My Taoist Career

Old man Jiang wandered around the village in this way, and occasionally told people that he lived on the mountain behind the village, and his appearance was irregular. Sometimes he wandered around the village every day for a month, and sometimes he disappeared for a month or two.

People believe that he lives on the mountain. He has been here for 5 years, and people still know him a little bit. They found that this old man Jiang does not lie. If you don’t want to say something, just make a mess of it. In the past, we did not make up nonsense.

In addition, most people in the village thought he was a poor homeless old man. Seeing that the village was relatively prosperous and the people were kind, they stayed here.

In fact, I have to say that this is a reason.

After smoking a cigarette, the sky became a little brighter again. My dad got up, simply tied his trousers into his socks, and continued on his way.

The road on the mountain is not easy to walk, and there are still many places where there is no road at all. My dad turned slowly all the way, and it took 3,4 or [-] hours before he knew it, and he didn't even see the shadow of old man Jiang.

But fortunately, today is a rare sunny day in winter. Under the warm sunshine, my dad was in a cheerful mood and didn't complain too much. He just thought about finding a clean place, eating dry food, and looking for it in the afternoon. , and then go back before dinner.

"If you don't find it, continue to look for it tomorrow. If you look for a few more days, you can always find it. Maybe you'll be lucky and meet you in the village." After drinking a sip of mountain spring water, my dad said to himself, there are not many people in the mountains Sheng'er, if you say something by yourself, it should be a relief.

The mountain spring water is sweet, and this big mouthful really relieves fatigue and quenches thirst. After thinking about this place, eating steamed buns with mountain spring water is also very sweet, so my dad decided to eat dry food here.

But not long after sitting down and taking out the steamed buns, my dad heard an out-of-key folk song, coupled with that broken gong voice, it really affected people's appetite.

But my dad is happy, this tone is so familiar to him, who else is it but old man Jiang?When he wandered around the village, he sang folk songs out of tune, and made the villagers listen to his broken gong voice. It's hard not to be familiar with it.

"Old man Jiang, old man Jiang..." My dad yelled loudly, after all, the mountains are spreading and the mountain roads are winding.

After shouting a few times, I really heard an angry voice coming from behind the mountain road next to my dad: "Hey, who called me?"

"Old man Jiang, here, here..." My dad shouted happily, collapsed and jumped, as if seeing his relatives, the Eighth Route Army.

Following my dad's voice, old man Jiang came out of the mountain road behind him in a short while. God knows where he was wandering on this mountain, and happened to meet my dad.

It still looked dirty, even showing a hint of wretchedness.It is far different from the tall people in the rural people's impressions and imaginations. In their opinion, the so-called good people have to have a good "appearance", such as fairy demeanor, such as white hair and childlike face, no matter how bad they are, they still look good. Unfathomable, like strangers should not enter.

But the above has nothing to do with old man Jiang.

But my dad, who is already in a hurry to go to the doctor, can't take care of these things. Even if Widow Zhou told him that a pig is an expert, he can still see the appearance of an expert at this moment.

"Old man Jiang..." My dad ran over immediately when he saw old man Jiang, stood in front of old man Jiang, and couldn't help shouting again: "Master Jiang..."

The old man Jiang didn't look surprised, and didn't ask my dad what happened. The old god was enjoying my dad's respectful attitude. When my dad finished shouting with a smiley face, he raised one of his hands and said: "Give me the steamed buns, do you have pickles?"

As soon as he raised his hand, my dad was startled, what is this?A 'rope' almost hit him on the face, and when he looked carefully, the old man Jiang was holding a limp bamboo leaf green in his hand.

There are many bamboos in Sichuan, Zhuyeqing is a common poisonous snake, but it is not common, its toxicity is not strong, but extremely poisonous, there are many legends about Zhuyeqing in the mountains.

This old man Jiang...my dad can't say anything superfluous, he can make hibernating snakes, and he specializes in poisonous snakes. This bamboo leaf green is what he used to eat.

I wanted to think about it, but my dad still respectfully handed over the steamed buns, and explained: "The kimchi might change its taste after a long time, so I didn't put it in. Master Jiang will just eat it."

The old man Jiang was not polite, he sat on the ground with a 'slap', threw the bamboo leaf green in his hand that had been shaken to the ground, and started to eat the steamed buns.

My dad wondered why he didn't use the other hand, and started with the hand that had caught the snake, but found that Jiang was holding a pheasant in the other hand.

At that time, there were still a lot of pheasants and hares in the mountains, and even lemurs and monkeys could be seen, but after three years of starvation, many of them disappeared. This old man Jiang can still get pheasants, and he is really capable .

Thinking of this, my dad looked at old man Jiang with a smile. At this moment, this person who had no image in front of him and ate steamed buns was simply the incarnation of a fairy.

