manynovel Chapter 318 Nominal Disciple
Chapter 318 Nominal Disciple
Chapter 318 Nominal Disciple
"Mother, little sister, I'm back!" Rong excitedly ran towards the door, shouting loudly as she ran.
At this moment, his steps were hurried and joyful, and his face was filled with the joy of finally returning home after going through wind and rain.
Rou, who was diligently picking vegetables in the yard, her slender fingers still resting on the green leaves, heard Rong's familiar and warm voice. As if drawn by an invisible force, she instantly stood up.
Rou's eyes lit up instantly, sparkling with excitement, like two bright stars shining in the night sky.
Forgetting about the vegetables she hadn't finished picking, she excitedly rushed towards Rong and hugged her tightly.
"Brother, you're finally back! I missed you so much!" Rou pressed her face against Rong's chest, her voice tinged with a hint of coquetry and grievance, her eyes sparkling with stars, reflecting her deep longing for her brother.
She gripped Rong's clothes tightly with both hands, as if afraid that if she let go, her brother would disappear again.
The old woman slowly rose from the bed in the inner room, her steps somewhat unsteady, her face bearing the marks of time and illness.
The old woman looked up and immediately saw Wu Heyi walking in behind Rong.
Wu Heyi was tall and had an extraordinary air about him, which contrasted sharply with the dilapidated house.
"Rong'er, who is this?" the woman asked softly, her voice gentle and weak, as if a breeze could blow it away.
It wasn't that she didn't want to speak loudly, but rather that she had a pre-existing medical condition, and years of hard work and illness had left her physically weak and exhausted.
In addition, the family had not eaten for several days, making him sound even more weak and listless when he spoke.
"He is..." Rong Yi didn't know how to introduce Wu Heyi for a moment, and a hint of embarrassment and hesitation appeared on his face.
After all, he was now the other party's servant, but he didn't know how to explain to his family that he had been sold out.
His eyes darted away, unable to meet his mother's concerned gaze.
"Auntie, my name is Wu Heyi. I got lost while crossing the mountains, and Xiao Rong led me out!" Wu Heyi explained first, his voice gentle and sincere, with a friendly smile on his face.
"It's getting late, so I've come with Xiao Rong to your house to stay the night!"
The woman looked at her son, who seemed hesitant to speak. A hint of doubt flashed in her weathered eyes. She could probably guess what was going on, but out of politeness and respect for her guest, she didn't completely believe Wu Heyi's words. However, she still continued.
"Xiao Ruo, we have guests at home, hurry up and cook some porridge!" the woman said to the little girl. She tried to make her voice sound gentle, but her weak body still made her words sound somewhat feeble.
But after hearing this, the girl's bright eyes instantly dimmed, and her face became full of sorrow.
She hesitated for a moment, bit her lip, and said with a very aggrieved expression, "Mother, we haven't bought rice for three days!"
Her voice trembled with a hint of tears, a mixture of helplessness at the hunger and guilt at being unable to entertain guests.
Upon hearing this, the woman was speechless for a moment. Her lips trembled slightly, and her eyes revealed deep helplessness and self-blame.
She lowered her head, looking at her rough hands, as if blaming herself for not being able to provide for her family's basic needs.
Wu Heyi then took out some simple food from his storage space.
These were the dry rations that Wu Heyi carefully prepared before setting off. He considered that sea voyages were full of unknowns and dangers, and he wanted to avoid any accidents at sea that would leave him without food or water.
To his surprise, the journey back was smooth and unimpeded; he had originally thought the food would be useless.
Seeing that Wu Heyi had come to his home as a guest and even asked Wu Heyi to treat his family to a meal, Rong's face was filled with shame.
His head was bowed low, his hands were clenched into fists so tightly that his nails were almost digging into his flesh, and his heart was filled with guilt towards his family and gratitude towards Wu Heyi.
The woman and her daughter's eyes lit up instantly when they saw the table full of food. They couldn't help but swallow, their faces showing both longing and embarrassment.
