Striving for Science C60

He took the gift box Shen Chang'an had given him, his hands trembling slightly. As he did, he heard the boy whisper, "By the way, this is a gift my friend specially prepared for all the elders. He's a bit quiet and doesn't talk much, but he's always been very kind to me. You're the elder, so please don't be too strict with him later."

Then, another gift box was placed in his hand.

Grandpa Yang looked at the small gift box that exuded a strong spiritual aura, his hands trembling so much that he almost dropped it.

Even if he had a million lives, he wouldn't dare to be a senior to Heavenly Dao. But the gift box definitely contained good things. Humans who ate it would live longer, and yao cultivators who ate it would increase their cultivation.

It seemed that Heavenly Dao Lord really didn't come to arrest him, otherwise, why would he prepare these gifts?

"Old Yang, seeing Chang'an back, you don't need to get so excited." Grandpa Wang pushed up his glasses on the bridge of his nose, "Old eyes are blurry, you should accept your age, don't always think about winning."

Grandpa Yang glared at him, but miraculously didn't retort. His honest appearance made Grandpa Wang suspicious. Could this old fellow be pretending to be pitiful in front of Chang'an?

Thinking about this, he said to Shen Chang'an, "Chang'an, don't look at this old fellow's pitiful appearance, it's all an act to deceive you. Five minutes ago, he almost overturned the chessboard, saying that his chess skills were the best among us."

Hearing this, Shen Tu looked at the poplar tree yao with mixed emotions. He knew that yao cultivators were now in a very poor state, but he never imagined that they would be so down-and-out that they would compete with humans over who had better chess skills. What a disgrace.

Having long been accustomed to this kind of mutual teasing among the elders, Shen Chang'an pretended not to notice their exchange and gestured for Shen Tu to sit down.

"Xiao Nian." Grandma Zhao, although over eighty years old, looked very energetic. She had been dedicated to biological research for many years. Although she had retired in recent years, she would still actively help young scholars with their research problems. She was a respected authority in the academic world, someone countless people looked up to.

She was dressed plainly, looking no different from an ordinary old lady, except that her eyes were exceptionally clear. "Xiao Nian and our Chang'an, did you meet in Wuming City?"

Dao Nian nodded, "My home is in Wuming City."

"Oh." Grandma Zhao smiled and nodded. She didn't look at the wheelchair under Dao Nian, treating him like an ordinary junior, showing no arrogance. "It's good for young people to make more friends. We were worried that Chang'an wouldn't get used to staying in Wuming City. Having a mature and steady friend watching over him is good too."

"These young people are out there, we old folks can't rest easy. But children grow up and have their own ideas. We old people talk too much, and we're afraid they won't listen." Grandpa Wang waved his hand, "Chang'an, go to the kitchen and cut some fruit."

"Okay." Shen Chang'an stood up and secretly used his eyes to signal the elders to be kind to Dao Nian. Dao Nian was introverted, unlike him who was thick-skinned. He couldn't stand them saying these things.

"I'll go with Chang'an." Grandpa Yang stood up, "He hasn't lived here much in recent years, I'm afraid he's not familiar with the kitchen."

"He's always the one who spoils the child the most. When we were strict with Chang'an when he was young, he always held him back." Grandpa Wang watched Old Yang follow Shen Chang'an, Shen Chang'an worried that he would fall and turned back to help him, feeling a bit envious and resentful. "He's used all his life's scheming on pleasing children."

"Teacher Wang, don't say that. When Chang'an was studying, who was the one who said he should be frugal and then secretly gave him pocket money?" After criticizing these friends who had been together for many years, Grandma Zhao turned to Dao Nian and smiled, "They say old children, old children, these guys are getting senile. Don't laugh at them."

Shen Tu: "..."

You're not much younger than the others.

Human elders are really complex creatures.

***

The courtyard had many old pieces of furniture. The old men and women weren't very particular about their living conditions. If it weren't for the caretakers who looked after their food and daily life, they might starve themselves to death.

Perhaps they had devoted their entire lives to scientific research, so their self-care abilities were a bit lacking.

Shen Chang'an found some fruit in the kitchen refrigerator, washed and cut them, and brought them out. Seeing that the atmosphere seemed to be pretty good, he felt relieved. "You guys sit and chat slowly. I haven't been back for a long time, I'll cook a meal for everyone."

Hearing that Shen Chang'an was going to cook for them, the old men and women, while telling him to rest well, showed expectant expressions.

