Chapter 8: Going to the ghost market?

Since Uncle Li stopped me, as a junior, how could I not be polite? I stood respectfully in front of Uncle Li. To be honest, I was a little afraid of his serious appearance.

Uncle Li stared at me for a long time before finally saying, “Your master is a slacker, but you, as a descendant of the Shan lineage, cannot be a slacker.”

My forehead immediately became covered in a layer of sweat. What did he mean? I didn’t understand.

My master grunted in disapproval, but in the end he didn’t say anything and let Uncle Li continue.

After I had been nervous for a long time, Uncle Li said, “Since the beginning of this semester, you have missed a total of 38 classes, right?”

I was stunned. How did Uncle Li know? Even the teacher only knew about 4 or 5 times, and I didn’t even know how many times I had skipped class. But I thought of a possibility, and I immediately said, “Uncle Li, did you calculate it?”

Uncle Li was at a loss for words, and said, “This is not worth my divination. It’s just that my nephew is in Beijing, and I have to pay attention to him. I know a lot about you, but I’m just reminding you that you have to have a limit to your youthful exuberance. When you get older, you have to be a little more restrained.”

I nodded quickly, but I couldn’t help but want to ask. Just as I opened my mouth, Uncle Li said, “I know what you want to ask. Is it how I exist for you? I haven’t seen you or anything. I can tell you that I knew you when you were very young. I remember your father calling me. Don’t you understand? As for me, I have a heart. Let’s not talk about anything else. It’s also possible to find you in Beijing.”

I suddenly realized that the phone call to find the master was actually answered by Uncle Li, and Uncle Li’s status was not low.

“Okay, remember what I said. There is a limit to being young and reckless. You can’t be reckless for the rest of your life.” After saying that, Uncle Li turned around and went back with Chengqing.

We walked together for a while, and then we parted ways, but from then on, our contact would never be severed.

Time flies, and two years have passed. I was 23 years old this year, and it was 1990. That summer, I was about to graduate from college.

After Uncle Li’s lecture, I became a lot more obedient and stopped doing reckless things. It was because of Uncle Li’s words that there is always a limit to being young and reckless. In those years, I really let my master down.

In the process of contacting Chengqing, I also learned some things. After each time I got into a fight or caused trouble, my master was the one who quietly cleaned up after me.

In fact, several masters had discussed my situation together. Because the identity of the successor of the Shan lineage could not be taken lightly, although I didn’t know why the master wanted to set such a rule, the masters dared not disobey it. Our lineage was scattered and not particular about anything, and there was only one iron-clad rule!

So they were worried, but my master just said, “A forced melon is not sweet. The Tao is natural. If he doesn’t naturally realize it, I’m afraid that our pressure will be in vain. The worst result may be the opposite.”

After hearing these things, I was very moved. If I were still young and foolish, I don’t know how much more disappointed my master would be.

At this time, I was walking back to school. My internship was about to end, and there was a lot of work to be done at school. In fact, after graduation, the university would assign a job to me, but I knew I would definitely not be one of the lucky ones.

When I returned to the dormitory, I unexpectedly saw Yang Jingtong there. He pounced on me as soon as he saw me, grabbed my collar and said, “Let’s go. Don’t run away today. It’s been a long time since we last saw each other. Let’s go drinking tonight.”

I pushed his hand away and said, “Yang Jingtong, listen to me…”

“What did you just call me?” Yang Jingtong, no, it should be Yang Qinhuai. He was unhappy. His name was given to him by Chengqing, and his whole family was convinced by Chengqing’s appearance, so they resolutely changed his name to Yang Qinhuai.

He was not happy when people didn’t call him Yang Qinhuai.

“I know, Qinhuai, right?” I pushed him away with a helpless smile and said, “I really can’t today. Before graduation, let’s drink a toast seriously.”

“Come on, you’ve been acting crazy for the past two years, like a different person. You don’t even treat me like a buddy anymore. Isn’t this pushing again?” Yang Qinhuai was unhappy.

