Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chapter 271 Passenger
A few miles away from the north gate of Mocheng, there is an inconspicuous hillock. It is bare and there are almost no plants taller than a person around it. All the taller saplings have been plucked away and used as firewood.

All over the mountains and fields are the tender buds breaking through the soil in early spring, and crystal water droplets hanging in the drizzling rain.

On this hill, in an inconspicuous corner, stands an inconspicuous grave mound.

A lot of tender grass has grown on the grave, standing there quietly, just like the tender grass on the grave, inconspicuous, and no one would take a second look at it.

The pile of soil is only about one or two years old and is very new. There is a small stone tablet in front of the tomb with the words "Tomb of Zhou Gong Wangniu" written on it.

Arriving in front of the grave, Chen Xuan looked at it quietly for a moment, then gently opened the oil-paper umbrella in his hand. The umbrella then floated steadily above his head, and the umbrella made a rustling sound in the drizzle.

They spread out the things they brought in front of the grave. They were all simple things: a pot of cheap wine, a dish of salted soybeans, a piece of braised tofu, and some cut pig ears.

After putting the things in place, Chen Xuan lit three incense sticks and inserted them in front of the tombstone. He then poured two glasses of wine, poured one down and held the other in his hand, and sat down casually on the ground, ignoring the muddy wetland under the spring rain.

With an umbrella fluttering overhead, he held a wine glass and muttered to himself at the tombstone, "Uncle Zhou, this may be the last time I come to see you. All good things must come to an end. Soon I will also leave this place where I have lived for seven years. I don't know if I will have time to come again. Well, I'm not afraid of you laughing at me, but I'm actually quite free. I'm just too lazy to move. In fact, I often think of you in my heart."

"Before we part, I'm here to have a drink and chat with you. Don't think I'm annoying. After all, there are many people around to keep you company."

"Today I brought you Huang's beer. You said you couldn't bear to drink it, right? Drink as much as you want today, until you're drunk. Then there's Aunt Wang's boiled beans and braised tofu, and Zhang's spicy braised pig ears. Let me tell you, these spicy braised pig ears are delicious. They're a new product that the Zhang family introduced last year."

"You may not believe this, but I'm the one who started this trend for spicy food. I stumbled upon chili peppers back then, and gradually grew some to use as a seasoning. Then, unknowingly, it spread. Seven years, just seven years, and now I hear it's spread to the south and other countries. Something you can eat spreads fast."

"Xiao Miao and her brother are doing well now, so don't worry too much about them. Just sleep peacefully."

"Two years ago, I quietly opened a furniture store and hired Master Fang and his team. It was actually for Xiao Miao. It didn't cost much money. She was still young, and it was too difficult for her to support a family. I thought it would provide her with a stable income. I didn't tell anyone except you, old man."

"I've already made the arrangements. Besides the furniture store's daily expenses, half of the income will be used as wages to distribute to them. Isn't that generous? Of course, I'll pocket the rest myself. I can't let my work be in vain. I don't plan to expand the business. If Xiao Miao grows up and gets tired of it, the store won't be open. I've entrusted a middleman to handle it. That's all I can do to help."

"Actually, Xiao Miao has quite the business acumen. I gave her a few blueprints, originally for her own convenience, but she actually decided with Master Fang to build and sell them. Now, business is barely getting by. I can't say how much I'm making, but I'm sure she'll have enough to eat and wear."

"I've taken care of everything, not just myself. I've already cracked down on the three major gangs. As long as there's no natural disaster or war, the furniture store will definitely operate safely. Of course, as the saying goes, we have to pretend to be normal when being exploited. It's not a big deal."

"Also, let's take a sip first..."

Chen Xuan talked a lot while drinking under the spring rain. He drank half of the wine himself and gave the other half to Mr. Zhou.

Mr. Zhou, who had lived in poverty since childhood, was in serious health when he was young. He passed away two years ago, leaving behind Zhou Xiaomiao and his sister. The coffin that once contained its owner is buried here.

Life and death are predestined, there is nothing we can do about it.

Zhou Xiaomiao, who was still young at that time, had to support that family, if that could still be considered a family. Fortunately, her carpenter master helped with the funeral arrangements, so that old man Zhou could be buried in peace.

After all, they had known each other for a while, and Xiao Miao was really a pitiful and sensible girl, so Chen Xuan secretly did some insignificant things for her.

He knows that there are many such things in the world, but he only sees what is in front of him, and his vision is limited. Don't tell him that the greater his ability, the more he will see. He doesn't care.

The wine jug was empty and Chen Xuan had almost finished talking. He slowly stood up and the umbrella that had been floating fell back into his hands. Even though he had been sitting on the wet and soft ground for half an hour, his body was still spotless.

He thought the time was almost up, and as he expected, a dull figure came up behind him. He had a sturdy body, a childish face, and empty eyes. He just stood there quietly without saying a word.

When this figure arrived, a layer of mist rose silently around Chen Xuan and enveloped him, making it impossible to see his figure clearly. He looked like a ghost standing there.

The person who came was Zhou Fugui, Zhou Xiaomiao's younger brother. Chen Xuan had also seen the child who had suffered from brain disease. Even with his current level of cultivation as a grandmaster, he was helpless against this congenital defect.

A few years ago, Zhou Fugui practiced the Qi-calming and health-preserving exercises and maintained a good health. He took the time to have Chen Xuan teach him the Zhongzheng Boxing that he had learned at Yushan Academy. Although he suffered from a brain disease, he practiced more attentively than any other genius. With only the basic Zhongzheng Boxing taught at the academy, he had developed internal strength in just a few years.

