Chapter 283: Teaching the Wild Man to Write His Own Name

Twilight hung low, Nan Qinghuan finally let the children finish school; on the first day, the Tribe's children learned what characters were, and under her careful teaching they learned to write their own names.

For example, A Tu.

Little A Tu was delighted to see his name, extending his tiny, dark fingers to touch the characters on the wooden board.

"A Tu, this is A Tu, right?"

"This is A Tu. Did you remember it, A Tu?"

A Tu's eyes were filled with sparkling light as he gently touched the dark characters.

A Tu.

So this is his name.

"Thank you, Divine Sister, I can write my name now."

"A Tu, it's time to go home for a meal."

"Coming..."

A Tu's mother came to pick him up, and upon seeing Ying and Nan Qinghuan she hurriedly greeted, "Thank the Clan Leader and Ou Mu; my child hasn't caused any trouble, right?"

"No, A Tu is well‑behaved and obedient."

"That's good, that's good. Ou Mu, are these all characters? Ying, didn't you go to the Aurora... before?"

"Enough, you go home quickly, it's getting dark."

When Ying suddenly stopped, A Tu's mother realized he didn't want to say more, and gave an awkward smile, "Then I'll take my child back."

Nan Qinghuan sensed that Ying was hiding something; she slightly frowned, "Ying, I've always been curious why you and Youchao Xuan sometimes speak in such flowery language. Did you go outside..."

"No, Qinghuan, don't overthink. You've taught so many children; now it's my turn to be taught, right?"

He refused to speak about those matters at all.

"You?"

She was a bit puzzled; today she hadn't just taught some ordinary characters. She planned to, when she had time, let all the tribe's children learn Literacy, using nothing too complicated—simple would do, teaching slowly, so that later they would have culture. Though she didn't know whether the simplified characters she brought would advance this ancient development or overturn the gears of history, she had come, and since this was Heaven's arrangement, it must be reasonable.

Since we're here, we make the best of it!

She firmly believed that everything would have the best arrangement; once the tribe becomes literate, they could end the years of recording events with grass rope.

Ying reached out to gently stroke her cheek, hurriedly helped her sit down beside him, "You're tired, aren't you? Standing for so long must be exhausting; my child is also tired."

Nan Qinghuan was speechless; the child was only a little over a month old and couldn't possibly know anything.

"He's still as small as a bean, doesn't know what tiredness is."

"A bean?"

Ying didn't know what a bean was, frowned at her, "Qinghuan, child..."

"The child is fine, no problem."

Nan Qinghuan felt helpless, how could she explain the origin of life? "Ying, don't worry, our child is healthy; he is growing well inside my womb."

Ying, however, was very worried; he feared his child wouldn't grow. "From today on, you must eat a lot of meat every day; the child can only grow big by eating more meat."

"Eat meat?"

She couldn't let the child become too plump, otherwise birth would be painful!

These primitive conditions might result in both mother and child perishing.

Seeing Ying's worried expression, she gently cupped his face intimately, "Ying, now that I'm pregnant I must train my body more; I can't overeat, I can't oversleep, and I can't get too fat, otherwise I could die during birth."

"Die?"

Ying gasped a cold breath, frightened, and grabbed her arm, "Qinghuan..."

"So I mustn't get too plump; I have to train my body."

She worried that if Ying really made her fat it would be disastrous; there is no cesarean section here, a child couldn't be born.

Ying didn't understand her words, but what Qinghuan said was correct.

"Then shall I take you out for a walk every day, okay?"

"Okay"

Ying's face was full of her, which made Nan Qinghuan very satisfied; this wild husband was truly getting better!

Come, I'll teach you how to write your name. It's a complex name made up of five characters—wan (death), kou (mouth), yue (moon), bei (shell), and fan (ordinary)—which together form Ying.

Nan Qinghuan patiently used a twig to write the character Ying on the ground, "See, this is your name."

Ying, seeing his name, couldn't help reaching out to gently stroke it; his trembling hands showed his joy, "Does learning characters mean I'm no longer illiterate?"

"Illiterate?"

Seeing the man's innocent expression, Nan Qinghuan felt a pang of sympathy, "Ying, don't mind what senior brother says. Since you gave me your life, I've never thought of leaving you. Whether illiterate or a wild man, I'm with you."

These words warmed Ying's heart like spring; he grabbed Nan Qinghuan's waist, holding her tightly, moved to the point of tears.

"Qinghuan, I swear I'll be good to you and the child; I can certainly be worthy of you. That senior brother of yours is just jealous of us, jealous that we have a good life."

Regarding Li Xiang, Nan Qinghuan felt helpless; she needed to persuade the senior brother to abandon his prejudice and coexist peacefully.

After a long while, Ying finally let go, "Then how do I write Qinghuan, so Ying and Qinghuan can be together?"

Nan Qinghuan smiled faintly like a flower, "Qinghuan..."

She wrote her own name on the ground: Nan Qinghuan, Ying!

"Look, this is my name: Nan Qinghuan and Ying."

The characters on the ground made Ying squat and gently touch her name—your name, my surname.

"From now on, can I be called NanYing? The 'Nan' from Nan Qinghuan, right?"

"NanYing?"

Nan Qinghuan almost let out a snort of laughter, "You want to take my surname Nan?"

Ying was proud, "If Qinghuan's surname is Nan, then mine is also Nan. Nan Qinghuan and NanYing will never be separated."

Ying's tone was full of affection and trust toward her, and Nan Qinghuan was deeply moved; he was actually willing to let her take his surname!

Nan Ying.

But it sounds odd.

The single name Ying sounds better.

She couldn't help teasing the man, "Then what should we call our kid?"

Ying, however, was smiling, brushed the dust off his hands and rested his head beside her belly, gently listening to the movements inside; even if it's just a tiny bean, he cherishes it like a treasure.

"I've already decided, we'll call (him/her) A Chun…"

Nan Qinghuan: "…"

"A Chun? Why?"

Her child is named A Chun; she doesn't want such a rustic name!

Ying lifted his gaze, his eyes sparkling, "Because when I met you, you came to me like Spring, so I like the name A Chun."

"No, it's too unpleasant."

Absolutely not!

"Qinghuan doesn't like it?"

Nan Qinghuan nodded as if pounding garlic, and before even deciding boy or girl, this A Chun is really unpleasant.

But that also fits the Ancient People's aesthetic.

Earlier she taught the children the phrase "Ying Spring Summer Autumn Winter" and explained its meaning; he then remembered the character Spring—Spring is wonderful, all things revive, but it's too unpleasant.

"Don't like it, too unpleasant."

"Unpleasant?"

Nan Qinghuan was about to say "let's think it over" when Ji Lei's voice sounded from behind.

"Ying, Rongdi has arrived."