As the saying goes, "Rely on the mountains to eat from the mountains." In the resource-scarce 1970s, nearly everyone living in Weijia Village would venture into the mountains to gather wild produce to supplement their households. Since there were few wild beasts in the Fang Mountains, many would take their young children along, and the old Taoist's temple often served as a resting place for them.
During Fang Yi's childhood, there were usually seven or eight children playing on the mountain each day. However, the reason he shared such a close bond with the portly boy and San Pao is rooted in a particular story.
One winter when Fang Yi was around eight or nine years old, the adults in his family went into the woods to gather winter mushrooms. Bored, he and six or seven other children ran off to play near a grove two miles below the temple, wielding sticks as swords, laughing and frolicking.
After a while, San Pao pulled a frozen, stiff snake from a tree hollow, brandishing it to frighten a little girl among their group. To everyone's shock, the snake was not dead but merely in hibernation.
In San Pao's hands, the snake gradually revived and, without warning, bit his forearm. The venom, accumulated over months, quickly paralyzed San Pao's nerves, and within minutes, he was barely conscious.
The other children, the oldest among them no more than ten, were so startled by the scene that they fled in tears, leaving only the portly boy and Fang Yi beside San Pao.
Although Fang Yi was quite young, having been raised by the old Taoist, he remained calm. He swiftly untied the shoelaces of San Pao's white sneakers, tightly binding his forearm. Then, picking up a sharp stone from the ground, he made a small incision in the swollen bite.
Fang Yi had heard from his master that if someone was bitten by a snake, it was crucial to suck out the venom immediately. After making the cut, he pressed his mouth to the wound, drawing out the snake's poison until the dark blood flowing from the injury turned bright red, at which point he stopped.
However, San Pao remained unconscious. After extracting the venom, Fang Yi's lips swelled significantly, leaving him weak and unable to carry San Pao back to the temple. Fortunately, a girl named Jin Hua, known for her kindness, was still around. She carried San Pao on her back for over a mile until they encountered the old Taoist and others who had come in response to the commotion.
Thanks to Fang Yi's timely intervention and the fact that the snake's venom was not particularly potent, the old Taoist administered an antidote, and San Pao gradually regained consciousness. By the next day, he was back to his lively self, while Fang Yi's lips remained swollen for three to four days as a reminder of his bravery.
This incident forged an unbreakable bond among Fang Yi, Peng Sanjun, and Wei Jin Hua, and they grew increasingly inseparable, playing together every time they ascended the mountain.
Though Peng Sanjun, known as San Pao, often teased Fang Yi by calling him a "little Taoist charlatan," he secretly regarded him as an older brother, ensuring that every year, relatives from the city would bring books for Fang Yi.
Orphaned and without parents, Fang Yi found his closest companions in Peng Sanjun and Wei Jin Hua. The deep friendship they shared since childhood remained unchanged by the passage of time.
"Fatty, stop bullying San Pao; I must intervene!" After observing for a while, Fang Yi joined the fray. However, rather than fighting, he simply separated the two boys who were rolling on the ground.
"I wish I could live in such a spacious courtyard..."
After playfully tussling for a while, Fatty and San Pao finally paused, tilting their heads to survey their surroundings. Fatty remarked, "San Pao, I think we should let Yi Ge live with you; after all, you're the only one residing here..."
San Pao, whose full name was Peng Sanjun, was not originally from Weijia Village. His parents were sent down to the village as educated youth during the 1970s. Due to policy issues, they missed the last batch of educated youth returning to the city, ultimately settling in Weijia Village.
San Pao's uncle had served as a construction soldier for several years during the 1970s, acquiring skills in demolition. After retiring in the early 1980s, he returned to Weijia Village to partner with San Pao's father in the stone business. After several years of reforestation efforts, they eventually returned to the city.
Many of San Pao's relatives lived in Shanghai and Nanjing. In Nanjing, there was an ancestral home left to his father by San Pao's grandfather. After San Pao enlisted, his parents moved to the ancestral home in Nanjing.
Consequently, the house left in Weijia Village remained vacant, visited only occasionally by his parents for tidying up. With their home in Nanjing being too small and San Pao unwilling to live under his parents' constraints, he returned to Weijia Village.
"Of course, Yi Ge should stay with me; I've already bought clothes for him..." Upon entering the house, San Pao grabbed a bag from the table and tossed it to Fang Yi, saying, "You're just a pretend Taoist; stop wearing that robe all the time and change into these clothes quickly..."
"Change now?" Fang Yi hesitated. Having grown up in a Taoist robe, he found it difficult to adjust to wearing anything else.
