Zhu Wanqing looked at the lonely figure going away, stopped moving her hands, tilted her head and said:
"Brother, Uncle Li... seems to be very wrong. Isn't he... sick?"
Li Hong shook his head slightly: "As long as I can remember, my godfather has never been sick."
"Then what is he...?"
"Maybe it's a heart disease." Li Hong said sadly, "My godfather is always optimistic, but he always reveals a deep sadness inadvertently. You haven't had enough contact with your godfather. You won't understand. It’s just a little bit of empathy that makes people… ugh!”
The little girl rolled her eyes and said, "Shall we go and make him happy?"
"It still doesn't work, let him be alone," Li Hong sighed. "As the younger generation, it is difficult for us to understand the feelings of the older generation."
Zhu Wanqing pursed her lips and fell silent...
~
In the courtyard, covered with snow, Li Qing stood alone, facing each other...
The three graceful snowmen are lifelike and sparkling under the refraction of the sun;
Li Qing's eyes were also crystal clear. A gust of wind came over him. He blinked and the crystal eyes rolled down...
The long river of history flows endlessly, and he carved a mark at a certain node, trying to find the lost beauty, but...he sadly discovered that he was the one who was looking for a sword, going back and forth, and in the end it was just a leaf. The boat wanders;
That section of the river has long passed and cannot be traced...
…
Time will not pity anyone, it still goes its own way.
It’s Chinese New Year…
The Hou Mansion is very lively, with red lanterns hanging high, Spring Festival couplets posted on the door, fireworks and firecrackers celebrating the New Year, and celebrating the New Year happily...
Li Qing went to the kitchen and cooked a large table full of sumptuous dishes. The family ate, drank, and laughed, bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new.
This is the happiest year for the little girl. She has received many red envelopes, one for her father, one for her mother, one for Uncle Li, and one for Grandpa Zhang. Her pockets are so full of lucky money that they can no longer hold them.
That night, fireworks were set off for half the night, the night sky was gorgeous, and she was gorgeous.
In the thirteenth year of Jingtai,
During the Lantern Festival, we ate glutinous rice balls and admired lanterns. Uncle Li was quite generous and gave us whatever we asked for.
However, the happy time was too short, and it ended before she had enough.
"Uncle Li, where are you going?" Zhu Wanqing said reluctantly, "Grandpa Zhang is already very old. How about we honor him together?"
During this period of time, she was so pampered that she plucked up the courage to act out: "I don't care, you can't leave anyway, Uncle Li."
Li Hong echoed from the side: "Godfather, sister Wanqing Yan Zhili, Grandpa Zhang is old and it is not appropriate to travel long distances anymore."
Zhu Qizhen also wanted to give some advice, but in the end he didn't take any action. He knew Li Qing's temperament.
"It's time to go, it's time to go." Li Qing just smiled and said, "We will see you again if we are destined."
"What does it mean to meet again by fate? It's like saying goodbye." Zhu Wanqing said angrily, "Uncle Li, don't you plan to come back?"
"Girl, shut up, don't be presumptuous!" Zhu Qizhen glared at his daughter, stepped forward and said, "Don't worry about it here, have a good rest and show the old man around."
Li Qing nodded: "Take care, everyone, take care, let's go."
~
In the book pavilion, Zhang Sloppy saw Li Qing coming, closed the book and asked, "Is everything arranged?"
"Yes." Li Qing nodded: "Master, let's go."
Zhang Sloppy laughed, stood up and said, "Okay, let's go!"
…
Li Qing put his bag on his back, but the little old man had nothing in his hands.
The master and the apprentice did not ride in a horse or a sedan chair, and had no purpose. They just went wherever they went.
Li Qing left everything behind, no matter the time or place, he accompanied his master to eat delicious food, play fun games, and taste the beauty and reds.
The two of them stayed in inns, ate in restaurants, slept in the wilderness, tasted wild game, and indulged in whatever they pleased.
Sometimes they are well-dressed, sometimes they are slovenly.
They have stepped on mountain tops, waded across rivers, seen the beautiful scenery of mountains and rivers, and experienced the sufferings of the world...
Before you know it, one year has passed...
This year, Li Qing was particularly relaxed, his mind and body were ethereal, and the depression accumulated for decades was released to the greatest extent.
In the end, the master and the disciple returned to the beginning - that dilapidated small Taoist temple.
It has not been inhabited for many years. The Taoist temple has collapsed and is completely uninhabitable.
Li Qing had learned a little bit from the masons and was able to rebuild the Taoist temple on the original basis, but he was still relatively handy. Under the sun, he worked tirelessly and bare-chested on the adobe bricks.
The little old man was leisurely and leisurely, writing his martial arts and Taoism with a desk and a roll of paper; writing his life.
Zhang Sulu is a martial arts practitioner with top-notch medical skills. He wants to leave something behind.
When a person lives, he must leave something behind, and he cannot live this life in vain.
A few months later, the collapsed Taoist temple was reopened again, and it was much better than it was at the beginning. Zhang Slutty looked at the brand-new Taoist temple and smiled happily at Li Qing:
"What's the old saying? Oh, by the way, if the old ones don't go, the new ones won't come!"
Li Qing felt sad and sad...
