Chapter 5: Master and apprentice talk

Three years have not made me and my master unfamiliar with each other. After arriving at my temporary residence, I began to make tea and pour it for Master Hui and my master.

Then I sat down next to Huigen.

My rented house was not big, just two rooms and a living room. In terms of living conditions at the time, it was even less likely to have air conditioning or anything like that. A fan could not drive away the summer heat at all. After taking a sip of tea, Master Hui said with a frown, “The quality of life is not good. I’d rather be a wild man in the bamboo forest. What kind of tea is this? It’s hard to drink.”

The master also took a sip of tea and then squinted at me and said, “Sanwa, where are the tea leaves I left behind? You little brat, you wouldn’t have sold the things I left you, including the tea leaves, because you didn’t have the money, would you?”

This is my master, who spares no effort to make fun of me. Fortunately, I am used to it and helplessly explained, “I have packed up everything you left me, even a thread, and returned it to Sichuan for my parents to keep. The tea is also there.”

My master looked embarrassed, probably because he had failed to hit me. After a long pause, he said, “Don’t give me excuses. It’s been three years, and you’re still drinking this tea? Can’t you afford to buy some good tea to maintain my good quality of life?”

I was speechless. The tea you drink is probably so expensive that even the rich can’t afford it. How can you still talk about a good quality of life? I’ve seen you eat and drink for free before, but arguing with my master about this is always to my disadvantage. I’m too lazy to argue. Master Hui looked at me with a smug look and then proudly commanded Hui Gen: “Go, boil two eggs for me?”

Hui Gen asked very carefully, “Master, can I eat two?”

Master Hui waved his hand, looking very generous: “Then you can have two.”

I wanted to cry in my heart. Who was it that just complained about my poor quality of life? Who was it that, just a moment ago, used my eggs to appear generous?

But I wouldn’t dare say that to his face.

A few minutes later, Hui Gen and I, who were also suffering, were both sent to the kitchen. Hui Gen boiled the eggs, and in the absence of any outsiders, I was once again the tragic cook.

An hour later, I had finished cooking a whole table of dishes, sweating profusely, and then respectfully poured a glass of wine for the master.

I was taken aback and asked, “Master Hui, you’re a monk, why do you want to drink?”

Master Hui took a sip of wine and said, “I’ve been dead once, so I don’t care about the small details. It’s been decades since I became a monk, and the thing I want most is to drink.”

I felt a little sad and a little funny, and asked Master Hui, “Do you eat meat?”

Master Hui stiffened his neck, his eyes bulging, and then said, “Sanwa, do you dare to tease me?”

I put the meat in the master’s bowl and then said to Master Hui very seriously, “No, I really don’t dare. In fact, in the past three years, I have been very worried about you, worried about whether your injury is completely healed. I miss the master very much, and I miss you very much.”

Master Hui was stunned, and a flash of emotion crossed his eyes, but soon he slammed his wine cup down and slapped me on the head, saying loudly, “You bully me and don’t know how to express your feelings, don’t give me this mushy stuff.”

I was inexplicably slapped, and Hui Gen, who was eating eggs next to me, was so scared that he accidentally choked on an egg and kept coughing. I pinched Hui Gen’s face and said, “Slow down, I’ll buy you a cake tomorrow.”

Master Hui looked angry again and yelled at me, “You won’t buy it for me?”

The master took a sip of wine and said calmly, “I want to eat that kind, the new kind with cream that melts in your mouth. If you can’t buy it, you’ll get beaten up.”

I was speechless. I couldn’t offend anyone, so I raised my hands above my head, looked pleadingly at him, and said, “Buy, buy, buy, buy everything…”

That night, Huigen was already asleep. Because Huidai had just returned, the boy had to sleep with his master, so there were only the two of us on the roof.

Summer nights are always hot and humid, and I always like to sprinkle water on the roof and spread out a cool mat to cool off. The difference is that I have Master by my side today, and I feel very at ease.

There were only a few stars in the sky, unlike the days when we lived in the bamboo hut, when we could always see the stars in the sky. But with Master here, it’s the same wherever we are.

My master and I sat on the cool mat for a while in silence. I took out a cigarette and offered it to my master, saying, “Master, I see you don’t have a pipe. Would you like a cigarette?”

