Sui and Tang Dynasty Generals

Chapter 16 Farewell
In the early morning of the winter day, as the sky becomes hazy and brighter, the fog fills the entire sky and earth.

In the Fu family’s cabin.

Aung was sleeping soundly with his hands folded, his head down by the stove. Every now and then, when he was about to fall asleep, he would wake up with a start. Then, when he noticed that dawn was approaching outside the window, he would hurriedly whisper to wake up Fu Rui who was standing by the stove.

Looking at his wife wrapped in sackcloth and sleeping against a wooden beam, Fu Rui also pushed her gently.

After Tao woke up, she looked at Fu Rui, and then woke up her son who was sleeping on the floor beside her.

"Pack your things, it's time to leave!"

Grandfather spoke softly when he saw his eldest daughter-in-law Zhang, Fu Zhi and Tai all woke up.

After sitting for a whole night, the elderly old man almost fell down when he stood up. Fortunately, Mrs. Tao supported him and he was able to stand up.

Outside the small courtyard.

Mr. Liu and Fu Rui tied all the luggage to the wheelbarrow with a horse rope.

Since Fu Zihou was young, while Aong and Liu Lao were old, the Fu family originally planned to have Fu Rui and Fu Zhi, the uncle and nephew, each push a wooden trailer.

At the moment, since Fu Rui had to go to Pengcheng alone, Fu Zhi had to push one of the bicycles, and the other one had to be abandoned in the small courtyard.

This also meant that whether it was Tao, Zhang, or Tai, they all had to carry two or three packages, and the remaining luggage could not be taken away.

"You can't take this with you, so you should also take it to your mentor! And this!"

Seeing that there were many useful things left behind, Tao knew what her son was thinking, so she helped her son pick out some good things and asked her son to take them to his mentor later.

"Liu Zhiyuan is so lucky! Not only did our Fu family give him a gift for becoming a disciple, but now he can also get so many things..."

Aunt Zhang was mumbling as usual, with packages on both shoulders, and you could tell they were quite heavy.

While looking at the things that Tao had selected, Zhang's eyes were filled with heartache as she spoke.

"Mother! I'll go first!"

Fu Zihou looked at the two packages his mother had packed and spoke softly. Then he looked at Old Liu, his father, his grandfather, his aunt, and his cousins and their wives in the small courtyard, and left the courtyard first.

It was still light in the sky.

Due to the cold weather, many people in the village have not woken up yet. Occasionally, a few wooden houses can be seen with a faint light, but there is no sign of anyone outside the door.

However, Fu Zihou would occasionally meet one or two villagers while walking on the path, but they were not getting up early to look for wild vegetables in the fields. Instead, they were walking towards the Zhao family, whispering that the yard outside the Zhao family was filled with the aroma of wine and meat last night. After smelling it for a few times, he dreamed about food all night. He would go there this morning to see if he could get some alms from the Zhao family and throw out the leftovers.

"Isn't this the idiot from the Fu family? Why does it look like he's going somewhere?"

"I do not know!"

Fu Zihou paid no attention to the villagers' puzzled looks, nor did he pay attention to the villagers' whispered conversations behind him. Instead, he listened to what the villagers said and noticed that the Zhao family had held more and more banquets recently.

However, when he thought about the fact that he would be leaving the village soon, Fu Zihou was too lazy to think too much about it and didn't take it to heart.

The morning mist was already somewhat cool, and the occasional breeze made people feel a little chilly. Fu Zihou came to the teacher's wooden house and could see a faint light inside.

Fu Zihou knocked on the door.

"teacher!"

Fu Zihou shouted softly, looking at the house in front of him. Ever since the Zhao family came once, no one in the village dared to take advantage of the teacher.

A moment later, as the door opened, Liu Zhiyuan saw Fu Zihou outside the door. He looked obviously surprised. When he noticed the package on Fu Zihou's shoulder, he frowned.

"You want to leave?"

Liu Zhiyuan asked, Fu Zihou had clearly said before that it would take some time before leaving the village.

Fu Zihou nodded and then took off the two packages from his shoulders.

"Teacher! My family has decided to leave for Qian County today. I am here to say goodbye to you! This is something from my family. I brought it to you. Thank you for your teachings during this period!"

Fu Zihou looked at the man in his thirties in front of him, and recalled the days when he took him to the river and taught him knowledge tirelessly, and also went to the ant hole and taught him personally how to win.

Fu Zihou could feel that the man in front of him was teaching him without reservation and from the bottom of his heart.

It was also during this period of time that the man's meticulous care and dedication quietly changed Fu Zihou's heart. From his initial intentional attitude towards him, he gradually came to regard him as his mentor and someone close to his heart.

Just like some people, they can never become friends even after being together for their entire lives.

But for some people, just a word or a hint is enough to be regarded as a lifelong benefactor.

"Stay for another five days!"

Liu Zhiyuan looked at the package in his disciple's hand and did not take it. Instead, he asked the disciple not to leave the village for the time being.

"I will teach you something more important within these five days! You can leave then!"

Liu Zhiyuan warned softly, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

In Liu Zhiyuan's impression, if Fu Zihou was involved, or if Fu Zihou made a request, the Fu family would most likely stay and wait for a few more days.

So when he learned that his only disciple was leaving, Liu Zhiyuan directly asked him to go back.

However, as Liu Zhiyuan finished speaking and was about to return to the house, he found that his disciple, who had always been obedient, was standing there silently this time, lowering his head and shaking his head.

