Xie Zhitiao
The weather is getting colder, the wheat has already been planted, and the farmers have finally ushered in a short slack season.
People cannot sit idle during the slack season. The market is full of hawking sounds and is crowded with people shopping, making it very lively.
The thin child curled up in the corner, looked at the freshly baked buns on the stall, and swallowed his saliva.
He looked around cautiously, then crouched beside the stall. Just as he was about to touch the buns, he was stopped by someone with a stick.
"Hey, you little brat, how many times have I told you?"
The proprietress put her hands on her hips and scolded him.
This little beggar lurked near their stall all day, always trying to steal a few buns. She looked at him with a mixture of disdain and pity, and threw a bun to him:
"Take it, it's covered in your black handprints, how can I sell it?" She would wave her stick, "Go away, don't disturb me while I'm doing business."
The child picked up the still warm bun. There was only dirt on it, no trace of his handprints.
He glanced at the proprietress who had turned around to go back to work, and ran away.
The little beggar ran back to the dilapidated temple, huddled in a corner and began to eat a bun. He heard a meowing sound from beside him. The little beggar lowered his head to look at the skinny cat and broke off half of the bun.
"That's all I have."
He placed the bun in front of the kitten and slowly ate the remaining half of the bun.
It was raining outside. A man walked into the dilapidated temple to take shelter from the rain and saw a little beggar sharing food with a cat in the corner.
The person who came was Cang He. He happened to pass by here, and it happened to rain, so he stopped to rest.
Seeing that the child looked so thin and pitiful, Canghe suddenly thought of the swamp on the mountain.
Lin Zhuan was raised by them to be plump and adorable, unlike the child in front of him, who had not a pound of flesh on his body.
Seeing the child looking at him warily, like a hedgehog, he felt soft-hearted again.
Perhaps it was because he had a child at home, and he couldn't bear to see the child in such pity. Thinking of this, he took out a bag of snacks from his storage bag.
After having the forest swamp, almost everyone in Xuanxiao Sect carried a few snacks with them, fearing that the children would be hungry. Unexpectedly, they came in handy at this moment.
Canghe took a few steps closer and stopped again when he saw the child retreating warily.
He placed the bag neatly on the ground and said, "Eat something. This is what I prepared for the children at home. Fill your stomach first."
After saying this, fearing that the child would feel uncomfortable, he retreated again until he reached the other end of the dilapidated temple.
The little beggar stared at the bag for a long time. His hunger became even more pronounced because he had eaten half a meat bun.
He suddenly clenched his fists and pulled the bag of snacks towards him.
He can't starve to death.
Cang He sat with his eyes closed on the other side of the dilapidated temple. He seemed to be dozing, but in fact he was watching the child's every move.
Seeing the child eating snacks eagerly, Canghe couldn't help but feel lucky that he had only taken some easily digestible food.
The rain stopped and Canghe left.
The little beggar watched him walk out of the dilapidated temple and even followed him to the temple entrance. He watched the man's back getting farther and farther away until he disappeared.
————
A few days later, Canghe came to this small town again.
The weather was getting colder, and the number of pedestrians on the street decreased a lot. Canghe strolled on the street, watching the hot air he exhaled turn into mist.
Suddenly, his eyes fixed on the small figure at the corner of the street.
It was that little beggar, curled up in the street corner, wearing thin autumn clothes, how could he protect himself from the severe cold?
Cang He stepped forward, took out some clothes from his storage bag, and covered the little beggar with them.
The child's breathing became weak, and he was afraid that the child would die here.
Cang He thought for a moment and picked up the child. The child was so light that he barely weighed anything. Cang He frowned and carried him into an inn.
He asked for a room upstairs and ordered some hot water. Canghe stripped the child naked and threw him into the hot water.
While he was asleep, Canghe washed him clean, put on the clothes he had asked the waiter to buy, and tucked the child into the quilt. Only then did Canghe breathe a sigh of relief.
Worried that the child had a fever, he went to see a doctor again.
After a busy day, the child still fell asleep soundly. Cang He stayed with him all night, and the next morning, he got up and planned to leave.
