Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 276 Three Skills
"What? He doesn't agree?"

Xiao Liewen stared at Lin Yuanxiang, forgetting even to light his cigarette, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Impossible, right?"

After a two-second pause, he quickly added, "Is there something I didn't explain clearly?"

Lin Yuanxiang leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and smoked a cigarette. There was no embarrassment at being rejected on his face. Instead, he was all smiles as he said, "I've explained everything clearly, inside and out."

Xiao Liewen blinked. "So, that means he doesn't know how capable you are?"

He waved his pipe, saying, "You show him a couple of tricks..."

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Yuanxiang waved his hand and laughed, "It's more than just showing off my skills. I used twelve techniques in total, including Xingyi, Bagua, Bajiquan, Taijiquan, Tongbeiquan, Piguazhang, Fanzi Chuojiao, Tan Tui, Lianhuan Tui, Mantis, Eagle Claw, and Zhuangquan, to throw him twenty-four times. He couldn't withstand a single move. Doesn't that count as showing off my skills?"

Xiao Liewen stared blankly for a long time before he came to his senses and muttered, "You've shown too much skin."

Then, realizing what was happening, she quickly asked, "Is he alright?"

Lin Yuanxiang snorted lightly, "What could possibly happen? Even if he hadn't trained, I've always handled things with utmost care, there's no way anything could have happened."

He pointed in the direction of the fields, saying, "They're still painting in the fields right now, nothing's happening."

Xiao Liewen couldn't understand. "Then why did he refuse?"

Lin Yuanxiang smoked his cigarette for a while before saying softly, "If I'm not mistaken, he's probably scared."

Xiao Liewen looked puzzled. "Afraid? Afraid of what?"

Lin Yuanxiang didn't explain, but just hummed twice, "Find a time to ask him and find out what he's thinking."

Xiao Liewen glared at him, "I hate people like you who like to keep things a secret. It makes others look stupid. You've been like this for decades."

Lin Yuanxiang smiled and smoked, ignoring what the other person was saying.

Xiao Liewen rubbed his face and looked at him, saying, "No, at least give me a straight answer: do you want this disciple or not?"

Lin Yuanxiang turned and glared at him. "Sure, why wouldn't I want her? If I miss this one, I'll never find someone decent again in my life. Will you compensate me then?"

Xiao Liewen was clearly angered by his shamelessness, and immediately rolled his eyes and turned to leave.

Lin Yuanxiang's eyes darted around, and he quickly stopped him, "Don't ask now, it makes me seem like I'm in a hurry."

Xiao Liewen turned to look at him, his face full of helplessness, "So, are you in a hurry or not?"

Lin Yuanxiang chuckled, "I'm not in a hurry, I'm not in a hurry either."

He turned to look at Xiao Liewen, "You're eager to take him as your disciple and pass on my skills to him, but you can't rush things. You can choose not to take him as a disciple, but you can't leave out the martial arts. Do you understand?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Liewen suddenly realized what was going on, pointed at Lin Yuanxiang, and chuckled, "Plagiarism, this is plagiarism."

Lin Yuanxiang chuckled, "Didn't you say that the better you treat him, the better he treats you? It's a win-win situation, so how can you call it plagiarism?"

Xiao Liewen turned and walked out, saying, "I hate people like you who like to play tricks."

Lin Yuanxiang snorted coldly, "This time I'm learning from you!"

Xiao Liewen had already left the door, but he turned around and came back.

Lin Yuanxiang glared at him. "What, you're not convinced?"

Xiao Liewen grabbed the wrapped cake from the table. "You eat a lot of this, so I won't give it to you."

After saying that, he ran out.

……

Chen Fan painted four pictures in one go. One was a distant view, showing the scene of Lujiawan villagers planting rice in spring. The houses on the distant hillside, the wisps of smoke, and the horse-drawn carts carrying rice seedlings on the main road all reflected the vibrant new look of the countryside. Combined with the news article he had spent two hours rushing to finish the night before, he was 90% sure that it would be published by Yunhu Daily.

