Chapter 330: Chapter 308, Longevity Lock_1
Under the urging of Yan’s Old Madam, Xiaoliu visited the county town and quickly prepared the gifts for the apprenticeship ceremony.
Originally, Yan’s Old Madam wanted to pick an auspicious day for the apprenticeship and even thought of notifying her eldest son and daughter-in-law, but Grandmother Gu was worried that something might happen along the way, leaving her brother without support. She said with a smile, “Is such ceremony really necessary?”
“Daohua, that girl, when she was five years old, Xiaojian and I knew each other. Never did I expect to meet again here after so many years. This fate is truly not shallow. We don’t need these formalities.”
Seeing that Grandmother Gu and Gu Jian didn’t care, Yan’s Old Madam didn’t insist any longer.
That very day, an incense table was set up in the main hall.
Watching her granddaughter, Yan’s Old Madam smiled and said, “Alright, you can pay respect to your teacher now!”
She was proactive in having her granddaughter pay respect to her teacher for two reasons, firstly, she didn’t want her granddaughter to take advantage of the two lonely old folks;
Secondly, her granddaughter herself was fond of medicine, yet she had only casually read some medical books, a mere dilettante. Every time the girl talked about her prescriptions, she was terrified, fearing that an incorrect medicine could harm someone.
Thirdly, it was thanks to Master Gu’s medicine that her own health had improved. Put simply, Master Gu had saved her life.
Fourthly, over these days, she could feel that the two old folks truly loved her granddaughter. Having two more people in this world who cherished her granddaughter was indeed a blessing for the girl.
Daohua took a deep breath and knelt down before the meditation cushion.
It has to be said, this being her very first formal apprenticeship in her current and past life, she was actually quite nervous.
Gu Jian sat at the head with a stern face. Though he showed no expression, the tight clutching of the clothes beside him betrayed that his heart was not as calm as he appeared.
Because he had taken too many medicinal soups since childhood, he had become infertile even before coming of age.
He never expected that when he was nearly buried in the yellow earth, heaven would actually send him a disciple.
Watching Daohua earnestly kowtow and pay her respects, Gu Jian felt his eyes growing warm and his nose slightly sour.
Grandmother Gu shared the feeling.
Her brother’s life had been harder than hers. She at least had offspring, though unrecognized, it was at least a comfort in her heart, but her brother… had nothing.
“Disciple pays respect to the teacher, teacher please drink the tea,” she said.
After kowtowing three times, Daohua took the teacup passed by Wang Manman and respectfully offered it to Gu Jian.
Gu Jian contained his inner turmoil, accepted the teacup with a straight face, and downed it in one gulp. Afterward, he handed a longevity lock engraved with a peach blossom pattern to Daohua, “This is a gift from your master, take good care of it.”
Grandmother Gu cast a glance at the longevity lock, a trace of contentment in her eyes.
Their longevity locks were handed down from their ancestors. She had passed hers to her eldest son, and now her brother’s had also been passed down.
Daohua accepted the longevity lock with a beaming smile, sweetly thanking, “Thank you, Master!”
Hearing the warm call from his disciple, Gu Jian actually felt a bit awkward, uncomfortable, he turned his head, “I have… some matters to attend to, keep your grandmother company,” he said, and quickly left the room.
Seeing this, Grandmother Gu smiled, but her heart could not hide the sourness.
Her brother had suffered too much harm and had never opened his heart to anyone except her. Now, faced with the closeness of his own disciple, he was so unaccustomed.
Daohua, however, didn’t think much of it, stood beside Yan’s Old Madam, showed her the longevity lock, and said with a sense of wonder, “Just a trip out and I’ve gained a master. Life’s circumstances are really quite magical!”
Yan’s Old Madam glanced at the longevity lock and playfully eyed her granddaughter, returning it to her, “Keep it safe; it’s a blessing from your master.”
Daohua put away the longevity lock, smiling, “Today is a good day for my apprenticeship; I should prepare a feast.” Saying this, she left the room and headed into the kitchen.
That evening, as Grandmother Gu looked at the table full of dishes, many of which were her brother’s favorites, her smile never waned.
Seeing Daohua diligently serving dishes to her brother, Grandmother Gu, for the first time, picked up a wine glass and emptied it of the grape wine in one go.
