In the sixteenth year of Yuanwu, autumn, Zhongnan Mountain.

There is a small platform at the mountain gate of Zhongnan Mountain, two stone pillars are erected on the platform, there is a tablet on the side of the stone pillar, and the Tao Te Ching is engraved on it.

Yang Xiaoyang stood by a stone pillar with a box on his back and a robe, looking at the tourists who went up the mountain to enjoy the scenery, just hoping that they would enjoy the scenery, and don't look for themselves to do things.

Yang Xiaoyang was thinking about it when he saw an old man surrounded by several children walking towards him. Yang Xiaoyang's heart tightened, pretending not to see it, clasping his hands in front of him, staring at the mountains and forests dyed red by the sunset.

"This Daoist, isn't it always Daoist Meng Zhen who greets guests on weekdays, why don't you see him today?" the old man also looked at the young Taoist priest when he asked.

I saw that although his appearance was ordinary, his face was full, his expression was calm, his eyes were slanted, his nose was high, he was wearing a robe, and he was carrying a box behind him, and he didn't know what it was containing.

The old man was going to call him a little Taoist, but when he remembered that when he met Meng Zhen at the beginning of the year, he saw that he was young, and he called him a little Taoist priest because of his age, but he didn't expect that when he asked about his age, he was even older than himself, and it was embarrassing to make it good. I don't dare to talk nonsense anymore, for fear that another "old monster" with a good face will emerge.

Yang Xiaoyang pursed his lips slightly, "Daoist Meng Zhen is now in retreat, and the ancestor has asked me to welcome guests." After another pause, "The poor Taoist has only been studying the Tao for two years, and he should not be called the Taoist master." With that, he lowered his head, and his eyes did not know where to go.

The old man touched his nose, and saw that this little Taoist priest was not at all like Meng Zhendao, with that spring breeze-like warmth, thinking that he had made a mistake and was sent down the mountain to welcome guests, and he was in a bad mood, so he looked like he was not close to anyone.

He didn't care, and changed the subject: "The sunset today is still so beautiful." ”

The children surrounding the old man first saw that a young brother had gone up the mountain to become a Taoist priest, and they were curious and wanted to come forward to ask a few words, but they were attracted by the gentleman's words, and ran to the side pavilion to see the scenery. From time to time, I dot this and that, full of vitality.

Yang Xiaoyang was relieved when he saw the old man walking into the pavilion, and pricked up his ears to eavesdrop.

The old man touched a child's head, pointed to the stone steps up the mountain and said with a smile: "When I was a child, my parents forced me to study, and when I got tired of reading, I sneaked out and ran up the mountain. The first time I saw such a high stone staircase, not to mention how shocked I was, I thought that the mountain must be where the gods lived, otherwise how could I climb such a high stone staircase. ”

He looked at the mountains and forests not far away, and sighed: "This Zhongnan has not changed for decades, it is us who have changed." ”

After the old man finished speaking, he went down the mountain with his back on his back.

Yang Xiaoyang looked at the back and was speechless, climbed up for so long to take a look and left? But Yang Xiaoyang didn't bother to care, looked at the sunset that was dyed red, and closed his eyes.

Whenever the sun sets, he unconsciously thinks back to that evening.

When the sun set completely, there was no one at the mountain gate, and Yang Xiaoyang stroked the box and went up the mountain.

The stone steps looked like it would be very difficult to climb, but Yang Xiaoyang walked fast, his breathing was still steady, and every time he inhaled, it seemed as if he was really going to inhale something.

There is a clearing at the end of the stone steps, and there is a grass hut in the middle of the clearing, which is usually used to receive people who go up the mountain to seek the Dharma.

Yang Xiaoyang walked along a path around the grass house for a while, and then saw another grass house surrounded by a fence. There was a smile on his face unconsciously, and he pushed the door in.

The furnishings in the house are simple, with wooden tables, wooden beds, wooden chairs, and old wood.

Yang Xiaoyang put down the box on his back and opened it on the table, only to see that there was a little girl's head inside, as if she was sleeping soundly.

Yang Xiaoyang grinned and chuckled softly twice.