The reason for withholding 10% is to prevent myself from becoming arrogant.

It's one thing if we didn't know there were rewards for publishing articles before, but now we can't let the brigade headquarters just give us something to fob them off with.

This news report is over 5000 words long. At 10 yuan per thousand words, that's 50 yuan. You can exchange that for a few truckloads of stones from the production team. It's not much, is it?
He carefully rolled up the painting he had just finished and placed it inside a green bamboo tube, which became his painting tube.

After tidying up the easel and drawing board, he prepared to go back to Captain Xiao to report.

Then Captain Xiao's voice rang out from the side, "You've finished drawing?"

Chen Fan glanced back, considered for less than two seconds, then handed him the bamboo tube containing four sketches and said with a smile, "They're finished. There are four in total. You can submit them to the Yunhu Daily along with the news article."

Xiao Liewen held the bamboo tube, somewhat lost in thought.

Back when Chen Fan first wrote a news report, Secretary Yang and Captain Zhang delivered it to Secretary Qian at the commune. Secretary Qian then arranged for a special person and car to deliver it to the county, and the county then sent it to the prefectural committee. This shows how much importance was attached to it at each level.

Now look at it, any work by Chen Fan is directly adopted and reported to the commune, directly adopted and reported to the county party committee, and given priority approval by the prefectural party committee's daily report.

Time flies.

However, it only lasted for a little over two months.

Xiao Liewen took the bamboo tube, put his hands behind his back, and looked at Chen Fan with a stern face, "What's wrong with you?"

Chen Fan slung the drawing board bag over his shoulder, turned to look at him, and naturally understood what he meant.

After a two-second pause, I decided to tell part of the truth. Because I couldn't fool people with lies.

He adjusted his facial expression, which contained three parts reluctance, three parts hesitation, and four parts fear. He first gave himself a 9.8 out of 10 for his acting skills, and then said with a wry smile, "You mean Uncle Lin wants to take me as his apprentice? Well, how should I put it? To be honest, I have great respect for Uncle Lin, just as much as I respect you."

Xiao Liewen's lips twitched, barely suppressing a laugh, and he said coldly, "Stop flattering me, let's get down to business."

Chen Fan nodded. "Oh."

Then, with a look of melancholy, he acted as if it were real, "Actually, I really want to learn martial arts from Uncle Lin. His profound martial arts knowledge is something I have never seen before in my life. He is a martial arts master I have never met."

Xiao Liewen interrupted him, "How many martial arts masters have you met?"

Chen Fan looked at him and said, "There are three: you, Brother Sanhu, and Uncle Lin."

Xiao Liewen remained silent for a few seconds, unable to respond.

After a long while, he said, "Go on. Hmm... stop with the nonsense and just tell me why you refused and didn't want to become his disciple."

Chen Fan coughed lightly and said with a wry smile, "If it were just about learning martial arts, I would be eager to become an apprentice right now. But Old Man Lin is clearly no ordinary person. I'm afraid that after I become his apprentice, he will ask me to leave the mountain with him. If I go, I will be reluctant to leave Lujiawan. If I don't go, I will disobey my master's orders, which would be a great act of treason. How can I do that?"

Hearing this, the gloom on Xiao Liewen's face vanished, replaced by a bright and cheerful expression, though he still tried to maintain his composure and not laugh. Chen Fan continued, "Also, Old Man Lin said he wanted to introduce me to his connections. Oh dear, don't laugh at me, but I'm terrified of meeting important people. I get so nervous and speechless when I see them, which would embarrass my master. So, after much thought, I reluctantly declined Old Man Lin's offer, hoping he can find a better disciple to inherit his mantle and carry it forward. Yes, that's it."

At this moment, Xiao Liewen's face was no longer tinged with dissatisfaction. He put his hands behind his back, held the painting tube, and said to Chen Fan earnestly, "Are you stupid? Just because of this, you're going to reject such a good opportunity? Do you know how many people want to become his apprentices, and he refuses them all?"

