When Fang Xiucai was mentioned, Magistrate Chen and Niu Baotou obviously talked more.
"Speaking of it, Xiucai Fang was my mentor." County Magistrate Chen said with a somewhat reminiscence tone, "Mr. Fang is already eighty-two years old this year and has taught in the county all his life."
, there is almost no one in the county who has not been taught by him."
"Sounds like a respectable old gentleman, so what's so weird about him?" Lin Ji asked.
This time I'll answer it as a cow hunter.
I saw that the expression on Niu Baotou's face was quite strange, and he hesitated to speak.
"If you have anything, just say it!"
"Yes, yes." Niu Baotou nodded quickly, not daring to delay, "Mr. Fang's health has not been very good in the past few years. People in the county thought he was going to leave, but who would have thought that now he is living more energetically.
."
"That's it?" Lin Ji frowned.
Niu Baotou smiled bitterly and said: "Sir, have you ever seen an old man who is over eighty still married?"
This time Lin Ji really lived in Bengbu.
What makes you stronger with old age.
Lin Ji and Huang Cui looked at each other and saw the absurdity in each other's eyes.
"Marrying a wife at eighty years old? Is he okay?"
Magistrate Chen added: "Not only is it about getting a wife, Mr. Fang could hardly walk in the past few years, and he had to be supported by students wherever he went. In recent years, not only has his body become stronger, but also the white hair on his head has become stronger."
It’s all starting to turn dark…”
After hearing this, Lin Ji finally understood why County Magistrate Chen and Niu Baotou said this was strange.
Hair dyeing is not popular here.
If we just talk about marrying a wife at the age of eighty, it is not incomprehensible.
After all, men like young men no matter how old they are. It is understandable that Lin Ji's conscience condemns and yearns for him.
It is not impossible for an old tree to grow stronger and a dead tree to grow again.
But turning white hair into black is far from simple.
Thinking back to the time when Lin Ji fell into the evil Buddha's tricks, most of the vitality in his body was burned away, and his hair turned gray.
Today, a long time has passed, and he has even broken through several realms in succession, but only the long gray hair on his head has not changed at all.
Burning out vitality is irreversible.
You can use heavenly materials and earthly treasures or life-prolonging elixirs to supplement your health, or you can make breakthroughs in cultivation to extend your life.
But what is missing is missing and cannot be replenished.
That's why there is a saying of "crazy hair and childlike appearance".
And an old man who has taught in the county all his life suddenly becomes a child again?
There must be something weird about this.
Thinking of this, Lin Ji guessed that he couldn't find anything out from County Magistrate Chen and Niu Baotou, so he simply got up with Huang Cui.
"Where does Fang Xiucai live?" Lin Ji asked as he walked.
"My lord, Mr. Fang lives in the west end of the county. There is a big osmanthus tree in front of his house."
Lin Ji nodded and walked out with Huang Cui.
Just when they were about to leave at the gate of the county government office, Niu Baotou and County Magistrate Chen stopped them again.
"Why, do you have anything else to say?" Lin Ji asked with a frown.
"Sir... will this matter happen in the future... will it..." County Magistrate Chen said with fear, unable to say a single word for a long time.
Lin Ji understood.
"roll!"
A scolding frightened County Magistrate Chen and Niu Baotou to quickly move out of the way, while Lin Ji quickly left the county government office with a look of displeasure on his face.
It wasn't until they were far away that Huang Cui asked: "What did County Magistrate Chen want to ask just now? Why did you become angry all of a sudden?"
"He wanted to ask if this matter would affect them." Lin Ji sneered, "Look at his slave-like appearance, what's in his heart has already been written on his face."
Hearing this, Huang Cui whispered: "I can't see these twists and turns."
"I don't think it's a good thing." Lin Ji responded casually.
As for whether it will affect County Magistrate Chen and the cattle hunter.
Lin Ji only thought they were naive and ridiculous.
Dozens of people die unexpectedly every year, and they dare to lie to their superiors and pretend to be ignorant.
Even Qi Zheng, the chief arrester of Jingzhou, couldn't catch this board, let alone the two of them.
...
September is when the sweet-scented osmanthus blooms.
Arriving at the west end of Sishui County, Lin Ji and Huang Cui saw the bright yellow sweet-scented osmanthus tree from afar.
Hundreds of meters apart, the faint scent of osmanthus was already floating around the two of them.
"What a beautiful tree." Huang Cui sighed.
"It's been hundreds of years at least." Lin Ji nodded.
When they arrived at the place, the two of them took a few quick steps and soon arrived in front of the laurel tree.
Next to it is the private school, which looks like an ordinary small courtyard. The plaque at the door has the word "学" written on it and is signed by Fang Sicheng.
I think this is the name of Mr. Fang, the dead tree that blooms in spring.
Walking into the small courtyard, you can vaguely hear the sound of students reading in a large room next to it. The sound is not too loud and seems to be suppressed.
Before Lin Ji could go to investigate, a beautiful girl about thirty years old suddenly walked out of the side room on the other side.
The girl was wearing a plain skirt and was walking towards the well with a bucket in her hand. When she saw the two uninvited guests, Lin Ji and Huang Cui, she was obviously stunned for a moment.
"Huh? Who are you? Are you sending your children to school?"
Saying that, before Lin Ji and Huang Cui could speak, the beautiful lady smiled and returned to the side room carrying the empty bucket.
Not long after, a gentleman who looked to be in his fifties or sixties came out of the side room.
"Sicheng below, what are you doing here?"
"Are you Mr. Fang?" Lin Ji clasped his fists and said, "I am here from the Yamen to investigate the case. I would like to ask you a few questions."
Fang Xiucai was stunned and nodded subconsciously.
"Mr. Fang will live a long life this year?"
"Eighty to two."
"Two out of eighty, why are you so young?" Lin Ji raised his eyebrows and asked again.
"Let go of your worries and you will naturally look younger."
"What's on your mind?"
"Fame and fortune."
"How to let go?"
"I failed in the imperial examinations for more than sixty years, and after studying the sages and failing in vain, I gave up."
"It's hard to achieve your long-cherished wish in life, so why don't you just let it go?"
"Fame, fame and wealth are all just floating clouds. I am old and rotten, and my peach and plum blossoms are all over the world. I don't live my life in vain, so I will let it go."
Lin Ji chuckled lightly and asked again: "You can become young if you let go? It seems that you have rejuvenated. How do you explain it?"
Fang Xiucai shook his head slightly and did not answer.
Lin Ji looked at him deeply and could see that there was some confusion on his face.
Without delving further, Lin Ji asked again: "You still have a wife at the age of eighty?"
"Hu'er has been with me since she was a child. I treat her as my daughter, but she loves me."
"You are a teacher, how dare you disregard general ethics? Others will inevitably discuss this matter. Scholars cherish reputation the most, so you don't care?"
"You only have a few years to live, what do you care about?" Fang Xiucai smiled slightly and looked back.
It happened that the beautiful lady named Hu'er also came out and nestled next to Fang Xiucai.
Lin Ji thought for a moment and nodded.
"Excuse me, excuse me."
As soon as he finished speaking, he took Huang Cui out of the small courtyard.
"Why don't you continue asking?" Huang Cui still doesn't understand.
It wasn't until Lin Ji walked out of the yard that his face finally showed some surprise.