"Uncle Jiang, you are back!"
When a sharp-eyed child in the village saw Jiang Liu, he jumped up excitedly and called out to his other friends. Although the time to see Jiang Liu was short, these children knew that when Uncle Jiang came back, it meant that they had candy to eat.
Maybe it's because the original child was stillborn, and the original likes children very much. He always has a lot of candy in his pocket. When he performs acrobatic performances, he distributes it to the children watching acrobatics, and when he returns home, he distributes it to the villagers. Child.
Because of his generosity, he is also one of the most popular elders in the village.
For the children in the village, when Uncle Jiang came back, it was no different from the Chinese New Year.
"Take a point."
Jiang Liu smiled and handed a package of candies that had been prepared a long time ago to the lead child, who then decided to distribute them.
"Okay, Uncle Jiang, you can rest later. We'll help you gather all the firewood. It's cold now, and it's freezing without fire."
The leading child sniffled and said, jumping up and down.
After saying that, he held the candy bag in his hand high, and was surrounded by a group of children who came to hear the news.
When Jiang Liu returned to the Jiang family's old house, the old people who lived in the village and a very small number of young people also came.
People on the mountain seldom go down the mountain, unless it is to exchange for necessities of life, such as salt and oil, especially some elderly people who have very little understanding of the outside world, and they prefer to listen to Jiang Liu’s story. The story of the big city outside, and after listening to the story, he smiled and encouraged his grandchildren, let them study hard, and strive to get out of this mountain beautifully one day.
By the way, children on the mountain can also read, but they spend two or three hours back and forth to climb the mountain every day. The nine-year compulsory education system, the school's tuition is extremely low, and the government's current food subsidies for children in poor mountainous areas are enough to make Even the poorest children can read books.
It’s just that life is more difficult than expected. Often when the eldest child in the family is twelve or thirteen years old, their grandparents have already done the heavy farming work. Can choose to drop out of school at home, cultivate the fields, and let the younger brothers and sisters continue to go to school.
And because of the habit of early marriage in remote mountain villages, at the age of 14 or 15, it is already the age to be a father and mother, so in these years, very few people can really get out of this mountain by reading.
Because of ignorance, the life of poverty is repeated from generation to generation.
In order to listen to Jiang Liu's stories outside, these old people enthusiastically helped him clean up the house, which had not been lived in for several months.
"How long can you stay here this time? Are you at home for the New Year?"
The weather is about to turn cold, and the Chinese New Year is only three or four months away. Everyone is not sure whether he intends to stay at home until the end of the year, or go out to work hard during the most profitable New Year's festival as usual. .
Strange to say, Jiang Liu had never come back at this time in the past, so these old men who helped Jiang Liu clean couldn't help but asked curiously.
"I won't leave for the time being. I'm getting old at my age, and I don't plan to get married and have children, so when I come back this time, I'm thinking about accepting a few apprentices and passing on this craft."
Jiang Liu's remarks aroused the shock of everyone present, and everyone put down their work and asked him excitedly.
To be honest, there is not a single family in the village who does not want their children to learn craftsmanship from the Jiang family, because the Jiang family has earned money over the past few decades. He earned it with this skill. If his children can learn this skill, they will not only help their brothers and sisters, but also a great thing for them.
It's just that Jiang Sanchun said before that this craft is not to be passed on to outsiders, and over the years everyone thought that Jiang Liu would marry again sooner or later, so he never mentioned it.
Now that Jiang Liu himself has spoken, it means that this matter is settled, how can this make everyone not excited.
"Xiaojiang, do you have any requirements for accepting an apprentice?"
Everyone thought, how can such a good deed be in vain? I'm afraid you have to pay filial piety like you did when you learned your skills in the old days? Otherwise, without relatives and no reason, why would people give you the craft of making money
"I really have this request."
Jiang Liu put down the rag in his hand and said seriously.
"First of all, I only accept boys."
When the Jiang family inherited this craft, it was stipulated that only boys would be passed on. That was because they were worried that the girls would pass on this housekeeping skill after they got married. Therefore, unless the Jiang family had only girls, and the girls would recruit son-in-law in the future. , will hand over the ability to that child.
The reason why Jiang Liu made this request now is to avoid suspicion.
Learning Bone Shrinking is different from other acrobatics. It needs to be taught by hand, and some intimate contact is inevitable. It is better when the child is young. When the child is older and has a sense of gender, this kind of excessive intimacy will appear inappropriate. So appropriate.
So at this point, Jiang Liu decided to follow the original rules and accept only male apprentices.
"Second, I only accept children between the ages of 6 and 8."
This is the limitation of the Bone Shrinking Exercise. Children of this age have already begun to understand, and they will not be able to endure a little bit of hardship. Moreover, the muscles and bones of children of this age are still relatively soft. , the effect obtained by practicing Qigong is not as good as that of younger children.
This requirement is still the same as what the original body has put forward in his life.
"The third point, the last point."
In this regard, half of the original method continued, and half of it was the method that Jiang Liu came up with.
"Everyone has watched me grow up, and they know how hard it is to practice this skill of my family."
