Chapter 19

"Human Paradise" and "Space City"

98 chapters,

"Human Paradise" and "Space City"

Liu Guozong

I wish my homeland were here……

The Peach Blossom Spring is the ideal blueprint that the great Jin-dynasty poet Tao Yuanming designed for the future world: There it has fertile land and orderly houses. Before and after the houses, slender green bamboo sways in the wind. Beside the fertile land flows clear water; along the water's edge grow peach and plum trees of uneven size and height. Peach and plum trees bloom fragrantly all year; fallen petals scatter in profusion, and bees dance wildly among them; Between the fertile fields, crisscrossing paths lie; on those winding country lanes, farmers come and go freely, without worry or trouble, self-sufficient and content: "Spring silkworms spin long silk; in autumn harvests, no royal tax. Deserted roads warm with travel; chickens and dogs call to each other." This is the poet's ideal earthly "Paradise". But where can such a "Paradise" be found in the human world?

Now "Where has the Taoist magistrate gone? Can fields be cultivated in the Peach Blossom Spring?" Tao Yuanming designed the "Peach Blossom Spring" for people's future, but it is ultimately something that can be hoped for but not attained.

Besides the moon and Earth, there is still real estate waiting to be developed—this isn't a dream, is it…?

Since humans cannot find the "Peach Blossom Spring," let's look for it in outer space. Scientists, after searching high and low ("searching the heavens and the earth"), finally found, within the region between Earth and the Moon, a place suitable for humans to build a "Peach Blossom Spring." According to the scientists' verification, there are five such places between Earth and the Moon where a Peach Blossom Spring could be built. In these five places, all objects are in a state of rest. Each place covers an area of about 1ooo square kilometers. This place has none of the frequent natural disasters on Earth such as wind, water, heat, cold, earthquakes, nor will it suffer impacts from extraterrestrial bodies. If a space city were built here, people living there would be much safer and more comfortable than in the Peach Blossom Spring. I don't know whether developers have any plans to build space cities.

Is it possible that one day, if people really move to the space Peach Blossom Garden, they could undergo a metamorphosis and live peaceful lives…?

But, what if one day in the future people really move into the Peach Blossom Spring inside the space city, then people could be reborn, no longer having war, plunder, hegemony, terror, nor corruption, oppression, deceit, **, collusion, theft, envy, slander? If we still bring these filth from Earth into the space city, what's the point of building the space city?

99 chapters,

There was an emperor who said……

Liu Guozong

Have you ever thought: those big stars are propped up by many small stars, or by non‑star people――

All valuable things in this world are only meaningful in comparison with things around them. A Brightness star only appears bright in contrast with many dark and small stars. If there were no such dark and small stars surrounding it, how could it show its brightness and greatness? In fact, gold is the same; its value only manifests in comparison with other metals. Therefore, the Daoist founder Laozi said: when the world knows what is beautiful, it also knows what is ugly; when the world knows what is good, it also knows what is evil.

Even a child who has just started school also knows what also knows――

Western philosopher once said: Since we mock ugliness, we should surpass it. When we mock ugliness, we certainly know what ugliness is; since we know what hatred is, we stay away from ugliness and surpass it. Likewise, if we know what goodness is, we should stay away from evil. In this world, there is no one who cannot distinguish beauty from ugliness, good from evil. Even a child who has just started school knows that stealing money on the bus is a 'bad egg', giving up a seat to the elderly is a 'good person'. Learn to be a 'good person', hate the 'bad egg'.

What can be used to prove your goodness there――

The good and bad, beauty and ugliness, good and evil are all around us, inseparable from us. We can see them at any time. If you are now whatever kind of 'star', you should not look down on the 'dark stars' and 'small stars' around you; if you do, you will soon fade away. If you now think you are a 'good person', then do a few good deeds for people to see, use facts to prove your goodness there. Even giving someone a warm, spring‑like word, or even a kind smile.

