When he woke up, the owner's yellow rice was not even cooked.

Later, some people said that the Taoist was named Zhengyangzi, and he enlightened the scholar through this dream, and the scholar then became an immortal.

In addition to the story of "A Dream of Red Mansions", the book also records a similar story: it tells a story about a man named Chunyu Fen, who dreamed of entering the Dahuaian Kingdom after getting drunk, married a princess, and became a prefect. After experiencing reincarnation for a lifetime, he woke up and found that the afterglow of the sunset was still on the wall.

After closing the book, Xiao Xuan understood a little. Just as the passage of time in the Heavenly Tomb is different from that in the outside world, the passage of time in dreams and reality is also different.

In reality, after Qinghuan fell asleep, Xiao Xuan went to push him, but in just a short moment, more than ten years had passed in his dream.

But more questions came to my mind: The two stories and two dreams told in this book are generally similar, but what is their meaning?
Xiao Xuan put down the book, closed his eyes and thought for a moment, then stood up and walked out of the house.

In the yard, Qing Huanzheng and two women were sitting around a wooden shed, washing some food.

In addition to the snake woman, there was another woman with silver-white hair, who was equally beautiful. She sat on a small stool, and the curve of her waist and back was breathtaking.

Two women and one man were cleaning the ingredients while chatting and laughing. The harmonious scene was so harmonious that Xiao Xuan didn't have the heart to disturb them.

After standing aside and watching for a long time, Xiao Xuan suddenly confirmed one thing: Qinghuan really enjoyed this scene!

So is this the reason why Qinghuan didn't want to wake up even though she knew it was a dream?

"Dad! Aunt, Second Aunt..." Outside the yard, the little girl named Lan Yin was holding a fish that was taller than her, trotting with her legs struggling: "The village chief sent me this fish, and he said that you should treat the guests well..."

The snake woman and the white-haired woman quickly stood up, took the big fish, and asked the little girl about it with concern. They also held her hand and took her into the house to change clothes...

The little girl smiled heartily, and when she passed by Xiao Xuan, she grinned at him. She was very cute and lively.

After the three women, two adults and one child, entered the room, Qing Huan smiled and asked, "How do you feel after watching it?"

Xiao Xuan shook his head, then nodded and said, "I understand a little, but I am more confused. For example, why do their dreams all show them living a perfect life?"

Qing Huan was carrying the fish and processing it, motioning Xiao Xuan to sit down, saying: "Dreams and illusions are all the deepest desires of people, because for them, these are what they seek, to marry a beautiful wife, to hold a high position, to realize their ambitions, and finally to die without regrets...

If this were your dream, what do you think it would be like? "

Xiao Xuan carefully sat down on the stool and thought, "Maybe he can become a Doudi?"

"Really?" Qing Huan smiled and said, "Many people don't know what they desire. You think the Doudi realm is what you ultimately desire, but what happens after you achieve the Doudi realm?"

Xiao Xuan was stunned: "Of course, I will continue to pursue the realm after Dou Di..."

Qing Huan scraped the fish scales very skillfully and said, "If you say so, there will never be an end. You don't even know what the realm after Dou Di is. How can you pursue the realm after Dou Di in your dreams?"

Xiao Xuan couldn't answer.

Qing Huan smiled and said, "I always thought that what I pursued was transcendence, but in my dreams, what I longed for was such an ordinary life... Then what do you think I am really pursuing?"

Xiao Xuan looked around and said, "This kind of life?"

Qing Huan shook his head and said, "Actually, the two are not contradictory. Do you see the central hall in my house? The immortal mansion, the Taoist mansion of longevity... that represents my ultimate goal, but this kind of life is the process to the ultimate goal... Don't you think I am living a life like a god now?"

Xiao Xuan thought for a moment and asked, "Are you planning to live your whole life in a dream? This is a dream, it's all fake!"

Qing Huan asked back: "If I didn't tell you that this is a dream, would you still think it's fake?"

Xiao Xuan was stunned. Qing Huan continued, "On the other hand, who has ever told you that the real world is not a dream? What is true and false, dream and non-dream, what is your standard for judging?"

Xiao Xuan was shocked: "The real world, how could it be a dream..."

Qing Huan smiled, handed the big fish and knife to Xiao Xuan, and said, "You come and try to deal with the fish's internal organs."

Xiao Xuan didn't understand what was going on. After thinking for a while, he took it and clumsily cut open the fish's belly...

Qing Huan watched his movements and asked, "What are you dealing with?"

Xiao Xuan said in confusion: "Fish!"

Qing Huan asked again: "How does it feel to touch?"

Xiao Xuan pinched the fish body and said, "It's a little cold, soft on the outside and hard on the inside... It smells a little fishy..."

Qing Huan smiled and said, "Eyes, ears, nose, body, mind, are all these things you feel real or fake?"

Xiao Xuan paused, staring at the fish in his hand, and said in disbelief: "This..."

Qing Huan asked again: "If I just told you that this is a dream and I was lying to you, and this is actually another world, how would you feel?"

Xiao Xuan was confused and couldn't speak for a long time.

The little girl named Lan Yin changed her clothes and ran out excitedly. She lay on Qing Huan's back, hugged his neck and laughed, "Dad, what happened to this uncle?"

Qing Huan rubbed his cheek lovingly and said, "He is stupid."

Lan Yin said coquettishly: "Dad, don't tease my uncle, the village chief asked you to treat him well!"

"Okay, okay, okay, I won't tease him anymore."

Qing Huan laughed and said, "Go and play. I'm talking to this uncle... Don't play for too long. Come back for dinner later."

Lan Yin gave Qing Huan a big kiss on the face and ran out of the yard excitedly.

Xiao Xuan watched her small body disappear in a flash, swallowed his saliva, and asked, "Is she real or fake?"

Qing Huan smiled and watched Lan Yin run away before saying, "She is my destiny. I miss her, so I dreamed of her. She also misses me, so she came... If you ask me if she is real or fake, I really can't tell you.

But I am sure of one thing, she really exists in a certain world, has been waiting for me, and has been dreaming about me!

You might think of it this way, there is a world that everyone enters when they dream..."

Xiao Xuan asked, "What about the woman from the snake tribe? As far as I know, the snake tribe really exists. Judging from her tail, she should be a king of the snake tribe... Is she dreaming now?"

Qing Huan laughed and said, "Who told you that only those who dream at the same time can enter? Maybe it's the future, maybe it's the past. She had such a dream, and the dream is the present scene?"

Xiao Xuan smiled bitterly and said, "What about me?"

Qing Huanle asked: "Did you enter my dream, or did you enter this world? Did I dream of you, or did you dream of me?"

Xiao Xuan shook his head and said, "You've confused me!"

Qing Huan said seriously: "In fact, you are now breaking through to the Dou Emperor, but you fell into a nightmare. In the nightmare, you failed to break through to the Dou Emperor and were trapped in the Heavenly Tomb for a thousand years. Then you met me in the dream..."

Xiao Xuan was dumbfounded: "...Ah?"

Qing Huan nodded and said, "So it's not that you entered my dream, but that you have always been in the dream, and even I am the product of your dream...

If you don't believe me, feel yourself and see if you are a residual soul or truly alive?" (End of this chapter)