ASFTB 17: Daddy’s Being Silly Again

Jian Chengxi helped the two children get dressed and then got them ready to head out.

Today was the first day of kindergarten, and the underground city was bustling with people coming and going. Many parents were bringing their children to register for school, creating a lively scene.

While Jian Chengxi was filling out a form with the kids, a voice called out from behind—

“Well, long time no see!”

A-Hu and his father approached, their footsteps heavy and loud. Both were tall and powerfully built. A-Hu was already ten years old, and when he stood in front of Li Sui­sui and Li Chen, he was nearly half a head taller.

Jian Chengxi’s brows furrowed ever so slightly, almost imperceptibly.

Still, out of courtesy, he gave the two of them a small nod in greeting.

A-Hu walked up, relying on his height to look down at Li Chen with a hostile expression.

“Chengxi, bringing the kids to school?” A-Hu’s father looked at the two children with unconcealed disdain and superiority. “Has your Li Chen’s leg healed? He can’t even walk properly, and yet he’s here for school?”

Li Chen stood at Jian Chengxi’s side.

Compared to the tall, burly, and cocky ten-year-old A-Hu, three-year-old Li Chen was indeed thin and small but his back was straight, his bearing exceptional, not losing out in the slightest.

Jian Chengxi took the child’s hand, smiling instead of getting angry. “Well, your A-Hu’s like that, and the school still approved him to enroll, didn’t they?”

A-Hu’s father’s face darkened. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means exactly what you think it means.” Jian Chengxi met his eyes without a hint of fear. His delicate face was bare of any makeup, yet held an almost otherworldly elven beauty. “Right back at you.”

A-Hu’s father glared at him furiously, but with this being the school gate, he couldn’t lose his temper outright. Forced to hold it in, he let out a mocking laugh instead. “Sharp-tongued, aren’t you? I never realized before that besides your skill at seducing men everywhere, you could talk so well too.”

Jian Chengxi smiled pleasantly. “Flattered, flattered. I’m nowhere near your level.”

A-Hu’s father was so angry he could hardly breathe. “You—!!”

By now, more and more people had gathered to watch. Mainly, it was because Jian Chengxi’s looks were impossible to ignore. Despite wearing worn, faded clothes, in the dilapidated underground city that face was still strikingly beautiful, enough to make people stop and stare.

A-Hu’s father couldn’t save face, so he grudgingly backed down, shooting him a fierce glare and muttering under his breath, “Just you wait.”

Jian Chengxi didn’t even bother responding.

Once A-Hu and his father were gone, Jian Chengxi led the children off to the side.

Parents could only send their children as far as the school gate and the rest of the way they had to walk on their own. Before he became a parent himself, he had always thought it unnecessary when he saw other parents crying after dropping their children off at kindergarten. After all, they would be back after school so what was there to cry about? But now, looking at his two young children in front of him—who had always been by his side every day—letting them go all at once really did bring an unexpected pang of sadness.

Jian Chengxi tightened the bow on Li Sui­sui’s braid.

Then—

He adjusted the buttons on Li Chen’s clothes.

“At school, get along well with your classmates and listen to the teachers,” Jian Chengxi said, holding Li Chen’s slightly cold hand and speaking with care. “If anyone bullies you, you must tell the teacher, and you must tell Daddy, understand?”

Li Chen looked at him without saying a word.

Jian Chengxi’s eyes grew slightly red. He pulled the always quiet, reserved child into his arms and said softly, “Daddy will come pick you up after school.”

Li Chen’s gaze shifted slightly. Being held along with Li Sui­sui, he could naturally sense that Daddy’s emotions weren’t entirely steady and there was even a faint tremor. For the first time, he felt something from Daddy that resembled reluctance to part.

Daddy didn’t want to let them go.

It was a feeling they had never known before.

After all, Daddy had once despised them, wishing they had never been born so he could have run away with his lover long ago.

More than once, they had hidden by the door, overhearing Daddy cursing his fate and complaining about being stuck with two burdens.

Countless times, they had seen in Daddy’s eyes a coldness so deep it was as if he wished they could vanish forever.

“Daddy.”

The younger child’s tender yet low voice sounded calmly.

He rarely ever called him “Daddy,” and rarely spoke at all, as if he had locked all his emotions away.

Jian Chengxi let go of the child and asked softly, “What is it?”

Li Chen lifted his somewhat thin little hand, his fingers brushing away the tear at the corner of Jian Chengxi’s eye. A child’s voice was always the most straightforward and unfiltered. He said, “Did A-Hu’s dad scare you into crying?”

“…”

Jian Chengxi, feeling a bit embarrassed, said, “Of course not. How could Daddy be afraid of him?”

Li Chen said, “But he’s taller than you.”

Jian Chengxi choked.

Xiao Li Sui­sui leaned over and added, “And his voice is louder than Daddy’s.”