As soon as I opened the door, the child woke up. He sat up straight and looked at the man at the door:
"...Are you leaving?"
Canghe paused, turned his head to look at him, and nodded.
“…” The child lowered his head, not knowing what he was thinking.
Cang He felt a little reluctant, so he walked back and put a bag of silver next to him: "Here. This silver should be enough for you to get through the winter."
The child looked at the silver, but didn't take it. Instead, he grabbed the corner of Canghe's clothes that he lifted up when he turned around.
"Can you...take me in?"
The child was very nervous.
He knew that forcing himself was not a good idea, but he was only a six-year-old child, without a father or a mother, and the old monk who had taken him in had also passed away. How could he survive?
Cang He frowned, feeling embarrassed. Secretly, he didn't want to bring another child back to the clan.
He sighed, reached out, pushed the child's hand away, and walked out.
Just as he reached the stairs, a child hugged his legs. The next moment, he heard the child crying:
"Daddy, please don't abandon A Tiao."
Cang He: ...?
He was extremely stunned. Several pairs of eyes suddenly raised up from downstairs, each of them surprisingly bright.
Cang He felt that he must have owed this child something in his past life. If he had known that this child would cling to his legs and call him daddy, and that everyone around him would look down on him, he would never have saved him.
Cang He sighed again, bent down resignedly, picked up the child on the ground, and went into the room.
"You want to go with me just like that? Aren't you afraid that I'm a bad person?" Canghe said with a stern face.
The child was stunned for a moment, fingers clenching the hem of his clothes: "You...you are not a bad person. Bad people won't give me new clothes to wear, won't give me food to eat..."
Cang He sighed. Never mind, it was just another child to bring back. Couldn't the vast Xuan Xiao Sect accommodate another child?
"Do you have a name?"
The child's eyes lit up and he raised his head: "My name is Xie Zhitiao."
This is the name given to him by the old monk. It follows the monk's surname before he became a monk, and the two characters "Zhi Tiao" are taken to express the hope that he will keep his mind on the distant places and keep moving forward.
————
Canghe did the same thing a few years ago, and now he has brought back a child. Everyone is no longer surprised.
Several elders gathered to discuss Xie Zhitiao's whereabouts. Ling Qingqiu and You Jingjia were both busy today, so Lin Zhuo stayed with Hua Fangyi.
Seeing the elders busy, Xiao Linzhao brought his own small stool and sat next to Xiao Xie Zhitiao: "Are you also a disciple picked up by the master?"
The little girl was wearing a pale pink dress, with delicate pigtails and a pearl flower on her head bought by her senior sister. She was fair and innocent.
Xie Zhitiao suddenly felt unable to raise his head. He slowly glanced at the little girl's eyebrows and responded softly.
Xiaolinuma held his chin in his hand and smiled: "I'm finally not the youngest child anymore."
Indeed not, Xie Zhitiao is one year younger than her.
Cang He and several elders discussed it over and over again, but they were still unsure of which disciple Xie Zhitiao should follow.
He had checked it out when he brought the child back. The child was very talented and would achieve success with anyone he followed.
Unfortunately, they all had a lot of things to do, and the only suitable one, Hua Fangyi, didn't want to accept him as a disciple.
After much deliberation, Wan Wuji walked towards the two children, squatted down and asked, "Zhi Tiao, what kind of Taoism do you want to learn?"
"Sword cultivator, alchemy cultivator, weapon cultivator, or ruthless cultivator?"
Since we don't know how to decide where he will go, let him choose for himself.
Xie Zhitiao blinked and looked at him. Lin Zhuo had run towards Cang He when Wan Wuji came over, and was now clinging to his legs.
Xie Zhitiao pursed his lips and looked at the pale pink figure, cautiously and expectantly: "Can I... learn a way from her?"
————
Canghe himself didn't think it was a big deal. He already had three disciples, so one more wouldn't be a big deal.
Anyway, it was Ling Qingqiu who taught me.
Cang He thought for a moment and patted Xiao Linzhao's head beside him: "Where's Zhao Zhao? Do you want another junior disciple?"
