After the last heavy rain in summer, Xiaobai once again completed his body tempering in a flash flood.
Li Ye and Xiao Bai lay under the cedar tree on Yaping, quietly looking at the mountain stream opposite in a daze.
Xiaobai squinted his eyes and stared at the sky blankly and said, "Why don't we just leave quietly without saying hello to Grandpa Ape and Grandpa Wolf? Will they be very angry?"
Li Ye looked at Xiaobai, who was still tired, and thought for a long time, with a lonely look on his light gray face.
He stretched out his hand and gestured in the sky, and said lightly: "We always have to say goodbye. Telling them will only increase the sadness."
"Brother, your face seems to have turned a bit paler recently. You don't need to wear a hat after going down the mountain, right?" Xiaobai looked at him and said seriously.
Li Ye frowned slightly, seeming to be thinking about something. After a while, he replied: "This will probably scare even my dad."
Xiaobai smiled and said: "Don't be afraid, at least my husband has seen you, he won't dislike you."
Li Ye glared at him and said, "That's how I like it. Anyone who doesn't like it should stay away from me."
"Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, do you want to ask Grandpa Ape and Grandpa Wolf to come over for a drink tonight?" Xiao Bai felt very uncomfortable when he thought of being separated from Old Wolf.
"If Senior Wolf comes down the mountain today, we will leave early tomorrow morning. Otherwise, we will postpone it for a day." Li Ye looked at him and said softly.
Xiaobai looked at him, nodded and said, "Let's cook a good meal for the two grandpas, so that when we think about it in the future, we won't be too sad."
Li Ye looked at him, smiled and said, "You should practice well with your husband and don't hold yourself back. Maybe we can see them again in a few decades."
Xiaobai nodded, got up from the recliner and said, "Would you like to ask Grandpa Ape to come over for tea?"
Li Ye got up, looked down at the cliff and said, "Go ahead, I'll make tea."
After saying that, he turned around and dragged the chair towards the wooden shed. Looking at the figure who was about to go down the cliff, he shouted: "Don't say anything about leaving."
"I'm going to invite him to drink. I won't say anything else." Xiaobai's voice came from under the cliff.
...
Li Ye remembered what his teacher said: In the hot summer, you need to drink hot tea to remove moisture.
So he was making tea, and carefully placed the melon seeds, flower seeds, and apricot blossoms on the small plate, and put them on the table with his hands.
It was as if they were preparing for a grand farewell tea party.
Li Ye was not mentally prepared for the separation he was about to face.
He just wanted to carefully cook a pot of tea for the old ape and the old wolf, roast the python meat well, make a pot of python bone and mushroom soup, and then quietly leave here with Xiaobai before dawn.
Don't make the old ape or the wolf sad.
Don't make yourself sad.
He lowered his head and looked at the ground under his feet. It was a large piece of natural bluestone. He didn't know which year or month it was formed into a complete piece of ground, without any gaps. He didn't know it was the miracle of Poxu Monk.
I looked up at the roof made of cedar bark and purple bamboo. This was a wooden shed built with a lot of effort and with the help of the old ape without the guidance of my husband.
Although it is extremely simple, it has protected myself from the wind and rain for a whole year.
I wonder if the wooden shed on the cliff will still be there when I come back? Maybe become riddled with holes?
It was extremely quiet in the wooden shed, with only the sound of water in the pot making the slightest sound.
Li Ye suddenly thought about leaving the tea leaves and the teapot. Maybe the two old men could come over and make a pot of tea and talk about life when they had nothing to do.
Hearing the heavy footsteps of Xiao Bai and Lao Yuan on the shore, Li Ye took the pot and poured it on the purple sand, then started to warm the pot, wash the tea, and wash the cups.
Before the old ape walked into the room, there were already three hot tea cups in front of Li Ye, exuding hot mist, and a faint aroma of tea spread everywhere.
The old ape's voice was a little dry. He sat opposite Li Ye and said with a smile: "My throat is feeling uncomfortable right now. I was thinking of having a cup of tea, so Xiaobai came over to invite me."
...
Xiao Bai, who was standing behind the old ape, frowned. Knowing that Li Ye wanted to say goodbye today, he whispered, "Do you want me to go up the mountain to invite Grandpa Wolf?"
The old ape raised his right hand and waved, asking Xiaobai to sit down next to him, and said: "I guess the old guy will come by himself. Let's drink tea first, and he will smell the smell of meat and come here to find some wine."