“…”

Being poked right in the heart by both children one after the other, Jian Chengxi found that the faint sadness he had felt earlier was completely gone. Grabbing his two little troublemakers, he said, “Hurry off to school, Daddy’s height and voice are more than enough to deal with you two!”

…

Afternoon.

After sending the two children to school, Jian Chengxi returned home.

The last batch of fruit had sold out. Selling sweet fruit was indeed profitable and brought in quick money, but the drawback was just as obviousz The growth cycle of the fruit was far too slow. With two young children at home who were in the middle of growing, if he relied solely on the fruit, it probably wouldn’t be enough for long.

Jian Chengxi looked at the orchard, frowning. “What should I do…”

The system said:【There are too few edible plants on this planet.】

Jian Chengxi nodded.

On the way back, his mood had been low the whole time.

The system asked:【Host, are you feeling down?】

“I want to treat Xiao Chen’s leg.” Jian Chengxi was rummaging through boxes and cupboards at home. “The medicine the doctor prescribed this past month has all been taken, but his leg still hasn’t improved much. He’s still so young, I don’t want him spending his whole life unable to walk and run like other kids. If it weren’t for taking care of his sister and picking fruit for the family, he wouldn’t be like this.”

The system said:【This is all the original host’s fault. You’re putting too much pressure on yourself.】

Jian Chengxi shook his head. “Since he’s now calling me ‘Daddy,’ then I am his father. If the original host didn’t want the children, then I do. I will find a way to heal this child’s leg—don’t forget, in my previous life I studied medicine.”

The system asked:【What does the host plan to do?】

Jian Chengxi took out pen and paper and began sketching.

Once he finished drawing the designs for silver needles and moxibustion tools, he went around the streets asking where he could have them made. In the end, he found a blacksmith’s shop run by an orc who could take the order. After explaining the manufacturing details in depth, they agreed that he would pick them up in ten days.

When Jian Chengxi got home, he picked up a vegetable basket and said, “I’ll go up the mountain and see if I can find some mugwort. Once I’m back, I’ll give the child a massage and see how that works. Anyway, it’s better than just sitting around doing nothing. When we have money in the future, I’ll take him to Sky City to find a doctor.”

The system said:【You’re kinder to them than their real father.】

Jian Chengxi smiled. “I am their real father!”

…

This time, heading up the mountain to look for herbs, Jian Chengxi’s original plan was to find some mugwort or other medicinal plants.

What he didn’t expect was that he would make another discovery.

On a quiet little hillside, he found a good patch of wild vegetables—ones he had eaten before back on Earth. Back then, he had lived with his grandmother, and every year when money was tight, she would take him up the mountain to dig wild greens to eat.

Jian Chengxi dug up quite a lot. “I’ll make wild vegetable cakes for them when I get back.”

The system said:【Because of the soil here, these wild vegetables are all bitter and astringent.】

“That’s just how wild greens taste,” Jian Chengxi replied. “But they’re actually very nutritious and you just have to cook them properly.”

By the time he finished his work and got home, it was already afternoon.

After washing the wild vegetables he had picked, Jian Chengxi realized there wasn’t a single pot in the house.

Next door, Grandma Li was sitting at the door of her treehouse, sunbathing. When she saw this, she pointed to the side of her own house and said, “I have one.”

Overjoyed, Jian Chengxi walked over from his yard and saw that, sure enough, not far from Grandma Li’s place there was a pot. He asked, “How do you happen to have a pot at home?”

Grandma Li replied, “This has been here for many years, back from before the war.”

Jian Chengxi felt his heart grow heavier.

War truly dealt a devastating blow to a planet. Plants and animals had turned bitter and hard to eat, and life in this era was painfully hard for its people.

Grandma Li glanced at him and said, “You won’t be able to swallow that, it’s far too bitter.”

Back home, he had eaten bitter wild greens before, but his grandmother had been a skilled cook who knew clever ways to remove the bitterness. He said, “I’ll give it a try.”

With a pot, everything became much easier.

After washing it clean, he chopped the wild vegetables finely with a knife, added water in the pot, and set them to boil.

He found a clean piece of gauze and strained the wild vegetables over and over. Once drained, he set them aside for later use. People here didn’t cook, so there was no oil or seasonings available. Earlier today, when he had gone to town to order tools, Jian Chengxi had also bought a small piece of pork that hunters had discarded after hunting. The meat of animals in this world was sour and astringent, but he didn’t plan to eat it. He put the small chunk into the pot to render oil.

It was a slow, time-consuming process, but he wasn’t afraid of the effort.

Grandma Li watched him bustling around. It took ages to squeeze just a little oil from that piece of meat.

“Hiss…”

While rendering the oil, a droplet of hot oil splashed onto Jian Chengxi’s arm. It wasn’t anything serious, but the faint pain seemed to be magnified endlessly in his body.

His entire arm felt as if something had exploded inside it. His eyes instantly reddened, the pain forcing his lips tightly shut.

