Chapter 305 - 307: Taking Disciples
An Ning rose and took her seat at the prepared table.
Uncle An presided over the apprenticeship ceremony. The first to be accepted was Li Chengze.
"KNEEL—"
At the drawn-out command, Li Chengze knelt on both knees. An Guoping, standing nearby, handed him a cup of tea. Li Chengze accepted it with both hands, raising it high above his head.
"Master, please drink this tea."
An Ning did not take it immediately, instead offering a few words of instruction.
"Li Chengze, from this day forward, you are my eldest disciple. I hope you will hold fast to your principles, always choose the path of kindness, and use your inventions to improve people’s lives."
"Yes, I will take it to heart."
Li Chengze’s gaze was resolute. In this solemn atmosphere, he understood for the first time the weight of the responsibility on his shoulders.
"Remember, you are forbidden from committing any crimes. If you break the law, I will be the first one to turn you in."
An Ning took the cup from Li Chengze’s hands and drained it in a single drink.
"The rite is complete. Kowtow and thank your master."
Li Chengze kowtowed again. An Ning made a gesture to help him up, and he rose to stand at her right.
The next was Yu the Elder.
Although advanced in years, Yu the Elder knelt with wholehearted willingness. An Ning repeated the same words of guidance, drank the tea, and helped him to his feet.
After accepting her two new disciples, An Ning rose. She faced everyone who had come for the ancestor veneration and apprenticeship ceremony, clasped her hands in a fist-and-palm salute, and expressed her gratitude.
"We’ve prepared a simple meal back at the house. Thank you all for your help."
The large group started down the mountain in a great procession.
Down at the foot of the mountain, people were already preparing the meal. Once Master Tang and Jiang Xia arrived, they began to stir-fry the dishes.
With the addition of Yin Xuemei, the three master chefs worked over three separate stoves, their pace incredibly fast.
Several tables were set up in the tidy courtyard. The An family welcomed anyone who wished to attend, but they didn’t extend formal invitations, and they certainly weren’t accepting any gifts.
The meal lasted a full three hours from start to finish. Afterward, the people in the courtyard gradually departed.
Only close family and friends remained. After eating a little more themselves, they slowly began to clean up.
An Ning first went with Zhou Xiaoshan to see Zhou Yicheng off.
Zhou Yicheng sat in the truck An Guoming was driving, waving to Zhou Xiaoshan.
"Wait for me to come back."
"You’d better keep your word."
The father and son bumped fists. The truck slowly pulled away, gradually disappearing from Zhou Xiaoshan’s view.
An Ning stood with her hands behind her back, not rushing him, simply waiting by his side.
When Zhou Xiaoshan finally pulled his gaze away, he looked at An Ning and asked, "Teacher An, why won’t you take me as your disciple? I’m really willing."
"I know."
An Ning started walking, and Zhou Xiaoshan fell into step behind her, waiting for her answer.
"Wouldn’t it be better to leave this hope for your father?"
Her words left Zhou Xiaoshan stunned.
Then, a brilliant smile spread across his face, and he shouted in reply, "Yes!"
Up ahead, the corners of An Ning’s mouth turned up slightly. ’What a silly kid.’
She led Zhou Xiaoshan back to the An family home and arranged for him to stay in An Guoping’s room.
But now, it seemed the time was right to start on the new house they had planned to build in front of the main An family residence.
An Ning casually mentioned it to An Sancheng, who thought for a moment before replying, "There’s no rush. You all have the college entrance exams this year. Once you leave for university, the house will just be empty anyway."
An Ning realized he was right. It wasn’t as if they were out of space, so things could stay as they were for the time being.
She then summoned her two new disciples to a deserted corner.
"Li Chengze, this is for you."
"Yu the Elder, this is for you."
"Master, you don’t have to call me Yu the Elder."
After handing them the items, An Ning thought for a moment. ’He’s right. It’s just a habit.’
"Alright, I’ll call you by your given name then."
An Ning then pointed to the white Jade Pendants in their hands. "These are your apprenticeship gifts. One for each of you, as a token of your status."
The white Jade Pendants were oval-shaped with a special symbol in the center. It was impossible to tell how it was engraved; there wasn’t a single tool mark.
The back of each Jade Pendant bore the recipient’s name, written in a unique script.
"Thank you, Master."
"Thank you, Master."
An Ning didn’t say much else, only telling them to keep the pendants safe as proof of their discipleship.
"What are the two of you planning to do next?"
Yu the Elder was the first to answer. He was heading to Beijing University to report for his new position. He would wait for An Ning to arrive there before officially beginning his studies with her.
An Ning nodded. "I’ll give you a notebook to review on your own first. When I get there, I’ll teach you in more detail."
Yu the Elder was overjoyed and thanked her profusely.
An Ning then looked to Li Chengze, who had clearly given the matter some thought as well.
"Master, I’d also like to go to Beijing. Since you’ll be studying at Beijing University in the future, I was thinking I could see about finding a job there."
An Ning nodded, seeing no issue with his plan.
"A good plan. Wait a few days. I’ll prepare some notes for you both to take with you."
The two naturally agreed at once, not daring to object.
After settling these matters, An Ning returned to her room. She needed to prepare the notes so her new disciples could depart.
For the next few days, An Ning hardly left her room.
Jiang Xia led the morning runs and boxing practice in her stead.
Three days later, Li Chengze and Yu the Elder, each with a different set of notes in hand, set off for Beijing together.
Yu Zheng, of course, went with them.
Wherever Yu the Elder went, Yu Zheng was sure to follow.
An Ning asked a favor of Yu Zheng: to clean up one of the houses she had bought in Beijing—the one closest to the university—as she intended to live there when she arrived.
After they left, An Ning’s life returned to its normal routine.
Morning exercises, classes, and homework.
During this time, a large crop of strawberries ripened and was sold by An Guoming for an incredibly high price.
After that, An Ning contacted the factory again to arrange for the construction of more greenhouses.
Meanwhile, the planting season quietly began.
An Ning had designed a seed planter that came in a full range of models, both large and small, which made this year’s planting much easier.
After the seeds were sown, many of the fruit trees on the mountain began to flower. Every day, the mountain was alive with little bees, BUZZING back and forth as they spread pollen, contributing to the future harvest.
An Ning also collected her first batch of honey. After Master Tang had a single taste, he snatched the entire jar.
He walked away, muttering, "Impossible..."
That the honey from An Ning’s mountain could be even more delicious than wild honey from deep in the mountains was something Master Tang simply couldn’t comprehend.
If he weren’t lacking the proper lab equipment, Master Tang would have tested the mountain’s soil and water. ’What on earth is so different about this place?’
After the planting season, the village grew busy.
Many families had one person continue to work for An Ning, while the others tended to their own family fields.
Even so, the standard of living in the village was improving day by day.
In a life centered around agriculture, having a stable income was incredibly important.
An Ning not only provided jobs for the adults but also offered small tasks for the children to earn pocket money, which made the village kids ecstatic.
Amidst all this activity, time quietly slipped into May.