Chapter 9 Become an apprentice

　　He looked just like usual, clutching a bottle of liquor, but today, he wasn’t drunk.

　　“Gouwa, did you see your grandpa?”

　　“Yeah, I did!”

　　“Alright.”

　　He replied with a simple nod, as if he had expected everything.

　　“Master…”

　　“Hmm?”

　　“Th-thank… thank you!”

　　He waved his hand dismissively and said, “No need to be so formal.”

　　Taking a swig of his drink, he walked a few steps forward and glanced at the house Grandpa left me. “Gouwa, pack up and come with me. We’re leaving this place!”

　　I stood there, stunned, never having considered that I might leave with him.

　　“Master, where are we going?”

　　“Don’t ask now. You’ll find out soon enough. This isn’t a place for you to stay!”

　　Given what happened with Grandpa, I couldn’t ignore his words, and deep down, I began to accept him as my master.I hesitated for a moment. This was the place I had grown up, and I felt a pang of reluctance, even though Grandpa had urged me to leave.

　　“Give me a few days, Master.”

　　He turned to look at me, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “I’ll come back in a few days.”

　　Then, he hurried off, as if he had pressing business to attend to.

　　As dawn broke, I packed up, made some noodles, and had a decent meal.

　　Grandpa was gone, but life had to move forward. I took his advice to heart.

　　I realized there was nothing left for me in Yao Village. Rather than staying here with a predictable future, I’d rather venture out with Master Liu Guoxing.

　　In the next few days, I reflected on Master Liu Guoxing’s words and figured out how to wrap up my affairs.

　　I decided I wouldn’t sell the house—it was built brick by brick by Grandpa himself. I’d keep it in case I ever returned and needed a place to stay. As for the land, I would sell it to Liu Changfu from the village, just as Grandpa suggested.

　　Once I was sure of my decision, I went to see Wang Chunsheng, the village head, for help.

　　“Gouwa, come in and sit down!”

　　Wang Chunsheng was always kind to me. We sat in his yard, and he even brought out some freshly cooked corn, though I didn’t eat any.

　　“Village head, I need your help with something.”

　　“Of course. What is it?”

　　I hesitated before saying, “I want to leave Yaojia Village.”

　　“Leave?” Wang Chunsheng looked surprised and frowned. “Gouwa, you’re so young. What will you do out there?”

　　“I’ve taken on a Master. I want to go with him.”

　　“A Master? What kind of Master?”

　　I paused, unsure how to explain. I wondered how he’d react if I said my Master was a Feng Shui practitioner.

　　“A wandering gentleman. I want to learn some skills from him and travel around.”

　　Wang Chunsheng paused for a moment, then said, “It’s not that I’m stopping you from leaving, Gouwa. I’m just concerned about whether your Master is trustworthy. He’s not a fraud, is he?”

　　“No way!” I quickly responded. “He’s genuinely skilled.”

　　Wang Chunsheng sighed and said, “Alright then.”

　　I smiled and added, “There’s one more thing, Village Head. I want to sell the land at home. Is that possible?”

　　“Of course, it is. Liu Changfu has had his eye on that land for a long time. With your grandpa gone, if you’re ready, he’ll buy it right away.”

　　“Great, then I’ll leave this to you, Village Head.”

　　“No problem. What about the house? Are you selling that too?”

　　“No, Village Head. I want to keep the house as a memento.”

　　“I understand.” Wang Chunsheng’s mood seemed a bit heavy, and he added, “Whenever you miss home, feel free to come back and visit.”

　　Just then, his wife, Miao Cuifen, called from inside, “Chunsheng, come here and see your son!”

　　I realized why he seemed unsettled—there was something happening at home. I quickly said, “You take care, Village Head. I’ll head out now.”

　　As I was leaving, Wang Chunsheng called out, “Don’t worry, Gouwa. I’ll get everything sorted out quickly!”

　　After leaving the village head’s house, I hurried straight to Wu Changgui’s place. When I arrived, the front door was open.

　　Because of his wife, I stayed at the doorstep, not planning to go in.

