In the vast expanse of white, vehicles of different colors are passing by.
A carriage with several followers following in front and behind.
The snow-covered muddy road was difficult to walk on. In the shaky carriage, someone lifted the curtain and looked outside. Several figures dressed as hunters hurried past and stopped them.
"May I ask, fellow villagers, how far is this place from Lujia Village?"
The people over there saw that the carriage was accompanied by constables, and they roughly guessed the identity of the people in the carriage. They did not dare to neglect them and pointed in a direction.
"Go straight down this road, and when you reach a fork in the road, take the southwest one. You'll see it in less than two miles."
"Thank you fellow villager for telling me!"
The man in the car bowed and thanked them, and then let the constable outside continue to move forward. He then lowered the curtain and said to the old man behind the small case: "It's still two miles."
The team moved slowly, and in the ups and downs of the swaying, the chief clerk Wang Shuhua nodded, and from time to time he looked at the corner of the curtain lifted by the wind. The distant mountains outside the gap had a pleasant scenery that he had not seen for many years. He did not expect that he would be lucky enough to see such scenery after moving to a remote place.
"I remember when I was still living in Nanchen, the winters were dry and cold, and it hadn't snowed in more than ten years. I went out to watch the snow today and asked you to come with me. You won't blame me in your heart, right?"
Hearing the old man's words, Zuo Zhengyang, who was kneeling on the side, lowered his head slightly.
"Master, you are joking. I have already handed over my duties and have a lot of free time before the end of the year. I would love to be able to enjoy the snowy scenery in the countryside with you, old gentleman."
Next year he will be promoted to the chief constable of Hegu County. In terms of actual power of the official position, it is much greater than that of a county chief clerk. There is another reason that can make Zuo Zhengyang bow his head now.
“Captain Zuo’s promotion to the position of Chief Constable of Hegu County was not due to flattery, but real ability.” Wang Shuhua said, looking at Zuo Zhengyang who was looking at him, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
Then, he poured a glass of wine for the other party and handed it to him: "You can complain if you want. As a person, you have to walk through the world, see every soil and mountain, hear the sound of wind, rain, and human voices. Otherwise, how can I accompany the county master here?"
"It's a good opportunity for the chief clerk to come here to recuperate. The county lord may be transferred back to the capital in no time." Zuo Zhengyang clinked his wine glass with the old man and whispered.
"Haha... That's just what you guys are saying. It won't be that easy to go back." The old man raised his wide sleeves to cover his face and drank the wine. "But that's OK, Captain Zuo. Look at this place. The scenery is really beautiful. In fact, this world is just a few hills."
Zuo Zhengyang was stunned and put down his wine glass. The slowly moving carriage stopped and a constable came out from behind the curtain.
"Reporting to the Chief Registrar and the Chief Constable, we have arrived at Lujia Village."
“I arrived here without realizing it…” Wang Shuhua shook his wide sleeves, stood up and got out of the car. Zuo Zhengyang, who was standing beside him, supported him and followed him down.
The cold wind blew in my face, and what came into view were the endless white mountains. There was little snow in the fields, and I could see farmers busy working.
The old man raised his collar and made an inviting gesture, "Zhengyang, come with me to see why there are still people working in the fields at this time of year."
"Yes." Zuo Zhengyang bowed, then spread his hands, "Mr. Shuhua, please."
The two men walked across the ridge of the field one after the other. The farmers working in the ditch over there also saw them, as well as the carriage and the constable on the side of the road. They put down their hoes and stood there somewhat stiffly.
"Don't be afraid, fellow villagers. We are here just out of curiosity." Wang Shuhua stopped and spoke slowly, his tone calm, without the majesty of the past halls. "Why are you still busy outside at this time of year? Isn't it spring plowing that is the time for farming?"
On the other side, the farmer looked at the other fields around him and didn't know how to answer.
"This old man... Spring ploughing is spring ploughing, but this year is a little special. I am digging out the hooks early so that when the water storage pond is repaired next year, the fields can be irrigated with more water from Qixia Mountain."
"Storing water?"
The old man nodded, "Good idea."
After saying goodbye, he bowed and continued walking on the uneven ridge of the field. In the distance, among the acres of fields near the river, more than a dozen men in short jackets were waving their arms and hammering their hoes.
In the cold winter weather, he didn't feel cold even though he was covered in sweat. He would occasionally pick up the towel around his shoulders and neck to wipe away the sweat, and excitedly chat and laugh with his companions.
"… Now that we have dug it, we may have a good harvest next year."