And those connections you mentioned, do you even know what kind of connections they are that you're so afraid of? They are all veterans like me and Lao Lin, who have been to the battlefield. Some of them have even climbed snow-capped mountains and crossed grasslands. Why are you so afraid of them?

Although they are as ruthless as winter to the enemy, they are as warm as spring to the people, especially the apprentices of their old comrades. What are you afraid of?

Chen Fan chuckled dryly, holding his sketchbook bag, and said softly, "Captain, you know, even if those seniors don't care, it's possible that the people around them don't. The rules here are really hard to say. Otherwise, you wouldn't have come back to farm, right?"

Xiao Liewen remained silent for a long time after hearing this.

He only snapped out of his reverie when a group of people carrying rice seedlings walked by in the distance. He sighed softly and said, "To be honest, Old Lin's kung fu is very different from other people's. It comes from traditional martial arts and then combines it with battlefield killing techniques. It's been integrated little by little. To pass on his kung fu, we have to put our efforts into the battlefield. But where can we find a battlefield now?"

He paused for a moment, then looked up at Chen Fan and said softly, "It's only because you can learn anything so quickly and master it so easily. That's why I thought of inviting him over to pass on his skills. Maybe one day when there's another big battle, you can pass on these skills to the soldiers who are going to the battlefield. Whether it's for the sake of inheritance or to reduce the number of deaths, it will be a help."

Upon hearing this, Chen Fan fell silent.

After a long while, he murmured, "If it's just about learning kung fu, I'd be willing to learn it too."

Xiao Liewen raised his head and immediately coughed, "Well, this is a unique skill after all, and it can't be passed on casually, right? I'll go talk to Lao Lin about this again."

Chen Fan nodded. "Okay."

Watching Xiao Liewen turn and walk away, Chen Fan was stunned for a while before he came to his senses.

Have I been set up?
If it's just about passing on martial arts skills, is it really that difficult to film Old Man Lin with a few cameras?

Is it difficult to find ten or eight martial arts masters and teach them? We don't need to expect them to reach a very high level, but with the help of filming, it should be easy to pass on the skills, right?

He watched Xiao Liewen's figure gradually disappear and sighed inwardly, "No matter how much I tried to guard against it, I still fell into a trap."

……

Carrying his drawing board bag, Chen Fan walked dejectedly towards the brigade headquarters. He had to put the drawing board away first before riding his mare home.

Otherwise, he wouldn't want to see those two old... seniors.

As we walked through the woods and over the loess slope, just as we were about to cross this dirt road, a voice suddenly rang out beside us, "Xiao Chen, come here."

Chen Fan turned his head and saw that at the end of a small alley, Master Lu was waving at him.

He quickly jogged over, "Fourth Master, what's wrong?"

He's now somewhat proficient in calligraphy, so he doesn't need to come to Master Lu's place every morning to practice anymore; he only needs to come two days a week. The last time he came was the day before yesterday. Master Lu didn't say anything then, but it's unclear why he's looking for him now.

Master Lu waved his hand and turned to walk towards the thatched hut, saying, "You've almost mastered the basics of medical books. I told you before that once you've memorized the Four Minor Classics, I'll introduce you to a master of pulse diagnosis and acupuncture. I'll try to contact him these next few days, and he's already agreed. I'll write you another letter of introduction, and you can go see him when you have time."

Chen Fan followed Fourth Master into the house. After he finished speaking, he immediately nodded and said, "Thank you, Fourth Master. I'll go tomorrow."

He was still thinking of brewing wine today or tomorrow, but it seems he can only postpone it again. He also has to make a leather belt and a saddle. He has gathered everything else. He even bought scrap copper for the belt buckle so he can try to make it himself. The only thing left is the rivet, which he can't do without, so he has to go to the county to buy it.

Since I don't have time to go myself, I'll see whether I should go to Zhu Hao or ask Anquan to find a way to get things together.

Just as his thoughts were racing, Master Lu sat down at the table and pointed to the chair next to him, saying, "Sit."

Chen Fan immediately sat down and looked directly at Master Lu.

