Chapter 709: Number One Strange News

Number One Strange News

February 16: Number One Strange News

In the last chapter, the book spoke of Daiyu and that leprous-headed monk's affair. Readers might think I'm deliberately talking nonsense, pulling a tiger skin to make a banner, or pulling a banner to make a tiger skin, intentionally speaking alarmingly to deceive the readers.

Actually, how dare I be so reckless? Daiyu and the leprous-headed monk indeed have a karmic relationship. You see――――

The leprous-headed monk had nothing to do, wandering the markets all day, catching wind and chasing shadows, specializing in gathering folk rumors and strange tales, misleading the masses; moreover, he was worldly-wise, old and crafty, seeing through all worldly phenomena. Even Cao Xueqin feared him a bit, and even respected him a bit.

Because the original material for Dream of the Red Chamber was provided by the leprous-headed monk. While wandering the world in search of the Dao and immortals, the leprous-headed monk came to a stone beside the Green Stalk Peak of the Baseless Cliff on Great Wilderness Mountain, on which many characters were carved.

The leprous-headed monk was naturally curious; this curious person encountered a curious affair.

The leprous-headed monk read the stone's inscriptions from beginning to end, feeling they were of little significance: merely family trifles, boudoir idle sentiments, poetic riddles, not worth making a fuss over.

Seeing the leprous-headed monk's intention, the stone urged him to bring its inscriptions back to the human world. The leprous-headed monk, being an idle person, told the stone of the Baseless Cliff's Green Stalk Peak on Great Wilderness Mountain many unreasonable reasons: 'Why should I do something that can't make money? The inscriptions on this stone are all about men and women, their youthful years, talking of love, the waxing and waning, joys and sorrows, separations and reunions—boring text. Such things are common in the human world. What's there to make a fuss about?'

The stone urged the leprous-headed monk, saying: 'Master, listen to me and I'll guarantee you wealth. This is the Number One Strange News, and also exclusive news.'

Upon hearing 'Number One Strange News, and also exclusive news,' the leprous-headed monk became interested. He said: 'Stone Brother, you're exaggerating, aren't you? As I see it, the story recorded on this stone, though somewhat interesting, has a very ordinary plot. I still haven't seen what's strange about it, or what's new. Please explain it to me in detail.'

The stone said: 'What's written on this stone is strange because the male protagonist in the book is the stone transformed. This stone is very talented; it is a "Talented Stone". Because it had talent but no one used it, and feeling aggrieved, it descended to the human world, mingled in the world, and came to speak of love; the female protagonist in the book is the grass transformed. This beautiful yet lonely little grass, unwilling to remain lonely and wanting to show its beauty, since stillness gives rise to movement, came to the human world to experience the taste of love. That grass originally grew beside the stone, constantly entwined with it. They grew entwined together, and even after coming into the world they remained entwined. Isn't this a strange tale, news? ……………………………'

(Off-screen: Because I'm busy making a living, I have to leave my beloved computer; please understand, readers. Outside the window, fine rain is drifting, a light wind blows; spring's fine rain, spring's light wind. A bird chirps in the light wind and fine rain: 'Is there the sound of flowers blooming in the light wind and fine rain?' A maiden says: 'I heard the sound of flowers blooming.' I don't know whether that flower blooms in the fine rain or not; the sound of the flower blooming, will it turn into the fragrance filling the garden in the light wind and fine rain? Or will it be the withered petals? ……….. Hurried time, hurried years, hurried ………………..)