Jiang old man finished eating a steamed bun, clapped his hands, scratched his beard casually, then drank mountain spring water, he burped after drinking, my dad hurriedly handed over another steamed bun.

The old man Jiang was not too polite, he grabbed the steamed buns and ate them. Finally, after eating the steamed buns, the old man Jiang patted his stomach, stood up, and said: "It would be nice to have kimchi, the Sichuan kimchi is crispy and sour. , and a little bit spicy, it’s delicious.”

"Then you go to my house to eat, how many packs are enough!" My dad really worried about not knowing what to say, mentioning the kimchi, the old man Jiang, and hurriedly said that he can't wait to get the old man Jiang to my house at this time.

"Kimchi? Call me for help, and send me with kimchi? You think it's beautiful?" Old man Jiang looked disdainful, grabbed the bamboo leaf green on the ground, and stuffed the pheasant in my father's hand.

When my dad listened to what Old Man Jiang said, it was as if he had met a fairy. He couldn't react for a while, so he had to be stupid and subconsciously accept what Old Man Jiang handed over.

"The taste of poisonous snakes is the most delicious. It is best to stew with this pheasant. Remember to simmer slowly until it is full. In addition, if you have any delicious food at home, bring out all the special dishes to entertain me. Wine I also want to drink, instead of bottled wine sold outside, I want to drink good homemade wine. I will come to your house to eat at noon tomorrow, let's go!" After finishing speaking, old man Jiang turned around and left.

My dad, who was left stunned, was still in a daze.

My dad came home in the afternoon.

As soon as my mother opened the door, my father rushed into the house. Regardless of my mother's surprised eyes, he threw the pheasant and bamboo leaf green on the ground, and grabbed my mother's arm and ran into the house.

"I said, Lao Chen, what are you doing here? Going up the mountain to hunt? Why don't you go down to business?" My mother was furious when she saw the things my father threw in the yard. Immediately scolded.

My dad was anxious and couldn't explain it, so he pulled my mother closer to the house. After closing the door, my dad said: "What am I hunting? Do you think I have that ability? Do you think I will let us go?" I don’t care about my son’s business, and then I have the time to go hunting?”

My dad's repeated questions stumped my mom, yes, my dad is not such an unreliable person.

"Pour me a glass of water first, and I'll tell you slowly, this time I really met an expert!"

one hour later.

First, my dad picked up the food and went out.

Then my mother went to the yard and quickly dealt with the chickens and snakes.

At that time, it was not uncommon for rural people to eat snakes. My mother was still handy with what to do with poisonous snakes.

Two hours later, a bamboo leaf green and a pheasant were cleaned by my mother. The snow-white snake meat and fresh chicken were put in two basins by my mother, covered with plastic bags, and then tied up.

Then, my mother put two pots in a wooden pot, came to the well in the backyard, tied the pots to the well rope, and then hung the pot of meat down, and stopped at a place about 10 cm above the water surface. down.

In the end, my mother worked hard to move a big stone and covered it on the well, which fit tightly without leaving any gaps.

The well is the natural refrigerator in my house. My parents have always believed that the things kept in the well are the freshest. Tomorrow the master will come to eat, and my mother will not neglect it at all.

After finishing all this work, my mother went to the bamboo grove on the back slope with her basket broken. The winter bamboo shoots are very good now, and my mother is going to get some.

As soon as my mother finished picking the winter bamboo shoots, she saw my father coming back. My mother asked anxiously, "Did you get the meat back?"

Rural people don’t have meat tickets, and after slaughtering pigs, they turn them into bacon. To eat fresh meat, they have to exchange for grain, so it’s unreasonable to entertain guests without meat.

But even so, the meat is not easy to handle.

My dad ran back and forth to the town in a hurry. It was hard for him to sweat all over the winter. He said happily, "I got it. It's more than a catty of meat. It went well."

"Oh, once the food is replaced with this little meat..." My mother was very distressed.

"Okay, for the sake of my son, this little food is nothing, as long as people come to our house to eat a good meal, it's enough." My dad was very happy, and the old man Jiang's words of asking for help made my dad think that he met a real expert up.

These are not counted, and then my dad ran to the river again. In short, he will do his best for tomorrow.

In the evening, my dad brought back two fresh river fish, and then went out again.

"Old Chen, you haven't eaten yet, where are you going?" My mother took the river fish and threw it directly into the water tank. Seeing that my father was about to go out again, she couldn't help asking in doubt.

"Go and get some rice eels, you know my skill of stir-frying rice eels is very good, I must satisfy Mr. Jiang...Master Jiang." My dad seemed to be in an extremely excited state.

"It's winter, it's not summer, where do you get eels?" My mother couldn't laugh or cry.

"Who said it can't be obtained in winter? In winter, it hides and sleeps under the mud. It's just hidden deep. Don't worry, I can get it." My dad is full of confidence.