Chapter 3

When the fat man was in the army, he was stationed in the city, and as a cook, he often had the chance to go out and buy groceries. After experiencing the prosperity of the big city, he was not very settled when he returned home, and he spent his days arguing with his father, who was the village party secretary, about going out to work.

At first, the fat man went out with a small contractor from the village, but he couldn't bear the hardship, so he eventually found a job as a security guard in the city. This half-year of working experience made the fat man, who was just entering society, realize the hardships of survival, which is why he had so many reflections.

"What's wrong with being a security guard?"

Hearing the fat man's words, Fang Yi sneered and said, "I've said it before, the heavens are impartial, treating all things as straw dogs. The heavens are impartial to all things, so what right do those people have to look down on security guards? Isn't it just a job?"

"Fang Yi, I think you've been living in the mountains too long. Wait until you go out and see for yourself..."

The fat man stared at Fang Yi as if he were an alien for a while, then shook his head and said, "Nowadays, in the outside world, those with money and power are the bosses, and those without are the underlings. Someone like you will probably starve to death. I think you should follow me, at least you'll have a meal to eat..."

Although both were inexperienced, the fat man considered himself much more worldly than Fang Yi. This young man probably didn't even know what money looked like, let alone how to use it.

"Starve to death? You think I'll starve to death?"

Fang Yi sneered and said, "I am the abbot of the Shangqing Temple, registered with the Taoist Association. If I go to other temples, they will welcome me with drums and gongs. I will definitely live better than you..."

As he spoke, Fang Yi glanced at his dilapidated temple and said somewhat nervously, "Even if they don't welcome me with drums and gongs, they should at least provide a vegetarian meal, right? My abbot's ordination certificate is still in the room..."

Fang Yi wasn't lying. His lazy master, who spent his days loafing around, did one thing before he died: he went down the mountain for three months and came back with an ordination certificate and an ID card.

Many people think that the title "abbot" is used in Buddhism, but that's not the case. The abbot is the highest leader of a Taoist temple, also known as the "residing master."

The abbot is a Taoist who has received the three major precepts, has been ordained by a master, has strict precepts, and is highly respected, and is elected by all the Taoists. The title of abbot in Buddhism also originated from the Taoist term.

Given his master's lazy nature, he naturally didn't have Fang Yi receive the three major precepts. In their Shangqing Temple, which only had Fang Yi and his master, as long as the old Taoist agreed, it could be considered that Fang Yi was supported by all the Taoists, and he could勉强 serve as the abbot.

However, Fang Yi still had doubts about the set of documents his master brought back. Knowing the hierarchy in Taoism, he suspected that his master might have seen those small ads at the train station and spent a few dozen yuan to get him a fake certificate.

"At your age, you're an abbot? You'll get beaten up for sure..."

The fat man, who grew up with Fang Yi, could see through his nervousness and said, "I think you should follow me. With your skills, you could easily be a 'daytime intruder.' Others won't catch you even if they discover you..."

"Daytime intruder? What's that?" Fang Yi was taken aback; he had never heard of such a term.

"Hehe, it means going to someone's house during the day to rob the rich and help the poor. Do you understand now?"

The fat man laughed strangely. He had heard about it while working as a security guard. Now there are people who go out to steal during the day, some even daring enough to contact moving companies to move all the valuables from someone's house.

"You damn fat man, did you waste your time in the army?" Fang Yi pulled the fat man off the rocking chair and gave him a beating, making the fat man beg for mercy.

"Ouch, don't kick my butt, don't hit there, my flower hasn't bloomed yet..." The two had been playing and fighting since they were little, so Fang Yi wouldn't really use his fists. After a while, they lay back on their chairs.

"Fat man, what do you think I should do when I go out?"

After hearing the fat man's stories about the outside world, Fang Yi, who had been full of longing for the outside, sighed. He was now a bit anxious. Apart from some basic Taoist practices, Fang Yi knew nothing else.

"The outside world is now very clear, the things you know won't be useful..."

The fat man knew that the old Taoist could do divination and exorcism, but with the advancement of technology, if Fang Yi dared to do this, he would likely be arrested for promoting feudal superstition.

