Chapter 5, Family Harmony
Xiao Tianjian naturally understood and said with a wry smile: "That is lightness skill, not considered martial arts. I am referring to the method of defeating enemies with a sword, not with this kind of knife." He pointed to the rusty knife in his granddaughter's hand, then reached behind him to draw out a sword: "It is this kind of long straight sword, slightly thinner than what you usually see, representing our Chinese swordsmanship"
Xiao Tianjian affectionately patted his granddaughter's head: "It's alright, they just lack vision." It seems that Mingna's personality leans more towards that of a boy. As the granddaughter of the continent's number one expert, it is quite normal for her to enjoy wielding swords and practicing martial arts. He thought for a moment and suddenly had an idea: "Mingna, you might have heard, right? Grandpa's swordsmanship is quite impressive, and I know many different martial arts. Would you like to learn? This is not just a child's game; it is genuine martial skill." After all, he had already taught one grandson, so having one more or one less didn't matter to him; he did not hold any bias against girls.
Feeling guilty, Xiao Tianjian took out a bag of gold coins and gave it to Dora, claiming it was for his temporary stay at their home. This bag of money was nearly three times Anlong's monthly salary, sufficient for his expenses for ten days. However, to his surprise, Dora firmly refused it.
She mysteriously dragged an old wooden box out from the depths of the cave. The lock on the box was broken, seemingly discarded as waste by someone who found it useless. Upon opening the box, it contained her collection of "treasures," which were actually a complete cicada shell, a freshly shed snake skin, more than ten large pine cones, several beautiful stones, a worn knight's hat missing some fur, a dirty red cloth, and a rusted knife that was only half intact.
Xiao Tianjian saw this and was momentarily speechless. After a long pause, he said: "Mingna, you... you are a girl. Do you usually play with this? Don't you play with dolls? Don't you like beautiful clothes and jewelry? Otherwise, beautiful flowers would do as well." To his surprise, his granddaughter unhesitatingly draped the dusty cloth over herself. Didn't she mind it being dirty?
Winnie scoffed at the mistress's concerns: "Miss Dora, what are you worried about? When has such an exciting event ever happened in a small place like Kidon? Aside from the occasional appearance of a dwarf, even thieves look down on this place. Moreover, with Count Xiao here, who could possibly be his opponent? He is the most skilled martial artist on the entire continent! What do those ruffians, thieves, bandits, and robbers amount to? They are not even worth a single finger of Count Xiao!"
However, her temperament is more to his liking than that of Sun Zibei. Zibei was quite quirky in his childhood, but as he grew older, he became increasingly honest and rigid. At merely twelve years old, he is already not much different from an adult, which is rather dull and not as entertaining as this lively granddaughter. With this in mind, he became more indulgent towards Mingna, not only taking her around but also often sharing stories of his adventures with her, even taking her to the bars in the small town to broaden her horizons, though drinking was strictly prohibited.
She said, "You are welcome to visit our home; we would never ask for your money. Our family is not running a guesthouse." Most importantly, what would Yidong City think? How would Yilong and Lilith react? They would surely mock her and Anlong.
Dora found it somewhat unbelievable and was quite unhappy that her father-in-law taught her daughter how to "run" and took her out every day. In her view, this heroic father-in-law should simply stay in the living room and tell her daughter adventure stories, allowing her daughter to stay at home obediently without going out to cause mischief. However, he not only took her out all day long but even brought her to a bar. Oh my God, what if they encountered hooligans, thieves, robbers, or bandits? Moreover, she heard that many people challenged her father-in-law; what if her daughter got hurt?
After some contemplation, he had no choice but to temporarily abandon his mental techniques and focus on practicing leg and foot skills. He had Mina run laps around the woods every day, while maintaining the breathing rhythm he had taught her. At first, Mina was somewhat interested in running, but gradually she became impatient. It was only through Xiao Tianjian's promises to help her catch crested birds or butterflies, along with the assurance of many delicious candies and more adventurous stories, that she managed to persist.
Winnie lamented: "Oh, Miss, you are truly cruel. Can't you allow me to retain a glimmer of hope for my fantasies?"
However, when it came to actually learning, they encountered difficulties. Mina was just a six-year-old child, completely unaware of Chinese culture. She had no idea where the Dantian was, where the Baihui point was, nor could she comprehend what "concentrating the mind and quieting the spirit" meant. Even if Xiao Tianjian pointed out the locations of the acupoints to her, she would not know how to circulate her Qi.
