Chapter 78

After five consecutive weekends without a break, it's pitiful... I seek your votes for comfort.

Chen Ke and his brothers, Dailang and Erlang, had to stay in Shu for the imperial examinations; Liulang was only twelve, not yet strong enough for a long journey. Chen Ke left Liulang in the care of Silang and Wulang to prevent him from getting into trouble... In Qingshen County, with the Li, Pan, Tu, and Qian families, who would dare to bully Liulang? Chen Ke was more concerned that Liulang might bully others.

But when Chen Ke told Liulang his decision, the little guy immediately rebelled, crying and shouting that he wanted to go along. Naturally, Chen Ke suppressed him mercilessly... On the day of departure, he locked Liulang in the room and gave the key to Silang, instructing Wulang to watch the door. He planned to release Liulang after the boat had set sail.

At the dock, when the villagers heard that Chen Ke was leaving Sichuan, they all came to see him off. One gave him travel money, another gave him snacks for the road, and still others provided clothes and daily necessities, piling up like a small mountain. Chen Ke smiled wryly and said, "When traveling, it's said that one should not show off wealth. Are you not afraid that I will be targeted by bandits?"

The villagers all shook their heads and said, "Even bandits would avoid Third Brother."

"Ha..." Chen Ke, caught between laughter and tears, said, "Is this praise or criticism?"

After a good laugh, Chen Ke boarded the boat. The villagers, knowing better, did not follow him, allowing him to say goodbye to the Su siblings who had hurried from Meishan.

"Third Brother really has good relations; you've received dozens of sets of shoes and hats," said Bayang, her body mostly recovered, smiling and covering her mouth. "It makes my small gift seem insignificant."

"How can that be? In my heart, you are like a mother," Chen Ke chuckled. By "elder sister like a mother," he was constantly hinting at her.

"Stop it," Bayang's face flushed, and she handed him a bundle. "I cut it according to the size of your old clothes, but I don't know if you've grown." She covered her mouth and smiled, "By the way, the sachet inside was made by Xiaomei herself."

"Oh," Chen Ke became very interested and reached into the bundle. But Xiaomei stopped him, her face red, "No looking!" After a pause, she whispered, "And don't let others see it..."

"Fine, I won't look..." Chen Ke withdrew his hand and smiled, "We won't see each other for a year, can't you give Third Brother a smile?"

"Go away," Xiaomei's mouth was pouting from the moment they met... Over the past four years, they had been together day and night, and Xiaomei had gradually grown from innocence to awareness. Chen Ke's position in her heart was no less than that of a father or brother. Thinking of the long separation ahead, how could she smile?

She grabbed the edge of Chen Ke's bundle and tugged at it, saying with each tug:

"When you're out, don't be as showy as you are at home. Sometimes, it's better to endure and yield. Don't always try to outdo others."

"Okay, I understand," Chen Ke nodded and smiled, "A strong dragon doesn't suppress the local snake."

"When you're out, don't show off your wealth. Carry some loose silver for daily expenses, but hide the rest so no one sees it."

"Right, don't show off your wealth."

"Don't take shortcuts, don't take small boats, and don't go to places with few people. If you're robbed, prioritize your life over your money."

"Right, money is just an external thing."

"Pay attention to your diet. Eat hot food instead of cold, have regular meals, and don't drink raw water. If you fall ill, take good care of yourself and wait until you're fully recovered before continuing your journey. Don't be too proud."

"Right..."

"Don't drink too much when you're out. Overdrinking can cause trouble and illness."

"Okay..."

"Don't be fooled by women who claim to be 'selling themselves to bury their fathers' or 'lonely and destitute.' They are often frauds, and some are even gathering information for bandits..."

"Ha..." Chen Ke listened to her instructions patiently but was growing impatient.

"Xiaomei, if you're so worried about Third Brother," Su Shi teased, "why don't you go with him? You can take care of each other on the road."

"I won't send messages to Wang Fu anymore," Xiaomei glared at her brother, and Su Shi's face changed. He quickly changed his tone, "Ah, Third Brother, remember what my sister said. I know you have a photographic memory, so I won't make you write it down. Review it every morning and before bed, and don't forget..."

Before he could finish, Chen Ke and Xiaomei both kicked him off the boat.

"Alright, I'm leaving!" Chen Ke, who hated sentimental scenes, quickly inserted a hairpin into Xiaomei's hair and said, "Go back, eat well, and grow in the right places!"

"Grow where?" Xiaomei was puzzled, then realized, covering her chest in embarrassment, "Third Brother is the worst, I won't talk to you anymore!" She then pulled her sister off the boat, turned halfway, and made a face, "But you must think of me every day!"