Zhao Zhao was the first child he brought back, and she was loved and pampered. If she didn't want to be shared with this love, she should let Xie Zhitiao become his disciple.
Xiao Lin Numa rubbed his hand and said, "Zhao Zhao also wants to be a senior sister."
She saw that her senior sister was always surrounded by other senior brothers and sisters from the inner sect, and she looked so majestic!
She is not greedy, she just wants a little follower.
Cang He said nothing more and walked forward. Passing by Xie Zhitiao, he pulled out a storage ring from his sleeve and placed it in his palm.
"Come to the main hall tomorrow to become my disciple."
Cang He tried his best to soften his tone.
Since he wants to receive, he will give him everything that others have.
————
When You Jingjia returned to the clan, she bought a string of candied haws at the market at the foot of the mountain. Zhao Zhao rarely ate this kind of thing, so having one now and then wasn't a problem. Ling Qingqiu shouldn't... complain, right?
As soon as they returned to Guzhao Peak, You Jingjia called out to Lin Zhuo, "Zhao Zhao! Senior Sister is back. She brought you some candied haws!"
Xiao Linzhao rushed out of the room and hugged You Jingjia's legs: "Zhao Zhao likes Senior Sister the most!"
You Jingjia smiled and was about to hand the candied haws to her, but she saw a little follower following her junior sister.
You Jingjia was horrified when she caught sight of the little follower. What was going on? Wasn't she only out for a few hours?!
She hesitated, and Xiaolinuma keenly noticed her hesitation and happily took her hand:
"Senior Sister! Master said that A-Tiao will be my junior fellow apprentice from now on! I'm going to be a senior sister too!"
You Jingjia felt a black screen before her eyes.
So, she will have to take care of two children in the future?
Xie Zhitiao was very sensitive to changes in emotions. When he noticed that You Jingjia was not happy, he lowered his head.
He just knew, how could anyone like him the first time they met?
He looked at the little girl in front of him again and added: Except senior sister.
The apprenticeship ceremony was held on the third day after Xie Zhitiao went up the mountain.
When You Jingjia just came back, she was not prepared for Xie Zhitiao's appearance, so in addition to the gift for becoming a disciple, she secretly prepared another gift for him.
Ling Qingqiu returned the day before the apprenticeship ceremony. You Jingjia told him privately about the arrival of his junior brother, so Ling Qingqiu brought a gift when he returned.
Because on the first day they met, You Jingjia realized that this child did not grow up being loved like Zhao Zhao, he was withdrawn and sensitive.
It doesn't matter. What Xuan Xiao Sect is best at is raising children. To hell with being withdrawn and sensitive.
————
You Jingjia was right. Xuanxiao Sect was best at raising lawless children. Xie Zhitiao was extremely sensitive when he first arrived, but after a few years, he was already able to argue with You Jingjia.
Wan Wuji couldn't help laughing and crying every time he saw them quarreling. Xie Zhitiao was raised exactly like Cang He when he was a child, lawless but also very sensible.
He was tired of trying to mediate so many fights, so he simply asked Ling Qingqiu to judge between them.
Ling Qingqiu wasn't good at handling this kind of situation, and was often silenced by the two of them arguing. Later, he discovered that the best person to subdue them was Lin Zhuo.
Don’t ask why Canghe is gone, because Canghe ran away again.
————
Young people always admire Ai, let alone Xie Zhitiao who stays with Lin Zhuo all day long.
One day, Xie Zhitiao took You Jingjia's storybook to read, and had a dream that night.
"Do you like me?"
"But I like you so much."
"Why are you crying?"
"Then I'll be gentle, okay?"
"What should I do? When I think about you crying because of my kiss, I want to kiss you even more."
Xie Zhitiao woke up with a red face and ears. Before he could calm down, he heard Lin Zhuo's voice outside: "A Tiao, get up and practice sword."
…
Damn it.
He then realized that his feelings for her were more than just a brotherly one.
————
At the age of one hundred and fourteen, Lin Zhuo agreed to marry him.
From now on, we will live and die together, never separated, in heaven and on earth.
Xie Zhitiao will always love Lin Swamp.
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