Chapter 227: [Mount Jiao] Old Words

Two years passed in the blink of an eye.

On an autumn day two years later, Xu Shuanglin was lying on the roof of the Confucian Wind Sect's main hall. He squinted his eyes and looked at the red clouds in the sky with a strand of green foxtail in his mouth.

Very few people would go to the roof of the main hall. It was originally a place where he was alone, but at this moment, there were two people sitting on either side of him.

One was his older brother, Nangong Liu, and the other was Master Luo, who was about the same age as them.

Xu Shuanglin felt that he was sometimes very much like some kind of beast that bared its fangs, not easily allowing others to enter its territory. Therefore, he also did not know why, when he was willing to take these two people to the roof, to accompany him in a daze, to watch the clouds, to watch the dragonflies fly low, and to watch the catkins float high.

"Liu 'er! Xu 'er! Where are you? "

His father's anxious and slightly angry voice came from under the veranda.

"Really, every time I ask them to help clean the courtyard, they run faster than rabbits. These two little bastards."

"Aiya." Nangong Liu quietly poked his head out from the corner of the roof and showed his eyes. He saw his father hurrying over and then retracted his head. "Haha, they're gone."

"The old man is also stupid." Xu Shuanglin lazily crossed his legs and looked at him disdainfully. "He never knew to come to the roof to look for us."

Luo Fenghua was a bit uneasy. "Is it okay for us to do this … Sigh, why don't you go down in a moment? Don't make Lord worry."

"What does it matter? Anyway, even if the sky falls, we'll hold it up. "Nangong Liu made a face at him." What are you worried about, Ah Xu? Am I right? "

Xu Shuanglin didn't say whether he was right or wrong. He spat out the foxtail in his mouth, stretched, and sat up straight. "Give me some melon seeds."

Nangong Liu poured more than half of the melon seeds he brought up into Xu Shuanglin's hand. Xu Shuanglin slowly ate the melon seeds while squinting his eyes. He looked at Luo Fenghua with amusement and uneasiness.

He licked off a piece of melon seed on his lips and smiled. "Is Shizun scared?"

"I just don't think it's a good idea …"

"What's wrong with that?" Xu Shuanglin said, "If the old man blames you, I'll give him a hard time."

Luo Fenghua: "…"

Xu Shuanglin then extended his hand to Luo Fenghua. "Give me an orange."

"I thought you didn't like it …"

Xu Shuanglin frowned. "You're so long-winded. Are you going to give it to me or not? If not, I'll grab your ankles and throw you down. "

"Ah Xu, don't be so fierce when you're talking to Shizun."

"What Shizun? That's for outsiders to hear," Xu Shuanglin said. "Which Shizun would sneak onto the roof with his disciple to eat melon seeds?"

Luo Fenghua was embarrassed by his words and slowly lowered his head.

Xu Shuanglin loved to see him like this. Every time he saw him like this, he felt like a bully bullying the weak. He stared at Luo Fenghua for a while and suddenly grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.

"Shizun Gege, am I right?"

Shizun Gege was a nickname that Xu Shuanglin came up with on a whim. It was respectful and affectionate, but there was also a hint of teasing hidden within the intimacy. Thus, Luo Fenghua appeared very anxious and sad. "No, don't call me that."

"A nickname is just a formality. Shizun Gege said it himself. "

Luo Fenghua: "…"

After teasing him, Xu Shuanglin extended his hand again and pestered him again. "An orange."

"You don't like it. I only brought one. It's for Ah Liu."

Xu Shuanglin's eyes widened, but he didn't glare at Luo Fenghua. Instead, he turned his head and glared at his older brother.

Nangong Liu was stuffing pastries into his mouth when he suddenly choked. He waved his hand vaguely and said, "Well, I don't really want to eat oranges today. Shizun, you can give it to him."

Luo Fenghua thought for a moment and said, "You can each have half."

As he spoke, he wiped the orange on his sleeve and peeled off the skin. He wanted to break it in half fairly, but one side was still bigger and the other was smaller.

Thus, Luo Fenghua appeared to be a little distressed.

Perhaps it was because he came from a poor family, but he was always troubled by such trivial matters.

"Sigh …"

"Give me the big one." Xu Shuanglin didn't stand on ceremony. He took the orange and made the choice for Luo Fenghua, who was trying to be fair. "Give him the small one."

