Chapter 6
On September 1st, at 5 a.m., Li Yang drove out on time.
There will be a teacher on the school bus, who will be replaced every Monday. The eight teachers from the Lotus class and Tai Chi class will draw lots to take turns.
"Good morning..." Lu Xiaoguo, who had the misfortune of following the bus during the first week of school, greeted Li Yang in a depressed and powerless manner. After guiding him through the map, he fell asleep on the chair.
Unlike other kindergartens where shuttle buses need to drive to each family one by one, Li Yang only needs to go to two locations, which are similar to the collection centers set up for unified pick-up and drop-off.
Circling the ring road, at a little after six in the morning, the school bus passed through a scenic town and arrived at the front entrance of Chengyun Mountain.
This is the Buddhist Temple Mountain in Nanjiang City. There are more than ten temples of all sizes gathered here, including the main mountain and the small secondary peak. It was supported by the Provincial Tourism Bureau in the early years. After renovation and publicity, it became a famous domestic tourist attraction. Every holiday, the usual program is the short videos posted by thousands of tourists, who want to leave but can't, and want to go back but can't.
But at this moment, there are only green mountains and forests, the crisp sound of birds, and the faint aroma of incense mixed with the morning dew. Two or three middle-aged and elderly pilgrims are climbing the mountain quietly with their travel bags on their backs.
Lu Xiaoguo had already woken up and started working when the school bus went up the mountain.
At the entrance of the scenic area, on the bench in the visitor hall, a row of bald little heads were sitting obediently, with small cloth bags embroidered with the name of the kindergarten on their shoulders.
A young monk who was in charge of looking after them saw the school bus and began to organize his fellow monks to line up and get on the bus.
The young monks got on the bus one by one in a civilized and orderly manner. After getting on the bus, each of them would put their hands together and bow to Li Yang: "Amitabha, thank you very much, donor."
Li Yang: “…”
The young monks sat in the back row, not making any noise or shouting, and only whispered to their neighbors.
The young monk chatted with Lu Xiaoguo for a few words before waving goodbye.
Lu Xiaoguo returned to the car and said, "The children from the Lotus class are all here. Let's go pick up the children from the Tai Chi class!"
The car door closed and Li Yang drove towards Hucheng Peak.
Hucheng Peak is not far from Chengyun Mountain, separated only by Qiao River and other small hills. You can see them from afar by standing on the top of any mountain.
There are only so many mountains that can nurture spiritual energy. Wherever the spiritual energy gathers, Buddhism and Taoism have occupied one end of the land since ancient times.
Twenty minutes later, the school bus arrived at the foot of Hucheng Peak.
Before getting on the bus, Li Yang heard a loud noise.
The management of Hucheng Peak and Chengyun Mountain is very similar. Different Taoist temples coexist on the same mountain, but Chengyun Mountain only sends one ordinary disciple to manage the children in all the temples, while Hucheng Peak probably manages itself.
All of them are the masters, uncles and brothers who are leading their children and waiting for the bus here.
The younger ones waved their peach wood swords excitedly, wielding various moves, while the older ones shouted at the top of their lungs, grabbing and beating the kids.
Those who were caught cried, those who were not caught laughed with glee and were scolded by their parents the next second, some covered their buttocks and talked back and were beaten even harder, and then a friend or fellow observer came to persuade them not to hit the children.
The situation was out of control at one point.
Lu Xiaoguo got out of the car: "Stop fighting! Stop fighting!"
"Teacher Guoguo!" The little Taoists broke free from their parents' hands as if they were greased with oil, and swarmed to get on the school bus.
Lu Xiaoguo broke out in a sweat because of organizational discipline.
The parents of the various Taoist temples breathed a sigh of relief: "School has finally started, these annoying people should get out of here!" Then their faces changed and they smiled like sunflowers: "Teacher Guoguo, thank you for your hard work in the new semester."
"You're welcome." Lu Xiaoguo, "I don't think I've seen Xiao Zhixuan from Qingxiao Temple?"
One of the Taoist brothers who lived at the top of the mountain said, "It's almost time. I heard children being beaten when I passed by Qingxiao Temple fifteen minutes ago. Let's wait a little longer." Qingxiao Temple was halfway up the mountain, and this brother would pass by it every time he went down the front mountain.
Lu Xiaoguo: “…”
Qingxiao Temple is on the mountainside, so it doesn’t take too long to wait for Xiao Zhixuan to come down.