"Of course, change now! This is a brand-name outfit from Benni Road..." San Pao smacked his lips, adding, "This whole outfit cost me over two hundred; if you don't wear it, just return it to me, and I can get a refund..."
"I'll wear it; who said I wouldn't?"
Fang Yi gritted his teeth, realizing that since descending the mountain, his life would be entirely different. If he wanted to integrate into society, it wasn't just about changing clothes; he might even need to let down his hair and adopt a new hairstyle.
At that moment, as spring transitioned into summer, San Pao exclaimed, "Wow, with that outfit change, you've instantly gone from Taoist to a commoner..."
Once Fang Yi changed out of his slightly tattered Taoist robe, both San Pao and Fatty's eyes lit up. San Pao reached out, saying, "Let your hair down too; it looks a bit awkward like that..."
"Alright..." Fang Yi nodded and let down his hair, which cascaded to his shoulders, giving him an ethereal appearance that seemed untouched by the mundane world.
"What are you two staring at me for?" Feeling somewhat uncomfortable, Fang Yi glared at San Pao and Fatty, irritably asking, "Have you never seen my face before?"
"I have..." Fatty replied honestly, nodding, "But I've never seen you like this..."
As the saying goes, "A person is dressed by their clothes, and a Buddha is adorned with gold." With Fang Yi's change in attire and hairstyle, Fatty and San Pao were momentarily taken aback. The little Taoist had transformed, exuding an entirely different aura.
When Fang Yi donned the new outfit, San Pao and Fatty felt he resembled a city professional. The clothes, typically worn by urban dwellers, seemed to fit him perfectly, as though he were always meant to wear them.
It is worth noting that Fatty had worked in the city for several years after his military service, yet no matter how he dressed, he always gave off an impression of being out of place. In contrast, Fang Yi, simply by changing his clothes, effortlessly adopted a city dweller's demeanor.
As Fang Yi let down his hair, the perception of him shifted again in San Pao and Fatty's eyes. With his long hair, Fang Yi appeared somewhat rebellious, reminiscent of the rock stars they had seen on television, exuding an air of otherworldliness.
"Perhaps... I should just change back into my robe..." After putting on the new clothes, Fang Yi felt an uncomfortable itch all over, especially under the intense scrutiny of San Pao and Fatty, as if he were covered in tiny insects, yearning to shed the garment immediately.
"Don't! You look great just like this; just tie your hair back..."
Upon hearing Fang Yi's words, both San Pao and Fatty quickly intervened. San Pao rummaged through a drawer, producing a hair tie, saying, "This is something my mom used to use; make do with it for now. When we get to the city, we'll find a barber to give you a proper cut..."
"I think this looks just fine..." Fatty shook his head, stating, "Look at Fang Yi's aura now; doesn't he resemble an artist? Those male celebrities on television don't even compare to him. If he were to enter the entertainment industry, those stars would surely find themselves out of work..."
Though Fatty's words were somewhat exaggerated, Fang Yi indeed had a striking appearance. His facial features, which had once seemed somewhat rugged, took on a gentle, sunny quality when paired with his extraordinarily pure eyes.
"What entertainment industry? Is that just about singing?" Fang Yi asked curiously, "I'm not very good at singing; I couldn't manage that line of work..."
"Don't listen to Fatty's nonsense..." San Pao chuckled, saying, "Even if you could sing beautifully, you wouldn't make it into the entertainment industry. That world is far removed from us. I suggest we focus on finding some work and first ensure we can support ourselves..."
"Now that you mention it, I almost forgot why we came here..." At San Pao's words, Fatty suddenly exclaimed, "You called us over for a meal; let's eat first..."
Just mentioning food made both Fang Yi and Fatty's stomachs growl. Seeing the six dishes and a soup laid out on the table, they could no longer restrain themselves and rushed to the table. Fatty reached for the bottle of liquor on the table.
"Hey, San Pao, are we really drinking Fen Jinting? That's a bit stingy, isn't it?" Fen Jinting was a local low-grade liquor that had been quite popular in the early to mid-90s, but by the 2000s, it had lost its appeal.
"Man, I'm currently dating someone, and I can barely scrape together ten bucks; being able to afford this liquor is already a feat..."
San Pao felt a bit embarrassed as his face flushed. He had originally brought two bottles of Hu Zhou Lao Jiao from his home in the city, but accidentally dropped them during the journey. With little money left, he had no choice but to buy two cheap bottles from a local shop.
"I still have some leftover monkey wine; if we mix it with something else, it'll be drinkable. Let's just go with this for now..." Seeing San Pao's awkward expression, Fang Yi took out a gourd of liquor from his box. As he removed the cork, although there were only a few drops left, the aroma filled the room.