Going Home (1)

When Su Ziyang was helping Master Luo sell bamboo woven products in town, he bought a mobile phone charging cable.

Today is the eighth day. Master Luo offered tea and burned incense early in the morning, then took down the portrait of the ancestor and put it into a bag.

"Child, you'll be keeping this portrait from now on. Remember the process of transmitting the Dharma? I told you about it yesterday. Okay!"

Master Luo patted Su Ziyang on the shoulder, Su Ziyang solemnly accepted the portrait with both hands and kowtowed three times to Master Luo.

Instead of cooking breakfast, Master Luo took out a large pot and a large basin, and personally fetched spring water to boil bathwater for Su Ziyang.

To Su Ziyang's utter surprise, Master Luo actually helped him take a bath himself.

After showering and changing into clean clothes, Su Ziyang went straight into the kitchen. He was going to cook a meal for Master Luo, with lots of chili peppers.

After preparing the meal, Su Ziyang received WeChat from Fairy Li, saying that the three of them would arrive around noon.

"Master, please try my stir-fried dried bamboo shoots with cured pork. I added extra chili peppers; it's what you taught me."

Master Luo took a bite and nodded repeatedly at Su Ziyang.

Although they only had a ten-day relationship, Su Ziyang felt somewhat reluctant to part with the old man who had passed on all his skills to him upon their first meeting.

Master Luo was still sitting in his chair smoking his pipe. This posture seemed to have become a habit. Su Ziyang saw him smoking in this posture on his very first day there.

The old man and the young man sat silently in the room, neither willing to speak.

Master Luo was the first to break the silence. "Ah, I'm getting old, and yet I can still pass on my skills. This way, when I die, I can face my master with a clear conscience."

Su Ziyang's heart clenched upon hearing this. He glanced at Master Luo's profile, opened his mouth to speak but then closed it again. Finally, he said, "Master, you're in good health. I think you can live another fifty years without any problem."

"Haha, you sure know how to talk, kid."

Master Luo looked outside the door, then said softly, "Son, go to the kitchen and put away the cured meat hanging on the ceiling."

"No, Master. I haven't brought you anything, so how can I take anything from you?"

Su Ziyang refused outright, and Master Luo sighed, "You silly kid, you just keep pretending. I'm leaving too, I'm not staying here anymore."

Su Ziyang was taken aback by these words, and his brows immediately furrowed. "Master, what do you mean by this...?"

When Master Luo saw Su Ziyang's wrinkled face, he chuckled and said, "That's not what I meant. I just want to go home and visit. I haven't been home for most of my life..."

Are you going home too?

Upon hearing Master Luo's meaning, Su Ziyang felt a sense of relief, then tightened up again. "You..."

Master Luo waved his hand and got up to go into the kitchen to pack the cured meat.

"Susu..."

Su Ziyang was busy in the kitchen with Master Luo when he heard Fairy Li's very recognizable voice.

"Hey." Su Ziyang came out and was a little confused when he saw Fairy Li.

Because Fairy Li's face was rounder than before she left.

"What are you looking at? Haven't you ever seen a beautiful woman before?" Fairy Li rolled her eyes at Su Ziyang.

"I've seen beautiful women, but I've never seen a beautiful woman get fat. Haha."

Hearing the commotion in the courtyard, Master Luo also came out of the kitchen.

"Haha, Mengfei, what do you think? I knew Su Ziyang, that straight guy, would say that. Hurry up, two hundred yuan, two hundred yuan."

Yang Tianzheng tugged at Mr. Mengfei's arm. Mr. Mengfei looked at Su Ziyang resentfully, reluctantly pulled out two red bills from his wallet, and handed them to Yang Tianzheng fiercely.

After paying, Mr. Mengfei walked up to Su Ziyang and slapped him hard across the face. Su Ziyang, not knowing what had happened, stared blankly at Mr. Mengfei.

"Who told you to say your wife is fat? You deserve a beating!"

After finishing with Su Ziyang, Mr. Mengfei walked around him and bowed to Master Luo, Su Ziyang, "Master Luo, I'm sorry for troubling you."

Master Luo smiled again, a rare occurrence for him. "Now you're my apprentice too. Not just yours anymore!"

"Yes, yes, yes. Haha." Mr. Mengfei laughed heartily.

"Master, Master Luo said he'll be coming back to Northeast China with us."

Su Ziyang was very happy to know that Master Luo was going with him. At least they were back in Northeast China, which meant they would be closer and he could visit Master Luo more often.

As soon as Su Ziyang spoke, Mr. Mengfei turned around abruptly and glared at Su Ziyang. Su Ziyang didn't know what it meant, but seeing Mr. Mengfei's gaze, he lowered his head and stopped talking.

"Master Luo, is that you?"

Mr. Mengfei asked softly beside Master Luo,

"Hey, why are you scaring the child? What does he know? I haven't been home in half my life, and I want to go home and visit. It's decided. Look, I've already packed this cured meat. You can take it back; Ziyang loves it."

Master Luo took the full bag and handed it to Mr. Mengfei.

Mr. Mengfei's expression wasn't very good, but he still accepted the cured meat.

"Let's get going now. I'll just take my ID and my old pipe. That's all. You guys buy me a train ticket, okay? I'm telling you."

Master Luo, unusually serious, patted Mr. Mengfei's waist with a smile. Mr. Mengfei forced a smile and said, "No problem, we'll take it. Ziyang, you take your master home. We'll wait for you at home."

Su Ziyang was reluctant to part with Master Luo, but after hearing what Mr. Mengfei said, he happily agreed.

"No need, I can go back myself."

Master Luo hesitated to decline, but Mr. Mengfei's attitude was unusually firm, so Master Luo had no choice but to agree.

Before heading down the mountain, Master Luo looked at his little house one last time. "Sigh, this house was left to me by my master. I've lived here for so many years. It's really hard to leave!"

After closing the door, Master Luo and his group went down the mountain.

Master Luo walked the fastest, with the others following behind.

Su Ziyang was walking at the back when Fairy Li suddenly placed her Little Hand on Su Ziyang's waist.

Su Ziyang felt that Fairy Li's hands had become very hot. "Why are your hands so hot?"

Fairy Li smiled slightly, "Tch, it's none of your business! Behind my back, huh!"

After saying that, she jumped onto Su Ziyang.