Fu Zihou's actions made Liu Zhiyuan's brows even more furrowed. He looked at the young man and fell silent.

After a long while, Liu Zhiyuan finally spoke again. "Three days!"

Liu Zhiyuan sighed and spoke seriously. Then, as if worried that Fu Zihou didn't understand, Liu Zhiyuan rarely revealed a slightly gentle tone in his voice.

"What I have taught you in these three days is of vital importance to your life! Even if your family cannot stay, you must stay alone!"

After Liu Zhiyuan finished speaking, he looked at the young man in front of him, hoping that his disciple would turn around and go home immediately, inform his parents and family of his intentions, and leave a few days later.

"teacher……"

Fu Zihou listened to the teacher's request to stay and realized the teacher's good intention. He was about to speak when he saw a villager walking towards him not far away.

After waiting for a long time, before the villager passed by and left, I saw the people arranged by the Zhao family for Youcun walking leisurely while chatting.

Seeing this scene, Fu Zihou knew that as the sky got brighter, more and more villagers had left their homes.

"Teacher...I can't stay here!"

Fu Zihou looked at the teacher with some guilt. He knew the teacher's intentions were good, but this time, he really couldn't stay.

"But does the teacher need to talk to your family in person?"

Liu Zhiyuan asked calmly.

Fu Zihou thought of his aunt's unforgiving tone and knew that it was useless for the teacher to go. He could only shake his head, not daring to look into the teacher's eyes.

The atmosphere fell silent for a few breaths.

"You go!"

Liu Zhiyuan's voice came, and when Fu Zihou looked at the teacher, he saw that the teacher had turned and walked into the house, talking as he walked.

"Take your things away, I don't need them!"

When Fu Zihou heard this, his heart ached and he looked at the package in his hand, feeling a little helpless.

Stood at the door for a long time.

When he saw his father helping his cousin push the wheelbarrow and A-ong and others walking along the path, Fu Zihou looked at the teacher's back inside the house.

Last night Fu Zihou was thinking, how great it would be if this was a prosperous era!

If I had met the teacher in a prosperous era and become his disciple, I would not kill anyone and would not have to leave in a hurry.

Thinking back to the days when he and his teacher played games with ants by the river, Fu Zihou liked it from the bottom of his heart and even wanted to continue like this if possible.

"Hou'er! It's time to go!"

Hearing his mother's call from behind, Fu Zihou looked at the two packages in his hands and slowly put them inside the door.

Not daring to face the teacher's disappointed look, Fu Zihou did not speak this time. Instead, he turned around silently and came to the path. As his father and cousin came over pushing the wheelbarrow, Fu Zihou stepped forward, took the package from his mother, put it on his back, and was about to put the sword around his waist to reduce his mother's burden, but his mother refused and told Fu Zihou not to touch the sword for a while.

Seeing this, knowing that his mother was still worried about him, Fu Zihou could only give up. Looking at his mother carrying large and small bags, he stood beside her, raised his hand and placed it under the packages, supporting them with a little force.

"Young Patriarch..."

Old Liu looked at the figure in the wooden house, who did not come out or even look at the path. He could not help but frown slightly.

"Really? That apprenticeship gift is a waste. You also sent me so many things. Bah! You still call yourself a teacher..."

Zhang was not Old Liu. When she saw that her family was leaving and Fu Zihou's teacher didn't even see them off, she couldn't tolerate it and started to mock them. This made Aong and Tao on the side quickly pull Zhang and signal her not to say such things.

"Okay, let's go!"

Seeing her sister-in-law looking unconvinced and about to say something, Tao quickly tried to comfort her and then asked her husband to push the cart quickly.

In Tao's eyes, he was worried at first when he saw his son playing with ants all day long. However, in the following days, his son often said that he benefited a lot from the various knowledge he learned from the teacher. Compared with the beginning, there have been significant changes in his knowledge and thinking.

Tao didn't know whether what her son said was true or not, and she had never met her son's teacher, but since her son liked it and felt he learned something, she, as a mother, was also very happy.

Now that we are all leaving, why bother saying anything more, which will only embarrass my son, cause him to be gossiped about, and make him a laughing stock to others.

"Go, go!"

At this time, the old man also held a walking stick and gently supported Tai, who was carrying a package, and urged her to walk faster.

Only then did Zhang follow the crowd reluctantly and walk towards the village entrance.

Inside the wooden house.

The unpleasant sound beside his ears disappeared for a long time before Liu Zhiyuan opened his eyes and looked out the window. He saw the backs of the family leaving in the distance. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed his thoughts that he had been writing until late at night.

Thinking about this period of time, I personally carved out flat wooden sticks one by one, all for Fu Zihou to take away with him and spend time reading them carefully in the future.

Sighing, thinking that he hadn't finished writing all of this, Liu Zhiyuan thought for a while, picked up the wooden slips, and was about to throw them into the small fire nearby in a huff.

At this time, I saw two packages quietly placed next to the door.

Liu Zhiyuan frowned, thinking that he had clearly let him take the package away, but he actually wanted to keep it. He felt a little annoyed, so he bent down and picked up the package on the ground, wanting to throw it out the door.

However, at this moment, Liu Zhiyuan's mind suddenly emerged. That day at the entrance of the village, a group of men, women, old and young, also threw a package on the side of the road in the same way. Liu Zhiyuan still clearly remembered what the boy said when he asked him to take the package back.

Thinking of the boy's eyes that day, Liu Zhiyuan looked at the package in his hand, and his eyes gradually became complicated.

(End of this chapter)