Chapter 396: The Child-Giving Immortal

Xu Qianqian thought he was joking, but when she actually compared the lottery ticket with the winning numbers—

She was stunned at first, then immediately dumbfounded.

"It really won?"

"By the old rule, whoever sees it gets half." Jiang Nian said casually, "Xu Shao, wait till I get the money, I'll split five thousand with you—" However, Xu Qianqian looked utterly unenthused.

"Pfft, who wants your money."

What if I raise the bride price by ten thousand?

He'd have to blow his top.

Just kidding—Old Xu doesn't care about anything at all. Probably when the time comes there won't even be a chance to discuss bride price; he'll just agree straight away.

Thinking of this, Xu Qianqian couldn't help feeling a bit helpless.

Her own dad is never home day after day; even after work he wanders off to relax, occasionally coming home to add some new furniture.

But not coming home is fine too—after all, there's nothing to say even when he does come home.

Once she enters university next year, her dad won't have to keep staying in this county town either; traveling or staying busy with work—either way, he'll be free.

"Sigh, if you don't want it, forget it, I'll keep it for myself." Jiang Nian put the lottery ticket away, casually tucking it into his pocket.

Hearing that, Xu Qianqian couldn't help saying—

"Spend it wisely."

"Right, right, right, spend it wisely." Jiang Nian immediately agreed, brushed it off, then said, "Actually, this is a car-purchasing fund."

"Buy a car?" Xu Qianqian was stunned, turned to look at him, "You have a driv—oh right, you mentioned last time you're working on your driver's license."

After she said it, even she herself felt it was absurd.

Why would a gaokao student, in Gao San, set aside his studies to split his attention learning to drive?

"Right, I'll put in a bit, should be enough to buy a car." Jiang Nian said seriously, "Fifty thousand yuan, buy one with a soul ring."

"You're sick!" The girl immediately lost her composure.

"Hm? What's up with you today?" He looked at Xu Qianqian, "Your aggression is so low—something on your mind?"

"Nothing." Xu Qianqian tucked her hands in.

She was silent for a moment, then picked the topic back up to keep chatting.

"What made you think of buying a car?"

"Want to drive."

"No need to buy one then." Xu Qianqian analyzed, "After buying it you'll keep spending money, yet barely drive it a few times."

"If you really want to drive, why not just take your dad's car for a spin."

"Just kidding, not planning to buy one." Jiang Nian said, "I'm planning to support a net friend I just met—her grandpa's tea house has unsold stock."

Xu Qianqian:

6

A dozen or so minutes later.

"Hiss! ~ Gentle."

"Here, right? It's my first time too, I don't know how to—" "Position! Position... wrong." Xu Qianqian bit her lower lip, "Can you put some heart into it, it's already—

Said it wasn't there."

"Fine, bear with it, don't yell so loud." Jiang Nian said.

"It's fine, this is my living room." She forced down her embarrassment, turned her face away, "The soundproofing... is... very good."

Jiang Nian looked down and couldn't help snorting.

"Walking so carelessly, your foot's swollen into a pig's trotter bun."

"I was thinking about something then, can't blame me entirely." Xu Qianqian said through gritted teeth, "Who told you to suddenly scare me!"

"Heaven can witness, I only called your name." Jiang Nian said.

"You bastard, isn't it because you said last time that if someone calls your name at night don't turn around!" Xu Qianqian grew even angrier hearing that.

"And you call that 'only'! You're responsible!"

"Fine, I'll call and ask Uncle Xu how much the bride price is." Jiang Nian took out his phone, "Hope it's under two hundred eighty thousand—small household, not much money."

"Then we should squeeze even harder!" Xu Qianqian cracked a hellish joke.

Not funny at all, Xu Shao.

Though the squeezing part—do tell, I love hearing it.

Jiang Nian lowered his head and applied medicine for Xu Qianqian, using the warmth of his palm's friction. He took Xu Qianqian from unable to walk to barely able to walk.

"Done, just see if it swells tomorrow."

Hearing that, Xu Qianqian's face went pale.

"What if it swells?"