There was an emperor who said――

There was such a small incident: one day, an emperor went out hunting, and a servant wanted to cook a game for him but couldn't find salt. The servant went to a nearby manor to look for salt. When the servant was about to leave, the emperor told him: 'Take the salt from the people's homes, don't forget to pay; if you break the rule, this village will become bad.' The servant said puzzled: 'The emperor asks the people for a little salt, what's the big deal?' The emperor said: 'All sins start as trifles; due to habit becoming custom, they eventually become uncontrollable.'

1oo chapters,

Some dogs want to swallow the moon, some dogs want to eat swan meat.

Liu Guozong

I heard that a flock of swans had landed in a fish pond not far from my home. At first, I didn't believe it was true: 'The fish ponds in my hometown are each the size of a palm, how could they hold swans?' Later, from the talk of people returning from the fish pond, I learned: 'There really was a flock of swans in that palm‑sized fish pond in my hometown.'

Driven by curiosity, I then invited a few friends to go and catch a glimpse of the swans' grace.

Far from the fish pond, I could hear many dogs barking wildly. I have always hated dogs, feeling deep aversion toward them. Because I was once chased and bitten by a dog for no reason. Therefore, wherever I am and whenever, as soon as I hear a dog's bark, I feel terrified. Leaving home to make a living in distant places, a major factor was to avoid those dogs lurking in the dark or light corners of my hometown. Mr. Lu Xun's saying 'beat the drowning dog' I wholeheartedly agree with. Those 'drowning dogs', when they are in the water, you see them looking pitiful and helpless, but once they get ashore, if you are not careful, they will turn around and bite you. Although some people praise Guo Moruo's works as 'lofty, heroic, rugged, unrestrained……', I still don't like reading them. The reason I dislike reading them is that Guo compares himself to a 'heavenly dog'. This 'heavenly dog' not only wants to swallow the moon, also wants to swallow the sun, and also wants to swallow all the planets; this is still not enough hatred, and furthermore wants to swallow the entire universe. What a terrifying 'heavenly dog'! It is practically a 'mad dog', an enemy of humanity that cannot coexist under the same heaven.

As I walked and thought, the barking of dogs reminded me: the fish pond of my hometown was getting closer. Were these dogs biting the people watching the swans, or were they biting the swans themselves? I secretly wondered.

As I approached the fish pond, I saw many people standing at the edge, gazing toward the center. Behind the crowd, in the wild grass thickets, several dogs were barking wildly. I didn't know whether those dogs were raging at people, saying: 'The swan is what I have found; it should be mine, or let me eat it—you guys scram!' or were threatening the swans in the pond's center: 'Where do you come from? What right do you have to show off here? You came, where should we put our dog faces? Look, you will surely die in my hands.'

Whether the dogs' shouts were aimed at people barking wildly or at the swans screaming furiously, their intentions were all malicious and vicious, with no good intent.

Amid the dogs' wild barking, I finally reached the edge of the fish pond and witnessed the swans' grace.

There were five swans, all pure white, the size of a goat. The white swans on the pond's surface held their heads high, looking all around, very alert. People on the pond bank watching the swans: some pointed with their fingers, some aimed their phones to film the swans, and others chatted in a cacophony. The topics of discussion included: 'Catch the swans with a net, take them to the zoo and sell them—surely a tidy sum,' and some said: 'I've heard swan meat is delicious, even the toad wants to eat it; it's pure natural green food, whoever eats a bite will surely live forever.' …… All I heard were schemes about how the swans would meet misfortune, and adding to that the snarling, barking dogs in the grass thickets, I became even more aware of danger as the swans drew nearer step by step.

"Swan, swan! Fly away quickly and soar high! I know you are very spiritual; haven't you heard the sayings "A tiger fallen to the hills is bullied by dogs", "A phoenix that has landed is no better than a chicken", "When a person becomes a beast, he is worse than a sell"?' The heavens are so vast, the earth so broad, this tiny pond—how could it contain your beauty?' I silently prayed in my heart for these beautiful and noble birds before my eyes.

The swans seemed to know that I was praying for their choice and fate; they all raised their heads high, as if preparing to leave this place of right and wrong.

The dogs by the pond's edge, in the grass and thicket, were still barking wildly.