Chapter 576 Fellow Taoist
At the dinner table, Sanwa was talking to Yu Wanqing, while Song Chunxue buried her head in her food.
The noodles Mulan cooked were cooked to the perfect consistency—soft yet chewy, so good it made you want to shout, and you felt like you could swallow the whole bowl in one gulp.
The simmered pork sauce, paired with perfectly separated and fragrant noodles, and served with a savory vinegar broth, is simply irresistible.
"May I ask your name, friend?" Yunyou asked with a smile. "I have a disciple who lives nearby and will be back in a few days. I wonder if we could stay at the temple on the mountain for a few days?"
Song Chunxue looked up and said, "Of course you can. The Taoist temple belongs to everyone. No Taoist temple in the world would turn away a wandering Taoist priest."
It is noticed that Mulan is feeding the child, and she has already sipped all the soup from her own bowl of noodles, and she has already eaten two bowls.
"I'll feed the baby, you eat quickly, it's getting cold." Song Chunxue picked up the baby and placed him on her lap.
"That's good. I'll go up the mountain to find Master Zhang this afternoon. I wonder what his Taoist name is?"
Road number?
Song Chunxue was confused again. She didn't seem to know what her senior brother's Taoist name was, and she couldn't remember if he had mentioned it.
The atmosphere froze, and Sanwa felt a little awkward.
Next time, I will definitely not bring people to see my mother without asking her first.
He guessed that his mother was already cursing him in her heart.
“The Taoist priest never seems to have mentioned his Taoist name. We haven’t asked him. You can go up the mountain and ask him yourself.” Sanwa took the noodles the cook brought him. “Have another bowl of noodles.”
"No Taoist name? Could it be that you are just ordinary folk practitioners? If so, you are really capable of building a Taoist temple on the mountain in two years. You must have met a wealthy merchant."
As he spoke, he joked, "I wonder which rich businessman is so easily fooled. How big is that Taoist temple? It must have cost a lot of money, right?"
Deception?
Song Chunxue raised an eyebrow, wiped the child's mouth with a handkerchief, and fed the child the mashed noodles.
What's wrong with this person? Why ask so many questions? Is he implying, openly or subtly, that they are not as much like Taoists as him?
"What's your Daoist name? Who is your master? What do you specialize in, magic or martial arts?" Song Chunxue's calm tone concealed anger. "How many years have you been wandering? How many times have you come to Jincheng?"
“This…” Yu Wanqing smiled, “Fellow Daoist, don’t be angry. Just because you don’t know doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. I suppose you are illiterate, so your senior brother didn’t tell you. I understand.”
"Who said I can't read?" Song Chunxue looked at him. "I'm not angry, it's just that you didn't introduce yourself, but you're trying to compete to see who's more upright and capable. What have you done for the people all these years?"
She simply couldn't believe that a Taoist priest with a "fortune telling" sign could be more skilled and knowledgeable than her senior brother.
This person is clearly the kind of self-important, superior Taoist priest who makes a living by fortune-telling and wanders around. He only cares about social status and has no regard for the common people. He judges people's status by fame and fortune, which is utterly vulgar.
If he insists on putting on an unfathomable air, those sharp yet uneasy eyes show that he has no Daoist heart.
Yu Wanqing stroked his beard and smiled, "It was my presumption, please forgive me, fellow Daoist."
That old Taoist priest with the bull's nose is still pretending. Take him up the mountain and let your senior brother teach him a lesson.
Song Chunxue smiled slightly, "I speak bluntly and am not worldly-wise. Please forgive my bluntness, fellow Daoist."
She finally understood why her senior brother interacted with so many people from all walks of life, yet she rarely heard him mention other Taoists.
Apart from his third uncle, his senior brother had almost no other fellow Daoists; the old friends and acquaintances he mentioned were all ordinary people.
Scholars often belittle each other, and so do fellow practitioners.
After the meal, Song Chunxue got up to take this fellow Daoist Yu up the mountain.
Sanwa lowered his voice and said, "Mother, I was wrong."