Jiang Liu's words reminded the adults present when the original body was first exposed to Bone Shrinking Exercise, because the pain of dislocation was unbearable and the screams of ghosts and wolves. This kind of practice method makes the adults look terrified, not to mention the children who can't bear the hardship. Woolen cloth.
"So I hope you will think carefully before sending your children here. I will not accept any children in your family who are not willing to do so, and if you really want to take me as your teacher, we have to make a letter and write clearly that these children come to me. Studying here is voluntary, and it is also your permission, not forcing me to come here.”
These requirements are all reasonable and reasonable. An old man couldn't help but ask: "If I come to you to be a teacher, how much will I have to pay for the teacher?"
The children who went out also remembered that they would send money back home. Those children who never came back would probably not be able to get too much money when they went to the homes of people who have not heard from them.
"No, I don't charge tuition fees, and I also provide the apprentice with three meals a day, but after he leaves the apprenticeship, he will give me one-fifth of the money he earns for ten years."
Jiang Liu's conditions are not harsh. Many people like him who have the skills to pass on the family not only charge tuition fees, but also require their apprentices to work for several years in their own acrobatic troupe, so after hearing Jiang Liu's conditions, everyone All breathed a sigh of relief.
It's just that while he's relaxing, he's a little embarrassed, feeling that his family seems to have taken advantage of Jiang Liu.
At this moment, everyone didn't care about listening to Jiang Liu's story about the big city. After helping to clean up the house, they all got up and went home, ready to discuss it carefully to see if they wanted to send their children to learn this skill.
******
There are not many children who meet the conditions in the village. Boys are 6-8 years old, and there are only four or five in the whole village. As long as the family can live well, they are really reluctant to send their children to learn bone shrinking exercises. .
That night, there were a lot of disputes among the four or five eligible families about learning this skill.
"Mom, I don't want to study anymore, I'm going to study."
Xiao Binbin said to his mother Zhang Yanfen without thinking.
"We don't study."
After Zhang Yanfen was silent for a long time, she often exhaled.
"You are still young, and you haven't seen how Uncle Jiang's father taught him. I saw with my own eyes that Grandpa Jiang took off the bones of his hands and feet, and then closed them again. After one round, you Uncle Jiang My body was dripping with sweat, and the painful sweat made my clothes wet, not only that, but I have to wear a thin training shirt to practice this kung fu no matter it is windy or rainy, this is still my father.”
Zhang Yanfen knew that learning this would bring money quickly. If her son really took Jiang Liu as his teacher, even if she died, she didn't have to worry too much about the life of her son and her daughters, but as a mother, she still couldn't bear to suffer this crime for her son.
"I know, Mom, don't worry, I can endure hardship."
Xiao Binbin was equally apprehensive and panicked, but the boy who was only six years old this year has long been accustomed to covering up his emotions in front of his mother.
He showed relaxed hope: "I want to learn my skills. In the future, like Uncle Jiang, I can drive a big car and live in a big house. I want to eat well and dress well. I don't want to be poor anymore."
Xiao Binbin didn't say that he wanted to quickly learn the skills to see a doctor for his mother. He didn't say that he wanted to earn money so that his two younger sisters could go to school with peace of mind. He only said that he wanted to earn money and live a stable life. He only said that he didn't want any more poor.
Sure enough, after he said these words, Zhang Yanfen fell silent.
"It's Mom who dragged you down."
Sometimes Zhang Yanfen thinks that she might as well just die with a body like hers, but she really can't bear to have three children. The oldest of her three dolls is only six years old, and the youngest twins are only two years old. If she leaves, What about the three children? So she can only rely on her life to live as long as possible, drinking herbal soup that she doesn't know how to rely on.
"What's bothering you."
Xiao Binbin quickly stuck to the matchbox, and then told his two sisters with a smile that he would be able to make money soon, and when he made money, he would be able to buy them sweet candies that were as sweet as those given to them by Uncle Jiang. .
The two two-year-olds were still naive, and they showed innocent smiles when they listened to the beautiful life described by their elder brother.
******
Early the next morning, Jiang Liu opened the door to pick up some water, and saw Xiao Binbin already waiting outside with a basket of firewood on his back.
In the previous life, among the three apprentices of the original body, his favorite was the eldest apprentice Xiao Binbin.
This apprentice doesn't talk much and doesn't say anything to please the original body, but he is the most able to endure hardship among the three children. When such a thing happened in the last life, Xu Quanjun and Wang Gouzi both testified at the instigation of their parents. Jiang Liu, only he did not appear from beginning to end.
Yuan Shen thought that maybe he was embarrassed to appear in front of him again, because the most fierce dancer in his previous life was his father Xiao Guohui, while Zhang Yanfen, who had been sponsored by Jiang Liu, chose to remain silent.
The original body has always wanted to ask him in person why he didn't stand up and say something for him, but until the original body left, he saw Wang Gouzi who sneakily apologized, and he didn't see the big apprentice he loved the most.
The original body left with strong regret and unwillingness.
Therefore, when Jiang Liu saw Xiao Binbin, this kind of excitement and resentment also affected him.