Chapter 15: The “strange” old man Jiang

After listening to the old man’s explanation, my parents suddenly understood why the old man had been wandering around like a vagrant in the area. And this apprentice, my parents also vaguely felt that it had something to do with their son.

“I know that my disciple will appear in this area, but I don’t know exactly where. I’m just waiting for a chance to meet my disciple in this village. In recent years, the world has been in chaos, and although I’m not afraid, I feel like I’m in a paradise in this village, so I’m happy to stay here. My meeting with your son was destined. From the moment I saw him, I knew that he would be my future disciple. Therefore, it is my duty to treat your son well.” After saying all this, the old man Jiang sat down again. Looking at his face, I could see that he was also very anxious. It was clear that he was very concerned about his disciple and the inheritance.

At this time, the old monk Huijue, who had not spoken up until now, also spoke up: “Your son is a Taoist boy, destined to have a connection with Taoism, which is also good for him. If he were a Buddhist boy, I would have to take him in as a disciple.”

It turns out that he didn’t want to send him to study Taoism, but that he wanted to take him as a disciple. This also explains why Jiang Laoren was so good to his son.

My father was relieved. If it was a matter of life and death for his son, he would have agreed to send him to learn Taoism. But in those days, not to mention whether some Taoist temples could even protect themselves, this move alone would definitely be a typical example of a family being dragged down.

If I were to become an apprentice to Old Master Jiang, and then I thought about Old Master Jiang’s abilities… My father was a little relieved, but when he thought about me as a young child, he felt reluctant to let me go. When he thought about the separation, my father’s heart ached.

Before my father could even speak, my mother was already crying, looking pitifully at Master Jiang and saying, “Master Jiang, I… I can’t bear to let you go.”

Before Jiang Laoren could say anything, my father also said, “Master Jiang, I don’t mind you laughing at me, but not only his mother is reluctant to let him go, I am reluctant to let him go too! I know you are doing this for the good of your child, and I know you have real skills, but… but I…”

The old man sighed again and said, “If things become forced, it would be meaningless. That would go against my heart. Besides, San is still young and doesn’t have the right to make a decision. I have helped him get rid of the evil spirits that have been haunting him, so I think he will be fine for the next few years. I won’t force this disciple to accept me. Everything will be left to fate.”

After saying this, the old man Jiang got up to leave, and the old monk Huijue also got up to leave after reciting a Buddhist mantra. Just as the two of them were about to leave, my mother remembered something and quickly took off the tiger claw from my neck and handed it to the old man Jiang.

“Master Jiang, I didn’t mean anything by it. You didn’t accept me as a disciple, so how can we accept such a precious thing? You’ve helped us so much, and we haven’t…” My mother said incoherently. She really didn’t mean anything by it. She simply felt that the old man had helped a lot, and since her family had rejected him, how could she accept such a precious thing from someone else?

“You can tell that this is valuable?” Old man Jiang looked at my mother in disbelief. How could a village woman have such insight?

“Yes, I recognize it. This circle of things is gold.” My mother looked sincere.

The old man could not help but laugh and cry. He said, “Give it to the child. He has a strong sense of the supernatural and is particularly susceptible to evil spirits. It is possible that he will encounter them and be injured. With this tiger claw to protect him, he will be safe.”

“Master Jiang, this…” My mother was really touched. When it came to her son, she didn’t want to give it back. It wasn’t because she was greedy, it was because the words “protect me” moved her.

“Let’s go,” said the old man, pulling his torn jacket tighter and turning to leave.

The old monk Huijue, however, said sincerely to my mother, “If you have figured it out, you can come to the mountains to find us. I will stay with him on the mountain for a while these few days. I don’t have any other skills, but I have practiced the heavenly eye and heavenly ear quite diligently.”

After that, the old monk Huijue also followed the old man Jiang closely, leaving my mother holding the tiger tooth in a daze. I couldn’t figure out whether the relationship between the old monk Huijue and the old man Jiang was good or bad.

Time flies. After that incident, a few months passed in the blink of an eye.

