Chapter 376: Preparing to Name the Child

After the meal, Guo Sufei did not rush over to Liu Qian’s place. Her son had only just returned home that morning, and she hadn’t had a chance to properly look at him yet. Naturally, she wanted to seize this opportunity to take a good look and ask him all she could.

The others, too, sat leisurely in their chairs, sipping tea and quietly awaiting the beginning of a good tale.

Indeed, news rarely reached Guo Village, and even Lu Town was not much better off. Zhang Xiaohua had disappeared for four or five years, a most unusual ordeal. Now that he had returned safe and sound, everyone’s worries were dispelled, and their curiosity about his experiences grew. Well, they could treat it as listening to a story.

Guo Sufei still sat beside her son. Though Zhang Xiaohua was now taller than she was, in her eyes, he was no different from the little grandson she had just cradled in her arms.

Seeing everyone in the main hall so eager and attentive, Zhang Xiaohua could only smile wryly. After gathering his thoughts, he recounted, in detail, what had happened after he parted ways with his second brother, Zhang Xiaohu. Of course, he employed some discretion. Matters of the Immortal Dao and such were glossed over. He spoke only of the martial arts secrets he had obtained from senior masters of the Jianghu.

When it came to the journey home, Zhang Xiaohua hesitated for a moment and deliberately omitted the incident with Nie Qianyu. He feared that if his family heard about the pursuit by Jianghu figures, they would only worry more.

Over these five years, Zhang Xiaohua had indeed endured many twists and turns, facing life-and-death situations time and again. Hearing how her son had been captured, beaten, nearly killed, even thrown into the sea and almost eaten by fish, then stranded alone on a deserted island for four whole years, Guo Sufei’s tears flowed freely, as if they cost nothing. She clutched her youngest son’s hand and refused to let go.

Muttering under her breath, she said: “Oh, my poor child, to think you survived on nothing but sweet potatoes all those days, without even a taste of braised pork. Just wait, son, Mother will make it for you again.”

“Don’t worry, my son. The silver you brought back last time is still more than enough. From now on, Mother will make braised pork for you every day, and I’ll raise you to be as tall and strong as your elder brother.”

“My child, from today onward, you must not take even half a step outside Guo Village. Mother will watch over you every single day.”

The others had originally thought that Zhang Xiaohua’s disappearance was nothing more than a simple absence. Now that he had returned, they did not expect he had faced mortal danger and so listened with the mindset of enjoying a story. But as he recounted his hardships, the tale far exceeded their expectations, and their expressions grew increasingly grave. It wasn’t until Zhang Xiaohua spoke of meeting a boy named Ji Xiaohua in Songning Town, and how he obtained the ‘Sibu Xiang’ from him, that everyone finally relaxed. In fact, when they heard how Zhang Xiaohua exchanged a huge sack of copper coins, laughter broke out among them.

Guo Sufei scolded her son: “Xiaohua, the Ji family was in such a difficult situation, why didn’t you leave them a bit more silver?”

Zhang Cai rebuked her, “Women, long hair, short sense! Didn’t you see that Xiaohua didn’t even dare give them silver directly, but had to change it into copper coins for them to spend slowly? If you gave them five taels of silver, would they even dare spend it? Wouldn’t someone immediately set their eyes on them?”

Guo Sufei glared at him: “Short-sighted, am I? Hmph! Every son I’ve borne is stronger than the last!”

Zhang Cai shot her a look as well. “Aren’t they my sons too?”

Seeing this, Zhang Xiaohua quickly changed the subject and began talking about his trip to Huanxi Villa. The two elders immediately perked up, but Zhang Xiaohua only said: “We still don’t know whether Second Brother is alive or dead. Perhaps he’s at the headquarters of that Incense Spreading Sect.”

“Sigh,” the two elders sighed in unison.

Perhaps, deep down, they regretted ever letting their two sons leave Guo Village back then!

As if sensing his parents’ thoughts, Zhang Xiaohua smiled and said: “Everyone has their own path in life, no one else can interfere. Since Second Brother and I have chosen this road, we must walk it to the end without regret. Doesn’t Eldest Brother have his own path as well? Now he has a child, and that child will have his own road, which may be different from ours. This world is full of roads, it’s just a matter of which one you choose. Sometimes it’s your own choice, sometimes it’s Heaven’s will. Don’t you and Father have your own paths too?”

Zhang Xiaohua’s words were profound, yet simple to understand. Mr. Liu, Liu Kai, and Li Jinfeng all looked surprised, while Zhang Cai, Guo Sufei, and Zhang Xiaolong seemed lost in thought.

Zhang Xiaohua’s five years of experience were long, and so was his story. Glancing at the sky, Zhang Xiaohua smiled and said: “Mother, let’s leave it here for tonight. It’s getting late, and I suspect I’ll fall asleep any moment now.”

“Xiaohua, are you still sleeping well? Even on that deserted island?” Guo Sufei asked with concern.

“Yes, Mother. I’ve always kept to a strict bedtime.”

“Hehe, that’s good. As long as you can sleep and eat, your health will be just fine.”

Zhang Xiaohua smiled and said: “Mother, I’m not some kind of… well, there’s no need to describe your dignified and handsome son like that.”

“Haha.” Guo Sufei actually covered her mouth and laughed, the gloom from earlier swept away.

