The Sixteenth Chapter: Heaven, Earth, Parents, and Teachers (Part Four)
After their conversation and a day's rest, the two began preparing to leave.
The two were still uneasy about the job Mu Ning had mentioned, but they knew they couldn't stay in the capital and would have to return to their hometown, so they had to pack up very carefully.
Rong Shao tallied up the family's belongings. There wasn't much left, and touching the small bag, he couldn't help but sigh several times. The two of them now only had a few sets of clothes, some books they were most reluctant to pawn, and some clothes, toys, and scraps of paper left behind by their two children. The furnishings—the table, the bed—were already there when they found the place, so they didn't need to worry about that.
Afterwards, the couple bid farewell to their neighbors one by one. After ten years of neighborly relations, everyone was saddened and moved to hear that the two were suddenly leaving, but in the end, they all hoped that the two could sever ties with the past and start anew.
On the appointed day, Rong Shao woke up very early, and Du Gewen got up as well. The two ate breakfast together, searched the surroundings one last time, and then sat in the side room looking at the door with a slightly bewildered expression.
"Mr. Mu isn't not coming, is he?" Rong Shao wondered, whether he was asking himself or Du Gewen.
Du Gewen could only shift his gaze between the blue sky and the courtyard gate. He had intended to casually flip through a book, but he couldn't concentrate on a single word, so he could only let his legs tremble slightly and stare blankly. As the sun gradually reached its highest point, Rong Shao felt anxious and wanted a drink of water. Just as he was about to get up, he heard a knock on the door.
Who is it?
Rong Shao hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to respond. Du Gewen answered while getting up, since everyone had to be ready to open the door.
"Mr. Du, my name is Mu Ning. I apologize for being late."
Upon hearing this, Rong Shao suddenly exhaled.
Dugwen unlatched the door and opened a door, where he found that in addition to Mu Ning, there was another man with darker skin. Although somewhat surprised, he still bowed to the two of them.
"I'm not very familiar with the roads, and I went around in circles before I got back here," Mu Ning apologized helplessly. She then quickly introduced Ma Ji, whom she had just met, to Du Gewen. "Mr. Du, this is Mr. Ma Ji. We're traveling by water this time, and Mr. Ma will be driving the boat for us."
“You two don’t need to be so polite,” Ma Ji laughed. “I’m also uneducated, so there’s no need to call me ‘sir.’ Mr. Du, just call me Old Ma.”
“My name is Du Gewen. You two don’t need to be so polite. Just call me by my courtesy name, Zongzheng.”
With everything packed, the four of them divided their meager belongings and prepared to carry them to the dock.
The couple didn't have much luggage; the four of them each carried a small bundle, Rong Shao had one bundle, and the other three each had two. Mu Ning thought that since the two of them had lived here for ten years, they might have left many things behind because of the long journey, and perhaps they could still bring something back. So she asked, "Gentlemen, don't worry about having a lot of luggage. We can help you carry more."
Rong Shao and Du Gewen knew he had misunderstood, and said helplessly, "That's really all."
They agreed to exchange house keys at noon. When the time came, the homeowner, carrying a basket of vegetables, knocked on the door. Seeing two unfamiliar men standing in the yard through the half-open door, he didn't dare to come in. Since he had originally agreed to stay for the next two days, he decided to wait for Rong Shao to bring the vegetables.
Rong Shao was always extra attentive to the house's movements. He made eye contact with the homeowner through the crack in the door, quickly came over to hand over the keys, and the two exchanged a few final words. As they spoke, three men came out and stood outside the yard. The homeowner took the keys, locked the door, and said his final goodbyes to the couple.
The dock wasn't far away. After walking for about 15 minutes, they found Ma Ji's boat, and the four of them boarded it one by one. Ma Ji was the last to board, and he pulled the punt, and the small boat carried their two restless hearts forward.