Although it was an era of unrest, nothing could stop people’s enthusiasm for the Spring Festival. The winter was coming to an end, and the Spring Festival was approaching. Everyone in this remote village was busy preparing for the Spring Festival, and the joy of the occasion was everywhere.

My family was no exception. Red couplets, red lanterns, candies, melon seeds, peanuts… My mother was so busy that she didn’t have time to put her feet down. Although my family didn’t raise pigs this year, we still had to help out when someone else did.

My two sisters were wearing brand new red coats, which my mother had made for them with the cloth coupons she had saved for half a year. As for me, I also wore a tiger-head hat and shoes, and the whole family was in high spirits.

But as the Spring Festival approached, the weather got colder and colder. One night, my mother put down her sewing and took out a coat from the closet and said to my father, “You should go to the mountains tomorrow.”

“What’s going on?” My father took a sip of sugarcane wine and was a little puzzled. It was cold and it was the Spring Festival. What was there to do in the mountains?

“You haven’t seen Master Jiang for a while, don’t you think?” My mother always remembered the good things about the old man.

“Yes, I was thinking of inviting him down to eat a reunion dinner with us on New Year’s Eve, but I didn’t expect you to be more anxious than I was.” In fact, my father had not forgotten the good things about the old man, but he and my mother obviously did not expect to go together.

“Of course we’ll invite him to our New Year’s Eve dinner. It’s the New Year, how can we leave him alone on the mountain? I want you to go up the mountain to deliver this coat to Master Jiang. I found some old cotton and some new cotton to mix with it. I made it from your old clothes. It’s cold out. Women’s hearts are more delicate.

“Oh, you really are thoughtful. I saw it the other day and thought you made it for me. I don’t know if the old monk Huijue is still there. Otherwise, I won’t be able to find Master Jiang on the mountain.” My father was a little worried.

“Master Jiang is very capable, he will definitely see you, so don’t worry.” My mother had great faith in Master Jiang’s abilities.

“That’s fine.”

My parents’ discussion on this matter ended here. They had planned to go to the mountain the next day to find Master Jiang, but unexpectedly, early in the morning, Master Jiang came to the door himself.

“Is it Master Jiang?” It was near the Spring Festival, and it was still early in the morning. My father, who was opening the door, was a little unsure when he saw the shadowy figure at the door.

“Well, let’s go inside,” the old man replied simply.

Hearing this, my father quickly ushered the old man into the main room, shouting, “Master Jiang is here!” He told my mother to get up and light the stove, and turned on the only light in the main room.

As the yellow light illuminated the room, my father saw the old man clearly, and he was suddenly stunned.

In my father’s impression, the old man had only been clean once, when he had come to perform a funeral rite for me. When he and the old monk came back, they were both unkempt and had long beards. But today, the old man was not only quick, but also so different.

What was the image of the old man at this time? His hair had been cut, and it was no longer the long, unkempt look of before. It was all neatly combed back, the big back haircut that was popular among cadres at the time. Although his hair was a bit gray, it had a sense of majesty.

His face was clean, his beard had been shaved, and there were no wrinkles on his face. It was only by the feeling of vicissitudes of life that one knew he was no longer a young man.

The clothes Old Jiang was wearing were a brand new gray Mao suit, still made of wool. The buttons were all buttoned up neatly, looking very straight and imposing.

As for the outside, the old man was wearing a black coat, which looked like wool and was even more impressive.

This outfit is clearly worn by those in the city, and only by senior cadres. I never thought that old man Jiang would have such clothes. My father, who never wore any good clothes in his life, was simply envious.

The only thing that didn’t match was that old man Jiang was carrying a snakeskin bag, which completely ruined the momentum of the outfit. Even if it was a suit, it should have been matched with a briefcase, just like the one that the old monk Huijue had carried last time.

The other thing is that the old man’s youthful feeling has returned, and he doesn’t look like an old man anymore. During the ceremony, my father thought that the old man looked like a middle-aged man, and this feeling was even more obvious this time.

For a moment, my father was confused. He felt that he couldn’t figure out the real age of the old man.