Chapter 55: While chatting and laughing, the master saved Dongzi from danger

When we arrived at Youranju, the master was stretching his elbows in the courtyard. I introduced him as my fellow villager, Qiao Dong. Dongzi burst into laughter and said, "Hello, Master."

The master nodded and said, "Take him inside and sit down. I'll go for a walk."

I mustered up my courage and said, "Master, there's something I want to tell you."

The master didn't look at me, but glanced at Dongzi instead. Without saying anything, he went straight into the study, and the two of us followed him in.

I was feeling uneasy, afraid that Master would scold me for being nosy. But then I remembered that Dongzi had no one to help him, so I pretended to be calm.

"I'll report back to you about the training later. My fellow villager Dongzi is having some troubles, so I want to talk to him first."

After getting the master's approval, I recounted the whole story, and Dongzi added a few words from time to time.

The master said nothing.

Dongzi's eyes were red and she wiped her tears with the back of her hand. I quickly handed her a box of tissues.

The master's eyes swept towards the bookcase, and I immediately found a cigarette and lit it for him.

He took a puff of cigarette and said slowly:

"What is the power of thunder? The leader's anger is the power of thunder. What is killing the chicken to scare the monkey? You are the chicken. He is not scaring you, but the monkey. Do you understand?"

Dongzi's mind must have become stubborn. When his master spoke, his eyes were fixed on him without any reaction.

The master glanced at me and said, "Bring the divination sticks here and tell him a fortune."

Dongzi lowered his head, looking confused. Perhaps in his opinion, it was wrong to rely on divination instead of looking for help at the critical moment?

The master, however, was unhurried. He threw the copper hexagram onto the table. It spun a few times and then stopped. The master said, "Good hexagram!"

Dongzi actually stood up to read the divination. Then he couldn't wait to ask, "Don't you want to go to the countryside to be a teacher?"

The master didn't speak.

Dongzi sat there, glancing at me from time to time. I didn't know what to do either.

The air almost froze.

The master waved his hand and said, "You can go back first."

Dongzi left, and I was filled with confusion. The fortune-telling that Master had just given me wasn't a good one at all. Was he trying to comfort Dongzi?

At this time, he picked up his mobile phone and made a call, apparently asking Mr. Deng to come over.

I was busy boiling water and then went out to Fugui Shopping Mall across the street to buy some fruit.

After coming back, I set the fruit plate. The master sat there and didn't ask me about my studies. He just read a book.

I wanted to report my learning process to him several times, but he seemed not to want to listen at all, so I went outside to sit in the living room and wait for Mr. Deng.

About half an hour later, Mr. Deng arrived. I greeted him outside the yard and said:

"Master is waiting for you in the study."

As soon as President Deng entered the study, he said with a smile:

"If you didn't call me, I'd think you were abandoning me, a money-grubbing businessman. As soon as you called me, I knew something great was about to happen."

The master smiled and said, "That's definitely a good thing."

President Deng slapped his thigh and said, "As the saying goes, 'A red flower is redder than a red flower.' After being with you for so long, I've even learned to count with my fingers. Haha."

The two exchanged a few pleasantries before the master spoke: "You have the ability to see and hear from afar. You recently held a seminar that was very exciting. Have you heard about it?"

Mr. Deng twisted his fat head as if to stretch his neck. He twisted it a few times before stopping and laughing.

"If the Shen Family Compound could be developed, wouldn't I, Deng Fugen, have gone there long ago? Why would we spend a million on research?"

The master burst out laughing: "How can he compare to you?"

President Deng said, "Actually, he's a hundred times more capable than I am. You saw through him a long time ago, and I saw through him a long time ago. His real purpose is not to drink. But I saw through it but didn't say it. You taught me that."

The master smiled and changed the subject: "Did you know that this seminar also involves disciplinary action?"

President Deng had a know-it-all look on his face. "I know. I went to see Deputy Secretary Linghu the other day, and he was scolding someone. He was still furious."

