Retirement begins with summoning Yuan Tiangang

The sun was shining brightly on an autumn afternoon.

In the courtyard of the school in Hexi Town, the leaves of several old locust trees had turned mostly yellow. When the wind blew, they fell down in a rustling sound, covering the ground with a thick layer of golden yellow.

Several stone tables and benches were placed under the shade of the trees, which is where the children usually rest during breaks.

Master Lin did not teach inside the house today. Instead, he took the children to the courtyard, sat them on stone benches, and taught them the Analects, "While one's parents are alive, one should not travel far. If one must travel, one should have a fixed destination."

His voice was gentle and unhurried, like a stream flowing slowly in autumn.

"...Therefore, the sage does not mean that children should not travel far, but rather that they should have a direction, be prepared, and put their parents at ease."

Master Lin put down his book and glanced at the dozen or so children sitting below.

"The oldest among you is fourteen, and the youngest is six. Have you thought about what you want to do in the future? Where do you want to go?"

The children looked at each other, somewhat bewildered.

They were born and raised in Hexi Town. The farthest they had ever been was the old forest behind the town or the upper reaches of the small river at the east end of the town.

The future? The future will probably be like our parents' generation, farming, hunting, doing small business, and spending our whole lives guarding this land.

"I...I want to be a hunter like my father." Zhang Kai was the first to speak, his voice muffled but firm.

"I want to open a shop and sell delicious food."

Liu Xiaohu's eyes sparkled.

"Like Yuelaiju, there are so many people eating here every day!"

Li Qianqian tilted her head and thought for a moment: "I want to learn lots and lots of words so I can help my dad with the account books in the future."

Zhao Mingxuan didn't say anything, but straightened his back, his face showing his usual arrogance.

What he was thinking was naturally to embark on the path of cultivation and become a superior person, but there was no need to tell these peasants about it.

Lin Feng scratched his head, a little embarrassed: "I...I haven't decided yet. Maybe...I'll just stay in town? Helping my dad grow vegetables would be nice."

As Master Lin listened to the children's answers, a gentle smile graced his face, but his eyes held a deep intensity.

After the children had finished speaking, he slowly said, "Your aspirations are all excellent. But have you ever considered what life is like outside of Hexi Town?"

The children all looked up at him.

"Three hundred li north of Hexi Town is Qingyang County. The city has a restaurant ten times larger than Yuelaiju, a theater that can seat hundreds of people, an academy with tens of thousands of books, and merchants, students and artists from all directions."

Master Lin's voice carried a hint of longing.

"Further north lies the Central Courtyard, the most prosperous, wealthy, and talented place in this world. There are towering pavilions that reach into the clouds, flying boats that can travel a thousand miles a day, academies that gather the best talents in the world, and sects that can determine the rise and fall of dynasties."

The children listened intently, and even Zhao Mingxuan sat up slightly.

"The world is vast, but Hexi Town is very small."

Master Lin said softly,

"You are still young, and you have a long road ahead of you. If you stay in one place, your vision will only be as small as the opening of a well. If you go out, you will see the whole sky."

He paused, looked at Lin Feng, Zhang Kai, Liu Xiaohu, and Li Qianqian, and finally his gaze lingered on Zhao Mingxuan's face for a moment: "You are the oldest and most intelligent children in the school. Have you ever thought about... going to an outside academy to study for a few years and broaden your horizons?"

The courtyard fell silent immediately after he said that.

Go to study at an outside academy?

This was simply unbelievable for the children of Hexi Town.

In town, a child who can learn a few words and do arithmetic in school is considered to be successful.

Going to study in the prefectural city, or even in the central courtyard academy? That was something only wealthy families and sons of officials dared to dream of.

Lin Feng was stunned, his brows furrowed, Liu Xiaohu opened his mouth wide, and Li Qianqian blinked, seemingly both tempted and afraid.

Zhao Mingxuan's eyes lit up, but he immediately lowered them to hide his excitement—wasn't this exactly what he wanted?

