Walking gently on the boardwalk, the wooden planks under your feet creaked. The more you wanted to be quiet, the more obvious the sound of the wood shaking became. Later, every step I took was like thunder.
When he reached the end, Tang Zhao discovered that Xue Xianyun was not sitting on the plank road, but on a large bluestone.
This piece of bluestone is right at the entrance of Gongyu Hall. It is usually submerged in the swamp water most of the time. At this time, the water receded a little, revealing the stone body. The clear water scratched the stone wall in waves, but it took away or left some behind. Moss makes the boulders smoother.
Tang Zhao stopped behind Xue Xianyun, lucked out, and shouted out the words he had prepared.
"A Zhao? Come here."
At this time, Xue Xianyun, whose back was turned to him, spoke first.
Tang Zhao was relieved all of a sudden and just said: "Yeah."
Walking to Xue Xianyun, Tang Zhao found a place to sit down. This was not difficult. The bluestone had been worn away by years of erosion. There were slightly concave surfaces everywhere. It was very smooth when sitting on it. Just be careful not to slip in. in the water.
"This stone was here when I first came to the edge of the swamp."
Tang Zhao was startled when he saw Xue Xianyun stroking the stone with a very gentle expression. Since the first time he met Xue Xianyun, he had never seen this angry old man with such a gentle expression.
"It was still early in the morning when we came that day. The sun was not dazzling. There were no ripples on the water. It was green, the same color as the sky. We couldn't see the shadow of the stones at all. We looked at the water there until we saw the tide falling. Show me this big rock."
Tang Zhao listened and knew that besides Xue Xianyun, there should be another person among us.
"At that time, I pointed to the big stone and said to Chun Qing: 'Stone, look at the color of this stone. It must have been standing here for thousands, tens of thousands of years, and it feels moister than jade.'"
"Well, he was there at that time. He was still a child of seven or eight years old. He had a dull personality and didn't like to talk, so I called him Shitou. He was stepping on the water and touching the stone, and he felt slippery and comfortable. , he touched it for a long time and suddenly said: 'Unfortunately, no matter how smooth it feels, it is still a stone, not jade.'"
"I picked him up, sat on the stone, and said to him: 'Isn't the stone bad? Look at this stone, no matter how the water washes away, it will always stand here. It will never move for thousands of years. When the water falls, the stone will come out." And those jade stones were washed away, drifting with the current, and disappeared to nowhere. How can they be compared with the mainstay?'"
"I have always known that Shitou is a very thoughtful kid, and his progress has been slow since he learned the talismans from me. Although he is very serious and works hard, he can never keep up with the progress. Although I hide it, he is actually a bad-tempered person, and sometimes he is patient. His impatience showed up to him, and he has always been resentful about it. In fact, although I like jade, what I value most is a stone."
"At that time, I pointed at this piece of bluestone and said: 'Look at the color of this stone, which is as pure as Qingming. I will name you 'Pure Blue'. In the future, your mind will be as broad as the blue sky, and your temperament will be as tough as a rock." , the skills of the talisman are as perfect as those in the past. No matter how hard it is, the wind, frost, thunder and lightning, the hardships are just passing clouds to sharpen you. Sooner or later, the rock will be more glorious than jade and become a great weapon.'"
Tang Zhao said softly: "Beside the river, the rough stone has no luster. It has been honed for thousands of years, and it is gentle and smooth."
Xue Xianyun nodded lightly and said, "Is this what is said in the book again? It's well said. It can be seen that the principles of ancient and modern times are always connected."
"The two of us built a jade-carving villa next to a big rock. I called my workshop the 'Jade Gathering Hall', which comes from the saying that 'stones from other mountains can be used to jade'. No matter how many jade pieces I have to carve in the future, I It is just a stubborn stone that attacks jade. And the person who inherits my art must be another stubborn stone."
"Later, I accepted another disciple, the little bastard Zhong Nan. He was really naughty. I spent a lot of effort to discipline him, but Chunqing didn't worry me so much. After that, I accepted him one after another. I had other disciples. I also had a wife and Ye Yu. Later, my wife left me, leaving us, father and daughter. I tried my best to take care of my daughter, but I still couldn’t avoid being rough and rude, and Chunqing was so The child helps me. He is attentive and patient. He can take care of the little girl and play with her. He is probably closer to Yeyu than me. He is said to be both father and mother, but in fact I am at most half a father. , Chunqing has shouldered the remaining responsibilities for me."
"I have more and more disciples, and he has done more and more for me. This Zhuoyu Villa belongs to me, rather than to both of us. I often think that when I become a swordsmith, maybe Wouldn't it be nice to be a hands-off shopkeeper and concentrate on studying? I can rest assured that Zhuoyu Villa will be handed over to Chunqing for such a big business."
"such a pity……"
Tang Zhao listened quietly. On the vast water, only Xue Xianyun was sighing. It seemed that the words he had prepared would never have a chance to be spoken.
"I have been thinking these past few days, why did it become like this? When did it go wrong? Did I take in too many disciples? There are too many disciples, too many things, and he is too busy. As for being tired of it? Or am I focusing on young people and being indifferent to them? Or is it that my two young apprentices are so outstanding that a few years have surpassed his decades of accumulation, and he has finally lost his psychological balance? "
Tang Zhao moved his lips, but finally said nothing. After all, Xue Xianyun mentioned himself, so it was not easy for him to speak.
