The Sixteenth Chapter: Heaven, Earth, Parents, and Teachers, Part Five
The three volumes seemed numerous, but the task of organizing them was even more extensive. It took them approximately two years to complete the initial sorting.
Over the course of two years, they could often hear various sounds coming from Chen Duan's study from afar. They were just curious and didn't dare to ask directly. However, when they saw Chen Duan carrying the newly made plaque in one hand, pacing around the courtyard, thinking about how to get the plaque out, Du Gewen asked out of the blue, "Master Chen, how did you manage to make this all by yourself?"
Unfortunately, Du Gewen wasn't in great physical condition either, and in the end, he could only hold the ladder with Rong Shao and watch Chen Duan lift the plaque with both hands and hang it up. After that, they gradually realized the difference between Kongyun Mountain and the outside world.
After a failed attempt to create a magical artifact, three of the four windows in the side room were shattered, and another window fell straight down, startling Du Gewen and Rong Shao who rushed over. The two men, still holding pens, saw many strange objects inside the room for the first time, as the door had also been pushed open.
The two of them helped Chen Duan clean up the mess. As they were finishing up, Du Gewen carried a pile of wood back to Chen Duan to cover her windows and asked, "Master Chen, these spells are truly amazing. I wonder if you could teach us some of them, so that we can broaden our horizons?"
Rong Shao's curiosity was hidden even deeper than Du Gewen's, but when she heard him ask directly, she also felt it was a rare opportunity, so she joined him in requesting Chen Duan's help. At that time, the three of them had known each other for more than a year, and Chen Duan already had his opinion on the two of them. Besides, taking on disciples would also allow them to pass on their knowledge, so after a little thought, he agreed.
Because they hadn't formally become disciples, and none of the three cared, Du Rong and the other two continued to address Chen Duan as Master Chen. This ambiguity prevented Yu Qiao, who later became a disciple, from realizing that these two were not only her teachers at the academy but also her senior brothers and sisters.
Chen Duan hadn't taken on a disciple for over ten years. Magical artifacts weren't as appealing as magic, and they couldn't be practiced within the academy. Furthermore, the teenage disciples were terrified of Chen Duan's bamboo cane beatings, so few considered learning from him again. That particular disciple, though he became Chen Duan's apprentice, couldn't bear the tedium of crafting magical artifacts. One day, he left a letter and never appeared at Kongyun Mountain again.
At the time, Chen Duan just let it go.
"I thought you weren't going to take on any more disciples."
Over two years, the group finished organizing the ancient books. There were some contents that none of the three of them could understand, so they asked an old senior from the mountain to guide them. That senior was Xiang Wan.
Xiang Wan and Chen Duan both came from afar to Kongyun Mountain, and they felt a sense of mutual respect. However, Xiang Wan was enthusiastic about teaching disciples, while Chen Duan pursued his studies alone, and in this respect, the two had little in common. Because there was no formal apprenticeship ceremony, Xiang Wan was unaware that two new people had arrived at Chen Duan's place, let alone that Chen Duan had accepted them as disciples, so she was extremely surprised.
“I didn’t take it seriously at first,” Chen Duan said calmly. “I just didn’t expect that the two of them would persevere. I feel like I have learned a lot from them.”
"How can you say they have the feel of a good teacher? They are good teachers to begin with," Xiang Wan quickly retorted. "So, what do you think of these two?"
“Feng Qing is more obsessed with magical artifacts and lecturing, and I also hope that she can come to the academy to be my right-hand woman after this,” Chen Duan said carefully. “As for Zong Zheng, he is getting older and more playful, and he will probably become more obsessed with magic in the future. However, I am only so-so in any area. Don’t you like to teach beginners? Why don’t you teach him too?”
"Why not?"
Before leaving, Xiang Wan asked Du Gewen if he was interested in cultivating with his two disciples. Du Gewen was naturally willing, but he felt uneasy about Chen Duan being Chen Duan's disciple, so he cautiously approached Chen Duan for his opinion. Chen Duan then realized that Du Gewen was unfamiliar with the mountain customs and explained, "On Kongyun Mountain, disciples who have just begun their apprenticeship will continue to cultivate with other masters. This is because, after their initial training, they might find that they are not suited to their master's methods, so they need another chance. Secondly, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses; highly skilled cultivators might not know how to instruct disciples. Throwing a young person who has only learned a rudimentary form of magic into their hands wouldn't be good for either side. Therefore, they learn under more approachable masters first, and then decide what to do next. However, Xiang Wan is exceptionally capable; he has taken in all sorts of disciples. When you go, you must cultivate diligently and not embarrass me."