Yes, in the past two years, I have changed from a carefree youth to a motivated youth. Not only Yang Qinhuai is not used to it, even I myself have not adapted to it for a long time. I have never talked to him about why, and I actually feel quite guilty. Yang Qinhuai is really sincere to me.

“Qinhuai, I’m serious. I’ve always treated you as a buddy. I didn’t mean to change who I am. I have a reason. Before graduation, I will definitely have a drink with you and then confess to you. I couldn’t go today because my master told me a long time ago that after the internship, I would go back to school to report and then go back. He has something important to tell me.” I explained to Qinhuai seriously.

Yang Qinhuai could naturally feel my sincerity. He came over and patted me on the shoulder, saying, “That’s the way to get through to you. Forgive you. Don’t stand me up next time.”

I smiled and agreed.

After finishing some miscellaneous tasks at school, I got on my bike and went home. I really didn’t lie to Qinhuai about this. My master had indeed told me about it a long time ago. I was also very curious about what it was that my master was so serious about.

My home is not close to the school, although it is in Beijing. I ride my bike just to exercise. The early summer sun is actually quite poisonous. When I pushed open the door and returned to the courtyard where my master and I lived, I found that my master had been waiting for me under the grape trellis.

“You’re back?” Master said in a calm voice.

“Yes.” I was very hot, and I didn’t have to worry about anything with my master. I took off my shirt and wiped the sweat off my face.

“Come here, it’s cooler here,” said the master, pulling up a stool and asking me to sit in front of him. Then he handed me a bowl and said, “It’s from the refrigerator. Drink slowly. Hurrying will harm your body.”

“Yes,” I said, and then I looked at it and saw that it was sour plum soup in a bowl. I was happy to drink it, even though I knew that it would hurt my body if I drank it too quickly, but I couldn’t help but drink it in big gulps.

The master was sitting next to me, smiling contentedly, but I didn’t know what he was laughing at.

When I finished drinking, I realized that something was wrong. Why was the plum juice so watery?

I pointed at the empty bowl and asked the master, “Master, is this plum juice or plain water?”

“It’s sour plum soup,” the master said seriously.

“Why is it so weak? Are we so poor that we can’t even afford to drink plum juice? That can’t be right, you’ve been making money for the past few years.” I was a little dissatisfied.

“Oh, it was so delicious that I drank a few more bowls, and then I thought I’d save some for you, so I added more water, and you know, it had to be refrozen, and I don’t know how long it took.” The master looked innocent.

“Master, how can you do this?” I was depressed. The plum juice and plain water were basically the same.

“What? You don’t like it even though I saved it for you? Go copy the Tao Te Ching for me.” The master was furious.

I looked helplessly at him and said, “Okay, okay, I understand that you are kind, I was wrong.”

The master snorted, which meant that it was about time.

After resting for half the night, I finally felt cooler. My master doesn’t like electric fans, and he won’t use them unless he has no choice. I can’t help it either. It’s at least a little cooler now. I asked my master, “Master, what’s the matter? You should tell me now, right?”

“It’s not a big deal. After you graduate this year, you should come with me to Sichuan,” the master said lightly.

“Sichuan?” I was suddenly overjoyed. My hometown, which I had longed for.

“Don’t be happy. It’s not going back to your hometown. There are things to be done. It’s a mission. I may not have time to go back to your hometown. This mission is like your first job. Learn as much as you can,” the master said.

Although I might not be able to go home, I was still very happy about this. I had always dreamed of going back to Sichuan, and maybe I would have the chance to go back to my hometown one day.

“No, I have to go out now to find my sister. I may not be able to go home, but my parents can always come to see me, right?” I was very excited.

“This is possible before the mission, but the problem is that you can’t go out now. I’ve arranged a car and we’re going to Tianjin. We’ll leave in a while.” Master poured a basin of cold water on me.

“I only see my sister 2 or 3 times a year. Master, you can’t be serious. Besides, it’s already late. What are we going to do in Tianjin? It’ll be nighttime when we get there.” Both of my sisters have stayed in Beijing to work for my parents’ sake. I thought Master was deliberately stopping me.

“No kidding, we’re going to go at night because I want to take you to the ghost market,” the master said calmly.