Chapter 754: A Day in Fengxin

Third Master was sharpening a knife.

The knife... was very sharp.

Once it was honed, Third Master rose with murderous intent filling his chest.

His gaze... swept toward Hu Bamei standing nearby.

Hu Bamei retreated toward the fireplace.

Third Master stood.

Walked toward the hearth.

And then... pulled two roast ducks out from inside.

He began carving them.

Duck meat and carcass were separated cleanly.

The condiments and side dishes had long since been prepared.

Hu Bamei rolled one serving first and brought it to Xue San's mouth.

Xue San opened his mouth and ate it.

Only then did Hu Bamei make one for herself.

You know my length.

I know your depth.

Life between the two of them... was what true harmony looked like.

After they finished eating, Hu Bamei brought over a washbasin and handed him a hot towel.

Third Master wiped himself clean.

"Want to go out for a stroll together?"

"Sure."

He had accompanied Master to Yanjing.

Although he had returned a little earlier, the foundry had piled up enough work that he had been forced to throw himself into it immediately.

The foundry's production directly affected the overall re-equipping of eastern Jin's army.

Clothes made the man.

A saddle made the horse.

The re-equipping of the troops under their command was something Master and all the Demon Kings took extremely seriously.

No one wanted the army to march out on its next campaign still wearing a chaotic patchwork of gear.

Once everything followed a unified standard... the army would look far more pleasing to the eye.

After dealing with the foundry, he still had to inspect several new mines opened by Marquis Pingxi Residence.

After that... the Residence's own intelligence yamen also needed Third Master, its "ancestor," to inspect the quality of the men below and knock some sense into the lower-level leaders.

After running himself ragged through all of that... if the Sword Saint's wife had not been about to give birth, and if Siniang had not still been away in Shengle City, forcing them to drag Third Master back to stand watch... he might not even have returned home to Fengxin City yet.

The young couple left their house.

Snow had already piled thickly atop the courtyard walls outside.

But the streets themselves remained fairly clean and orderly because people had been assigned to sweep them.

Xue San walked in front.

Hu Bamei followed behind.

Third Master wore little.

He might have been a dwarf, but he was not afraid of the cold.

Hu Bamei, by contrast, was wrapped in heavy clothing that made her already full figure look even more inviting.

A stroll... really was just a stroll.

Fengxin City remained lively even in winter.

The many workshops throughout the city were still running day and night, but farmland remained the greatest sink for labor.

Once winter came, most people suddenly found themselves with large amounts of free time.

Street vendors continued operating beneath the wind and snow, calling out to customers.

This year had been one of development for Fengxin City.

At this time last year, most commoners had been surviving on mashed potatoes.

But once conditions improved, people were not fools.

Naturally they wanted to eat better.

Drink better.

Dress better.

And with the New Year drawing close... whole families were streaming onto the streets to buy holiday goods.

"Why don't we buy some too?" Xue San suggested.

Hu Bamei shook her head.

"The Residence sends us plenty."

Third Master merely smiled and nodded.

He had simply wanted to experience an ordinary person's life for a while.

Clearly... his wife had no sense of romance.

But Third Master had never been particularly fond of romantic nonsense anyway.

In his eyes, every other Demon King carried at least some degree of affected sentimentality.

Master worst of all.

As for him... he much preferred a solid, practical life.

Several good rounds a day.

Hu Bamei did not want to waste money buying New Year goods... but she adored every kind of food.

She practically ate her way along the street.

The roast duck they had eaten at home earlier had merely been enough to whet her appetite.

Third Master followed beside her, paying the bills and enjoying the enormous satisfaction of feeding her.

And at this very moment... on a small earthen rise outside the city... another pair was doing almost exactly the same thing.

Fan Li did not fear heat.

He picked up the steaming clay shell and cracked it open.

The aroma of meat burst out immediately.

Sword Maid, sitting beside him, drew a deep breath in obvious bliss.

Fan Li grabbed a handful of snow and used it to clean his hands.

Then he pulled apart the chicken and handed the meat to Sword Maid.

Sword Maid ate the chicken.

Fan Li, meanwhile, took out a large piece of naan and began chewing.

One enormous.

One small.

Both sat directly on the ground.

The Sword Saint had already returned.

But Sword Maid was not at his home right now.

Today belonged to her master's family.

She did not want to intrude.

She was not deliberately treating herself as an outsider.

But that did not mean she failed to understand her own position.

She knew her master would take her feelings into account.

Even so... she thought it best to leave as much free time as possible for her master's actual family today.

"Big guy."

"Mm."

"Master has a cub now."

"Mm."

Suddenly, while gnawing on a chicken leg, Sword Maid remembered the innocent question Tian Tian had blurted out earlier.

She knew perfectly well what Tian Tian had actually meant.

But instinct had still sent her thoughts in another direction.

And once those thoughts went crooked... it became surprisingly difficult to straighten them again.

Her gaze unconsciously drifted between Fan Li's legs.

