The ox cart took another two hours to return to the village. The families with children had long since gathered at the village entrance to wait.
At the sight of their parents, the children were like weary birds returning to the woods. Before the ox cart had even come to a complete stop, they jumped down and threw themselves into their parents’ arms.
Chu Wangshan announced the results of the aptitude testing in front of everyone, and they all congratulated the village chief. They had already expected Chu Shaoye and Chu Qingyao to have aptitude, but they had not expected Chu Qingyu to be able to become a Spirit Lord as well, much less possess such great talent.
“Qingyu’s mother, congratulations! With Qingyu showing such promise, your hard days are finally over.”
Liu Qian hugged Chu Qingyu tightly, her eyes reddening. “My good child, you won’t have to suffer hardship with your mother anymore.”
Chu Qingyu took out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears. “Being with you isn’t a hardship, Mother. Our lives will be even sweeter from now on.”
Meanwhile, Lan Fang had an arm around each of her children, beaming from ear to ear. “Just what I’d expect of the children I raised. How am I so good at raising children?”
Chu Qingyao tilted her head away, dodging her hand. “Mother, you’ve mussed up all my hair.”
Only after ruffling and fussing over the two of them did Lan Fang let go. “You must both be hungry. Let’s go home and eat. Your mother has made a whole tableful of delicious dishes for you.”
Chu Qingyao linked arms with her and wheedled, “Mother, if Brother and I hadn’t been found to have aptitude, would you still have made us delicious food?”
Lan Fang tapped her nose. “I’ve already made it all. Even if neither of you had been found to have aptitude, would I really throw the food away?”
Chu Wangshan caught up and said a few words to Lan Fang, who nodded.
She walked over to Chu Qingyu and her mother. “Sister Qian, come to our house for dinner tonight. Let’s celebrate for all three children together.”
Liu Qian hurriedly said, “Sister-in-law, we already trouble you so much as it is. The two of us won’t come. I’ve already made dinner for Qingyu, too. We can just go home and eat.”
Seeing Liu Qian decline, Lan Fang simply took her hand. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Wangshan has already told me everything. Shaoye being able to go to the Crimson Firmament Sect is also thanks to Qingyu speaking up for him. I ought to thank Qingyu.”
Chu Qingyu blushed shyly. “It was nothing. Brother Chu is outstanding in his own right.”
Chu Qingyao linked arms with her. “Qingyu, come eat at my house. My mother’s cooking is delicious.”
Chu Qingyu and her mother truly could not refuse any further, so they had no choice but to agree.
A large round table had already been set up in the Chu family’s small courtyard. Eight dishes sat upon it, covered with bamboo strainers, filling the entire table. Enjoying the story? Read on at novelping.com.
Chu Wangshan invited everyone to sit down, while Lan Fang went into the kitchen and brought out the chicken soup that was still simmering on the stove.
The two large chicken drumsticks went to Chu Qingyao and Chu Qingyu respectively. Holding her bowl, Chu Qingyu was at a loss. “Please give the drumstick to Brother Chu instead. I can’t eat this.”
“You child, why can’t you eat it? Aren’t there still chicken wings? Your Brother Chu likes chicken wings.”
Lan Fang gave both chicken wings to Chu Shaoye, who silently held out his bowl to receive them. He did indeed prefer chicken wings.
Chu Qingyu and her mother were both very shy and barely touched their food. Lan Fang kept placing food in their bowls. For the first time in all these years, the mother and daughter ate their fill of meat.
After the meal, Chu Wangshan said, “Sister Qian, this year, only the children from our two families were found to have aptitude. I was thinking we might as well hold the banquet together. It would be livelier, too.”
How could Liu Qian not know that Chu Wangshan was helping her, and had only put it that way to spare her feelings? There were only the mother and daughter in their household, and simply keeping themselves fed and clothed was already very difficult. How could they possibly afford a banquet that invited the entire village to eat?
Liu Qian’s eyes reddened, and she took Chu Qingyu’s hand, about to kneel. Lan Fang hurriedly caught her. “Sister Qian, what are you doing?”