Leaving Hexi Town, I will go to a better place, explore a wider world, and prepare for embarking on the path of spiritual practice in the future!

Master Lin took in everyone's reactions and continued gently, "Of course, this matter is neither urgent nor forced. I am merely making a suggestion. Qingyang Academy in Qingyang County is the best academy within a thousand miles, and its headmaster and I have some old acquaintance. Bailu Academy, located north of the central courtyard, is an even more renowned institution of learning. Although it is difficult to enter, if one is truly interested, it is worth a try."

He looked at the children: "Go back and discuss it with your parents. If they are willing, I will write a letter to recommend them. If they are not willing, that's fine too; they can still study and learn in town."

After saying that, he stood up and patted non-existent dust off his long robe: "That's all for today's lesson. You may leave now."

The children rose slowly, bowed, and left. But each of them wore a look of bewilderment and contemplation.

Lin Feng, Zhang Kai, and Liu Xiaohu walked out together, none of them speaking, each lost in their own thoughts.

As they approached the school gate, they ran into Zhao Mingxuan, who was walking towards them.

Zhao Mingxuan glanced at them, a cryptic smile playing on his lips, and walked away without a word.

"He definitely wants to go."

Liu Xiaohu muttered to himself.

"Sure, I'll go." Lin Feng shrugged.

"What does this have to do with us?"

"But Brother Feng,"

Liu Xiaohu tugged at his sleeve.

"Do...do you want to go?"

Lin Feng stopped in his tracks.

Does he want to go?

To say I don't want to would be a lie.

The scenes that Master Lin had just described—the great city, the restaurants, the theaters, the academies, the flying boats…—were like a magnificent scroll slowly unfolding before him.

It was a world he had never imagined, full of novelty and allure.

Can……

He thought of Hexi Town, his family's courtyard, his father's lazy posture in the rocking chair, Aunt Yao's gentle smile, the joy of Uncle Xiao Hei taking him running all over the mountains, and every day spent catching fish by the river, picking fruit from the trees, and playing and laughing with his friends.

Everything here was so familiar, so warm, so... that he couldn't bear to leave.

"I have no idea."

Lin Feng honestly said,

"I'll have to go back and ask my father."

Zhang Kai nodded: "I'll have to ask my dad too."

Liu Xiaohu said with a bitter face, "My mother definitely won't agree... It's just the two of us at home. If I leave, who will help her with the chores?"

The three friends parted ways at the school gate, each lost in their own thoughts as they walked home.

Lin Feng walked slowly, his mind a jumble of thoughts.

One moment it's the outside world that Master Lin talked about, the next it's the warm light of home, then it's Zhao Mingxuan's arrogant face, and then it's Chen Jing'an sitting quietly on the doorstep.

Before I knew it, I had arrived at my doorstep.

As expected, Chen Jing'an sat on her own doorstep again, hugging her knees and staring blankly at the sky.

Upon seeing Lin Feng, he slowly turned his head, his eyes still vacant.

"Jing'an".

Lin Feng walked over and sat down next to him.

"The Master said today that we should go to the academy outside to study."

Chen Jing'an looked at him quietly without saying a word.

"Do you want to go?" Lin Feng asked.

Chen Jing'an shook her head.

Why?

Chen Jing'an remained silent for a long time before softly saying, "It's quiet here."

Lin Feng was stunned for a moment, then suddenly remembered that Jing An seemed to have been saying that it was noisy outside.

He used to think that Jing'an was too introverted and didn't like crowds.

But now, looking into Jing'an's empty yet seemingly all-seeing eyes, he suddenly felt that perhaps the "noise" Jing'an was referring to wasn't the noise of sound, but... something else entirely.

"But going abroad to study allows me to learn more and meet more people."

Lin Feng tried to explain,

"The Master said that boys should go out and explore the world."

Chen Jing'an shook his head again, and this time, he said something that left Lin Feng even more confused:

What's meant to come will come. What's meant to leave can't be kept.

