Wooden huts and farms, good fields, dogs, trees, cooking smoke.
This is the scene that literati most enjoy depicting in their paintings of rural villages.
In reality, there should also be dog poop, chicken poop, urine, and scrawny old men with tattered clothes by the roadside.
The old men's ribs.
The old men's wrinkles.
Running idiots.
When the two young masters from the BMW family entered this down-and-out village, both of them felt a slight regret.
Meng Shaoxia felt that this place was too run-down, and looking at the tattered clothes of the villagers, he worried about seeing Jiang Feng and his sister in distress, afraid they would feel uncomfortable.
He should have given them a heads-up first, he couldn't just visit unannounced, but he didn't have time.
He Chen was used to being pampered in luxury, and at this moment, the sweet dimpled smile of Miss Waner kept flickering in his mind. He thought every move she made was graceful, and felt that she was looking at him, her eyes glowing with affection for him.
But the stench that wafted past his nose dispelled that sweet first encounter.
It stank, and the young stallion had stepped in some indescribable poop.
...
The two of them walked up the hill, away from the densely populated village, and the smell felt a bit better.
They even heard laughter, as if suddenly awakened.
There was a glimmer of hope.
They finally climbed up to the home the villagers had pointed out.
What met their eyes were two large trees, a dilapidated mud wall, a tiled roof, and a wooden house.
Under the trees were a few bamboo chairs and a stone stool.
A ragged youth cradling an infant saw them and hastily stood up, holding the baby with one hand and saluting with the other.
"Brother Meng, Brother He, I didn't expect you would come. Please, sit down."
Jiang Feng was delighted.
He never imagined that these two esteemed young masters from prestigious families would come to his door in person.
Actually, the excitement had gradually worn off last night as he lay in bed.
When he told his father, he was very excited, feeling like he had face and was quite impressive.
But when he lay in bed, he seriously reflected on himself again.
The core of face is power and strength.
Face cannot be given by others.
Right now, he was very small and weak, insisting on self-respect was just empty bravado, and he was ultimately still insecure.
If Brother Meng and Brother He hadn't spoken up yesterday, and he had been taken away to be beaten dozens of times, not to mention the physical suffering, where would his face be?
He couldn't rely on luck, as good fortune wouldn't last forever.
He still needed to become stronger himself.
Jiang Feng gently touched the wound on his forehead, reminding himself not to lead such a dissipated life as before.
After he had counseled himself, Jiang Feng thought that the next time he saw Brother Meng, he would shamelessly beg him to teach him a set of sword techniques or something.
It didn't need to be advanced, just what the guards learned would be fine.
In this world, setting other things aside, the poor have no face, but they do have a bit of force.
If he had good martial skills, he wouldn't be easily bullied anymore.
There was also that ill-intentioned mountain bandit Tiger Ge, lurking in the background, which worried Jiang Feng.
At this moment, seeing the two of them appear at his doorstep, Jiang Feng was overjoyed.
Both Meng Shaoxia and He Chen felt the poor youth Jiang Feng's smile and delight.
There was no politeness or trepidation on the youth's face, only sheer surprise and joy.
His clothes were even more tattered than yesterday, covered in patches, and where there were no patches, the fabric had faded from washing. His robe was a bit short too, exposing his sturdy calves which bore some scars.
He wore straw sandals on his feet.
Yet he showed no embarrassment, only a sincere smile to welcome them.
When he smiled, his teeth were very white.
The wound on his forehead was still there, but it did not detract from his appearance at all, even resembling the flower headpieces worn by ladies.
He was cradling an infant, yet it did not make him look undignified at all.
Compared to yesterday, he seemed even more approachable, peaceful, and comfortable.
The two young masters from BMW families immediately cheered up again.
They felt it was worth the winding journey.
Not a wasted effort.
And although Jiang Feng's home was in the village, it seemed to have a certain rustic elegance distinct from other households.
His home was very clean and tidy, without any stench.
There was even a woodcarving on the door lintel with a couplet.
On top it said: "Home", with the upper line reading "Auspicious clouds herald the sun" and the lower line "Fragrant grass welcomes spring."
It was a very ordinary couplet, but the calligraphy was superb, done by someone of high skill, though it was unknown who had carved it.
Meng Shaoxia, who had no appreciation for calligraphy, still found it quite pleasing to look at.
He looked around but did not see Jiang Feng's round-faced sister, only a little girl who seemed to be asleep in his arms.
But he had just heard a girl's laughter, yet no one was in sight.
However, the more He Chen looked at the dilapidated door lintel, the happier he became, feeling a rustic charm with a touch of sophistication.
The calligraphy had an elegant and refined flair.
It was like discovering a treasure amidst a pile of miscellaneous items.
Intrigued, he asked, "Who wrote the couplet on the door?"
"It was my father," came a clear voice from the tree.
Meng Shaoxia looked up.
There, perched high on a branch and swinging her legs, was a young lady.
She had a round face and a mischievous grin.
Suddenly, she stood up, nimble as a little monkey.
He Chen's mouth fell open, for he had never seen a girl climbing trees before.
"Brother, I'm going to jump down!" Jiang Yu called out, and with that, she leaped from the tree.
Jiang Feng, who was holding little Cotton, quickly dodged out of the way.
But Meng Shaoxia dashed forward.
Jiang Yu leaped down, landing squarely on the square-faced youth and knocking him to the ground.
She sat atop Meng Shaoxia, feeling very embarrassed as she said, "I'm so sorry, Brother Fang, my brother and I were just playing around."
Meng Shaoxia, feeling the weight of the girl on top of him and seeing stars from the impact that had made his mind go blank, forgetting about any Jiang or Wan'er, stared at the white bird in the tree instead.
He spoke up, "My surname is Meng."