Xiao Bai didn't notice Lao Yuan talking to Li Ye, he was just thinking about going to play with Xiao Qing after going down the mountain.
The old ape patted his shoulder and said with a smile: "Have you practiced sword practice today? You can complete it within an hour now."
The expression on Xiaobai's face was a little ugly, and he replied after a long time: "It's... still a little bit worse."
The old ape laughed a few times, looked at him and shook his head.
Li Ye looked at Xiaobai's chatty look and explained for him with a smile: "Xiaobai is still very young and is about the same age as my Mu Mu. Don't put so much pressure on him now, and let him and Mu Mu slowly follow Mr. study."
Lao Yuan glanced at Li Ye and knew that he was covering up for Xiao Bai, so he said nothing more at the moment.
He touched Xiao Bai's head and said softly: "Practice is a long and arduous process. Your brother will study Buddhism with his master monk after he returns. It is estimated that he will not have the energy to care about your practice by then. You must learn to understand the various conditions in the world at the same time. , remember to practice seriously, you know?"
When Xiaobai heard this, he nodded heavily.
"Don't think that your current state is much higher than that of practitioners in the world. You must know that cultivation is like sailing against the current. If you don't move forward, you will hold your brother back. Then it will be useless for you to worry."
The old ape sighed softly, picked up the tea cup in front of him, and took a few sips.
Li Ye asked: "Have a drink tonight?"
Without waiting for the old ape to reply, Li Ye looked at Xiao Bai and said, "Go to the river to get a bucket of water and come back, and we'll make a pot of python bone mushroom soup in a while."
Xiaobai jumped down from the stool, looked at the old ape and said, "Grandpa Ape, I will have a drink with you tonight."
The old ape smiled and said: "Okay! As long as you are not afraid of getting drunk to death."
"I can sleep in the cave when I'm drunk." Xiaobai walked out of the shed carrying the bucket.
"See what you can do." The old ape laughed and scolded.
"I can have a drink with you, and then let my brother have a drink with you." As he spoke, Xiaobai had already run down Yaping.
"It's really good." When the old ape heard this, he laughed.
"He was so drunk after half a cup that he couldn't find his way around. How could he really drink a cup?" Li Ye smiled and gave the old ape more tea.
The old ape looked at him with a half-smile but said, "You two are really good at pretending."
The two exchanged a few words, and the atmosphere suddenly relaxed. Li Ye continued: "Do you think Senior Old Wolf will definitely come down the mountain?"
The old ape was angry and said in a calm voice: "You don't believe my intuition?"
Seeing the angry expression on the old ape's face, Li Ye couldn't help but laugh softly.
...
Even before night falls, the old wolf has arrived.
The old ape pointed to the broth boiling on the brazier and said: "I told him that people would come down to drink when they smell the aroma of meat. These two little guys just didn't believe what I said."
"I live a good life in the mountains. If I don't even know that there is wine and meat here, then I am living like an idiot!"
Old Lang sat down next to Li Ye, tapped the table gently, and picked up a piece of apricot blossom cake from the plate.
"Only when you have ideals can you pursue them. Only when you have pursuits can you have meat to eat and wine to drink in life. Old men without ideals will eventually become weeds in the autumn of Tianshan Mountain." Old Wolf continued without waiting for their reply.
Li Ye was startled and said, "Weeds?"
The old ape looked into Li Ye's eyes quietly, ignored the old wolf's unreasonableness, and said with a smile: "This old man scolded me, saying that I am an old thing with no ideals and no one to pursue, and I can only wait to do some work for the hillside opposite me one day." fertilizer."
Xiaobai covered his mouth in laughter, reached out and grabbed a handful of melon seeds and ate them quietly.
Li Ye lowered his head and opened the iron pot, stirred the broth, and felt a little lonely when he looked at the rising steam of the broth.
He took a breath quietly, and when he raised his head again, a bright sunshine appeared on his face.
Looking at the two old people, he said: "Xiaobai and I have been really grateful to the care of the two seniors for more than a year, but I can't repay it. It's really embarrassing to think about it."
The old wolf was stunned for a moment while holding the teacup, then stared and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Although Xiaobai is not my biological grandson, he is no different from his relatives, and the same goes for you, Mr. Xiaobai."
The old ape also nodded, his eyes a little moist.
