Chapter 070

Those who committed evil were punished, the innocent escaped disaster, and those harboring resentment found release.

Yet Qiao Man felt somewhat despondent.

He threw himself into Lu Jianxing’s arms, rubbing his small face hard against Lu Jianxing’s chest. He remained sullen, refusing to look up for a long time.

Lu Jianxing picked the child up and gently patted his back. Maomao hovered nearby, fussing over him. “Baby, baby, what’s wrong? Are you tired out?”

Qiao Man shook his head, burying his face even deeper.

He was a little sad.

There were many things he couldn’t wrap his head around.

Even though Xiao Man only had one son, he cherished him beyond measure. A Kinship Line connected the two of them—what a profound fate that was. Out of billions of people in the world, only Xingxing was Xiao Man’s son; no one else could ever take his place. That was why he treasured him so much, nurturing Xingxing like a delicate little flower.

If it was such a precious bond, why did some people fail to cherish it?

Relatives connected by blood were born with a kinship link, but only those maintained by affection and nurtured with care were truly indestructible.

Yet some people squandered that natural kinship recklessly. They provided not a drop of love, choosing instead to cling to the connection only to suck the very marrow from the bones of their kin.

If only Master were here.

Qiao Man thought sadly.

Master had seen much more of the world than he had; he would surely understand everything.

But Xiao Man was just a child. When he was sad, he shed tears; when he was gloomy, he needed coaxing; and when he was upset, he wanted to eat cookies.

He wrapped his arms around Lu Jianxing’s neck, rubbing his fuzzy head back and forth as if trying to rub a second brain into existence.

Lu Jianxing held his head still and gave it a gentle rub. “Do you want to go ride the ponies?”

“No.”

“How about hiking?”

“No.”

“Archery?”

Lu Jianxing listed several activities available for guests at the Hot Spring Villa, but the child kept shaking his head.

Lu Jianxing thought for a moment. “I want to go fishing. Do you want to come?”

“Fishing?” Qiao Man lifted a round, chubby face from his chest. “Fishing for what?”

Lu Jianxing replied, “Isn’t there a lake outside? I asked the staff, and they said there are plenty of fish. We can have the kitchen prepare whatever we catch, or we can grill them ourselves.”

“Grilled fish?!”

Lu Jianxing gave a soft “Mm” in affirmation. “We can grill them ourselves in the courtyard. How does an outdoor barbecue sound? We can even set off fireworks.”

“Fireworks!”

Qiao Man’s mouth fell open, his eyes full of longing. His entire attention was instantly captured by the scene Lu Jianxing described.

His spirits revived in a flash. He set off on his short legs, dashing to the front. “Xingxing, watch me catch a big fish for you to eat!”

Lu Jianxing followed at a leisurely pace. “Slow down, don’t trip.”

The others followed suit.

Leaving the supernatural events behind, they asked the staff for fishing rods and a grill. The group sat in a circle around the lake, solemnly propping up their rods to fish.

The wind by the lake was strong. Madam Jiang couldn’t handle the cold breeze and left the young people to their own devices.

Qiao Man was fully geared up in his outdoor outfit: earmuffs and a bear hat. Lu Jianxing had also wrapped a scarf around him and put thermal gloves on his small hands. Only his fair, tender little face was exposed, turned slightly red by the cold wind.

He gripped his fishing rod earnestly, watching the surface of the lake. Pei Xiwang sat beside him, casting his line out with high spirits. “Master Xiao Man, watch me pull out a huge fish!”

Jiang Yucheng sat on his other side, baiting his hook while scoffing, “Give it a rest. When have you ever not come home empty-handed?”

“This time is different. I feel like my luck has been exceptionally good lately,” Pei Xiwang said.

Jiang Yucheng gave a dry laugh. “You say that every single time.”

Pei Xiwang was speechless.

On the other side of the child, Maomao wiped a runny nose caused by the cold. Before long, he couldn’t sit still. “Are there really fish in this lake? I haven’t seen a single shadow for ages.”

Lu Jianxing replied succinctly, “Wait.”

Fishing required ample patience, waiting quietly for a fish to take the bait. To catch a big fish for his beloved son, Qiao Man was the most patient of them all. He sat obediently on his small stool without moving, letting the cold lakeside wind blow the two bear ears on his hat every which way, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on his hook.

