The Blessed

chapter 08: Catch Fish and Dig Wild Vegetables

He taught the two buns to swim and then helped them wash their bodies, then took a bath himself, up and down, inside and out. Luckily, they were bathing in a stream. If they were really at home, the wasted water would turn into mud and the dirt cleaned away from their bodies would form a layer and clog the drainage. The original owner of his body hadn’t bathed for several years, making Ling Jingxuan feel sick.

“Daddy, what about we eat fish tonight?”

His skin of the whole body turned red after the long-lost and thorough bath. Ling Jingxuan rolled up his hair which was nearly reaching the waist, planning to find out if there were any antiphlogistic and analgesic herbs such as dragon’s tooth herbs or houttuynia cordata nearby. The little bun swam to his front, and his big round eyes looked at him with burning and glowing gleams. Ling Jingxuan found there were traces of saliva beside his small lips. Then he smiled. The little boy must be hungry seeing the fish in the water.

“We can have fish if you can catch some. But don’t approach deep water and only fish in shallow places.”

Ling Jingxuan stretched out his fingers to tap on his forehead like a doting parent.

“Yeah! Daddy, you’re so good. Ge, ge, daddy said we can catch fish, ge”

Besides the excited cheers, the little bun didn’t forget to compliment his dad before leaving, making Ling Jingxuan shake his head helplessly. His smile hadn’t stopped ever since seeing them. The two buns chattered for a moment and then started to catch fish at the edge of the stream. Ling Jingxuan casually pulled his long hair into a lump, his thin little face was pale and kind of immature, the slender phoenix eyes slightly upward, which looked charming. The small and delicate nose bridge stood high and the lips, thin and deep red, although a little dry, but it should be fresh and delicious. He would be a great beauty after dressing well.

The days were long in summer. Although they came here in the middle of the afternoon, they spent quite a long time learning swim and playing. The sun was almost sinking to the west at that time. Ling Jingxuan swam to the shore and observed, then, he really found the houttuynia cordata among those green grass, so he dug them out carefully, tiding them into small bundles and throwing them on the bank. What a harvest!

“Daddy, why did you dig so many weeds?”

The big bun swam over unnoticed, took a look at the tender green weeds, and his small eyebrows tightly knitted together. The boy must be scolding his father for running an irrelevant business in his heart.

“Well, these are not weeds, they are all wild vegetables, and they have anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. They’re a kind of herbal medicine.”

Ling Jingxuan explained to him while keeping digging the herbs, he didn’t stop until taking away all of them. Looking at these wild vegetables piled high, Ling Jingxuan smiled more brilliantly, thinking the natural environment in ancient times was ideal. The wild vegetables were fresh and big, presumably crisp and delicious?

Enlightened by this idea, he really washed several white and fat Houttuynia cordata roots and put them into his mouth. The faint fragrance mixed with a twinge of medicine smell spread between his lips and teeth, which was much more delicious than the ones he planted in his own field.

“What happened? Does your face hurt?”

When he turned around, he saw the big bun’s eyes tearful, so he hurry-scurry picked him up, tentatively touched his red cheeks.

“Daddy, I’m happy. Daddy is not stupid finally. Daddy could even distinguish wild vegetables. Later we’ll dig more and sell them at the market to make some money. Our days will be better. When I grow up, I can help plant the land around our house. I’ll also build two big brick houses for daddy and Xiaowu like grand grandfather’s.”

The big bun was crying, while not forgetting to draw a big pie for his dad with each word not separating from ‘money’. Ling Jinguxuan felt pity. Although the kids in ancient times were mostly premature, Ling Wen was less than five years old. The thoughtful and sensible kid said he would build a big tile house for his dad, making Ling Jinguxuan’s heart that was as hard as iron ache and have the impulse to tears, he felt sad and moved at the same time.

“Okay, from today on, you’re in charge of the money of our family. Be good, don’t cry, daddy has recovered. Our life would be better.”

Feeling happy, Ling Jingxuan handed over the financial power decisively. What he did not imagine was that the big bun was an iron cock. Costing him a penny was like asking him a life. But Ling Jingxuan had no chance to go back on his words then.

“Mmm.”

Wiping away his tears, the big bun shyly withdrew from his arms. His little face turned slightly red. Ling Jingxuan smiled and pretended not to see his shyness. He pulled him to swim to the small bun who was still fluttering in the water, “Have you caught any fish?”

Glancing at the empty barrel, knowing that he got nothing, Ling Jingxuan laughed deliberately.

“No, the fish here are too cunning. I can’t catch any.”

Seeing his daddy, the small bun curled his lips with his face full of grievance. Ling Jingxuan shook his head smilingly and patted the boy on the ass to signal them to go ashore first. “It’s getting dark. Put on your clothes first. Don’t get cold. I’ll see if I can catch some.”

“Okay.”

The small bun looked at his dad with sparkling eyes, almost drooling at the thought of big fish. While the big bun was reserved, but also wearing a face of excitement. The two picked up the clean clothes ashore with their eyes never moving away from Ling Jingxuan, only afraid of missing the moment their dad caught the fish.

Being trusted and adored by his sons like that, Ling Jingxuan only felt so thrilled, but…

Pu~

“Fuck, what are they? Fish demon?”

Several times of failed attempts made the smile on his face disappear. Wild fish were far more sensitive and nimble than large-scale cultured fish. Before he could jump at them, the fish already swam away alertly and quickly, almost disappearing in the blink of an eye. If it were his former body, it would definitely not be a problem to catch one or two. But with this slim body now…

“Daddy…”

The excitement on the two little kids’ faces turned to disappointment, and their upward lips flatted down. Ling Jingxuan looked back at them and felt quite embarrassed and distressed. When he decided to have another try, a big carp swam over, he dived into the water without hesitation, making the children quite nervous and focused on the water surface, holding breaths.

“Daddy? Daddy… Wah~ I don’t want fish anymore. Daddy, don’t die! Daddy…”

Seeing the surface keep quiet for quite a while, the small bun couldn’t help crying. His big brother stretched out his hands and hugged him, with tears in his eyes, helpless, and fear in his heart.  Even when their father was a fool, they did not abandon him. They were not afraid of anything as long as daddy was there. Now they finally had a normal dad and they really liked him very much, if they lost him again…

“Daddy! We don’t want fish anymore. Daddy, where are you? Come out! Daddy…”

“Boohoo~ Daddy…”

Then, even the big bun couldn’t help crying, for fear that their dad, who had had a hard time finally returning to normal, would be gone. The silent stream hovered their cries for a long time.