Chapter 2: Receiving Apprentices and Rewarding Fishing Convincing the Hearts of the People

The old man's surname is Wu, and his ancestral home is Jiangxi. The family is in the middle of the road, and he is alone. This is a trip to Fang Langzhong, picking roadside grass, cliff flowers, and water insects to cure all kinds of diseases. This time, I wanted to go to Sichuan to find a family of relatives, and find a successor to pass on what I had learned, but after entering the mountains, the people and land were unfamiliar, the water and soil were not adapted, and the dry food with them was exhausted, so I could only beg for food and sleep to live. I climbed this hillside last night, tired and hungry, and in the night I wanted to find a broad leaf to get some water to drink, but I accidentally fell into the grass and fainted.

Hao Jiayu saw that Wu Lao was over the age of sixteen and his body was thin and weak, so he felt sympathy. So he asked: "If Wu Lao doesn't dislike this poor mountain and bad water place, it will not be too late to take care of his body at my house." ”

Wu Laoben deeply felt the grace of saving his life, since the benefactor took him in, how could he not appreciate it. So he said: "The old man is not talented, and the life-saving grace of the whole family of Chengen Gong should be meager." After taking care of your body, you can go to Sichuan to find relatives. ”

In this way, the Hao family temporarily added this elderly with a foreign surname.

Chuantao Chuanbo studied with his father during the day, and his brothers hugged each other and slept at night, but he didn't realize that more than a month had passed.

Wu Lao's health has improved, he helps to farm and chop wood during the day, and helps carry water in the morning and evening, as long as there is a job that can be plugged in, he will definitely rush to do it. In particular, Wu Lao has a handful of weaving skills, and he has made a lot of supplies and utensils such as bamboo blue, sieve blue, and dustpans in his spare time. After more than a month, they are like a family with each other. After saying hello occasionally, go to the corner of the mountain to find some flowers and plants to dry in the garden, or go to the cliffside ditch to get some insects and centipedes, and hang them under the eaves with bamboo skewers. To Chuantao Chuanbo, the brothers are even closer to each other.

That night, the family was preparing to have dinner. Wu Lao stopped Hao Jiayu: "Engong, I have a reluctant request, I don't know whether to talk about it or not." Hao Jiayu was stunned, and said: "Wu Lao, please say something, you don't have to see outside." ”

When Wu Lao got permission, he said: "I Guan Engong's eldest son is very intelligent, and has a good character, is diligent and studious, and wants to pass on Bo to him, and I am also a little grateful for the grace, I don't know if it is possible?" ”

Hao Jiayu read poetry and books, but he did not have medical treatment, and in a sparse place with mountains, it is indeed rare to be able to heal the sick, so he promised: "As long as Wu Lao is not stupid, it is a great luck to be able to worship Wu Lao as a teacher." ”

At the dining table, Hao Jiayu called Chuantao to his side and said: "You have been studying with me for many years, and you know a little about the humane, now Wu Lao accepts you as an apprentice and passes on your healing skills. ”

Although Chuantao doesn't know anything about medical skills, since his father allows him to learn, he will not be wrong. He raised the wine glass poured in front of his father, knelt down on one knee to Wu Lao, and raised his glass to the top: "The master is above, and the apprentice will bow down." ”

Wu Lao smiled all over his face, took the wine glass, and drank it all. "From now on, in addition to studying with your father, Chuantao, you will also follow me up the mountains and rivers, climb cliffs and trees, and collect medicines. As for medical skills, just memorize them. My skill in curing the sick and saving people was originally a family heirloom, and it was never passed on. You are the son of Engong, and half of my benefactor, I am about to die, and I have no heirs, and I will spend two years teaching you all to repay the grace of saving my life. ”

"Thank you, master."

Chuanbo saw that his brother worshipped Wu Lao as a teacher, and felt that he should also worship a master, so he begged: "Wu Lao also accepts me as an apprentice, is it good to study medicine together?" ”

Wu Lao was very embarrassed, so he had to tell the truth: "The second son has an active temperament and has excellent talent in poetry and painting, so he should find another master." Learning this art of hardship and fatigue from the old man will waste your genius. Besides, I've never been a single apprentice in my life, and there is no precedent for accepting two apprentices at the same time? I had to grieve the second son. ”

Chuanbo didn't feel very comfortable, but he didn't force it anymore. I said ruthlessly: I must find a suitable master to learn better skills.

Since then, Hao Chuantao has been reading the books taught by his father and reciting the prescriptions passed on by his master. As soon as I have time, I will look for medicinal herbs and herbs with my master all over the mountain, pull out the roots and pull out the seedlings, occasionally see strange flowers and plants, dig them home, and plant them in front of the court, which is beautiful, and the life is full and interesting.

That day, I followed Wu Lao to rummage under the rocks by the river to find medicine insects.

It is a river formed by the collection of mountain streams.

The water of the high mountains can not bear the loneliness, from the forest, down the mountain, through the forest, flowing over the ground, converged to the foot of the mountain, forming a river across the north and south - Yuquan River, stretching for hundreds of miles, into the rolling Yangtze River. Legend has it that there are many underground outlets on the river, and occasionally a red-winged fish comes out, and this underground outlet is called the Fish Spring, hence the name of the river. In the clear water, small fish can be seen swimming from time to time, and people who cross the river barefoot can see fish swimming past their feet.