The boat was moving slowly. Sitting in the boat, Rong Shao listened to Mu Ning and Du Gewen introduce the situation of Kongyun Mountain while keeping an eye on the gurgling water below. They had a lot to talk about, and as they talked, their minds were less troubled, so they didn't feel tired from traveling. Then they heard Ma Ji's voice.
With the help of magic, they actually only traveled for half an hour before arriving at the west dock of Changhe Town. When disembarking, Mu Ning led Du Gewen and Rong Shao off the boat. Ma Ji went to moor the boat, so the three of them took the luggage that Ma Ji had originally been carrying, and Mu Ning led them towards Menggu Academy.
"Changhe Town".
When entering the town, Dugwen did not notice the stone tablet standing to the side. He did not know about the town before and thought it was just his ignorance.
Back then, Changhe Town was not as good as it would be decades later. The echoes were even more pronounced when the three of them walked through the alley. In addition, Mu Ning was not very familiar with the town's residents, so she was worried about encountering someone whose name she could not speak. Therefore, she could only lead the two of them through the alley quickly, making their footsteps sound even clearer.
“This is it,” Mu Ning stopped, giving Du Gewen and Rong Shao some time to catch their breath, and carefully looked around the place from the outside. “Master Chen is in the side room. Let’s put the things here first, and I’ll take care of them.”
Standing in the courtyard, Rong Shao heard that there were books in the side room and put them down.
Then someone picked up the teacup beside them, took a sip of tea, and then got up and walked out.
Rong Shao was somewhat at a loss, since Du Gewen was the one in charge here, her presence was somewhat superfluous, but she didn't know where to hide, so she could only stand next to Du Gewen and watch as a woman with her hair now a mix of black and white walked out and looked at the three of them.
"Master Chen." Mu Ning had just put her luggage down when she saw Chen Duan come out to greet the guests, so she quickly greeted him.
The couple bowed and greeted each other. Although it wasn't obvious from their appearance, they never expected her to be a female teacher, so they were somewhat surprised.
"There's no need to be so polite." Mu Ning moved a stool and sat down in the courtyard. Chen Duan led the two of them to the main hall and asked them to sit down first. Chen Duan then brought over two cups of tea and asked them to have a sip to settle down.
"My surname is Chen, my given name is Duan, and my courtesy name is Jingyuan. I have been lecturing here for decades, and everyone here treats me with respect, calling me Master Chen," Chen said, sitting opposite the two of them as they drank water. "I originally asked Wupeng to find some scholars I know to teach me, but these days I've been doing some collation work and found that lecturing is better for my old body, so I can only ask the two of you to do the collation and annotation work."
Upon hearing this, Rong Shao waited until Chen Duan stopped speaking before quickly saying, "Master Chen, you have misunderstood. Mr. Mu did not ask me to take up a post."
"You should be literate, right?" Upon hearing this, Chen Duan's gaze lingered on Rong Shao as he looked at her intently.
“My father taught me a few words and I read a few books,” Rong Shao said.
"When did you start reading and writing?" Chen Duan asked.
Six years old.
"When did you stop reading?"
"Nowadays, I still often flip through books."
“Alright,” Chen Duan stood up, and the two men followed suit. Mu Ning, who was in the courtyard, saw the three of them get up and slowly stood up as well. “This is good enough. I’m short-handed here. If you’re willing to come, I’ll still give you a stipend. Of course, you can also choose not to. We’ll talk about the rest on the mountain. Wu Peng, you first take these two men to the courtyard, and then lead them to Cun Zhong Hall.”
"yes."
"Mr. Mu, I thought you only invited Zong Zheng." After watching Chen Duan's figure disappear outside the door, Rong Shao's initial shock gradually subsided, and he couldn't help but say to Mu Ning.
"There are very few literate people willing to come here. Madam has been studying since childhood, and her level is far beyond that of ordinary men. There is really no need to worry about her abilities. In fact, I have seen Master Chen do both lecturing and annotating books. I think it won't be too difficult. It's just that most of the work is complicated and tiring, so it will definitely be tiring."