"yes!"
After that, Du Gewen visited Cun Zhongtang less often. Sometimes he would leave letters for Rong Shao, saying that he would stay at Xiang Wan's place at night and that Rong Shao should not worry.
Rong Shao was very happy for Du Gewen, who had found something he loved again. However, the two of them had been husband and wife since childhood and had been together for more than ten years. Now that they were somewhat separated, their decades-long lifestyle might be about to change drastically, which made Rong Shao uneasy.
At this point, Rong Shao didn't know how to respond, but Du Gewen was exhausted and pulled Rong Shao to turn off the lights and rest.
Both of them had a day off. Du Gewen, who had been drinking at Xiang Wan's place until midnight the day before, woke up around noon and went to chat with Xiang Wan again. Rong Shao thought he had nothing to do at home, so he decided to go down the mountain for a stroll. Since the academy was the most familiar place at the foot of the mountain, Rong Shao didn't dare to wander into unfamiliar areas, so he went to the academy first.
She had come here a few times before, but never alone.
Chen Duan was not here today. The few disciples who remained at the academy all recognized Rong Shao. The three of them exchanged greetings, and the other two went about their business. Rong Shao walked past the three or four rooms where lectures were usually held. The tables and chairs inside were somewhat worn, but overall they were still fairly square. Further in was a courtyard, where spells were usually taught and practiced. Rong Shao was not familiar with it and did not dare to go any further. He simply stood under the eaves and watched the disciples of varying ages joking and practicing together.
What started as a relaxed and pleasant situation suddenly turned into a fight between the group of people.
Things happened so suddenly that Rong Shao was completely at a loss. He quickly turned back and told the two disciples in charge to go and check on things. The two disciples, who were busy with their work, sighed when they heard Rong Shao say this. "It's those same few again," they grumbled a few times and then quickly followed, worried that something might happen.
Rong Shao's initial relaxed mood vanished like smoke. It was getting late, and after some thought, she decided to return to the mountain.
From the academy to the trunk on the way back up the mountain, Rong Shao watched as several children ran around in a blur at the end of the path. The last child, Zhuan Tou, saw Rong Shao and stopped to greet him, "Aunt Rong!"
Upon seeing Huang Jing, Rong Shao quickly walked out of the alley and greeted her. After exchanging a few casual words, several children who had been with Huang Jing suddenly started fighting. Rong Shao initially intended to quickly separate them, as it wouldn't be good if they got hurt. However, Huang Jing and the other children didn't seem to take the fight seriously. Rong Shao didn't even notice that Lu Ying, standing to the side, cheered, "Fight it out! Let's see who wins!"
Seeing Rong Shao's worried expression, Huang Jing tugged at Rong Shao's hand: "Aunt Rong, don't worry, they're fighting all day long."
While the two were talking, Rong Shao glanced at Xiao Shendu and Xiao Fu Nai, who were watching the fight from both sides and cheering. As for the two who were fighting, the one who was gradually gaining the upper hand, Rong Shao judged from her physique to be a girl, while the one she was beating, because Rong Shao could see his face, knew that he was a boy.
The two children were talking non-stop while fighting, which looked a bit scary, but neither of them was very strong. If you looked closely, it was just pushing and shoving and pulling at each other.
Finally, it ended in the girl's victory. She stood with her arms outstretched, showing off her victory to the people standing around her.
"Ah Jin won again today!" Chen Du clapped his hands with a smile. "Tuesday, wipe the dirt off your face."
Mingjin proudly patted the dust off his hands and straightened his clothes.
Zhou Wei, who was kneeling on the ground, quickly stood up after hearing Chen Du's words and vigorously wiped his cheeks clean with both hands: "Let's have another match tomorrow, I'm sure I can win."
"You two fight all day long, aren't you tired?" Fu Nai took out some small fruits from his pocket and started eating them, but Lu Ying, who was next to him, swiped some of them away.
“It’s getting cold, and we can’t go out for a walk. There’s nothing fun for just the two of us,” Mingjin said, pulling out a handkerchief from her person and wiping her face clean.
"Can't you two write a few words?" Fu Nai said helplessly.
