"Thank you …" The man looked up. Fangzheng was stunned when he saw him! It was a man who looked to be in his fifties! The man's hair was a little white, and his face was filled with tenacity. However, he was still a little old. Although Salted Fish swept the snow on Mt. One Finger every day, the snow in the northeast could never be swept clean.
Even if it was swept clean a second ago, the next second, the wind would blow the snow from afar and cover the ground. Therefore, sweeping the snow wasn't to sweep clean, but to reduce the snow as much as possible. It made it easier for people to walk.
Ordinary people would be out of breath when they climbed the mountain. If it snowed, it would be even more difficult to climb the mountain. They would have to rest in between before continuing. If one's legs weren't working and they relied on their hands, how difficult would it be to climb Mt. One Finger with snow as an obstacle along the way? Fangzheng had never tried it, but it was obvious that it wasn't a simple matter! Without decent stamina and perseverance, it was impossible to complete it.
Fangzheng couldn't imagine what it was that made the man climb up so persistently. Fangzheng subconsciously activated his Wisdom Eye to look at the man. There was quite a lot of golden light around him, but there wasn't much negative karma. Therefore, Fangzheng made a decision. Regardless of what it was, he would help him if it was within his means.
Fangzheng helped the man up and realized that Fangzheng's legs were like two pieces of wood. They didn't move at all.
The man said with a bitter smile, "It's a little stiff …"
Fangzheng patted the man's leg. It was stiff. It wasn't stiff at all, it was clearly frozen!
Fangzheng asked, "Can you still feel it?"
The man shook his head.
Without a word, Fangzheng carried the man on his back and quickly walked towards One Finger Monastery.
After entering the monastery, Red Boy, Monkey, Lone Wolf, and Squirrel came over upon hearing the commotion. As for Salted Fish, who had half his body peeking out from the Heavenly Dragon Pond and was sprawled on the Bridge of Helplessness, Fangzheng couldn't be bothered with him.
"Jingxin, prepare a brazier. This patron needs some warmth," said Fangzheng.
Red Boy glanced at the man and immediately ran off.
A brazier was a mobile heating device commonly used in the northeast. In fact, it was just a huge basin made of mud. Every house in the Northeast had a kang bed. When the kang bed was lit, it would usually be stuffed with corn kernels (the inedible part of the corn), branches, or wood. These things were very resistant to fire. Even if they were completely burned, the heat could still be retained for a long time. This effect was similar to charcoal. The people in the Northeast used these to heat the kang and cook. Then, they took out the rest and put them in the brazier to become a heating device.
One Finger Monastery had just finished their meal, so there was still some charcoal in the stove. Red Boy took out a basin and placed it in the empty kitchen.
It did not take long for Fangzheng to enter. He placed the man on a chair and covered him with a blanket that Monkey had brought. Then, he placed the man's legs by the side of the brazier. Fangzheng sat beside the man and gently massaged his legs. At the same time, he secretly circulated his Spirit Qi and injected it into the man's legs, quickly activating his blood, warming his meridians and restoring the activity of his cells.
In the Northeast, frostbite was very common in the early years. The skin would be red and painful from the cold. The main symptoms were chapped skin, bleeding, and suppuration. The worst cases could even result in dysfunction. The man in front of him had his legs severely frozen. If not for Fangzheng's cultivation and the Quintessential Qi in his body, anyone else would have had to spend a lot of effort.
The man was clearly exhausted. He sat down and warmed his body by the brazier. A sense of exhaustion overwhelmed him as he tilted his head and fell asleep.
The man slept for two hours. When he woke up, he saw a tiny squirrel squatting in front of him. The squirrel was staring at him with widened eyes. Upon seeing him wake up, the squirrel immediately jumped to the ground and ran off …
The man thought nothing of it. But the next moment, a Buddhist proclamation sounded at the door. "Amitabha. Patron, you are awake? Are your legs better? "
The man turned his head and saw a white-robed monk standing at the door. His palms were pressed together, and his face was as warm as jade. His smile had an indescribable affinity.
Only then did the man recall the scene of Fangzheng carrying him into the monastery and bending down to massage his legs. The man immediately sat there and bent his back as though he was bowing. At the same time, he said, "Thank you for your help, Master. Thank you."
Fangzheng shook his head and said, "Saving someone is only right. Patron, there's no need to stand on ceremony. Instead, why did you come up the mountain on such a cold day? Besides, it seems like your legs haven't been able to move for a long time, right? Where are your family? "
This was also what puzzled Fangzheng. Back when he was massaging the man's legs, Fangzheng realized that the man's legs had long been paralyzed. Such a person should have been taken care of by his family. Why did he suddenly come up the mountain? If not for his perseverance, he would have climbed up the mountain. If Fangzheng or the other devotees had discovered him, it was likely that he would have died. This wasn't child's play!
When the man heard the question, he didn't look depressed at all. Instead, there was a hint of gentleness. He looked at the red charcoal in the brazier and said, "My name is Chen Danian. I was given this name because I was born on the eve of the new year. I'm forty-eight this year. I'm not a lonely old man without anyone to support or take care of me. I have a wife and a daughter. They are very beautiful, adorable, and obedient. "
Upon saying that, the man's eyes unknowingly welled up with tears.
It wasn't a big deal, but Fangzheng found it rather awkward. What did he mean by they were very beautiful, adorable, and obedient? Chen Danian's wife was likely in her forties. How could he use adorable and obedient to praise a woman of her age?
It was said that one would forever be eighteen when they were in love. From the looks of it, it was true. Fangzheng mumbled inwardly.
At that moment, Lone Wolf, Squirrel, Monkey, and Red Boy walked in as well. They surrounded the brazier and warmed themselves. All of them looked nonchalant, but in fact, their ears pricked up. Clearly, they had come to join in the fun because life on the mountain was boring. Fangzheng even saw a fish head peek out from behind the door. However, the fellow didn't seem too pleased with his position. He was secretly moving deeper into the house.
Fangzheng glared at Salted Fish as Salted Fish waved the metal hook in his hand at Fangzheng. Then, he used his mouth to bite it, jumped, and hung himself on the window frame, motionless. This fellow really looked no different from a salted fish. However, it didn't seem right to have a salted fish hanging in the monastery's kitchen!
Chen Danian continued his story, and Fangzheng didn't have the time to bother with Salted Fish. All he did was give him a look, indicating for him to behave and not cause trouble.
However, as Chen Danian spoke, he fell silent. He seemed to enter a dazed state. His eyes were filled with endless gentleness, and his voice was extremely gentle. However, he couldn't stop his tears from flowing.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