They hadn't had a proper meal in so long, and now, faced with this food, they felt both longing and a little embarrassed.
Ultimately, unable to resist the body's demands, he wolfed down his food at Wu Heyi's urging.
They ate with great eagerness and appreciation, as if every bite was a precious gift from heaven.
After the meal, the woman had regained some strength. She stood up shakily and prepared a room for Wu Heyi.
It was less a room and more a woodshed with a thatched roof.
The woodshed was filled with a faint smell of hay, the floor was damp, and the walls were somewhat dilapidated.
For the Rong family, this is currently their only guest room.
Wu Heyi had lived in even more dilapidated dwellings than this one, so he looked at the woodshed and found it quite clean, without showing any disgust on his face.
He took out some equipment from his storage space and carefully piled up some hay to form the shape of a bed, his movements practiced and natural.
Then he lay down on the spot, closed his eyes, and prepared to get some rest.
On the other side, seeing that Wu Heyi had already gone to rest, the woman quickly called her son to her side, her eyes filled with concern and worry.
After Rong's tearful explanation, the woman finally understood what had happened.
Rong knelt down before the woman in an instant, his knees slamming heavily onto the ground with a dull thud.
"Your unfilial son will be unable to take care of you by your side from now on!" With that, Rong kowtowed three times, his forehead hitting the ground with a crisp sound.
He then handed all ten gold soul coins he had on him to the woman; the gold soul coins gleamed brightly in the dim light.
The woman trembled as she accepted the gold coins, her hands shaking slightly and tears welling in her eyes.
She knew this was her child's filial piety. Even if she was unwilling, what mother would want her child to sell themselves into servitude?
She gently stroked Rong's head, her eyes filled with reluctance and heartache.
After a night, Wu Heyi looked at the family of three who were still fast asleep and had not yet woken up, and a sense of pity welled up in his heart.
He planned to leave quietly by himself, not wanting to disturb their sweet dreams.
He carefully pushed open the door, taking each step very lightly, afraid of making the slightest sound.
Unexpectedly, before they even reached the village entrance, Rong chased after them. "My lord, wait for me!" Rong's voice was filled with urgency and determination.
Wu Heyi turned around and saw a disheveled little boy chasing after him.
His hair was disheveled and spread across his forehead, and his clothes were tattered and patched.
But his eyes were unusually firm, filled with hope for the future.
"My lord, I have already transferred the money to my family. From now on, I will be your most loyal servant!"
After Rong finished speaking, he knelt down and kowtowed to Wu Heyi. His movements were swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.
To be honest, Wu Heyi felt a little embarrassed. He had actually heard everything last night. After all, the house was so close, the soundproofing was so poor, and given Wu Heyi's cultivation level, it would have been quite difficult for him not to hear the mother and son's conversation.
Wu Heyi originally just wanted to do some good deeds and lend a hand, but now this kid is stuck with him.
Wu Heyi scratched his head speechlessly, his face full of helplessness.
From afar, I saw the woman leading her daughter out the door, looking at Rong with a pained expression.
The woman's eyes were filled with reluctance and worry, and her daughter's eyes were also glistening with tears.
Wu Heyi helped Rong up and said, "A real man should only kneel to heaven, earth, parents, and master. Remember this from now on, never kneel to anyone else."
His voice was serious and earnest, and his eyes revealed a hint of authority.
“I don’t have the habit of taking in servants, so you can be considered my disciple in name only!” Wu Heyi said, then turned and left, his steps firm and steady.
Rong was momentarily stunned, standing there blankly, his eyes filled with surprise and joy.
It wasn't until Wu Heyi had walked a hundred steps or so that he saw Rong still standing in the same spot.
"Aren't you leaving yet? What are you waiting for?" Wu Heyi shouted, his voice loud and clear.
Upon hearing the shout, Rong finally reacted and immediately chased after Wu Heyi, his steps light yet firm, as if full of power.