Master Lu first took out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to him, saying, "That old master is originally from Nanhu. His surname is Lu, the Lu of land, and his given name is Shouquan. He used to be the resident doctor of Baohetang in the county town. In the Yunhu area, he was known as the 'Yin-Yang Finger.' His finger pulse diagnosis was almost never wrong. His acupuncture technique was also a family secret passed down for a hundred years."

Later, after retiring and returning home, he was rehired and worked at the Nanhu Town People's Health Center when it was established.

Our Lu family used to have a 20% share in Baohetang, and I studied pulse diagnosis and acupuncture with him for two years, but I lacked the talent and could only learn the basics. The other day I had someone deliver a letter to him, asking him to teach you for a few days, and he replied, readily agreeing. You can just go to the commune clinic to find him.”

Chen Fan nodded slightly, stood up and bowed, "Thank you, Fourth Master."

He knew in his heart that no matter how skilled Dr. Lu Shouquan was, he would never forget Master Lu's kindness.

Master Lu smiled and waved for him to sit down, saying, "I haven't interacted with anyone for over ten years, it's rare that we two get along so well. I know in my heart that Xiao Xiao took the initiative to introduce you to me to learn calligraphy because he was afraid I would be lonely and wanted you to keep this old man company. The reason I agreed to him was to put his mind at ease."

Unexpectedly, you're quite to my liking. Since I'm all alone, I might as well be honest with you. As long as you're willing to learn, I'm happy to teach you.

Chen Fan chuckled and said, "If we're going to go by that, I should thank Captain Xiao."

Master Lu chuckled and said to him, "It's clear that Xiao cherishes you very much. If you achieve something in the future, just don't forget his kindness."

Chen Fan immediately nodded with a serious expression, "That's definitely not the case."

Master Lu smiled and nodded, then changed the subject and said, "My skills, aside from the useless ones, are probably only three things. One is calligraphy, especially the skill with the quill pen. I'm confident that few people can compare to me. I originally planned to spend two or three years teaching you this technique, but I didn't expect you to be so quick to learn. In just over two months, you've already mastered it quite well. You can be considered to have exceptional talent."

Chen Fan grinned awkwardly, silently thanking his classmate Guazi.

So the skill board is still somewhat useful. Without it, I'd probably still be practicing the Eight Principles of Yong with a calligraphy brush, let alone learning how to use a feather brush.

Master Lu continued, “A scholar should have four skills: playing the zither, playing chess, calligraphy, and painting. Anyone with spare time will not neglect these four subjects. I have already taught you calligraphy. If you want to learn the zither, chess, and painting, I can also teach you. However, these three are not as profound as calligraphy, so they are not counted as the three skills.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Fan's eyes lit up, and he laughed heartily, "Fourth Master, your knowledge is truly profound. Even if it's not that refined, it's definitely much better than the so-called experts outside. I'm willing to learn."

Master Lu laughed heartily, "You little rascal, you've learned how to flatter too."

He paused for a moment, then said, "I don't know what level the people outside are at, but I went to Shanghai with my elders a few years ago and saw the works of famous calligraphers. I think that with my efforts over the years, I should be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with them, but in the end, I am not as good as in calligraphy, and I am not as good as you say."

Then he looked up and said, "As long as you're willing to learn, I'll teach you."

Chen Fan grinned from ear to ear, "As long as you can teach me, I can learn."

After a pause, Master Lu continued, "That's the first thing. The second thing is the art of metalwork."

Without needing an explanation, Chen Fan understood, "A seal?"

Master Lu nodded. "The ancients said that calligraphy and seal carving were inseparable. Most people would learn seal carving if they had the opportunity."

Seeing Chen Fan's expression, he couldn't help but chuckle, "Looks like you want to learn this too."

Chen Fan didn't stand on ceremony and immediately nodded repeatedly, "That's good, I really want to learn."

Master Lu chuckled softly, "Alright, since you've asked me to, I'll teach you."

Chen Fan secretly made a V sign (＾－＾) and then asked, "You said there are three skills. The first is playing the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. The second is seal carving. What is the third skill?"

(End of this chapter)