The Northern Stories of Chef Lao Tan

Chapter 467 Entering the Mountains for Cultivation
Old Tan has developed the habit of going to bed early and getting up early, and he woke up the next day when it was light. After washing and dressing, he opened the door and came out just in time to meet Mr. Jia.

Mr. Jia came to call Lao Tan, and the two of them went to the backyard of the Xiang guest room, each carried a firewood basket, and then started up the mountain.

It was the first ten days of March in the Gregorian calendar at this time, and the weather in the north was still freezing. The temperature was around minus ten degrees, and the exhaled breath instantly turned into frost.

Old Tan followed Mr. Jia, at first he was fine, breathing normally, and he was able to keep up.

Ten minutes later, I began to wheeze, and I couldn't keep up.

Mr. Jia heard Lao Tan's panting in front of him, stopped and looked back, and said with a smile, "You're okay, you can hold on for ten minutes. When the two Sichuan brothers first arrived, they were panting in five minutes."

Old Tan didn't speak, just gasping for breath.

"There is a pine forest in front of me. I'm picking pine branches here today." Mr. Jia continued walking after finishing his speech.

The two soon arrived at the pine forest, and Lao Tan was already sweating.

The inside of the pine forest is not as cold as outside, it is very warm.The snow on many treetops has melted, and there are still snow on the ground, one by one.Mr. Jia said that you should be careful where there is snow. They are all low-lying places, and you can sink into them if you step on them. The deep places are half a person deep.

The pine needles on the ground are very thick, and it feels good to step on it softly.Pine needles are flammable and have a rosy smell when burned. They smell good, but they are not resistant to burning. A basket of them can't cook a meal. Most people use them to start a fire.

There were a lot of fallen branches from the trees on the ground, they must have dried up long ago, these were what the two of them picked up.

A few foraging squirrels came down from the tree, not afraid of people at all, squatting on the ground and looking at Lao Tan mischievously, after watching for a while, they turned and ran away, and climbed another tree.

"The squirrels here are not afraid of people. When it snows, if they can't find food, they will go to the temple to eat, and everyone will feed them." Mr. Jia said.

"Is there a rabbit on the mountain?" Old Tan asked.

"Yes, there are quite a few. I can't touch them now, but I can meet them at noon. There are rabbits, pheasants, roe deer, and foxes on the mountains here, and wolves on the mountains behind. Try to go alone as little as possible."

"And the wolf?"

"Yes, but I haven't heard of anyone being hurt. The rabbits and roe deer here are enough for it to eat, and it doesn't need to eat people."

Then Mr. Jia talked about how he and his wife met a wolf in the back mountain last winter.At that time, he and his wife had finished collecting firewood and strolled to the back mountain. Across the ditch, they saw four wolves walking along the edge of the ditch to the ridge.

The old couple were very frightened when they saw the wolf for the first time. They stood there not daring to move, watching in horror.The wolf also spotted them, took a look and then walked on, as if they didn't exist.

"The wolf at the head is like a calf, covered in black and blue, and looks very good-looking. It looks like a family of four, and the two wolves behind are small, like big dogs. My wife and I won't be afraid when they leave. Go down the mountain with the firewood basket," said Mr. Jia.

The two quickly gathered the firewood and left the pine field with the basket on their backs.

When he went up the mountain just now, Lao Tan was only focused on following Mr. Jia, and didn't look back. Now that he was out of the pine tree, he looked around, and he didn't expect that his field of vision was so wide.

The mountains in the distance are undulating continuously, and the mountains are tall and straight with white snow.Nearby, the pine waves whizzed and the sound was heard, and the temples and Louwa Buddhist temples were leisurely.

Winter rises on the mountains, red and red, like a big fiery pancake pasted on it.There is no summer mist in the mountains, and the cold gray in winter is reminiscent of the vast Kunlun, and the chaos is just beginning.

Taking a breath, although it is cool but clear, it is like a stream of clear water flowing into the body, flowing through the whole body, the head immediately clears up, the internal organs seem to be washed instantly, and a feeling of cleanliness arises.

