Chapter 1

There is an old saying that beautiful women come from green mountains, and another that talented men come from poor families.

Originally, these two sayings were not well known in Green Mountain Village, but since the mother and son moved in over ten years ago, the first saying became known.

When Thirteen Lady arrived, she was still a young girl, at most a young woman in her prime, partly because she had a child.

Thirteen Lady was as beautiful as a flower, looking no more than seventeen or eighteen years old. It was said that she was the thirteenth lover of some important figure, hence her name. The people in Green Mountain Village did not know her real name.

When the men in the village saw Thirteen Lady, they all seemed to be injected with hormones, their eyes turning red as they stared.

Although Thirteen Lady had a little child, a toddler still in open-crotch pants, a child named Ding Ning, this did not stop the secretion of male hormones, and many men began to have ulterior motives.

Unexpectedly, the old man Sutu from the Guandi Temple on the east side of the village suddenly spoke up, declaring that Thirteen Lady was his junior and no one was allowed to have any designs on her!

If one were to talk about who had the most influence in Green Mountain Village, the village chief would have to be second, with the real power lying with Old Man Sutu.

Old Man Sutu had lived in the Guandi Temple on the east side of the village for over thirty years. He practiced martial arts every morning, wielding a large saber like the one Guan Yu used, swinging it like a windmill. Regardless of his martial arts skills, the saber alone weighed over a hundred pounds, requiring two young men to carry it!

Moreover, many people in Green Mountain Village had received help from Old Man Sutu. He was well-versed and wrote beautifully. Whenever a family needed to write couplets or auspicious characters, Old Man Sutu would enthusiastically help.

Not only did he write well, but Old Man Sutu also had miraculous medical skills. If someone was sick, as long as they still had a breath, he could ensure they would make it to the hospital.

Years ago, a gang of bandits had been terrorizing the area near Green Mountain Village, robbing and looting, and no one from the village or town dared to intervene. Even the police were ineffective. In the end, it was Old Man Sutu who stepped in, taking down over a dozen burly men in a minute and splitting their three-wheeled motorcycle in half with one stroke, turning it into a single-person motorcycle with a unicycle sidecar!

Since then, Old Man Sutu's prestige had risen even higher, and he was revered like a god in Green Mountain Village.

Thirteen Lady, a beauty who could bring disaster, could only live peacefully for these past dozen years in Green Mountain Village, under the watchful eye of Old Man Sutu, and raise the child named Ding Ning to adulthood.

Old Man Sutu, who had not taken on apprentices for many years, for some reason was particularly good to the mother and son. Since Ding Ning came to Green Mountain Village, Old Man Sutu took him as his disciple.

Ding Ning was exceptionally handsome as a child, a charming little boy during his primary school years, just like his mother, loved by all.

However, fate seemed to have a cruel twist. Ding Ning had a congenital heart condition, with a rapid heartbeat that would speed up during intense exercise, and he was prone to sudden death. Therefore, despite Old Man Sutu's profound martial arts skills, Ding Ning could only watch. After becoming his disciple, he mainly studied ancient literature, medicine, chess, and other arts.

The only martial art he learned was Tai Chi, which was the only slow and low-energy-consuming form of exercise suitable for him.

As a child, it was still manageable, but as he grew older, Ding Ning, who rarely exercised, became increasingly overweight. By the age of fifteen, his weight had surpassed 180 pounds and was still increasing.

Ding Ning's family was poor. Thirteen Lady, because of her beauty, was secretly called a fox spirit by the village women, who envied the passionate looks their husbands gave her.

Thirteen Lady was frail and could not do farm work, so the family had no income. Their life depended on Thirteen Lady making money by weaving Chinese knots at home.

Despite these difficult living conditions, Ding Ning still ate well and was quite plump.

He did not play with his peers or communicate with people his age, becoming increasingly lazy.

Although his studies were always excellent, being the top student in primary and middle school, and even the top student in the high school entrance exam, from the day Ding Ning showed his academic talent, people knew the saying that talented men come from poor families. However, over time, the saying had changed to "fat men come from poor families."

*****

The 50-watt light bulb in the room was somewhat dark, flickering like ghost fire.

Thirteen Lady, now thirty years old, sat on the kang (a traditional heated bed), sewing clothes for her son by the light.

Looking at his mother in the light, Ding Ning, who usually seemed carefree, felt a lump in his throat.

Poor children grow up quickly. Ding Ning was no longer the naive boy he once was. He remembered the vow he made as a child to make his mother live a good life, and the current life was not what he wanted.

His heart condition was like a shackle, not only destroying his body but also his hopes.

Even the high school tuition, he knew, was still not secured.

He did not want to go to school anymore, but he could not say this to his mother, who had high hopes for him.

If he could not tell his mother, he could only tell his master. It was summer vacation, and after sitting in the room for a while, Ding Ning said to Thirteen Lady, "Mom, I'm going to Master's place."

Thirteen Lady looked up, her beautiful eyes glancing at her son, who seemed to have something to say but held back.