Luo Fenghua said, "Don't always bully your older brother …"

Before he could finish speaking, a piece of juicy orange was stuffed into his mouth. He opened his round eyes in shock and looked at Xu Shuanglin blankly and confusedly.

"What are you talking about?" Xu Shuanglin sneered. His attitude was sloppy, but his eyes were very gentle. "I still have to share my half with Shizun."

Nangong Liu also came over and took the other half of the orange. He counted the number of pieces and divided them into several pieces, handing them to Xu Shuanglin and Luo Fenghua.

The sect leader of the Confucian Wind School, who came later, chuckled. Under the sunset, his soft hair slightly covered his forehead. Xu Shuanglin looked at him in amusement. "What are you doing?"

"There are oranges. Let's eat them together."

He also divided the melon seeds, pastries, and candied fruits into three piles.

"There are snacks. Let's eat them together."

"You … you are really …" Luo Fenghua seemed to be trying to regain his dignity, but whether it was Xu Shuanglin or Nangong Liu, they didn't seem to feel anything. Instead, they looked at him with a bit of friendliness, but also with a bit of mischief.

Luo Fenghua was happy to see this kind of friendly expression, but he also felt it was absurd. After half a day, he muttered, "You are really messing around …"

Nangong Liu said, "We are not messing around, we are not messing around. Even if we are messing around, we are messing around together."

When Xu Shuanglin heard this, he finally burst out laughing. He supported himself with one hand on the roof and supported his forehead with the other. He smiled and said, "Okay, then the three of us will eat oranges and snacks together in the future."

He paused for a moment and then looked up at the magnificent scenery of the Confucian Wind School's house. He grinned and said, "There is a roof, let's climb up together."

The scene flashed by.

It was still that year, the Lantern Festival.

Xu Shuanglin was barefoot and had a leaf in his mouth. He was walking lazily on the main path of the Confucian Wind School. From time to time, he would point and say, "Hang that lantern a bit higher. I'm talking to you. Why did you hang it so low? Someone with short legs should go up. "

Suddenly, an anxious voice came from behind him. "Ah Xu, wait a minute."

Xu Shuanglin turned around and saw Luo Fenghua coming over with a pair of shoes. He frowned and said, "Why are you running around without shoes again?"

"This path is full of Aura Refining Stones. Without shoes, it's easy to absorb spiritual power."

"The weather is so cold. What does this little bit of spiritual power count for? Hurry up and put it on. Look at you, your toes are red from the cold. "

"Tsk, you are so long-winded and troublesome."

Although he said that, Xu Shuanglin still slowly put on the shoes. He didn't follow the rules and casually pulled on the shoes. Then he narrowed his eyes and asked Luo Fenghua, "What's wrong? Are you free now? Do you want to go outside with me and stroll around the lantern market? "

"Ah Liu hasn't finished his homework yet. I have to finish smoking and then he can …"

Before he could finish speaking, Xu Shuanglin interrupted him.

He raised his chin and said with an arrogant look in his eyes, "My brother is an idiot. If you want to watch him do his homework, then you'll have to spend the entire Lantern Festival night. Don't waste it."

Luo Fenghua smiled good-naturedly and said, "But it's fine. I don't really like crowds."

Xu Shuanglin glared at him for a while. Suddenly, he angrily kicked his shoes and sent them flying far away. Luo Fenghua was stunned. "What's wrong with you?"

"I'm not wearing, I'm not wearing! Get lost, get lost. "

"Wear shoes. It's cold."

"I'm not wearing! Get lost! "

"… Are you angry?"

Xu Shuanglin had a disgusted look on his face. "I'm angry? What's there to be angry about? You and my brother are both idiots and paupers. There's nothing better than celebrating a festival together. Let's go. Don't pay attention to me. "

After he finished speaking, he waved his hand and walked forward casually.

At that time, he actually hoped that Luo Fenghua would chase after him.

Even if his feet were red from the cold, he didn't care.

He was going to kick off both his shoes and wait for someone to call him from behind and tell him in a panic that he was going to catch a cold.

Xu Shuanglin walked forward expectantly.

But after waiting for a while, Luo Fenghua didn't chase after him, nor did he call out to him.