Xiao Tianjian evaded his granddaughter's scrutiny. Seeing her wide-eyed and curiously staring at him, he cleared his throat, extended his right hand, and showed her an ancient-looking ring on his finger. He whispered, "Don't tell anyone, this is a storage ring that can hold many things. My sword is usually kept inside it."
To divert Winnie’s attention, she quickly asked about something else: "I previously asked you to find out where Goodwin Churov is staying. Have you found out?"
Mina's eyes lit up upon hearing this: "Can I learn the martial arts technique you used when you carried me home from the woods that day? It was like I was flying with a whoosh. I want to learn that!" She could never forget that feeling and had been insisting that her grandfather take her "flying" these past few days
Xiao Tianjian looked at the table full of delicious pastries and had a better opinion of his daughter-in-law. He noticed that Duola, in addition to managing household affairs every day, also personally tended to the flowers and plants in the garden, as well as disciplined her mischievous daughter, which was indeed very tiring. Considering that he had nothing to do anyway, he took the initiative to take on the responsibility of caring for his granddaughter. Duola was currently worried about not having enough time to prepare for the May Festival dance, so this was just what she needed, and she hurriedly handed Minna over to her grandfather.
However, when he saw Dora meticulously budgeting every day, trying to squeeze out as much money as possible from her limited income to buy good food and drinks for herself, and even dipping into her savings, he felt somewhat uncomfortable
Mina was quite happy; she really liked this grandfather, and being able to escape her mother's incessant nagging was truly a wonderful thing. After two days of interaction, Xiao Tianjian deeply realized that the essence of this little granddaughter was vastly different from the "timid" little girl he had first met, or rather, she hardly resembled a person at all. Heaven knows how he initially thought this child was cute and well-behaved. She was simply a mischievous little rascal, audacious and reckless, and in a moment of distraction, she had no idea where she had run off to.
Mina looked at the ring with excitement, wanting to take it off and examine it closely. Xiao Tianjian, feeling a headache, quickly stopped her, eager to protect his possessions and books, and swiftly changed the subject: "Did you not say you wanted to learn lightness skills? Grandfather will teach you right now"
Mina only took a brief glance at the sword, but was more intrigued by the back of Xiao Tianjian. She recalled that night when he had suddenly produced a sword from his sleeve, yet given that he was wearing such thin and neat clothing, he hardly seemed the type to conceal something so large.
But he never expected that his son, Anlong, was living in such a difficult situation, unable to guarantee even daily meat consumption. To host him, his daughter-in-law had to find various ways to save money from other places. Now he deeply realizes his shortcomings towards Anlong, not only in terms of emotions and responsibilities but also in failing to ensure a life of abundance and security. He remembers that Anlong had vaguely mentioned before that since reaching adulthood, he had not asked the Cardo family for money again, and even the medical expenses for Meili were paid by Anlong himself with his knight's salary. Now he deeply realizes his shortcomings towards Anlong, not only in terms of emotions and responsibilities but also in failing to ensure a life of abundance and security. He remembers that Anlong had vaguely mentioned before that since reaching adulthood, he had not asked the Cardo family for money again, and even the medical expenses for Meili were paid by Anlong himself with his knight's salary.
Initially, Dora was reluctant to marry Anlong, whose status was awkward; she only begrudgingly accepted due to his being the son of an epic hero. Now, she finally has the opportunity to meet the hero of her dreams and even live under the same roof. How could she not be excited? She intends to use every compliment she can think of to praise him, and even Miss Dora cannot hold back!
Winnie barely regained her senses and returned to her role as a professional nanny: "I have inquired and found out that he is at the northern fortress, thirty kilometers from here, reportedly on official business. I have already asked the owner of the grocery store to send a message, so Master Chulov will likely send someone soon."
Dora could not help but repeatedly stop her from fantasizing about Xiao Tianjian: "Winnie! Don't forget you are a professional nanny!" What a joke?! If her heroic father-in-law or anyone else found out about the thoughts of her forty-year-old "aged" companion nanny who weighed two hundred pounds, she would rather die!
After Anlong left, Xiao Tianjian wandered around the small town every day, and life was quite easy for him. He still lived in the study, and as a wandering hero who often braved the elements, he did not feel any discomfort. However, Duola was very anxious and always tried to find comfortable pillows and bedding for him. Wenni also kept rearranging the bed, and finally, Xiao Tianjian grew impatient and hinted to his daughter-in-law that it was already summer, and having so many things on the bed would make him break out in heat rash, which finally stopped their neurotic behavior.