"It's not about this." Rong Shao heard Mu Ning start talking about a bunch of irrelevant things, and he awkwardly twisted his hands together.
"What Feng Qing means is, how can a woman like her do things?" Du Gewen listened to Mu Ning and Rong Shao's conversation and, seeing that Mu Ning's answer was irrelevant, he added with a smile.
"What's the big deal? Madam, look at Master Chen. She's been lecturing here for decades, and everyone in town respects her. There are also female students at the academy who will welcome her."
Upon hearing Mu Ning's words, Rong Shao was both shocked and embarrassed. Although he was curious about being able to go out and do things, he had never heard of such a thing before, so he dared not take more than a few steps.
“Don’t worry, we’ll listen to Master Chen anyway, we’re all in the same boat. Let’s go take a look. Come on, don’t keep Master Chen waiting. Speaking of which, the town looks pretty big, how come there are still houses built on the mountain?” Du Gewen comforted Rong Shao, helped her carry an extra bundle, and followed behind her, but still couldn’t suppress his doubts and asked.
“Oh, right,” Mu Ning said, almost forgetting something important. She took out two wooden plaques from her pouch and handed them to them. “You two should keep these with you while you’re on the mountain. I can’t say it outright yet, but please remember that things on Kongyun Mountain are different from the outside world. If you forget the plaques and have no one to guide you, you won’t be able to get up the mountain for the time being.”
This wooden plaque was originally intended to allow ordinary people without cultivation to cross the barrier. Because it was specially made by Chen Duan, if Chen Duan severed the magical effect on the plaque, the holder of the plaque would be thrown out of the barrier. However, the couple, unaware of the situation, thought it was just something to show when entering. But when they saw the endless ladder leading up the mountain, their hearts skipped a beat.
The two exchanged a glance, gritted their teeth, and followed Mu Ning up the mountain.
Of course, this cloud ladder was just a fantasy; the actual distance was only what it appeared to be, and soon they entered the barrier.
Cunzhong Hall is the Dharma implements repository of Kongyun Mountain. It was built after Chen Duan was born, and thus it was located in the place closest to the foot of the mountain. The three of them climbed the cloud ladder and walked along the stone steps for a quarter of an hour, and following Mu Ning's pointing finger, they saw the courtyard of Cunzhong Hall.
"That will be where you two will be working from now on. Let's go to the courtyard where you will be staying first. This way. Please remember the way carefully. Although the two places are close, no one usually wanders around on the mountain. If you take the wrong path, you may not be able to find anyone to ask for help for a while."
Between the two stone steps, there was a patch of wild grass. Walking on it, one could feel that one was walking on the ground, but because no one had walked there for so long, the grass had grown there. Their new dwelling was on slightly higher ground, with about ten gentle stone steps leading up to it. The courtyard gate was covered in a thick layer of dust, except for the door handle and latch, which were cleaned when Pei Xuanzhen and Chen Duan came to check if the courtyard was habitable.
This is an old-fashioned house. Upon entering, there is a courtyard with a stone table on the south side. There are five side rooms in total. Because of the urgency and the busy schedules of Chen Duan, Pei Xuanzhen, and the others, they only had time to clean the main side room and the kitchen. The other three rooms were still locked.
"Here is the key."
Mu Ning placed the bundle on the table in the main room and took out a bunch of keys from her pouch.
"Your little bag can hold quite a lot of things."
Du Gewen took the key and placed it in Rong Shao's hand. He looked at Mu Ning's pouch with great curiosity and couldn't help but laugh. After all, the two wooden plaques were already quite large; he hadn't expected her to be able to produce a set of keys as well.
"There are still three rooms and two courtyards that haven't been cleaned yet. We apologize for the inconvenience, as everyone is very busy. Please come with me to Cunzhong Hall to meet Master Chen first, and we'll clean up afterwards."
