(Original)

我点点头，心中发热，也有些发酸。童年时我为这个毫无意义的问题苦苦追寻过，一直没有答案。即使现在，闭上眼睛，我仍能看到眼帘上乱七八糟的麻点，它确实存在，但永远在你的视野之外。也许它只是瞳孔微结构在视网膜上的反映？或者是另一个世界（微观世界）的投影？现在，我已没有闲心去探求这个问题了。能有什么意义呢。但童年时，我确实为它苦苦寻觅过。

我没想到这件小事竟有人记得，我甚至有点凛然而惧：一个人的一生中，有多少双眼睛在默默地观察你啊。何律师盯着我的眼睛深处，微笑道：

“看来你回忆起来了。沙女士说，从那时起她就发现你天生慧根，天生与科学有缘。”

我猜度着，沙姑姑的遗产大概与科学研究有关吧。可能她有某个未完成的重要课题等待我去解决。我很感动，但更多的是苦笑。少年时我确实有强烈的探索欲。无论是磁铁对铁砂的吸引，还是向日葵朝着太阳的转动，都能使我迷醉。我曾梦想做一个洞悉宇宙奥秘的科学家，但最终却走上了经商之路。人的命运是不能全由自己择定的。

“谢谢沙姑姑对我的器重，但我只是一个商人，在商海中干得还不错。我没有接受过高等教育，即使我真的有慧根，这慧根也早已枯死了。”

“没关系，她对你非常信赖。她说，你一旦回头，便可立地成佛。”他强调道，“‘一旦回头，立地成佛’，这是沙女士的原话。”

我既感动，也有些好笑，看来这位沙姑姑是赖上我啦！她就只差说“苦海无边，回头是岸”了。如果继承遗产意味着放弃成功的商业生涯，那沙姑姑恐怕要失望了，但我仍然礼貌地等客人往下说。老于世故的何律师显然洞悉了我的心理，笑道。

“我已经说过，这是我最困难的一次律师业务。你是否接受这笔遗产，务请认真考虑后再定夺，你完全可以拒绝的。”他歉然说，“对不起，我现在还不能宣布遗嘱的内容。遵照我当事人的规定，请你先看看这本研究笔记，如果你对它不感兴趣，我们就不必深谈了。请你务必抽时间详细阅读，这是立遗嘱人的要求。”

他从黑提包里取出一本簿簿的笔记，郑重地递给我，然后含笑告辞。

这位狡猾的老律师成功地勾起我的好奇心，我匆匆安排了一天的工作，带上笔记本回到家中。家中没有人，我走进书房，关上门，掏出笔记本认真端详。封皮是黑色的，已有磨损，显然是几十年前的旧物。它静静地躺在我手中，就像是惯于保守秘密的沧桑老人。笔记本里究竟藏有什么秘密？

我郑重地打开它。不，没什么秘密，只是一般的研究笔记，是心得、札记和一些试验记录。遣词用句很简练，看懂它比较困难，不过我还是认真看下去。后来。我看到一篇短文，一篇不足千字的短文，这篇短文影响了我的一生。

(Translation)

I nodded with a mixed feeling of passion and sadness. I had pursued the answer earnestly for this meaningless question during my childhood and never got results. Even now, when closing my eyes, I could still see something like eyewinkers which did exist but beyond my eyeshot forever. Perhaps it is only the reflection on the retina of micro-structure of pupil? Or it's the projection of another world (microcosmos)? Anyway I had lost interest in this question now. What sense could it make? But it did ever occupy my mind for a long time during my childhood.

I hadn't expected anyone who would have remembered such a minor thing. This fact even scared me in some sense: How many eyes were observing you quietly in your whole life! Mr He stared me into the eyes and said with a smile, "It seems that you have recalled it. According to Ms Sha, from then on she had thought of you as a born intelligent boy having predestined relationship with science."

I guessed that Aunt Sha's legacy was probably related to scientific research. Perhaps she had some unfinished important study waiting for me to take over. I was moved very much but had to smile regretfully. When I was a teenager I did have a strong desire of exploration. It fascinated me whether the magnetization of magnet to iron or the auto-orientation of sunflower towards the sun. I ever dreamed of being a scientist knowing every secret of universe but ended as a businessman. The destiny is not at the full control of your own after all.

"I'm grateful to Aunt Sha's praise. However, I'm only a businessman, making quite a profit and haven't undertaken any college education. even if I ever really had intelligent roots, they have been already withered."

"It doesn't matter, she trusted you very much. She said, 'as long as you wish, you can become buddha any time.'" he emphasized, "Once back, buddha immediately' is Ms Sha's original words."

Such trust made me moved while a bit laughing too. It seems this Aunt Sha was determined to bother me! I bet she would say "the sea of bitterness has no bounds, repent and the shore is at hand" if having time. In case the Inheritance means giving up the successful commercial career, I'm afraid I had to disappoint Aunt Sha. But I still waited courteously for the guest's following words. Mr He, the sophiscated lawyer, pierced my mind obviously and smiled.

"As I said before it's the most difficult job for me in my lawyer's life. Whether you accept this legacy or not, please don't decide in haste until you consider thoroughly. Remember, you can refuse." Said he in apology, "sorry, I can't disclose the content of the testament yet now. According to my party's request, please read this research notebook first. If you are not interested in it, further talk is surely unnecessary. Please do spare some time for a detailed reading and this is the legator's request."

He took out a thin copy of notebook from his black suitcase, passed it to me seriously and then took leave with a smile.

This aged cunning lawyer succeeded in evoking my curiosity. I arranged the work of this day hurriedly and took the notebook home as soon as possible. Nobody in the family. I came into the study, shut the door, and drew out the notebook to have a good Look at it. The worn black cover proved it an old stuff of several ten years ago. What secret on earth was hidden in this notebook which now lying in my hands silently like an old man good at keeping secret?

I opened it solemnly. No, there was no secret within, only to find some memos, reading notes and records of some experiments. Although it was a bit difficult to understand them due to the terse wording, I kept on looking through the notebook. At the end I found a brief writing with no more than 1,000 words which was going to change my whole life.