He doesn't like new ones, no matter how good they are.
The master and the apprentice moved into the new Taoist temple. Zhang Sloppy boxed and wrote books every day, while Li Qing was responsible for hunting game and cooking; it seemed like he had returned to the days before Hongwu fifteen years ago.
At that time, the master and the apprentice lived a very miserable life, but now that they are experiencing it again, they feel warm and precious...
In the past, the vegetable garden opened by his junior brother was already deserted, so Li Qing re-cultivated it and planted Yongle rice.
So... another two months passed.
The Yongle rice planted by Li Qing in late summer produces sticks that squirt with water when pinched, which is perfect for barbecue.
The roasted corn was very fragrant, much more fragrant than the boiled corn. The master and the apprentice squatted on the ground and ate it with relish.
Zhang Sloppy threw away the chewed stick, burped comfortably, and smacked his lips with a satisfied look on his face.
He put his hands on the ground, looked into the distance, and whispered: "Qingzi..."
"Um…"
"After my master leaves, you can go back." Zhang Slutty said calmly, "You are not a person with a simple heart and want to live in peace. You need to stay in a place with many people."
"Master..."
"Listen to Master, this person must have a thought and a bond. Fortunately... you have it." Zhang Sulu said happily, "Thanks to you having these, I won't worry about you as a teacher;
Remember, don’t make your life too miserable, be happier and happier. "
"Happiness..." Li Qing chewed the word with a confused look on his face, "Master... what is happiness?"
Zhang Sloppy smiled slightly: "In a person's life, happiness is different at each age;
When you are young, happiness may be just a thing, and getting it is happiness; when you are young, happiness may be a goal, and reaching it is happiness; in old age, happiness should be a state of mind, and understanding is happiness. "
Li Qing's eyelids drooped and he said in despair: "But the disciple...can't understand."
"This is because you are still young." Zhang Slutty said warmly, "Happiness has no high or low status. Do whatever makes you happy."
Li Qing nodded silently: "Disciple... I would like to accept my instruction."
Zhang Sloppy chuckled, and then felt distressed. He raised his hand and stroked his head, and said softly: "Qingzi, it's been almost a hundred years, aren't you used to it?"
"disciple……"
"You should get used to it..." Zhang Slutty said.
"Hmm..." Li Qing's voice was choked and his vision was blurred.
Even though he had been prepared for it, even though he knew that this day would definitely come, when it did come, he still couldn't bear it.
"Master, you are in good health..."
"Of course it's good." Zhang Sloppy sat up straight and said with a smile, "How can I live such a long life?"
"What disciple means is..."
Zhang sloppy said: "Who is the master? How can a dignified immortal suffer from illness?"
He looked proud, and then smiled bitterly: "But as a teacher, I can't escape this long river of time. This time, I really want to say goodbye."
"Master...can't we make another breakthrough?"
Zhang Ruosu shook his head and laughed: "One time is a great opportunity. If you can break through again and again, you will be a real god."
Li Qing lowered his head and was speechless.
"Okay, stop looking so lifeless and be happy." Zhang Slutty teased him.
Li Qing tried his best to grin, showing an ugly smile.
Zhang sloppily laughed and scolded: "Is it in vain that you have practiced Taoism for hundreds of years and you can't even let go of life and death? Have you forgotten all the things Master taught you?"
"No," Li Qing said hoarsely, "disciple dare not forget."
"You...sigh..." Zhang Sugao sighed bitterly, his eyes filled with distress, and said warmly: "When an elder over eighty years old dies, it is a joyous mourning among the people. I am a teacher who is more than 200 years old, and I almost have three happy mournings. , what’s so sad about it?”
"Disciple...understand." Li Qing lowered his head and said softly.
Zhang Sloppy patted him on the shoulder, stood up and said, "Let's go back to the house to chat."
"good……"
…
That night, the master and the apprentice had a long talk. However, this century-long relationship between master and apprentice could not be completed in one night. Maybe... there will always be some regrets in life.
Early next morning.
The morning light filtered in through the doors and windows, giving the room a warm tone, and Li Qing's cold heart felt a little warm.
Zhang Sloppy's face was calm and his eyes were happy: "Qingzi, look... how beautiful the morning glow is..."
Li Qing looked up and saw that the red clouds were connected together, like fire, the beauty was spectacular, the beauty was shocking...
He murmured softly: "Yes, it's so beautiful..."
When he looked back, Master still looked calm, but... lost his vitality.
Li Qing picked up his master, placed him on a soft mattress, put a pillow on him, and stared quietly...
'It's been almost a hundred years, it's time to get used to it'
Master's words echoed in his mind, and Li Qing whispered to himself, "Yeah, you should get used to it."
But...can you really get used to it?
'Chachacha...' Li Qing split the wood, and the crystals fell with his movements, inexhaustible...
He deliberately avoided it for fear of corroding the wood.
This was the best wood he could find, but it was just ordinary nanmu. Fortunately, he had made coffins and was very experienced.
This coffin was polished and polished by him and was very delicate.
…
In the end, Li Qing buried his master.
After laying out tributes and burning paper money, Li Qing knelt in front of the grave, looking at the tombstone and crying.
Cried loudly, cried out tears, bent over while crying...
From this day on, he became an orphan...