He paused and couldn't help but slow down his pace.

He walked until he was about a hundred meters away and was about to reach the city gate. Still, no one called out to him. He cracked his knuckles and thought to himself, Forget it. He didn't have any playmates since he was young anyway. For many years, he walked around alone during the Lantern Festival. What's the big deal?

He walked down the steps.

Level one.

Level two.

Finally, he suddenly turned around. His nose wrinkled and his face changed. He couldn't help but shout, "Luo Fenghua!"

In fact, Luo Fenghua didn't leave. He stood there with his shoes back. He was in a dilemma and didn't know what to do. When he heard Xu Shuanglin's shout, he suddenly came back to his senses. His eyes widened and he said blankly, "Ah …"

"…"

Forget it.

He really had to hand it to him.

So that year during the Lantern Festival, he and Xu Shuanglin stayed by Nangong Liu's side.

Nangong Liu was extremely vexed as he tried to memorize the magic scroll. He rolled his eyes and recited, "One cun five fen below the precordium is the Juque acupoint and the heart screen. When hit, one will lose consciousness. Below the right lung acupoint … below … what was that again?" He scratched his head and said, "I can't remember again."

"Stupid! I'll let you die from your stupidity! "

Xu Shuanglin knocked his brother's head with the bamboo scroll. His face was full of anger. "The next half of the point, hit with your arm and you'll wake up. If you don't recover after waking up, you'll die after a hundred days. The Shuifen acupoint on the navel belongs to the small intestine and stomach meridian. You'll die after 28 days. … This is the ninth time!!! Why didn't you die from your stupidity?! "

Nangong Liu looked very depressed. He leaned on the table and sighed. Then he looked up and blew a strand of soft hair on his forehead.

"I also feel that I'm very stupid … If only I was as smart as you."

"Impossible." Xu Shuanglin said firmly, "Dream on."

The warm curtain was lifted and closed. Luo Fenghua, who had just gone out to cook Lantern Festival, came back.

He was wearing a thick cloak, and his pitch-black hair and curled eyelashes were dotted with tiny bits of snow. Under the illumination of the fire, his ordinary-looking face was somewhat pleasing to the eye.

It was like the light of spring, but the falling snow was beautiful.

"You've been memorizing for a long time. Eat some Lantern Festival and rest for a while."

Luo Fenghua brought the wooden tray over. There were three bowls of Lantern Festival, one for each person.

Nangong Liu cheered and immediately rushed to the table. He was about to reach out his hand when he was pulled back by the person behind him.

Xu Shuanglin's face was gloomy. "Why are you in such a hurry? You have no manners. Where's your thanks?"

Nangong Liu was speechless. He seemed to be surprised that his most unruly younger brother would actually go against him at this point.

"What are you doing?"

Seeing her brother squinting his eyes dangerously, Nangong Liu quickly waved her hands. At the same time, she also bought herself a good girl. Flicking her sleeves, she bowed deeply. She raised her head and jokingly said, "Xiaonu thanks Master for the gift ~"

Luo Fenghua: "… …"

When Xu Shuanglin saw how mischievous this guy was, he felt both angry and amused at the same time. He thought about it and guessed that this guy had probably learned this from a novel, so he said, "Alright, eat some snacks."

Luo Fenghua rubbed his somewhat stiff and red hands and put them to his mouth. Xu Shuanglin helped him remove his cloak. He was somewhat flattered. "Ah, you don't have to trouble yourself."

Xu Shuanglin was too lazy to pay attention to him. He asked indifferently, "Is it snowing outside?"

"Yes, it just snowed. I don't know if it will pile up tonight. We can have a snowball fight tomorrow."

"… … Master." This sudden address was definitely not respectful, but mocking. "How old are you?"

Luo Fenghua smiled and his eyelashes were soft. Xu Shuanglin looked at him and couldn't help but feel gentle in his heart. However, when he noticed this gentleness, he felt ashamed and angry for no reason. He hurriedly looked for any reason to vent. Luo Fenghua didn't let him down. He quickly found a reason. He pointed at a patch on the cloak and said disdainfully,

"Are you very poor? You've been in the Confucian Wind Sect for so long. Why don't you throw away this piece of junk? If you wear it outside, people will think that we're bullying you. Are you stupid!? "

Luo Fenghua immediately became nervous. "This, even if this is broken, it can still be worn after mending it. When I think about how many people in the lower cultivation world are suffering, I can't eat and drink well. The money to buy a cloak can buy more than ten talismans and give them to people who need them. It's so good. "

"… …" Xu Shuanglin's finger was still poking at the patch. He glared at him angrily.

