Chapter 68
Night fell.
Jiang Changtian returned home accompanied by the moonlight once again.
As he neared the village, he saw a person standing by the roadside.
He was startled.
Upon recognizing the visitor, Jiang Changtian relaxed.
"Yan Laosan, what are you doing sitting here?" Jiang Changtian asked the man known as Yan Laosan in the village.
He was one of the few who addressed Yan Laosan by his name instead of calling him Laosan.
Yan Laosan was also one of the few who called Jiang Changtian by his given name, Changtian, rather than addressing him as Laoer.
"I was waiting for you," Yan Laosan said.
"Perfect. We had guests yesterday, so there should still be some food left at home. Come and eat."
Yan Laosan nodded, stood up, and stumbled slightly.
Jiang Changtian gave him a curious look but said nothing more. 𝘧𝓇𝘦𝘦𝔀ℯ𝘣𝓃𝓸𝓿ℯ𝘭.𝑐𝓸𝓂
The two men walked back to the village together.
The villagers were not surprised.
Yan Laosan and Jiang Laoer seemed to have had a good relationship all along, and everyone called him Laosan after Laoer started doing so.
Yan Laosan was a little younger, but he never combed his hair or shaved his beard, so he looked older.
"Laosan, you're going to Laoer's house to mooch food again!" the villagers teased.
"Laoer's family has good food today. A noble guest sent them lots of gifts. Laosan, you sure know how to pick your timing."
"Sly old Laosan!"
"Laosan, you even brought a gift, just like a noble guest. What treasure are you carrying?" someone reached out to try and take it.
Yan Laosan hugged the object tightly, not allowing anyone to touch it.
"Jiang Erge, your daughter Fengr is not bad. My mother's family has a niece who is hardworking and strong. I'll bring her over to meet you soon."
Jiang Changtian politely responded, either smiling or declining with courtesy.
Yan Laosan, who would normally have retorted and argued with the villagers, using all kinds of reasoning, remained silent today. He hugged the object in his arms and followed Jiang Laoer slowly.
The person who tried to touch Yan Laosan's possession cursed, "What treasure? You're holding it like it's your family jewels!"
The crowd burst into laughter.
The laughter faded behind them as the two men continued walking.
When Jiang Changtian reached his home, there were people waiting to greet him.
Jiang Yu excitedly called out, "Father, Father!"
Jiang Mianmian excitedly babbled, "Ya ya ya, ya ya ya" (Father, Father).
Qin Luoxia smiled warmly.
Seeing Yan Laosan, Qin Luoxia still smiled broadly and said, "Saaner is here, perfect. Let's eat together."
Jiang Yu politely greeted, "Uncle San."
Jiang Feng also called out, "Father, Uncle San."
Jiang Mianmian curiously looked at the visitor.
He seemed to be very close to her family, like her father's brother?
But he was dressed even shabbier than her father and looked like he was in an even worse state.
However, she was a well-mannered child. She waved her arms and joined in greeting him, "Suu suu suu..."
Jiang Changtian washed his hands, picked up Mianmian, and smiled, "Yan Laosan, come here. She can even call you uncle now."
Yan Laosan curiously looked at the little girl in Jiang Changtian's arms. "She looks like you."
He took a bronze token from his body and placed it in the swaddling cloth, saying, "This is my gift to you."
Jiang Changtian was slightly surprised. This was a personal item, so why was Laosan being so formal?
During the evening meal, the family sat together, with the addition of Yan Laosan.
Yan Laosan ate intently, but then tears started falling from his eyes.
"Sister-in-law Luoxia, if I had known marrying you would mean such delicious food, I would have jumped off the bridge you crossed every day back then, so you could fish me out."
Qin Luoxia tapped the table with her chopsticks and scolded him, "Saaner, if you say such nonsense again, I'll beat you up. In front of your brother and the children, what nonsense are you spouting? If you jumped, I would have just watched you float away. I wouldn't have fished you out."
"My mother liked my father because he was good-looking. Uncle San, you're not handsome enough," Jiang Yu bluntly commented.
Yan Laosan just laughed, then pointed at Jiang Feng and mocked, "Useless boy, even when a noble invited you to the Capital City, you didn't go. If a noble took a liking to me, I would have run there happily, even if it meant carrying his shoes."
Jiang Feng had sorted out his thoughts all evening and had let go of his regrets. Although he felt some disappointment, as a man, it was his duty to provide for his family, so there was nothing to regret.
He responded cheerfully as usual, "What could I do, Uncle San? I couldn't bear to leave my mother. I can't find food as delicious as hers anywhere else. If you become successful one day, take me with you, and I can eat and drink luxuriously."
Yan Laosan suddenly said, "Alright then, I was planning to go out and make my fortune anyway. Fengr, I have no children of my own. Acknowledge me as your godfather. If I become successful, I'll take you to enjoy the finest food and drink. If I don't make it, and I die, just remember to burn some paper offerings for me."
Jiang Feng was stunned for a moment and glanced at his father's expression.
Then he stood up and kowtowed three times.
"Bam bam bam."
"Godfather."
Qin Luoxia pondered inwardly. This Laosan was acting strange today, going on about wanting to marry her, this little brat.
Jiang Mianmian wondered if this man was one of her mother's former suitors. Her mother had admirers too?
Jiang Yu curiously asked, "Uncle San, can my sister and I come too? We can burn paper offerings for you as well."
Jiang Mianmian: ...
Everyone else: ...
Yan Laosan's eyes were red, but he couldn't help but laugh.
"If you're willing to acknowledge me, I'm delighted. All of a sudden, I've gained three children. My life is now complete, and I lack nothing."
So Jiang Yu hugged her sister, and they both kowtowed alongside their brother.
And just like that, the three siblings gained a godfather.
Jiang Mianmian didn't even get a good look at her new godfather.
After the meal and drinking water, Jiang Mianmian had purposely added something to her father's tea, but before he could drink it, their new godfather solemnly handed Jiang Changtian a bundle.
"Changtian, this is my treasure. Help me find a place to bury it. If I become wealthy one day, I'll come back and retrieve it. If I don't return, consider me dead."
"Where are you going?" Jiang Changtian asked.
"I'm skilled at singing. I heard the nobles in the Imperial City love listening to singing, so I plan to go there and sell my singing, and I'll sell it to the highest bidder."
After saying that, Yan Laosan became very excited. He snatched the water in front of Jiang Changtian and drank it all in one gulp.
He went up and hugged Jiang Changtian, chokingly calling out, "Brother."
Then he looked around at Jiang Feng, Jiang Yu, and Jiang Mianmian, and finally called out to Qin Luoxia, who was standing by the doorway, "Sister-in-law, I'm leaving."
Qin Luoxia felt that Saaner was acting strange, so she went back inside, took out a small piece of silver, added half of it, and added another full piece.
She came out with the silver and handed it to her son, saying, "Go, give this to your godfather."
Jiang Feng took the silver and ran after him.
At the village entrance, he gave the silver to his godfather.
He watched his godfather's figure disappear into the darkness.
He felt a tinge of envy.
He waved and shouted, "Godfather, you must work hard!"
Yan Laosan didn't look back as he walked away.
From the darkness, a song drifted: "My heart's true desire, though I die nine times, I'll have no regrets..." (Note 1)
The melodious song flowed endlessly, and the birds fell silent.
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