Chapter 913: Praying for Wonder, A Miraculous Stroke [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Kang Nian did not shy away from this issue.

If he had known Qi Shan's true identity sooner, making Qi Shan the Kang family's son-in-law would have been far more effective in bringing the two families closer than adopting Kang Miao. Adopting Kang Miao would have made her Qi Shan's biological daughter. The Kang family and Kang Miao would then be connected only by blood, with no other ties whatsoever.

To put it bluntly, she wouldn't even be considered guilty of the extermination of her entire family.

Kang Shi looked at his elder brother and remained silent for a long time.

In a daze, the figures of his elder brother and father overlapped for a moment. The person standing in front of him was not only Kang Nian, but also his strict father and the head of the Kang family who had been with him throughout his childhood and adolescence. Kang Shi sighed and closed his eyes: "It's too late to say anything more now."

His words were tantamount to tacitly acknowledging the adoption.

Compared to the shocking choice of "forced marriage," giving Kang Miao to Qi Shan as his daughter, fulfilling his wish, is actually a good ending. Optimistically, perhaps Tan Qu can truly emerge from the shadow of "Yuan Liang" and be reborn.

Kang Shi made up an excuse to leave, and Kang Nian knew that his younger brother had a knot in his heart and was still emotional, so it was not advisable to force him to stay.

Kang Miao said, "Fourth Uncle, let me see you off."

Without saying a word, Kang Miao got up.

Upon hearing the voice, Kang Shi felt a jolt, as if struck by lightning. He belatedly realized that his conversation with his elder brother hadn't been kept in the dark about his seemingly insignificant niece. Sigh, she'd be his cousin's daughter soon; his elder brother was truly heartless to send her away like that.

If it were me, I definitely wouldn't be able to bear it.

"Fourth Uncle, please don't blame Father. He has his own difficulties." She said she was seeing him off, but she didn't just walk him a few steps. She didn't speak until they were quite far from the tent, trying to ease the tension between the elders.

Seeing his niece's thoughtfulness, Kang Shi's anger only intensified.

“Of course I know he has his difficulties, but it’s hard to accept that he would use his scheming against his own people. Miao’er, don’t you feel bad? Adoption is no small matter. Once you are adopted, you will no longer be ‘Kang Miao’, but ‘Qi Miao’.”

From then on, she had no father-daughter/mother-daughter relationship with her biological parents; when they met, she could only call them cousins, uncle and aunt. Her siblings were no longer her siblings. She was far removed from her familiar family of origin and called a stranger "father"...

Kang Miao is only eleven years old.

How do we cope with such a huge change?

“My father told me about this before I came.”

Kang Miao said this very seriously.

Kang Shi said, "Did I tell you? You know that?"

Kang Miao nodded: "Nephew knows."

Her face was completely non-aggressive, delicate, docile, and obedient, like a soft, white lump of dough that could be kneaded at will.

Fearing that Kang Shi wouldn't believe her, she continued, "It was my own promise. I just feel guilty that I won't be able to take care of you in your old age and see you off when you die. Fortunately, I have several older brothers and younger brothers, and my older sister is by my mother's side. They will definitely take good care of you."

Kang Shi asked, puzzled, "Why?"

Kang Miao looked at him with suspicion: "If it were Fourth Uncle, what reason would you have to refuse? I'm eleven years old, and Mother is helping me find a husband. I can get engaged after my coming-of-age ceremony and marry at sixteen or eighteen. But I don't really want to..."

Kang Shi looked at her and sighed, "If you don't want to get married so early, talk to your father. You have the aptitude for cultivation, and he won't object. If your cultivation speed is decent, whether you choose literature or martial arts, no one will say anything if you get married in your thirties or fifties. But if you're adopted out, you won't have so much freedom. You've heard your father say that you'll be carrying on two families in the future, so marriage will be difficult..."

This silly child actually agreed to be adopted.

