v4c9: A Farmer’s Son

Xiulan looked on as Xianghua addressed her Elders, her face stern. She had recovered well from the turmoil she had been in, and once more she was ready to face the world.

 

They had spent a week at the Misty Lake Sect, sparring with the disciples and allowing Xianghua to consolidate her hold over things. But now, they were ready to move on. Move on towards Xiulan’s own Sect.

 

“We shall be gathering in force soon. I shall be continuing onwards with our allies, for my presence is needed,” Xianghua instructed the assembled disciples of the Misty Lake Sect.

 

“Yes, Sectmaster!”

 

“Good. Elder Bingwen speaks with my voice until we are together again.”

 

The older man looked like he hadn’t gotten much sleep. Xianghua had allowed him to see the contents of the crystal—another bold move that seemed to have worked out, because after a long night spent communing with it he appeared completely in support of Xianghua’s plans.

 

“Your humble servant hears and obeys, Sectmaster!”

 

“Now! Let us be off!” Xianghua commanded.

 

They then set off on rafts into the mist.

 

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Two days of travel later they were in a tavern again, far away from the mosquitoes and the reeds.

 

It had been an unremarkable journey for a change, and Xiulan was looking forward to a drink and some warm food. She continued to hope for that as her group entered, though she felt some concern as she noticed some cultivators of the Jade Leaf Sect already seated and Jin’s eerily accurate warning of cultivator battles in eating establishments came to her mind. They eyed Xiulan’s group warily as they entered, but made no attempt to start an altercation.

 

Everything looked like it would be quiet—

 

“Everyone! Listen up!” Tigu shouted from the front of the tavern. Her voice was loud and commanded respect as she stood there with her hands on her hips.

 

There was instant silence. The man at the counter looked a bit worried.

 

“Tigu—?” Xiulan started, before she realised what day it was and sighed. She started massaging the bridge of her nose.

 

Tigu’s piercing yellow eyes walked up and down the patrons, mortals and cultivators alike. “Ahem! Now that I have your attention, I have an announcement to make,” she declared. “Today, my little brother is one hundred days old! Allow me to buy you all drinks in celebration of this great milestone. I ask only for your prayers that his name shall be Kai!”

 

The mood of the bar instantly swung from cautious to optimistic. Then one patron, already slightly drunk, cheered. “A thousand blessings on Kai!” she slurred.

 

Tigu ginned, opening her mouth to praise the woman, when Yin spoke up. “And I’ll buy you a drink if you pray his name’ll be Shandan,” the woman said. She smiled brilliantly, and Xiulan knew that at least half the men were instantly smitten.

 

“Three cheers for little brother Shandan!” they bellowed.

 

Xiulan saw Yin mouth ‘I’m winning the bet’ at the shorter girl. Tigu’s eyes widened, and she looked like she was about to spit blood at her companion’s foul betrayal.

 

“What?! Little Sister, you dare? You’re courting death!” Tigu snarled. “Handsome Man! You agree that Kai is the better name, yes?”

 

She turned pleading eyes onto Tie Delun. He caved instantly and Xiulan sighed.

 

“I blame you for this,” Xiulan told Rags.

 

“I didn’t think she would actually do it,” the man defended himself. “It was a joke!”

 

Xiulan stared at him.

 

“Okay, I totally thought she would do it,” he admitted, looking shifty.

 

Xiulan sighed as the bar descended into chaos. Xianghua, to her surprise, elected to stay out of it today. Instead her friend just looked on, amused, and shaking her head.

 

She looked like she was feeling better at least.

 

“… so, what’s your money on? Xiulan asked her friend.

 

“It’s a secret!” Xianghua declared. And clearly, as far as she was concerned, that was the end of it.

 

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In the Before, at least where I was from, naming your child was as simple as putting a name on a piece of paper. Done soon after birth, and then kept on a certificate.

 

Here, things were a bit more involved.

 

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“Really? You just sign a piece of paper and that’s it?” Meimei asked me as I reached into boiling water to pull out another set of hard boiled eggs.

 

The kitchen was currently still a bit “under construction”. We had to expand it a lot in order to fit the amount of cooking we did—I had built for a family of four, not fourteen. The prep and storage areas had to triple in size.

 

“Yeah. That’s it.” I replied, transferring them to the red madder root dye. The others I took out and put in the sink. The pipes and a water crystal made the river room a little bit superfluous, now that we could do everything indoors, but I had grown to really like the place—and locking Washy out of the house would just be rude at this point.

 

“It doesn’t sound important enough,” she replied, her brow furrowing. “Is naming your child not a cause for celebration?”

 

“It’s in conjunction with the birth, mostly.” I didn’t really like talking too much about the Before still, but Meimei had asked about the custom so I did my best to answer. “Honestly, this way is better. More fun, at the very least.”

 

Meimei chuckled. “Yes, Jinhai’s ceremony was quite fun, wasn’t it?”

 

We had already been to the naming ceremony of Meihua’s child—the one that she and Tingfeng had named after me. Honestly, for all that it was supposedly about the child, a 100 day old kid still didn’t do much aside from sit around and drool, so the entire thing was more about getting drunk with your friends and family.

 

I snorted as I remembered Tingfeng getting absolutely sloshed. I picked up a bundle of ginger and set it aside, before frowning at it. “You know… this has been bothering me a bit. I know the eggs probably symbolize birth and renewal, but what’s the ginger for?”

 

“The ginger is supposed to complete the mother’s rejuvenation with fiery Qi,” Meimei answered.

 

“I’d say you’ve been pretty fiery for a while, love,” I observed, bumping her with my hip. Very fiery. Not that I was complaining. Getting ambushed by my amorous wife after she suggested a walk in the forest was very nice. “I don’t think I could handle you if you get any spicier.”

 

Meiling leered at me and put on a deep, suitably bandit-like voice. “Oh, but there was such a pretty flower walkin’ around. I just had to pluck it.”

 

“Kyaaaa,” I deadpanned in a high pitched voice. “My virtue is in danger. Help. Help.”

 

Her nose wrinkled cutely as she giggled and bumped her hip back into mine.

 

We worked in silence for another few moments, before Meiling spoke again.