blueteamnovel Chapter 51 Old Friends
Chapter 51 Old Friends
As winter grows colder and the world becomes vast and desolate, only the wheat seedlings in the fields remain lush and green.
The old dragon pool is almost dry, with only a puddle remaining, the edges of which are covered with a thin layer of ice.
When I got home and opened the door, I saw that there wasn't a single jujube tree leaf in the yard. Although the tables and chairs in the room were broken, they were clean and tidy.
When I left last time, Qingyu said that the house couldn't be left uninhabited for too long, otherwise it would fall into disrepair quickly. So she asked for the key and said she would come to clean it from time to time.
Meng Chen looked around and then took the things he bought to the shop next door.
The donkey wasn't home, only a few hens clucking, so Meng Chen pushed open the door to the east wing.
Old Chen's main room was an adobe house, while the east wing was a brick house.
According to Old Chen, the east wing has been there for over sixty years. It was originally built for his child, but his wife died along with their unborn child, so it has been vacant ever since. Later, when he raised grass carp, he let the grass carp live in it.
The small room was spotless, complete with tables, chairs, and benches, and the wardrobe was a new one that Old Chen had specially made for Qingyu.
A rope hangs down from the roof beam, with an iron kettle hanging from it and an earthenware pot and charcoal brazier below.
Qingyu was sitting in front of the charcoal brazier weaving straw sandals. She was wearing an indigo-blue jacket and had her hair tied in pigtails, dressed like a village girl.
"When did you get back?"
Qingyu looked up and saw it was Meng Chen, so she quickly stood up. "Why are you dressed so lightly? Aren't you cold?"
She stepped forward and grabbed Meng Chen's arm. Seeing that he was only wearing an inner lining under his green robe, she quickly pulled Meng Chen into the house, made him sit in front of the charcoal brazier to warm himself, draped a quilt over him, and poured a bowl of hot water from the iron kettle.
"Where's your grandfather?" Meng Chen asked while drinking hot water.
"He rode off on a donkey, and I don't know where he went." Qingyu was busy with other things, so she went outside to collect firewood and started a big fire.
Old Chen, relying on his still-good health, is never home except during the busy farming season. He rides his donkey aimlessly all day, sometimes not even coming home for meals.
"It's freezing cold, what if they fall and get hurt?" Meng Chen's concern was justified. In the countryside, winter is the season when the elderly are most prone to accidents.
"If I say something to him, he gets annoyed with me. I want to come along, but he won't let me." Qingyu was carrying a fire poker and firewood.
"I'll try to talk to him when he gets back." Meng Chen took out some newly bought snacks for her and asked if anything had happened in the village recently.
Qingyu rambled on for a long time, mostly about trivial matters, but she was lively and talked about even the smallest things with great interest.
The two chatted until noon, but Old Chen still hadn't returned, so Meng Chen picked up his load and took Qingyu to town to play.
Upon arrival, they first drank a bowl of mutton soup to warm themselves up, then bought some charcoal and three sheepskin hats, and finally found Qi Yun's meat stall and bought five catties of pork and five catties of pork fat.
Meng Chen had previously brought clothes for Qi Yun, which is how he got to know Qi Yun's father. Since the father knew that Meng Chen was Qi Yun's good friend, he gave him a pair of pig tails as a gift.
When I got home, dinner was just ready, and Old Chen came back as soon as he smelled it.
"Have you mastered it yet? Can you beat Yan Long?" Old Chen asked again.
Meng Chen shook his head.
"What about his son?" Old Chen pressed.
Meng Chen shook his head again.
Old Chen shook his head and said, "You seem like a very clever child, so why are you so slow at learning things?"
"Grandpa, you can't get fat overnight!" Qingyu poured Old Chen a bowl of wine. "The wheat still needs to be harvested acre by acre! My brother bought you a hat! Put it on quickly!"
The three chatted for a long time, and after dinner, Meng Chen reminded Old Chen and Qingyu to burn charcoal for warmth that night and not to use the firewood they had collected.
In the harsh winter, farmers have little to do and mostly stay at home or gather together to chat idly.
Two days later, Meng Chen saw that Qingyu spent all her time listening to the old woman's nonsense and learning all sorts of rubbish, so he kept her at home and taught her to read and write.
But reading books is nowhere near as interesting as listening to old women ramble on. Qingyu only studied for half a day before giving up, saying it would interfere with her shoe-making. Meng Chen held her down, said some harsh words, and then allowed her to listen to the lesson while making shoe soles, which finally persuaded her to stop.
However, this girl is very clever; she learns quickly with just a little instruction, so she really didn't delay her shoe-making skills.
Several more days passed, and it was already late December, with the Lunar New Year drawing ever closer.
While I was teaching Qingyu to read at home, the village headman came and said that the village was holding a temple fair this year and wanted Qingyu to play the role of a goddess.
Every year, the village holds a temple fair to thank the gods and pray for a bountiful harvest in the coming year. As for this goddess, she was the ninth disciple of the Taoist patriarch, who once summoned sweet rain and dew to nourish the four directions.
"Er Ya played the role the year before last, but she got married this year!" The village head spread his hands. "Our village is already small, and there are only five people of suitable age. I think Qingyu is the best!"