Then... she swallowed.

The chicken leg in her hand suddenly seemed... far too tiny.

In truth, Sword Maid saw nothing.

Fan Li might not be wearing a padded coat on his upper body, only two thin layers of clothing, but he was hardly so outrageous as to walk around in winter wearing nothing but underpants below the waist.

Not fearing cold did not mean he needed to become aggressively eccentric.

Unfortunately... once the mind had already settled on an assumption, actually seeing anything no longer mattered.

"Big guy, let me ask you something."

"Ask."

"Have you never thought about getting married like the others and having a child?"

Among the Demon Kings, Zheng Fan and Siniang were a pair.

The Blind Man and Xue San both had women at home now as well.

As for Liang Cheng and A'Ming... those two icy bastards could be excluded.

"Can't make one."

"Can't make one?"

"Mm."

"You tried?"

Fan Li shook his head.

"Do you have a woman you like?"

Fan Li shook his head again.

"Then what kind of woman do you like?"

"Thick legs. Thin waist. Big ass."

"..." Sword Maid.

These days, a fat man looked prosperous.

A fat woman looked grand and voluptuous.

In an age like this... being able to eat yourself fat was itself a kind of attraction.

Sword Maid bit viciously into the chicken leg.

"I'm not full. I want another chicken."

Fan Li nodded.

"All right."

"I'm going to eat myself fat!"

Sword Maid shouted angrily.

Fan Li smiled.

Then nodded.

"All right."

Perhaps the most touching love confession in the world... was a slender young girl saying she was willing to fatten herself up for you.

...

After five days recuperating inside Marquis Pingxi Residence, Marquis Zheng's energy and spirit finally began recovering.

He was nowhere near fully restored.

That would still take time.

But at least he could feel himself improving with each passing day.

Matron Ke carefully helped Marquis Zheng dress and said:

"Marquis, Second Madam and Third Madam should probably return in another few days."

"Mm."

Marquis Zheng nodded.

Once dressed, Zheng Fan went to Tian Tian's courtyard.

As a patient still in recovery, sleeping late was perfectly normal.

So by now... it was already nearly noon.

Tian Tian was not inside his warm room.

He was outside building snowmen.

The green python was responsible for pushing the snow.

One sweep of its enormous body sent an entire mound together.

The fox and black cat jumped around delivering various little items.

The fox could actually transform into human form.

Years ago, it had taken the shape of a beauty in order to seduce the Naiman King.

But inside Marquis Pingxi Residence, it knew one thing perfectly well: if it dared transform into human form... it would be beaten to death with staves the next moment.

Playing with the Young Master was fine.

Actually turning into a person around him?

That crossed a major taboo.

The moment Tian Tian saw Zheng Fan arrive, he immediately patted the snow from his hands, straightened the sleeves he had rolled up earlier, then walked forward properly and saluted.

"Father."

Zheng Fan reached out and took Tian Tian's hand.

Well now.

Good grief.

Warm.

Warmer than his own hand.

"Building snowmen?"

"Yes, Father."

"Come. Dad will help you."

Father and son began playing in the snow together.

Marquis Zheng had been a professional artist in his previous life.

Whether in design or sense of volume, the snowmen he built naturally surpassed anything an ordinary person could manage.

Tian Tian happily acted as his godfather's little assistant.

Very soon... one large snowman and one small snowman stood finished.

"The big one is Father. The small one is me," Tian Tian said.

Zheng Fan nodded.

Inside, however, he was already thinking about having Xiao Yibo haul an enormous block of ice from the river later.

He could carve an Old Tian out here.

The women were all away anyway.

He had nothing better to do.

And whenever he spent time with his adopted son... his whole body seemed to relax.

"Hungry?" Zheng Fan asked.

Tian Tian nodded.

"What do you want to eat?"

"Whatever Father wants to eat, I'll eat too."

"Let's have noodles. Knife-shaved noodles."

Zheng Fan looked toward the black cat as he spoke.

The black cat immediately nodded and ran off to notify the kitchen.

Servants were normally forbidden from casually approaching the rear courtyard where Tian Tian lived.

Marquis Pingxi Residence was the most prestigious place in all Fengxin City.

But that did not mean every meal needed to be made from rare delicacies.

Eat those every day... and anyone would get sick of them.

Before long... one large bowl and one small bowl of knife-shaved noodles were delivered.

Tian Tian picked up garlic and began peeling cloves for his godfather.

Marquis Zheng, meanwhile, added chopped scallions, cilantro, chili oil, and a little minced-meat topping.

Whatever flavor he ate... the child ate too.

Aside from his obsession with sachima among snacks, Tian Tian was not picky in the slightest.

Once the garlic was peeled...

Zheng Fan picked up a clove.

Took one bite.

Then shoveled in a large mouthful of noodles.

Hoo.

Comfortable.

Tian Tian picked up a clove too.

He bit into it.

The spice immediately made him blink furiously.