Tears began to fall freely, as if they cost nothing.

He wiped them away with the back of his hand, sobbing so hard his breathing hitch but he still kept going, placing the wild vegetables into the mixture and shaping them into dumplings.

Grandma Li asked, “What’s wrong with you?”

Jian Chengxi shook his head. “Nothing, just burned myself.”

“Burned yourself and cried this hard?” Grandma Li said in a tone of mild amazement. “Your body really is too delicate.”

Jian Chengxi had to admit she was right.

The original owner’s body was practically like it had some kind of princess syndrome.

But he didn’t have time to dwell on that. The oil was ready, and while it was still hot, Jian Chengxi quickly shaped the wild vegetables into balls and dropped them into the sizzling pot. Steam rose from the oil, carrying the fragrance of the greens. It smelled wonderfully appetizing.

Jian Chengxi even felt a little moved.

Since coming to this world, he had been living on nutrient solution and fruit. He was now desperately craving fried food.

Before long, the vegetable fritters were done.

Jian Chengxi took the vegetable fritters out to cool, and once they had reached an edible temperature, he cautiously picked one up and put it in his mouth. It was only a trial, and he hadn’t expected much but as soon as he began chewing, the fresh fragrance of the wild greens spread through his mouth. There was barely any bitterness at all. Instead, they were delightfully crisp and crunchy, and surprisingly delicious!

He hadn’t expected it to work so well.

Smiling, Jian Chengxi offered the fritters to Grandma Li. “Try one.”

Grandma Li was a stubborn old lady. She turned her head away. “Too bitter. I’m not eating that.”

Jian Chengxi coaxed, “Not bitter at all, really. Just try it and if it’s bitter, you can spit it out.”

His words made Grandma Li waver. She gave him a look, then finally reached out, took a fritter, and put it in her mouth. She had been ready to frown out of habit, but to her surprise, what she tasted was the aroma of real food!

Jian Chengxi grinned. “Well? Does it taste good?”

Grandma Li glanced at him, stayed silent for a moment, then said honestly, “Give me another.”

Jian Chengxi’s smile deepened. “Alright.”

…

In the evening, when school let out, the front gate was packed with parents.

Li Sui­sui and Li Chen stood in their class line. One by one, their classmates were picked up, but Jian Chengxi still hadn’t arrived. As the sky gradually darkened, the few remaining children who hadn’t been collected yet began to cry and fuss. After all, they were only three years old, and it was their first day away from home. It was perfectly normal for them to throw a fit.

The teacher comforted them, but couldn’t help noticing the two siblings at the end of the line.

They were just too quiet.

In an environment where one child crying usually set off the others, those two seemed completely apart from it all.

When nearly all the other children had been taken home and only a handful remained, the teacher finally walked over and asked, “Li Chen, Sui­sui, why hasn’t your Daddy come yet? Did he forget about you?”

Li Chen and Li Sui­sui stayed silent.

If it had been other children in the preschool class, they might have been crying by now but not them.

After all, this wasn’t the first time their Daddy had abandoned them.

The sun inched westward, just like their hearts sinking little by little.

The promise from that morning still seemed to echo in their ears—saying he would come pick them up—but it had all been a lie. The school was in the south of the city, their home in the north. They had never been to these streets before. Was leaving them at school just a way to get rid of them for good? Then their Daddy was far too naïve. No matter how complicated the route, he only needed to walk it once to remember it perfectly.

Li Chen and Li Sui­sui exchanged a look.

Both their faces were set and serious, and their small hands at their sides unconsciously curled into fists.

Strangely enough, this wasn’t the first time their father had left them behind—so why… did it feel especially sad today?

Heh.

They really shouldn’t have expected anything from their Daddy, should they?

Just as they were thinking that—

A familiar, anxious voice called from not far away, “Teacher!”

A figure came running at full speed. Jian Chengxi was panting heavily by the time he arrived, a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead. Smiling, he said, “I’m here.”

The last rays of the setting sun fell on him, making him shine all the more.

He had come, as if carrying with him the very last light in this world.

Jian Chengxi stepped forward and pulled the two children into a hug, grinning cheerfully. “Xiao Chen, Sui­sui, did you miss Daddy?”

The teacher came over and asked, “Mr. Jian, why are you so late, and looking so exhausted?”

“Ah, that…” Jian Chengxi, still catching his breath, gave an awkward laugh. “It’s just that the streets here in the south of the city are far too many with main roads and little alleys crisscrossing everywhere like a maze. Honestly, your street planning and design are really unreasonable. Hasn’t anyone ever reported this or made suggestions?”

The teacher looked a little stunned. “So you’re saying…?”

Jian Chengxi glanced at the two children with a hint of guilt, then lowered his voice. “I accidentally got lost.”

Li Chen and Li Sui­sui: “…”

With a Daddy this clueless, whose intelligence had they actually inherited?