The City Guarding Peak is very high. It takes a normal person about three hours to climb up, and someone with better physical fitness needs two and a half hours. But the Taoist priests living here have better legs and feet, and can reach the top in half an hour. Occasionally, when tourists who climb the mountain see the Taoist priests in this situation, they can't help but wonder if they are flying on swords or riding on Hot Wheels under the cover of their long Taoist robes.
Sure enough, within five minutes, an old Taoist priest with white hair came down the mountain steps at high speed, carrying a fat little girl with a twisting body.
The old Taoist priest came to Lu Xiaoguo, put the little girl down, brushed his long sleeves, put his hands behind his back and said with a sour face: "Get in the car."
The girl was a little nun, wearing a scarlet mini-gown and her hair was tied into a bun with a peach wood hairpin.
There were bubbles of tears in her big round eyes, and her chubby, round, white face was wrinkled. She pursed her lips and turned to get on the bus, but was stopped by the teacher again: "You are rude! Call me teacher!"
The little nun burst into tears: "Teacher Guo, Teacher Guo..."
Lu Xiaoguo bent down and wiped her face with a tissue, and replied: "Good morning, little Zhixuan, can you get in the car and sit down obediently?"
Zhixuan looked back at his master's expression. Seeing that he had no objection, he nodded to Lu Xiaoguo and went up to find a seat and sat down.
Lu Xiaoguo looked back at the old Taoist priest and said in a gentle voice: "Master Sanyang, you can try to communicate with the child properly. There is no need to be angry."
The old Taoist priest snorted, his white beard fluttering: "You've already been to kindergarten for a semester, but you're still staying in bed and asking for leave all the time. You've made no progress at all!"
Lu Xiaoguo explained: "It's normal. Children love to sleep in. Not to mention kindergarten children, some college students will stay in bed. We can't expect a four or five-year-old child to become self-disciplined in an instant, right? It's too much to ask. Many adults can't do it. Moreover, after a long vacation, most children are prone to separation anxiety when they think about leaving their families to go to school."
"But don't worry, our teachers will guide Xiao Zhixuan well in the kindergarten and try to reduce her emotions. However, the joint efforts of parents at home are also indispensable. We must give Xiao Zhixuan time and let her grow up step by step."
The old Taoist priest's cold expression softened a little after hearing her simple advice. He turned slightly to look at the distant mountains and hummed, "Excuse me, teacher. Please help me take care of this girl."
"That's what we should do. That's it. See you this afternoon, Taoist priests!" Lu Xiaoguo said hello and got in the car.
"Master Xiao Li, let's go back to the kindergarten!"
Li Yang didn't react to the name. He pushed the handbrake and turned the school bus around.
The little schoolboys waved goodbye to their parents through the bus windows, looking happy and excited. The parents watched the school bus turn the corner, looking extremely happy.
*
The school bus drove slowly on the asphalt mountain road in the scenic area. The rising light faded the misty morning air in the forest, and the dark green of the forest turned into bright emerald, and the scent of grass and trees became fresher.
The Lotus class in the back row was quiet, while the Tai Chi class in the front row was on pins and needles.
"Fasten your seat belts! You can't run or jump in a car, and you can't stand up and move around. It's very dangerous." Lu Xiaoguo tapped the folder, "Peng Nannan, are there any bugs in your seats?"
The children led by Peng Nannan couldn't help twisting their bodies when they had nothing to do.
"The teacher is going to call the roll. Please raise your hands when your name is called." Lu Xiaoguo opened the roster.
"Tai Chi class, Peng Nannan."
Peng Nannan put her arms to her ears and stretched them high: "Here!"
Lu Xiaoguo ticked the back of the attendance sheet and read the next one, "Tai Chi class, Zhixuan."
The little girl said in a muffled voice: "Here we are."
"Tai Chi class, Qiu Zhu..."
After making a promise with the Tai Chi class, Lu Xiaoguo turned the page and called out the name of the Lotus class.
There were three new students in the two classes this semester. When Lu Xiaoguo called their names, he looked up and recognized their faces.
When Teacher Guoguo finished calling the roll and closed the folder, the kids in the Tai Chi class immediately opened their mouths and started chattering about what they had done during the summer vacation.
The cub from Taifeng Palace was relatively normal: "My brother and I met a little fox in the back mountain!"