The master said seriously, "This time, I'll have to ask you to go see Secretary Linghu again. The young man we need to deal with is Shanhong's fellow villager. In Wu Township, he's truly a lonely man. Please ask the secretary for mercy. First, assign him to a second-level unit for a year as a punishment. If he behaves well, he can return to his original unit."

Mr. Deng grinned: "Master, is this what you call an absolutely good thing?"

The master said sternly, "As the saying goes, saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. If you keep making money from the people, you should give something back. If accumulating virtue isn't a good thing, then what is it?"

President Deng threw his head back and laughed heartily: "There are a few things I'm not as good as you. First, I can't argue with you. Second, I can't calculate with you. But I'm thicker-skinned than you. Since you've given the order, I'll get it out even if it means going to hell. What's the point of being sent to a second-level unit? Just write a profound self-criticism, and that's all. The great man said..."

Mr. Deng was speechless for a moment.

I chimed in: "It's impossible for people not to make mistakes. Just correct them."

President Deng slapped his forehead and said: "Punishment is a warning to future offenders and a cure to save lives."

The master deliberately provoked him: "It's like you're the head of the family."

President Deng waved his hands repeatedly: "Whether we can do it or not, we must always make bold statements. A great man also said that we must have revolutionary optimism and see the masts at sea from the shore."

I was in a very good mood and couldn't help laughing: "Mr. Deng, you are so humorous."

The master pondered for a moment and said, "Let's first send him to a second-level unit for a year, and don't send him to the countryside. This will not only establish the leader's prestige, but also allow the young man to experience some setbacks. It's best for a person to experience some setbacks when he is young, because setbacks make people mature. He has no one to rely on, how can he not mature? He still has a long way to go."

President Deng nodded and said, "Okay, as you say. Actually, the leadership won't make things too difficult for him. Secretary Linghu also left a final comment that day. He said that he was selected after the top scorer in the open recruitment, proving that our young cadres still need more training. It also shows that the secretary understands the young man's situation."

The master took a sip of the tea, put down the cup, and said, "Drink the tea while it's hot, don't let it get cold."

President Deng stood up and bowed, "I'll do it right away."

After Mr. Deng left, Master motioned for me to sit down. Then he instructed me word by word:

"Don't tell your young friend about these situations. Let him deal with them on his own. This will do him a lot of good. People don't become mature by age, but become strong by going through hardships."

I nodded seriously and said, "Now let me report to you about my study progress."

The master folded his hands over his chest, half-closed his eyes, leaned back in his chair, and listened to me.

I spent half an hour reporting the entire learning process in detail.

After hearing this, the master sat up straight and said, "Now that I have obtained the true scriptures, you can teach me slowly in the future." After that, he stood up and walked out.

After walking a few steps, he turned back and said to me, "Chang Nanxi is a person worth associating with. You should go back and rest."

I was also eager to go home, so I drove away from Youranju.

After driving two hundred meters, I suddenly felt that I should tell Dongzi as soon as possible, so I parked the car on the side of the road.

"Don't worry, Dongzi. You don't need to go to the countryside to teach."

"Then where are we going?" the voice on the other end was urgent.

"Beijing? Shanghai? Shenzhen? Of course not. As long as you repent, work hard to reform, and become a new person... there's still hope of staying in the city."

Dongzi burst into laughter after hearing this and said, "Please thank Master for me first!"

"You only know how to thank the master. As a junior master, am I supposed to be a man of high moral character like Confucius? I should accept a piece of bacon for teaching a student."

I guess he wanted to laugh, but couldn't.

After a long while, he said, "Shanhong, I will always remember your kindness."

I laughed and said, "Oh, I was just joking with you, but you took it too seriously. Do I need your gratitude? If I don't help you, who else can I help?"

Dongzi said seriously: "I'm not kidding. Without you, I know the end will be terrible."

I didn't say anything for a long time, then hung up the phone. Suddenly, I felt that with Master's protection, I was truly blessed.

From then on, I waited for good news from Dongzi every day.