The three of them retreated to the fork in the stone steps, then took a few steps in the other direction and followed the stone path leading to Cunzhong Hall. Soon they saw the gate of Cunzhong Hall. From a distance, it looked like a dark, indistinct mansion, but as they got closer, they realized that it was a very large place.
There was no plaque hanging on the main gate. Rong Shao asked out of curiosity and learned that the original plaque had fallen and broken not long ago because it was not made well. Chen Duan had not yet had time to make a new one to replace it.
Rong Shao didn't understand this sentence at first.
After entering, Dugwen secretly looked around and felt that this place was not much different in size from the place where he used to be busy with paperwork.
The main gate was open, so Mu Ning pushed it open and came in. Inside was a courtyard filled with flowers and plants. Mu Ning led them to the left, saying, "This way." They entered through a wooden door, passed several closed side rooms, and then went through two round doors to a courtyard surrounded by several rooms, with a large crabapple tree in the center. Only one of the three large rooms had an open door, and the group walked along the corridor.
Standing at the doorway, one could see three tables inside the side room, and three boxes spread on the floor. Two boxes contained bamboo slips, and the other contained books. A young man they didn't recognize was sitting cross-legged on the floor, looking at these things with a troubled expression. The room was filled with bookshelves on all four sides, crammed with bamboo slips and scrolls.
The two were initially amazed by the scale of the collection, but then they suddenly realized that these were the very books they were meant to organize, and their joy vanished.
Chen Duan stood in front of a bookshelf, took out two boxes from the cabinet, and handed the boxes to Du Gewen and Rong Shao after the three men greeted him. Inside were writing implements: "This is where you usually work. Of these three tables, the one with the writing brushes is mine, and you can choose one of the other two that you like. I'm a bit casual about things, and since you've just arrived, you still need to familiarize yourselves with the environment and clean the house, so I don't know when you'll arrive. You're all older now, so I'm sure you're not like those teenagers who can't control themselves. This is Kongyun Mountain, and this is Pei Xuanzhen, courtesy name Tingran, who is in charge of things on this mountain."
"My name is Pei Xuanzhen. I greet you both with a smile." Pei Xuanzhen greeted them.
"Mr. Pei, you're too kind." The two men were somewhat surprised by Pei Xuanzhen's words and quickly returned the greeting. However, Pei Xuanzhen didn't like being addressed so formally, so he asked them to call him by his courtesy name.
Pei Xuanzhen and Mu Ning sat chatting in the courtyard near the gate, as neither of them dared to wander around there.
Led by Chen Duan, the couple looked around the layout of the main hall. After a quick tour, they reached the entrance, where Pei Xuanzhen and Mu Ning stood carrying a box, ready to escort them back. The box contained daily necessities, tea sets, bowls, and plates, with some rice on top. Once in the courtyard, Rong Shao opened the box, thinking that many small matters had been resolved.
Pei Mu and his companion took their leave, and the couple then began cleaning the house, working on it for the entire afternoon. When they felt hungry, Rong Shao went to the kitchen to prepare a meal, only to find that the stove there was a different style from the one she usually used. The firewood had just been collected and was still damp, making it difficult to light. Rong Shao tried for a long time, the black smoke choking her several times. She involuntarily got up from her small stool, wanting to go outside for some fresh air, but as she turned around, she saw a little girl of about five or six years old standing behind her in the doorway. Startled, she cried out softly.
"Who are you?" Rong Shao asked.
“I am Huang Jing,” Huang Jing said with a smile to Rong Shao. “I knocked on the door, but no one answered. I came in by myself because the gate wasn’t closed properly. I’m so sorry to have startled you.”
"I'm fine, don't worry about it," Rong Shao squatted down and wiped the dust off Huang Jing's cheek. "Is something wrong?"
"Listen... Uncle Pei sent me to invite you two to dinner."
"Invite us?"
"Yes, it's almost time to eat, come with me."
Huang Jing took Rong Shao's hand and walked out of the kitchen.