His little face scrunched all the way up.

He was still too young.

He had not yet adapted to his godfather's way of eating.

"Heh."

Zheng Fan laughed and continued eating.

Father and son ate with great enjoyment.

Only, Marquis Zheng's current body genuinely could not handle too much food.

Some noodles remained.

Seeing Tian Tian had already finished, Zheng Fan asked:

"Can you eat any more?"

"I can."

Zheng Fan picked up some of his remaining noodles and transferred them into his son's bowl.

Tian Tian continued eating.

Soon... father and son had finished everything cleanly.

"Come on. Take a walk with Dad and help digest the meal."

"Yes, Father."

Zheng Fan walked around the courtyard with Tian Tian.

They kept walking... until father and son passed through a doorway that had no door.

On the other side... the passage led directly into the Sword Saint's home.

Only after reaching the front of the house did Zheng Fan realize he seemed to have come empty-handed.

The only thing hanging at his waist... was Wuya.

He turned his head and looked at Tian Tian.

Tian Tian was carrying an enormous bag of snacks.

Mm.

Good enough.

Marquis Zheng stepped forward and knocked.

Before long...

Liu Dahu opened the door.

The moment he saw Zheng Fan, he immediately dropped to one knee.

"Greetings, Marquis!"

Liu Dahu dreamed of the day he could follow the Marquis on campaign and fight north and south.

Deep down... he had long since regarded himself as one of the soldiers under the Marquis's command.

"Rise."

"Thank you, Marquis."

"Brother Hu."

Tian Tian handed the bag of snacks over.

Liu Dahu accepted it.

"Is your father home?"

"Father is inside. I'll go announce the Marquis."

"No need. Our courtyards practically share one entrance. What exactly are you announcing?"

Zheng Fan reached down and took Tian Tian's hand.

Father and son walked inside.

"Ah! Marquis!"

The old woman became visibly excited when she saw Marquis Pingxi arrive.

Zheng Fan nodded and smiled toward her.

Tian Tian called:

"Hello, Granny."

"Good, good, good. Marquis, please, come sit inside. Come sit inside. Huzi, boil water and make tea for the Marquis."

"All right, Granny."

Yu Huaping emerged at that moment.

"Where's the child? Bring him out and let me see him," Zheng Fan urged.

Yu Huaping nodded.

He went inside and carried the baby out.

His wife was lying in bed doing her month of postpartum confinement.

She could not be exposed to wind.

Even so, she had wanted to come out and pay respects to the Marquis... but her husband had stopped her.

Marquis Zheng reached out, preparing to take the child.

The Sword Saint hesitated.

"Do you know how to hold one?"

"Can't I practice first?"

The Sword Saint handed the child over.

Zheng Fan took him.

Liu Dahu brought over a chair.

Zheng Fan sat down.

The baby was awake.

He looked at Zheng Fan.

Did not cry.

Did not fuss.

Tian Tian leaned his little head over as well.

The moment the baby saw Tian Tian... he actually grinned.

Tian Tian smiled too.

One older.

One younger.

The two children seemed to take to each other immediately.

"Father, was Tian Tian like this when I was just born too?"

"You'll have to ask your Uncle Yu."

Tian Tian turned his head toward Yu Huaping standing nearby.

Yu Huaping possessed a different sort of feeling toward Tian Tian.

Before Tian Tian reached one month old... the person who had spent the most time beside him had not been either of his parents.

It had been Yu Huaping.

Without Tian Tian...

Yu Huaping might never have crossed paths with Zheng Fan at all.

Perhaps... that was simply fate.

That night.

That woman.

The newborn child she had placed before him.

And if he had not escorted this child to Shengle City... then he would never have met the woman who was now his wife.

Never have had Liu Dahu as a son.

Never have had this biological son now either.

That... was fate.

"Yes."

Tian Tian nodded.

Then asked:

"How long until Little Brother can get down and walk by himself?"

"Still a long time," Zheng Fan said.

Tian Tian looked disappointed.

He had thought he would soon have a little tail following behind him.

Seeing how much Zheng Fan liked the child... the Sword Saint said:

"Hurry up and have one yourself."

The words were not particularly powerful.

But the humiliation was devastating.

And Marquis Zheng had never been the kind of man willing to take a loss.

He immediately answered:

"When the boy turns one and you hold his first-birthday object-grabbing ceremony, putting a wooden sword among the objects is fine. But whatever you do... don't put a saber there."

Words... became blades and spears.

They collided silently in the air.

Marquis Zheng still did not feel satisfied.

His right arm continued holding the baby.

With his left... he removed Wuya from his waist.

Then said solemnly:

"Liu Dahu!"

"Present!"

Marquis Zheng tossed Wuya toward him.

Liu Dahu caught it with reverence so intense it was almost sacred.

Marquis Zheng looked at the Sword Saint standing before him.

Then said:

"The saber's dirty. Wipe it clean for this Marquis."

[End of Chapter 754]