MMB Chapter 251 Severing Worldly Ties, He Yuzhu Bids Farewell to the Old Era
Chapter 251 Severing Worldly Ties, He Yuzhu Bids Farewell to the Old Era
Qin Huairu didn't know how long she had been standing in front of He Yuzhu's house.
The night wind blew her hands and feet until they were numb, leaving her like a cold stone statue. It wasn't until the first hint of dawn appeared on the horizon that she seemed to wake from a deep dream, numbly moving her stiff legs, dragging her heavy and desperate shadow step by step, back to her cold home.
Inside the room, He Yuzhu remained seated cross-legged on the bed with his eyes closed.
He was acutely aware of everything about the woman outside the door, from her appearance to her departure, every tear on her face, and every pang of pain in her heart.
But he didn't move.
It wasn't that he was hard-hearted, nor was he holding a grudge. Rather, he clearly understood that some paths, once embarked upon, could never be reversed. He and Qin Huairu were like two lines that started from the same point but headed in completely opposite directions, only drifting further and further apart, never to intersect again.
All the grudges and grievances of the past few decades, all the affections, all the scheming, all the trivialities of daily life, were completely left behind when Mr. Lin opened the door to a new world for him.
He exhaled a long breath.
The breath was long and drawn out, tinged with a faint white hue in the dim morning light. As he exhaled, He Yuzhu felt the last vestige of his attachment, the last bit of his obsession with "Silly Zhu," vanish into thin air.
He felt his body and soul become lighter and clearer than ever before.
He Yuzhu, the cook who had lived in the courtyard house for decades, died completely at this moment.
The one who survived was He Yuzhu, who was under Mr. Lin's command and was about to take over the "Divine Chef's Hall".
He opened his eyes, his gaze clear and untainted.
He got up and began tidying up the house.
The house wasn't big, and he didn't have many belongings. His possessions from decades of living were really just a few items. He carefully put his parents' belongings—a few yellowed old photos—into a wooden box. He then placed all his savings, a considerable sum of money, along with the property deed and a key, into an envelope.
By the time all this was done, it was already broad daylight.
The sounds of neighbors getting up, washing up, coughing, and children making noise came from the courtyard... These sounds, which he had heard for decades, now sounded distant and unreal, as if separated by a thick layer of glass.
He pushed open the door and went out.
Just then, his sister, He Yushui, had also just gotten up, yawning sleepily.
"Brother, you're up so early?" He Yushui rubbed her eyes.
"Okay." He Yuzhu nodded and handed her the envelope. "Yushui, you take this."
He Yushui was taken aback. She took the money and squeezed it, feeling the hardness of the property certificate and the thickness of the banknotes inside. She was immediately startled: "Brother, what are you doing? Why are you giving me so much money? And this property certificate..."
"I'm going on a long trip, and I might not be back for a long time." He Yuzhu's voice was calm. "This house will be yours from now on. Keep the money in it for your schooling or as your dowry. Take good care of yourself from now on."
He Yushui was completely stunned. Clutching the envelope, her face turned pale: "Brother! What nonsense are you talking about! Where are you going? What do you mean by not coming back for a long time? Aren't you coming back? Don't you want me anymore?"
As she spoke, her eyes reddened, and her voice trembled with tears.
He Yuzhu looked at her, a hint of tenderness finally appearing in his eyes. She was his only family in this world.
He reached out, intending to stroke her head as he had when they were children. But he stopped halfway through. His hands, now capable of crushing bones and controlling spiritual energy, were no longer suited for such mundane acts of intimacy.
"Silly girl, why are you crying?" He withdrew his hand, trying to keep his tone gentle. "I'm going to take care of important business. I'm going to follow a very important person to do something big. This is an incredible opportunity, you should be happy for me."
"What grand undertaking? Is it more important than us siblings being together?" He Yushui cried out. "Brother, are you still angry with those people in the compound? We're moving! We'll leave this dilapidated compound, we'll go anywhere, as long as we're together!"
"It's not about the hospital." He Yuzhu shook his head. He knew that some things couldn't be explained to his sister. He could only say it in a way she could understand: "Yushui, your brother isn't the silly Zhu I used to be. I have a new way of living, a path you can't even imagine. I have to walk this path. Just know that your brother will become very powerful, extremely powerful, and no one will dare to bully you anymore."
He glanced in the direction of the courtyard, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable authority: "From now on, if anyone in this courtyard dares to cause you the slightest grievance, just tell me. I have ways to make them regret being born."
He Yushui was intimidated by the imposing tone of his words, and her crying subsided considerably. She looked at her brother in front of her, feeling both familiar and strange.
"Then... will you come back to see me?" she asked cautiously.
He Yuzhu remained silent for a moment.
If fate allows, we will meet again.
After saying that, he didn't say anything more and turned to leave.
"Brother!" He Yushui cried out and chased after him for two steps.
He Yuzhu didn't turn around, he just waved his hand, his steps were steady, without the slightest bit of lingering affection.
He walked out of the middle courtyard, out of the front courtyard, out of the courtyard where he had lived for decades, a place filled with grudges and entanglements. The moment he stepped out the gate, he felt as if he had broken free of an invisible shackle, and the whole world suddenly opened up before him.
The sun was shining brightly at the entrance of the alley.
He turned around and took one last look at the dusty gray gate.
From then on, we went our separate ways and had nothing to do with each other anymore.
He strode towards the small courtyard where Lin Fan was. With each step, his aura grew more concentrated. By the time he reached the gate of the seemingly ordinary courtyard, all traces of worldly life had vanished from him.
Instead, there is a purity and devotion that is almost like the Tao.
He pushed open the gate and walked in.
In the courtyard, under the canopy of the World Tree, Lin Fan still lay on that rocking chair, his eyes closed, as if he had never changed since time immemorial.
He Yuzhu walked up to Lin Fan and, without the slightest hesitation, knelt down on both knees, prostrating himself in the most ancient and solemn salute.
"Sir, He Yuzhu has severed all worldly desires and settled all karmic ties."
His voice no longer carried the honest and straightforward quality of the past, but instead possessed a resounding and resolute quality, like the clang of metal and stone.
"From this day forward, there will be no more cooks like Silly Zhu in the world."
"Only He Yuzhu, the Master of the Divine Chef's Hall!"
"Please, sir, issue a decree!"