"Go, I won't forget," Chen Ke smiled and punched Su Zhe, "See you later."

"Right, see you later," Su Zhe, usually serious, suddenly smiled, "Little brother-in-law!" This was his revenge for the "little brother-in-law" comment.

"Watch out!" Chen Ke pretended to hit him, and Su Zhe quickly fled the boat.

The boatmen retracted the gangplank, and Chen Ke and Song Duanping stood at the railing, waving goodbye to the people on the shore.

The people on the shore also waved back. Xiaomei, no longer the bold girl she had been, clung tightly to her sister.

Bayang felt her shoulder warm and wet. She turned her head and saw that Xiaomei's tears were falling like broken pearls. She sighed softly... But when she raised her head slightly and saw the hairpin in Xiaomei's hair, she could hardly believe her eyes.

It was a gold hairpin with a pearl inlay, with a gold leaf-shaped base woven from gold threads, a white jade flower in the center, and gold leaf decorations around it. Below and on both sides were two small gold bees, and a round pearl was embedded in the center of the flower. The hairpin was exquisitely crafted, a rare and beautiful piece. Yet it was also cute, making it perfect for a young girl to wear, which was rare.

She clearly remembered that her former mother-in-law, Lady Song, had once boasted about a similar hairpin, which was part of her dowry and worth over 100,000 coins...

Although Bayang was indifferent to money, this showed that in Chen Ke's heart, Xiaomei was very important.

But when she thought about how Chen Ke had so casually placed such a valuable item in Xiaomei's hair without even a word, Bayang was both amused and exasperated. What kind of person was he?

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The boat had sailed far, and the dock and the people on it were no longer visible.

Chen Ke and Song Duanping finally turned their attention to the boat, scanning it until their gaze settled on the stern. There, a monk with a large bamboo hat and a brown monk's robe, handsome and clear-eyed, was sitting cross-legged on the deck, reciting scriptures with complete focus. In front of him were a pair of wooden sandals, a ceramic bowl, and a Zen staff, the standard equipment of a "wandering monk."

But despite the monk's pleasant appearance, Chen Ke and Song Duanping looked troubled. This young monk, whose dharma name was Xuan Yu, was the only son of the headmaster of Zhongyan Academy, Wang Fang, who had been ordained at Emei since childhood... Since they met yesterday, he had only spoken three sentences:

"Amitabha, this poor monk is Xuan Yu, greeting Chen Layman."

"Amitabha, this poor monk has one robe and one bowl, which is enough."

"Amitabha, thank you, Chen Layman..."

Since boarding the boat, regardless of how lively others were, the young monk had been sitting in meditation at the stern, reciting scriptures, completely detached from the world... He was a perfect example of someone brainwashed by religion.

"Do you think the headmaster is worried about his son and sent us to protect him?" Song Duanping whispered.

"The headmaster is not a shallow person," Chen Ke patted his shoulder and whispered, "He has deeper intentions."

"What intentions?"

"The headmaster is over sixty and has only this one son, who is a monk..." Chen Ke's lips curled into a strange smile, "There are three forms of filial impiety, and the greatest is to have no descendants!"

"Ah..." Song Duanping's eyes widened, but before he could speak, he felt a tremor under his feet. He looked down and saw that he had stepped on the hatch.

He jumped away, and the hatch was suddenly flung open. A naked, sweaty black giant leaped out, shouting, "I was suffocating..."

Seeing this person, Chen Ke's mouth dropped open, "You, how did you get here?"

"Brother..." It was none other than Wulang. He scratched his head, his face full of worry, "As soon as you left, I followed you secretly..." He had swum up to the boat from the river while everyone was talking at the dock and hidden in the cargo hold, planning to wait a day before showing himself. But after just an hour, he almost suffocated and had to jump out.

"I've read enough books and just want to travel with my brother," the tall, black man pleaded, "Please don't make me go back."

"Big oaf," Chen Ke took out a handkerchief and wiped his face, saying irritably, "You're here, so be it."

"Thank you, brother..." Wulang's face, rarely showing a smile, beamed, "With me around, you can travel light."

"Ah..." Chen Ke sighed, "Why don't you say you eat more than several people?"

"I'll eat less..." Wulang said pitifully.

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No matter what, this strange group of four set out on their journey out of Sichuan. They traveled by boat for half a month, covering two thousand miles of water, before finally reaching the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River... From this moment, they had truly left the province.

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After five consecutive weekends without a break, the monk seeks your votes...

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