Summer is the sun. After a while, both the master and apprentice were already sweating, Chuan Tao touched the sweat on his head and threw it on the ground, and said to the master, "Can you go to the water to play for a while?" Wu Lao was accustomed to water, and he was not afraid that something big would happen in this small river, so he nodded in agreement. Chuantao stripped naked and played naked in the water. Seeing some small fry swimming around in the shallow water, he was childlike, holding one or two fry in his hand and shouting at the master: "Master, come quickly, there are so many fish here!" ”

Although Wu Lao is old, seeing Chuantao's innocent behavior, he also sprouts childlike innocence. "Do you want to catch a few fish?" Wu Lao asked Chuan Tao, who was slick and slippery.

"I want to, but I can't catch it with my hands, I can only catch small fry."

Wu Lao stood up: "I'll teach you a method, and we'll go back and bring up a large string of fresh fish in a while, and let your mother cook it for us to drink." ”

He turned around and found a few stones, and slammed them down on the stones that were half in the water and half out of the water, and then turned over the stones, and several finger-long fish surfaced. When Chuantao saw that there were fish, he happily caught them one by one and threw them ashore.

"Hahahaha, the master is so good, he really caught a fish~~"

"I'll teach you another trick of catching fish tomorrow to ensure that you have fish to eat every day." After saying that, Wu Lao continued to pick up stones, threw stones, turned over stones, Chuantao was busy picking up fish, the two masters and apprentices had a great time, and after a while, a lot of fish were placed on the beach.

Wu Lao broke off a long thin branch, tied a knot at one end, and pierced the end from the gills of each small fish to the mouth, and skewered the fish he caught into a long string and carried it in his hand. He turned back to Chuantao and said, "Get dressed, let's stop here today and come back tomorrow." ”

Chuantao was neatly dressed and boarded the way home with his master under the scorching sun.

In the evening, the family had a delicious fish hot pot. Wu Lao and Hao Jiayu both drank a small glass of home-brewed bud valley wine, and their faces were glowing with a faint red light.

At noon the next day, Chuan Tao remembered the master's promise to teach another trick of catching fish today. So he took the master's hand and tugged it. Wu Lao immediately understood, said hello to his family, brought a strange cage-like object, and walked towards the river with Chuantao. Chuan Tao had never seen the toy in the master's hand, and asked as he walked, "What is this for?" Wu Lao told him: "This is the fishing gear I made of bamboo this morning, it is a cage for fish, and I will show you later." ”

By the river, Wu Lao found a pool that was not deep, took off his clothes and walked into waist-deep water, laid the cage flat between two stones, took a few more stones and pressed them on the cage, then walked ashore, found a shade, and called Chuantao to come over and sit side by side under the shade. He said to Chuantao: "In this cage, I made a piece of bait, which is a small ball made of flour, leeks, and meat foam at home. After a while, the fish will burrow in and eat the bait, and after entering, they will not be able to come out. Hearing this, Chuantao was stunned for a moment, and thought: I will study the cage you made carefully in a while to see why I can only go in and not come out.

Wu Lao took the initiative to talk about the experience and experience of many treatments such as prescriptions, medicine recognition, pharmaceuticals, pulse checking, acupoint recognition, and pushing. After more than an hour passed, Wu Lao took out the cage from the water, and sure enough, there was half a cage of fish jumping around in it, which was bigger and more than the fish caught yesterday.

Chuan Tao was so impressed that he threw himself to the ground: "When I grow up, I will also be able to weave this cage for catching fish, and catch many fish to eat at home." ”

More than a year has passed in the blink of an eye. In the master's words and deeds, Chuantao has mastered all kinds of skills such as digging, cutting, boiling, grinding and processing medicines, visiting patients, and acupuncture and massage. Every time the master sees a doctor, he takes Chuantao with him, and then explains the knowledge and precautions of medical theory and medication to Chuantao, which can be described as a teaching.

Wu Lao's life in the Hao family was rich and steady, and his body gradually hardened.

That afternoon, after the rain, a rainbow hung high between the two mountains across the river, which was extremely gorgeous. Wu Lao hugged his fist to Hao Jiayu and said: "I taught Chuantao about it, it has been the New Year, Chuantao has good qualifications, and he has mastered seventy-seven eighty-eight medical skills, and what he lacks now is experience." I want to take my apprentices through the rivers and lakes for a few months to consolidate what they have learned and increase their knowledge. I don't know what happens under the public opinion? ”

Hao Jiayu pondered for a moment and said, "This matter still needs to be discussed with the child's mother, and we will discuss it tomorrow." ”

The next day, Hao Jiayu said to Wu Lao: "Since Wu Lao proposed to take Chuantao to travel the rivers and lakes, although my family is reluctant to leave Chuantao, in order to improve his medical skills, he will naturally not stop him." Wu Lao took Chuantao out for two months, and he should pestered me to prepare, and pay attention to safety on the road. ”

"Engong rest assured, the old man has walked the rivers and lakes all his life, and there are some ways to keep peace, Engong can rest assured, he will definitely bring Chuantao back to you in complete two years, if it is convenient, he will also bring a letter or something to report safety."

Hearing Wu Lao's promise, Hao Jiayu and his wife felt a little relieved.

Two days later, Chuan Tao was dressed in a new blue cloth, resigned with his parents and brothers, as well as his senior brothers and younger brothers, and followed Wu Lao out of the house for the first time.