　　“Grandpa Wu!”

　　“Grandpa Wu!”

　　After calling out a few times, Wu Changgui came out and greeted me with a warm smile.

　　“Gouwa, you’re just in time. Come on in!”“No, Grandpa Wu, I just came to say goodbye and then I’ll be leaving.”

　　“Leaving? Why the hurry?”

　　“I’m heading out of Yao Village.”

　　“What?” Wu Changgui looked shocked, his expression changing instantly.

　　“A young kid like you, what will you do out there?”

　　“Don’t worry, Grandpa Wu. I’ll take care of myself!” I said quickly, then dashed off before he could respond further, making my way home.

　　The next day, not long after lunch, my Master Liu Guoxing arrived.

　　I wondered if Master was so perceptive that he already knew I had settled everything at home.

　　“Have you got everything in order, Gouwa?”

　　“Yeah, it’s all taken care of…”

　　“Good.” He settled into a nearby chair, his presence commanding respect.

　　“Gouwa, come here.”

　　I walked over and stood before him.

　　He looked at me with a serious expression and said, “In our line of work, tradition and rules are important. We must honor the customs passed down by our ancestors. Today, you are formally becoming my disciple, and we need to follow the proper ceremony.”

　　Having seen traditional master-disciple ceremonies in dramas, I knew it involved kneeling and offering a drink to the Master. I did my best to replicate the ritual. I took a bowl of water and, with a respectful bow, knelt in front of him: “Master, I, Wang Xiaofeng, wish to become your disciple. From now on, I will study hard, practice diligently, and honor your teachings. Please accept me as your disciple.” With no wine available, I used water as a substitute, completing the ceremony in the spirit of tradition.“Ha ha, very good!” Master Liu Guoxing said, standing up and taking the bowl of water. He drank from it and continued, “From this day forward, you are officially my disciple!”

　　I performed three respectful bows.

　　With that, the formalities were complete, and I was officially accepted as his disciple.

　　Master Liu Guoxing helped me up and smiled warmly, “Gouwa, get ready. We’ll be setting off tomorrow.”

　　“I don’t have much to pack, Master—just two changes of clothes,” I said, pointing to a small bundle on the bed that I had already prepared.

　　Seeing this, Liu Guoxing patted me affectionately on the head.

　　“Gouwa!”

　　“Gouwa!”

　　I recognized Wang Chunsheng’s voice from outside.

　　“Village Head, what brings you here?” I asked as he hurried towards me, holding a thick stack of cash.

　　“Gouwa, here’s the money from the land sale. Make sure you keep it safe!”

　　“That was fast.”

　　“Liu Changfu really wanted that land, so it was processed quickly!”

　　“Thank you, Village Head.” I took the money and smiled at him.

　　At that moment, Master Liu Guoxing appeared behind me, and he and Wang Chunsheng began to size each other up.

　　“And who might you be?” Wang Chunsheng asked.

　　“I’m Liu Guoxing, Gouwa’s Master.”

　　“You’re Gouwa’s Master?” Wang Chunsheng scrutinized Liu Guoxing and remarked, “I’ve heard you’re a traveling scholar.”

　　“Yes, just a traveling scholar!” Liu Guoxing replied with a smile.

　　“What kind of skills do you have?” Wang Chunsheng’s tone was cautious, clearly skeptical of Liu Guoxing. I understood he was just looking out for me, so I kept quiet.

　　“Skills? It’s not exactly like that. I mainly offer Feng Shui consultations and predictions.”

　　“A Feng Shui practitioner?” Wang Chunsheng’s expression darkened, and he asked sharply, “Gouwa, is your Master truly a Feng Shui practitioner?”

　　His skepticism was understandable; many Feng Shui practitioners are frauds who simply deceive people for money.

　　“He truly is. My Master…” I began to explain, but before I could finish, Master Liu Guoxing’s expression grew serious as he focused intently on Wang Chunsheng.

　　“Village Head, I see shadows around your eyes and a deep sign of trouble concerning your children’s fate. There seems to be an issue with them!”