Lao Tan has a feeling that this is what the Taoists call "clear air floats up and dirty air sinks".

He greedily took several mouthfuls, and he stopped after feeling that his lungs and stomach were filled with cool and refreshing.

"It's not right for you to breathe like this. It's like filling your stomach with cold air. There is a way to breathe out. You need to breathe in calmly and slowly, with no debris in your mind. Let's go down the mountain first, and you will gradually understand later." Mr. Jia Say.

As the saying goes, it is easy to go up the mountain and difficult to go down the mountain. Lao Tan has experienced it.When I went up the mountain, I didn’t feel anything except tired. Now I’m going down the mountain, and I’m still carrying a basket full of firewood.

All the way down the mountain with difficulty, a basket of firewood was also scattered.

When I returned to Xiangke Courtyard, I happened to meet the brothers from Sichuan who came back from carrying water.

Xingtao, a brother from Sichuan, is in his fifties. The eldest is a bit bald, and the second is bald like Lao Tan.The two brothers are free from illness and disaster, and they are here to fulfill their wishes.

When the old lama was planning to build a monastery here, he traveled all over the country for alms. He met the Tao brothers by chance.

The two brothers were grateful to the old lama and donated a lot of money for the later construction of the temple, which can be described as immeasurable merit.

The two brothers also fell in love with this place. Every year after the Spring Festival, they would come to live for a month, firstly to fulfill their wishes, and secondly to practice themselves.

Lao Tan greeted the two brothers, and then asked, "Where did you get the water?"

Taoda said: "Donggou, where there is a spring, the river below the mountain will flow there."

Old Tan let out an "Ah", he had been to that spring the last time he came, and he had an impression.

Brother Wang from Zhengzhou, who was sweeping the yard, said: "The mountains are so high and the water is so high. Our yard has a well, which can pump water, but the water is not as good as that in Donggou. We all go to Donggou to carry water. Lidi."

"That far?" Old Tan was startled.

"It's not far, it's time to exercise." Tao laughed.

"Is the road easy to walk?" Old Tan asked.

"It's easy to walk. It's all cobbled roads. It was not easy to walk in the past. The rocks are jagged." Tao Er said, pointing to Brother Wang, "He built the road for carrying water last year. It's fifty years younger."

Brother Wang leaned on a big broom and smiled foolishly.

When everyone came to the dining hall, Mrs. Jiang and Ms. Tang had put breakfast on the table, including porridge, steamed buns, boiled eggs, small pickles, and celery mixed with peanuts.

Lao Tan served a bowl of porridge and took two steamed buns.

Mrs. Jiang asked with a smile: "How do you feel?"

"It's good, but my legs shake a little when I go down the mountain." Old Tan said.

"Just get used to it." Mrs. Jiang said.

"Are you hypertensive?" Brother Wang asked.

Old Tan nodded and replied, "Yes."

Brother Wang said, "I am also suffering from liver cirrhosis. I have been here for a year and a half. Now my blood pressure is normal and my liver is not so hard anymore."

Old Tan said, "Okay, congratulations."

At this time, Mr. Jia came in with a jug of wine, and Mrs. Jiang asked, "You can drink it when it's ready?"

Mr. Jia said, "It's just right—" Then he sat down and asked Tao Da and Tao Er, "Would you like something?"

The two brothers shook their heads, saying that they were not used to the taste.

Lao Tan curiously asked what kind of wine?Mr. Jia said it was pine needle wine, brewed years ago.Out of curiosity, Lao Tan asked for a small cup and tasted it. There was a faint scent of pine, astringent and bitter in the mouth, slightly sweet and less spicy.

"How is it?" the old man asked.

Lao Tan said: "The old man is so generous that he actually uses the sky blue to make wine. I'm really willing to part with it."

Mr. Jia's eyes lit up, obviously he met someone who knows how to drink.

(End of this chapter)