Taking a bath can be so carefree and casual like a legendary mountain hermit green bean

  003: Taking a bath can be so carefree

  The village chief walked alone on the mountain path at night, and couldn't help but think of his own situation when he was seventeen years old. The village chief wasn't a mountain dweller, his family lived in the open plains below the mountains. Before entering the mountains, the village chief had heard the saying "Eighteen bends on the mountain road, see the house, walk to cry."

  That day, Zheng San set out early in the morning and walked until almost noon before vaguely seeing a wooden house in the mountains. Who knew that after turning a small bend, the wooden house disappeared from view again. Tired and hot, under a big tree beside the mountain path was a smooth stone, so Zheng San sat down to rest his feet.

  Zheng Shuang had just sat down when a man's singing voice floated in with the wind: "Yo yo ai, yo yo ai, yo yo ai, yo yo ai, yo yo o ai, yo yo o ai". Looking in the direction of the floating song, there was no shadow of a person to be seen.

  At this time, a crisp female voice floated from another direction, "With your right hand on the edge of your mouth, you can call out the sun."

  Zheng Shuang looked in the direction of the female voice, but still didn't see anyone. He narrowed his eyes and listened to the duet:

  (Male) Yo yo yi, yo yo yi, yo yo o yi, yo yo o yi.

  With my left hand holding up the basket, I can carry Mount Yao on my back.

  Yo yo yi, yo yo yi, yo yo o yi, yo yo o yi.

  (Female) My heart is filled with love, my eyes are full of expectation.

  Ah, Brother Yao's song is floating gently, waiting for the mountain song to come over!

  (Male) Ah, Brother Yao's song is floating gently, waiting for Sister's mountain song to come...

  (Female) With a gentle wave of the flower scarf, I can bring the colorful clouds over;

  (Male) Yo yo yi, yo yo yi, yo yo yi, yo yo yi.

  (Female) The earrings jingled softly, and I can bring the Yao River water out.

  (Male) Yo yo yi, yo yo yi, yo yo yi, yo yo yi...

  (Female) Ah, Sister Yao's song is sitting in the mountain village, waiting quietly for Brother's song to come over...

  The singing voice drifted further and further away, Zheng Shuang gazed at the floating clouds above her head, wondering if her choice was on the right path.

  Zheng Shuang's home was not in the county town, but it was also in a flat and fertile rural area.

  It happened that he had just graduated from high school when the town was recruiting private teachers.

  Zheng Shuang had dug soil, cut crops and trampled on a threshing machine at home with his parents. He knew the hard work of farming and took part in the private teacher examination. Having just graduated from school, he hadn't given back to his teachers yet, and since he didn't want to farm, he studied hard before the exam and did very well.

  During the assessment, the leader asked, "This time we recruited three private teachers to go to the mountains to teach. We plan to send you to work at Jiupingling Primary School, which is the most remote place. Are you willing?"

  Zheng Shuang thought at that time, a whip is always lighter than a plow handle and a hoe handle. So he agreed readily.

  School has started, and the leader asked him if he wanted to find a villager in the town to send someone to pick him up on the road. Zheng Shuang was young and vigorous, saying no need.

  Zheng Shuang thought that it was just a few books and a quilt anyway. But who knew, after going up the mountain road, except for hearing a couple's singing voices, he hadn't even met a single person.

  Zheng Shuang arrived at Jiuping Ridge Primary School at 1 o'clock in the afternoon. In fact, it was not a school at all, but just a dilapidated small wooden house. If it weren't for the five words "Jiuping Ridge Primary School" written on the door frame, no one would have thought of a school.

  Maybe it was because of the simplicity of the wooden house, or maybe it was because of the rustic simplicity of the mountain people, but not only were there no door gods on the door, it wasn't even closed. Zheng Shuang walked in and put down her luggage, plopping herself down on a stool.

  Finally arrived, Zheng Shuang let out a long sigh. At this time, a gentle mountain breeze blew over, cool and refreshing, as if a beautiful girl was gently stroking Zheng Shuang's neck with her delicate hands, making him feel extremely comfortable.

  Just after sitting down for a while, a little kid poked his head out to look at him and asked: "I saw someone entering our school, are you our teacher?" Zheng Shuang waved at him and said: "I'm the newly transferred teacher, come in, I'll ask you." But the kid turned around and ran away, shouting as he went: The teacher is here! The teacher has entered the school!

  Before long, the mountain people came from their respective homes. Perhaps due to the scattered residence of the mountain people, the arrivals were always a few minutes apart. Each of them saw Zheng Shuang and kept warmly "scolding" him for not telling them, so that they could come down the mountain to pick him up.

  In the midst of the murmurs, Zheng Shuang's simple luggage was quickly snatched up by them and carried to the village branch secretary's home, which was closer to the school. Actually, at that time, the village branch secretary was also called Zhai Wang, and the mountain people were used to calling him Zhai Wang.

  At that time, the village chief was surnamed Wang, and everyone affectionately called him Village Chief Wang. Village Chief Wang's enthusiasm and the villagers' hospitality immediately dispelled Zheng Shuang's fatigue. The mountain people here were very simple and honest, they used gourds to hold wine, and used firewood to roast glossy and transparent cured meat as a dish to entertain Zheng Shuang.

  At noon, only Wang Wang accompanied Zheng Shuang to drink a bowl of wine because everyone had already eaten lunch. Wang Wang said, "Walking is hard work, drinking some wine will help you sleep well." After lunch, Wang Wang's wife arranged for Zheng Shuang to take a bath and change clothes. Wang Wang said: "Teacher Zheng, after taking a bath, you must get a good rest."

  The wife of the village chief took Zheng Shuang to the bathroom. The bamboo pipe from the mountain cliff brought in a gurgling stream, its sound like pearls falling on a jade plate, like rain hitting banana leaves, and also like the sound of a yangqin resonating in the soft breeze.

  On the floor, there were bamboo blocks, extremely clean. On the left side of the water vat and on the right side of the large stove, stood a large barrel about five feet long, three feet wide and three feet high, with an oval shape. The fire in the large stove was very gentle, and the water in the barrel was only warm.

  The king's wife said, "This is the Pongtang bath you've heard about. If it were winter, I'd have the fire in the stove burning fiercely, and the water in the Pongtang would be steaming hot. It's not necessary to use such hot water in summer, but it's still very comfortable. Just take your time washing away the fatigue of today." She instructed him well before leaving the bathroom.

  Zheng Shuang climbed up the edge of the bathtub, propped himself up with both hands, and did a forward roll into the tub. The warm water covered his entire body. Zheng Shuang sat or lay down, sometimes leaning forward or backward, he didn't think that taking a bath inside could be so relaxing. After washing until he felt refreshed, Zheng Shuang put on clean clothes and walked out of the bathroom.

  As soon as he came out of the bathroom, Wang Wang forced him to sleep and rest. Although it was a hot summer day, the wooden house was still very cool. Perhaps he was really tired, Zheng Shuang lay down and fell asleep.

  Zhai Wang thought about his first day entering the mountain and couldn't help but sigh: what a simple and honest mountain people! In fact, Zheng Shuang was also very simple and honest at that time.