Luo Fenghua cautiously looked for his disciple's approval. "Don't you think so?"

"I think you're sick! Poor! "

Although he said that, he still hung the cloak back on the shelf.

The three of them sat around the stove and ate glutinous rice balls.

They couldn't see the lanterns on the Lantern Festival, but these three young people who were about the same age got together and talked. They didn't feel bored.

It was snowing outside the window. Frost covered the edge of the red window lattice, making it crystal clear.

The firewood in the room crackled, making the room look like spring.

After drinking some wine, the atmosphere became even better. Luo Fenghua couldn't persuade them, so he took the konghou from Nangong Liu. His cheeks were red, and he was a little drunk. He fiddled with the konghou a few times and sang a folk song from his hometown.

"Three or four flowers fall in the pond, one or two strings ring on the shore. Young people are the best. Light hooves and fast horses, see all the flowers in the world …"

"Shizun, Shizun, this is a good song. Can you teach me what it's called?"

"Young people's song." Luo Fenghua gently said, "It's a short song from Shu. I think it's very appropriate."

Nangong Liu raised his head and laughed. His smile was always overly warm and had a hint of flattery, but after drinking so much wine, there was actually a bit of straightforwardness and straightforwardness: "Hahaha, Youthful Swimming sounds nice, aren't we Youthful Qiu Ma, high-spirited and vigorous?"

Xu Shuanglin crossed his arms and snorted. "You can't memorize a book after memorizing it nine times. Which young man is as stupid as you?"

"Aiya, everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses." Nangong Liu smiled. He actually had the energy to refute his younger brother. "Although you're a genius, maybe I also have my own talents."

"… … You drank too much."

Luo Fenghua also laughed. He raised his wine cup and said, "I hope you'll be young people in your youth. You'll each rely on your strengths and be gentlemen for life."

Nangong Liu clapped his hands and put his arm around his younger brother's shoulder. Xu Shuanglin felt uncomfortable and pushed him away. Nangong Liu didn't mind. He laughed and said, "Shizun, I suddenly remembered that although we don't light the river lanterns, we still have to make wishes. Let's all make wishes."

Xu Shuanglin's mouth twitched. "I think making wishes is disgusting."

Luo Fenghua said, "Write it on paper. After you're done, throw it into the fire. It'll come true."

In the end, they all wrote down their wishes. There was no need to say what Luo Fenghua's wish was. He had already talked about it when he was drinking.

Nangong Liu had learning difficulties. He liked to write and read at the same time. "I hope … … to eat and drink well, to have great prospects, to be harmonious, to be reunited."

Xu Shuanglin was disgusted, but there was also a subtle emotion mixed in with his disgust.

He was the son of a concubine. Not many people paid attention to him at home.

It was only after Luo Fenghua came that he had company. He, Nangong Liu, and Shizun often played together and cultivated together.

Rather than saying that Luo Fenghua was his master, it would be better to say that he was the first close friend in his life.

Because of Luo Fenghua, he was no longer so jealous of his brother who was useless but attracted attention because of his status as the son of the first wife. They spent time together day and night. He could see some of Nangong Liu's cuteness.

"What did Ah Xu write?"

Xu Shuanglin didn't answer. He casually threw the folded paper into the fire pit.

His wish was quickly swallowed up by the light and heat. The splashing flames reflected in his eyes.

"I didn't write anything. It's just a blank piece of paper."

Luo Fenghua and Nangong Liu were greatly disappointed. They showed a somewhat disappointed expression.

Xu Shuanglin grinned. There was a hint of sweetness in his evil smile, and there was a kind of self-satisfaction that came from teasing people.

I lied to you.

The handwriting in the ball of paper was neat and tidy, and every stroke was very serious. It said — —

I hope that the three of you, Luo Fenghua, Nan Gongxu, and Nangong Liu, can be family and friends for the rest of your life. Eat oranges together, share pastries together, and climb the roof together.

From a young age to a head full of white hair.