Chapter 417 A Dilapidated Taoist Temple in the Tang Dynasty: A Female Taoist Priest (25)
With her apprentice gone, Jiang Yue had some free time. She used this time to catch up on the studies she had missed during the New Year holiday. A month later, the academy was on holiday and her apprentice returned. The first thing she did upon returning was run to the kitchen. It seemed that the food Jiang Yue had prepared in advance had not been wasted, because Jiang Yue was the same way in her previous world. The first thing she wanted to do when she got home was to eat the food her parents cooked.
After eating until she was half full, the apprentice began to share her life at the academy with Jiang Yue. She said that she had to get up early to run laps and there was no time for morning classes. She also mentioned that the dean of their women's academy was a foreigner and that she had added astronomy to her list of favorite courses. She also talked about embarrassing things that so-and-so had done.
She also mentioned that she was working part-time at the infirmary, which made her classmates extremely envious, since the part-time job was easy and earned high credits. She also mentioned that she had saved up money to treat Jiang Yue to a meal at the academy. She talked about a lot of things in a scattered way. After the meal, she asked Jiang Yue about some questions she didn't understand in the medical books, and Jiang Yue patiently explained them to her thoroughly.
"Are there many courses at the academy? Is there enough time for you to learn medicine?"
"It's alright. The teacher said that I need to do well in the main courses at the end of the semester, and just pass the others. There are only three or four main courses, so I have plenty of time. I can even do part-time work."
"Alright, then you can make your own choices. If it really doesn't work out, just put your medical skills aside." Jiang Yue had been laughing at her apprentice for working herself to the bone a while ago, but a few days later she was worried that her apprentice Lei couldn't handle it.
"It's alright, Master. It'll be easy to handle."
The master and apprentice hadn't seen each other for a month and had a lot to talk about. It was the first time they had been separated from each other, and they were both a little unaccustomed to it. After the problem with the medical skills was resolved, the apprentice raised his request to learn cooking again: "Master, can I learn cooking now? I want to learn something. The food at the academy is just enough to fill you up, but apart from a few dishes, the rest are not tasty at all."
"Even if you're a good cook, you still can't cook for yourself, right?"
"...I forgot."
Jiang Yue rolled her eyes and didn't say anything. After packing her things, she glanced at her and said, "Wait until you graduate before you start learning. Maybe you won't want to learn anymore by then."
"I definitely want to learn. Even if the academy doesn't have a cooking program, I can still cook whatever I want to eat in the future."
"Okay, I'll teach you after you graduate. It's getting late, go to bed early."
On the second day of the holiday, her apprentice disappeared after breakfast. She and her girlfriends went out to play together. Jiang Yue felt a little bored at home alone. To pass the time, she tended to the herb garden, fruit trees, and grapes planted above the corridor. Many of the fruit trees had already borne fruit once last year, so it would be a few years before she could eat the fruit she had grown herself.
After tending to the fruit trees, I also tidied up the trees around the Taoist temple. If I left them to grow naturally, they wouldn't look good. I also gave the temple a thorough cleaning. The Empress will probably be coming again in a month or two. I, a Taoist priest who was supposed to be practicing meditation, have been turned into a health care doctor.
When it was lunchtime, the apprentice brought several of her classmates over for a free meal. The apprentice often said that Jiang Yue's cooking was delicious, but the classmates didn't quite believe her. The apprentice told Jiang Yue about her little scheme, and Jiang Yue had no choice but to indulge her.
After lunch, none of the classmates wanted to leave, so they insisted on staying at the Taoist temple, planning to go to the academy from there the next day, just to have an extra meal. Jiang Yue smiled helplessly, wishing she had been more frugal.
The next day, when the disciple went to the academy, Jiang Yue did not see him off. Several people walked together, and there were guards to pick them up. After the disciple left, Jiang Yue tidied up the Taoist temple. In July, the emperor came again with the empress. In the past few years, thanks to the jade pendant given by Jiang Yue and the empress's exercise, the empress's health was fine.
After the two left, Jiang Yue's days became uneventful. Three years passed just like that. Today was the day her apprentices graduated. The graduation ceremony was similar to that of later generations. This was also the only day that parents could enter the academy. Jiang Yue changed into a new outfit. Although there was no photo session, there was something similar: drawing.
It wasn't as difficult to draw as I imagined, because basically there were only two photos: a group photo and a class photo. There weren't any portraits of a dormitory or close friends together. The backgrounds were fixed and the people were fixed. One artist was responsible for a part of the group photo, and then we just put them together in the end.
I'm sure everyone knows who came up with this segment even without Jiang Yue saying it. There's a corridor in the academy with portraits of famous people, but there are only three portraits on it. Jiang Yue saw our Emperor Li Er, which is politically correct, and everyone understands.
Then there's Sun Zhenren. Over the years, Sun Zhenren fought against the epidemic and even developed cowpox vaccine. He personally conducted experiments in the deep mountains, which gave him psychological trauma. It's well-deserved that he's listed here.
As for the protagonist, his contributions are too numerous to list. Potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes, penicillin, and so on. Jiang Yue can hardly write them all down. No one has any objection to him being on the list. As for the others, let's not even mention them. Didn't you see that the four big shots from the academy are not on the list? Maybe they will be on the list after they die, but it is unlikely while they are alive. They themselves would not agree to it.
After the graduation ceremony, Jiang Yue took her apprentice back to the Taoist temple. Her apprentice was fifteen years old and had come of age. Jiang Yue was also very concerned about what she wanted to do after graduation. She didn't have the idea of letting her stay in the Taoist temple forever. Thanks to the protagonist's efforts over the past few years, the Tang Dynasty had begun to have some female officials. If her apprentice wanted to become an official, she would support her.
After the meal, Jiang Yue asked her apprentice about his thoughts: "Now that you've graduated, is there anywhere you'd like to go?"
“Master, I would like to stay at the Taoist temple and learn medicine and cooking from you.”
"Then all your physics and math studies were for nothing, and you're throwing away three years of hard work?"
"When I graduated, the Marquis talked to me. He wanted me to go to the research institute he was about to establish, which would be equivalent to further study. However, it was uncertain when the institute would be completed. He had not yet mentioned it to His Majesty. But he gave me a set of notes to study first, saying that after I finished studying, I would have to rely on myself. He didn't know what to do after that."
"Is that so? Then let's stay at the Taoist temple for now."
"Master, I don't think I'll inherit the Taoist temple in the future. Won't you be angry?"
"What's there to be angry about? When you went to study at the academy, I was already prepared for this. Just go and pursue your ideals."
"Waaaah~, Master, you're so kind."
"If nothing unexpected happens, your master will live for quite a long time. When you get older, you can take in a disciple for your master. The Taoist temple must be passed down. You should keep this in mind and investigate any suitable ones in advance."
"Huh? Master, I'm only fifteen years old. How can I be someone else's master?"
"That's why I told you to wait until you're older before you think about it. You can't stay fifteen forever."
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