In the archaic town of Zheng Bu, when the first time the paper lanterns were lit up, there's a ritual of saying a rhyme hoping for their desires to be fulfilled.
Lit up the paper glim
Drive away the heart's grim
Under the moonlight
The canopy of lanterns ascends height
Wish the desires what your heart want
The Almighty may bliss or your soulmate may come front.
Did any romantic fool make this up? Or was it made up by a person who lacked friends in life? What nonsense is this? That person would have written for opulence, a big house, a post at royal court, but no! Suddenly soulmate! The absurdity of the poem just to make it rhythmic indeed bears the unwanted humour. Xian always thought like that in the past, in the evening, even now also?
He's confused. Before his hazed vision, the moment seemed so mesmeric, perhaps too unreal to believe; a soul who doesn't belong to this earth, yet he came on a sojourn to this small cosmos, maybe he'd disappear before one could get a proper semblance of him. In his hands there lay the unlit lantern and a fire stick, illuminating his ethereal face with the hues of a citrine.
"Aye, Shizui. I said, nah the firefly will glow. See, when the lantern will bulge up from the gas inside, it'll be more prominent. "
"Ahhh.."
Shizui kept staring at it with amusement constantly until it bulged up partially.
"Jun Ge, now let it go. It's ready to touch heaven's bosom."
Jun didn't follow his words directly. Instead he carefully approached towards him still holding it in his hand with utmost control.
"XianXian, won't you wish for anything?"
"You."
"...."
"I mean, you wish. I don't have anything to wish for anyways."
"Really?"
"You've doubts?"
"It's impossible to get rid of desires if not, one ascends to the state of Nirvana."
"Hmm is that so?"
"Yes, no matter how much your conscious mind denies, deep inside your subconscious mind the root of the inexplicable desires which you yourself won't be able to understand. "
Xian fell into complete silence, unable to find any answer that suits the statement.
"Shizui, do you have any wish?"
"I do have.."
"Then ask the almighty for it, inside your mind. Okay?"
"Okay Junior Ge.."
The moon smiled looking at the trio, more like the emblem of Gautama's serene smile. Who knew some people may ask for such wishes which could never be fulfilled, not even by the most powerful deity, yet the hopes dwell, strengthening it's roots.
' I wish one day I'll earn much more and pay back their help and show my gratitude towards them. If not them, I wish to help others in future. '
' Maybe the almighty can't grant what my subconscious mind wants, even though I don't know either. How about the good health of my family? And maybe... Jun Ge's amplified life span, till the end, as long as I'm there. '
' Never in life will he get hurt. Nothing but only happiness will shroud him throughout his life. May Amitabha bless him with someone who'll accompany him forever. May Shizui gets to a better position from where he's today. '
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The Derelict Iris
Fanfiction"I know you're a monk and you won't accept anything. But can you just keep this with you?" "What?" "This iris flower." . Nor every flower blooms to be accepted, and not every love story gets their efflorescence like fairy tales. Yet he clusters his...
