Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chapter 76 Good Teacher
That afternoon, Chen Xuan and his friends came to Mr. Yushan's courtyard as usual.

After they finished their homework and were packing up to leave, Mr. Yushan, who had never mentioned anything other than studying, suddenly spoke.

He continued in that calm tone, "I went to see it a few days ago. There was no old boatman ferrying people downstream of the Yangliu Ferry on the Yushui River."

Chen Xuan was a little surprised when he heard this. He was surprised that after so many days, why did he suddenly bring up this matter again?
That experience must be true, and Mr. Yushan would not say such nonsense. There must be a follow-up.

But he said he hadn't seen the old boatman. Could he have run away? Chen Xuan remembered that the old boatman said that he had a good face and could be sold at a high price. Would he make a fortune from it and retire directly?

The possibility of the other party running away is very small. Where can the lower class people go in this era? To go to a place farther away, they need a travel permit, which is equivalent to the letter of introduction in Chen Xuan's hometown in certain eras. Moreover, they are not allowed to stay in a place other than their registered residence for a long time without reason. The teacher mentioned these things in class.

So Chen Xuan guessed that the old man was very likely to be retired, after all, he was already that old.

Gao Jingming interrupted and asked in surprise: "Master, when did you go to Yushui River? How come I didn't know?"

"Do I have to tell you even if I go to the toilet?" Mr. Yushan looked at him and shook his head and laughed.

Gao Jingming scratched his head and stopped talking.

Then, Mr. Yushan continued slowly, "I've also taken a boat at Yangliu Ferry. During that time, there was only one person manning the ferry all year round. I think it was the old man who was operating the boat that Ah Xuan mentioned. He's definitely not been here recently. I've asked passersby, and they know he hasn't been boating on the river for a while. Many neighbors have complained about his boat, and although it's tattered, it suddenly took them a long detour. Calculating the time, it stopped operating around the same time you, Ah Xuan, were sold."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan felt entangled. Could it be that the other party had really retired? If so, would he still be able to bring him to justice after decades of building up his reputation for honesty?
However, Mr. Yushan mentioned this matter for no reason. Since he intervened, there will definitely be results.

"What should we do? Should we just let him get away with it?" Gao Jingming suddenly became anxious. It turned out that he remembered this incident, but he didn't know whether he cared about it simply because he hated evil or because of Chen Xuan.

Mr. Yushan smiled and said, "Don't worry tomorrow, I will tell you slowly."

Then he continued, "I was talking about him not being there a few days ago. I saw him again yesterday on the Yushui River, and I took his boat to Jiming Town. He didn't seem to be doing well."

Hearing this, Chen Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that he didn't run away or quit his job. He guessed that the other party had been sick for a while. Everyone has some minor illnesses and pains, especially at his age, who is on the water all year round. He might have rheumatism.

As if he could see what Chen Xuan was thinking, Mr. Yushan smiled and continued, "I made some inquiries in Jiming Town about why he stopped ferrying people across the river some time ago. I learned that he seemed to be too old to work any more."

Sure enough, he wanted to retire, but why was he rowing a boat on the river again?

Mr. Yushan quickly resolved the confusion and said with a smile, "Evildoers need evil to deal with them. If that old man wanted to spend his old age peacefully, he could have had quite a few quiet days. However, I heard that after a few drinks, he was provoked by a few words from others and died with the door half closed. At his age, not only did his bones almost get sucked dry, but he also spent a lot of money. Especially at his age, he is no longer able to do anything. Ahem, you wouldn't understand even if I told you, so I'll skip it."

"In short, he was depressed and continued to drink to relieve his boredom. He was once again bewitched and went to gamble for money to relieve his boredom. The result is self-evident. He was tricked and lost everything. He almost lost the ferry. He had no choice but to ferry again to earn some money to make a living. After several hardships like this, he was exhausted and how could he die?" After hearing this, Chen Xuan couldn't help but feel happy and laughed, thinking that he deserved it.

He was not a good person in the first place. What were you doing at your age? Look, here comes your retribution. He was lucky when he went to the half-closed door but there was no wind. He was set up and lost money. It was his fault for not being able to control his hands.

What surprised Chen Xuan was that Mr. Yushan labeled the old boatman a villain so quickly?
It’s definitely not because of a few words I said!
"Master, what is a half-closed door? Is it fun?" Gao Jingming asked curiously from the side. He always managed to grasp the 'key point'.

Mr. Yushan glanced at him and said calmly, "It's fun, very fun. I advise you not to ask about it. If you dare to go to that kind of place, I will break your legs and tell your mother to break your legs again!"

"It's not fun, it's not fun. I won't ask about it anymore," Gao Jingming was so scared that he shrank his neck.

Chen Xuan almost laughed out loud. This is really the age when curiosity is overflowing.

Ignoring him, Mr. Yushan shook his head again and said in a complicated tone, "If a person's heart is not right, he will carefully protect his reputation throughout his life. If it is not exposed, who can recognize the evil in his heart? But once the seeds of suspicion are planted, it will be difficult to hide it no matter how hard he tries."

"I've ridden his boat more than once, and never once doubted he was a bad guy. I've even sympathized with the hardships of his boatmanship. But yesterday, when I rode his boat again, I didn't even need to observe carefully. With a skeptical attitude, I could find clues on the boat. Just look at the incense in the lantern that won't be released unless it's lit. How could an ordinary ferryman have it? Look at the rope and the sack. They're ordinary things, but with the incense in front, they make me think of them used to tie people up and trap them. From this alone, I can conclude that he must have committed some illegal act. He's a porter in a car, boat, or inn. He deserves to be killed even if he's innocent. The ancients were right."

'No wonder I fell asleep in a daze that day. My whole body was strangled and it hurt, but I didn't react at all. I was even given a knockout incense,' Chen Xuan muttered in his heart. He really didn't deserve it. It was mainly because that old guy was too deceptive.

At this point, Mr. Yushan sighed and reflected, "I used to be somewhat proud of my ability to recognize countless people with these eyes, but the human heart is unpredictable. Even the most discerning eyes can still see through disguises. Especially for someone like this who has maintained an honest and upright appearance for decades, the impression he has left on countless people is etched in their bones. I feel ashamed of making unwarranted assumptions about myself. This has taught me a good lesson. As the saying goes, learning never ends, and this worldly world is the best teacher."

Chen Xuan was a little surprised to hear these words. Aren't you talking about the old boatman's evil deeds? Why did you reflect on yourself in the end?

Perhaps this is what a true scholar is like, always putting knowledge first, while the old boatman, Mr. Yushan, may have never really taken it seriously. If he is guilty, bringing him to justice is just a matter of convenience.

"Master, since you know that he is not a good person, when will you send him to the authorities?" Gao Jingming asked impatiently.

Mr. Yushan looked at him speechlessly. His words of advice were in vain. Was the old boatman the main point? The main point was that I was teaching you how to judge people and how to deal with them. Many times, don't be deceived by appearances.

I feel tired, but forget it. He is my own child after all. He is still young, so I will train him slowly in the future.

He smiled and said, "Don't worry, it's not the right time yet. The evidence to bring the old boatman to justice can be obtained at any time, but the master also wants to use him to remove an illegal hidden line, which is the key point. He himself is a side issue. Wait, it won't take long."

At this point, Chen Xuan understood that the old boatman, who had cultivated a lifelong reputation for being honest, was doomed after Mr. Yushan saw through his illegal activities...

(End of this chapter)