Her son had grown tall, over 1.8 meters, and from his round, chubby face, one could still see the handsome features of his childhood. A son does not despise his mother's ugliness, and a mother cannot despise her son's ugliness. Thirteen Lady knew her child was growing up and had his own concerns, so she did not press him.

"Go ahead. It's the beginning of the summer vacation, so spend more time with your master."

Ding Ning nodded and left his humble home.

*****

The Guandi Temple was located on a small hill on the east side of Green Mountain Village, built before the liberation. The lime plaster on the walls was peeling off, and there was a small stone courtyard in front of the temple. Half of Ding Ning's childhood and youth were spent on this stone courtyard.

Breathless and sweating profusely after walking the mountain path he had cursed many times, he arrived at the temple door. The smell of incense wafted out, and it was the first day of the sixth month of the lunar calendar. His master must be burning incense.

Resting against the door frame for a while, Ding Ning cautiously pushed open the temple door, which could collapse at any moment, and looked inside.

In the smoky haze, a slender and tall figure was bowing his head to offer incense. His gray hair fell to his shoulders like an artist's, and his blue robe seemed to be from the Republic of China era. Outside this small temple and this small village, Ding Ning had only seen such attire in TV dramas.

In front of the old man was a dazzling golden statue of Guan Gong, the only well-preserved item in the temple. Due to years of polishing, the golden statue of Guan Gong shone brightly, unaffected by the passage of time.

The old man held three incense sticks, muttering to himself for a while, then bowed three times before solemnly placing the incense in the incense burner in front of Guan Gong.

Ding Ning held his breath, waiting for his master to finish the incense ritual before speaking.

Unexpectedly, the old man, without turning his head, said in a booming voice, "You still have a heart, knowing to worship Guan Gong on the first and fifteenth of the month. Come, offer incense first."

Ding Ning knew the old man's temper and, without a word, walked over, picked up three incense sticks, lit them, and bowed before placing them in the incense burner.

The old man turned around, his bronze-colored skin and gray hair and beard making him look like Hong Qigong from "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" if his clothes were a bit more tattered.

The old man's surname was Sutu, and his given name was Huang. He had no children and treated Ding Ning like his own son.

Having grown up with Sutu Huang, Ding Ning knew his temper well. After offering incense, he fell onto the wooden bed with a loud thud, the bed creaking under his weight, which exceeded 200 pounds.

Throwing his leg onto the bed, Ding Ning said lazily, "Master, I don't want to go to school anymore."

The old man's eyebrows shot up like in a play!

"What? What did you say, you brat?"

Ding Ning was not afraid. He knew his master was a reasonable man. As long as he could convince him that his arguments were sound, even if he caused a big problem, it would be fine.

"Master, we haven't had a heart-to-heart talk in a long time. Today is a good day to talk about why I don't want to go to school."

This strategy worked. The old man had always tried to maintain a fair image in front of Ding Ning since he was a child. After teaching him to be reasonable, he found himself somewhat trapped.

Every time Ding Ning did something, he would present a logical argument to negotiate with him. Except for some special matters that were non-negotiable, they always communicated this way, making the hand-slapping punishment he used to fear as a child useless.

Moreover, the old man believed he was well-versed in the classics and had read many books. Ding Ning, a young brat, had only been in school for a few years. How could he convince him!

Seeing his master sit down, Ding Ning put on a sincere face and said, "Master, the reason is simple. What do you think I go to school for?"

"Rubbish, of course, it's to have a bright future. Your mother is counting on you to have a bright future. Since you are not in good health and cannot practice martial arts, you can only pursue a scholarly path."

"Then, Master, what do you think it means to have a bright future?"

"Well, one is to achieve fame and fortune, which means becoming an official. However, I think your lazy nature makes it unlikely for you to become an official."

"Right, right, Master is right. I thought I had learned a lot, but I still don't see things as clearly as you do. I once had the idea of becoming an official, but after Master's words, I realize I'm not cut out for it."

Ding Ning quickly agreed with the old man, knowing that sometimes he needed to be accommodating to have a better conversation.

"Of course, you've only been in school for a few years!" The old man's anger subsided a bit, and he stroked his gray beard, a habit he had when he was pleased. Ding Ning had noticed this over the years but never told him.

"Another way to have a bright future is to make money. Although Master doesn't leave this place often, he is not ignorant of the outside world. Life without money is very hard. For example, if the Guandi Temple doesn't have incense offerings, I would have to go hunting for meat. And if you make money, you might even be able to cure your illness."

"Right!"

Ding Ning clapped his hands. "Exactly, it's about making money! Master, you know, our family is short of money. I don't even have tuition for high school. Since I will have to work and make money after graduation anyway, why not find a job now..."

Unexpectedly, before Ding Ning could finish, the old man suddenly sneered, "Trying to talk your way out of it. You're not trying to tell me that every path leads to a place with horses and mules, are you? Let me tell you, without knowledge, you won't get far on any path!"

Ding Ning was taken aback. The old man was slow to accept new ideas, but he understood the meaning of "a place with horses and mules." However, he was so stubborn that it seemed today's conversation would not go smoothly.

*****

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