Kang Miao seemed troubled, but quickly relaxed her brows: "...But if I don't adopt him, my nephew will have to call you fourth brother."

Kang Shi: "..."

My own brother would actually do something like that.

Despite Qi Yuanliang's infamous reputation, he only has two weaknesses: his lord and Zhen Qishan. If Kang Nian were to propose marriage to Kang Miao, given Qi Yuanliang's limited intelligence, he would genuinely agree. His niece becoming his sister-in-law—that would be absolutely explosive! Thinking of this, Kang Shi couldn't help but let his thoughts wander again—

Of course, Qi Yuanliang might not agree.

Kangmiao and Zhenqishan look so alike, I can't bring myself to eat them.

As for their ages, that is the least important issue. Wenxin Wenshi lived a long life, which is extraordinary. Even if Qishan and others lived for another ten or eight years, they would still be in their prime.

Kang Miao then asked, "Are Fourth Uncle and Uncle Qi very familiar with each other?"

Kang Shi said, "Very well-known."

"Could you tell my nephew about it?"

Kang Shi snorted, “This fellow’s misdeeds are too numerous to recount. I’m afraid if I tell you, you’ll be too scared to sleep at night. However—Qi Yuanliang may have a bad reputation outside, but he’s very good to his own people. After you are adopted, just treat him like your own father. With your qualifications, as long as you don’t do anything outrageous, even if you cause a huge disaster, he will gladly cover for you.”

Kang Miao hadn't missed Kang Shi's conversation with her father, so she naturally knew that Uncle Qi's special treatment of her stemmed from her face. He transferred his guilt towards the "real Uncle Qi" to her. Kang Miao didn't ask anything else: "Anything out of line?"

"For example, if it endangers the lord, you just need to avoid crossing that line. As for the rest—you can be a little more unrestrained."

If Kang Miao misbehaves and causes trouble, leaving Qi Shan constantly cleaning up her messes and running around in a frenzy, the comedic effect will be off the charts. Kang Shi is vaguely looking forward to this scene.

Kang Miao didn't know Shen Tang personally, only had heard some rumors about her, some good and some bad. Being confined to her room and unaware of the outside world, she couldn't make any judgment about her. But there was one thing she greatly admired—Shen Jun, as a woman, had reached the pinnacle of worldly power.

This position was beyond the reach of even Kang Miao's father, Kang Nian, whom she had admired since childhood. She knew that Shen Jun was very capable.

Such a person—

How could she possibly endanger them?

“Whether it’s willful or not depends on what kind of person Uncle Qi is. If he doesn’t follow the rules, then it’s not a problem no matter how much I break the rules. If he is law-abiding, then my breaking the rules will be considered rude and uncouth,” Kang Miao said softly. “If it’s the latter, then I cannot ‘take advantage of his favor’…”

"Qi Yuanliang himself is not a rule-abiding person."

Kang Shi wanted to roll his eyes.

Praying for good deeds has nothing to do with "following the rules and regulations".

Kang Miao blinked: "Not this Uncle Qi."

The "Uncle Qi" in that sentence refers to the real one.

Kang Shi suddenly understood, then fell silent again. He looked at his young niece with complicated emotions, feeling sorry for her precociousness and maturity. Kang Miao, however, felt that it was nothing.

She is very clear about her strengths and weaknesses.

Her advantage is that she can gain favor without any effort, while her disadvantage is that this favor does not originate from her own actions.

If her words and actions differed from, or even contradicted, Uncle Qi's expectations, it would be seen as defiling his benefactor, causing him to despise her as a mere imitation. This face was truly a double-edged sword for her.

After a long pause, Kang Shi said, "The most valuable thing about a person is sincerity. Just follow your heart. Qi Yuanliang has seen all kinds of storms. He may not realize it at first, but as time goes by, he will know that you are you and 'he' is 'he'."

Therefore, there's no need to be so cautious.

Kang Miao nodded reservedly.

As they were talking, Kang Shi's camp arrived.

