It’s a beautiful spring, and the winter jasmine flowers are blooming everywhere.
Erhua sat on the top of the mountain and looked into the distance.
Erhua had just finished his meal and had been sitting on the bench for a while when he suddenly felt his stomach tighten. He went back to the house to get some toilet paper and went out.
"Master, my stomach hurts. I'm going to the mountain."
Tang Sannan was feeding the pigs, not yet finishing his load of bran when he shouted, "Going to the mountains again? He's right here at home. This guy is really something."
After the Chinese New Year, Erhua came back to learn the craft, but he had a habit, which was that he didn't like to relieve himself at his master's house. He always felt embarrassed with Luo Zhen at home. But as the saying goes, people have three urgent needs, and he was just being particular.
Erhua squatted in the grass. Although it was lush, it only covered half of his head, leaving his eyes and nose exposed. The sun was shining brightly today, and the forsythia and azaleas on the mountain were in bloom, making for quite a sight. After finishing his work, he simply found a higher place to sit down.
The other side of the mountain is the direction of Hetou Village. From a distance, it seems to be right at your feet, but it takes a long time to walk there. Sometimes you can see it but you can't reach it.
Having been learning the craft for a while now, Erhua has become more serious and down-to-earth than ever before. His mother often grumbles at home that the ancestral graves are filled with smoke and that the prodigal son has returned. Erhua doesn't mind her nagging; he thinks carving rosewood is fun and he thinks it can be really profitable. He's the only one in the family who can make a lot of money, and he'll be the one to rely on for future family matters.
The wind was warm. Qingming Festival was just a few days away. The last time he went home, his mother had told him to visit his ancestors' graves during Qingming Festival, so they could continue to bless him. He didn't believe the talk. He had no faith in the ancestors' blessing, when it was clearly Erhua's own strength. But sometimes he would become paranoid, like when Xiao Jianqing and Xu's mother-in-law passed away. He didn't know about it that night, but he dreamed all night long about his mother-in-law feeding him sugar when he was little.
Ever since he discovered this hilltop, Erhua would come to sit on it after dinner whenever the weather was fine, looking at the scenery and the direction of his home, with the intention of avoiding Luo Zhen.
But when he looked at the purple azaleas, he would think of the purple hairband on her head; when he looked at the pink cherry blossoms at the foot of the mountain in the distance, he would think of her pink face; and the bright forsythia flowers were as dazzling as her sweet smile.
Erhua didn't admit it, but he did like Luo Zhen.
He loved her so much that she was in his eyes, heart and mind. However, in those scenes, Luo Zhen was always sitting or standing still, because if she walked, people would find out she was lame. So Erhua couldn't accept that the person he loved was a lame person, and thus avoided the fact that he liked her.
Liang Erhua, who has always been so shameless, actually likes a cripple!
Erhua would sober up whenever he thought of Luo Zhen standing up and walking. But he knew Luo Zhen was a rare, exceptionally skilled young woman. She could sit still, completely absorbed in carving rosewood, never feeling tired. Her craftsmanship was exceptional. Every household in Tangli Village carved rosewood, and few young men could match her skill. This was one of the reasons Erhua was so dedicated to learning the craft. He made Luo Zhen his first goal, hoping to one day surpass her.
When we got back, Master and Luo Zhen had already started carving.
The sawdust on the table had been swept clean by Erhua in the morning, but now it was almost full again.
"Brother, are you going to the mountains again?"
Luo Zhen stopped what she was doing. Normally, she would not be disturbed by the outside world. Only when Erhua came back would she raise her head and say that her eyes were sore and she needed to rest.
Erhua could feel her burning gaze, but he always avoided it, smiled politely, and answered "yes" politely. He understood Luo Zhen's thoughts, and Tang Sannan understood them even better.
Erhua now believed Xu Guoqing's words even more. The reason his master came to him was simply for Luo Zhen. But he was afraid he had put his trust in the wrong person.
"Let me pour you some water." He had sharp eyes and noticed that Luo Zhen's cup was empty. "Master, let me pour you some too."
Tang Sannan smiled with satisfaction and handed the cup over. He had been right about this apprentice. He was down-to-earth and diligent, and most importantly, he took good care of Luo Zhen. Actually, that day by the river, he hadn't considered taking him in as an apprentice. He just thought he was quite clever, catching so many fish.
But after returning home, Luo Zhen kept talking about him, and she began to have her own thoughts. He'd had a pretty good life. When he was a child, he'd been beaten by his master's wife while learning blacksmithing, so he'd run back to the countryside. He'd learned rosewood carving from his father, married a landlady, and had a daughter. All in all, his life had been pretty smooth. He just worried about Luo Zhen as he got older.
His only daughter had a bad leg, so many people came to him to propose marriage, but he was always worried. He wanted to find a son-in-law, but he was also worried that the son-in-law would be a bad thing for Luo Zhen. It almost became a worry. But this time, his daughter showed her interest in Erhua, so he could put his face aside and go to his house to recruit an apprentice.
But he was not sure what Erhua was thinking.
Erhua didn't hold the cup firmly when pouring water, and the water splashed out of the cup. There was water on the outside of Luo Zhen's cup. He carefully wiped it clean with a cloth before giving it to her. After that, he took out some plums from the drawer and gave them to her.
It feels like Erhua has that intention. Every time he comes home, he brings steamed buns and sweet potatoes to Luo Zhen, and he takes care of her in every way on weekdays. But when you think he has that intention, he often avoids Luo Zhen's eyes when she talks to him.
It seems that old men don’t understand the affairs of young people!
"Master, Qingming Festival is coming soon. I need to go back. Mom told me to visit the grave. I will come back after visiting the grave and stay at home for a day."
Erhua picked up the small carving knife in his hand. He was learning to carve a flower from the scraps, but his skills were still far from perfect.
"It's time to go back. This is a big deal. Why don't you stay a few more days? You've been learning a trade with me and haven't helped with any housework. Why don't you stay three nights and help your mom and dad with some work?"
Tang Sannan didn't stop working and blew away the sawdust on his hands.
"Brother, please bring some hair ties for Sister Qiuhua when you go back. I bought too many last time and can't use them all."
Erhua knew Luo Zhen had stopped and looked up at him, but pretended not to notice and continued carving. He said, "Why give it to her? Use it yourself."
"How can I use all of this? It will take me until next year to use it all by myself. Can you give her a few more?"
Erhua couldn't help but look up and meet her gaze. There was always a pool of water in Luo Zhen's big eyes, and she seemed to have something to say, as if she wanted to absorb all his gaze.
He couldn't help but smile at her. What a nice little mermaid! She even cared about the girl he had never met!
Those big eyes made it impossible for him to refuse, and he finally nodded and said, "Okay!"
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