After Wang Gu'an returned to the yard, his eyelids kept twitching, the left eye twitching for wealth, the right eye twitching for disaster.
So Wang Gu'an sat on the threshold and began to imagine himself throwing a pottery with his hands in the air. Soon, the boy in straw sandals entered a state of ecstasy. The boy's diligence is one aspect, and this move can also help him to resist hunger, which is also very important, so Wang Gu'an has developed the habit of throwing a pottery whenever he has something on his mind. The firing of porcelain is most dependent on God's will, because before the kiln is opened, no one knows whether the glaze color and shape of a piece of porcelain will eventually fit the heart, and one can only leave it to fate. However, before firing the kiln, throwing a pottery is undoubtedly the top priority, but Wang Gu'an is considered by Old Man He to have poor qualifications and mostly does some physical work of kneading clay. Wang Gu'an can only watch carefully from the side, and then practice clay and throw pottery by himself to find the feel.
The sound of a wooden door being pushed open was heard in the next yard. It turned out that Ye Dan was returning from the school with his maid Shi Hui. The handsome young man sprinted and easily stepped onto the low wall. After squatting, he opened his palms. All of them were stones the size of fingernails, with various colors, such as sheep fat, bean green, white lotus root, etc. These worthless stones, of different sizes, can be seen everywhere in the stream beach of the town. Among them, a bright red stone that looks like chicken blood is the most pleasing. Mr. Liu from the school carved a seal for his disciple Zhao Yao. Ye Dan thought it was quite attractive. He wanted to exchange things with that guy several times, but the other party refused to do so.
Ye Dan threw a stone, not hard, and hit Wang Gu'an's chest, but the latter was indifferent.
He threw it again, and this time it hit the forehead of the boy in straw sandals, but Wang Gu'an remained motionless.
Ye Dan was not surprised by this. He threw seven or eight stones one after another. Although Ye Dan intended to make Wang Gu'an feel pain and distract him, he still did not hit Wang Gu'an's arms and fingers directly, because Ye Dan felt that this would be an unfair victory.
After throwing the stones, Ye Dan clapped his hands. Wang Gu'an let out a long breath, shook his wrist, ignored Ye Dan, thought for a while, lowered his head, and held the five fingers of his left hand in the shape of a carving knife.
The skill of jumping knife is not a unique skill among the old potters in the town, but whoever sees the jumping knife technique of old Hetou will give a thumbs up.
Old Hetou has accepted several apprentices, but he has never been able to satisfy the old man. When he came to Ji Chenru, he thought he had found someone who could inherit his legacy. In the past, when Ji Chenru was practicing, Wang Gu'an would squat aside and stare hard as long as he had nothing to do.
Ji Chenru was very concerned about her reputation, and she only knew that Wang Gu'an was tight-lipped, so she often used Lao He's secret formula to intimidate the latter, such as "If you want the knife to move steadily, your hands must not be rigidly steady. In the final analysis, it is the heart that is steady."
But when Wang Gu'an asked what it meant to be calm, Ji Chenru was at a loss.
Ye Dan watched for a while, felt bored, and jumped off the wall to enter the house.
The maid Shi Hui stood by the wall. If she didn't tiptoe, she would just show the upper half of her face. Even so, it was already vaguely clear that the girl was a beauty.
She thought about it, gently tiptoed, and looked around the poor boy. Finally, she found two stones on the ground that she liked. One was scarlet and transparent, and the other was snow-white and radiant. Both were thrown away by her master.
She hesitated for a moment, lowered her voice, and said timidly: "Wang Gu'an, can you help me pick up those two stones? I like them very much."
Wang Gu'an slowly raised his head, his hands did not stop moving, and he was still very steady. He signaled her to wait a moment with his eyes.
Shi Hui smiled sweetly, like the first green buds on the branches after spring, very beautiful.
But the young man had already lowered his head and missed this touching scene.
Her lips curled up, her eyes were full of light, as if there were tiny living things swimming in them.
When Wang Gu'an stopped what he was doing and asked which two stones they were, the maid Shi Hui's eyes returned to normal, as always, soft as spring mud after rain.
