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Story 86: Li Bai Seeks a Teacher
Li Bai Seeks a Teacher
Author: Anonymous
In his later years, Li Bai was politically frustrated. He traveled back and forth to Xuancheng, Nanling, Shexian (in Anhui Province), Caishi and other places with a melancholy mood, writing poems, drinking, and roaming famous mountains and rivers.
One morning, as usual, Li Bai was buying wine in a hotel on the streets of She County. Suddenly he heard someone in the firewood store next door asking: “Old man, how can you pick so much firewood at your age? Where do you live?” ?”
The answer was a hearty laugh. Then, someone was heard chanting poetry loudly:
“Selling out in the morning with a negative salary, selling wine in the day, and returning to the west.
May I ask where your home is? Through the clouds and into Cuiwei! ”
Li Bai was surprised when he heard this. Who is this? He recited such a touching poem casually! He asked the bartender, and the bartender told him: This is an old man named Xu Xuanping. He hates the government, sees through the world, and lives in seclusion in the mountains, but no one knows which mountain he lives in.
Recently, he often travels to this area. Every day at dawn, he can be seen carrying firewood into the town, with flower ladles and bent bamboo sticks hanging on the firewood load. After selling firewood, he would drink wine, and when he was drunk, he would recite poems. He would recite poems as he walked. People passing by thought he was crazy.
Li Bai thought to himself: Isn’t this the same “poetry maniac” as himself? He immediately turned around and went out, and saw the old man getting on the small bridge on the street. Although his steps were difficult, Li Bai couldn’t catch up no matter how hard he tried.
After catching up with the small bridge, passing through the bamboo forest, and bypassing the river branches (bifurcations of the river), Li Bai was so tired that he was panting, his back and legs ached. When he calmed down and took a look, he saw that the old man had disappeared. Li Bai paused and sighed, “Could it be that I really met an immortal!”
He picked up his robe and drove another journey, but still didn’t see the old man, so he had to come back disappointed.
That night, Li Bai couldn’t sleep. He recalled that in most of his life, except Du Fu, he had not made a few real poetry friends. I didn’t expect to meet such a poetic fairy today. I can’t miss the opportunity and must find him!
The next day, Li Bai waited at the entrance of the firewood store until sunset, but there was no trace of the old man.
The third day, the fourth day, every day failed.
Early on the fifth day, Li Bai picked up the wine flask and set out on the road with dry food. He made the utmost determination that if he could not find the old man, he would die in the mountains and forests here.
After climbing over hills full of wildflowers, wading through fast-flowing streams, and pushing through bushes of thorns, there was still no sign of the old man for more than a month. Li Bai was a little discouraged. At this moment, he recalled the mother-in-law he met when he was a boy who used an iron pestle to grind needles. Her mother-in-law said it well: “As long as you have determination, an iron pestle can be ground into a needle.”
If you want to find the old man, it depends on whether you have perseverance. La. Thinking of this, Li Bai tightened his belt, gritted his teeth, and walked forward again. When you are tired, lie down on the rocks and sleep for a while; when you are hungry, pick a handful of wild fruits to satisfy your hunger; when you are addicted to alcohol, you will hold a wine flask and take a sip.
At dusk that day, the sunset dyed the sky red, and the clear springs and green bamboo set off each other, making it look particularly beautiful. Li Bai was thinking about the old man so much that he didn’t care to appreciate the scenery. He dragged his tired body and limped to the foot of Ziyang Mountain near Huangshan Mountain.
Turning around the mountain pass, I saw a huge stone standing in front of me, with words seemingly engraved on it. Li Bai forgot about his fatigue, jumped forward, and recognized it carefully. Oh, it turned out to be a poem:
“I have lived in seclusion for thirty years and built a house on the top of the southern mountain.
Play with the bright moon in the quiet night and drink from the clear spring in the morning.
The woodcutter sings on the ridge, and the grain birds play in front of the rock.
I am so happy that I don’t know how old I am, and I have forgotten the year of Jiazi. ”
After reading it three times in a row, Li Bai cried out: “Wonderful! Wonderful! What a voice from an immortal!” He thought to himself: When you see the old man, you must bow to him three times and ask for advice. Although I have been dealing with poetry for decades, this poem that exudes the fragrance of wildflowers is really the first time I have appreciated it.
He turned around and saw a pile of rice spread out on the flat ground beside the cliff. It seemed that it must have been dried by the old man Xu Xuanping. Li Bai simply squatted to the side, admiring the scenery of the mountains while waiting for the old man to harvest the grain.
It was getting dark, and Li Bai suddenly heard the sound of splashing water coming from the bottom of the mountain. Following the sound, he saw a small boat coming from the other side of the river at the bottom of the mountain. An old man with a flowing beard and hair stood on the bow of the boat and paddled. Li Bai stepped forward and asked: “Old man, may I ask, where is Xu Xuanping’s home?”
It turned out that this old man was the old man Xu Xuanping whom Li Bai was looking for. The last time he saw Li Bai wearing the imperial robe, he thought he was sent by the officials to find him as an official again, so he never wanted to go to She County again. Unexpectedly, this person followed him. At this time, the old man glanced at Li Bai, pointed to the boat fence, and replied casually: “The bamboo pole at the door is Xu Weng’s house!”
Li Bai looked up at the lush mountains and asked: “There are green bamboos everywhere, where can I find them?”
The old man looked at the guest who was dusty and sweaty again, and asked: “Are you…”
“I’m Li Bai.” He said, bowing deeply.
The old man was stunned: “Are you Li Bai? Li Bai is you?”
Li Bai quickly explained his purpose for coming.
When the old man heard this, he cupped his hands and said, “Oh, you are today’s Poet Immortal! Who am I? I am just a drop of water in the sea of poetry. Why do you, the ocean, come to ask for advice from a drop of water? I really don’t dare to do it, I don’t dare to do it!” said After finishing, we picked up the boat and headed back.
Li Bai grabbed the old man’s sleeve and begged: “Old man, it’s been three months. I’ve been looking for you everywhere, and I finally met the teacher. Can’t you just send me back like this?”
Li Bai’s sincere words touched the old man’s heart. The two looked at each other for a long time. The old man suddenly grabbed Li Bai and jumped into the boat.
From then on, no matter in the morning glow in the sky or in the afterglow of the setting sun, people often saw Li Bai and the old man sitting on the big bluestone by the stream, drinking and reciting poems. The loud laughter merged with the noise of the waterfall and was carried hundreds of miles away along with the stream…
To this day, many tourists always like to follow Li Bai’s journey along the gurgling streams when they come to Huangshan.
did you see it? After passing Hutou Rock, under Mingxian Spring, there is a huge stone engraved with the word “Drunken Stone”. Legend has it that Li Bai and the old man used to enjoy the mountain scenery here, drink wine, and recite poems. They often use the spring water next to them to wash their wine glasses, so this spring is called “Washing Cup Spring”
