Song Tan's Notes

In this sweltering heat, there really aren't many sights in the capital city worth visiting under the blazing sun.

Therefore, after buying their train tickets, Song Tan and Lu Chuan only packed a few clothes and prepared to set off.

However, just as he was about to drive to the city early in the morning, he was stopped by Wulan.

"You just go and invite a master like this?"

The box felt so light when I carried it; it was obviously empty!
Song Tan was puzzled: Isn't it obvious? You can't just present a gift by holding it in your arms and making a big fuss.

She was silent for a moment: "What else can we do? We're not going to stay in the capital for long."

“How can we invite people like that?” Both Wulan and Song Sancheng disagreed.

Ulan quickly made a decision in her mind.

It takes them a little over an hour to drive from the village to the high-speed rail station, and then they have to wait for the high-speed rail to get to Beijing. It won't take more than 6 hours.

Since that's the case, then we should bring what we need to bring!
In short, Ulan looked at the small suitcase they were carrying again—it was really small, only 20 inches, and it was obvious that their clothes and socks could be stuffed inside and that would be enough.

She quickly urged again, "Tan Tan, what about your old suitcase? I remember it was big."

That was quite big; I brought all my things back from Ningcheng with that big suitcase.

Urged on by Wulan, Song Tan rummaged through drawers and cabinets for a while. Fortunately, although it was old, it was still clean.

Song Tan checked the time: "Mom, don't bother. We plan to arrive at the high-speed rail station more than half an hour early. You're going to be late."

Ulan, now adept at using vibrato, was no longer the clueless villager she once was, and nonchalantly replied:

"Then you can change your ticket."

In short, don't forget to bring everything.

She pushed the two of them into the house, urging Song Sancheng to carry a basket while the other went to rummage through the refrigerator. With a flurry of activity, everything was neatly organized.

Fine.

My mother's request is like the thermal underwear she values—there's no way I can refuse it.

Bring whatever you like; it's just tea, alcohol, and the like.

Oh, right, Song Tan added, "It's not good to bring alcohol on the high-speed train."

"Understood." Upon hearing Wulan's reply, the two exchanged a glance, one looking at stocks and the other scrolling through their phones, completely ignoring the issue.

When I went out again, exactly 25 minutes had passed.

Ulan Xizizi pointed to the bulging suitcase and said, "Okay, you two hurry up. If you've made an appointment with the master, it's best not to change your tickets if you can avoid it."

Song Tan was at his wit's end: "Fine, fine, fine."

Since we're already inviting them, it's inappropriate to be hesitant. They should just do what they're supposed to do.

Then, reaching out and lifting the suitcase again, wow!
Song Tan couldn't help but raise an eyebrow: "Mom, what did you put in there?" The amount didn't seem to be just tea leaves or white fungus.

"Why do you care so much? If you have a good talk with the master, then send all these things over to show that even though we are from the countryside, we are very sincere."

Then she added in a low voice, "If the master eats well, maybe he can give us a discount."

After thinking for a moment, he added, "But if it really costs several million, that won't do."

The whole year has been more speechless than this morning alone.

Song Tan eventually beckoned Lu Chuan to get into the car.

This was a familiar route. The car was parked in the high-speed rail station parking lot. As the two of them pulled their suitcases into the station, the travelers were all in a hurry, and no one paid any attention to the two ordinary men and women who were wearing masks in the hot weather.

Until the suitcase was put onto the security scanner with a hiss.

The security guard stared at the screen and remained silent.

Then, with a wave of his hand, another security guard came over to take a look.

Inside the box, large patches of light orange color were distributed, some round, some leafy, some overlapping, making it easy to tell at a glance what kind of vegetables and fruits they were.

There were also some deep orange patches with particularly clear fat textures and outlines, resembling large pieces of frozen meat, frozen chicken, frozen duck, and a leg of some unknown substance.

Next are various large, small, and round light orange blocks, as well as many square light orange blocks wrapped around them... Considering the outline of the insulation cotton shown in the previous photo, these should be ice blocks, right?

At once……

Everyone's eyes fell on the outstanding couple, whose masks were pulled down due to frequent facial recognition checks.

They all have celebrity faces, but they're actually quite down-to-earth when they go out.

only--

As the security guard scanned Song Tan with her scanner, she couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Did you come back from Yunqiao Village?"

Song Tan was taken aback: "Yes."

"Oh, I knew it." The other person suddenly realized, "Yunqiao Village in our city is very popular now. I heard that people go there from afar to bring back some vegetables. Our security checkpoint has detected a lot of food this year."

