The Taoist temple is on the mountain, and it is not easy to walk on the road because of the snow.
After walking for a while, Yingbao refused to move anymore and sat under a tree by the roadside, refusing to move.
She didn't want to eat any glutinous rice balls at all. She just wanted to go home and curl up in the warm cotton quilt to listen to her younger brothers reciting their lessons.
Seeing that Goutoujin refused to leave, Brother Kui had no choice but to come over and carry her. However, he felt that carrying her was too tiring, so he simply carried her on his back.
Yingbao was happy and relaxed, lying on Brother Kui's back and looking around.
Many people have arrived at the gate of the Taoist temple, all of them are here to offer vegetarian sacrifices.
The believers were seen placing bags of food in front of the statue of Laozi, burning incense and praying.
Brother Kui couldn't help swallowing as he looked at the offerings.
There are glutinous rice balls, steamed buns and pastries, as well as whole chickens and fish.
The chickens and fish will be taken back by the worshippers, but the scattered glutinous rice balls and cakes and steamed buns will not be taken away.
Brother Kui put Yingbao down, pushed her, and asked her to go forward and pick up the offerings that people no longer wanted.
Yingbao had no choice but to step forward, look around, and run to the altar to pick up the steamed buns and pastries that had dropped after people's worship.
After the first wave of worship is over, the worshippers will take their own offerings away, and then a second wave of people will place their offerings back up.
During this time, some scattered cakes would fall to the ground and no one would pay attention to them.
Yingbao arrived at an unlucky time as there were other children picking up trash nearby, so she had to wait nearby.
People lined up to offer sacrifices, and chatted in groups of three or four.
Suddenly, a man in Taoist robes in the crowd caught Yingbao's attention.
The man was about thirty years old, wearing a black hat, with a handsome and kind face and a short beard on his chin. However, he had a bump the size of an egg on his neck. Although it was covered with a cloth, Yingbao was sharp-eyed and could still see it.
What caught her attention was not the bulge on his neck, but the large, shiny gourd slung across his shoulder.
A five-colored silk ribbon was tied around the thin waist of the gourd, with tassels hanging at the end, and a few small jade beads tied to the tassels.
The gourd is decorated so delicately, obviously it is loved by its owner.
This is... Wu Daozi
I had met Wu Daozi, a gourd fanatic, a few times in my previous life, but I never expected that he looked like this when he was young.
If it weren't for the big gourd he was carrying, Yingbao wouldn't have recognized him.
When I first met this man, he was already in a very poor state. His hair was almost falling out, he was as thin as a bag of bones, and the tumor on his neck was as big as a melon, which had pushed his head to the side.
But this person was very talented. Not only could he write beautiful calligraphy, he could also play the piano and dance with the sword. It was said that he passed the imperial examination in his twenties, and later went to the capital to take part in the joint examination, where he won the second-class Jinshi.
But for some reason he became a wandering Taoist priest, carrying a large gourd on his back all day long to treat patients, and was known as the gourd doctor.
Yingbao didn't know if he was a miracle doctor, because he couldn't cure the big tumor on his neck.
But this man was a man of his word, loyal, and charitable. When he met poor people seeking medical advice, he would pay for their medicine.
I didn't expect that I would be so lucky to meet the young Wu Daozi at this time and place.
Yingbao was secretly surprised and walked up to him to say, "Uncle, your gourd is so beautiful. I have a lot of gourds like this at home."
Wu Daozi took a look at her and saw that she was a little beggar, so he did not take her words seriously.
Seeing that he ignored her, Yingbao took another step forward and continued, "I really have this kind of gourd at home. It's much bigger than yours. It's this big."
She gestured with her arms outstretched.
Wu Daozi finally asked, "Where is your home?"
"My home is in Chuanhe Town, Qinchuan County." Yingbao saw that she had indeed attracted his attention, and said with a smile: "People in our village say that the gourd in my house was given by the gods, and touching it can bring good luck to people."
"Oh?" Wu Daozi smiled: "Then why didn't it bring you good luck?"
Yingbao's face darkened and she defended herself, "Because I met a bad guy, she stole me out and brought me here."
Wu Daozi looked at the little kid and asked, "Is what you said true?"
"Yeah." Yingbao nodded, "Whoever tells a lie is a transformed rat."
Wu Daozi smiled and said, "I'm asking about the gourd in your house."
Ying Bao's smile was about to fade away, and she immediately said, "My gourd is also real. If you don't believe me, go to Simen Town in Qinchuan County and see for yourself. A cloth shop owner spent thirty taels of silver to buy my big gourd, and he still keeps it in his shop to protect it."
Wu Daozi thought for a moment, "Really?"
"Really, really." Yingbao looked around and whispered, "If uncle doesn't believe me, I can take you there."
Before Wu Daozi could answer, Brother Kui suddenly came over. He looked very unhappy. He picked up Yingbao and walked out.
Yingbao struggled for a few times, but seeing that she couldn't get free, she looked at Wu Daozi with pitiful eyes and tried hard to squeeze out tears.
Sure enough, Wu Daozi followed.
"My friend, please wait a moment." He quickly caught up with Brother Kui and said, "Who are you to her? Put the child down first. I have something to say."
Brother Kui looked at him warily and said coldly: "What are you doing? She is my sister!"
Wu Daozi hesitated when he heard this.
Yingbao struggled hard and shook her head desperately: "No, I'm not his sister, uncle save me."
Wu Daozi frowned, took a few steps forward to block the young man's way, and said kindly: "My friend, why don't you let her come down and talk slowly. Let her speak for herself whether it is your sister or not."
Brother Kui was furious and said sternly, "Mind your own business! Get out of here! Otherwise, I'll make you pay!"
Wu Daozi refused to give in: "Young man, if this child is really your sister, I won't say anything, but she is clearly not..."
"I'll say it again, get out!" Brother Kui said viciously, "She's mine. Even if she's not my sister, I picked her up first! You have to follow me from now on!"
Wu Daozi: …
Yingbao got angry and bit his neck hard.
Brother Kui felt pain and quickly pulled her off and threw her to the ground.
Yingbao quickly got up from the ground and rushed directly to Wu Daozi, "Uncle, help me!"
Wu Daozi reacted quickly, holding Yingbao behind him, and said to Brother Kui who was chasing after him, "I know the chief clerk of the county government. If you dare to act rashly, I will take you to the county government to reason with you."
At this time, some people nearby noticed the situation and came over to check.
Someone even said: "Isn't this the beggar on the front street? What's going on? Does he want to hurt someone?"
"If he dares to hurt anyone, send him to the county government!"
Brother Kui really became afraid. He took a few steps back, stared at Yingbao fiercely, and turned away.
After seeing the young beggar leave, Wu Daozi squatted down and asked Ying Bao: "Tell me the truth now, where is your home and how did you end up like this?"
Yingbao really cried this time. She sobbed and told the whole story. Finally, she said, "I want to go home. Uncle, can you take me back? My parents will definitely repay you and give you gourd seeds. The gourds at my house have grown very big. I will give them all to you in the future."
Wu Daozi smiled and said, "It just so happens that I also need to go to Qinchuan County, so why not take you with me?"
"Okay!" Yingbao smiled and asked, "Uncle, what's your name? Where is your hometown? My parents will go to your house to thank you later."
Wu Daozi touched Yingbao's head and said with a smile: "My last name is Wu. My hometown is far away from here. I'm afraid your parents can't go there."