The setting sun sets west, the mottled plants and trees among the mountains are even more eye-catching, and the bitter mountain wind and fallen leaves all over the ground show the bleakness of winter.

Taoist Bingzhen and his nephew Chengzong went down the mountain and returned to the Taoist temple for five days. The energetic Taoist Bingzhen entered the Sutra Library with a small bag. Chengzong arranged the oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, incense, candles, cloth and other items given by believers at the foot of the mountain. He politely sent the two porters away, and watched the porters disappear into the bend halfway up before returning to the sight.

The rice porridge in the backyard kitchen has been cooked, and the simple side dishes made of stone ears, bamboo shoots and bacon are hot in the bamboo steamer.

Chengzong nodded with satisfaction, took out a large bowl and two small butterflies after cleaning his hands, put some of them on each one, and delivered them to the uncle Master on a tray. When he entered the door, Chengzong said goodbye to the uncle Master and walked to the backyard monument. He found that it was empty inside. After thinking about it, he walked through the yard and walked out of the side door. After walking a few steps, he heard the familiar sound of the junior brother knocking on the bamboo bang.

In front of the stone ridge near the backyard wall, there is a sheep pen made of pine wood, stone slabs and thatch. Xiao Chengyuan beats the bamboo bulb with one hand and evenly sprinkles coarse salt into the food trough with the other hand. At this time of day, more than 20 sheep who have been wild on the mountain for a day run back to the sheep pen with the sound of bamboo bulbs.

"Senior brother is back!" Chengyuan shouted happily, threw down his short wooden stick and walked out of the bamboo fence, patted his little hand and ran towards Chengzong.

"I brought you a new cotton jacket and two pairs of shoes made by Grandma Liu in Huanggu Town." Chengzong smiled and stroked his junior brother's little head, looking at the back mountain dyed with golden rays: "How is Mr. Wu's health these days?"

Chengyuan briefly reported a few words and pointed to the towering ginkgo tree with a canopy-like appearance of more than a hundred meters to the west: "The sun is good these two days, and Brother Wu likes to stay there in the afternoon. He said the scenery there is good."

Chengzong was extremely familiar with the mountains and knew that there was a flat ground ten feet square under the century-old ginkgo tree. Under the red stone wall more than 30 feet behind the flat ground, there was a natural cave five feet deep and ten feet wide. Gurgling springs poured out from the cave and poured down to the cliff dozens of feet in front of the ginkgo tree. You can often see rainbows after the rain. In the good weather, sitting under the ginkgo tree can overlook the mountains and the villages at the foot of the mountain, bathing in the gentle wind, listening to the sound of flowing water and bamboo waves, is indeed a good place to enjoy the scenery.

Chengzong nodded secretly, slightly surprised at Wu Ming's recovery speed: "Can he walk under the tree by himself?"

"Yes! I came back from herding sheep the morning before yesterday. Brother Wu was able to walk to the sheep pen by himself. He asked me if I could go there? I said yes, but be careful that snakes would come out. He said that snakes would not come out in winter, so he was not afraid, so he went there with a cane. In the past two days, he learned to boil medicine and change the medicine. He didn't let me do anything. After breakfast, he drank the soup. He told me to go there and stayed until the sun was about to set before coming back." Chengyuan did not hide anything from his senior brother.

"Have he talked to you a lot these days?" Chengzong asked in a low voice, looking at Wu Ming who was already walking back slowly with a cane in front of him.

"I don't have much time during the day and talk more at night. Brother Wu is really strange. He can't even figure out the years of Guangxu and the Republic of China. He just silly counts the solar calendar with his fingers, haha! By the way, Brother Wu also knows the big ship. He said that going east is the sea. The sea is bigger than the earth. There are big ships on the sea that can hold tens of thousands of tons. I asked how big a ship that can hold tens of thousands of tons is? He said that it can hold tens of thousands of big bulls. I didn't believe it, so he laughed and said that what I will see in the future. He also told me that most of the big ships now burn coal, and rely on the steam engine on the ship to promote it. Brother, what is the steam engine?" The childish Chengyuan looked at his senior brother curiously.

"Steam engine? I don't know this, okay! It's late, I'll finish my work and have a meal, so let's talk about the others." Chengzong was a little embarrassed.

Chengyuan responded and saw the sheep that were eating bulgingly came back from the mountain one after another. He picked up a short wooden stick and beat the bamboo clapper again, urging the sheep into the circle.

In the setting sun, Wu Ming walked slowly along the curved mountain road. Chengzong, who was quietly watching, suddenly felt indescribable complex feelings in his heart. The words of the junior brother made Chengzong feel a little confused about Wu Ming who had learned about it in the past few days.

This time when he went down the mountain, Chengzong found out a lot of things. Wu Ming did not lie. In addition to not knowing why his name was not called Wu Shan Yazi but Wu Ming, he was indeed framed by Chen Jiyao, the mayor of Huanggu Town, and Chen Zhongkang, the second young master of the Chen family who returned from studying abroad. He was escorted to the county prison for the crime of bandits. The reason was that Wu Shan Yazi's mother had somehow sneaked into the Chen family compound that day when she went to the market half a month ago and was beaten and thrown out of the street by the Chen family's servants.