Perhaps because it was cold, even the fish were hibernating; none of the rods showed any movement.

Pei Xiwang looked left and right, then secretly pulled his phone from his pocket, shielding it in his arms as he tapped away.

A moment later, his rod jerked with the movement of a fish biting the hook. Pei Xiwang was overjoyed. He scrambled to his feet, gripping the rod tight as he wrestled with whatever was in the lake. Seeing him get the first catch, Jiang Yucheng said in disbelief, “What? Is your luck really that good today?”

“I told you so!”

Even Qiao Man was drawn in, his eyes wide as he watched.

Pei Xiwang triumphantly reeled in the line. As the tension pulled, the object beneath the surface soon broke water. A flip-flop that had fallen into the lake at some unknown time was snagged on his hook.

Pei Xiwang stood frozen.

Jiang Yucheng burst into loud, unrestrained laughter.

Unhooking the sandal and tossing it aside, Pei Xiwang sat back down sheepishly. “Did you not stock this lake with fish?” he muttered, somewhat disgruntled. “I’ve already…”

Jiang Yucheng didn’t hear him clearly. “You’ve already what?”

Pei Xiwang mumbled, “Nothing. I just said I’m being so sincere, so why won’t the fish bite?”

Jiang Yucheng gave him a suspicious look. As his childhood friend, how could he not know Pei Xiwang? A moment later, he saw Pei Xiwang surreptitiously take out his phone again to do something.

Taking advantage of the other’s lapse in attention, Jiang Yucheng lunged forward and snatched the phone away. Looking closely, he saw a photo of a Talisman on the screen. Pei Xiwang had used his main account to repost it several times. The caption for this Talisman was… Good Luck Talisman?!

Jiang Yucheng’s eyes widened. “Master Xiao Man’s Talisman? You’re even cheating at fishing?”

Pei Xiwang flushed with indignation as he snatched his phone back. “Luck… when it comes to luck, can you really call it cheating?”

“You’re cheating right in front of Master Xiao Man!”

Hearing his name, Qiao Man turned his head in confusion. Before he could see what was happening, a massive tug came from the fishing rod in his hand. Qiao Man sprang to his feet. “I’ve got a bite!”

Suddenly, everyone crowded around.

It was a truly massive fish. As it was dragged to the surface, its tail lashed out, sending a huge spray of water into the air. The thin fishing line pulled taut. Qiao Man gripped the rod tight, his small face turning beet red as he wrestled with the giant fish at the bottom of the lake. The adults stood by, one with a net and another with a bucket, ready for action. Once the fish was pulled to the shore, everyone swarmed forward, working together to scoop the great fish into the net.

The fish landed in the bucket with a heavy splash, its plump body nearly filling the entire bottom. Several heads crowded over the bucket. Maomao clapped along enthusiastically. “Baby, you’re amazing! How are you even this good at fishing? Whoa, a fish this big… I rarely even see them this size at the wet market¹, and you actually caught one!”

Qiao Man tilted his small head up proudly, the bear ears on his hat standing tall. “I’ll grill the fish for Xingxing to eat!”

Lu Jianxing rubbed his head. “Alright, and I’ll catch a fish for you to eat, too.”

“Me too!” Pei Xiwang refused to give up. “Master Xiao Man, just watch me. I’ll definitely catch one before he does.”

The two men exchanged a look and sat back down by the lakeside.

Having already caught a big fish, Qiao Man lost interest in continuing. He sat on his small stool, his eyes darting back and forth between Lu Jianxing and Pei Xiwang, waiting expectantly for a winner to emerge.

Maomao gave up on fishing as well and walked over to scoop the boy into a hug. The two of them huddled together for warmth while waiting for the results of the impromptu competition. Jiang Yucheng stayed to fish for a while but soon lost patience, heading back to the villa ahead of the others to prepare for the evening barbecue.

At dusk, the group headed home carrying their rods and buckets.

The barbecue grill was already set up in the courtyard. The large fish Qiao Man had caught had been prepared by the chef, sliced down the middle and placed on a large roasting tray. Other cleaned ingredients sat on the table, and even Madam Jiang had come downstairs.

