Chapter 107: 105 Once Upon a Time There Was a Mountain (Supplementary Post)

105 Once Upon a Time There Was a Mountain (Supplementary Post)

"Once upon a time there was a mountain, on the mountain there was a temple, in the temple there was an old monk and a young monk, and the old monk told the young monk a little story: Once upon a time there was a mountain, on the mountain there was a temple, in the temple there was an old monk and a young monk, and the old monk told the young monk a little story..." Lin Ling lay on a lounge chair, a six- or seven-year-old little girl lying in his arms, and the little girl was holding a lazy big black cat in her arms.

The little girl looked with a shocked expression at Lin Ling, who was tirelessly repeating the nesting-doll story, and said incredulously, "Boss brother, do you really want to brush me off that much?"

"First-grade student Li Yuning, please put your hand on your heart," Lin Ling said with a straight face. "How am I brushing you off? Look, I've been telling it to you back and forth for over ten minutes. If I really wanted to brush you off, could I talk for this long?"

"... But you've been telling the same story over and over." Li Yuning was a bit silent; it seemed she also felt that in terms of the time spent telling the story, the other party's behavior didn't count as brushing her off, but she still pouted and said with some grievance.

Lin Ling shook his head and smiled: "That is precisely my goal."

Li Yuning was bewildered: "Huh?"

Lin Ling gently smoothed Li Yuning's soft hair. "Lao Li, or your teacher, have they ever taught you that if you can't sleep, besides listening to stories, you can also count sheep?"

Li Yuning nodded.

"It's the same principle," Lin Ling said righteously. "It sounds like I'm telling a repetitive story, but in fact, I am achieving a hypnotic effect just like counting sheep."

"Is that so?"

"Just tell me, does it make sense?"

"Hmm... it seems like it does make sense." Li Yuning fell into deep thought.

"Look at how soundly Xiao Hei is sleeping; this is the magical part of my story." Lin Ling squinted his eyes and remarked with emotion. He lifted his chin, and his somewhat proud appearance looked a bit unfathomable.

"I understand." Li Yuning looked at the big black cat in her arms, nodded ignorantly, then handed the cat back to Lin Ling. She jumped down from Lin Ling, trotted over to Li Jiahong, who had been watching and secretly smiling the whole time, and tugged on his hand. She said obediently, "Dad, then I'll go back and sleep well; I won't disturb you and Boss brother while you work."

"Go on, go on, and don't always pester your Boss brother in the future." Li Jiahong gently stroked his daughter's little head and said, "Didn't you say you were a little lady? A little lady shouldn't always pester boys."

Li Yuning tilted her head and blinked, as if she hadn't understood what her old father said.

Li Jiahong felt helpless. He was already used to his daughter's quirkiness hidden behind her obedience. She was just pretending not to understand now, and he could only sigh softly and flick her little earlobe. "You... forget it, go back to sleep."

Li Yuning giggled, waved "bye-bye" to Li Jiahong and Lin Ling, and trotted out of the shop's back door to leave the Forest Cabin. As soon as she opened the door, there was a black void in front of her; as long as she stepped into it, her consciousness would return to her body in reality.

After first-grade student Li Yuning left, Li Jiahong apologized to Lin Ling: "I'm sorry, Lin Laoban, my daughter has caused you trouble again."

"It's no trouble. Caring for an employee's family is also a standard for a good boss," Lin Ling said seriously.

Li Jiahong smiled: "Yes, you have always been my good boss."

Lin Ling nodded, his calm expression making it unclear whether he was happy, or if he was accepting the praise with peace of mind and as a matter of course.

Li Jiahong recalled the first time two years ago when he discovered that his daughter could also come to the Forest Cabin where he worked along with him while he slept. Since then, his daughter seemed to have obtained the same permission as him to enter the cabin in her dreams at any time; as long as she fell asleep and entered a dream, she could come here.

His initial feeling was one of panic and trepidation. He was afraid that his daughter would inadvertently anger Lin Laoban, and he was also afraid that the eccentric Lin Laoban would suddenly try to sell his daughter the "merchandise" in the shop.

But unexpectedly, Lin Laoban's attitude toward his daughter could not be called very close, but it could not be called very distant either.

In fact, carefully recalling the time spent with Lin Ling, Li Jiahong could also feel that Lin Ling possessed a strange, inclusive quality. Lin Ling seemed able to tolerate all things; whether it was those who respected him or those who were impolite, he seemed to treat them all the same.

Since he had been working here for so long, he had never seen Lin Ling have too many emotional fluctuations, and feelings of anger were even less likely to be seen.

As for why he felt fearful, Li Jiahong felt it was because of his own awareness of the difference in status and class between himself and Lin Ling, and on the other hand, because Lin Laoban himself was mysterious and powerful, often giving people a feeling of being unfathomably awesome, making one feel that his dignity was not to be violated.

Of course, even though Lin Ling might be an easy person to get along with, Li Jiahong still often taught his daughter in private not to commit acts that would offend Lin Ling, to apologize immediately if she did something wrong, not to make requests or trouble Lin Laoban casually, and so on.

However, although Li Yuning followed her old father's advice, it wasn't much. She would still pester Lin Ling like she would a favorite older neighbor brother, and often act spoiled toward Lin Ling. Fortunately, Li Yuning's requests were never excessive, and Lin Ling seemed to quite like this lively and cute little girl, always readily agreeing to the other party's requests.

But just like the story-telling earlier, although Lin Ling would readily agree, he would always complete the request in a "brush-off" manner.

At first, Li Yuning also felt that Lin Ling was very casual, but as time went on, Li Yuning felt that this attitude of Lin Ling's—readily agreeing but ultimately producing a "brush-off"—was very interesting. Thus, although she would make requests to Lin Ling every time, her main purpose was no longer the completion of the task itself, but to see just how much of a brush-off Lin Laoban could give.

Today, Li Yuning was clearly satisfied.

Li Jiahong remembered that the story Lin Ling told his daughter just now was one he had heard not long ago; it was a story Lin Laoban told a customer. And this time, Lin Laoban rarely did not rent out merchandise, but instead sold the story as merchandise to that customer for the full price.

"Boss, does that story about the old monk and the young monk really have no end?" Li Jiahong asked curiously.

Lin Ling was stroking the black cat with rough movements, as if he were treating its chubby, furry body like a toy. Hearing Li Jiahong's inquiry, he smiled and replied: "It does."

Li Jiahong was taken aback, his curiosity increasing by a few points. "Then what is the ending?"

"When you don't want to tell it anymore, it ends," Lin Ling smiled.

Li Jiahong blinked his eyes, which were full of confusion, and actually tasted a certain profound truth from Lin Ling's simple sentence. After pondering for a long time, he nodded gently and thanked him: "I understand, it's very philosophical."