Grandpa Yang stood by the sink, helping Shen Chang'an wash vegetables: "Chang'an, how did you meet this friend of yours?"

"When I first started working in Wuming City, I saw him having a little trouble, so I helped out. We got to know each other gradually." Shen Chang'an skillfully chopped vegetables. "Grandpa Yang, don't worry, I'm very happy in Wuming City.

The other day, the security department wanted to transfer me back to the Imperial Capital to work, but I refused." Shen Chang'an turned down the heat on the pressure cooker. "Will you be mad at me?"

"You little rascal, if we didn't respect your decision, we wouldn't have let you go in the first place." Grandpa Yang put the bright red tomatoes into the vegetable basket. "But can you tell me why you want to stay in Wuming City?"

"Life in Wuming City is very relaxed." Shen Chang'an smiled. "Besides work, I spend my time on the way home, guessing what delicious food Dao Nian has prepared for me…"

"Wait, you live at his place?" Grandpa Yang squeezed the green pepper in his hand, "He let you live at his place?"

"Yeah." Although he didn't know why Grandpa Yang was reacting so strongly, Shen Chang'an nodded emphatically. "Dao Nian is a really good person. Seeing that I was living alone, he not only let me stay at his place, but also gave me access to all the entrances and exits of his house…"

Grandpa Yang's legs went weak, and he almost fell headfirst into the sink. He remained silent for a long time before speaking: "This friend of yours... is he a little too good to you?"

Knock knock.

Shen Tu knocked on the kitchen door, then crossed his arms and smiled at the two of them: "Chang'an, I came to see if there's anything I can help with. Teacher Yang, you go and rest, I'll take care of this."

"No, no, I may look old, but I can still do things. Life is about movement, you know." Grandpa Yang chuckled nervously. He seemed to want to bend down and bow to Shen Tu, but because Shen Chang'an was there, he held back.

Shen Tu chuckled with a knowing smile: "After all these years, I wonder if Teacher Yang's wish has been fulfilled?"

Grandpa Yang didn't dare to speak.

Shen Tu was about to say something else, but Shen Chang'an suddenly shoved a handful of unpeeled garlic into his hand: "Help me peel this garlic."

"Okay." Shen Tu obediently sat on a small stool, bending over the trash can to become a garlic-peeling minion.

Grandpa Yang's heart was filled with a mix of emotions. Did Chang'an know that the person he was ordering around now was the door god who had been worshipped by humans for countless years, capable of warding off evil spirits?

Not only did Shen Chang'an not know, he also threw a bunch of scallions at Shen Tu: "Shen Tu, do you know Grandpa Yang?"

"Yeah." Shen Tu raised an eyebrow and glanced at Grandpa Yang, then said to Shen Chang'an, "You know, there are a lot of people who owe the Master money…"

"Grandpa Yang owes him too?" Shen Chang'an was a little incredulous. "Grandpa Yang, is this true?"

"It's, it's true." Grandpa Yang gritted his teeth and admitted it. "But the Master doesn't know about it. He has a lot of assets, maybe he's already forgotten about me."

"I see." Shen Chang'an nodded knowingly. "But why do you call Dao Nian 'Master'? You're the elder, he's the younger, it's not appropriate to call him 'Master'. Just call him 'Xiao Nian'.

Grandpa Yang: "..."

No, I dare not, I'd rather die than do that.

Seeing Grandpa Yang's troubled expression, Shen Tu scoffed: "But you don't have to worry, Teacher Yang has already paid off that debt. There's still some interest, but for Chang'an's sake, the Master won't pursue it anymore."

Shen Chang'an looked at Shen Tu, then at Grandpa Yang, feeling that the atmosphere between the two was a bit strange. Judging by their ages, they should be like grandfather and grandson.

***

To take care of the elderly's teeth and health, Shen Chang'an made this meal relatively bland. However, he still took the time to make a few dishes that Dao Nian liked. When he brought the dishes out, he deliberately placed these few dishes in front of Dao Nian.

Grandpa Yang sat silently in the seat furthest from Dao Nian, listening to these old guys surround the Heavenly Dao Lord, asking him about this and that, even offering him suggestions for company development and product promotion prospects. Grandpa Yang silently pushed up his glasses. There's a saying, "bold as brass," but this is just surrounding Heaven itself!

After dinner, Shen Tu volunteered to wash the dishes. He waited in the kitchen for a while, and sure enough, the poplar tree yao came looking for him.

"Little yao greets the Gatekeeper Lord." In front of Shen Tu, the poplar tree yao still had the appearance of an old man, but his posture and movements didn't show a single trace of old age.