Not wanting to be left behind, Chang Miao Guan said: "I saw the big old tiger!"
Shangyang Guan sneered: "I went abroad with my master!"
Zi Tiandian looked at him with disdain: "We have just accepted a foreign disciple. I am no longer the youngest. I have a junior brother!"
Shangyang Temple: "I am no longer the youngest, I have a nephew!"
Two brats, barely over half a meter tall, started to fight each other, their faces turning red.
The other children in the audience were unable to get a word in, so they took a different approach to attract attention: "My senior brother and I were beaten with sticks outside the ancestral temple! We were naked!"
"What the hell is that?! My senior brother was locked up in a meditation room for three days because he farted five hundred times in one minute!"
"How is that possible?! You're lying! Even Taoist Master Hengyun, who is known as the Serial Fart King in our Taoist temple, can't release that many!"
"I'm not lying!"
"You lied! You liar!"
"Don't leave after school! I'll let my senior brother prove it to you!"
"Okay, let's watch. Do you want to bet? If your brother can't release it, you will have blisters on your mouth tomorrow!"
Xiao Daoxiu's fingers trembled with anger: "Just wait!"
"I'm waiting. If you have the guts, don't run back to the temple and hide away as soon as school is over. That would make you admit that you're a liar!"
Even Xiao Zhixuan from Qingxiao Temple joined the melee and said, "My uncle lost his front teeth while eating rice cakes."
Lu Xiaoguo, who was forced to listen to a lot of embarrassing stories from his seniors, said: "..."
Is this some kind of glorious competition?
Li Yang just felt it was too noisy.
But as soon as the school bus drove out of the city-protecting peak, the children gradually quieted down.
The kids in the Lotus Class sat straighter, their faces serious, with Buddhist beads or scriptures clenched in their hands.
The students in the Tai Chi class also said nothing, holding their small peach wood swords, and observing the situation outside the car with a vigilant look.
Even Lu Xiaoguo, who knew about Li Yang's physique, couldn't be completely at ease and was ready to fight at any time.
The stalemate lasted all the way to the kindergarten, and the children relaxed and were surprised that nothing happened?!
Didn't see a single bad thing!
The kids, who were experiencing such an ordinary and mundane school process for the first time, scratched their heads and looked at the new school bus driver, then began to pay serious attention.
"This brother has such a good-looking face." The little girls in the Tai Chi class have round and rosy faces.
The little male champions led by Peng Nannan said: "If you want to say that you are really good-looking, just say it directly. We haven't taken a face reading class yet. How did you learn how to read faces?"
The school bus stopped outside the small playground, the loudspeaker played cheerful children's songs, and the teachers came out to greet us.
Lu Xiaoguo got off the car first, then led the children down one by one and handed them over to the teachers of each class.
"Good morning, babies!"
The teachers greeted them warmly, and the kids responded with soft voices in return.
"Everyone is here. There's a new student in the Lotus class and two in the Tai Chi class. Please pay more attention to them." After instructing his colleagues, Lu Xiaoguo returned to the car to check if any children had forgotten their backpacks or anything like that.
really.
She picked up two cloth bags that were forgotten on the seat and said to Li Yang, "Master Li, Teacher Liang should have prepared breakfast by now. You can go back and eat and take a nap. I have to go to work first." Then she ran out of the car and let the careless child claim the bag.
The playground was a mess. While playing games to warm up, their mouths were also busy.
A young monk looked around at the teachers, as if looking for someone: "Why doesn't the head teacher come out to welcome us?"
Xiao Daoxiu next to him said: "Did you get stupid during the summer vacation? You have seen Chengyun Mountain at three in the morning, but have you ever seen the head teacher at eight in the morning?"
Next to the slide, the little girls put their heads close together.
"I think the new driver is really good-looking."
"It's better than the latest episode of Prince Starlight." Xiao Zhixuan also said. Prince Starlight is the protagonist of a children's cartoon.
"I haven't seen it yet... our WiFi signal is too bad..." One of the girls looked envious.
"It's okay, come to our Taoist temple to play on the weekend."
The children were talking at once, and the topics of their conversations were all kinds of wild, but many of them mentioned Li Yang.
The head teacher of the Lotus class was a little curious, so he called his most trusted monitor and asked him about it.
The little monk pondered for a while and said, "That brother seems to have something."
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