"It's not wrong, you meant well."
Seeing her carrying her bundle up the mountain, Sanwa asked again, "Second Brother said he would take a two-day break and go with Mother to the Hu family to propose marriage. Mother, do you want to go?"
There was reluctance in Sanwa's eyes, and Song Chunxue could easily guess what he was thinking.
“Of course, we can’t let your second brother get married on his own. But I advised him not to rush into proposing marriage. He should first tidy up the courtyard. If he plans to buy another small courtyard, I’ll pay for it.”
As she spoke, she handed a bag of silver to Sanwa.
"Give this to your second brother and tell him not to be so stingy. He should consult with you two brothers more often and learn from your experiences. He shouldn't make decisions on his own."
Sanwa nodded, "Okay."
He could sense that his second brother was somewhat distant from him, while he could chat and laugh freely with his fourth brother, but was polite and aloof towards him.
Perhaps it's because he's been busy studying these past few years, and as the fourth son, he's been interacting more frequently with his second brother.
He wasn't as eloquent as the fourth brother, so he didn't insist.
"Here, this is for you." Song Chunxue tossed him another bag. "People in officialdom pay attention to their appearance. Don't embarrass me, and don't compare yourself to them. Everything you have now is earned by yourself. Don't feel guilty if I'm being biased towards you."
"Besides, I've always been biased towards you, everyone can see that, and I admit it. Let's put ourselves in each other's shoes and treat each other with sincerity. I can tell who cares about me more, not because you're successful."
Sanwa stood there, looking surprised.
"Besides, you've been herding sheep with me since you were ten to support the family. I'm happy to treat you well, and nobody can stop me. Don't overthink it, okay?"
The third child's eyes welled up with tears. "Yes, I know. Mother, please go quickly."
"Oh, by the way, if anyone bullied you, just play this little bamboo flute." She handed him a two-inch-long bamboo flute. "Don't think it's too much trouble for me, I'm your mother."
Sanwa lowered his head and said in a nasal voice, "Okay."
...
Song Chunxue led Yu Wanqing up Wuquan Mountain. She walked at a leisurely pace without getting out of breath, but Yu Wanqing was panting heavily towards the end, which showed that his cultivation level was only average.
They've been too busy cultivating their minds.
"What a magnificent Taoist temple! And the location is so well chosen. Fellow Taoist, you have excellent taste and great fortune."
Upon seeing the Taoist temple in front of him, Yu Wanqing stopped and sighed.
"These gates and halls clearly show they've spent a lot of money. Do you need someone to sweep the floors here?"
Song Chunxue looked at him seriously and said, "Yes, we are quite short of them."
She knew he wasn't the type to just sweep the floor, but she didn't intend to fawn over him.
Yu Wanqing looked around, clearly enamored with the Taoist temple.
They praised the beauty of the bricks and tiles, the skill of the craftsmen who carved the doors and windows, and even the perfect fit of the bricks on the ground.
"Master Song, you've arrived."
Changyun, who was sweeping the floor, ran over with a smile and saw Yu Wanqing frown slightly.
"Who is this fellow Daoist from?"
Yu Wanqing bowed and greeted him, "This humble Taoist came from Longhu Mountain and was passing through this place. I heard that your temple has just been completed, so I came here to offer incense. I plan to stay here for a while. I wonder if it is convenient for me?"
Just as Changyun was about to say something, the Taoist priest came in through the side door.
He flicked his whisk and his gaze fell heavily on Yu Wanqing.
This was the first time Song Chunxue had ever seen such an arrogant and disdainful look in her senior brother's eyes.
She was ready to watch the show.
But the next moment, his senior brother strode over, a transaction on his face.
“Fellow Daoist from Longhu Mountain, I apologize for not welcoming you sooner. Please come inside.” The Daoist turned his head and ordered loudly, “Changfeng, bring a pot of good tea, and call Wangchen. Perhaps he recognizes this fellow Daoist.”
P.S.: Goodnight, fellow Daoists. Happy birthday to our motherland, and happy holidays to all my darlings.
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