On the La Festival, all the gods are worshipped, and the aroma of red beans fills the air. Xu Jiang, having eaten little the night before, was awakened from her sleep. She groggily got up and cooked red bean porridge. As the porridge was ready, chanting filled the streets. This day was dedicated to ancestors, the gods, and the harvest, marking the beginning of the New Year's Eve.
After Xu Jiang finished a bowl of red bean porridge, she worshipped the door god, household god, house god, kitchen god, well god in order, and finally worshipped the teacher.
She knelt before the altar for a long time, saying nothing. She had been feeling restless these days. Perhaps it was the encounter with Xu Twelve that had brought back those old memories, like dark clouds and rain, that had chilled her to the bone.
Life and death are transformed into qi, just follow nature.
She looked at the waist badge engraved with "Zheyun" and silently repeated her master's teachings several times in her mind before she suppressed the resurgence of anger in her heart.
The master has already achieved freedom. If she persists in her wrong ways, wouldn't that go against his teachings and fail to live up to his good intentions?
Xu Jiang kowtowed three times, then went to the backyard to fetch a basin of cold water to wash away the confusion.
"Sister, we are here." Lu Zhen's mellow and childish voice came from outside the door.
Xu Jiang unconsciously raised the corners of her lips and replied with a smile, "I'm coming."
When she opened the door, Cao's father and son were standing there with Lu Zhen. Seeing her come out, Lu Zhen stepped forward and took her hand. Xu Jiang took him for a spin, taking in the new things.
"He looks like a little gentleman."
Hearing this, Lu Zhen stood still and bowed to her, "Hello, sister."
Looks like a real deal.
Uncle Cao said, "I thought I'd disturbed my master's sleep by coming so early, but I saw there was a sacrifice at the door and the lights were on in the courtyard, so I called out. Master, are you up so early today too?"
Xu Jiang invited them into the inn. "If you stay in bed today, I'm afraid the gods will come and blame you." She then asked, "Have you had breakfast? The red bean porridge in the pot is still hot. Would you like a bowl?"
Cao Dali declined, "I ate at home. Mother also got up early in the morning and made porridge. She ate it before leaving."
Xu Jiang smiled and said, "Mrs. Cao must be very good at cooking."
Uncle Cao also laughed, then asked, "Boss, when are we going to visit Master Lin?"
"Master Lin's family should also be offering sacrifices right now. Let's wait a little longer and go after daybreak."
"good."
It would be inappropriate to let the three of them, grandfather and grandson, just sit there doing nothing, so Xu Jiang served some tea and fruit, and they drank tea and chatted.
Lu Zhen looked at the books on the table, like a mouse that had fallen into a rice jar. He looked here and there, and finally pulled out a volume of "New Collection of Elementary Education" and began to read it under the lamp.
Several people lowered their voices at the same time, and finally began to speak in cryptic language as they listened to Lu Zhen read the poem.
The child's clear voice and pure words were more appealing than the nodding recitation of some old scholar. The more Xu Jiang listened, the more astonished she became. Every word of this poem was flawless.
Lu Zhen read more than ten poems in a row, and when he saw the three people staring at him, he felt embarrassed and closed the book and stopped reading.
Xu Jiang pinched the bun on his head and asked, "Do you know everything I taught you before?"
"Yeah." Lu Zhen nodded heavily, looking expectant, as if asking for a reward.
"That's amazing." Xu Jiang praised him generously, then handed him the set of "New Collection of Elementary Education" and said, "This is a reward."
Lu Zhen's face lit up with joy, but he didn't take it immediately. Instead, he looked at Uncle Cao. Uncle Cao looked at Xu Jiang and saw that her face was full of refusal, so he nodded to Lu Zhen. Lu Zhen immediately said to Xu Jiang crisply, "Thank you, sister. I will definitely cherish it."
She knows how to cherish books at such a young age, which is a thousand times better than when she was a child.
Xu Jiang stood up and found a pen and ink, and asked him to write his name. Lu Zhen sat upright, held the pen upright, and wrote down two words uprightly - Lu Zhen.
"Your handwriting is much better than before." Xu Jiang was already accustomed to Lu Zhen's talent. She opened the poetry collection and pointed to the strong and powerful characters inside and said to Lu Zhen, "This is your teacher's handwriting."
Lu Zhen opened the book and read it with wide eyes. After finishing, his face was full of admiration. "I will definitely write as well as my teacher in the future."
The Caos laughed, thinking it was just a child's joke. But Xu Jiang knew that Lu Zhen had the character to accomplish anything he set his mind to. So she said to him, "If you can write calligraphy like this in the future, I'll ask you to publish it in a book to show it to everyone and to future generations."
Lu Zhen's dark eyes sparkled, "It's a deal."
He stretched out his little finger to make a pinky promise with Xu Jiang, and Xu Jiang hooked her hand around his, and the two of them, big and small, formed a contract.
Xu Jiang stared at his little fingers and thought: He is still a child after all.
As the morning light faded, it was time to set off for the Nanshan Academy. The Caos had tied their horse in the backyard of the academy. The stubborn donkey had eaten a lot of the horse's food, so whenever he went to the Caos' house, he would tie it up with the horse. They got along quite well, content to share a kennel with it.
Xu Jiang hung a sign and locked the door, then walked to Nanshan Academy with the three members of the Cao family.
Along the way, every household held a ceremony to offer sacrifices. Occasionally, a wealthy family would set up a stall in front of their door to distribute porridge. Long lines formed in front of the stall, and the recipients included beggars, Taoists, monks, and the poor. After receiving the porridge, beggars would usually say something like "good man," while Taoists would give away a talisman. After collecting alms, monks would recite scriptures, which moved the poor people to tears and lament their hardship.
A porridge stall, full of all kinds of worldly affairs, Lu Zhen's eyes were red.
He thought of his hometown in trouble, his deceased parents and relatives, and the grace of Xu Jiang who saved his life and the grace of the Cao family who raised him. He could not help but recite scriptures with the monk.
The monk was about to leave after receiving the porridge when he heard him chanting. He turned back in surprise. After seeing who had attained enlightenment, he was even more surprised. He then quickly walked up to the men, squatted down, and touched Lu Zhen all over.
Both Cao's father and son were a little nervous and wanted to pull Lu Zhen behind them, but were stopped by Xu Jiang.
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