Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chapter 274 Returning South
After half a month of living a life of drunkenness and dreams, with occasional breaks in between, Gao Jingming finally calmed down. This also meant that he had almost dealt with the interpersonal relationships he had developed in the academy over the past seven years.

Those who should say goodbye have already said goodbye, and I don’t know when we will meet again. I guess in the future I will mostly recall the past through letters.

Of course, if they all rise to prominence and serve as officials in the same court in the future, they will have the opportunity to drink and chat together again.

During this period, Chen Xuan was busy running around and had almost finished dealing with the trivial matters, such as Gao Jingming's graduation procedures, the sale of the courtyard where he had lived for seven years, and the luggage needed for the return trip.

The graduation procedure is very simple. Gao Jingming will apply to the academy, and then the academy will give him a stamped document, which records when Gao Jingming went to the academy to study, how long he studied, and how his performance was evaluated. As long as he has not made any major mistakes, the teachers are usually generous with their positive comments. It is equivalent to a graduation certificate.

The matter is quite simple, and many things are also quite complicated, but Chen Xuan is just an errand boy, so he doesn't need to understand the details, just get it done.

To be honest, it’s a pity to sell the yard. After all, I have lived here for seven years. It is the place where Chen Xuan has lived the longest, and I still have some feelings for it. But what can I do if I don’t sell it? Everyone is gone, and the yard will just gather dust.

It has been sold. On the day they left, they agreed that the next buyer would take over the keys, and then the courtyard would no longer belong to them.

The total cost of purchasing this courtyard, as well as the subsequent decoration and additional items, was about one thousand taels of silver. As a result, after selling it, I made a net profit of one thousand two hundred taels, as I sold it for two thousand two hundred taels.

What’s more, real estate makes money quickly and there is a lot of potential. It has more than doubled in seven years.

There are two main reasons why the house can be sold at this price. One is that the decoration of the house is really beautiful, and the other is the celebrity effect. Gao Jingming is that celebrity.

Over the past seven years, Gao Jingming's performance in the academy has been quite eye-catching. He has always been among the top in every quiz, and his popularity is comparable to that of Ning and Wei back then, but he is somewhat inferior to them.

What he lacks is not the academic knowledge, but the "halo". To put it bluntly, he does not have many outstanding works that people talk about. I don't know whether it is influenced by certain people or a personal mentality problem. Gao Jingming usually does not like to be high-profile, so he ultimately did not reach the height of the "Eight Talents".

Perhaps influenced by the painting of pine and crane for longevity, Xiao Gao's calligraphy and painting are now also excellent, no worse than Wei Ziyan's in the past, but he keeps a low profile and not many of his works are circulated.

In addition, Gao Jingming's most outstanding achievement is his attainments in music, which is something Chen Xuan admires very much. He can't compare to him, absolutely can't compare to him. It's a song that can really make people intoxicated.

Of course, on the other hand, if music is used as a killing weapon, Xiao Gao cannot catch up with Chen Xuan even if he flatters. It is not the same thing. One is art, the other is violence.

Anyway, because of Gao Jingming's reputation, their courtyard was sold at double the price, and the buyer happily said that you can stay there as long as you want, there is no rush.

Gao Jingming is a scholar after all, and doesn't want to worry too much about money, otherwise the price can be even higher. Chen Xuan despised this to his face, calling him a prodigal son. Gao Jingming then said to him, "Then please find as many buyers as possible to keep the price high." Chen Xuan changed his mind on the spot and said, "Let's just sell it."

It's so funny. If he had that much skill, he could probably make a pill out of it on the spot.

They packed a lot of luggage, most of which were manuscripts. It was estimated that they could fill up half of the car. They were the harvest and testimony of their years, but the real harvest was in their minds.

Anyway, everything that needs to be packed has been packed, and everyone that needs to be said goodbye has been said goodbye to. I am just waiting for the day of return.

The older Chen Xuan gets, the lazier he becomes. He exudes a sleepy laziness in his bones. It's not the listless laziness, but the kind of casualness that allows flowers to fall and water to flow.

Anyway, he didn't make any plans for his return trip. He just went back the same way he came. It was simple and convenient.

Early in the morning on the day of departure, three carriages were parked on the road outside the yard. They were bought and could be sold to make a profit when they arrived at Fengzhou Wharf to change ships. It can't be said that they were very frugal, but there was no need to be extravagant.

The luggage has been packed. Chen Xuan sits casually in the last carriage holding the reins and waiting to set off. Since there is a shortage of manpower, he has to drive the carriage. Fortunately, he has learned it since he was a child. He can't let Gao Jingming or Xiao Cai and Xiao Ye do this job. There is no need to hire anyone for such a long journey. After all, it is a one-way trip.

"Oh, it's been seven years in a blink of an eye. I really can't bear to leave every tree and blade of grass here," Gao Jingming said as he stood at the door with a melancholy look on his face. He had walked around the place countless times in the past two days, trying to engrave every detail of the place into his mind.

Holding a small branch in his mouth, Chen Xuan looked at him bonelessly and said, "Why don't we stay here and settle down here, so that the ladies can wait for you and maybe even come and kill you, this unfilial son."

"Then let's go. I haven't seen you for seven years and I miss home," Gao Jingming turned back decisively without any reluctance at all.

