Globe Trekker

Chapter 5
The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the Shangyuan Festival.

The sky was bright, and dozens of young and healthy women from Xiatianjia Village in Taijin Mountain had arrived. These devout believers carried joss sticks, offered incense and kowtowed in front of the Sanqing Statue, and then respectfully handed over the donated items to Taoist priest Chengzong.

Without too many arrangements from the master and brothers, the industrious and simple folks got busy with ease, taking care of all chores such as lighting a fire to cook porridge, boiling water to make tea, cooking and offering sacrifices to the three animals. The backyard was hurried, but busy and orderly. , is obviously traditional.

The sky was bright, and believers and pilgrims came in an endless stream. Crowds of people gathered to rest under the big cypress tree outside the temple gate, waiting for the auspicious time to offer sacrifices. The brothers and sisters were busy before and after serving tea to welcome guests.

Under the instruction of Taoist Priest Bingzhen, Chengzong did not ask Wu Ming for help. Wu Ming had no intention of joining in the fun in view of his status as a fugitive. Then he started chopping firewood unhurriedly.

After recovering from his injury, Wu Ming must do his homework every day to chop a load of firewood. Wu Ming, who was born in a poor family for two lifetimes, was unwilling to eat for free. Leaving aside the fact that it is difficult to repay his life-saving kindness, Wu Ming, who is diligent in nature, could not bear the parasitic behavior. life, not to mention the continuous strengthening of physical fitness during work, so as to adapt to the living environment as soon as possible.After all, his life journey is still very long, and it is impossible to be confined to this small world.

After noon, Wu Ming unloaded the second load of firewood in the firewood room next to the sheep pen. The entire Taoist temple was filled with smoke and murmured, presumably because the solemn ceremony had come to an end.

Grand rituals are not attractive to Wu Ming. He knows that he has not yet integrated into this society, and most of the time he is still living in the world that has become a dream in his heart, and he is still sticking to his worldview and morality.

Now this strong skin did not leave any memory for Wu Ming, so he looked down on everything that this skin suffered, and he didn't even want to figure it out, so he didn't feel unwilling or wronged, let alone talk about it. Nothing to hate.

Wu Ming slowly finished eating two pieces of sweet roasted yams, wiped off the sweat flowing from his face with a cloth towel, picked up the hatchet on the ground and walked towards the ginkgo tree not far away.

He came to rest under the big tree, washed his face with a pinch of the sweet mountain spring and drank slowly, raised his head and let out a breath, rolled up the hem of his Taoist robe, picked up the saw and hammer, and continued to build the cabin.

Maybe it was driven by professional knowledge, maybe the construction could have a sense of accomplishment and presence, maybe it was because he liked this beautiful place, Wu Ming decided to use his spare time to build a small wooden house in this place. Leaning against big trees, surrounded by gurgling streams and green bamboos, the mountains on both sides are covered with lush rhododendrons. Whether it is morning or evening, sunny or rainy, you can experience the charming charm of nature here.

Another important reason is that two months ago, Chengzong conveyed to Wu Ming the meaning of Bingzhen Daoist, and asked Wu Ming to cultivate in the mountains for a year, and no matter what Wu Ming decided after a year, he would let nature take its course.

Wu Ming was deeply confused by this, but he couldn't refuse. After a period of consideration, he finally agreed reluctantly. For this reason, he spent more than a month preparing a lot of wood and bamboo with a thick bowl mouth, and peeled off a piece of bamboo. A neat piece of pine and cypress bark, and began to build an independent space of its own. Although it took a lot of effort to cut down and build, but there are not many opportunities to put the professional knowledge in the brain into practice, and it can also adjust the restlessness and confusion. mentality.

The main body of the hut has been completed, and the log terrace in front of the door has been spliced ​​together. Wu Ming pushed the leftovers of bamboo and wood and dry grass to the open space in front of the hut, fetched matches and lit the shavings, stoked the fire a few times with a wooden stick, and the fire grew. Resting on the rocks by the stream, watching the pointed roof of the wooden house and the newly covered solid bark roof, carefully estimating the materials and man-hours required for the next step.

In the silence, Wu Ming faintly heard footsteps, looked up and was stunned for a moment, then straightened his Taoist robe and stood up slowly.

The two women came here for some unknown reason. The woman walking in front was about [-] years old with fair skin. She had a tall figure rarely seen in this era, with shoulder-length hair, wearing a taupe-colored woolen coat, with neat bangs and curved eyebrows. Her eyes were sparkling and lively, her red lips were slightly parted to reveal her white teeth like jade, and after seeing a big man under the tree, her expression looked very surprised.

Next to the tall woman was a sixteen or seventeen-year-old round-faced girl, wearing a blue floral padded jacket and dark blue trimmed trousers. Wu Ming in the long robe was a little annoyed, he took a step forward and scolded loudly: "Where is this wild Taoist? He didn't evade when he saw my young lady coming, why didn't he know etiquette?"

Wu Ming was stunned, thought for a while and asked back: "I don't know which famous lady you are from? Why did you come to the place where I live to question me?"

"You..." The little maid was speechless, her face flushed red with anger.

"Xiaozhen, don't be reckless."

The tall woman warned the maid beside her in a low voice, stepped forward half a step and bowed to Wu Ming, and looked apologetically at Wu Ming, who had messy hair, "I'm sorry, Daoist, my Xiaozhen is young and ignorant, if she offends, please ask Daoist Forgive me more."

After the beautiful woman finished speaking, the apologetic smile suddenly froze on her face, and surprise appeared in her eyes as clear as autumn water.

After he apologized, Wu Ming didn't want to say anything more. He coughed softly and said lightly, "Please go back, both of you. The mountain road is steep and rough. It's not good if you get hurt."

