Qin Zixun’s heart skipped a beat. He glanced at Ye Wan, only to see her turn her head away.
I’ve brought up her painful past. I’m such a jerk! he thought.
“Does big brother not know either? Then I’ll just wait until I grow up to find out for myself,” Sui Sui sighed. Mommy was right; in all things, one must rely on oneself.
Qin Zixun: “…” It wasn’t that he didn’t know; he just couldn’t bear to hurt a young soul.
“Big brother, do you know why the grandmas and aunties in the village call Daddy ‘Old Man Heaven’? They call my daddy ‘Grandpa,’ so why don’t they call me ‘Auntie’?”
She had wanted to be an auntie for a long, long time. Hu-zi’s auntie was even younger than Hu-zi, and every time Hu-zi had something tasty, he had to offer it to her.
Qin Zixun felt like he might have misunderstood something. He looked at Ye Wan, whose shoulders were slightly shaking as she kept her back turned, and asked Sui Sui in a low voice, “Who told you your dad is in the sky?”
Sui Sui whispered back, “I asked Mommy who Daddy is, and Mommy said I fell from the sky, so of course my dad is Old Man Heaven.”
This was clearly a trick played on a child. How unreliable must a mother be to let a child keep believing this for so long?
Ye Wan—what could she do? She had just said it casually, and the little cub had taken this “Dad” as absolute truth. If you told her otherwise, she would ask where her dad went. If you said he was missing, the child would spend her days waiting for a lost father to find his way home or want to go looking for him. If you said he died, the child would say, “If Daddy died, he went to the sky, so Old Man Heaven really is my daddy.”
Every time it rained, the child said Daddy was crying. Every time it thundered, she said Daddy was angry. During holidays, when she saw others making offerings to Old Man Heaven, she would clamor to make offerings to her dad. Whatever others had, her dad had to have too. When the child got stubborn, even her mother couldn’t handle her.
Eventually, Ye Wan was too lazy to correct her. Might as well keep fooling her. What if she actually “recognized” the Heavenly Dao as her dad? Having the Heavenly Father look after them wouldn’t be a loss.
“That’s easy. Just shout ‘Daddy’ at the sky and see if he answers,” Qin Zixun teased, knowing he had almost made a huge blunder.
Ye Wan immediately turned around, glaring at him protectively.
Sui Sui took it seriously. She put her hands to her mouth and shouted at the blue sky, “Daddy!”
Qin Zixun instantly felt guilty. He was just joking; how could a child be so gullible?
Just as he was about to say something, a dull roll of thunder sounded from the clear sky, like a father responding in a deep voice to that milky call of “Daddy.”
Qin Zixun took a step back, clutching his chest. “I suspect that thunder was a warning to me.” He pointed at the sky. “Junior Sister, could it be that Sui Sui’s dad is really…”
“Just a coincidence,” Ye Wan said, suspecting his brain was inferior to a three-year-old’s.
“It shouldn’t be a coincidence. Whose thunder leaves a smiley face behind?” the manager murmured, staring at the sky.
The two looked up and indeed saw the clouds after the thunder dispersing into the shape of a smiley face.
Ye Wan: “…” This was getting a bit hard to explain.
“Mommy, Mommy, Daddy answered me!” Sui Sui cheered, pulling her mother’s hand.
Ye Wan looked down. “Didn’t you say thunder means Daddy is angry?”
“It’s different! There’s a smiley face. It’s not angry thunder.”
Ye Wan: “…” Her daughter had her own right of interpretation.
Ye Wan looked at the sky. In the secular world, he was called “Old Man Heaven,” but in the cultivation world, it should be the “Heavenly Dao.” Should she ask for another smiley face to confirm the successful family reunion?
“Ahem, come here, Sui Sui. This is a meeting gift from big brother.” Qin Zixun just wanted this whole “recognizing dad” thing to pass quickly.
Sui Sui looked at her mother and only stepped forward to accept it after getting a nod.
“Thank you, big brother. Sui Sui likes this pouch very much.”
Qin Zixun saw that Sui Sui didn’t know it was a storage bag and looked at Ye Wan in surprise. Doesn’t she teach her about cultivation?
There are many types of storage treasures in the cultivation world. The most basic ones are small storage bags used for gifts, with a space of only about three feet. They aren’t worth many spirit stones—it’s like a wealthy family using a small pouch to hold gold and silver jewelry; it’s about being presentable.
“The things big brother gave you are inside. Mommy will teach you how to use it later.” Ye Wan helped her daughter put the storage bag into her small crossbody bag.
The manager also gave her a box of “milky fruits,” which were favorites among children and female cultivators. They could replenish blood and Qi and strengthen the body. The taste was sweet and sour, and the juice inside was like milk or cream.
Seeing the edible fruit, Sui Sui’s smile was incredibly sweet as she called him “Grandpa Manager.”
Qin Zixun: “…” Suddenly he felt like the precious items he gave away weren’t as good as a box of fruit.
After registering, the manager took the mother and daughter to the backyard to stay. In two days, they would follow the new disciples on a flying boat back to the sect.
Ye Wan still preferred to bathe Sui Sui when conditions allowed. A fragrant, soft little daughter after a bath was something the Dust-Cleansing Spell couldn’t provide.
After washing up, they sat together to look at Qin Zixun’s gifts. Perhaps because he felt bad for making Sui Sui shout at the sky, his gifts were quite heavy.