The bedding in the small room was all prepared. After Guo Sufei tidied up a bit, she let Zhang Xiaohua settle in. Yet Young Master Li Jinfeng insisted on sharing a bed with Zhang Xiaohua, wanting to talk late into the night. Zhang Xiaohua, of course, had no such desire; he shoved Li Jinfeng out and slammed the door shut with a “bang”, muttering to himself: “He just wants to use this chance to ask more about Qiu Tong. I don’t have any news for him, he’d only pester me all night!”

The night passed without incident. Early the next morning, Zhang Xiaohua went to the bamboo grove behind the courtyard and practiced the Big Dipper Divine Fist. The eighteen streams of warmth tempered his bones eighteen times before he finished. Afterwards, he went to pay his respects at his grandmother’s grave. Only when daylight fully broke did he return to the courtyard.

Winter was the most leisurely season for farming families, all the more so now, just the tenth day of the first lunar month. Though the fifth day had already passed, the air was still thick with the spirit of the New Year.

At dawn, Zhang Cai and Mr. Liu sat together, quietly discussing matters. After all, the child had been born safely yesterday, appearing healthy and lively. Though Granny Li’s words had been harsh, she wasn’t entirely wrong. Family matters were best understood by the family themselves. Liu Qian had carried the child for five years before giving birth, such a thing, apart from Zhang Cai, Guo Sufei, Mr. Liu, Zhang Xiaolong, Zhang Xiaohua, and Liu Qian herself, could not be spoken of to anyone else. The strange circumstances of the birth had been witnessed by the Li family and Liu Kai’s family. With a word of caution, they likely wouldn’t spread it, but the way the child differed from ordinary infants had already been seen by Granny Li. And the tongues of country women were the least restrained; the news had probably spread overnight. The Zhang family could not hope to silence others, so there was no need to fuss over it.

Still, life had to go on, and the child would need to be raised like any other. The most pressing matter now was to put the child’s name on the agenda.

This should have been considered yesterday, but with Zhang Xiaohua’s return, everyone naturally wanted to show him some care. Although the focus would soon shift to the newborn, Zhang Xiaohua also needed time to adjust.

And so, early in the morning, the two grandfathers gathered together, puffing on their long pipes and muttering to each other.

After breakfast, the sun shone brightly outside and there was no wind. Zhang Xiaolong moved the table from the main hall out into the courtyard and set out the tea set. As usual, the women went to Liu Qian’s room to look after mother and child, sharing their experience in childcare.

Seated at the table, Old Shopkeeper Li and Li Jinfeng were surprised to hear that they would be naming the child today. In their minds, a child should only receive a formal name after the first month; until then, only a nickname would do.

However, after listening to Mr. Liu’s explanation, they realized that customs truly varied from place to place. Lu Town and Guo Village were so close, yet the traditions around naming a child were already so different.

Leaving aside the three elders deep in discussion, Zhang Xiaohua pulled Liu Kai aside to whisper in private. After all, even Zhang Xiaolong, the child’s own father, had no say in such matters. What right did a mere uncle like him have to speak up?

Zhang Xiaohua quietly asked: “Brother Kai, how did you and Sister-in-law meet? You were in Baligou, she was in Lu Town, your paths shouldn’t have crossed at all, right?”

At this, Liu Kai’s face flushed red. He opened his mouth but couldn’t utter a word, instead casting a pleading glance at Zhang Xiaolong for help.

Zhang Xiaolong saw this and, though he was tempted to ignore it, this was his brother-in-law after all. If he didn’t help, he might find himself kicked out of bed by Liu Qian. So, he cleared his throat and began to recount the story of their fated union in detail.

As it turned out, the two were truly destined. Back then, after Zhang Xiaohua rescued Li Yinfeng, Zhang Xiaohu rode back to Lu Town with the three of them. When Zhang Xiaohua didn’t return as expected, they immediately left Lu Town and never visited the Li family again. The Li’s, in their panic, forgot to ask for Zhang Xiaohu’s home address. It wasn’t until Li Jinfeng returned home that he learned of the matter and personally brought his family to Guo Village to express their thanks.

By then, Zhang Xiaohu had already left for Pingyang City, and Zhang Xiaohua was missing with no news. Guo Sufei, worried sick for her son, was bedridden.

Seeing this, Li Yinfeng, who had come with the intention of offering herself in gratitude, naturally stayed behind to care for Guo Sufei. She had been rescued by Zhang Xiaohua and Zhang Xiaohu when she had lost all hope in the forest, and was deeply grateful to both. Later, she was saved again on West Cui Mountain and rode back with Zhang Xiaohu, their time together sowing the seeds of affection. Of course, she was also grateful to Zhang Xiaohua, but wasn’t he a bit too young?

Li Yinfeng’s story with Zhang Xiaohu was much like Liu Qian’s earlier romance with Zhang Xiaolong. If Zhang Xiaohu had been home, Li Yinfeng would surely have become Zhang Xiaohua’s second sister-in-law. Fate, however, had other plans. Zhang Xiaohu left and never returned, and Li Yinfeng, being stubborn, stayed with the Zhang family, even more resolute than Liu Qian had been in her day. By then, Guo Sufei already regarded Li Yinfeng as her daughter-in-law. Later, when the Piaomiao Sect was destroyed, Li Jinfeng, who was nearby in Pingyang City, rushed back to Lu Town with the news and informed Zhang Cai and Guo Sufei.

PS: Everyone, can you guess what the child’s name will be?