"My dad is never home, and my mom is always at home studying, so I ran away to play," Mingjin said helplessly.
“What’s the point of writing?” Zhou Wei took Ming Jin’s handkerchief and wiped his hands. “Besides, no one in my family can read or write, so what’s the big deal? We’ll go pick persimmons tomorrow, you can go home and practice your writing. Brother Shen, are you coming?”
“My uncle is coming tomorrow, so I have to stay at home,” Chen Du said helplessly. “If you two are bored, I noticed a new family moved into my neighborhood when I came here today. They seem to have a child who is about our age. Why don’t you invite him to come with you tomorrow?”
“I’ve never even met him,” Zhou Wei said hesitantly.
"Come on, I'll go and drag that person out tomorrow." Mingjin took her handkerchief back.
“Come here, everyone,” Lu Ying took out a small bag from her person, which contained some beans. The group of people each took one or two and the beans were gone. “Nai’er, your grandfather let you out to play, don’t think too much. Jin’er, when you get back, write the characters I taught you twice, or I’ll spank your hands next time. Are the beans tasty? You’re all tired from playing today, eat them and then go home. Nai’er, I’ll take you up the mountain. Jing’er, here are your beans too.”
"Who is this?" Zhou Wei asked Fu Nai and Shen Du curiously.
Chen Du shook his head, completely unaware. They had all grown up in Changhe Town, and they didn't even know the people living there, let alone those from the mountains.
"He's a disciple of Master Chen, and a teacher at the academy," Fu Nai mumbled as he answered Zhou Wei's question, his beans still unfinished.
"Let's go back on Tuesday, it's almost time for dinner." Mingjin didn't notice the stranger who suddenly appeared. She had just eaten a bean, which made her empty stomach rumble.
Hearing Mingjin say that, Chendu also felt that he should go back. However, his residence was in a different direction from Mingjin's and Zhou Wei's. Fu Nai wanted to go back with Lu Ying and Huang Jing, so the group parted ways again.
Lu Ying saw the wooden plaque in Rong Shao's hand and asked her whose disciple she was.
"My name is Rong Shao, and I am a disciple of Master Chen."
“Aunt, this is Elder Lu, the sect leader of our Kongyun Mountain Martial Sect,” Huang Jing said.
"You talk so fast," Lu Ying patted Huang Jing's head. "Yesterday we were having drinks at Lao Xiang's place, and Zong Zheng came. Why didn't you come along?"
"Because of some trivial matters at home, I couldn't go." Du Gewen had asked her yesterday if she wanted to come along, but Rong Shao didn't like crowded places; the noise would give her a headache, so she didn't go. In addition, Du Gewen came back too late, and Rong Shao didn't ask, so she didn't know that Lu Ying was also there yesterday.
“I heard from Jingyuan and Zongzheng that you’ll be going to the academy to teach the children,” everyone was heading back up the mountain, and the two children were chatting idly ahead. Lu Ying was just casually talking to Rong Shao as well. “Although the children at the academy are all fourteen or fifteen years old, they’re all noisy and disruptive, causing trouble without a sound. You should learn more from Jingyuan. If all else fails, just like Jingyuan did when he first came here, carrying a stick wherever you go.”
Rong Shao hadn't decided whether to come alone or not and didn't know how to respond. But when Lu Ying mentioned Chen Duan's past experiences, he temporarily put aside his concerns and asked curiously, "Elder Lu and Master Chen are also old friends?"
"Jingyuan's family was once haunted by a demon, and half of the dozens of people in the family died. Her father and two older brothers passed away, leaving her, her mother, and a pair of younger siblings. We arrived too late. After the incident, Jingyuan decided to avenge her father and brothers, but because she was weak at the time, she couldn't practice martial arts, so she taught the students to read at the academy. Her family was also a scholarly family. When I was young, the number of characters that everyone on the mountain knew could not be written on a single sheet of paper. When Jingyuan taught us, we couldn't understand anything. Moreover, she didn't know how to speak properly when she was young, which made her cry several times. Fortunately, she persevered, and now everyone on the mountain who can read and write was taught by Jingyuan. We also invited other teachers, but because teaching here didn't offer much of a future and the salary wasn't very attractive, they all left. For a long time, it was just Jingyuan here alone. It's really unexpected that a father and daughter are hard to find, and our academy is so fortunate to have met two of them in a row."