Wu Shan Yazi's mother cried loudly in the contempt of hundreds of villagers, and stumbled away from the town with her head. She didn't go far and was hit by a carriage driven by the Chen family butler. Her head broke and she couldn't do it on the spot. The elder in the village who came to the market with Wu Shan Yazi's mother wrapped the body with straw mats and hired a ox cart to take it back to Wujia Village. The next day, several villagers in the village helped to bury it together.

On the night when the deceased was buried, Wu Shanyizi, who had been obedient since childhood, actually picked up the hatchet and left Wujia Village alone. At midnight, he quietly entered the town, climbed over the wall and sneaked into the Chen family courtyard, and found that he was discovered by the patrol servants in front of the mayor Chen's bedroom. During the fight, Wu Shanyizi slapped his sword like a crazy person and injured three strong martial arts servants. In the end, he was outnumbered and subdued.

The noise was very loud that night, and several neighbors came out to help. The eldest wife of the Chen family and the second young master Chen who returned to their hometown to celebrate the festival were extremely angry. They immediately ordered the servants to kill Wu Shanyizi. Later, Mr. Chen, mayor Chen, was kind-hearted and issued strict orders to stop everyone. After dawn, the servants ordered the servants to directly send Wu Shanyizi to the county government for punishment.

As for how Wu Shanyao was charged with bandits later, and how he changed it to Wu Ming's name, no one knows the reason, and it seems that the uncle who learned the inside story did not say it.

There is something strange. Chengzong still doesn't know why after seeing Mayor Chen alone, his uncle no longer went to Wujia Village to ask about Wushan's life experience. Instead, he did a ritual for Mayor Chen's house in the town. He treated the patients in the town for two days, and then brought the things given to the believers and went straight back to the mountain.

During the few days of staying in Huanggu Town, Chengzong met Mayor Chen, his two wives, as well as the tall and arrogant younger brother, Butler Wang, who was the eldest wife. However, he did not see the second young master who returned from the Chen family's overseas study. He heard that he had already rushed back to Nanchang to work.

Despite this, Chengzong still learned a lot about the Chen family and knew that there was another eldest young master named Chen Bo'an in the Chen family. He went to Guangzhou to study at the Whampoa Military Academy six years ago and died in the battle during the Northern Expedition to Wuchang.

Chen Zhongkang, the second young master of the Chen family, returned from studying in Dongyang last year. He met noble people in Shanghai and was highly valued and worked in business in Shanghai. I heard that he was recommended by the Kuomintang veteran this time and transferred to Nanchang for office. His official position is not low.

Chengzong found that there were many confusions in the whole matter. According to the old man in the town, Wu Shan Yazi's mother was named Wu Juan. She was very beautiful and sensible when she was young, but for some reason, she got pregnant with Wu Shan Yazi without getting married at the age of sixteen. Until she died, no one knew who the wild man was who made her pregnant with the child.

For twenty-four years, Wu Shan Yazi's mother has been scolded, but she still lives stubbornly with her son, raising her weak and sickly son to adulthood. In order to treat her son and go to a private school in the village, she sold the only five acres of paddy fields in the family and borrowed a lot of debts from her clan members. For many years, she has gotten up early and worked late every day to farm pigs. She has paid off the debt half a year ago. She has never heard of her relationship with the Chen family. No one knows why this stubborn woman suddenly went to the Chen family and why she was beaten out by the Chen family. But no matter what, the Chen family's housekeeper did hit Wu Shan Yazi's mother to death, but she did not bear any responsibility, and there is no explanation yet.

Chengzong wanted to figure out this matter very much, but the villagers didn't know it, so there were many rumors circulating in secret. Some people said that Wu Shanzi was half a fool since he was a child. Bai had a tall body and had brute force, but his head was not easy to use. In this regard, it seemed that the uncle who knew about the matter had never spoken, and Chengzong was not easy to ask.

At this time, Chengzong saw Wu Ming gradually approaching bathing in the sunset, wearing an old long cotton robe, hanging his injured left arm, tall and evenly walking.

What surprised Chengzong secretly was that Wu Ming, who was getting closer and closer with a crutch, looked very different from ordinary people. He did not have the humble appearance of a country man. He had a calm expression on his thin face, a straight nose, long eyebrows, and clear eyes. He seemed to be gentle and kind. No matter how Chengzong looked at it, it would be difficult to meet the person in front of him and the desperate person who touched the Chen family courtyard with a machete and chopped six people.

"Just come back?" Wu Ming stood in front of Chengzong two steps, sweat beads oozing from his broad forehead, and a smile faintly hung on the corner of his tightly closed mouth.

Chengzong pointed at Wu Ming's injured arm and head: "How do you feel in the past two days?"