Wang Gu'an picked up the two stones according to the direction her finger pointed, walked to the wall, and as soon as she raised her hand, the boy in straw sandals had already placed the stones on the top of the wall.
She picked up the two stones and held them tightly in her palm.
If someone deliberately looked for this thing, it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack, and it would be hard to find it in ten years.
Even if the person with a predestined relationship was unintentional, it would be like a piece of junk on the street, easily available, and it all depends on whether you are in a good mood or not.
Wang Gu'an asked with a smile: "Aren't you afraid that the slugs will block your door and curse you for a long time?"
She did not admit that her son stole other people's things, but she seemed to have no face to deny the fact, so she smiled and said nothing.
There lived a mother and son in Niping Lane. They were the best at quarreling in the town, and only Ye Dan could fight with them. The child was particularly naughty, with two slugs hanging from his nose all year round. He liked to go to the creek to catch fish and pick up stones. The fish he caught were kept in a large water tank, and the stones were piled next to the water tank. Ye Dan just liked to provoke this little thorn. He would steal a few stones every now and then. It wouldn't be noticeable in one or two days, but he couldn't stand Ye Dan's frequent stealing. Once the child confirmed that he had lost his treasure, he would get furious, like a wild cat whose tail was stepped on, and would scold him outside the courtyard gate for an hour. His mother never tried to persuade him, but instead fanned the flames, deliberately bringing up the fact that Ye Dan was the illegitimate son of the former construction supervisor. Ye Dan was so angry several times that he almost took a bench and went out to fight. It was only after the maid Shi Hui had tried to persuade him that he stopped.
Suddenly, a sharp voice sounded, "Ye Dan, Ye Dan, come and catch the adulterer, your maid and Wang Gu'an are flirting with each other, it's obvious that they are hooking up! If you don't take care of your maid, she might climb over the wall and knock on Wang Gu'an's door tonight! Get out quickly, tsk tsk tsk, Wang Gu'an's hand has touched the little girl's face, you didn't see, Wang Gu'an's smile is so disgusting..."
Ye Dan didn't show up at all, and shouted directly in the house: "What's this? I saw Wang Gu'an and your mother pulling and tugging last night. After I caught him, Wang Gu'an 'pulled' his claws out of your mother's collar. It's your mother's fault. Her thing is so spectacular and full. Poor Wang Gu'an is sweating all over his head..."
Someone in the alley kicked Ye Dan's door hard and said angrily: "Ye Dan, come out and fight! If you lose, you will give Shi Hui to me as a maid, feeding me, making the bed and washing my feet every day! If I lose, I will give Wang Gu'an to you as a servant, how about that? I just ask if you dare, anyway, anyone who dares not is a turtle!"
Inside the house, Ye Dan said lazily: "Go to the side! Your father looked through the almanac, it's not suitable to beat his son today, Gu Can, you are lucky!"
The child outside the house pounded on the door, "Shi Hui, you follow such a cowardly young master, how aggrieved, you should elope with Ji Chenru, anyway, the big fool looks at you as if he wants to eat you."
The maid Shi Hui turned and walked towards the house.
Inside the house, Ye Dan was carefully wiping a emerald green gourd. It was an old object of unknown age and one of the "family property" left by Mr. Ye. Ye Dan didn't pay much attention to it at first, but later he accidentally discovered that every time it rained, the gourd would buzz. However, after Ye Dan took off the lid, no matter how he shook it, nothing slipped out. He poured water and sand into it, but it was still water and sand when it came out, no more, no less. Ye Dan was really at a loss, and once he was scolded by Gu Can's fierce mother outside the door as an illegitimate child born by a mother but not raised by a father, which made him upset. Ye Dan took a knife and chopped at the gourd. The result made the young man dumbfounded. The blade had rolled up, but the gourd was still intact, without a trace left.
A letter that Ye Dan had burned years ago read: "The gold, silver, and copper coins brought by the government office to the courtyard will ensure that you and your servant will have no worries about food and clothing. In your spare time, you can collect some antiques that you like to see, just to cultivate your temperament. Although the town is small, coarse grains can nourish the stomach, books can nourish the spirit, scenery can nourish the eyes, and loneliness can nourish the heart. From today on, do your best and leave the rest to fate. The potential dragon in the abyss will surely be rewarded in the future."
