Chapter 116 I vowed to learn Chen Er's magic
Mr. Chen's original name was Chen Lie, the second of his cousins. He was also known as Chen Er. His family had been running a small business on the street for generations, and they lived a simple life. When Chen Er was born, he was very small, like a mouse. Even as a child, he was small, earning him the nickname Chen Lao Shu.
It doesn't mean that if you are not good-looking you will have no future. Human beings evolved from barbarism. When productivity was underdeveloped, they had to catch prey. Therefore, a tall and strong man is a kind of strength and beauty and is respected.
When Chen Er was old enough to understand, he understood that this five-inch bark figure was a sign of humiliation. He had done nothing wrong, but people just laughed at him for no reason.
Chen Er couldn't stand insults. Whenever he got into a fight, he was always defeated and often ended up with a bloody head. Chen Er's parents would take him to the family of the person who had assaulted him to complain. Some would respond, others wouldn't. This led to Chen Er's parents constantly arguing with other families.
When Chen Er was fifteen or sixteen, filled with hatred, he ran away from home one day. His parents searched everywhere for him, but to no avail. They consulted a diviner to calculate his fate. The diviner predicted that he would not only be alive, but would also return with a wife. His family was left to decide whether to believe him or not. They could do nothing but let him go.
Ten years later, Chen Er returned, bringing with him a beautiful wife who stunned everyone on the street. They thought it was incredible. Chen Er was unattractive, but the woman had bright eyes, white teeth, a slender figure, and a pair of eyes that spoke volumes, and when she looked at people, she was full of radiance.
After leaving home, Chen Er traveled to another province and encountered a circus troupe. He loved watching it, and every day he followed the troupe around the village, helping to move things. The troupe leader, noticing Chen Er's agility and distinctive stature, took him in.
The troupe leader had his own ideas and taught Chen Er a few magic tricks. Chen Er was very quick to learn and could do anything he was taught. The troupe leader told the announcer to say, "Now, let's welcome this amazing man. He could talk at six months old, walk at one, started primary school at four, could ride a bicycle at five, and is now seven years old. He is an excellent magician."
When Chen Er appeared, everyone was startled. They wondered how old he was. He was definitely over seven, but unlike Zhu Ru, who had a large head and a disproportionate body, Chen Er was normal-looking, so his entrance served only to warm up the crowd. After the exclamations, everyone watched the performance with wide eyes.
The effect was exceptional. Chen Er's antics were hilarious, and his tricks were agile and eye-catching. Therefore, everyone in the group liked Chen Er.
This circus is bound to have some high-flying acrobats, and people dancing with guns and sticks, so the troupe leader has a unique skill, which is commonly known as "retreat water", which means he can set broken bones. The formal name of the hospital is orthopedics.
The regiment leader not only treated the members, but also treated the injured wherever he went. Chen Er would help him. After a while, Chen Er even became proficient in setting bones.
The team leader said Chen Er was simply a genius.
People came and went in the circus, and after seven or eight years, only four or five of the original troupe members remained. The rest were newcomers. Chen Er became the mainstay, mastering the troupe's full range of skills. He became an all-round talent.
Following the circus, Chen Er learned a lot of "spells".
One day, Chen Er said goodbye to the regiment commander, who was reluctant to let him go, but Chen Er insisted on leaving.
The team leader shed tears and asked: What will happen to this team after you leave?
Chen Er said, "Master, this street-to-street show is becoming less and less popular, and you're having trouble recruiting actors. How about this, we part ways now? I'll learn your secret trick to keep the water out, and I'll have no shortage of business back home. You can go back home and specialize in treating bone injuries and snake bites, and you'll have even less to worry about."
The team leader said: You need a medical license to practice medicine.
Chen Er said: "Hire a retired doctor to work in the clinic, and you will be the assistant. Actually, people come here just for your fame."