"You know what, Liangsheng's idea is really great. The pond can store water while raising fish and shrimps. We can also raise some livestock at home. The days ahead... are so wonderful that I can't describe it."
"That's right. People who have received education are really that smart. I'll let Liangsheng teach my kids in the future."
"... Hehe, our Beicun has benefited a lot from this..."
The men in the village had loud voices, and the general idea of what was being said could be heard even before they got close. The old man pursed his lips and listened for a moment, with a smile on his face, but he did not go over to find out what was going on. Instead, he took Captain Zuo and his fellow constables and went back to the river.
As the sun shines down, the water shimmers. There is still a thin layer of broken ice on the river bank, and water vapor rises from the rolling waves.
The old man approached the river bank and asked the constable to scoop up a bucket of water and take a sip.
“It tastes sweet and cool, and the aftertaste is sweet…”
He sighed softly. He could still see people from two villages busy around him, so he composed himself and headed for Lujia Village which was not far away.
During this period, the changes in Lujia Village were not noticeable, but every household had extra money and began to think about how to renovate their own houses. When Wang Shuhua and Zuo Zhengyang came in, the villagers, young and old, were mostly discussing which family should repair first and which family should produce people.
In a corner of a small fenced courtyard, under a bare cypress tree, there is a stone table and stone bench. Lu Liangsheng set up his easel and his pen moved quickly. In his peripheral vision, he could see the winter scenery in the courtyard.
Sun Yingxian was also in this scene, standing there in the same boxing posture, motionless, with her eyes blinking.
"Are you done yet? I can't hold on any longer."
Lu Liangsheng didn't even raise his head and continued to paint: "A cultivator in the Qi training stage can't even last for one or two hours?"
When the Taoist heard that he remained motionless for 'one or two hours', he became extremely angry.
"Is it one or two hours? From morning to afternoon, how long have you counted?!"
The pretty figure in the window covered her mouth and giggled. She was not afraid of the cold. The Toad Taoist lying on the window frame was wearing a fitted cotton jacket, which looked quite funny. It was sewn by Lu Xiaoxian. At first, the Toad was unwilling to wear it, but in the end he could not stand the increasingly cold weather.
"If you don't want to, just leave." Taoist Toad snorted.
Sun Yingxian turned her head and suddenly laughed.
"Heh... your provocation won't work. It's snowing so hard, and we'll be hungry and cold if we go out. Only a fool would leave. If we want to leave, we should wait until next spring when the weather warms up."
Green buds suddenly sprouted from the snow under his feet. Even as he spoke, buds appeared in his hair, and pink petals blossomed.
"Hahaha-"
The Toad Taoist, who usually didn't like to laugh, stood up and laughed out loud, holding his belly.
Sun Yingxian screamed "Ah!" and reached out to grab the flower on her head, but she couldn't get the flower off. The faint fragrance of the flower filled her mouth and nose.
He suddenly stopped and looked at the boy behind the easel.
"Have you arrived at Qi training?"
"Shouldn't it be?" Lu Liangsheng raised his pen tip again, and the green buds emerging from the snow quickly grew taller, surpassing the Taoist in a blink of an eye, and became lush and leafy. The tender green between the branches sprouted and spread out, and countless light white flowers bloomed. After a moment, the petals fell and fruits were produced.
Sun Yingxian reached out to grab it curiously, and the fruit broke and fell into his hand, as if it was cut by a knife and split into two halves.
"The combination of illusion and your unique painting skills can really... Oh, I can't put it into words. If your cultivation level is higher, you may be able to turn the virtual into the real."
I reached out to touch it, but the fruit had no substance and passed right through me.
Nie Honglian behind the window was also filled with joy. For the past three months, she had watched the other party come step by step, discussing the path of cultivation with the Taoist and Master Toad, practicing diligently every day, and studying books at night. Even if an ordinary person had such perseverance, his body would be worn out.
Lu Liangsheng wanted to add some scenery to the painting, and just as he was about to start painting, he suddenly removed the magic power from the painting.
The spring scenery in the courtyard faded away. Sun Yingxian wanted to ask what was going on, but her ears twitched and she heard faint footsteps approaching from afar.
Lu Liangsheng, who was standing behind the easel, put down his brush with a smile.
"A distinguished guest has arrived."
Sure enough, the voice of father Lu Laoshi mixed with another familiar voice came towards this side.
Lu Liangsheng stood up and walked into the yard, bowing to the old man who walked into the courtyard.
"Liangsheng, I've met my mentor."