"It's much better. The wounds on your arms and head are a little itchy. You can move your five fingers, and the wounds on your head are fine." Wu Ming wanted to say thank you, but he felt that a light thank you meant nothing, so he had to bury your gratitude in his heart.

Chengzong nodded and looked at the tall ginkgo tree under the stone wall in the distance: "Which place do you like?"

Wu Ming looked back and said, "The springs there are clear and sweet, with wide shades of trees and green bamboos. Sitting under the ancient trees, you can see all the mountains and valleys. You didn't care about the mountains and rivers around you before. After carefully watching, you felt that you had overlooked many good things."

Chengzong looked at Wu Ming in surprise. Seeing the sincere smile on Wu Ming's face, he couldn't help but smile: "The layman's words are elegant and his mood is open. I believe he has read a lot of books, right?"

Wu Ming was stunned for a while, and soon smiled at Chengzong and said, "I can barely recognize words. But I heard from Master Chengyuan that Master Chengzong could recite the "Tao Te Ching" at the age of five, started to learn the "Hundred Grass Sutra" at the age of six, and started to practice martial arts at the age of seven. Compared to you, I am far inferior to you."

"This kid Chengyuan."

Chengzong felt a little embarrassed, so he stepped forward and helped him back with Wu Ming. While walking, he said with concern: "Your injuries have not been healed, especially the bones on your hands have not grown healed, so you can't walk too much."

"It's a labor!"

Since then, conversations between Chengzong and Wu Ming have gradually increased.

Taoist Bingzhen never went to the backyard to visit Wu Ming again, but never opposed Chengzong. The Chengyuan brothers were with Wu Ming, and did not interfere with Chengzong giving Wu Ming various books and old newspapers he had returned from the mountain to learn to learn literacy. Instead, he rarely ordered Chengzong:

"The Wu family boy has a pitiful life experience. He has no relatives and friends since he was a child. After he heard that he begged the man in the village to be beaten away by learning martial arts, he hid in the back mountain of his home all day and persisted foolishly for more than ten years. This perseverance is rare. If you have time, you can pass on his health skills to help his injuries recover as soon as possible and to eliminate his anger."

As the saying goes: One hundred days of injury. More than three months have passed in a blink of an eye, Wu Ming's injury has healed. He spent the Second Yuan Festival, Winter Solstice, New Year's Eve and New Year's Festival with Chengzong and Chengyuan. They are becoming more and more accustomed to their existence. Wu Ming still doesn't say much like when he first came, but he always has a faint smile on his face.

What impressed the brothers Chengzong was that Wu Ming had a strong pursuit of knowledge and surprising learning ability. He seemed to have endless questions and learned a lot without realizing it, including calligraphy, the interpretation of the highest Taoist classic "Tao Te Ching", Taoist history, Taoist rituals, etc. He also mastered Taoist body care techniques, and asked about the history and current situation of Shangrao and even the surrounding areas during his work.

What the Chengzong brothers don’t know is that Wu Ming, who looks calm and gentle on the outside, is extremely anxious and confused inside. Every day of the three months, Wu Ming spends a lot of emotion and anxiety. While studying tirelessly, he also has to think hard about his future.

With the careful care and careful teaching of Chengzong, Wu Ming made rapid progress in all aspects and mastered the key points of health care and breathing well. A few days ago, Chengzong pushed Wu Ming several times when he was instructing him. He found that Wu Ming, who had been standing in a stance for more than an hour every night, became more and more stable, had a root under his feet, and the original crooked brush calligraphy became much better.

Although Chengzong was deeply surprised by Wu Ming's amazing understanding and perseverance, Chengzong could see that Wu Ming, who was extremely intelligent, did "have not read many books" as he said. His handwriting was unsatisfactory. He practiced for nearly two months before he was considered to be a beginner. He only had a little spiritual form in the third month, and could barely get the eyes of Master Bingzhen's Taoist Master.

In this regard, the Taoist Bingzhen who heard Chengzong's reports every day was also deeply surprised. People like Wu Ming who started to study and practice formally at the age of 24 have made such rapid progress in the entire sect. It is no exaggeration to say that he is a super talent. It makes the Taoist Bingzhen, who has experienced a deep feeling in his heart. Although he has fully understood Wu Ming's background, he has deep sympathy for this young man with a good-looking gentle and polite appearance.

For some reason, after learning that Wu Ming's latest practice was advanced, the Taoist Bingzhen, who had weighed for a long time, told Chengzong: "Don't teach anything other than calligraphy and ordinary medical principles. So far, it depends on his own fortune in the future."

Chengzong agreed respectfully, but he was very puzzled. In the past three months, the relationship between him and Wu Ming has undergone subtle changes. Wu Ming's kindness, humble and hardworking character, and his unique charm naturally overflowed with every move have been completely recognized and accepted by Chengzong. Chengzong had more smiles on his face than ever before. Unconsciously, like his junior brother Chengyuan, he regarded Wu Ming as his brother.

Days passed day by day, just as Wu Ming solemnly considered his future, another important Taoist festival, Lantern Festival, is about to come.
Chapter completed!