The young Taoist had already thought of a lot of words to deal with the question of "who is it" from the straw sandal boy, but unexpectedly, the courtyard door opened quickly. Obviously, the boy in the alley skipped that step directly.
Niping Lane is one of the narrowest alleys in the town. The Taoist's two-wheeled wooden cart cannot be placed outside to block the road. Fortunately, Wang Gu'an looked skinny and had little strength, but in fact he was quite strong. He helped the young Taoist to get the heavy cart into the yard without much effort. From beginning to end, the boy didn't say anything, which made the young Taoist feel a little embarrassed after closing the door. It was like a person shamelessly going to borrow money from the host, and the host treated him with good tea, wine and meat. If the guest had any conscience left, it would be more difficult to speak.
The young Taoist thought it was embarrassing anyway, so he might as well have a quickie, so he lifted a cotton mattress covering the cart, revealing a black-dressed girl curled up on her side. The crooked but unfallen veil still stubbornly covered the owner's face. For some reason, when the thin blanket was lifted, a bloody smell suddenly came to his face. Wang Gu'an then discovered that she was dressed in black and faintly had blood seeping out. Wang Gu'an didn't expect that a small blanket could completely cover up this strong smell. The boy just stepped back a few steps and asked, "Master, what are you going to do?"
The young Taoist said, "Save her! She was seriously injured, and no one in the town was willing to save her. No wonder they were all busy with their own business, so I thought about it and thought you might be an exception."
Wang Gu'an hit the nail on the head and asked, "How did she get injured?"
The Taoist said calmly, "When I was pushing the cart past the memorial archway just now, I saw this young foreign woman who actually said she was going to copy the inscription 'Qi Chong Douniu'. She brought a rubbing bag, a brush and other things and climbed up. As for rubbing, how should I put it? It's just a copying activity. It's probably something that scholars do when they have nothing better to do. I can't explain it clearly for the time being. Anyway, after the girl climbed up, she lowered her head and bent over to sit on the beam, which frightened me so much that I had to stop and remind her to be careful from time to time. I didn't expect that she was still too engrossed in the end. Suddenly, she fell heavily to the ground with a thud. As you know, the other side of the memorial archway The ground is not as hard as the bluestone slabs in Niping Lane. This time, she must have hurt her internal organs. I am a monk, so I must be compassionate. I can't just ignore it, right? On this way, every household despised her blood. It was not long after the Chinese New Year, so it was too unlucky. Who would be willing to carry her into the house? I also know that this is human nature, so I really have no choice but to find you. To put it bluntly, if even you are unwilling to take her in, I am not a god who can pull people from the gates of hell. I can only wait for the girl to take her last breath, and then try my best to find a place, dig a pit, and erect a monument, and call it a day.
The Taoist deliberately spoke very fast and his pronunciation was unclear, obviously trying to confuse the young man and get away with it first. Everything is difficult at the beginning, as long as you make a beginning, you can take it one step at a time. There is always a way out, and there will always be a bright future.
Wang Gu'an looked at the young Taoist priest with hope, and then glanced at the lifeless black-clothed girl. After a struggle between heaven and man, he nodded and said, "How to save her?"
The young Taoist priest was immediately in high spirits, "Okay! With your words, Wang Gu'an, it's half done. Don't look at her terrible injuries, it feels like the King of Hell has crossed her name out of the book of life and death, but it's not as exaggerated as you think... Of course, what I just said is true. There are many mysteries involved. For example, this girl has an extremely strong desire to survive. In addition, she seems to have some family secrets that can protect her vital heart and alchemy room, etc., and our town is a very interesting place. There are many strange things. Eating or catching them will be of great benefit."
The young Taoist priest came to his senses and realized that he had leaked a lot of secrets. He laughed dryly and said, "You don't understand anyway, right?"
The boy said seriously, "I don't understand, but I can remember most of them."
The young Taoist asked tentatively: "So when you heard the knock on the door in the house, you knew it was this fortune teller who was setting up a stall?"
Wang Gu'an hesitated for a moment and said, "Yes."
The young Taoist asked curiously, "You have a good memory? How good is it?"
The boy looked at the dying girl in black, and the young Taoist smiled and explained, "She is in a rather mysterious state now, and can't move her body at will. It's best to wait for a while."