"What can I do? I can't go out to perform, can I?" Fang Yi looked sad. He did have some skills. For example, the lightness he showed when catching cicadas was real.

Since the age of four, Fang Yi had been trained by the old Taoist, who tied sandbags to his legs and dug a pit about ten centimeters deep, making him jump out of the pit with his knees straight. As he grew older, the weight of the sandbags and the depth of the pit increased.

By now, Fang Yi could easily jump over a two-meter-high wall. However, the hardships he endured over these years were something he couldn't tell others. The fat man, who had only trained for a week, had already cried and rolled on the ground, giving up.

Of course, the fat man wasn't completely useless. He had learned some skills from the old Taoist. When he was fifteen and first arrived at the new recruit camp, he could take down three veterans at once, making quite a name for himself.

However, the fat man followed the old Taoist's lazy nature. He refused to join the reconnaissance unit and chose to be a cook at the regiment headquarters. Otherwise, he might have been promoted, as there were always a few promotion slots after the annual competition in the division.

"There's always a way out. Follow me, and you won't starve." Seeing Fang Yi's worried face, the fat man puffed out his chest. If worse came to worst, he could have his father send a message, and they could join the village construction team, at least they would have a meal to eat.

"Alright, I'll follow you for now..." Fang Yi nodded helplessly. The world was big, but the only people he trusted besides the farmers at the foot of the mountain were the fat man and his deceased master.

"That's the spirit, Fang Yi. Pack up, we'll go down the mountain today..."

The fat man clapped his hands and jumped up, looked around, and said, "You don't have much to pack. Let's go now. I'll have my mother change some clothes for you when we get to the foot of the mountain. The Taoist robe is too conspicuous..."

"Wait, Master said I shouldn't leave the mountain until three days from now. If I leave early, there will be a disaster..." Fang Yi shook his head seriously. He had been deceived by the old Taoist since he was little, and he still believed his master's words.

"Come on, what kind of society is this? You still believe in feudal superstition?" Although he grew up under the influence of the old Taoist, the fat man was a firm atheist and didn't believe in divination or fortune-telling.

He glanced around, put his hands behind his back, and after a moment, lifted his wrist and said, "Today is July 6th. What day did your master say?"

"April 26th, today is only April 22nd, right?" Fang Yi leaned over and looked at the watch on the fat man's wrist, scratching his head and said, "Did I oversleep and forget to tear the calendar?"

In the Taoist temple on Fang Mountain, modern things were extremely rare. Apart from Fang Yi's old radio, there was nothing else that used electricity. The calendar was something Fang Yi had traded for with herbs from the farmers at the foot of the mountain, and he had to tear off a page every day.

"Is your calendar as accurate as mine?" The fat man raised his head like a rooster and pointed to the watch on his wrist, saying, "See, this is a brand name, a Seiko watch with a calendar. It cost me over 700 yuan..."

Although the fat man didn't have money, he had an ambitious heart. To buy this watch to reduce the gap between himself and the city people, he secretly ate plain noodles in the security guard dormitory for a month, saving up the money for the watch.

"It really shows the month and date..."

Fang Yi stared at the watch for a while, then pulled out a pocket watch connected by a gold chain from his pocket and said, "My watch can tell time, but it doesn't show the date. It's not as useful as yours..."

"Huh? The old Taoist gave you this watch?"

Seeing the pocket watch, the fat man's eyes suddenly lit up, and he said, "Fang Yi, this is an antique. It could sell for a lot of money outside. Let's go to the city and ask around. Maybe we can make a fortune with it..."

The fat man had seen this pocket watch when he was little. According to the old Taoist, he had received it from a foreigner who had broken into a temple in Beijing during the Eight-Nation Alliance invasion.

Although Fang Yi and the fat man had their doubts about the old Taoist's story, they suspected that the old Taoist had probably taken the watch from the foreigner.

"Fat man, don't even think about it..."

Before the fat man could finish speaking, Fang Yi interrupted him, put the pocket watch back in his pocket, and said, "This is something left by my master. I would rather starve to death than sell it. You better drop this idea..."

Although he called the old Taoist "old Taoist" every day, Fang Yi deeply respected his master. Apart from the years of care, he considered the old Taoist as his parent, so he would never sell anything the old Taoist had given him.

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