"Yu Yatou is definitely the best!" Old Chen immediately agreed. "Those four are all ugly and deformed, not as upright as Qingyu! If we let them play the goddess, the Dao Ancestor would be furious! She's not married yet, and she's never secretly slept with anyone, so she's the most suitable to play the goddess!"
"That makes sense." Meng Chen agreed with this statement.
"Grandpa..." Qingyu blushed.
With the matter settled, Qingyu was restless and begged Mengchen to go to Caiyun Temple again.
The Caiyun Temple is located on Longtou Mountain, about five or six miles west of Qingshui County. It enshrines the ninth disciple of the Taoist Ancestor, who is also known as the Goddess.
Caiyun Temple is known for its efficacious prayers, making it a popular place for people in Qingshui County to seek blessings.
Meng Chen had been there since he was a child. He had also gone there recently when he was seeking immortality and the Dao, but he did not gain anything.
Now that Qingyu wanted to go, Meng Chen didn't want to spoil her fun, so he took Old Chen with him, and the three of them boarded a donkey cart and set off immediately.
Upon arriving at the destination, they found a stage set up for a performance. Old Chen wanted to watch a play, so Meng Chen took Qingyu up the mountain to the temple.
Upon arriving at Caiyun Temple halfway up the mountain, the two offered incense, and Qingyu respectfully kowtowed, showing great piety.
Meng Chen, with his hands behind his back, was studying the mottled colored pictures on the wall, carefully identifying the deeds of the ninth disciple of the Dao Ancestor, when he caught a glimpse of an acquaintance out of the corner of his eye.
"Sister-in-law?" Meng Chen immediately stepped forward.
This person was none other than Madam Di. She was dressed in plain clothes, her face was haggard, and there were no maids beside her, nor was there any sign of the West Garden.
Upon seeing that it was Meng Chen, Madam Di forced a wry smile and said, "It's you. How have you been?"
"So-so." Meng Chen noticed tear tracks in her eyes and asked, "Is your wife still worried about the Yan family?"
Di's eyes reddened again. She nodded slightly but did not speak.
"Sister-in-law, since he's determined to take it, why don't we just give it to him for now? When I... when I'm capable enough, I'll definitely help you get it back." Meng Chen's food, clothing, and even the money for tuition and New Year's goods are all provided by Madam Di, and she has always kept this kindness in her heart.
We can't afford to offend Yan Zhao now, but that doesn't mean we can't afford to offend him in the future. As long as we wait and persevere, we'll eventually get our revenge.
Meng Chen knew that it was wrong to advise people to endure humiliation, but nowadays, there really was no other way but to endure.
"You were introduced by Brother Li. He's a good person, so you must be a good person too." Seeing Meng Chen's sincerity, Madam Di said, "I know your good intentions, but I've already found a way to deal with the Yan family."
She pointed behind Meng Chen and said, "You are still young and have a bright future ahead of you. Don't get involved with someone as unlucky as me."
After speaking, Lady Di stepped forward and went to the back of the main hall.
"Brother..." Qingyu walked up to Meng Chen and tugged at his sleeve, "Why does she look like Yan Hu's wife?"
"That's her." Meng Chen lost interest in sightseeing, patted Qingyu's head, and said, "Let's go home."
They went down the mountain to find Old Chen and watched a play with him for a long time. It wasn't until halfway through the afternoon that the three of them headed home.
It was nearly evening when they got home. Qingyu quickly went to cook, but Mengchen felt completely exhausted.
That's just how the world is. When you're powerless, you can't even repay a small favor. But once you have power, things can change drastically.
Now, martial arts have made no progress whatsoever, and the path to profound cultivation remains elusive.
The world was vast and boundless, and I had no idea which way to go.
Feeling agitated, Meng Chen went back to his home, retrieved his knife, and began practicing the Gale Blade Technique under the jujube tree.
Before long, it was dark, and the north wind was howling. The chickens that usually perched on the tree branches obediently went into their coop.
"Excellent swordsmanship! But there's a murderous aura in the blade, as if there's some injustice at play." Suddenly, someone shouted in praise; it was a man.
Meng Chen stopped and saw a person standing outside the door. The person was wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat and coarse linen clothes, and his appearance and age were indiscernible.
As soon as the man spoke, the donkey brayed. Qingyu, who was busy in the kitchen, quickly came out and, without leaving the yard, stepped onto the chicken coop to look into Meng Chen's yard.
"Don't you recognize an old friend?" the man laughed loudly.
Only then did Meng Chen realize that the voice sounded somewhat familiar, so he asked, "Brother Gong?"
"Junior brother, how have you been?" The man took off his bamboo hat, revealing himself to be Gong Ziming.
However, he was smiling, no longer displaying the gloomy and stubborn feeling of the past, but instead exuding a sense of triumph and self-satisfaction as if he had created a new world.
"Qingyu, go and fetch your grandfather's wine." Meng Chen sheathed his sword.
"Okay!" Qingyu quickly agreed and hurried to get the wine jar.
"Leave some for me, don't send them all away!" Old Chen quickly came to stop him.
Qingyu, being a dutiful daughter, quickly fetched the wine gourd and poured wine into it, not forgetting to ask Old Chen, "Grandpa, people say my brother has a murderous aura in his knife, is that true? I can't see it."
"What murderous aura? It can't even scare a chicken, let alone murderous aura. I think it's just..." Old Chen was about to say more, but seeing that Qingyu wasn't pouring the wine into the gourd, he stopped talking.