Chapter 20: Jiang An'an For Life

Glancing at the untouched tea on the table, Jiang Wang said, "Auntie, have you eaten? I'll order a table at the restaurant later."

"Oh, I'll order it!" Du Yehou said, relieved. "I know all the restaurants in Maple Leaf City!"

Auntie Song sat down and waved her hand, "No hurry, I'm here to see you about something."

Looking at Jiang An'an, who was secretly observing him, Jiang Wang returned a gentle smile and said, "What is it? Please tell me."

Auntie Song touched Jiang An'an's head: "Can you go out with these two older brothers for a walk? See where your brother lives and cultivates."

Du Yehou immediately opened his arms to little An'an, his big face wrinkled into a smile like an old chrysanthemum, "Come on, Brother Tiger will take you to buy delicious food!"

Ling He also consciously said, "Don't worry, we and Jiang Wang are brothers for life. We will definitely take good care of An'an."

Little An'an was very sensible, although timid and shy, but when Auntie Song spoke, she still took a few tentative steps towards Ling He.

No matter how you looked at it, Ling He, with his upright appearance and gentle smile, was much more reliable than Du Yehou, who had a full beard and an exaggerated and frightening smile.

Ling He happily took Jiang An'an out. Before leaving, Du Yehou glared at Jiang Wang, his eyes clearly saying, "What does your sister mean?"

After they left, Jiang Wang put away his smile and looked at Auntie Song, "Has Phoenix Creek Town been peaceful recently? How's the family business?"

"There's nothing big, but..." Auntie Song hesitated.

Jiang Wang patiently said, "Tell me what's wrong."

"Ever since your father passed away, the business in the shop has been getting worse every day. We mother and daughter are barely surviving..." As she spoke, Auntie Song suddenly took out a handkerchief and wiped her tears.

The family's only remaining shop was a medicinal herb business. Although it wasn't large, it had been established for many years, and had a good reputation throughout Phoenix Creek Town. When the family fortune declined, almost all the property was sold, but this medicinal herb shop was left because it was long-standing. With this shop in hand, although they couldn't become rich, they would never have to struggle to survive.

What kind of talent would it take to run a steady medicinal herb shop into the ground in just a few years?

Jiang Wang wasn't a fool. When his father was still alive, he had deliberately taught him some business matters, hoping that if he failed in his cultivation, he could still go back and live a stable life.

He knew there must be a problem, but Jiang Wang just said, "Is there anything I can help with, Auntie?"

He thought that if she needed some money, he could scrape some together. After all, Jiang An'an was his only sister. Even if it was just for her sake, he hoped they could live better.

"I know you've always worked hard, and you'll definitely have a good future. But Auntie..." Auntie Song wiped her tears, "Auntie is just a woman, and I don't have any skills. I really can't manage it..."

She looked at Jiang Wang with teary eyes: "Can I leave An'an with you?"

The last trace of warmth in Jiang Wang's eyes disappeared.

He never thought that this woman didn't even want her own daughter.

Jiang Wang slowly nodded and said, "It seems you've found a good family?"

Auntie Song lowered her eyes slightly. Only now, in front of her late husband's eldest son, did she suddenly feel a trace of shame. It slowly crawled out from the deepest part of her heart.

"Marriages and funerals are normal," Jiang Wang didn't say anything harsh. "Does An'an know she's going to live with me?"

"She doesn't know yet. I thought I'd ask your opinion first. You know she's always been timid and afraid of strangers. Even if I took her with me, she wouldn't be happy..." Auntie Song explained, but her voice was getting lower and lower.

"I understand," Jiang Wang interrupted her. "Should I tell her, or will you tell her?"

"You tell her..." Auntie Song said, "I... I have to go now, the carriage is waiting for me outside the city."

Jiang Wang was silent for a while, "Alright. Then I won't see you off."

"I'll send you some money every month."