It's his own business, after all, who could be unhappy about that?

Song Tan asked, "Have you tried it before? If not, I suggest you give it a try, it's pretty good."

If they can't get the food from their own family, they can eat the food from the village; it's delicious too.

This was just a minor incident during the journey, and Song Tan didn't take it to heart.

However, after they got off the bus and took the subway and a taxi, they were met with constant questioning from Ulan.

Have we arrived?

"I packed some fresh stuff for you; it won't keep overnight."

"Don't go to the hotel yet. Go directly to see the master and present your gifts."

After a pause and seeing no reply, he added, "It doesn't matter if we don't see it. Just send the things up first and leave your name."

One last time, I reminded him: "Ask the master if he can give you a discount."

A few million is definitely not an option.

Song Tan handed the phone directly to Lu Chuan: "You go ahead and reply, she doesn't seem to believe anything I say."

When the group finally arrived at the entrance of the Taoist temple, they had already made prior arrangements and only needed to give their names. Someone immediately came to pick them up, led them through the inner hall, and went directly up to the second floor.

Seeing Song Tan carrying such a large suitcase while Lu Chuan carried a light and seemingly weightless small suitcase, the Taoist priest looked at her again and again, but in the end, he couldn't help but glance at her.

"Sir, may I take the box? Or perhaps we could find a place to store it?"

“No need.” Song Tan shook his head. “This is a local specialty that my mother insisted I bring. Please, all you Taoist priests, have a taste, so that everyone can know that our place is truly blessed with outstanding people and beautiful scenery.”

"Please don't go to the trouble of making this trip, it won't be beneath your dignity."

After saying that, she wanted to give herself a thumbs up.

The Taoist priest in front of them did not refuse, and simply continued to lead the way:
"You two are very kind. I thank you on behalf of the Taoist temple. Come, this is where Master Qingyun cultivates in seclusion."

"No rush." ​​Song Tan eagerly pushed the box over. "There's a lot of fresh food inside. It can't stay long. Please take it to the kitchen to process it first."

As they were talking, a Taoist priest with an air of otherworldly wisdom, who perfectly matched everyone's standard impression, walked out of the room.

The other person has rosy skin and a fair complexion.

His hair, a mix of white, gray, and black, was neatly combed into a bun, and he sported a rather ethereal beard. Now, dressed in a Taoist robe, he instantly solidified his image as a revered master.

But the person in question is actually very down-to-earth.

Upon seeing the two, he greeted them as if they were friends welcoming guests: "You've arrived?"

Then look at the suitcase: "Oh my, so many local specialties? This must have been quite an expense for the believer—what did you bring?"

As she spoke, she also helped the young Taoist priest pack his box.

The moment he was laid down, he was surprised to find it unexpectedly heavy.

Judging from his flustered manner as he lifted his robes, he's really no different from any other village uncle.

Song Tan glanced at Lu Chuan and finally understood why he said she should like him.

That's right, she quite likes it, because she cultivates immortality and can't stand people who are more ethereal (pretentious) than herself.

But if the other party is also very down-to-earth, then it seems to fit her farmer-like status perfectly.

At that moment, with a whoosh, the zipper of the old suitcase was pulled open, and the neatly packed items inside seemed to expand instantly, all pouring out at once.

Now, all four of them fell silent.

Thanks to Brother Zhang, everything packed for the family was complete.

Leaving aside the two watermelons and six cantaloupes encased in the bubble column, just looking at the huge pile of cucumbers, eggplants, peppers, bitter melons, green beans, and other local specialties inside tells you that this product is truly down-to-earth.

Looking into the corner, the two boxes of tea had been squeezed so tightly they were barely noticeable.

Only four large, plump white fungus clusters were sealed in a plastic bag in the corner.

What about the remaining space?

The remaining space was completely wrapped up with thermal insulation cotton.

Amidst surprise and silence, the two Taoist priests silently tore off the tape. With a "whoosh," the partially melted ice cubes, along with a little water, trickled out.

Looking further inside, there's also insulation film.

When you tear it open, you find two ducks.

If you tear it open again, you'll find two chickens.

There was also a bag of crispy fried dried fish, and finally a plump, strong pork leg, a lamb leg, and a heavy, hard chunk of beef.

Ok……

Even though the Taoist priest was knowledgeable and down-to-earth, he was momentarily speechless when he saw such a down-to-earth local specialty.

The young Taoist priest, lacking experience, stared blankly at the pile of scattered meat and eggs—yes, salted duck eggs too—not knowing how to clean it up.

