Chapter 31

Tong Jian's wife was a prolific mother, and all of her children were boys. At the door, two young boys were crouching: one was the third son, about five or six years old, and the other was the second son, around seven or eight. Children are simple and don't know how to hide their feelings. The family wasn't well-off, so they only ate meat during festivals. Seeing the five-spice chicken and large pieces of cooked meat on the table, the boys were almost drooling.

Tong Jian's dark face turned red, and he was about to scold the children.

However, Wu Fan waved at the two boys first and said, "Come here! Come here! Do you remember me? Hmm?" He tilted his head and asked awkwardly, "What are your names again? My memory is failing me!"

Tong Jian smiled and gestured for his two sons to come over, saying, "I haven't given them proper names yet. I usually call them Second and Third."

Wu Fan blurted out, "I think we should call them Tong Ying and Tong Wu! It means 'brave and valiant,' and it also implies a hope for their success." He patted his head and added with a smile, "I'm being presumptuous! I'm being presumptuous! Brother, don't be angry!"

Tong Jian smiled and turned to look at his second and third sons, saying, "Did you hear that? Second will be called Tong Ying, and Third will be called Tong Wu. Got it? This is your uncle... no, call him Uncle for now! When you get married to your aunt, he'll be your uncle-in-law. Go play over there! I'll call you for dinner later!"

Naming children isn't something just anyone can do. Wu Fan's somewhat presumptuous behavior was actually approved by Tong Jian, which was a sign of great respect.

Wu Fan was delighted and smiled at the two boys, saying, "It's rare to see you. No need to be so formal. Come! Come! Sit next to Uncle. Eat whatever you want, and if it's not enough, I'll buy more!"

Tong Jian's household rules were quite strict. Only after his permission did the two boys sit next to Wu Fan and eat quietly.

As Wu Fan took care of the two boys, he looked up and saw his eldest son, Tong Wei, entering. Tong Wei was only fifteen but already taller than Wu Fan, standing about seven feet tall. He had broad shoulders and a large frame, with big hands like fans, clearly a good candidate for martial arts. Though he still looked young, he already had a heroic and valiant demeanor. The only downside was his pale, sickly complexion.

Tong Ying and Tong Wu, being younger, probably didn't remember Wu Fan. However, Tong Wei, being older, had played with Wu Fan before. He smiled and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Uncle!"

Wu Fan looked Tong Wei up and down, patted the table, and said with a smile, "Sit here! Sit here! Wow! It's been a while, and Big Brother has grown so tall! Tsk tsk! In a few years, he'll be a fine man!"

Hearing Wu Fan praise his son, Tong Jian was quite pleased but said modestly, "What fine man? He's just a child, still wet behind the ears! If he could have half your abilities, I'd be overjoyed!" He then asked quickly, "Where are your mother and aunt?"

Tong Wei grimaced and looked around, but couldn't say anything for a long time.

Indeed, Tong Jian's wife was a fierce woman. She had abandoned her daughter, Tong Rui, like a discarded package, which was evident. Moreover, when Wu Fan's father died last year, Tong Jian had helped with the funeral, neglecting his farm work, and she had said many unkind words. Now that Wu Fan had risen in rank, becoming a minor officer in just a few months, she was naturally afraid that her actions might affect her eldest son's future.

Wu Fan perked up his ears and called out to the outer room, "Sister-in-law, you're back. Come in! We're not strangers. Let's eat together! Go buy some more wine and dishes, don't be so stingy!"

Sure enough, following Wu Fan's call, a slightly plump woman with a smile on her face entered hesitantly.

Before she could say anything, Wu Fan smiled and said, "Let's not dwell on the past. We're not strangers. I and Tong Rui are just one step away from being in-laws. No need to say more. I know about Big Brother's situation, and I'll take care of it! This child has a bright future and shouldn't be a farmer. It would be a waste of his potential, like using a qilin as a mule!"

Tong Jian's wife, Zhang San, nodded quickly, relieved, and wiped away her tears. Though she didn't say anything, her intentions were clear. On one hand, she was always worried that Wu Fan might hold a grudge. On the other hand, she was afraid that her actions might affect her eldest son's future. As a mother, who wouldn't think about their child's future?