Although Ye Dan resented the man, he would be struck by lightning if he didn't spend money if he had money. In a small town with simple folk customs, it was difficult to spend lavishly. Over the years, Ye Dan really liked the business of collecting junk. He filled a large red lacquer box with all kinds of things, such as emerald green gourds. However, Ye Dan had a mysterious intuition. There were more than 30 items in a large box, and this gourd was the most valuable. Then there was a rusty purple gold bell. When it was shaken, the hanging hammer was clearly seen hitting the inner wall, which should have made a crisp sound, but it was silent, which made Ye Dan both horrified and surprised. Finally, there was an ancient teapot with the signature "Mandrill". Ye Dan liked the rest of the items superficially, and it could not be said to be love at first sight.
The child named Gu Can stood outside the door, cursing loudly, with full of energy.
Not long after, the cursing stopped abruptly.
Then Wang Gu'an saw the guy suddenly push open his courtyard door, his face full of panic, and after bolting the door, he squatted beside the door and kept winking at him, asking him to squat beside him.
Wang Gu'an didn't know what was going on, but he crouched over to the child, squatted down and asked softly: "Gu Can, what are you doing? Did you make your mother angry again?"
The child sniffed hard and lowered his voice: "Wang Gu'an, let me tell you, I just met a weird guy. The white bowl in his hand can pour water out continuously. Look, it's just such a small bowl, but I saw him pouring water for an hour! When that guy passed by the entrance of our Niping Lane just now, he seemed to stop. Did he see me? It's terrible..."
The child gestured the size of the white bowl with both hands, then patted his chest and sighed: "It really scared Ye Dan's father to death."
Wang Gu'an asked: "Are you talking about the storyteller under the locust tree?"
The child nodded vigorously, "Yes, the old man's hands are not strong enough, even I can't lift it, but that broken bowl is really creepy, very creepy!"
The child suddenly grabbed Wang Gu'an's arm, "Wang Gu'an, I really didn't lie to you this time! I can swear, if I lied to you, I will make Ye Dan die miserably!"
Wang Gu'an raised a finger and made a gesture to silence.
The child immediately shut up.
There was a sound of footsteps outside the door, which gradually rose and fell.
There is always a way out.
The child, who was originally fearless, sat down on the ground, wiped his face with his hands, and his face turned pale. It was obvious that this snotty-nosed idiot named Gu Can was really scared to death.
The child suddenly asked: "Wang Gu'an, did that guy go to my house? What should I do?"
Wang Gu'an said helplessly: "I will go back to your house with you?"
The child was probably waiting for Wang Gu'an to say this, and suddenly stood up, then sat down dejectedly, and said with a sad face: "Wang Gu'an, my legs are weak and I can't walk."
Wang Gu'an stood up, bent down and grabbed the back of the child's collar, lifted the child with one hand, opened the door with the other hand, and walked out of the yard.
The child's home was not far from here, only about a hundred steps away. As expected, Gu Can saw the old man in his yard, and his mother even brought a stool for the old man.
At that moment, the child felt that the sky was falling, so he chose to hide behind Wang Gu'an and let the tall man hold it up.
Wang Gu'an did not disappoint the child, and protected him intentionally or unintentionally.
When the naughty child Gu Can grabbed Wang Gu'an's sleeve, he immediately became full of heroic spirit for no reason.
The old man didn't care about it, sat on the bench, thought for a while, and the white bowl in his hand disappeared out of thin air.
Gu Can's legs immediately became weak again, and the whole person hid behind Wang Gu'an, trembling with fear.
The old man looked at the surprisingly calm country woman, then at the frowning boy in straw sandals, and finally said to the timid child: "Little boy, do you know what's in your water tank?"
The child shouted behind Wang Gu'an: "What else? I caught fish, shrimps and crabs from the stream, and loaches and eels from the fields! If you like, just take them, don't be polite..."
The child's voice became lower and lower, and it was obvious that he lacked confidence.
The woman stroked her hair, looked at Wang Gu'an, and said softly: "Gu'an."
Wang Gu'an understood what she meant, rubbed Gu Can's head, and then turned and left.