“I didn’t know, and Master Chen didn’t bring up these past events either,” Rong Shao murmured in thought. “I was only forced to come here because I couldn’t make a living outside. I can’t compare to Master Chen’s magnanimity.”
“It’s nothing, nothing, no need to worry too much,” Lu Ying laughed heartily. “Since you’re well-versed in poetry and literature and dreamed of being a young lady from a wealthy family, it’s normal to have some concerns now that you’re suddenly out here doing things and walking a completely different path on your own. If you have any concerns, why don’t you go and talk to Jingyuan about them?”
The group chatted as they climbed the mountain. Lu Ying wanted to take Fu Nai back first, while Rong Shao, who had originally planned to have dinner at He Geng Tang with Huang Jing, hesitated for a moment and decided to go find Chen Duan first.
It was the usual time, but now it gets dark earlier, and the moon is already halfway up the sky. Sounds are especially clear after dark, and the footsteps of the two people, one big and one small, echoed up and down the sky.
"Aunt Rong, will you go and give lectures?" Huang Jing asked after hearing Rong Shao's words. "If you go, I can listen to you give lectures when I go to the academy. I was playing with my father at Elder Xiang's place yesterday, and Uncle Du mentioned this to me. I was so happy."
"Really?" Upon hearing Huang Jing's words, Rong Shao couldn't help but think about who else was at the table. "I'm not going now. I'll go after I finish what I'm doing. When you grow up and come to the academy, I'll be even stricter with you."
"It's alright," Huang Jing said with a smile. "My parents said I'm the smartest kid they've ever met."
That's wonderful.
Rong Shao told Huang Jing to be careful on the road, but Huang Jing smiled and said that he had grown up on this road and would definitely be fine.
The main gate of Cunzhong Hall was half open. Rong Shao pushed the door open and went in. There was no one in the courtyard, so he went to Chen Duan's study. Chen Duan had his own set of meal arrangements and liked to finish all three meals before dawn. When Rong Shao came, Chen Duan had just finished eating and washing the dishes. He had just brewed a pot of tea and was sitting at his desk looking at paintings.
"Why are you back now?" Chen Duan looked up when he heard footsteps. Rong Shao was usually having dinner at this time, so Chen Duan was quite surprised.
“Master Chen, I have something to say,” Chen Duan knew that Rong Shao usually didn’t talk much about his affairs, so when he heard her speak like this, he knew that the matter was of great importance to Rong Shao. So he gestured for her to sit down and poured her a cup of tea. “What is it?”
“It’s about lecturing at the academy,” Rong Shao said slowly, his fingers lightly resting on the side of the teacup. “Two years ago, Wu Peng came to our house. I thought he was looking for Zong Zheng, so I came with him. I didn’t expect that he would ask the two of us to work together. But it was just Zong Zheng and me, just organizing ancient books in the study, not much different from my previous life. However, now that Zong Zheng is going to practice magic, leaving me alone to lecture at the academy, I always feel uneasy.”
"Why are you uneasy?" Chen Duan could roughly guess what Rong Shao was thinking, after all, she had similar thoughts when she first came. "Are you worried that your skills are not good enough? Or do you feel that you shouldn't be lecturing?"
"Both are true," Rong Shao admitted helplessly.
“You’ve been studying for almost thirty years now. The academy says you’re going to give lectures, but most of the disciples will probably have to start from basic literacy, so there’s no need to worry about that,” Chen Duan said calmly, taking a whiff of the tea aroma. She wanted to avoid arousing Rong Shao’s suspicions, so she kept her words as concise as possible. “As for whether you should or shouldn’t do it, why do you think you shouldn’t go?”
“Because,” Rong Shao suddenly wondered about the source of her thoughts, because she realized that Chen Duanli was asking her about something completely unfamiliar to her, “because no female members of our family have ever gone out to give lectures.”
“No woman in our family has ever gone out to lecture before,” Chen Duan said. “I’ve been doing this for decades and I’m still doing fine. It’s certainly unsettling to do something unheard of. You can try it first. If it doesn’t work out, you can stay in the study and do other things for me if you’re willing. It’s not that difficult. Two years ago, you didn’t know you’d be organizing ancient books here, but you did it without any problems. Going down the mountain to lecture is just adding another step to organizing ancient books.”
