Chapter 667: January 4th: The Beautiful Witch

January 4th: The Beautiful Witch

January 4th: The Beautiful Witch

The clouds are dark green, about to rain. How I wish I could say to the rain‑laden clouds in the sky: "Go away, wind and rain! Let the bright sun shine forever on life!"

Is that possible?

This is just a fantasy!

Su Dongpo of the Song dynasty said: "The moon has its waxing and waning; people have joy and sorrow, parting and reunion—this has always been imperfect since ancient times."

Is life like that too?

"No! Life is a beautiful witch, constantly tempting our hearts, intoxicating our souls."

Yes, we are constantly tempted and intoxicated by this "beautiful witch," diving into the "magic net" she sets, and we cannot find ourselves.

How similar the vast world and nature are: sometimes overcast, sometimes clear, ever‑changing and unpredictable. And those who live within it are but a speck of dust in the great world, drifting aimlessly between the vast heavens and earth. Zhuangzi said: "Wild horses, dust, all living things blown about—this is the azure of heaven, its proper color, its far‑reaching boundlessness."

Zhuangzi's "wild horse" is the mist in the spring fields; this mist is the "pulse" that makes the flowers, grasses, trees, insects, and all living things jump with life. Zhuangzi used this metaphor, its meaning obscure, its significance profound——

"I am alive, and the great pulse of nature beats in my chest; when I shout, myriad echoes respond. I hear hundreds of nightingales singing sweetly. Spring sends them to awaken the earth from its dawn slumber; the earth trembles with joy, and the bright blossoms are the song it sings to the sun when it overflows with passion."

Now spring still lies hidden beneath the ice. That elusive mist invades people's skin. I, who am alive, still cannot see any trace of spring.

"Even if I saw a trace of spring, what could I bring to it? Would I be a pleasing sound on spring's branches, or a beautiful color in its fields?"

Gazing at the dark‑green clouds about to rain, I muttered to myself.