Wang Gu'an was skeptical, "I remember things more easily when I see them than when I hear others speak."
The young Taoist asked, "Give me an example?"
Wang Gu'an thought for a while, "For example, the head of our dragon kiln, Master He, his 'jump-knife' technique is the best among all the masters in the town. I actually remember all the details after watching it once, but..."
The young Taoist took over the topic with a smile, "But your hands and feet can't keep up, right?"
Wang Gu'an's eyes lit up and he nodded vigorously.
The young Taoist smiled knowingly, "Have you ever thought about what is really amazing about Old Man He's unique skill?"
Wang Gu'an's face was gloomy, "I couldn't figure it out before, but then Ji Chenru told me that Old Man He said that in order to be the best at jumping-knife, you must have a steady mind, not just steady hands. After hearing these words, I understood a little. I was too anxious before, and the more anxious I was, the more chaotic my hands became, and the more chaotic I became, the easier it was to make mistakes. Once I made a mistake, I could see it clearly and knew where I was not like Old Man He, and then I became even more anxious. So I was always the worst at throwing pottery in the dragon kiln."
The young Taoist said calmly, "There is an old saying that the master leads you to the door, but the practice is up to the individual, but the master didn't even think about leading you to the door, so how can you practice?"
Wang Gu'an shook his head and said, "I am clumsy. Not to mention Ji Chenru, I am not even as good as an ordinary apprentice. It's no wonder that Old Man He looks down on me."
The young Taoist suddenly laughed and said, "Wang Gu'an, do you know how difficult it is to understand the word 'steady heart'? It's hard to figure it out. Don't underestimate yourself."
Wang Gu'an still shook his head and said, "It's like catching fish in a stream. I stand in a place where the water is less than knee-deep, bend over and catch a fish. It's catching. Some people are good at swimming. They dive into a deep pit and hold their breath for a long time to catch a fish. That's also catching. It's also catching a fish, Taoist priest, but the two are different, right?"
The young Taoist laughed and said without comment, "We can save people."
Wang Gu'an was stunned, and the young Taoist was also stunned, "Why are you in a daze? Carry that girl to the bed in the house!"
Wang Gu'an didn't move, "Then what?"
The Taoist said naturally, "Of course, I will help the girl change into clean clothes first, and then go to the medicine shop to get some herbs to replenish qi and nourish the essence. At that time, I will need to go out and show my skills."
Wang Gu'an asked with a dark face, "Will the girl beat me to death after she wakes up?"
The young Taoist said firmly, "No! You are her savior. How can there be such an ungrateful person in the world?!"
Wang Gu'an remained silent.
The Taoist coughed and his momentum dropped suddenly, "Probably not?"
Wang Gu'an sighed and asked tentatively, "There is a girl named Shi Hui next door. Let her do these things?"
The young Taoist said helplessly, "No, that's the crux of the problem."
Wang Gu'an did not insist, squatting on the ground, scratching his head with both hands.
The young Taoist suddenly asked, "Do you have anything to ask? If you ask, I may not be able to answer all the questions, but I will try to pick some that I can answer, how about that?"
Wang Gu'an sighed, stood up and said, "Save people first."
The young Taoist smiled, "Good!"
He quietly flicked his sleeves and suppressed the flying sword that was about to move into the sheath.
Wang Gu'an carried the girl on his back and walked into the house, gently placing her on the wooden bed with bedding. The wooden bed that had collapsed when Ji Chenru sat on it had just been repaired not long ago, and a bench was placed under the bed.
The young Taoist followed behind him and stepped into the threshold. Looking around, the house was bare, nothing more than this.
The young Taoist slapped his head and went out to get paper and pen, preparing to write a prescription for the boy to get the medicine.
After returning to the house, the young Taoist shook his head and deliberately didn't look at the wooden bed, thinking that this poor boy was bound to be in trouble.
The boy who was sitting on the edge of the bed had taken off the black-dressed girl's veil, revealing a pale face covered in blood.
The so-called bleeding from all seven orifices probably refers to the scene under the boy's eyes.
