Chapter 71: A thick fog

“Master, you also have a name called Shou Ping?” I really couldn’t figure out who this person was, so I decided that my master had lied to me. He actually had a nickname called Shou Ping.

“Don’t say things you don’t understand, little boy. This is a painting your master received when he was young. The painter’s name was Yun Shouping, and he lived at the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty. He was a master of lotus painting, and he didn’t use a frame. He painted directly with ink, but it had a unique style. He was truly a master of “boneless painting.” Your master loved good calligraphy and painting, and helped some literati with character. He never coveted gold and silver, and often asked for some calligraphy. Of course, if he didn’t get it, he didn’t push for it. Old Jiang carefully picked up the painting and looked at it carefully, explaining to me in a rambling manner.

I always felt that something was wrong, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. So I asked, “Does he ever refuse?”

“Basically, they will give it to you. Your master’s grandfather didn’t take calligraphy and painting for money. He often said that many people have never been exposed to Taoist metaphysics in their lives, but there is a Taoist charm in calligraphy and painting, which is really a great achievement. Your master and I also love calligraphy and painting like your master’s grandfather. Over the years, I have also been fortunate enough to obtain some calligraphy and painting.”

The last sentence of the old man Jiang struck me like a bolt of lightning. I finally remembered what was wrong. My master had received some calligraphy over the years, so it must be a painter from the era he lived in. My master had received a painting by Yun Shouping! My master had met his master in 1922, and my master…

My heart started pounding. This was even more strange than seeing a ghost. For a moment, I felt dry and thirsty. Who says that children don’t have wisdom? It’s just that they have to encounter something that makes them use all their mental energy to take it seriously.

The sudden burst of wit made me remain calm. Over the years, I have learned that my master is a bit of a talker and likes to hide and pretend to be mysterious. I have to think of a way to get some information out of him.

After a moment of silence, I asked, “Master, if the master is so rich and likes calligraphy, why can’t he buy it himself? Why does he have to beg people?”

“You know nothing. When did your master have money? He was practicing Taoism and had a few disciples. He was already poor, and it was not bad. Moreover, the ownership of calligraphy is a matter of fate, and sometimes it cannot be measured by money.” Old Jiang seemed to be immersed in those lotus flowers, and he answered me in a nonchalant manner.

“Did your master never buy paintings? I don’t believe it. I love eating ‘go-pan-er’ (go-pan-er, the Sichuan name for rocks, mostly referring to rocks by the river), and I can’t help but buy them.” I tried my best to act like I didn’t believe it, but old man Jiang couldn’t stand being provoked.

“You, you kid, can you compare to your master? Your master never bought paintings, and those cultural relics were also passed on. Except for those ancient books! Your master was a person who didn’t even care about his own life, and wouldn’t spend money on those things.” Sure enough, the old man was angered by me, and turned around to scold me. But after he finished scolding, he suddenly felt something was wrong, and immediately shut up.

Next, he looked at me with some caution, as if he was trying to detect something. I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I’m not an actor. I’ve already reached this point thanks to the intelligence my parents gave me.

I suddenly stood up, put my hands on my hips, and said loudly, “Master, how old is my master?”

The old man Jiang coughed violently, coughing and coughing, but he wouldn’t answer my question.

I knew it. I folded my arms and squatted on the stool, saying, “Master, you can’t be a bad sport. I’ll wait until dawn to hear you cough. I’ll have to know the answer even if you beat my brains in. Yes, I’ll copy the Tao Te Ching 10,000 times if I have to!”

When the old man heard this, he stopped coughing and turned his head and said, “Ten thousand times the Tao Te Ching?”

“I was just using a metaphor! You always use metaphors!” I quickly said. This old man has a strong sense of revenge. I tricked him, and God knows if he will be “angry and ashamed.” It would really be no fun for me to copy the Tao Te Ching ten thousand times!

“Forget it, it’s no secret. Your master was from the late Ming Dynasty. How old do you think he was?” The old man rolled up the painting and said lightly.

I had already started learning history in elementary school, but it was too shallow for me, because my cheap master had nothing better to do than to tell me about history. Compared to children of the same age, I knew a lot more than them.

I knew the approximate years of the late Ming Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty. I was shocked and jumped up in my seat. “Master, you can’t lie to me. My master lived for more than 300 years?”

At the same time, the portrait of my master’s master appeared in my mind. He looked like a very simple old farmer, and like an old man, he was just a little bit worn out, but he was not an old man, and he didn’t look old at all. He could live another 20 or 30 years without any problem!

The key point is that the portrait was painted by my master, which further proves that his image at that time was like that.

In fact, when I asked that question, I knew that my master had definitely not lied to me. Yun Shouping’s painting was there, and my cheap master was definitely not a liar, at least in major matters.

“I didn’t say your master lived more than 300 years. He just… just happened to exist in that era and in this era.” Old Jiang pretended to be unconcerned as he collected the paintings. In fact, his back was trembling a little. I have been with him for many years, and I know that he is actually very restless.

“Master, he is also my master. Tell me about my master, please!” My curiosity has never been so strong. I feel like I’m going to die if I don’t know.

With a few “pops,” the old man closed the box and said to himself with his hands behind his back, “I still can’t sell the calligraphy and painting. When I give away my calligraphy and painting, it’s all from the bottom of my heart. Moreover, in my heart, calligraphy and painting have a spirit and are objects of appreciation. They can’t be equated with money, because that would pollute my heart.”

“Master…” I begged, but the old man ignored me.

He walked straight to the table, grabbed a piece of white jade, and said, “This piece of jade has been nurtured in the spring of life for five years, and has been with me for more than ten years. It has been with me every day, listening to the scriptures and chanting the Dao. It is also a treasure.”

“This is a treasure?” My attention was distracted and I immediately asked.

This is how I am. My master often says that my mind is too active, which is not a good thing. It is better to be a little bit stupid. Sometimes being a little bit stupid can help you focus on a certain realm of cultivation.

“Why isn’t it a treasure? Do you think that spiritual springs and spiritual places are easy to find? There are only a few places in the vast mountains where spiritual energy gathers, and some places have none at all! And the amount of spiritual energy varies, as does the amount of force exerted on the jade. Some places seem to be full of spiritual energy, but after a month of burying jade there, the spiritual energy is exhausted. In some places, the spiritual energy is full, but if you don’t find a good piece of jade, and bury an ordinary piece of jade, after a while, you’ll see it start to crack. That’s because it can’t withstand it. Jades that have been nourished by these spiritual places are already treasures, not to mention naturally formed jades that have been dug up from spiritual places. When it comes to professional knowledge, old man Jiang is more than willing to answer my questions.

“So this jade was naturally formed in the sacred land?” I looked at the white jade in the old man’s hand and asked curiously.

“Bullshit, you’re dreaming. Is it that easy to find? It’s priceless, and it’s worth more than anything else. This piece of land has been nurtured by the spirit spring, and I’ve nurtured it for more than ten years. I originally wanted to use it as a magic weapon, as a magic eye, to control things, and to do anything else. Of course, to ordinary people, this is a treasure.” Old Master Jiang said.

“Master, after you have cultivated it, it has never been bad and has become a treasure? You said that we cultivators should be humble and low-key.” I whispered.

“You son of a bitch, don’t pretend to know what you don’t know!” Old Jiang immediately flew into a rage!