The team leader said: You have a lot of clever ideas, and what you said makes sense. Since you want to go home and open a shop, I haven't taught you all the bone-setting techniques since you haven't become my disciple...
Chen Er bowed on the spot and said, "Master, I bow today and wish to be your disciple in this life. I hope you will teach me the whole method. We will never forget each other."
The leader was kind-hearted, and remembering his meritorious service over the past ten years, he said, "I will give you another magic trick. But don't play with it lightly."
Chen Er received the prescription and a "magic trick" and said goodbye to the troupe leader. The next day, another actress, Pingping, resigned from the troupe. The troupe leader shook his head and told everyone: "This troupe has to disband." In fact, it was Pingping who suggested Chen Er resign.
The two eloped back to Wuxiang.
When Chen Er returned to Shangjie, he actually opened a small hospital specializing in treating bone injuries and snake bites. He hired a retired doctor to sit in on the clinic, but he was actually the one who ran the business.
At this point, I interjected, "Hire a doctor. That's... interesting."
Master said, "Some good things are just missing a legal cloak; some bad things are just extra legal cloaks."
I was delighted and said, "Master, please slow down. I'll find a pen. Your words are so profound. I need to write them down."
The master repeated it.
I asked, "So Chen Er has turned things around?"
The master laughed and said, "He's turned over a lot, and his bone-setting hospital is too busy to handle it. He's made a lot of money, but he doesn't talk much to people. He only talks to me."
I asked, “Why?”
The master sighed, "I'm an outsider who came here to establish myself. I was bullied at first. He's been bullied since he was a child. People with similar experiences tend to become friends more easily."
The master took a sip of tea and continued:
Chen Er was famous and rich, but he had a rule: he would not treat anyone who had bullied him. Whether it was a snake bite or a broken bone, Chen Er would not go if he was asked to treat them.
My mouth opened wide, and after a long while I said, "This is not in line with the traditional virtues of our Chinese nation."
The master burst out laughing: "Wan Shanhong, do you think our traditional virtues are all correct?"
I was stunned for a moment: "Do you think this is right?"
Master didn't answer me directly. Instead, he said, "Confucian culture advocates repaying evil with virtue." If someone scolded you, hit you, or hurt you in the past, you should forget it. But in the future, you should still love, help, and support them. Is that right?
I stopped in time and did not debate with my master.
Master continued to tell the story of Chen Er.
Chen Er cured people's injuries and made money, but some people accused him of being hateful and vicious, and that he was a person without virtue.
They united and sued Chen Er for practicing medicine without a license. Originally, it would have been fine if they hadn't sued him, but once they did, it worked. Although there was a doctor on duty, Chen Er was, after all, setting the bones himself.
I said, "Chen Er, go get a certificate."
My master stared at me and said, "You're talking without a backache. How could he study when he was bullied every day? Later, he joined a circus troupe and returned all the books he did learn to his teacher. You wanted him to read 'Golden Chamber Essentials' and 'Treatise on Febrile Diseases'? You might as well kill him. So, without his ID, he couldn't practice medicine anymore and had to run away from home again."
I hurriedly asked, "What did he do?"
The master laughed and said, "He's not a doctor, but he's got a lot of tricks up his sleeve. I heard he can even do the 'movement trick.' He took his wife and went out to live out his life, even buying property out there. His two daughters were admitted to university. But last year, his health kept failing, getting worse day by day. Fearing he'd die out there, he decided to return home to retire."
As for what the master said next, I didn't hear it all.
I am only interested in Chen Er's "moving skills".
For example: I want a bottle of wine, so I cover the table with a cloth. When I lift the cloth, the wine appears. I want a table of food, so I cover the table with a cloth. When I lift the cloth, the hot food appears in front of everyone.
My heart was pounding.
Does Chen Er really know this?
If so, I must...
"It's time for dinner." Aunt Chen came in and said.
The master had already stood up, and I stayed there until Aunt Chen said it for the second time, and then I woke up from my dream.
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