"No need for formalities. The Divine Realm has fallen into decline, no need to be so formal anymore." Shen Tu waved his hand, and the clean dishes were neatly placed in the sterilizer. The entire kitchen became spotless.

"The little yao is just feeling grateful for what you did back then, Lord. You spoke well of me to the Heavenly Dao Lord, removing my yao status and allowing me to walk among humans." The poplar tree yao insisted on completing this courtesy.

“All these years, have you regretted it?” Shen Tu looked at him. “It's not easy to cultivate for many years. After being removed from the yao registry, you will become more and more like a human, gradually losing your cultivation, and eventually… you will grow old, get sick, and die.”

The tree yao didn't speak."

“You don't know what happened to the yao race, you don't know how difficult the tree yao race has become. All these years, you really haven't regretted it at all?” Shen Tu looked at the old face of the tree yao, it was hard to imagine that decades ago, he was still a handsome and elegant man.

“You also asked me back then if I would regret making this choice.” Through the window, Grandpa Yang looked at the people in the courtyard. He didn't know what Shen Chang'an said, but he made the old people laugh heartily.

“I remember saying that if I didn't make that choice, I would regret it then, but if I did make it, I might regret it later.” Grandpa Yang smiled. “It's pretty good like this now. Whether it's a person or a yao, no one can live forever. I'll just die a little earlier than other yaos.”

“The human you liked, she didn't end up with you?”

“Her, ah.” Grandpa Yang squinted his eyes and smiled. “She was a beautiful girl, with a red ribbon tied in her braid, even more beautiful than the flowers blooming all over the mountains.”

He seemed to recall something, his smile fading bit by bit: “She told me when she died that she would definitely marry me in the next life.”"

“She died?” Shen Tu remained silent for a long time. “When?”

"Sixty years ago." Grandpa Yang pulled out a cigarette from his jacket and, with trembling hands, lit it. "There was an accident in the lab. To protect the data we had worked so hard to obtain, she rushed into the fire. She saved most of the data, but she didn't make it out."

These simple words, seemingly devoid of any particular emotion, yet Shen Tu saw tears in his eyes.

Most yaos don't know how to cry.

"You..." Shen Tu couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. "Are you just going to live like this for the rest of your life?"

"Yeah, I promised her I'd live a good life, live to be a hundred years old, and contribute to the country." Grandpa Yang grinned. "But I still have a few years to go, right? As a man, you can't go back on your word to a woman."

Footsteps approached, growing louder. The two of them fell silent.

"Grandpa Yang, you're here?" Shen Chang'an poked his head out from the kitchen doorway. "They want to teach Dao Nian how to play bridge, and Grandma Zhao said you're the best at it, so she asked you to join in."

Grandpa Yang: "..."

Why would he go teach Heavenly Dao Lord how to play cards?

"Old Yang!" Grandma Zhao called out from the courtyard, her voice booming. "Hurry up and come over here, or we won't acknowledge you as the King of Chess!"

Grandpa Yang: "..."

He's not that childish!

Through the window, he saw the Heavenly Dao Lord looking up at him. His legs trembled, and he obediently walked out.

Although he's not childish, he's a bit cowardly.

***

"Shen Tu, I didn't know you were so good at cleaning the kitchen. You cleaned up here so quickly." Shen Chang'an touched the wall. "Even the stubborn stains I accidentally got on it when I was a kid are gone. How did you do it?"

"This... is a new type of cleaning product invented by Teacher Yang. It's not completely successful yet, but I just tried it, and it really works well." Shen Tu picked up a bottle of unknown liquid from the corner. "It's this, do you want to try it?"

Shen Chang'an shook his head, then his eyes lit up. "Hey, if it really works well and is safe, we can let Dao Nian buy the production patent. This is definitely going to make money."

Shen Tu: "..."

“I’ll go talk to Dao Nian!”

"Wait!" Shen Tu watched Shen Chang'an run towards the figure in the courtyard, feeling a little worried.

How could he get the poplar tree yao to actually research a safe and harmless, high-strength cleaning solution that could remove all stains?

"Dao Nian," Shen Chang'an walked to Dao Nian's side and whispered to him, "I just discovered a potential money-making opportunity.

After speaking, he glanced at Grandpa Yang who was shuffling cards. If this could work out, Grandpa Yang, who owed interest and hadn't repaid it, would have some leverage in front of Dao Nian, and Dao Nian could also make money. It was a win-win situation.

Poplar tree yao: ?

What does this look mean?