If Qi Shan knew what Kang Shi was worried about, he might roll his eyes and curse a couple of times. He admitted that the moment he saw Kang Miao, he couldn't help but wonder if Kang Miao was the reincarnation of "Qi Shan". After calming down a bit, the thought disappeared.

Regardless of whether the two are related, Kang Miao is now simply Kang Miao. To treat her as a substitute for someone else is a desecration of both of them. After calming herself down, Qi Shan went to find her mistress and told her that she was going to be a father!

Shen Tang was so startled that her hand trembled, and the brush stroke went far away.

The ghost cried out, "You're going to be a father?"

Holy crap, they've been silent all along, but now they've made a stunning debut!

Qi Yuanliang was actually the first subordinate to create a "leek" for her after she joined the company! Shen Tang didn't care about the ruined books and scrolls. She got up, stepped over the desk, and pressed Qi Shan back into her seat in three quick steps: "Is it a boy or a girl... ugh, I mean, is it a boy or a girl? Who did you have the baby with? Such a big thing as getting married, and you didn't even tell me. I was supposed to officiate your wedding! I know all the emcee scripts you need!"

She found a partner without saying a word!

Once one is found, another will follow. There will definitely be more single people in the future, and fresh leeks will sprout from the fields!

Qi Shan said, "We are not married."

Shen Tang was about to reprimand him: "You got in the car first? That's not right of you. You've already gotten the child, and you still won't give her a proper status?"

Qi Shan: "...Not his biological child."

I don't need to read minds to know what she's thinking.

Shen Tang's expression froze: "You're going to be a father unexpectedly?"

For a moment, themes involving multiple wives flashed through my mind.

Qi Shan impatiently pushed her face away as she leaned in: "It's an adoption, an adoption of a child, a girl! A child from the Kang family, she's Yuan Liang's cousin by blood. She should also be the child closest to him by blood..."

Shen Tang patted his shoulder: "Tsk, you got what you wanted. How did you convince those parents to give up their child? Do you want me to step in and stop those parents who come to demand their child back?"

Qi Shan said, "Kang Bo Sui brought it up himself."

Shen Tang paused: "Kang Bosui's daughter?"

"It seems the Kang family is indeed in a precarious situation." Kang Shi wasn't close to the Kang family, and he hadn't even mentioned the serious incident at the Hongmen Banquet to his family. It was no surprise that Kang Nian turned to court him. "What does my lord think?"

"I can't afford a gift for your daughter."

She opened the purse to show him how clean it was inside.

Qi Shan: "..."

"Or you could lend me some money so I can save face. Besides Xu Wenshi, I reckon your secret stash is the richest among my subordinates." Using so many pseudonyms to collect salaries from the Gods' Society, Qi Shan must have saved most of it by living frugally.

Qi Shan: "...That works too."

Shen Tang agreed to take some time to attend the adoption ceremony in person, to raise Kang Miao's status, which was also a way for Qi Shan to earn face for Kang Miao. However, as she was leaving, Qi Shan also heard her master nagging, "Your daughter will be a member of the Qi family from now on."

The Qi family should not get too close to the Kang family.

Adoption is not child's play.

Qi Shan smiled and said, "That's natural."

Shen Tang said, "Qi Miao, it is indeed quite wonderful."

If the original procedure had been followed—Kang Nian would have symbolically written a letter to ask for his wife's opinion, and after receiving a clear reply, he would have presided over the adoption ceremony, which would have taken about ten days—but Shen Tang's sudden intervention meant that this process was skipped entirely.

Kang Nian was surprised that Qi Shan would ask Shen Tang for help, and said, "Shen Jun is busy with many affairs every day, how can he be distracted by my daughter's matter?"

Shen Tang: "Yuan Liang taking in a daughter is also an important matter."

The venue was temporarily set up by hiring people.

The guests attending the ceremony were all personally invited by Qi Shan.