Isn’t this a different kind of genius?

When Zhou Fugui had gained some basic internal strength through practicing Zhongzheng Fist, Chen Xuan taught him an external skill years ago. When Mr. Yushan taught him, he did not say that it could not be passed on to others. It was called Qingshan Palm.

Practicing this palm technique can generate internal strength from the outside in and open up the corresponding meridians on its own, which is perfect for Zhou Fugui.

It’s not that Chen Xuan is reluctant to teach him better. His brain is good at copying, but he has no idea when it comes to meridian techniques and the like. But it’s enough, enough for him to practice for a lifetime.

No one knew about this. When Chen Xuan taught him, he never showed his true face to him and told him not to tell anyone else. He was so stubborn that he really didn't say a word.

"Fugui, I'm leaving now. Take good care of your sister. If bad guys bully her, fight them. If you can't beat them, take your sister and run to the government office. Remember?" Chen Xuan said with his back to him. Zhou Fugui just nodded woodenly and said "hmm". He didn't know what sadness and separation meant. He just knew that he would never see this big brother again.

After finishing the explanation, it was considered a farewell to this stage of life. The slightly tipsy Chen Xuan turned around and walked away. He was not drunk, but was drunk on the past.

Now that he is an adult, he can drink alcohol with a clear conscience, but he just can't get drunk.

Watching Chen Xuan's back as he walked away, Zhou Fugui's eyes were still without any expression. He just tilted his head and said, "Actually, I know you are Brother Chen. I won't admit my mistake. You are very good to me and to my sister. I will listen to you. From now on, if anyone bullies my sister, I will beat him up and fight them to the death."

Chen Xuan: “…”

As expected, fools are the hardest to fool. Don’t talk to them about logic, they just know what they know.

The person had already gone far away, but the voice still floated in Zhou Fugui's ears, saying: "Just remember what I said, practice what I taught you well, and don't let others know and cause trouble. Don't care who I am, I am just a passer-by in this world."

"Well, go home, practice martial arts, and protect my sister," Zhou Fugui said to himself with a hollow look in his eyes, nodded, and then slapped himself hard, causing the corner of his mouth to bleed. Brother Chen said that he could not talk nonsense, and he never revealed a word about this from then on.

Then he looked at the offerings in front of the grave and gobbled them up without hesitation. They were delicious and should not be wasted. Grandpa wouldn't eat them anyway, otherwise they would be eaten by passers-by.

If someone had passed by and seen that scene before, they would definitely be horrified. It was really scary to see a fool talking to a cloud of fog.

The Sanmu Furniture Store in Mocheng only has a storefront and a small courtyard at the back where people can make things.

Amid the sounds of banging and banging in the backyard, Xiao Miao, who has grown into a big girl, rolled up her sleeves and carefully wiped the various furniture on display and for sale in the store, wishing she could rub them out until they were patinaed.

She is responsible for running the store and selling goods during the day, and closes the store in the afternoon to go to the back to learn carpentry skills. She does this every day, and there is no complaint about the hard life on her face, only longing for a better life in the future.

She also wants to open a furniture store like this in the future and has been working hard to save money, but unfortunately this place is not hers.

When passing by the store, Chen Xuan greeted her, "Sister Xiao Miao is busy."

"Oh, it's Brother Chen. Come in and sit down. I'll pour you some tea," Xiao Miao said in surprise.

Waving his hand, Chen Xuan said, "I won't keep you any longer. I'm here to say goodbye. I'm going back to the south with my young master soon. The time hasn't been decided yet, but I think it will be soon."

Hearing this, Xiao Miao trembled, his face pale, and he forced a smile, "Brother Chen is going back, then...will you come back in the future?"

"Probably I won't come back," Chen Xuan thought for a while and said, there is nothing worth staying here.

Xiao Miao nodded and said, trying to calm down and hold back tears, "Then when are you guys leaving, Brother Chen? I'll go see you off."

"This is really not confirmed yet. I won't notify you when the time comes. It's quite troublesome," Chen Xuan shook his head.

Xiao Miao simply couldn't bear to part with the older brother she had known for several years, nothing else was involved, and Chen Xuan knew this very well.

"Oh, then Brother Chen, have a safe trip. Come back to visit me when you have time in the future," she said with a forced smile, knowing in her heart that they might never see each other again in this life.

"Yeah," Chen Xuan nodded and left calmly.

Because we knew each other and were leaving, so I just said hello, that's all.

When they returned to the courtyard, Gao Jingming had already woken up. The hangover had not left any sequelae at all. He was full of energy and even had the energy to ask Chen Xuan to take a look at the article he wrote. Chen Xuan said, "Please spare me. I am no different from an illiterate in front of you."

He had to admit that after all these years, Chen Xuan's academic attainments were really not as good as his. Gao Jingming had even given up on Chen Xuan's path to take the imperial examinations, but their martial arts skills were the opposite of each other.

Moreover, Gao Jingming also knew that Chen Xuan had "stepped into the innate realm", and it was very likely that the time they spent together would be less and less day by day.

Growing up, the naive thoughts of childhood are so ridiculous.

In the evening, the two went to a banquet again, and Gao Jingming was drunk and unconscious afterwards.

After taking him back and settling him down, Chen Xuan took some time to go to the deserted house. Since they were about to leave, he had to pack up in advance.

He was already surprised before he even arrived. His neighbor was back? He'd been gone for six months, with no word from him. And he was injured, seriously injured, barely able to even return to his 'boudoir'. His sleep quality was excellent, he fell asleep instantly. Apparently, he'd taken on a big job before he left...

(End of this chapter)