The boy got up quickly, took a stool from the table and put it next to the bed, then ran to a corner of the wall, where there was a small wooden rack with pots, pans and bowls neatly placed. Next to the wooden rack, there was a small water tank covered with wooden boards to block mosquitoes and flies. The water tank was filled with well water from the Iron Lock Well in Xinghua Lane. The boy took a wooden basin and a gourd ladle, squatted beside the water tank, scooped clear water from the ceramic tank and quickly poured it into the wooden basin, then put a piece of clean cotton cloth on the edge of the basin, brought it to the bedside and placed it on the stool, and began to help the girl who took off the veil to wipe the blood.
The young Taoist turned his head and raised a piece of paper in his hand, "There is a small medicine shop over on Fulu Street. You can take this prescription to get the medicine."
The young man asked in confusion: "Didn't the Taoist say that before?"
The young Taoist looked confused and blinked: "Yes, I am telling you to be careful when getting the medicine, don't be too high-profile, so as not to cause a sensation in the city and ruin the girl's reputation."
Wang Gu'an said, "Do you have money for the medicine?"
The young Taoist suddenly became nervous, "You don't have it?"
Wang Gu'an put the wooden basin on the table and gently pressed a golden copper coin that he had taken out from somewhere on the table, "Master, I will exchange it with you for ordinary copper coins. As for how to exchange, you have the final say."
The young Taoist thought for a moment, "This copper coin on the table is enough to buy the things on the prescription. I will go and get the money for you now."
Soon the Taoist took back a bag of ordinary copper coins and a few pieces of silver, and gave them all to Wang Gu'an.
Wang Gu'an reminded him, "I'll pour this basin of water later. You don't need to help me. Ye Dan, who lives next door, likes new things. It's not good if he sees it."
The young Taoist said solemnly, "Wang Gu'an, don't you have any questions to ask?"
Wang Gu'an stood there, roughly weighed the copper coins and silver, and after knowing the number, he carefully put them away and signaled to go out to talk. After the two walked out of the door, the young man in straw sandals raised his head and said slowly, "I know you are not ordinary people. Old man He said a long time ago when he was drunk that our town is unusual. Everything is strange, and everyone is strange. But what is strange, Old man He can't say anything, and of course I don't understand it. This time, Gu Can said that the storyteller, an ordinary big white bowl, can pour out a large tank of water. Although Gu Can is annoying, I know he didn't lie about this matter. Just like..."
The young man paused and continued, "Like today, there was a very tall woman. In the alley outside the door, she flicked my forehead with her finger once, slapped my chest with her palm, and finally said that I would die soon. I knew what she said was true."
The young Taoist priest looked heavy.
Wang Gu'an finally said, "The Taoist priest said that the talisman paper you wrote can bring good luck to my parents after burning it. I actually believe in the Taoist priest. So the Taoist priest came to my house and asked me to save people. I didn't say anything just now, but I hope the Taoist priest will promise me one thing. If you agree, no matter what the Taoist priest wants me to do next, it will be fine. If the Taoist priest doesn't agree, I will chase you away after I get the prescription and help the Taoist priest to boil the medicine."
The Taoist priest asked, "What are the conditions? Tell me."
The young man who always gave people the impression of being calm and sophisticated was a little nervous and replied, "My parents died early. I was very young at that time. I don't know why. I remember many things when I was a child, but my parents' appearance is always vague and can't be remembered clearly. Later, I ate a lot of meals for a while, and I survived by relying on my neighbors. Once I heard someone say that I was born on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. From their tone, it should not be a very auspicious day. Someone next door said it more directly and frankly..."
The young man kept beating around the bush, paused, and finally got to the point. He lowered his head and said in a dull tone, "After helping the Taoist priest save people, if, I mean if, I suddenly die one day, can the Taoist priest help me reincarnate in the next life and reincarnate as my parents' child?"
The young Taoist priest remained silent.
Wang Gu'an grinned and scratched his head, "Forget it if it doesn't work. Indeed, there is no such thing in the world. I am so embarrassed."
The Taoist priest smiled bitterly and said, "What about that girl?"
Wang Gu'an suddenly turned around, turned his back to the Taoist priest, raised his fist and waved it, and made a joke for the first time: "She is so pretty, you would be a fool not to save her!"
The young Taoist priest looked at the straw sandal boy who pretended to be relaxed and pushed the door to leave.
The boy walking in Niping Lane seemed to think of someone and burst into tears all of a sudden.