In the end, it was because Master Qingyun was older, more experienced, and more composed that he reservedly instructed the young Taoist to take all of these to the kitchen.

"We've already prepared everything for tonight, so the Taoist temple can have an extra meal. We won't let down the kind-hearted believers who have traveled so far to send their blessings."

“But…” he stood up and then explained deliberately:
"Although we are not a member of the Zhengyi sect who abstain from meat for life, there are still a few things we do not eat. These include things related to loyalty, filial piety, chastity, righteousness, cattle, dogs, geese, and black carp."

"Therefore, I will thank you in advance for this large portion of beef. When the believers from all directions come tomorrow, we will cook a large pot of beef soup for you as a meal."

Song Tan really didn't expect that her mother could pack so much meat and vegetables into the suitcase.

It's fortunate that we didn't go to the Zhengyi sect to invite them; otherwise, we would have offended them before even getting the job done.

He nodded in agreement and secretly gave Lu Chuan a thumbs up.

Putting everything else aside, Master Qingyun's speech, actions, and overall aura are indeed very comfortable to be around.

No wonder Lu Chuan still remembers it clearly even now, years after they met once.

However, the other party solemnly took out two cans of tea, his expression becoming increasingly amiable:

"All I've ever enjoyed is drinking tea, so I'm very grateful to the kind believer for all this."

As they talked, the three of them went inside and sat down.

This Taoist priest was not very restrained in his actions. In fact, one could say that the atmosphere in the entire Taoist temple was very relaxed.

Song Tan could still hear someone downstairs asking, "Should we kneel down and kowtow or what?"

The young Taoist priest said, "Anything is fine. I don't need to do anything; as long as my intention is there, that's enough."

Well, it really is all about going with the flow.

But she just happened to really like that kind of atmosphere.

Seeing that Master Qingyun was boiling water and unpacking tea boxes, she directly stated her purpose:
"Master, I have a farm at home. The number of employees on the farm is increasing day by day. Now I have bought a piece of land in town and plan to build some houses to provide cheap housing for the employees."

"It's just that everyone here lives in the countryside and values ​​feng shui a lot. I'm afraid that if I don't invite them, they might be swayed by the words of some unsavory people in the countryside, which would make them feel uneasy. So I came here specifically to ask a master to come to our place and give us some advice."

The introducer had already explained their purpose, but Master Qingyun originally intended to hire someone to assess the feng shui of a real estate project, so he was reluctant to go.

But in this world, one can never escape human relationships. The same applies to those who cultivate the Tao.

The person who relayed the message was a well-known believer at the Taoist temple. Since the question had been asked, he was willing to find out.

Now I hear that the houses are being built in town, and they're also for the employees. With both things combined, the price can't be too high.

In this way, his willingness increased even more.

Just as I was smiling and preparing to ask some more questions, my hands kept moving and I tore a small hole in the sealed bag inside the tea canister.

A rich, unique aroma of tea wafts over.

Master Qingyun sat there, instantly stunned.

After a while, he came to his senses and looked at the tea leaves. He then stood outside without any regard for his image, looking at them again and again in the daylight.

He turned back and asked earnestly:
"You said this is a specialty of your hometown?"

Are all products from your hometown of this quality? Or is it only found in a certain place or on a certain mountain?

Song Tan understood immediately.

She smiled slightly: "Mountains, forests, lakes, fields, and fishponds—anything that belongs to my family is like this."

What else is there to say?
The Taoist priest straightened his clothes, then carefully used bamboo tongs to pick up a pinch of tea leaves and put them into the cup. The water in the teapot, which had just been heated, was kept at 80 degrees Celsius. He swirled it around and then carefully poured it into the cup.

After the first rinse, wait for the hot water to be poured in again. Watch the little green buds slowly swell and unfurl in the water, and a delicate fragrance will waft out.

He took a deep breath, stood up reservedly, and then proceeded to rummage through the room, opening drawers, cabinets, and more drawers.

Finally, he found a card and handed it to Song Tan:

"Where is your hometown again? Here, this is my ID card. Please buy me a ticket, kind believer."

Song Tan: ...

She silently accepted the ID card, when suddenly the young Taoist priest came over with a plate, looking delighted.
"Master, the fruits this devotee brought are delicious, please try some!"

On the large plate was a dazzling platter, with sliced ​​cucumbers, artfully arranged melons, and bright red watermelons, topped with three delicately placed forks.

Looking closely at the young Taoist priest, one could see a trace of bright red watermelon stain on the corner of his lips. (End of Chapter)