She looked at the child’s small face, reddened by the cold wind, with a touch of heartache. She immediately called for someone to bring baby cream and applied it to his face, asking with a smile, “I heard from Yucheng. So, who caught one first?”

Qiao Man sat obediently as she rubbed his face, but at her question, his eyes began to wander. “Um… well…”

There was no need for further questioning; one look at the two empty buckets told the story of the match.

Jiang Yucheng laughed uproariously. Pei Xiwang said indignantly, “How can it be a tie? I caught a slipper, which is more than he got!”

Lu Jianxing: “…”

He had absolutely no desire to compete over a discarded slipper.

After his face was moisturized, Qiao Man trotted back and took Lu Jianxing’s hand. He looked up with a solemn expression to comfort him. “Xingxing, it’s okay if you can’t catch any fish. I’ll give you all the fish I catch. I’m very good at it.”

Lu Jianxing: “…Thank you.”

The aroma of grilled fish wafted through the courtyard. On this cold midwinter night, no one felt the chill. The group boisterously shared the large fish until their bellies were round and full.

Madam Jiang had also arranged for fireworks. When the brilliant displays burst in the night sky, Qiao Man’s mouth fell open in a wide “wow.”

Living on the mountain, where would he have ever seen this? He had only seen them on television. As the “bang, bang” echoed overhead, he kept his head tilted high, the colorful patterns reflected in his dark pupils. He was utterly entranced.

Once the fireworks were over and they had eaten and drunk their fill, they enjoyed a wonderful soak in the hot springs. Finally, Qiao Man snuggled comfortably into his blankets, clutching a corner of Lu Jianxing’s pajamas as he drifted into a deep sleep.

…

After many days of torment in the hospital, once the ghosts had finally sated their anger, the family received news from the facility.

Father Jiang had passed away.

Madam Jiang and Jiang Yucheng rushed to the hospital to see the remains of their husband and father. Having not seen him for many days, Father Jiang was terrifyingly emaciated, as if he had suffered some inhuman torture before his end. Even in death, though his face appeared peaceful, a faint trace of terror remained. Madam Jiang’s sharp eyes noticed several dark, bruised finger marks peeking out from the edge of his sleeve, but she merely averted her gaze quickly and straightened his sleeve to hide the marks.

The Jiang Family held a grand funeral for Father Jiang. As the sole heir, Jiang Yucheng took over Father Jiang’s position and inherited the family business. The media buzzed with discussion about this young man in power, publishing many reports speculating whether he would lead the company to greater heights or squander the family fortune.

But soon, the Jiang Family released a piece of news that was even more eye-catching.

Jiang Yucheng, who had just inherited the company, was not actually the biological son of the Jiang Family. The real Young Master Jiang was someone else!

The “True and False Young Master” trope from television dramas was playing out in real life!

The real Young Master Jiang was soon brought back and introduced to the public. He had been raised by a couple who were both teachers. He had actually discovered he wasn’t his parents’ biological son quite early on, but his adoptive parents had accepted him easily, and the three of them lived in harmony. It wasn’t that he hadn’t thought about looking for his biological parents, but he had never found the time. Instead, it was the Jiang Family who had found him first.

The real Young Master Jiang had followed in his adoptive parents’ footsteps and was a newly appointed primary school teacher. He was not skilled in corporate management, nor did he have any intention of taking over the massive Jiang Corporation. After the two families sat down to discuss, it was decided that Jiang Yucheng would continue to manage the company while the real son would hold a title and receive large dividends.

Neither Madam Jiang nor Jiang Yucheng told the other family about the things Father Jiang had done. Everything from the past was buried underground with Father Jiang’s death. The two families began to visit each other like relatives. Whether the son was “real” or “fake,” they both cherished them as if they were their own.

As for all of this, Qiao Man only saw it later in the news.

After returning to their long-vacant home from the Hot Spring Villa, he and Lu Jianxing worked together to give the place a thorough spring cleaning. He took a small rag and diligently wiped down his toy car, his bicycle, and his championship trophies. Then, he began counting the days on his fingers, preparing to welcome the very first New Year since coming down from the mountain alongside his son, Xingxing!

Translator’s Notes