"No need. I can afford to raise An'an. Auntie, you... take care of yourself."

"Okay. You and An'an take care." Auntie Song finished speaking and stood up.

After taking two steps, she suddenly stopped, turned back, and said to Jiang Wang with tears in her eyes, "An'an doesn't like to eat winter melon, she likes eggplant, and she loves sweets... but don't give her too much."

"She often kicks off the quilt when she sleeps... she... she's young and doesn't understand things. You, as her brother, have to be considerate."

"Auntie," Jiang Wang didn't want to say anything more, but seeing Auntie Song acting like this, he couldn't help but say, "I don't know if you remember? My father could have lived for two more years, but he refused treatment, wanting to leave the family property to you. To take good care of my younger sister..."

Auntie Song was speechless and covered her face as she left.

Jiang Wang sat there blankly for a long time before pouring himself a cup of tea.

In recent years, he had been seeking the Way outside, and no matter how difficult it was, he had never asked the family for a penny. It was because he thought of his father bedridden and Auntie Song and An'an struggling to survive. It was because he thought his father would rather die sooner than burden them. How could he take the family's money?

Even though he was the most undisputed heir to that considerable family fortune.

The conversation from back then seemed to echo in his ears:

"Xiao Wang, you're all grown up now. You can take care of yourself, right?"

"Yes, Father."

That childish figure seemed to overlap with the present, intersecting through the years.

"And I can also take care of An'an," Jiang Wang said softly.

...

Ling He and Du Yehou took Jiang An'an for a short walk and then returned.

"Huh, where's auntie?" Du Yehou asked thoughtlessly.

Ling He subconsciously wanted to hold An'an tighter, but the little hand stubbornly pulled away.

Jiang Wang looked over, and the little girl, not even five years old, just stood there silently, gently biting her lip, her big, bright eyes not blinking.

She stood between Ling He and Du Yehou, but seemed isolated in a corner of the vast world.

She didn't cry or make a fuss.

Jiang Wang strode over, squatted down, and hugged the little figure into his arms. He also pulled her back from that lonely corner of the world, back to the vibrant human world.

"An'an, you'll live with your brother from now on. Brother will play with you often, just like we used to. I don't know if you remember, you were so little back then..."

"Right, right, Brother Tiger will also play with you often in the future!" Du Yehou quickly added.

Little An'an glanced at him expressionlessly and turned her gaze away, then gently buried her head on Jiang Wang's shoulder.

"Alright," Jiang Wang stood up with An'an in his arms, "An'an will live with me from now on. It's not convenient to live in the dormitory, so I have to find a place to live first. We'll eat together later."

"We should find a place to live first," Ling He took out two pieces of silver from his pocket and stuffed them into Jiang Wang's hand, "Take this money."

After entering the inner sect, Ling He's life was no longer so tight. The Taoist academy would issue monthly allowances. But these two pieces of silver were all his savings.

"Ah, right, right," Inspired, Du Yehou immediately began to search all over his body, but in the end, he only managed to find four knife coins, and sheepishly put them into Jiang Wang's hand, "My allowance for this month has already been drunk away."

Then he swore: "Next month, next month I won't drink, I'll save money to buy new clothes for An'an!"

Jiang Wang wasn't polite. He casually stuffed the money into his pocket and left with Jiang An'an in his arms.

They had already walked far away, and Du Yehou was still leaning against the door, looking after them. "Little An'an is so cute! Hey, Lao Ling, why don't I have a sister?"

"Lao Ling?" Du Yehou turned around, and Ling He was already sitting cross-legged on his bed.

A sister with a full beard, how scary would that be? Ling He thought.

"Just like Old Three, all training maniacs!" Du Yehou muttered, walked to the window, picked up the cup of tea that Jiang Wang had poured earlier, and gulped it down.

"Pui, pui, pui!" Du Yehou spat out a few times, "Why is this tea so bitter?"

"Serves you right!" Ling He said angrily.