Chu Qingyao clutched her head and glared at Chu Shaoye. “Brother, you’re really no fun. I just want a pretty Natal Spirit Beast. Can’t I contract a powerful Spirit Beast to protect me later?”
Lan Fang happened to walk out of the kitchen just then. Hearing Chu Qingyao’s words, she laughed mercilessly.
“Oh, you don’t even know whether you have Spirit Lord Aptitude yet, and you’re already talking big. Only a Tier Two Spirit Lord can contract a second Spirit Beast. If you can just become a Tier One Spirit Lord, your mother will be burning incense in gratitude.”
Chu Qingyao stamped her foot and said indignantly, “Hmph! Mother, how can you look down on your own daughter? I have a feeling I’ll definitely become a Spirit Lord—one even stronger than Father.”
“Oh my,” Lan Fang said with a smile, “my daughter really is something.”
She was about to tease her a little more, but Chu Wangshan gave her a tug.
Chu Wangshan chuckled. “I think our Yaoyao has the makings of a Spirit Lord. Still, even if you can’t become one, it’s no big deal. Staying in our village, getting married, having children, and building a life for yourself—living a simple, happy life would be pretty good too.”
Chu Qingyao pouted. “I don’t want to get married. None of the boys in our village can compare to even one of Brother’s fingers. I don’t want to marry any of them.”
Lan Fang rolled her eyes at her. “Aren’t you a village girl yourself? And yet here you are looking down on everyone else.”
Chu Wangshan laughed and smoothed things over. “Then our Yaoyao should work hard to become a formidable Spirit Lord and look for someone in the city. You’re sure to find a husband you like.”
Chu Qingyao considered this seriously for a moment, then shook her head anyway. “Still no. Nobody can compare to Father and Brother. I don’t want to get married.”
His dear daughter’s words delighted Chu Wangshan, and he could not keep himself from smiling.
Seeing his smug look, Lan Fang scolded him with a laugh. “Stop grinning to yourself and hurry up and cut a piece of meat. I’m still waiting to cook.”
Chu Qingyao walked over and draped herself against Lan Fang’s back, wheedling, “Mother, I want pig heart stir-fried with chili peppers.”
Lan Fang tapped her forehead and chided her fondly, “You little rascal. You certainly know what tastes good!”
Hearing his precious daughter’s request, Chu Wangshan hurriedly cut out the pig’s heart and tossed it into Lan Fang’s basin. Then he turned to ask Chu Shaoye, “Son, which cut of meat would you like?”
Chu Shaoye thought for a moment. “Cut some pork liver to stir-fry with it too.”
“Right away!” Chu Wangshan deftly sliced off a piece of liver. The whole liver was too large; they wouldn’t be able to finish it if they stir-fried it all.
Lan Fang carried the basin back to the kitchen to cook, and Chu Qingyao skipped after her. “Mother, I’ll help you cook.”
Meanwhile, Chu Shaoye moved the dining table, chairs, and benches from the house into the courtyard and set out the bowls and chopsticks.
Late spring was giving way to early summer. The daytime was already somewhat hot, but by evening it would turn pleasantly cool again, making it more comfortable to eat in the courtyard than indoors.
Lan Fang worked briskly, and before long she had cooked the meal and brought it out. Chu Wangshan had also finished butchering the pork, sorting the different cuts into several basins.
Chu Shaoye helped carry the basins of meat into the kitchen to put them away, and once the family had washed their hands, they sat down to eat.
A few stars dotted the horizon, and the little farmhouse courtyard brimmed with laughter and the aroma of food. A smile rested on Chu Shaoye’s lips. Although he shared no blood ties with the Chu family, family was not determined by bloodline alone.
Being able to stay with his family like this and share a home-cooked meal—he felt this was probably the greatest happiness in the world.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Today was the day the village children who had turned twelve would go to town to have their talent tested and summon their Natal Spirit Beasts.
Early in the morning, Lan Fang woke the two children and handed each of them a new set of clothes.