The beautiful woman raised her hand and brushed her bangs blown by the mountain wind, and apologized politely to Wu Ming again: "I'm really sorry, we are here to offer incense, and we came here when we saw the tall old trees and a few clusters of red leaves here, excuse me Daoist priest’s silence, please forgive me, we will leave now.”

The two women turned around and took a few steps. The little girl turned her head and gave Wu Ming a hard look, and helped the beautiful woman to leave in a low voice, complaining in a low voice that the young lady gave too much face to the stinky Taoist priest.

Wu Ming picked up the stick, gently fiddled with the burning grass, stared at the smoke rising from the fire and fell into thought. In a blink of an eye, he forgot about the two women who had left, as if nothing had happened. However, his state of mind was far from His appearance is so indifferent and calm.

Previously, because he abided by his conscience and professional ethics, he was unwilling to join hands with the vested interests and degenerates in the system. With firm belief, he fought back under the exclusion and conspiracy, and boldly exposed the flaws in the key projects he supervised. There are many shady scenes, which lead to the unscrupulous persecution of interest groups, and the crime of "corrupting huge sums of money" and being imprisoned and persecuted. All of this has to make him reflect on the beliefs, ideals and values ​​​​that he insists on.

Today, he is reincarnated as a human being, but he is in the war-torn troubled times of the Republic of China. His heads and pools of blood made him deeply understand the helplessness and fragility of life. Moreover, the iron heels of Japanese aggression have already rumbled, and the world is in peril. There is a pure land, but Jiangxi, where I am, is still in constant war and turmoil. The two major forces of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party are still in the midst of violent armed conflicts and integration of forces. Bloody liquidation has begun in western Jiangxi, central Jiangxi, and southern Jiangxi. It will become more and more cruel and dangerous.

From the old newspapers brought back by Chengzong down the mountain and the information he heard, Wu Ming also learned that two weeks ago, Chen Cheng's No. 18 Army had completed its rest and replenishment, and had left Yingtan to go south to suppress Zhu Mao's Red Army; the Chief of Staff of the Nanchang Camp Xiong Shihui has taken office as the chairman of Jiangxi Province. The provincial government commissioner and a company of troops have stationed in Shangrao. The Shangrao local garrison has launched a vigorous campaign to suppress bandits. The entire county was in panic, and the army brought by the commissioner began to recruit recruits with great fanfare, and at the same time began unscrupulous war apportionment and looting.

Regarding the current situation, Wu Ming felt a sense of panic at what to do. He found that the poor historical knowledge in his mind did not help his current cognition at all. For him, the vigorous and magnificent revolutionary era in front of him was a ubiquitous danger. He knows that as long as he takes a wrong step, he may suffer a sudden and unreasonable disaster. Any opportunism is full of uncertain factors and may lead to his own death. This is why he has not made a hasty decision so far. He needs more Detailed and more accurate verification and planning.

The familiar sound of bamboo clappers sounded, Wu Ming woke up from his contemplation, glanced at the sun that was about to disappear on the distant mountain top, stood up and quickly packed his tools, buried the remaining fire that was about to burn out, straightened his clothes and strode towards the Taoist temple go.

Cheng Yuan, who closed the bamboo door of the sheepfold, saw Wu Ming, walked up to him and said mysteriously, "Brother Wu, do you know who among today's pilgrims asked for your name?"

Wu Ming was slightly surprised: "Not many people know me, are we from Wujia Village?"

"No, guess again." Cheng Yuan smiled mischievously with a childlike innocence.

"I really can't guess."

"It's a girl, she looks very good-looking! Hehe..."

Wu Ming seemed to understand: "Is the person you're talking about the rich lady with shoulder-length short hair and a lotus-coloured overcoat?"

"Brother Ang is so smart." Chengyuan laughed: "That pretty sister is surnamed Wang. She quietly pulled me behind the pillar before going down the mountain, gave me two oceans, and then asked me: Under the big ginkgo tree in the east of the Taoist temple. What is the name of the young priest who works?"

"How do you answer?" Wu Ming frowned, worried that his identity would be found out, which would bring unnecessary danger.

"Of course I...don't say it, hee hee! Master and senior brother have already told me that I can't tell outsiders anything about Angkor, so I said I don't know, and then I gave the two yuan to the master as sesame oil money. Don't worry, brother, hee hee!" Cheng Yuan showed a playful and mischievous smile on his face.

Wu Ming shook his head and smiled, raised his legs and strode towards the side door.Cheng Yuan ran to keep up, and curiously asked Wu Ming why he didn't continue to ask as he ran. He also said that he saw the master and senior brother had a conversation with that beautiful sister, and Cheng Zong must know which family that beautiful sister belongs to.

Wu Ming didn't continue to dwell on this matter. After dinner, he helped Chengzong and his brothers clean up the backyard. After everything was done, it was nightfall.After Wu Ming took a shower, he lit the oil lamp and began to practice calligraphy. An hour later, he went to the yard and continued to practice the pile skills every day. It seemed that today was the same as every day in the past.

Waking up the next morning, Wu Ming unexpectedly found that the front of his trousers was wet and sticky, which made him very embarrassed. The beautiful face in the dream came to mind again, and he could only quietly get up and run to the courtyard. Beside the pool, braving the cold, he quickly took off his trousers, picked up a large bucket of cold spring water and poured it on his head.

A gust of cold wind blew, Wu Ming shook his spirits a few times, and yawned majesticly, causing the echoes to be loud, and the big rooster under the courtyard wall was also frightened and crowed loudly. Slowly came while calling.

(End of this chapter)