“This kind of tobacco leaves are not strong, not authentic, don’t smoke.” The master did not hesitate to refuse me, paused for a moment, and then said to me, “Three years have passed, and you’ve become a lot more addicted to smoking. You’ve picked up a lot of bad habits, and I haven’t seen you bathe in fragrant water.”

“Taking a bath, Master, is too extravagant. I can only afford to take one a week, and I’m already laughing. Anyway, I’ve long since passed the foundation-building days of my childhood, so it doesn’t matter. I haven’t lost any of the homework you asked me to do, and I’ve also learned a lot of techniques.” I was like a child showing off to my master.

I didn’t ask my master what he had been doing for the past three years. If he wanted to tell me, he would have done so before he left three years ago. If not, he would have mentioned it just now. He didn’t want to say anything, so I didn’t ask.

I believe that my master only loves me and has no intention of harming me. If the day comes when he feels he can tell me, he will.

“Have you learned a lot? You still have a long way to go. You can’t neglect your homework. You know that power can only be accumulated over time.” Master said lightly, but then he added, “You should be stronger than I was at your age. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have been able to escape from that village. Tell me in detail. When I came back this time, I went to your Uncle Li’s place first, but I didn’t learn too much.”

Of course, I didn’t hide anything from my master, and I told him everything, including the details. I was just a little embarrassed to talk about my feelings for Ruoxue in too much detail, so I only mentioned it briefly.

After listening to everything, the master said to himself, “Interesting, treating my apprentice like food for worms.”

Then, without saying much more, the master said to me after a moment of silence, “This village, in fact, our department has long wanted to deal with it. Originally, we wanted to delay it for a few more years, but because of some very important things, we won’t delay it anymore. This time, you were able to escape, which was luckier than I expected. Ruoxue, a large part of your own progress is because of that Gao Ning.”

“Master, do you know about Gao Ning?”

“Do you think I’m a god who knows everything? This Gao Ning is probably going to be on the department’s list. Where did he take away a worm egg? He probably took away something even more terrifying than an atomic bomb.” The master sighed at this point.

“Master, you seem to know a lot of things. Can you tell me in detail?” I really want to know what happened in this village and with the worm. I think my master knows.

The master stood up and walked a few steps before saying, “I will definitely tell you all of this. You should also prepare yourself. We will stay in Beijing for two days at most before we set off. We will first go to the Yueyan Miao village, and then go to the Heiyan Miao village to deal with the matter. So, I have no intention of hiding anything from you. In the past, I was too protective of you because I thought I could accompany you for a long time…”

At this point, the master paused, and my heart suddenly leapt. What did he mean? Could it be that he was going to leave?

Master waved his hand, not allowing me to ask: “Where I am is not the most important question. Do you realize that? Where I am is not the key to the question of whether you can find me at any time. The key is that you need to be independent and take on some responsibilities. So, I want to make you independent.”

Master’s words finally made my heart settle down.

But then the master turned around with his hands on his back and said to me, “Let’s put the village aside for now. I want to talk to you about Ruoxue.”

I didn’t know what to say. I was really embarrassed to talk about my feelings in front of my master. I said, “Master, what’s there to say? Ruoxue said she didn’t like me, and I…”

“Look at you, you’re so hopeless. If she didn’t like you, would she risk her life to save you? Would she risk her life to save you by releasing her own life-giving bug? Do you know that in the eyes of Miao women, especially Miao girls with life-giving bugs, sometimes the life-giving bug is more important than their own lives?” The master glared at me.

“You said that Ruoxue likes me?” No one can be completely confident when it comes to feelings that they care about too much, and I couldn’t believe it.

After all, Ruoxue had so resolutely rejected me, and I didn’t know why Ruoxue would like me, to the extent that she would risk her life to save me.

“Yes, she likes you, and you can like her too. You can be with her and love each other. There’s nothing to be afraid of. Go after her, love her for a while, that’s what you owe her. But after that, it’s up to you and Ruoxue to decide what to do. You should know that sometimes love is also a kind of respect, and you…” The master paused, as if remembering something from the past, and sighed. Then there was a long silence.

“And what about me?” I suddenly became nervous.

The master looked at me and said, “I said it depends on your choice, which means you have to choose as well. But remember, no matter what choice you make, the master will not interfere with your choice. That’s it.”