Tong Jian gave Zhang San a couple of meaningful looks and said, "Go eat in the east room! Big Brother, stay here!"

After Zhang San left with the two younger boys, Wu Fan chuckled and poured a bowl of wine for the fifteen-year-old Tong Wei, saying, "Come! Let's have a drink? Hahaha!" Seeing Tong Wei hesitate, Wu Fan laughed and said, "I'm not teasing you. Drinking is bad for you. Don't drink! Tell me, what's going on with you? What did the doctor say?"

Tong Wei scratched his head and shook it, saying, "The doctor didn't find anything. I feel fine, strong as a bull! It's just... sometimes I can't control my strength and break things."

Wu Fan thought for a moment, cleared some space on the table, and said, "Come! Let's test it. Arm wrestling."

Tong Wei, being young and naive, didn't think much of it and grabbed Wu Fan's hand.

This action made Tong Jian quickly say, "Be gentle! Don't hurt..."

"Bang!"

Before he could finish, Wu Fan's hand was easily pressed down.

"Ouch!"

Wu Fan shook his hand, wincing. That hit on the table really hurt.

"You brat! Can't you tell the difference in strength?" Tong Jian was immediately upset and hit him, saying, "I told you to be careful!"

"Brother! Don't worry! Don't worry!" Wu Fan held back Tong Jian, smiling and looking at Tong Wei, "This kid is amazing! A qilin! A qilin! Hahaha! You should be happy! This isn't a disease; it's innate strength! He just can't control it yet! Tsk tsk!" He sighed and added, "Fifteen years old... a bit late! If he had started training a few years ago, he would be even stronger! But it's not too late. Leave it to me!"

Tong Jian was overjoyed, patted Tong Wei's head, and said, "What are you standing there for? Thank your uncle!"

Tong Wei, realizing he had a chance to learn martial arts and become a warrior, no longer needing to farm, and having a chance to rise in society, bowed deeply, saying, "Thank you, Uncle!"

Tong Jian and his son were delighted, and Wu Fan was equally happy. Although his wrist still hurt, he estimated that Tong Wei had at least a thousand pounds of strength! Wu Fan's strength, enhanced by a low-level "innate strength" skill from a system, could only lift three hundred pounds. Tong Wei was extraordinary, with more than three times Wu Fan's strength at just fifteen! If he were trained properly until adulthood... that would be incredible!

Wu Fan wasn't worried about harming Tong Wei because he had the "Great Villain Cultivation System" as his backup. He was confident he could train Tong Wei into a qilin... though he had a bit of resentment. The system had trained him, and it seemed fun, so he wanted to train someone too, at least a warrior! And it would be even better if it were a family member.

Soon, Tong Rui returned from outside, carrying many things. Perhaps still feeling embarrassed, she looked at Wu Fan with a mix of anger and sadness.

Wu Fan ignored Tong Rui, drank a lot with Tong Jian, and found a moment to pull her aside and talk for a while, though it wasn't clear what they discussed.

Returning to the table, Wu Fan said, "Brother, I... bought a new house. It's quite large, and only Tong Rui and I live there. It's too quiet. You are Tong Rui's family, and my family too. How about this: move in with us! Listen to me first. On one hand, you know I'm often away as a Yingyang Guard, and I'm worried about her being alone. On the other hand, I want to teach the three boys, to read, write, and practice martial arts. This is the right path. You can't let them end up like you, farming all their lives, right? People aim high, and water flows low, doesn't it?"

Seeing Wu Fan's sincerity, Tong Jian felt a mix of emotions. He held back his tears but had red eyes as he pulled Tong Wei to bow to Wu Fan.

Wu Fan quickly pulled Tong Jian up, displeased, saying, "Brother, if you do that, it's not right! Come! Let's continue drinking. Tomorrow, you and your wife, and Tong Rui, move in with us!"

Tong Jian nodded quickly, feeling emotional.

...

PS1: Please follow, recommend, and like!

PS2: Thank you to Ghostbeef for the 588-point donation, to Vigo's War for the 1888-point donation, and to PandaCan'tSing for the 500-point donation. Thank you all.

[Page Break]

[Page Break]