Listening to the Wind Through the Bamboo Forest in the House

Chapter 278 Listening to the Wind Through the Bamboo Forest in the House (Bonus Chapter)

Lu Chi, carrying the loose change he had accumulated over the years, stepped into the dirtiest and most chaotic long street in Yuanhua City.

This place is a melting pot of all sorts of people, a melting pot of merchants and laborers, and a place that is noisy and chaotic all day long.

He found a drafty, dilapidated storefront on a street corner, paid the rent, hung up a wooden plaque, and wrote the three characters "Tinghuangju" (Listening to Bamboo Grove Residence) as his study.

The shop was sparsely furnished, with only a table and a chair. He made a living by reading letters aloud, writing family letters, and selling rough paper and cheap ink.

The study was newly established, but the courtyard was deserted.

At noon that day, during a break, a young child with his hair in his hair was playing on the street and happened to stop in front of the study.

The young child looked up at the newly hung wooden plaque above the door and stared at it for a long time. He had not yet received any formal education, so naturally he did not recognize the characters on it.

Before long, a man dressed in a short brown robe came over, wanting to take the child home.

The young child tugged at the man's sleeve, pointed to the wooden plaque above the door, and asked curiously, "Dad, what words are written on this?"

The man looked up and examined it closely, his face showing difficulty. He was barely literate, so he naturally didn't recognize it.

However, he had suffered greatly from illiteracy in his daily life, and had been cheated many times because he couldn't keep accounts. He had long harbored the desire to teach his young son to read and write.

The idea of ​​learning to read.

He pondered for a moment, then lowered his head and said to the child, "Your father is a rough man and cannot recognize you. But you must not be blind in the future."

"Come on, let's go inside and ask the old gentleman there."

Having said that, he led the child across the threshold.

The man saw an elderly man in gray robes sitting behind the desk. He was thin and had a weathered face. So he cupped his hands and asked, "May I ask, sir, what are the three characters written on this plaque hanging above the door? And what do they mean?"

Lu Chi looked up and saw that the man's hands were covered in calluses, the child's clothes were covered in mud and dust, and he had a very faint fishy smell.

His expression was calm as he spoke slowly, “Listen to the Bamboo Grove. Listen means to hear. Bamboo refers to a bamboo forest. Dwelling is a place to rest and find peace.”

Lu Chi tapped the table lightly with his withered knuckles and continued, "The three words combined form the house where one can quietly listen to the wind rustling through the bamboo forest."

The man listened, but muttered to himself inwardly.

This drafty, dilapidated shop has not even a bamboo broom to be found inside or outside, so where did the bamboo grove for listening to the wind come from?

Scholars are so particular that they even give their dilapidated houses such fancy names.

Despite his thoughts, he showed no sign of it on his face. He simply pressed down on the child's head and pointed to the wooden plaque outside the door, saying, "Remember what the teacher taught you. This is called Tinghuang Residence."

The child nodded blankly and recited it twice as instructed, his voice still childish.

The man glanced at the simple shop a few more times and asked, "Sir, is this study newly opened recently?"

Lu Chi nodded slightly.

The man grinned and said, "My surname is Chen. I run a meat stall on the street corner, and the neighbors call me Butcher Chen. This long street is a melting pot of all sorts of people, and thieves often roam around at night. You must be careful with the stall, sir, and make sure to lock the door after dark."

Lu Chi bowed and thanked him. Only then did Butcher Chen lead the child away.

When I got home, my wife had already set the meal on the wooden table.

As Chen the butcher picked up his rice bowl, he casually told his wife about the newly opened study on the main street and the old gentleman.

Upon hearing this, the wife slammed the bowl of vegetables down on the table and said, "You've been saying you'd send the child to school to learn to read, but you keep putting it off. Since that old gentleman is so learned, why don't we let the child become his student?"

Butcher Chen took a bite of rice, his face showing hesitation: "We've just met today, and I don't know anything about you. Besides, the tuition fees for scholars are always expensive, and I'm afraid my family, with our kind of livelihood, can't afford to support them."

His wife said unhappily, "Do you expect the child to grow up to be a butcher like you, covered in the stench of meat every day, and looked down upon by others?"

