Sword from the Immortal Mountain

Chapter 44: Study Tour

As winter turns to spring, grass sprouts and animals become active. It is time to get active again.

On the hillside, there is a thriving scene.

Many changes also took place in the small courtyard.

Chen Jin actually took a hoe, reclaimed the land, sowed seeds, and planted vegetables, fruits and the like.

His behavior shocked Chen Abu and his wife.

Although I have long accepted that my nephew can cook and make meals, it is still very new to see him suddenly start farming and growing vegetables.

"Ah Jin, if you want to eat vegetables, I can bring them to you. Why do you have to dig the soil, apply fertilizer, and do all the hard work yourself?"

Chen Abu couldn't help but persuade.

Chen Jin replied, "It's okay. After I finished my studies, I tidied up the yard. It was a form of exercise. It activated my body and made me feel good."

He likes to eat vegetables.

I have always had good meat for several meals a day. Even if I cook it in different ways, I will inevitably get tired of it after eating it too much.

Chen Jin eats meat mainly for spiritual practice and to refine his essence into qi, but if conditions permit, it is only natural to enrich his diet.

Moreover, green vegetables also contain "essence" and are beneficial supplements to meat.

In the cold winter, it is not easy to eat fresh vegetables. We mainly eat mushrooms, wild vegetables and the like.

After careful consideration, Chen Jin simply started growing them at home.

living comfortably without anybody's help.

He had no plans or ideas to move to the city; there was absolutely no need to do so.

Living here is both quiet and convenient as there are mountains full of wild game for hunting.

It’s much better than the city.

Anyway, when it comes to the stage of "refining essence into qi", Chen Jin doesn't think about anything else.

In addition, he chooses to get involved in various affairs just to experience them.

There is something missing in the state of mind.

What may be missing is a touch of human touch;

Maybe what is lacking is a sense of chivalry;

What may be lacking is the scholar's spirit to make decisions...

All in all, it would not be wrong to be reborn and live a carefree and happy life.

Planting seeds and growing vegetables is easier said than done.

Wangcai was eager to help, so he ran to the vegetable field every day to spread some fertilizer to ensure sufficient soil.

After a spring rain, vegetable sprouts emerge in large numbers in the fields, green and full of vitality.

When he woke up in the morning and saw this scene, Chen Jin was suddenly touched, and his master's words "You will see green mountains after nine days" came to his mind.

Vegetable fields can also be understood as "green mountains".

So he started dancing with the bamboo sword.

Whenever the master practiced swordplay, Wangcai would stand guard outside the door and not allow outsiders to disturb him.

Chen Jin lived alone, and there were vicious dogs everywhere, so few people came to see him. Apart from his uncle Chen Abu and his family, the only other person was Chen Liang.

Today, Chen Liang came over again and said, "Ah Jin, I have an appointment with someone to go out for an outing on the 15th. So I wanted to ask you to go together so that we can have a companion."

Chen Jin said: "The countryside is close to the mountains and the water, and everything is green. Why should we go somewhere else?"

Chen Liang: "..."

In fact, he was quite reluctant to talk to Chen Jin, because sometimes what Chen Jin said was too direct and too serious, as if he only cared about his own opinions and didn't understand the ways of the world.

Could it be that only with such a temper can one reason with the Master of Yunshan Temple?
He immediately coughed dryly and said, "Ah Jin, the key to going outing with friends is not 'youth' but 'company'. That suburban resort is very popular. I heard that many ladies from wealthy families will come here. This year, you are almost coming of age, and it is time to talk about marriage. Why not go out for a walk, maybe you can meet a beautiful woman and create a good story."

In the Qian Dynasty, the affairs between men and women were mainly "parents' orders and matchmaker's words". Chen Jin's parents died early, so it stands to reason that his lifelong affairs would be managed by his uncle. However, due to Chen Jin's strong and independent character, Chen Abu could only nag at him, but did not dare to make a decision.

I can't do it either.

Now in the village, Chen Jin is a popular man. Matchmakers have come to him many times, but they were all turned away with the words "You can't get married if you haven't completed your studies yet."

The villagers did not believe such words, and thought that Chen Jin had higher standards and wanted to find a lady from a prominent family in the city.

So when Chen Liang invited him to go for an outing, he used this hook.

It's not a hook or bait, but it really happened.

When the season comes, men are in love and girls are in love, and everyone wants to find a perfect partner. It is a good opportunity to take advantage of outings, literary gatherings, and other such activities to go out for a walk, and maybe you will meet someone you like, and then perform a "throwing handkerchief" or "dropping a hairpin" drama.

Next, if the two families are well matched, they can invite a matchmaker to propose marriage and start the marriage process.

As a sociable scholar, Chen Liang was well aware of this.

However, he was pessimistic about whether Chen Jin could marry a lady from a wealthy family.

The reason is simple: they are not a good match.

There was nothing wrong with Chen Jin's appearance. He was handsome and well-mannered, exactly the type that young ladies liked.

Unfortunately, he had a humble background and his family only had a small house and no other property, so they lived in extreme poverty.

In such a situation, even if the young lady is willing to marry, her family will not agree and will certainly break up the couple. If they meet some cruel parents, even if they have an affair with the young lady and the marriage is already done, it will not work and the couple will end up in tragedy.

Unless Chen Jin can pass the college examination and be admitted as a student this year, things will be different.

As for the relationship between Chen Jin and the master of Yunshan Temple, it is so confusing that outsiders cannot figure out what is going on.

And since the last time the blue sedan came, there has been no further contact.

So this relationship cannot be taken as accurate.

How could Chen Jin know that this classmate in front of him had considered so many options for him at once?

He refused directly, "Sorry, I'm going to go out for a study tour soon."

"Study Tour?"

Chen Liang was surprised: "Where are we going to study?"

As a scholar, traveling for study is not new. There are two main directions: one is to take the opportunity to visit friends, and the other is to seek famous teachers to study.

Based on his knowledge and understanding of Chen Jin, Chen Liang didn't think that he would have any friends outside of town, so the only possibility left was to become his apprentice and study under him.

However, it is not easy to go to another place to learn from a master, especially a famous master.
Chen Jin answered vaguely: "I just want to take advantage of this period of free time to walk around and see the world."

Chen Liang advised, "Ah Jin, you should think twice before you act. This world is harsh and people are treacherous. If you go out alone and encounter something bad, you will be in trouble and may even lose your life."

"Thanks for the reminder, but I have made up my mind."

"Well, you have to be careful on the road. And remember the date, don't miss the college entrance examination."

Chen Liang gave a few instructions, shook his head, and went home.

Soon, Chen Abu also learned the news that Chen Jin was going abroad to study, and he became even more worried, but he could not change his nephew's decision, so he had to help buy a donkey as a means of transportation, and asked his wife to start preparing dry food, jerky, etc.

On this day, the weather was sunny and windy.

Chen Jin felt that it was time to set off, so he picked all the green vegetables that were more than a finger tall in the vegetable garden, washed them, and fried a large dish of them.

After eating, he placed his books, bamboo sword and other items on the donkey, and drove away.

Behind him, Wangcai accompanied him all the way, with tears in his eyes.

It couldn't go with them, so it stayed behind to look after the house.

"Ouch!"

There were wolves howling in the mountains, startling the villagers nearby and causing them to look up...

(End of this chapter)