She had started making clothes for the two of them three months ago. After all, this was a big day for the children, so they ought to dress nicely for the occasion, lest the people in town look down on them.
Chu Qingyao’s outfit was a blue dress with ribbons tied at the cuffs, collar, and waist. Lan Fang had modeled it after the fashionable dress styles in town, making it both flowing and lovely.
Chu Shaoye’s outfit was black as usual, though Lan Fang had specially bought silver thread to embroider cloud patterns on the cuffs and the hem of his robe, lending it an understated touch of luxury.
Once they had changed, the two stood side by side. Chu Qingyao lifted the hem of her skirt and twirled around. “Mother, do I look pretty?”
Looking at her son and daughter, who were just beginning to grow up, Lan Fang smiled from ear to ear. “Pretty. You both look wonderful.”
She had every reason to be proud of herself. The children she had raised were so fresh and comely, with fine features and well-proportioned figures. If no one said anything, who could tell that these two noble-looking children came from a little mountain village?
Chu Wangshan drove the flatbed cart up to the courtyard gate and called out, “Are you ready? It’s time to set off.”
The two answered, walked out the courtyard gate, and climbed onto the cart to take their seats.
The cart was large, with long benches nailed along both sides and room for a dozen or so people. Pulling it was Chu Wangshan’s Natal Spirit Companion, a One-Eyed Ox. In appearance, the One-Eyed Ox looked much like an ordinary yellow ox, except that it had only a single eye growing right in the center of its forehead.
The One-Eyed Ox was a Tier One Spirit Beast. Its combat strength was not much greater than that of an ordinary yellow ox, but it was far more intelligent and had a gentler temperament.
Chu Wangshan had been able to become village chief not only because he was honest and upright, but also because he had a Natal Spirit Companion and could barely be counted as a Spirit Lord.
Chu Wangshan rode on the One-Eyed Ox’s back. He needed no whip to drive the cart; a single word was enough. “Dahuang, let’s go to Changgen’s house first.”
The One-Eyed Ox let out a moo in response and strode off toward Changgen’s house.
There were eight children in the village who had turned twelve this year. Apart from Chu Shaoye and Chu Qingyao, there were four boys and two girls.
One of the girls was named Chu Qingyu. Chu Qingyao was closest to her, and as soon as she saw her, she called out, “Qingyu, come sit with us!”
Chu Qingyu climbed onto the cart and sat down beside Chu Qingyao. Looking at Chu Qingyao’s new dress, she said with a hint of envy in her tone, “Yaoyao, your new dress is so pretty.”
“My mother just made it for me,” Chu Qingyao said happily. “Your hair ribbon is really pretty too. Auntie Qian embroidered it for you, didn’t she?”
Chu Qingyu touched the ribbon in her hair. Her father had passed away when she was five, leaving only her and her mother to rely on each other. Life at home was hard; even getting enough to eat was a struggle, let alone making a new set of clothes, so only this one new hair ribbon had been made.
The ribbon had a blue-green base embroidered with two lifelike little white fish. Delicate and elegant, it suited Chu Qingyu’s gentle, refined grace very well.
Chu Qingyu said a little shyly, “I recently sold some of my embroidery. If you like it, I’ll make one for you too when we get back.”
Chu Qingyao linked arms with her affectionately. “Qingyu, you’re amazing! You can already earn money on your own. Then I won’t stand on ceremony—I want one embroidered with jacaranda flowers.”
Chu Qingyu smiled and nodded. She stole a glance at Chu Shaoye, who sat on Chu Qingyao’s other side. Chu Shaoye was resting with his eyes closed and did not seem to be paying attention to their conversation.
Chu Qingyu let out a quiet breath, unsure whether she felt disappointed or relieved.
Even though they had all grown up in the same village, she always felt that Chu Shaoye was different from the rest of them. It was not only because he was handsome, nor because he was already an outstanding hunter at such a young age, but because of his bearing.
He was like a swan soaring high in the heavens, impossibly distant from her as she stood upon the ground.