Deep in the woman's eyes, there was a hint of guilt towards the boy in straw sandals.
She put aside her distracting thoughts and turned to the old man and asked, "Master, who has come from afar, do you want to buy or rob this opportunity?"
The old man shook his head and smiled, "Buy? I can't afford it. Rob? I can't rob it either."
The woman also shook her head, "It was like this before, but it may not be the case in the future."
The old man, who was originally in a leisurely mood, was struck by lightning when he heard this. He suddenly waved his sleeves and pinched his five fingers like flying.
The old man sighed and said, "Why is it so!"
The woman looked indifferent and sneered, "How many good people do you think there are in this town?"
The old man stood up and took a deep look at the confused child. It seemed that he had made a great decision. He shook his wrist and the white bowl reappeared.
The old man walked to the half-person-high water tank and quickly scooped a bowl of water from the water tank.
Although the woman pretended to be calm, her palms were actually full of sweat.
The old man sat back on the stool and waved to Gu Can, "Little boy, come and take a look."
The child looked at his mother, who nodded with an encouraging look in her eyes.
After the child approached, the old man blew gently on the water in the bowl, and ripples appeared.
The old man smiled and said, "Open your mouth."
At the same time, the old man casually wiped a piece of locust leaf from the child's body.
He twisted it with his fingers, but did not hold it firmly.
The child subconsciously cried out.
The old man flicked his fingers, and the green locust leaf sank into the child's mouth.
The child was stunned on the spot, and then found that there seemed to be nothing unusual in his mouth.
Without giving him a chance to ask, the old man pointed to the white bowl in his palm and said, "Look carefully to see what's there."
Gu Can's eyes widened and he looked intently. He first saw a tiny black dot, which then gradually turned into a slightly more noticeable black line, and finally slowly grew larger, as if it had turned into a small earthy yellow loach, rolling happily in the ripples on the surface of the white bowl.
The child, whose brain was a mess, suddenly had an idea and exclaimed, "I remember it! I got it from Wang Gu'an..."
The woman slapped her son in the face and said angrily, "Shut up!"
The old man was not surprised at all and said calmly, "For cultivators of our generation, we are treasonous in order to prove our immortality. This little fight is nothing. Don't be so nervous. What belongs to your son will not escape, and what does not belong to that young man will not be kept."
This child named Gu Can weighs less than 40 kilograms.
But the weight of his "roots bones" is incredible.
So when this old man with supernatural powers used his ancestral secret technique to touch Gu Can's bones and weigh him, he naturally couldn't lift him.
This was the premise for him to accept a disciple.
Otherwise, wouldn't a three-year-old child be courting death by carrying gold through the market?
The old man smiled casually, but his eyes were cold, and he said slowly: "Of course, even if it was originally that boy's, so what? Now that I am here in person, it is no longer his."
The child was silent, his teeth chattering.
The woman felt relieved.
The old man put on his kind and gentle face again, "Child, this bowl contains the whole river water, and now it also raises a little dragon. From now on, you are my direct disciple."
"I am a 'True Lord', and I am only half a step away from being the 'Founder of a Sect'. Although I am a lower sect... Anyway, you will naturally understand the weight of the four words 'True Lord' and 'Founder of a Sect' in the future."
The old man laughed and said, "It will only be heavier than this bowl of river water."
The child suddenly cried, "This is not right! It belongs to Wang Gu'an!"
The woman was angry and raised her arms high, and wanted to teach this stupid son who was blinded by lard again.
The old man waved his hand, smiled, and said lightly: "It's not all bad to have such a heart."
The child lowered his head and wiped his tears and snot with the back of his hand.
The woman looked at the old man quietly.
The old man smiled knowingly and nodded.
For people of the same path, everything is self-evident.
When the child raised his head, his mother and the master who had fallen from the sky for no apparent reason were already smiling faintly.
The child turned his head and saw that Wang Gu'an had not forgotten to close the gate when he left.
————
The town is like a crop field, catching up with the good year and the harvest season.
However, some people are just a weed mixed in with the rice, and once they are seen, they will never be seen again.
For example, the boy in straw sandals walking alone in Niping Lane.