Liu Qian said, “Sister-in-law, you and the village chief have helped Qingyu and me so much. Without you, we, a widow and her fatherless child, would have been unable to survive long ago. Now you’re going to all this trouble for Qingyu as well. I truly have no way to repay you.”
Lan Fang helped her back onto the stool and wiped her tears, chiding her, “Why say such things? We’re all from the same village. We ought to help one another in the first place. Besides, Wangshan is the village chief. Helping you is his duty.”
Chu Wangshan voiced his agreement from the side as well.
Lan Fang settled the matter. “Then we’ll prepare the ingredients tomorrow and hold the banquet the day after. We’ll hold a Rolling Banquet for three whole days. What do you think, Sister Qian?”
Naturally, Liu Qian had no objection. After thanking them profusely once more, she took Chu Qingyu home.
On the way home, Liu Qian held the jade token from Zhuyu Academy, turning it over and over to examine it. She said emotionally, “Qingyu, it’s all thanks to the village chief’s family that we have this good fortune today. When you get to the academy, you and Yaoyao must support each other. Treat her as your own sister, understand?”
Chu Qingyu nodded, her expression earnest. “Mother, don’t worry. After I go to the academy, I’ll study hard and become a powerful Spirit Lord as soon as possible, so I can give you a good life and repay the village chief’s family.”
Liu Qian put an arm around her. “Good child, your mother hasn’t loved you in vain. It’s a pity that your departed father didn’t have my good fortune.”
…
Chu Wangshan lit an oil lamp in the main room and called Chu Shaoye over.
He scratched his head, unsure how to begin. Although he was a loving father, he rarely had heart-to-heart talks with the children.
The main room fell silent for a while. In the end, Chu Shaoye spoke first. “Father, I’m all right. Being able to go to the Crimson Firmament Sect is already very good.”
Chu Wangshan slapped his thigh. “I knew my son was someone who understood things clearly.”
This child had been different from an early age. He was mature beyond his years, more steady and methodical in his actions than even adults. He was also good-looking, with an outstanding bearing. Rather than one of the village’s unruly boys, he seemed more like a young master from a distinguished family in the city.
As his thoughts wandered, Chu Wangshan recalled what had happened back then. That year, Lan Fang had been pregnant with Chu Qingyao. One day, she had insisted on eating a kind of wild fruit that grew only in the woods. Doting on his wife, Chu Wangshan had no choice but to go into the woods to pick some.
But the season for that wild fruit had already passed. All the wild fruit on the outskirts of the woods had been picked clean. Only deeper in the woods might there still be some left.
To let his wife have a taste of the fruit, Chu Wangshan had no choice but to head deeper into the woods. When he finally managed to find a wild fruit tree, however, he saw a giant wolf lying beneath it.
Even with the giant wolf lying prone, he could tell that its body was enormous. Most of its body was stained red with blood, and it appeared to be gravely injured. He could not tell whether it was dead or still alive.
The moment he saw the giant wolf, Chu Wangshan was nearly scared out of his wits. He instinctively held his breath and carefully backed away, only to accidentally step on a dry twig.
Chu Wangshan’s heart lurched. He thought to himself that he probably would not make it out of these woods, and could think only of how Lan Fang and the child in her belly would manage in the future.
Hearing the sound, the giant wolf opened its eyes. Its ice-blue, vertically slit pupils gazed at Chu Wangshan, who was shaking uncontrollably before it.
Chu Wangshan’s mind screamed at him to run, but under the giant wolf’s gaze, his body seemed to have turned to stone, unable to move.
The giant wolf slowly stood up. Blood flowed from its unhealed wounds, dripping onto the ground.
The heavy stench of blood nearly sent Chu Wangshan reeling. He involuntarily swallowed.
Yet an ill-timed thought arose in his mind: this giant wolf was more powerful than all the Spirit Beasts he had ever seen in his life put together. He wondered what person or Spirit Beast could have injured it so badly.