Three years later
Jiang Suisui is six years old.
During these three long years, she was like an orphan in the mountains, accompanied only by her master Ji Fei, listening to the wind and rain, and playing with mosquitoes in the deep mountains and old forests.
For three whole years, I spent days and nights in the deep mountains with my master Ji Fei, and it was a long journey of studying the five arts - mountain, medicine, fortune-telling, divination, and physiognomy - amid the chirping of insects and birds.
At dawn every day, Jiang Suisui began to practice mountain martial arts under Ji Fei's supervision, doing horse stance, practicing boxing, climbing and jumping in the mountains and forests. If he slacked off for a moment, Ji Fei would punish him with a ruler, "How can you slack off if you haven't mastered the skills yet?" The cold words echoed in Jiang Suisui's ears.
In medical skills, identifying herbs and studying pharmacology, the bitter medicine often makes Jiang Suisui frown, but Ji Fei will not be soft-hearted.
The obscurity of fortune-telling, the mystery of divination, and the profoundness of physiognomy were like huge mountains, weighing heavily on her tender shoulders.
Only during the Chinese New Year every year would Jiang Yan's arrival add a touch of color to this monotonous life.
Jiang Yan brought the Jiang and Gu families, young and old, and their laughter broke the silence of the forest.
They would bring Jiang Suisui delicious cakes and warm new clothes, and Gu Shi would also tell her interesting stories from the mountains.
Jiang Suisui always listened attentively, her eyes flickering with desire. She wanted to go down the mountain, she really wanted to go down the mountain...
After everyone left, the forest returned to silence. Jiang Suisui sat alone by the stream, gazing at the moon's reflection in the water, and vowed to himself: I must thoroughly study the Five Arts and return home from the mountain as soon as possible.
In the quiet mountain cabin, Jiang Suisui held the brush tightly, his hand trembling slightly, trying to follow the brushwork taught by his master, and outline the runes containing protective power stroke by stroke.
But the lines drawn by her appeared stiff and clumsy, either crooked or uneven in thickness.
If it doesn't work once, try it twice. If it doesn't work twice, try it three times. The little figure sat in front of the desk for several hours, using one piece of talisman paper after another. Finally, a slightly immature but somewhat charming amulet was born in her hands.
Jiang Suisui looked at her results, her eyes flashing with excitement. It’s done, I’ll give it to Dad.
On this day, when Jiang Suisui was practicing physiognomy, the sky gradually darkened and the dusk was heavy, like a layer of gray gauze, gently covering the mountains and forests.
The surroundings were so quiet that only the rustling of leaves in the breeze could be heard, and the occasional low chirping of night birds added a sense of depth.
Jiang Suisui sat on a huge rock in the woods, his little face full of tangle and confusion, his brows tightly furrowed into the shape of the Chinese character "川".
She held a physiognomy chart in her hand, a hint of confusion in her eyes. The dim light shone through the gaps between the branches and leaves onto the chart, making it mottled and complex, as if the mysterious lines had become even more elusive.
No matter how hard she tried, she could not grasp the subtleties of it, and frustration overwhelmed her like a tide.
Seeing this, Ji Fei's usually stern face softened instantly.
He walked slowly towards Jiang Suisui with steady steps, and the dead branches and leaves under his feet made slight cracking sounds.
Ji Fei patted her shoulder gently, the strength seemed to have a calming power, and said in a gentle and encouraging voice: "Don't worry, every year. I, your teacher, also experienced many setbacks before I achieved a small success."
After saying this, Ji Fei's entire aura instantly became focused and solemn.
He raised his head slightly, his eyes deep and bright, as if he could penetrate the twilight and void before him.
His hands danced gracefully, his fingers drawing arcs in the air, as if outlining the invisible thread of fate.
Sometimes it taps lightly, as if marking a key point; sometimes it flips, as if deducing the turning point of fate.
As he demonstrated, he explained, "When observing a person's face, the most important thing is the shape and spirit of the five facial features. Eyebrows are the palace of longevity. The length, thickness, direction and direction of their shape all have profound meaning. People with long eyebrows often have a long life and a gentle temperament; short eyebrows may indicate an impatient temper..."
Ji Fei's voice was low and clear, and every word was like the sound of a huge bell, hitting Jiang Suisui's eardrums, gradually calming her originally restless heart.
Jiang Suisui's eyes also became focused and bright. She raised her head slightly and looked at her master. The fine light and shadows shining through the branches and leaves seemed to have turned into mysterious symbols of physiognomy, dancing and combining in front of her eyes as Ji Fei explained.
She followed the master's movements and explanations closely, trying to absorb the wisdom and secrets contained therein. In the grass beside her, a few fireflies quietly flew up, flashing with light, as if attracted by this inheritance of knowledge and came to witness it.
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