Mina wrapped the piece of felt around herself, donned an old top hat, waved a rusty knife, and shouted, "Warrior, what is your name? I want to duel with you!" while wildly swinging the knife in her hand
Xiao Tianjian was at a loss as to what to do. In the past, he had only taught sword techniques and rarely imparted internal skills. The only person he had taught was Sun Zibeiwen. At that time, the child was already ten years old and had been practicing martial arts for quite some time, having already mastered some tricks of energy circulation, so it was not too difficult. However, it was his first time directly teaching a child with no experience.
Xiao Tianjian watched her chaotic movements, reluctantly nodded, and asked, "Have you played with other children? Do they all play this? Do the girls here also play such games?" Surely not? His daughter-in-law said this place is a poor and remote area filled with rough people. He initially thought it was a prejudice, but if the local customs are so 'simple' that even girls can only fight with picked-up trash, he truly has no words left. Even doing some sewing, playing house, picking flowers, or gathering fruits would be acceptable.
Mina stopped her motion of swinging the knife, blinked, and said: "Doll? Are you referring to a doll? I don't like that at all. My mother likes pretty clothes and jewelry; she also likes flowers. My favorite is duel games, and none of the kids here are my match! Grandpa, am I really impressive?" After saying this, she waved the knife again.
In this way, Mina liked her grandfather even more. Although he was younger and resembled her uncle more, he was truly quite understanding, wasn't he? Once they became familiar, she took Xiao Tianjian to her "secret base," which included not only the large tree from their first meeting but also a cave at the end of the woods on a small hillside.
Dora knew she was speaking the truth, but as a mother, she couldn't help but worry. What was so appealing about a bar, a greasy place filled with rough men? Outside, the trees and mountains were teeming with bugs and snakes; how could it compare to the safety and comfort of home? Just as she finished her internal complaints, she expressed her dissatisfaction with the attitude of the accompanying maid: "Winnie, put away that look of yours. Although His Excellency the Earl appears quite charming, he is actually an old man twenty years your senior. There is no way he could have any connection with you." Just thinking about the night her father-in-law arrived, when Winnie fainted at the sight of him, was truly disgraceful. Winnie fainted at the sight of him, which was really too rude.
Mina said: "My mother does not allow me to play with the butcher's daughter, and the grocery store owner's daughter has to help her parents at the store. Susanna, the captain's daughter, is only one year older than me; she likes to play with dolls, but she raises her pinky when eating cookies and speaks in a pretentious manner, always saying that I lack lady-like qualities, which I find very annoying. I used to only play with boys, but they all became afraid of me, so I had no choice but to play alone."
He has never been short of money; not to mention that the businesses under his name earn a substantial amount of gold coins each year for him to squander, he often comes into unexpected wealth during his adventures. His eldest son, Yunlong, and his family have also been living a wealthy and even extravagant life. He has advised his eldest son on more than one occasion to adopt a more frugal lifestyle
Xiao Tianjian had no choice but to take back the bag of money, but his impression of this daughter-in-law improved significantly. Although her constant emphasis on etiquette was quite annoying, such integrity was indeed rare. Thus, he changed his approach; while wandering outside, he occasionally bought some meat or candy to bring back, claiming it was merely a "small gift from an elder." Since these were not particularly valuable items, Dora did not refuse, but instructed Winnie to make some pastries in return. Therefore, he changed his approach; while wandering outside, he occasionally bought some meat or candy to bring back, claiming it was merely a "small gift from an elder." Since these were not particularly valuable items, Dora did not refuse, but instructed Winnie to make some pastries in return.
After Veronica set off for Meiton, Anlong also packed his luggage the next day in preparation for his departure. Xiao Tianjian, seeing his son about to go on a business trip, hesitantly inquired how many days he would be gone, in order to determine his own schedule. Anlong raised an eyebrow and, with barely concealed anger, said: "If Father is in a hurry, you are free to leave at any time. Qidun is merely a small rural place, unworthy of a hero like you. It is truly a shame to have you wasting your days here." Xiao Tianjian fell silent and did not bring up the matter again.
Since she entered the Zhu family as an apprentice maid at the age of twelve, her only pleasure outside of work with the other young maids has been to inquire about and discuss the rumors surrounding noble families and wealthy merchants. The most talked-about figure among them is the legendary hero, Count Xiao. They are captivated by his graceful demeanor (as rumored) and even more enchanted by the touching love stories (as rumored) he shares with the elven princess or the sorceress. In private, they fantasize about one day becoming the heroine of his tales, composing a mesmerizing love song together (even if it is just a legend)