He said with emotion: "We two old people have been cultivating on Tianshan Mountain for thousands of years, and this year has been the happiest time for us. We have meat, wine, and tea, and we can also listen to children every day." Sir, reciting scriptures, what else is there to be dissatisfied about?"
"I can watch this kid Xiaobai transform, and I have no regrets in my heart. Even if I and my two old men have to go to the top of the mountain to survive the disaster tomorrow, I will still be happy in my heart."
Old Wolf touched Xiao Bai's head, his face full of kindness.
Li Ye took out a small hand-sewn animal skin bag from his arms, placed it in front of the old ape, and said softly: "This is what Monk Poxu left behind. I still have some here. I'll give this to you two." senior."
"I guess it will be very inconvenient for you to go there after the disaster. I don't know what it will cost. But it seems to be worth some money, so you can just use it for self-defense."
The old ape opened the pouch with trembling hands and poured the contents into his palm. It turned out to be a small pile of red and green gems. His heart tightened at that moment: "This can't be done. These precious things of mine are very valuable in this world, or... You and Xiaobai keep the flowers."
The old wolf looked at the gem in the old ape's hand and nodded, agreeing with the old ape's opinion.
"Xiao Bai and I still have some. Besides, with my ability, I still have the ability to make money in this world. But when you go to a strange place for the first time, you must bring some valuables for self-defense. I have tried these things and they are very hard. They should not be It will shatter into ashes as it ascends."
Li Ye looked at the two old men with a smile.
Xiaobai stopped knocking melon seeds, took Old Wolf's hand and said, "Grandpa Wolf, just take it. My brother, I, and my sister at the foot of the mountain will make money on our own. I will work hard to earn more. I will support you when I go there." With you."
The old ape gently put the gem into the animal skin bag and tied it carefully. With tears in his eyes, he glanced at the old wolf.
He said with a smile: "Lao Lang and I met Mr. Xiao and Xiao Bai on Tianshan Mountain. I don't know how many lifetimes we have been blessed."
...
That night, the two worried old men were not drunk for the first time. I don't know if it was because of what Li Ye said before, or because they were sentimental about the upcoming separation.
After half an hour, the old ape and the old wolf waved and left early. The two of them muttered as they walked, not knowing what to say.
Xiaobai helped the old ape get off the shore. Li Ye sat quietly at the table, looking at the leftover soup and wine, feeling inexplicable sadness in his heart.
This kind of pain is more painful than when I said goodbye to my little sister, and the pain is deeper than when Mumu cried when she went down the mountain.
He secretly warned himself in his heart that if he walked in the world in the future, he would never be so affectionate, and in the end he would be scarred.
Thinking that before I grow up to be a teenager, I have to face separation again and again.
Xiaobai came back after seeing the old ape off, and sat down next to him with his head down listlessly, not knowing whether he was counting the lines on the stone slab or looking at the patterns on his own shoes.
Li Ye sighed softly, looked at Xiaobai and said, "Put away the dried meat hanging under the eaves later, and then pack up the things you want to take away. We will set off at dawn tomorrow morning. "
Xiaobai raised his head and replied feebly: "Okay, I'll do whatever you want."
"Leave the uneaten rice, some more mushrooms, all the dried meat except the python meat, all the wine, all the tea leaves, teapots, and stoves for boiling water, and all the herbs you and your seniors collected. The second half, we’ll take the rest.”
Li Ye thought for a while and explained it carefully to Xiaobai.
"Put your bamboo sword away by yourself. You have to continue practicing after you go down the mountain. I will pack my things by myself." Picking up the kettle and adding water, he wanted to make the last pot of tea and drink it slowly here.
Xiaobai looked at him and nodded.
...
At half past midnight the next day, Li Ye and Xiao Bai stood quietly on the cliff. They had carefully cleaned up the inside and outside of the cave last night.
After cleaning the table in the shed, he stood under the cedar tree for a long time. He gently took Xiaobai's hand and walked down to the cliff together.
The sun on Tianshan Mountain has not yet climbed to the top of the mountain.
The cool breeze blowing from the top of the mountain gently blew on the two of them, lifting the corners of their clothes and drying away the tears of separation.
As he was about to enter the woods, Xiaobai turned his head and looked back at the wooden shed on the cliff, and a tear fell on his white skirt.
Li Ye didn't look back and quickly pulled Xiao Bai towards the waterfall.
As he walked, he murmured softly: "Don't be sad to be separated..."
Don't be sad because of separation.
