A few days later, in the early morning, in a quiet alley in Tianlong City, Zheng Feng and Alice walked slowly on the bluestone floor. He walked very slowly, very slowly...
His eyes were quietly observing everything around him. More than three years had passed, and this alley was still as quiet as before. Far from the prosperity of the imperial capital, there had been no obvious changes.
Alice had been holding Zheng Feng's little hand, and now she slightly increased her strength. She seemed a little nervous. She asked worriedly: "Brother, Alice is a little scared. What if Grandpa Fan doesn't like Alice?"
manage?"
"Little girl, don't think too much. My adoptive father is a very peaceful man. As long as you don't do any strange things, he won't hate you." Zheng Feng said helplessly. He almost forgot these words.
This is the first time I have explained this to the little girl.
"Brother, what is a strange behavior?" the little girl asked.
It was this question again. Zheng Feng felt a dull pain in his temples. He smiled bitterly and said: "Don't say strange things, don't ask strange questions. If you don't know anything, don't say or do anything. Just pretend to be a quiet and good boy. This
You will, right?"
"Oh..." the little girl responded obediently, pretending to be a good child, she can do this!
Passing by the bluestone alley, the exit suddenly opened up, revealing a solemn mansion. The majestic stone door was engraved with a scene of dancing spirit beasts. The door knocker had not been changed at all. It was still the original red lacquered gold nail and copper ring.
There is a wooden plaque quietly placed above the stone gate, with the word "Fan Mansion" written in vigorous and powerful calligraphy.
On both sides of the stone gate, there are two lifelike stone lions standing majestically, one on the left and one on the right, staring in disbelief.
The lifelike stone lions startled the little girl, and she patted her chest before calming down. This was the first time she saw such an ancient and mellow mansion.
In her understanding, the people who lived in such a place must be very old-fashioned and harsh. She was always worried that she would be disliked by her elder brother's adoptive father.
Zheng Feng gently buttoned the door knocker, making a melodious sound. After a while, the stone door slowly opened, and a servant leaned out. When he saw Zheng Feng in front of the door, he immediately opened the door and said in surprise
: "Master, you are back."
More than three years have passed, and Zheng Feng has grown from a little boy who was less than thirteen years old when he left the house to a young man of sixteen years old now. The green pheasant on his face has completely disappeared, and his facial features are resolute and much calmer.
.
Although his appearance has changed greatly, the flowing silver hair behind him has not changed at all, so the servant recognized Zheng Feng immediately.
The adoptive father likes a quiet atmosphere, but he also attaches great importance to feelings and is very nostalgic. Everything in the house has remained the same for ten years, with few changes. Even if it is just a servant, he will not change it at will unless it is necessary.
"Yes." Zheng Feng nodded and led Alice into the mansion. After the servant closed the stone door, he asked: "Uncle Pei, is everything okay in the mansion?"
Pei Bo is an old servant in Fan Mansion. He was the one who opened the door for Xiao Xiu and Zheng Feng back then. Now after so many years, he still works in Fan Mansion. After Zheng Feng entered the mansion, he also visited the house many times.
received his care.
Pei Bo bowed slightly and said: "Young man, everything is fine in the house. It's just that not long after you left the house, the master resigned from his post in the court and stayed in the house to rest, but he would still be invited by His Majesty from time to time.
, let’s get together in the palace.”
With his adoptive father's advanced age, he should have resigned from his post long ago and retired to his old age. However, due to the war, as a veteran of the Tianlong Empire, he could not retire with peace of mind.
Later, the war subsided, and the heavy responsibilities on the adoptive father's shoulders were gradually relieved. After Zheng Feng entered the mansion, he was much more leisurely. Only when there were important matters that no one could make a judgment on, would he bother his adoptive father. Now he has completely cultivated his life, and it is also
Something to be expected.
The cornices, brackets, carved beams and painted buildings in Fan's Mansion are completely different from the architectural style outside. The little girl is now as hesitant as Zheng Feng who entered Fan's Mansion for the first time. She looks at everything around her curiously, but because she wants to pretend to be a good child, she never goes out.
Voice.
Walking on the corridor, Zheng Feng asked, "Uncle Pei, is my adoptive father practicing in the backyard at this time?"
Pei Bo smiled slightly and said: "Yes, my habits have not changed after training. I am doing my morning exercise at this time. It is rare that you still remember my habits, young master."
