“Because the Peach Banquet was about to begin, but most of the peaches in the orchard had already been stolen by the immortals. At this time, they needed a minor immortal with no backing to take the blame, and that monkey was obviously the most suitable candidate…”

　　Just as he was getting excited, a middle-aged man in the distance waved and shouted, “Andy Clark, your father is back! Hurry home!”

　　“Uncle Lewis, I know!”

　　Nathan Foster smiled and said to the other children, “I have something to do today, so I’ll tell a bit less. As agreed, it’s one coin per story.”

　　The children were reluctant to part with their money, but they wanted to hear the story, so they had no choice but to hand a copper coin to Nathan Foster.

　　Nathan Foster accepted each one with a smile, weighing the coins lightly in his hand. “Ha! Another eight coins earned.”

　　“Please wait a moment!”

　　Nathan Foster turned to leave, but an elderly voice called out from behind.

　　Nathan Foster immediately breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself: ‘After guarding for two days, I’ve finally attracted you.’

　　He turned back slowly, and sure enough, it was the old man in the blue robe from earlier.

　　The old man’s eyes were full of interest. Nathan Foster quickly stepped forward and bowed politely. “Elder, are you calling me?”

　　The old man in blue looked at the childlike face of Nathan Foster and asked kindly, “Are you a child of this village?”

　　“I am! May I ask what advice you have for me, elder?”

　　The old man stroked his beard and smiled. “What you just told was strange, but very interesting. What is your name?”

　　“He’s called Andy Foster!” a mischievous child nearby shouted with a laugh.

　　Nathan Foster glared at him fiercely, then said to the old man, “Junior’s name is Nathan Foster!”

　　“You’re also surnamed Fan?”

　　A hint of surprise flashed in the old man’s eyes, and he quickly asked, “Which branch of the Fan clan are you from?”

　　Nathan Foster shook his head; he really didn’t know.

　　The old man in blue realized he had been a bit presumptuous. The Fan surname was common in Wu County, and there were many people surnamed Fan in this area—not necessarily his own kin.

　　But at this moment, he was more interested in the story Nathan Foster had just told, so he asked again, “Where did you hear the story you just told?”

　　Fan bowed and said, “Junior has read some miscellaneous books about Master Tripitaka’s journey for scriptures, so I made up the story myself.”

　　By the Northern Song, there were already many stories about the Tang Monk’s pilgrimage; Wu Cheng’en’s “Journey to the West” was just the later masterpiece.

　　The old man’s eyes grew even more astonished. The child before him could not only make up stories but also had deep insight—this was the first time he had encountered such a thing.

　　Could such a prodigy really come from this remote little village?

　　He suddenly became interested in Nathan Foster’s background. Perhaps this child really was a member of his own clan.

　　At that moment, a sharp pain shot through the old man’s ankle, and his body swayed. Nathan Foster quickly supported him. “What’s wrong, elder?”

　　“I just twisted my ankle by accident!” A trace of pain appeared on the old man’s face.

　　“Then you should quickly apply a cold compress. If the injury is serious, the bruising will spread.”

　　Nathan Foster pointed ahead. “My house is just up ahead. Elder, please rest at my home for a while.”

　　The old man nodded. “Then I’ll trouble you.”

　　Nathan Foster supported the old man as they walked slowly. He couldn’t help but feel overjoyed—two days of effort hadn’t been wasted; he could finally latch onto a big shot!

　　As they walked, he softly hummed a tune, ‘The sun is rising, so joyful, carrying the bamboo pole, up the hill we go!’

　　“What song are you humming?”

　　The old man in blue listened to Nathan Foster’s little tune. He seemed to have never heard it before, and it had a unique charm, making him curious.

　　“I made it up myself!”

　　Nathan Foster grinned. “If you like it, elder, I can teach it to you.”

　　“Thank you, then.”

　　The old man smiled slightly. “You seem very happy to take me home!”

　　A sly glint flashed in Nathan Foster’s eyes, but he replied with an innocent smile, “My master always says that helping others brings happiness to oneself, so I feel happy!”

　　“What a kind-hearted and good child!”

　　The old man affectionately patted his head. “You must have studied, right?”

　　“Mm! I studied for two years at the village school.”

　　“What books have you read?”

　　“I read ‘Hundred Family Surnames’ and ‘Thousand Character Classic.’ My master also taught ‘The Analects’ and ‘Mencius,’ but I didn’t learn them well.”

　　Actually, it wasn’t that Nathan Foster didn’t learn well, but that the original Andy Foster was a terrible student to begin with.

　　The old man nodded. “Since you can tell such stories, I think… I still suggest you go to a prestigious school.”

　　“My father thinks so too. In a couple of months, he’ll take me to the town to take the entrance exam.”

　　The old man’s heart stirred. “Is it the entrance exam for Yanying Academy?”

　　“I think so!”

　　The old man smiled approvingly. “Your father is very farsighted!”

　　……

　　Nathan Foster’s home was by a small river, under a tall locust tree, with three thatched cottages. The walls were rammed earth, and a fence of branches surrounded the yard.

　　In the middle of the yard was a millstone, with a hoe and a scull placed by the wall. Under the eaves hung a dozen strings of fresh fish, probably just caught.

　　On the other side of the yard were two vegetable beds, also fenced with branches.

　　An old hen stood at the edge of the vegetable patch, looking around as if on guard, while a group of chicks hid behind her, trying every way to sneak into the garden.

　　Nathan Foster helped the old man into the yard. “Mother, I’m back!”