Butcher Chen put down his chopsticks and retorted, "So what if I'm a butcher? I earn my living with my own strength, honestly and fairly!"

Even so, he glanced at the young child beside him. Recalling how the child had been staring at the plaque outside the study earlier that day, actively asking about the meaning of the characters, it was clear that he had a desire to learn.

After a moment of silence, Butcher Chen gritted his teeth and made up his mind: "Fine, I'll take him to become an apprentice tomorrow!"

The next morning.

As Lu Chifang removed the door panel of the study, he saw Butcher Chen and his son standing outside the door.

Butcher Chen was carrying a piece of high-quality pork belly strung on a straw rope. The meat was red and white, glistening with oil, and weighed about five or six pounds.

The butcher's house in the marketplace had few elegant items; this piece of fatty meat was the most lavish gift he could offer as a formal apprenticeship present.

Butcher Chen placed the piece of fatty meat on the corner of the counter, wiped his hands somewhat awkwardly on his clothes, and said timidly, "Old sir, I would like this child to become your apprentice and learn to read. This piece of fresh meat is just a small token of my respect as a gift for his apprenticeship."

Lu Chi glanced at the fatty meat on the table, neither agreeing nor refusing outright, but simply gestured for the father and son to come inside.

Once the two had stopped, Lu said slowly, "Reading and recognizing characters is no easy task; it requires perseverance. Before accepting a disciple, I must first examine him."

Upon hearing this, Butcher Chen knew there was great hope in the matter and was overjoyed. However, a slight worry arose in his heart. He glanced down at the young boy beside him, fearing that the boy was dull-witted and might not pass the old man's test.

Lu Chi's gaze fell on the child, and he asked in a calm tone, "What is your name?"

The young child clutched at Chen the butcher's clothes and answered timidly, "I have no name. My parents just call me 'child,' and the neighbors all call me Little Chen."

Lu Chi nodded slightly, his face expressionless. He paused briefly, then asked, "Learning to read is tedious. Tell me, if you were to study and learn to read with me, what would you want to do after you've acquired knowledge?"

Chen Xiaowa tilted his head back, pondered for a moment, and said in a serious tone, "Dad often makes mistakes in the accounts when he sells meat. Now that I can read, I can keep accounts for Dad and make sure no one is shortchanged on their meat payments."

After saying that, he added, "If one has great knowledge, one can earn money indoors like the old gentleman, avoiding the suffering of freezing on the streets in winter."

Butcher Chen lightly patted the child's head with his fan-like hand, laughing and scolding, "You little rascal, you've got a clever plan!"

Lu Chi nodded slightly. The words of a common child were simple truths about survival, devoid of any falsehood. His expression was calm as he said, "Stay."

Butcher Chen was overjoyed and bowed repeatedly.

Lu Chi added, "Since you're going to study in the library, you need a proper name. Chen Xiaowa is not suitable."

He pondered for a moment, then said slowly, "Ordinary people strive to make a living, all for the sake of survival. Let us call him Da Sheng, Chen Da Sheng."

Butcher Chen originally thought that a scholar would bestow a name with some obscure and elegant characters, but he never expected it to be so common, sounding no different from the "Dog Leftovers" or "Iron Pillar" that the neighbors called him.

However, being a rough man, he simply assumed the old man was highly learned, and that even his plain words contained profound truths. Without hesitation, he nodded repeatedly and urged the child on the shoulder, "Dasheng, quickly kowtow to your master."

Chen Dasheng immediately knelt down, kowtowed, and called out in a clear voice, "Master."

Lu Chi remained seated and corrected him, saying, "I only teach you to read and write, so I accept your title of 'teacher.' Don't call me 'master.'"

In the world of cultivation, the master-disciple lineage is intertwined with the causal relationships of the Great Dao, and is extremely profound. Now that he has sealed his magical power and transformed into a mortal, only wishing to observe the myriad aspects of the world, he cannot easily form such a deep master-disciple relationship with mortals.

The butcher and his son were unfamiliar with the customs of the immortals, believing it to be a practice unique to scholars. The butcher, Chen, didn't take it seriously and readily agreed. Chen Dasheng also changed his address accordingly, respectfully calling him "Sir."

After that, Tinghuang Residence gained another pageboy.