Rong Shao went into the courtyard and called Du Gewen. The two dusted themselves off and followed Huang Jing through stone steps and a bamboo grove, where they saw a stream flowing down the mountain. Crossing a bamboo bridge, Rong Shao and Du Gewen saw a large house, and two people had just entered. As they got closer, they smelled food. It didn't smell like the entrance to an inn or tavern; it was just the warm aroma of hot food and water.
“Everyone is eating here. Oh, Uncle Pei isn’t here,” Huang Jing stepped through the door and didn’t see Pei Xuanzhen, but saw Ji Zhen carrying a bowl of corn porridge. “Aunt Ji, these are, these are the two elders who have just arrived from Master Chen’s place.”
Ji Zhen placed the bowl on the table and greeted the two men: "I am Ji Zhen, courtesy name Weizhou, and I am the doctor of this mountain. If you feel unwell in the future, you can come to me."
“I’ll take you two there. I go to Aunt Ji’s place to play every day,” Huang Jing said eagerly.
After exchanging greetings, the couple walked to the place shrouded in white smoke to see what was going on. Miao Sheng, who emerged from the white mist, looked at the two of them and remembered that Pei Xuanzhen had mentioned that there were two newcomers on the mountain in the past two days. He recognized them immediately and called out, "Come over here quickly, we're having pancakes today."
Each person had a bowl of porridge, two cornbreads, and a small dish of side dishes. Because they had walked a long way to get here, they couldn't stop eating after the first bite. They would take a bite of cornbread, a bite of side dishes, and then a sip of porridge, and the two of them would put down their bowls one after the other.
"If you're still not full, you can go get some more porridge or cornbread." Huang Jing sat opposite the two of them, holding a cornbread in his hand, tearing off pieces as he ate, having only eaten half of it.
"That's about enough, and it's not advisable to eat too much," Du Gewen said with a smile to Huang Jing.
"You can eat three meals here. The first meal is at Chenshi (7-9 AM), the second meal is at Wushi (11 AM-1 PM), and the third meal is now at Youshi (5-7 PM). But if you come late, the food may be all gone."
“Being able to eat three meals a day is really a luxury,” Rong Shao said with slight surprise. “Jing’er, do you know there’s a market on this mountain? It’s a place where you can buy vegetables.”
“There’s one in the town down below, but it opens very early. I can never get up in time, so I don’t know what it’s like in the morning,” Huang Jing thought for a moment. “There’s no market on the mountain. Everyone goes to the kitchen at the back to get food. When we’re short of rice, my parents always have me come and get it. It’s just that sometimes we’re short of something.”
"Go get it directly?" Dugwin was surprised.
“Yes,” Huang Jing said, jumping off the bench. “Come on, I’ll take you there and see what you want. Take the bowls and put them here.”
Beside the table where the food was served, at the southernmost end, there was a door. Next to the door, on the ground, were two large bamboo baskets, with used bowls and plates arranged separately inside. Walking out of the small door, around a section that was probably where the food was cooked, and arriving at a place where vegetables were stored at the back, Miao Sheng, who had just been distributing the food, was there at that moment: "Xiao Jing is here, hey, you two are here too."
Just as Huang Jing had said, it was appropriate to take some. Rong Shao thought he probably wouldn't be able to come up again tomorrow morning, so he took some rice and side dishes to prepare porridge for tomorrow morning.
“Oh, right, I heard that Ran just came by and said he would like to ask you two to forgive him,” Miao Sheng said to the two of them when Rong Shao was busy getting things and had a little free time. “We were planning to host a proper banquet for you two, but everyone has been busy lately and we haven’t been able to organize anything. After a while, when you two have met the people on the mountain and become more familiar with them, we will definitely get together.”
Huang Jing was waiting for her parents to pick her up, so she parted ways with the couple at the door: "See you tomorrow, Uncle Miao said there will be more good food tomorrow."
Du Gewen carried a bag of rice, and Rong Shao carried a small bundle of green vegetables. They listened to the crisp sound of flowing water as night was about to fall, and returned to their new residence.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
