Chapter 16 Old Turtle

Chapter 16 Old Turtle

Chapter 16 Old Turtle
The old turtle in Tongtian River has been practicing hard for more than a thousand years, hoping that one day he can shed his shell and cultivate a human body. Not long ago, Tang Sanzang and his disciples returned from the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures. The old turtle couldn't wait to ask Tang Sanzang how long it would take for him to cultivate a human body. Unexpectedly, after so many years, Tang Sanzang had already forgotten the old turtle's instructions. The old turtle immediately became angry and threw the master and his four disciples and their luggage into the river. It can be seen how persistent the old turtle is in cultivating a human body.

Since then, the old turtle has practiced harder, and finally one night, he shed his tortoise shell and possessed a human body. The next day, he couldn't wait to go ashore, learn the lifestyle of others, and demand himself to follow the human behavior standards.

He saw an old man sitting on a rocking chair by the river basking in the sun, so he followed the old man's example, got on the ground, crossed his legs and basked in the sun. People passing by all talked about him and said, "This young man, he is so young, why is he basking in the sun here? He is really not doing his job."

The old turtle was puzzled and asked, "Can't I just lie here?"

When the crowd heard this, they didn't say anything and just avoided him. The old turtle had no choice but to get up and leave, thinking about asking his old friend, the carp spirit, who had already cultivated into a human, for clarification.

The old carp spirit said to him, "The human world is like this. If you see a wealthy businessman sunbathing by the river, you would say he is enjoying life. If you see a handsome scholar sunbathing there, you would say he is indifferent to fame and fortune. If you lie there in coarse clothes like this, people would naturally say you are not doing your job properly."

The old turtle said, "How strange! Aren't they all lying? Why do those people see so many differences?"

The carp spirit smiled and said, "The human world has its own rules. That's how people are. When you've been around in the human world for a long time, you'll naturally understand."

The old turtle asked, "Then how can I integrate into the human world?"

The carp spirit said, "If you want to integrate with them, you have to do what they say. Why don't I find you a job so you can experience it."

The old turtle said, "Okay, okay! I'll trouble you, brother."

What job do you think the carp spirit found for the old turtle? It turned out to be a waiter in a restaurant. The old turtle used to be free and unrestrained. But now he has to bend over and keep his head down with a smile every day, and shout to everyone he sees: "Sir, please come in!" How can he bear this? After working for only two days, he went to the carp spirit to complain: "This job of a waiter is really hard. Not only do I have to be humble and look at people's faces every day, but I am also exhausted. It's so hard to be a human being! Why are there such messy and broken rules in the human world? I can't understand it! I can't understand it! I can't do this job. I'd better change to another identity."

The carp spirit asked, "Then what do you want to do?"

The old turtle said, "I have practiced for thousands of years. I cannot lose face in this human world, right? I am going to go to Beijing to take the imperial examination and get a high position as an official!"

The carp spirit laughed and said, "People have studied hard for ten years to get a place on the imperial examination. I don't know how much effort they put in. I'm not looking down on you. Just based on your essay, can you get into the imperial examination?"

The old turtle said, "How difficult is that? I don't have to write it myself. I know magic. I just need to find someone who writes well, change the article, and put my own name on it."

The carp spirit said, "It's up to you, it's up to you! But as an official, don't do anything that harms the people, goes against the will of heaven and earth, and ruins your own morality!"

The old turtle said, "Look at what you said. Who do you think I am? After all, I have practiced for a thousand years. How could I be the kind of person who would do something against the will of heaven and earth just for the sake of fame and wealth?"

So the old turtle really went to Beijing to take the imperial examination. He used his magic to exchange the test paper with another candidate and was indeed the top scorer. He wore a red robe and rode a tall horse in the streets, looking very majestic. The court appointed him as the governor of a state and he took office immediately. Since he took office, the old turtle has been honest, conscientious, and caring for the people. He is very loved by the local people. However, he rarely interacted with other officials, which annoyed his superiors, who often said that the old turtle was ignorant and stingy.

Not long after, the imperial court sent an imperial envoy to inspect the prefectures. The officials of each prefecture presented generous gifts to the imperial envoy in the hope that he would speak well of them in front of the emperor. However, the old turtle was still stubborn. No matter how the adjutant persuaded him, he remained indifferent and retorted: "I just want to be worthy of the people of this state. Why should I collude with those profit-seeking and opportunistic villains?"

Somehow, these words reached the ears of the imperial envoy and the officials who bribed him. The imperial envoy was already dissatisfied with Lao Yuan, so how could he let it go after hearing such words? After returning to Beijing, he reported Lao Yuan to the current emperor, found a trumped-up crime, dismissed Lao Yuan from his post, and threw him into prison.

The old turtle who lost his job sat in prison with his legs crossed and humming a little tune, and he didn't take the matter to heart.

The carp spirit came to visit him in prison and joked, "Oh, Brother Old Turtle, how come you, an official, end up in prison? I'm afraid if you're a step late, I'll never see you again!" As he spoke, he managed to squeeze out a few tears from the corners of his eyes, as if he was about to send the old turtle to the execution ground.

The old turtle laughed and said, "You only became a human a few years earlier than I did, but you learn really fast. Your behavior is exactly the same as that of ordinary people in this world."

Hearing this, the carp spirit laughed loudly and said, "Brother, I'm not saying anything bad about you. When you wanted to be an official, you knew how to be flexible. You exchanged other candidates' papers for your own. How come you have become so rigid now that you are an official? You could have just used some magic to get some treasures and sent the imperial envoy back. But you chose to go against him! Now you are a prisoner."

The old turtle said angrily, "I just can't stand the faces of those profit-seeking villains. They even want me to give them treasures and show my courtesy in front of them, no way! I have been very merciful by not showing my true colors and teaching them a lesson. Before, I often felt guilty when I thought of the scholar whose test paper I swapped. Now it seems that it was not he who helped me, but I who saved him. He should be grateful to me! Think about it, what would happen if he was given an official position? If he became an honest official, he would definitely end up like me and his life would be in danger. If he became a corrupt official like others, wouldn't it be that he had read the books of sages for more than ten years in vain, and would lose his innocent heart and corrupt his moral character."

While the two were talking, a jailer suddenly ran over and shouted, "Time's up, get out!" Then he pulled the carp spirit's sleeve and dragged him away. The carp spirit began to show his superb acting skills again, crying and stretching out his hand to the old turtle and shouting, "Brother Old Turtle! Brother Old Turtle!"

The old turtle couldn't stand this guy anymore, so he used a wall-walking trick to get out of the prison, pointing at him and saying, "Hey, you really think you're a human being."

The jailer's eyes widened, as if he had seen a ghost, and he pointed at the old turtle and stammered, unable to speak. Seeing this, the carp spirit quickly used a spell to freeze the jailer and said to the old turtle, "Stop playing around, and leave!"

The old turtle and the carp spirit came out of the prison and went to a restaurant, where they ordered some food and drinks. The two brothers toasted and drank together to celebrate the old turtle's freedom. The old turtle sighed, "It seems that being a human is not as good as imagined. People always make some inexplicable broken rules for themselves, and they confine themselves. I used to hear that humans are the spirits of all things and the smartest. Now I think that humans are really stupid. I wonder what you do every day after you cultivate yourself to be a human?"

The carp spirit said: "I like acting, playing various roles and experiencing various different lives."

The old turtle laughed and said, "I see. You are really immersed in the role! You act out from time to time! But it sounds quite interesting."

The carp spirit said, "Yes, yes! Everyone will choose a role for themselves and live their life according to the setting of this role. This is what we call life is like a play!"

(End of this chapter)