After saying that, he stopped looking at Lin Feng and looked up at the sky again. His eyes were so empty and unsettling.

Lin Feng sat beside him, watching the wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys in the distance, and the chaotic feeling in his heart intensified.

He sat for a while, then got up and walked home.

When I got home, the sun was already setting, turning the sky orange-red.

The aroma of food wafted from the courtyard, and Shi Yao was busy in the kitchen.

Lin Tian was still the same as before, lying in the rocking chair, holding a palm-leaf fan in his hand, his eyes half-closed, as if he was dozing off.

Hearing footsteps, he opened his eyes, saw his son, and smiled: "You're back? Wash your hands and eat."

"father."

Lin Feng walked to his side, squatted down, and looked up at him.

"Today, the Master said that we should go to the academy outside to study."

"Oh?" Lin Tian paused, his palm-leaf fan fluttering slightly, a perfectly timed look of surprise on his face.

Which academy?

"Qingyang Academy in Qingyang County, and Bailu Academy north of the central courtyard."

Lin Feng repeated the Master's words, then looked expectantly at his father.

"Father, do you think... I can go?"

Lin Tian didn't answer immediately. He simply put down his palm-leaf fan, sat up straight, and looked at his son: "Do you want to go?"

Lin Feng hesitated for a moment, then nodded and shook his head: "I...I don't know. It seems like it's a lot of fun outside, and I can see a lot of things I've never seen before. But...I can't bear to leave home, I can't bear to leave Zhang Kai and Xiao Hu, I can't bear to leave the town."

He spoke incoherently, but Lin Tian understood him.

He reached out and ruffled his son's hair: "Silly boy, what's there to worry about? Go if you want to, don't go if you don't. It's not like I can't afford to support you."

"But the teacher said that boys should go out and explore..." Lin Feng whispered.

"The Master is right."

Lin Tian nodded.

"Boys should go out and broaden their horizons. But when to go, where to go, and how long to stay are things you have to think about yourself, and it also depends on fate."

He looked at his son, his eyes gentle: "Feng'er, let me ask you, if you go to study at an outside academy, what will be your purpose?"

Lin Feng thought for a moment: "To... learn more? To see more of the world?"

"and then?"

"Then……"

Lin Feng got stuck. And then what happened? He had never thought that far ahead.

"If you just want to go out and see the world, then wait two years, and Dad will take you traveling. You'll see just as much."

Lin Tian said slowly, "If you want to learn a skill, you need to think carefully about what skill you want to learn. Is it to study for the imperial examinations? Is it to learn martial arts to strengthen your body? Or is it to learn a trade to make a living in the future?"

He paused, looked at his son's somewhat confused eyes, and smiled: "But you're still young, it's normal that you can't think things through right now. Here's what we'll do, there's no rush. You talk to Zhang Kai and Xiao Hu first and see what they think. If you all want to go, Dad will support you. If not, you can stay in town, Dad can still teach you."

Hearing his father's gentle words, Lin Feng's initial panic gradually subsided. He nodded emphatically, "Yes! I'll listen to you, Dad!"

"Okay, wash your hands and eat."

Lin Tian patted him on the shoulder.

"Aunt Yao made your favorite braised pork today."

"good!"

Lin Feng jumped up and ran happily towards the kitchen.

Lin Tian sat in the rocking chair, watching his son's back. The smile on his face slowly faded, and his eyes became deep.

He looked up at the sky.

The sun had completely sunk behind the mountains, leaving only a dark red glow on the horizon.

An evening breeze rose, carrying a coolness, and rustled the grape leaves.

Hexi Town, peaceful and tranquil.

Everything was as ordinary as it could be.

But Lin Tian knew that some things had already begun to move.

Like the autumn wind blowing across the fields, seemingly gentle, yet it has already quietly swept up the first fallen leaf.

It drifted away unhurriedly in the predetermined direction.

He picked up the palm-leaf fan again and gently waved it.

A faint, meaningful smile curved at the corner of his lips.