A 6th-grade Seven-Star Sleeve Arrow weapon and a protective jade pendant.
In the Qianyuan Realm, weapons are divided into Mortal, Dharma, and Spiritual ranks, each further divided into grades 1 through 9. Spiritual weapons are usually reserved for sect geniuses or those with powerful backgrounds and abundant resources. Many people’s life-bound treasures only reach grade 9.
Qin Zixun giving a 6th-grade Dharma weapon was a grand gesture, not to mention the jade pendant that could block attacks below the Golden Core stage.
Ye Wan thought about Doctor Kong’s parting gift and meeting Qin Zixun right after entering the border city. She began to suspect if Sui Sui really had “recognized” the Heavenly Dao as her dad.
Sui Sui couldn’t use the sleeve arrow yet, so Ye Wan put it away and only put the pendant on her. If she could, she would have Sui Sui fully armored.
“Sui Sui, Grandpa Kong from the village, Big Brother Qin Zixun, and Grandpa Manager all gave you very precious gifts. We must remember their kindness, okay?”
Sui Sui nodded seriously. “Mhm! I want to give them gifts in the future too!”
Ye Wan happily kissed her cheek. “Our Sui Sui is a treasure who knows gratitude.”
Sui Sui dove into her mother’s arms happily. “Mommy is a big treasure too.”
After a while, Ye Wan taught Sui Sui how to use the storage bag. She put a woven cover over it so Sui Sui could carry it easily on her person. The gift-style storage bags had no usage restrictions and didn’t even require ownership recognition; even a mortal could open them. Though only about a meter in size, it was enough for a child’s snacks and trinkets.
Once she learned how to use it, Sui Sui kept putting her things in and taking them out. She even put “Little Sui Sui” the doll inside, completely forgetting her previous claim that the doll was afraid of the dark.
By the time they went out again, it was past noon.
Still, no one came to the door to sign up. Qin Zixun was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a stranger guarding the registration desk.
Ye Wan nodded slightly to him and left with Sui Sui. Sui Sui also turned back and mimicked her mother’s nod, but her round face and little chin made the gesture so cute that the disciple couldn’t look away.
He had heard that this outer disciple was bringing her daughter back to the sect this time. It was a pity he had to stay on duty here for another six years, otherwise, he would have been able to see this adorable child at the sect.
…
The streets were still bustling. In this border city, you could hear vendors shouting. In tea houses, people gathered to share news about cultivation. On stage, storytellers told exaggerated stories of immortal life.
Ye Wan took Sui Sui to a stall for wontons and then bought her a stick of candied haws. They unknowingly wandered into the area where cultivators set up stalls.
Scraps that no one wanted in the cultivation world were sold here to unsuspecting mortals. Ye Wan turned to leave. In this city, mortals outnumbered cultivators, so she knew there were more fakes than real items. It was easy to get into disputes, and since she was currently weak, she couldn’t take any risks with Sui Sui.
“Mommy, I saw something glowing! I want to go!” Sui Sui pulled her hand.
“Be good, Sui Sui, let’s not go. Mommy will find you something brighter and prettier later.”
“Mommy, I want to go,” Sui Sui looked at her pitifully.
Ye Wan could be tougher than a man, except when facing her daughter’s sad eyes. She looked at the stall area; it seemed peaceful enough. Maybe she was being overly paranoid.
“Fine, Mommy will listen to you this time, but you have to listen to Mommy next time.”
“Mhm, Mommy is good.”
Sui Sui pulled Ye Wan to a stall and stopped.
“Mommy, look at that grass! It glows!” Sui Sui pointed excitedly at a plant emitting a faint light.
Ye Wan looked; it was Luminous Grass used for lighting in the cultivation world. It indeed appealed to children. Bought individually, it was at least one spirit stone per plant. If processed into crafts, the price was higher.
Currency in the cultivation world flowed in the form of low-grade spirit stones. Mid-grade were like modern checks for large transactions, and high-grade were used for cultivation or arrays. She had ten low-grade spirit stones, so she could afford it.
The stall owner was a cunning-looking old cultivator. Seeing Sui Sui’s interest, he smiled.
“Little girl has a good eye. This Luminous Grass is rare. It looks even better at night. It’s a priceless treasure. Just thirty spirit stones and you can take it home.”
Sui Sui’s eyes sparkled. It smelled so good! She wanted it!
“One spirit stone,” Ye Wan said lazily.
The stall owner froze, then smiled bitterly. “Daoist, your haggling is too fierce. This isn’t ordinary Luminous Grass.”
Ye Wan raised an eyebrow. “Then forget it. Sui Sui, let’s look elsewhere.”
“Wait! Seeing how cute this little guest is, I won’t say more. Twenty spirit stones, no lower.”
“One,” Ye Wan said without turning back.
“Fine, one it is. Consider it making a friend.” The owner conceded helplessly. Luminous Grass only sold well as a novelty in these border cities; when meeting someone who knew the trade, it could only be sold at the minimum price.
Ye Wan went back, paid, and handed the grass to Sui Sui. “Play with it.”
“Mommy, keep it safe for me first,” Sui Sui pushed it back with some urgency, as if afraid it would be snatched.
“Alright, Mommy will keep it for now.” Ye Wan casually put it in her storage bag.
She had told Sui Sui that she would keep valuable items safe. Sui Sui had treated this new toy as a “precious item.”
However, just as they were about to walk out of the stall area, a shout came from behind—
“It’s that mother and daughter who bought it!”