Now that her brother had a disciple, she could die in peace.
Seeing her sister drinking, Gu Jian immediately wanted to speak up to stop her, but the sight of tears falling from the corner of her sister’s eyes left him speechless.
He worried about his sister, but didn’t his sister worry about him just as much?
Let it be, he thought, let Sister do as she pleases this time.
Daohua noticed the unusual behavior of her master and Granny Gu and was about to speak, but she saw her grandmother shaking her head at her, so she lowered her head, pretending she hadn’t seen a thing.
…
It wasn’t until the end of March that Daohua finished plowing the fields in Taohua Village.
Since she didn’t have many yams and had shared some with her family, Daohua used most of the land to plant other vegetables and fruits suitable for sandy soil.
“What a pity, there are no tomatoes or potatoes in the Great Xia Dynasty. Otherwise, they would be ideal for planting here,” she mused.
“What are you mumbling about?”
Hearing the voice behind her, Daohua spun around to see Xiao Yeyang fanning himself with a folding fan, walking towards her with a contented follower behind him.
Daohua looked surprised, “What brings you here?”
Xiao Yeyang closed his fan and said casually, “I heard from your fourth brother that you bought some land in Shahe County and have been staying here to supervise the spring plowing. I passed by on my way back to the Academy from Ningmen Pass today, so I thought I’d stop by to see you.”
Daohua smiled immediately, looking pleased at Xiao Yeyang, “Xiao Yeyang, I truly didn’t misjudge you, you’re indeed a good friend to take the initiative to visit me.”
Xiao Yeyang’s expression froze for a moment. He didn’t want to hear Daohua talk about friendship, so he quickly changed the subject, “What were you just saying about tomatoes and potatoes? What are those?”
Daohua replied, “…They are two kinds of vegetables.”
“Vegetables?” Xiao Yeyang furrowed his brow. “How come I’ve never heard of them?”
Daohua explained, “Because those two are foreign vegetables, they probably haven’t made it here yet.” Her eyes sparkled as she said, “Xiao Yeyang, foreigners often bring tributes, right? If you come across any special seeds, vegetables, or flowers, and if it’s convenient, you could bring some back for me.”
Seeing Daohua looking so eager, Xiao Yeyang smiled, about to nod in agreement, but when the words reached his lips, they somehow twisted into something else, “If I help you, how do you plan to thank me?”
Daohua paused, looking strangely at Xiao Yeyang. She couldn’t tell if it was her imagination, but she felt that his smile was a bit different from usual, somehow off.
“Of course, if you give me one seed, I’ll repay you with a whole field,” she said.
Xiao Yeyang tapped his chin with the fan, “Is that all?”
Daohua glared, “Xiao Yeyang, aren’t you pushing your luck? What else could you possibly want?”
Watching Daohua’s wide eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment, Xiao Yeyang quickly averted his gaze, coughing a few times, “I was just kidding.”
Daohua replied, “That’s more like it.” Grinning, she added, “You came at the perfect time. I have some good news to share with you.”
Xiao Yeyang raised an eyebrow, “What good news?”
Daohua said with proud excitement, “I found a master!”
Xiao Yeyang was first taken aback, then said eagerly, “Yan Yiyi, let me tell you, you mustn’t take finding a master lightly. To accept someone as a master is to regard them as a parent for life. It’s a very serious matter, don’t treat it as child’s play.”
Daohua responded, “I’m not treating it as child’s play. My grandmother knows about it.”
Hearing that the Yan family matriarch was aware, Xiao Yeyang breathed a sigh of relief. Daohua might be unreliable, but the old lady was trustworthy, “Who is it?”
Daohua smiled mysteriously, “You know him too. Want to take a guess?”
Xiao Yeyang’s expression shifted, and after a brief moment of thought, he asked with a smile, “It couldn’t be that strange monk, could it?”
Daohua was startled, looking at him in surprise, “How did you guess right away?”
Xiao Yeyang smirked triumphantly, “Nothing difficult about that. The only one worth your apprenticeship and someone I would know is that monk skilled in medicine. I can’t think of anyone else.”
Daohua eyed Xiao Yeyang, “Not bad, quite clever.”