Little guy, I can't control you anymore, kill you.

"Let's go!" Gao Jingming waved his hand and couldn't wait any longer. He was so eager to go home.

The carriage started slowly, facing the rising sun, stepping on the spring morning dew, and carrying the wanderer who had been away for many years on his journey back to his hometown after a long absence.

Chen Xuan doesn’t care anyway. It doesn’t matter where he goes, he has no home.

The Gao family is at most half a home to him. It’s not that he has no sense of belonging, it’s just the fact that he is just a passer-by in the whole world.

"The road ahead is long and the mountains are high. I hope that wherever you go, it will be smooth and wherever you go, it will be sunny. Take care." The next customer who got the key at the door sent sincere farewell wishes.

Gao Jingming returned the greeting in the car and said, "Let's meet again someday and have a drink to reminisce about the past. Please stay." "Please..."

The other party was a little fan of Gao Jingming, otherwise he wouldn't have spent a high price to buy the yard, but the relationship was not good enough, so he had to stop here.

The sun was getting higher, and as I walked through the streets and the city, the courtyard was already far away. The seven years of life in Mo City finally came to an end.

"Senior sister, look at the street, that young man is so handsome," a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl said excitedly in a low voice, her cheeks slightly red and her eyes as bright as water, as she looked at the street outside the window of a restaurant facing the street.

Opposite the girl who was speaking was a woman who was a little older than her, probably only one or two years older. She was very beautiful, with a face like a lotus and eyes like stars. Especially the heroic air between her eyebrows was eye-catching.

Both of them are outstanding in appearance and are at the prime of their life, but they carry swords with them, which makes them look like people from the martial arts world, making people feel daunted.

Upon hearing this, the girl who was called senior sister glanced out the window and saw Chen Xuan driving by in a carriage. Her heart was moved. How could this man be so handsome?

But he pretended to be indifferent, shook his head and laughed: "Junior sister, don't be obsessed with him. He is obviously a scholar, not the same as us. Moreover, his body is lazy and loose, as if he is missing a bone. He is a useless scholar."

"But he is so handsome," the girl opposite stared at him without blinking, feeling that she would be missing out if she didn't take one more look.

The elder sister simply ignored the infatuated younger sister and looked at the dozen or so dishes on the table. She took only a bite of each and then asked the waiter beside her, "Are these the only spicy dishes they have?"

"That's all we have. May I ask if the food is not tasty, young lady?" the waiter asked cautiously.

Gently shaking her head, the girl raised her hand to support her chin and said dejectedly: "No, it's delicious, but it's not what I'm looking for. It's okay, you can go and do your work first."

After the waiter left, the girl who called herself "Senior Sister" seemed to have lost focus and her thoughts were drifting away. She had been in Mo City for almost two months since she came down the mountain. She had visited almost two-thirds of the hotels and snack stalls in Mo City, but she could never taste the flavors she remembered.

She had inquired and found out that the origin of spicy food was in Mo City, but why couldn't she taste the same flavor as she remembered?

"Take your time to search, and then move on to the next place. As long as you don't give up, you will find it."

The girl encouraged herself in her heart.

It would be more accurate to say that she was searching for the taste of her memory rather than looking for her former self, but she could no longer find it.

I was young and carefree then, but after that day, the person who loved me the most was gone, right before my eyes. It was like the sky was falling, and from then on, my younger self was gone. That was the last time I tasted the purest joy...

In the carriage, Chen Xuan adjusted himself to a comfortable position with a smile on his face.

The little girl back then has grown into a beautiful young lady. Time flies so fast. Her martial arts skills are not so good. Is it because she didn’t inherit the excellent talents from her elders?

"My buddy's looks are still very good. There are even pretty girls crazy about him," Chen Xuan was happy.

Of course he noticed the two girls. The Grandmaster's senses were extremely sharp, and he also recognized one of them. That senior sister was Guo Qingxue from the Hanshan Sword Sect, and she actually brought a little follower down the mountain.

Guo Qingxue's martial arts skills today are probably only slightly better than Zhao Qingluan's back then, which is actually quite good. But she is the daughter of Guo Sihai, the leader of the Hanshan Sword Sect, after all. Her skills are a bit unworthy of such an identity.

Who cares, they are just passers-by...

After staggering out of the south gate of Mo City, he walked four or five miles to Wuli Pavilion. There was a large group of students from the academy waiting there. At a quick glance, there were about forty or fifty people.

"Brother Gao, please stay," someone stepped forward and waved.

Gao Jingming got out of the carriage and looked at his classmates. He said with a slightly sour nose, "What a coincidence!"

"Brother Gao, please don't come here. We knew you were going to run away secretly. We have been waiting for you here for a long time. Here is a glass of light wine. I hope you will take a sip. From now on, you will have a bright future and meet good people on your life journey." The man said as he brought a glass of wine.

The others were also filled with reluctance, saying in unison: "I hope you have a safe journey."

Gao Jingming took it and drank it down in one gulp. He bowed and said with a smile: "Everyone please stay. Jingming is leaving."

"Please...", and then everyone bowed and made way.

Beside the ancient road, outside the small pavilion, a few words, this is the road of life, I will tell you again when we meet again...

(End of this chapter)