Chapter 2280: Three souls and seven spirits

When Ye Chen walked onto the terrace on the third floor of the villa alone, the motorcade of Liu Jiahui and Chen Zhaozhong's family had already driven into the villa courtyard one after another.

Reporters swarmed in with the motorcade. The best lion dance team in Hong Kong danced two lifelike lions with great skill, and the scene was exceptionally lively.

Although Ye Chen had never liked lively scenes, he was exceptionally gratified to see this scene now.

The thick smoke produced when firecrackers exploded, carrying a strong gunpowder smell, rose up. This familiar yet strange smell gave Ye Chen a refreshing feeling.

He had liked the smell of gunpowder smoke produced when firecrackers were burned out since he was a child, but with the prohibition of fireworks and firecrackers everywhere over the years, he hadn't smelled this familiar smell for a long time.

It may also be related to the fact that Chinese people like fireworks and firecrackers during happy events and festivals, so every time they smell this smell, it is a good time for family reunion and happy events. Especially when Ye Chen was a child, during festivals, his parents would specially take time to accompany him to set off fireworks and firecrackers.

At that time, Ye Chen couldn't wait to set off firecrackers from New Year's Eve until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

So this smell would also make Ye Chen involuntarily find the unique happiness of his childhood.

Ye Chen stood on the edge of the terrace, greedily inhaled a few breaths, and couldn't help but think of his parents again in his mind.

Most of the time, Ye Chen was a strong person, rarely shedding tears and never afraid. Even if life gave him more hardships, he could return life with a smile.

But only when he missed his parents would the fragile sensitivity in his heart be involuntarily exposed.

His personality was like a hedgehog with strong armor, and his parents were his soft and fragile abdomen.

He saw Chen Zhaozhong, wearing a suit, walk out of the car. Chen Zhaozhong was still wearing the suit he brought when he fled to the United States. After so many years, the suit was still straight and fit, and although his hair was gray, he looked exceptionally energetic.

In Ye Chen's mind, he suddenly remembered a conversation his father had with him when he was young.

That conversation was also the reason why he refused his grandfather and insisted on taking his mother back to China.

He said: "Chen'er, you must remember that as long as a person is upright and has flesh and blood, he must have three souls and seven spirits. If such a person stays away from his hometown for a long time, he will lose one soul. When he steps on his hometown again, that lost soul will naturally be found back. If he doesn't return to his hometown, or if his hometown is lost, then this soul will never be found back."

Now seeing Chen Zhaozhong looking ten years younger overnight, Ye Chen suddenly realized the true meaning of his father's words.

His father also said: "Among a person's three souls and seven spirits, the three souls are the heavenly soul, the earthly soul, and the life soul. The heavenly soul implies hometown, the earthly soul implies parents, and the life soul implies oneself."

As he spoke, his father asked him again: "Chen'er, do you know why in the five-thousand-year history, every time the country is in danger and the territory is lost, countless predecessors will sacrifice their lives for the country one after another?"

The young Ye Chen shook his head ignorantly and asked: "Why is that, Dad?"

His father smiled slightly and explained: "That is because people can lose other two souls and seven spirits, but they cannot be without the heavenly soul! Because among the three souls and seven spirits, the heavenly soul is the most important, because it represents a person's highest belief. A person's belief in his hometown, his motherland, and his nation is the highest belief. This is the reason why Dad chose to return to China, and it is also why, after experiencing so many hardships, the Jews still want to return to the Palestinian region at all costs and establish Israel, because they are the same as Dad, to find back their heavenly soul. The only difference is that Dad left his hometown back then, and they lost their hometown."

The young Ye Chen didn't understand patriotism, so he didn't understand why his father was full of tears when he said this.

Now, when he saw Chen Zhaozhong glowing and reborn, he truly understood his father's hot and sincere heart back then.

Ye Chen couldn't help thinking that he hadn't left his hometown to develop overseas, nor had he forgotten his original intention, nor had he been blinded by material desires, but his three souls and seven spirits were no longer complete, because from the day his parents passed away, his earthly soul, which represented his parents, had also gone away with them.

Just when Ye Chen was sighing with emotion, he suddenly heard a familiar voice beside him asking: "Mr. Ye, what are you thinking about so distractedly?"

Ye Chen was slightly startled, turned around and looked, Liu Manqiong didn't know when she had arrived behind him.

He was surprised in his heart, and at the same time had a bit of lingering fear.

He didn't expect that he would be so paralyzed and careless that he didn't even notice the approach of an ordinary person like Liu Manqiong. If there was really an enemy approaching at this time, he was afraid that he would have no power to resist.

Immediately, he came back to his senses, smiled slightly, and said to Liu Manqiong: "Thinking about some old things."

As he spoke, Ye Chen asked her: "When did Miss Manqiong come?"

"I just arrived." Liu Manqiong also smiled shallowly, then walked to Ye Chen's side, looked at the lively scene below, and asked Ye Chen: "Were you thinking about your father and mother just now?"

"Hmm..." Ye Chen didn't deny it, nodded lightly, smiled self-deprecatingly, and said softly: "Although twenty years have passed, I still miss them very much..."

Regarding this topic, Liu Manqiong and Ye Chen were almost on the same frequency.

She almost completely understood Ye Chen's feelings, so she couldn't help but sigh lightly, then walked forward, summoned the courage, took the initiative to hold Ye Chen's hand, and squeezed it hard in his palm, as if she wanted to convey her concern and comfort to him in this way.

Liu Manqiong was afraid that Ye Chen would think too much, so she changed the subject and said: "Mr. Chen's state seems to be much, much better than yesterday."

"Yes." Ye Chen nodded and said seriously: "He found his heavenly soul."

As he spoke, he saw Chen Zhaozhong personally helping his old mother out of the car, and hurriedly added: "No, not just the heavenly soul, but also the earthly soul."

Liu Manqiong asked in surprise: "Mr. Ye also knows about the three souls and seven spirits?!"

Ye Chen was stunned and couldn't help asking: "You know too?"

"Of course..." Liu Manqiong smiled slightly and said seriously: "Mr. Ye, don't forget, I study Chinese, and I have studied it for many, many years. In fact, when Chinese is studied to the end, what is studied is philosophy and history."

Ye Chen nodded lightly and said: "Reading is still good. The essence of five thousand years of civilization is in the books."

Liu Manqiong smiled: "Although Mr. Ye didn't finish university, I think you must have read a lot of books, right? You even know such unpopular Taoist thoughts as three souls and seven spirits."

Ye Chen smiled self-deprecatingly: "I haven't read many books. I have been struggling at the bottom for twenty years. Where do I have so much time and energy to read more books? My father told me these when I was young."

Liu Manqiong said seriously: "In fact, it is never too late to read at any time. If Mr. Ye can find time, you can set a plan for yourself first, try to read one book a month, and then strive to read two books a month, one book a week."

As she spoke, Liu Manqiong added: "If Mr. Ye doesn't dislike it, I can help you make a reading plan."

Ye Chen couldn't help asking her: "Will you check the progress and assign homework then?"

Liu Manqiong smiled slightly shyly and said: "I can do it, if Mr. Ye needs it." ===== CHAPTER 2281 =====