However, after Chen Duan finished speaking, he didn't hear Rong Shao's response for a long time, which made him feel a little strange and curious: "What's wrong? What are you thinking about?"
“Master Chen,” Rong Shao felt that what he was about to say was somewhat offensive, and he thought for a long time about whether he should speak. However, since he was the one who brought up the matter, and Chen Duan probably wouldn’t scold or beat him for such things, he mustered up his courage and replied, “What if we take one more step and become a ghost?”
Hearing this, Chen Duan stopped holding the teacup, momentarily stunned by Rong Shao's words. He hadn't expected that she would be so quiet, her thoughts already wandering far and wide.
"It is because the deceased took an extra step that they escaped from the underworld and became evil spirits that wreak havoc on the human world."
“I thought you were just hesitant to take action, but I didn’t expect you to cross mountains and rivers in one step,” Chen Duan couldn’t suppress the turmoil in his heart. He also found Rong Shao’s idea a bit ridiculous, completely childish, so he couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re still young. I won’t ask you anymore. You’ll come to the academy with me in a while. If you don’t do anything and just daydream, you’ll cause trouble. Alright, there’s no point in us rambling on about this. You might as well do something practical, like go eat, so that Master Miao doesn’t have to worry about the leftovers.”
"But, Master Chen..."
"Stop talking," Chen Duan said, as it was already completely dark outside. He took out two lampstands to light them. "Go eat now, and then get ready to come down the mountain with me. Don't wander around here."
However, Rong Shao was kicked out by Chen Duan and did not realize what was wrong with his thoughts for a moment. He just stood at the entrance of Cunzhong Hall, not knowing where to go. Then, thinking of Chen Duan's order, he walked towards Hegeng Hall while thinking about the matter of lecturing.
At the entrance of He Geng Tang, Huang Jing, who had finished his meal but hadn't left yet, was standing there with Miao Sheng hanging lanterns. Miao Sheng had a few leftover meals and was worried they would spoil overnight. Seeing Rong Shao arrive, he felt a little relieved. As he climbed down the ladder, he said, "Come on, come on, there's a bowl of rice waiting for you here. Jing'er, I'm going to put the ladder away. Go and help Uncle Miao bring out the rice."
“Okay,” Huang Jing replied happily, taking Rong Shao’s hand and walking inside. “Aunt, let’s go together.”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Yuanxi.” Rong Shao looked at the candied fruit in his hand and thought of Huang Jing, who was farming on the mountain.
That same year, the disciples were about to leave the academy. Some of them wanted to become disciples, but they needed to pass an exam. Both Du Gewen and Yan Junyou required their disciples to write an essay, regardless of its quality. As a result, the disciples surrounded Rong Shao, begging him to teach them. Rong Shao had also managed to find the time to come over with great difficulty.
Ji Zhen required his disciples to be able to use all the basic spells, and the academy's training grounds were bustling with activity during this time. Du Gewen and Yan Junyou were familiar with this scene, but being elderly, they seemed unapproachable, so the disciples all sought guidance from the newly arrived Pang Ming. Pang Ming was a very responsible man and also hoped to help as much as possible, even if he couldn't meet Ji Zhen's requirements, so that they could protect themselves when they went out in the future. Thus, he was extremely busy.
“We’ve been busy preparing for spring planting lately, and Yuanxi and Changqi are both quite busy. Yuanxi sent Changqi to rest, but she’s probably still on the mountain herself,” Zhu Zhenyun replied.
Zhu Zhenyun spoke with several elders. Shen Du, still unhappy with his capsized boat, was preoccupied with the incident. After resigning, he picked up a bamboo pole to try again. As expected, he capsized again before even leaving the shore. Ming Jin, helpless, watched as the pole drifted away and retrieved it for him. Mei Chong, whose family made their living by fishing, knew how to row and stood on the shore instructing Shen Du, but Shen Du listened without understanding. He took the pole from Ming Jin and suddenly thought of rowing while the boat was upside down, but this was clearly wishful thinking; the boat wouldn't budge.
Mei Chong felt he couldn't teach Shen Du at all, and sighed helplessly.
When Ma Ji returned, he saw four people chatting together, so he greeted them. In the blink of an eye, he saw Chen Du was ruining his small wooden boat, so he strode over and stood on the shore, yelling at Chen Du to get down quickly.
The water and sky blend into one color, with the continuous mountain peaks in the middle turning into golden mountains under the rising sun.
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