"Take a day off, no big deal." Jiang Nian stood up, stretched his stiff body, "Tomorrow I'll have my mom make you braised pig's trotters with soybeans."

"No!" Xu Qianqian gulped, immediately blushing, "Don't go telling everyone everything—don't tell Li Yi."

"Then I'll make you soybeans and pig's trotters?" Jiang Nian asked tentatively.

"Okay." Xu Qianqian grinned.

"No way, you're fine with troubling me, are you?" Jiang Nian immediately gave her a look, "Xu Shao, can you show a little restraint?"

"If not for you, would I be like this now!" Xu Qianqian said righteously, "Besides, we're karmic friends."

Jiang Nian rubbed his chin and asked.

"What kind of vocabulary is 'karmic friend,' aren't we good friends worth a deep bond?"

Deep bond?

Xu Qianqian blinked, and her face instantly flushed red.

"Stop talking."

Damn, clearly you're even more 'huang'!

A good friend worth deep bonding — is there anything wrong with that sentence? It's all because of people like you that the Chinese language is completely ruined!

Truly Qin Shi Huang on a swing — 'huang' without limit!

"Fine then, if your foot is still swollen tomorrow..." Jiang Nian said halfway, then auto-corrected, "If your foot is still swollen."

"Don't emphasize it on purpose! It's clearly even more off, okay!" Xu Qianqian covered

her face as she roasted him, her palms already starting to burn hot.

Taiji Bahuang!

"Anyway, if you take leave, I'll come back at noon to cook for you." Jiang Nian said seriously, "And massage your jade feet while I'm at it."

Xu Qianqian: "... You just said 'jade feet,' didn't you?"

"Nope, you misheard." Jiang Nian sat down on the other end of the sofa, separated from her by a coffee table, and asked casually.

"What were you worrying about while walking on the road?"

Hearing this, Xu Qianqian paused.

"Nothing, just... some small things."

Jiang Nian leaned his whole body against the sofa, sinking into it in utter relaxation. He squinted slightly at Ye Yanqing, looking thoroughly content.

Hearing her words, he didn't speak.

The living room instantly fell quiet, sinking into a stretch of silence.

Tick-tock, tick-tock.

Finally, Xu Qianqian couldn't hold it in anymore. Perhaps she felt that even an Emperor shouldn't hide everything from the imperial chef willing to cook for him.

In any case, she was the first to break the silence. "I was thinking about my dad's situation. After mom passed away. He seems to have never moved on — he's almost never home the whole day."

"You want Uncle Xu to pay you more attention?" Jiang Nian asked.

"No no, quite the opposite." Xu Qianqian waved her hand and frowned. "I'm worried that I've become my dad's... burden."

Jiang Nian raised his eyes and glanced at her.

"You won't be Uncle Xu's burden. He actually loves you a lot. It's just that Uncle Xu might also be afraid of becoming your burden."

Hearing this, Xu Qianqian also leaned back into the sofa.

She looked up at the ceiling and said softly.

"Honestly, the year my mom passed away. Every time I slept, I never felt at ease — terrified that when I woke up in the morning, my dad would have killed himself."

"Back then, even if I needed to pee in the morning, I didn't dare leave my room. I had to hear the sounds of my dad getting up before I could relax."

Jiang Nian fell silent, completely unable to get a word in.

"It's all in the past."

"Yeah, it's all in the past." Xu Qianqian smiled. "That's exactly why I'm worried — after I go to college, do you think my dad might..."

,

Jiang Nian's eyes snapped wide open at her words.

In the memory fragments simulated by the system and the reward shards of Xu Qianqian returning to her old home, there seemed to be no trace of Uncle Xu.

Returning... means the old house has been vacant for a long time.

So, under what circumstances would both Uncle Xu and Xu Qianqian not return to their old home for a long time?

Wtf?

No way, it can't be that bad, right? Stay strong, Xu.

He straightened up from the sofa, stared at Xu Qianqian with furrowed brows for a while. Then he stood up, walked solemnly to Xu Qianqian.

"Xu Shao."

What's wrong?" Xu Qianqian instinctively shrank back.

He said, "Give your dad a child."