You can’t just say: “It seems that there are all of them.” Right?
Before he could speak, Xue Xianyun had already said: "I thought about it for days and nights, but I didn't come up with an answer, but suddenly I understood. Even I can think of several reasons for him to be discouraged. Can he not think about it in his heart? Sad? But these are the things I reflected on after the fact. I had never realized it before, never paid attention to it, let alone made changes and adjustments. It can be seen that there are indeed many things that I did not do well. The funny thing is, Except for me, no one at the top or bottom has thought of his injustice, but only you, who is the most unfamiliar with him, has seen it."
This is why Tang Zhao told Xue Xianyun about Shi Chunqing's suspicion before he left, which caused a conflict between them - you said Shi Chunqing might have rebelled, what was his motive?
Tang Zhao came late and was unfamiliar with Shi Chunqing. This was exactly why he could see that Shi Chunqing was unhappy. Because he was only half a bystander, Shi Chunqing's dissatisfaction had already accumulated deeply when he arrived, and it became clear to him when he looked at her coldly. But others can't understand it, and the closer they are, the more incredible it is. That was because they spent a long time with Shi Chunqing. They only felt the eldest brother's hard work and dedication, but could not see his thoughts sinking a little bit.
Just like Xue Xianyun's filial piety to Tang Zhao at that time - will Shi Chunqing betray Zhuoyu Villa? Even if your kid rebels, he won't do it!
There is no reason. He is my disciple. Why would he betray me? After a few years, won’t all my family’s assets be his in the future?
Of course, when he calmed down later, it wasn't like he didn't do anything. Just in case, Xue Xianyun made a sideways investigation on Shi Chunqing.
The results of the investigation... there seems to be a problem, but there seems to be no problem.
There is no way, it cannot be said that Xue Xianyun is cunning because of his long life and profound knowledge. In fact, he has spent most of his life in seclusion and research. After becoming a leading talisman sword master and a preparatory swordsmith, there are also people around him. There is no fight. Inside are his own disciples who are in awe of him. Outside are people who are begging for him and flattering him. He hears all good things and is praised for everything he does. After raising him for so many years, what can he achieve? Scheming tactics?
As for suspects being ignored, and being suspected to be ignored or even eliminated, that is what only heroes do. This word is further away from Xue Xianyun than "elegant and easy-going" is from him. Shi Chunqing was closer than his own son, and Xue Xianyun was unable to make any decisions for a while.
So in the end Xue Xianyun only came up with the idea of taking away and hiding his sword-making materials, which were the most cherished things besides his eldest apprentice and daughter.
Facts have proved that this trick is of no use, and Shi Chunqing still tossed them all away.
"If he had kept the sword-making materials, then I wouldn't be so sad. The materials are all personal belongings. I would just separate from him. He is not good at studying, and the magic tools he makes may not be sold. I You can't make much money when you go out to make a living, so you should get a little more." Xue Xianyun sighed with emotion.
"But, he actually took away the materials I needed to make the sword. He really hates me and wishes I was dead."
Xue Xianyun stared at the water, his eyes already filled with bloodshot eyes: "Even now, I still can't figure it out, how could he hate me to the point where he hates me to death?"
Tang Zhao said softly: "Maybe it's not hate."
Xue Xianyun turned back and stared at him.
Tang Zhao did not continue this topic. In fact, he could express this judgment, but he hesitated but did not say it. He was the person who knew Shi Chunqing best in the villa before, and he is the same now.
Moreover, before, it was because of his delicate mind that he could see the depression in Shi Chunqing's heart, but now, it is because Shi Chunqing confessed her thoughts to him.
Yes, Shi Chunqing finally returned the owl that Xue Yeyu gave him to Tang Zhao, and at the same time, he directly confessed his thoughts. This may be a recognition and reward for Tang Zhao's previous understanding and retention.
The couplets they exchanged back and forth with fourteen characters each were old words, but they had said enough.
"The edge of a sword comes from sharpening, and the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter cold."
——Master always values you the most, and he has devoted the most to you. What you can get in the future will be the most, and happiness will come after suffering is over.
“Ten years of hard work, no one asks, and you become famous all over the world in one fell swoop.”
——My previous life was not what I wanted, and I don’t care about my future gains. Master’s sincerity is even less meaningful. What I do now is what I want to do.
This is not an impulsive escape, but a rational choice. He makes a thoughtful decision based on his personal future, analyzing the pros and cons, so he must maximize his interests and get everything he can get. Xue Xianyun's tangled grudge of "I'm sorry, I'm sorry" may not be that important to Shi Chunqing.
Or it may have been important before, but after a certain point, it is no longer important. Shi Chunqing no longer thinks about this.
This was the reason why Tang Zhao was furious. Shi Chunqing had completely abandoned the things he cherished from the beginning, and his efforts were meaningless to Shi Chunqing.
The so-called Taoism is different and there is no mutual conspiracy.
He couldn't explain it to his master, and he didn't want to deal another heavy blow to his lost mentor.
He spoke loudly to Jiang Shenyi and said something to make the master happy because he had other important things to say, not to analyze Shi Chunqing's thoughts.
At this time, he regained his composure, took Xue Xianyun's hand, and said loudly: "Master, let's continue to forge swords!"