How could he forget everything about his adoptive father? It seemed that his adoptive father was still in good health, which made him feel at ease a lot.
"Master, do you want to return to visit and rest first, and wait for me to send a message to the master? Or should you go directly to see the master now?"
Zheng Feng waved his hand and said with a smile: "I can just go see my adoptive father by myself. Uncle Pei, you can go and do other things."
"I understand, Master, I will leave first. If necessary, Master can call me at any time." Pei Bo bowed and slowly retreated. From the moment he entered until now, he has not asked a single question about Alice.
.
He does not need to know who Alice is, he only needs to know that Alice was brought in by Zheng Feng, and that is enough. Every servant in the Fan Mansion has received professional training and knows his or her identity.
Zheng Feng was kind to these servants and called him 'Uncle Pei'. That was the young master's decision, but he would not really call himself uncle. They were always careful about what they should and should not do.
remember.
Alice sniffed her nose and asked, "Brother, there is a fragrance all around here. It's faint. Is it the fragrance of flowers?"
Zheng Feng shook his head. Although he could no longer smell the fragrance now, the memory of five years would not be forgotten so easily.
He explained with a smile: "It's not the fragrance of flowers, it's the fragrance of red sandalwood. The fragrance is emitted by burning red sandalwood. It has a pleasant fragrance and has the effect of focusing the mind. My adoptive father likes the smell of this kind of red sandalwood, so the house is filled with this smell."
Fragrance."
"Alice also likes this scent very much." The little girl said with a smile. After Pei Bo retreated, she turned around and turned back into the active little girl.
Zheng Feng smiled lightly and said: "I used to like it too..."
"Big Brother, don't you like it now?" the little girl asked in confusion. She thought this light fragrance was very pleasant.
Zheng Feng shook his head and did not answer.
In the past, he could smell it and say he liked it, but now, he could no longer ask about any smell, and how could he talk about whether he liked it or not. He just quietly led the little girl back and forth through the mansion.
The adoptive father likes to be quiet, so there are not many servants in the huge mansion. There are only a few wisps of sandalwood around, and no one is idle.
Since Pei Bo, Zheng Feng and Alice only met a few maids, nodded to them, saluted, and passed by in a hurry.
The Fan Mansion is huge, but there are not many servants, so each servant has his own work and cannot be lazy. Zheng Feng understands them, so he doesn't mind. He takes the little girl along the way and finally arrives at the backyard.
The backyard of Fan Mansion is not luxurious. There are no bright flowers, only a few calm boulders, sitting quietly on the edge of the pond.
It is a small pond with clear and green water. There are a few lotus flowers on the surface of the pond, scattered here and there for decoration.
Under the lotus leaves, there were faintly a few carps swimming leisurely and leisurely, peaceful and quiet.
On the edge of the pond, a white-haired old man was slowly making some strange movements. Alice's eyes were full of curiosity, but remembering her elder brother's explanation, she did not dare to say anything casually, for fear that she would ask.
Strange question.
The old man's movements were extremely slow, but very calm. Even if he stood upright on one leg, there was no trace of trembling.
Zheng Feng did not disturb him. He stood on the edge and waited quietly, as if he was returning to the leisurely days before...
Every morning, he stood in the backyard and watched his adoptive father perform this "Five Animals Play".
According to his adoptive father, "Five Animals Play" was a method of cultivating students taught to him by an old man when he was middle-aged.
The whole set of * movements is divided into five steps. Each step is to imitate a kind of soul beast. It is a method that is connected by imitating the movements of five soul beasts: tiger, deer, bear, ape and crane.
Because the five soul beasts are not related at all, the movements of the entire set of exercises look very strange to outsiders, with a sense of being uncivilized. At least, that was what he thought before leaving Fan Mansion.
...
[ps: Thanks to book friends ‘Wow sai_flying saucer’ and ‘Forever Keeping My Love’ for their rewards, and thanks to book friends ‘灬宁丶LUAN乄’ and ‘Juesha 1204’ for their monthly votes.
Tomorrow is the Ghost Festival on the 15th day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar. Haha, Mom has always said that Kanhua is a ghost boy since she was a child, because tomorrow is Kanhua’s birthday. I have a weak question, can I stop updating for one day? But I know, definitely not~
(＞＿＜)～
Looking for a birthday gift, just a red ticket. I hope book friends can place Taming the Beast on the red ticket list~]