Although the group was small, they had rounded up all of Shen Tang's key officials; anyone still at the main camp had been brought over. The expressions on everyone's faces varied. Jiang Sheng muttered, "That Qi Yuanliang guy just got someone's daughter for free, could it be some kind of cunning or robbery?"

Kang Miao was dressed up carefully.

Her already outstanding appearance became even more charming.

Even though Jiang Sheng has a daughter, he still feels envious.

As he spoke, Jiang Sheng looked at the "victim" Kang Nian and winked at him: "Brother Kang, if you have something difficult to say, you don't have to. You just need to blink. Others may be afraid of him, but we are not. We will definitely help you get justice and avenge the loss of your daughter."

Kang Nian's lips twitched slightly: "No..."

He kept his eyes wide open, not daring to blink.

They were afraid that Jiang Sheng would actually do it.

Xun Zhen chimed in, "Why did Brother Bo Sui agree to give his daughter to him for adoption? Do you know how utterly unscrupulous this man is? You're handing over a perfectly good daughter to him to raise, only to have her turn into a little villain."

If Qi Shan hadn't been watching him, he would have told Kang Nian about Qi Shan's ability to cross-dress; several people present had been harmed by him, and there were countless other victims outside. In short, Qi Yuanliang was simply not cut out for raising children…

Kang Nian wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Does Qishan not discriminate when inviting guests?

Some are sabotaging the project, while others are just watching the show.

Only Qin Li, a guest at the ceremony, was very polite. He gave Kang Miao a small gift of considerable value and advised her, "Qi Yuanliang isn't all that great. Take the good and discard the bad. Learn what you should learn, and don't blindly follow him in learning what you shouldn't."

For example, smoking, drinking, and playing cards.

Qi Shan was almost driven to death by these colleagues.

On such a joyous day, you even made him unhappy!

The adoption ceremony was solemn but not lengthy. Kang Miao bid farewell to Kang Nian, who sat in the main seat, and listened to his instructions and teachings. Then, the master of ceremonies wrote Kang Miao's name under Qi Shan's name and offered tea to Qi Shan, thus concluding the ceremony. Kang Miao, no, she is now Qi Miao.

She held out the tea: "Please have some tea, Father."

Qi Shan looked at Qi Miao, who had her head bowed and eyes downcast.

Although she was dressed formally today, her clothes were simple and somewhat masculine in style. In addition, her figure had not yet fully developed, making her look exactly like a teenage version of "Qi Yuanliang". He suddenly had a strange feeling, as if "Qi Yuanliang" was calling him father.

"Um."

He answered loudly.

This cup of tea is inexplicably sweet.

“Yuan...Yuan Qiao, good child, get up.”

Shen Tang: "...You named the child this?"

Was he trying to call out "Yuanliang" just now?

Qi Shan asked, "Is there something wrong with it?"

"The father's name is Qi Yuanliang, and the daughter's name is Qi Yuanqiao. If the two of them go out together, people who don't know them will think they are siblings." If Qi Shan really uses the temporary name "Yuanqiao" as Qi Miao's courtesy name, he will definitely have to have his oxygen tube removed when he gets old.

Qi Shan went down the steps.

"Since that's what you say, sir, let's think about it some more."

The seemingly smooth adoption ceremony encountered a minor setback.

Cui Xiao looked at Qi Miao with suspicion.

(へ╬)

Ugh, my writing software crashed and swallowed my draft.

P.S.: By the way, Wan'er's new book is now available. I'm going to copy the synopsis of her book.

Synopsis: Time travel to the Han Dynasty.

Reborn in the funeral hall, Zhao Fusheng wakes up to find himself entangled with a vengeful ghost and doomed.

Despite facing certain death at the start, she miraculously survived and restarted the Investiture of the Gods.

He will deify the vengeful ghosts and rebuild the underworld.

P.S.: Wait, it's October 7th already. I only remembered today is my birthday according to my ID card after receiving a birthday greeting card from the author's backend.

(End of this chapter)