Chapter 1
Chapter 1: A Daughter's Birth, A Blessed Dao Fruit
Chapter 1: A Daughter's Birth, A Blessed Dao Fruit
Dajing, Yunzhou, Thunderstrike City.
A heavy snowfall had transformed the entire dilapidated city into a silver wonderland, its coldness piercing to the bone.
The sky was a hazy gray, and the cold wind cut like knives, slicing through the air and chilling one's very bones.
Li Che tightened his thin cotton jacket against the cold, holding a frozen crucian carp in his hand, which he had paid a hefty price for during the winter.
It was meant to nourish his pregnant wife.
Rubbing his stubble, he exhaled a warm breath into his palm and braved the cold wind, stepping on the snow as he hurried home along the broad streets of Thunderstrike City.
Nineteen years had passed since he crossed over into this world, from a newborn baby to a struggling commoner fighting for survival. Li Che had long abandoned the fantasy of possessing a golden finger.
The tall buildings and neon lights of his previous life had become a distant dream, leaving only a lingering memory that he could never return to.
This world resembled ancient times but was even more dangerous, plagued by natural disasters, calamities, and the rampant presence of malevolent spirits. Life for the common folk was far from easy.
Having come to terms with his fate, Li Che only wanted to protect his wife and child, to live a peaceful and stable life in this second chance at existence.
Following his family's arrangement, he had married at the age of eighteen, and on their wedding night, his wife conceived with a single strike. Now, after ten months of pregnancy, she was about to give birth.
Thunderstrike City was divided into the inner and outer cities. The inner city was said to be the residence of noble families and officials, with wider streets, extravagant lifestyles, and tighter security.
Only those of high status could enter the inner city.
The outer city, on the other hand, was where the majority of hard-working commoners lived.
After walking several miles along the long street, Li Che turned into a small alley, where rows of low-lying black-tiled mud houses came into view.
His hurried footsteps crunched through the soft snow, making a squeaking sound.
"Brother Che! Oh, Brother Che, you've finally finished work and returned!"
"Your wife is about to give birth! Hurry and go see her!"
"You're going to be a father!"
In the distance, familiar neighbors called out to Li Che, alerting him to his wife's impending labor.
Li Che's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this.
Feeling anxious, he quickened his pace and rushed towards his mud house, with snowflakes fluttering behind him.
As dusk settled, Li Che reached his home. The old wooden door was ajar, and from within, he heard his wife's stifled cries of pain, along with the encouraging words of the midwife.
In the small courtyard outside the mud house, an old scholar, Li Liang, sat on a worn-out bench, wearing a cotton-padded jacket beneath a tattered scholar's robe, smoking a dry tobacco pipe.
This scholar was Li Che's elder brother, who had taken him in when his parents passed away from illness when he was eight years old. Li Liang's family had also helped significantly when it came to Li Che's marriage and starting a family.
"Rest assured, Auntie Lei is the best midwife within ten miles. Your wife, Zhang Ya, will be fine, and both mother and child will be safe," the old scholar said, puffing on his pipe.
Having lived two lives, this was Li Che's first time becoming a father, and he couldn't help but feel nervous.
Holding the frozen fish, Li Che paced back and forth in front of the mud house door.
His restlessness annoyed the old scholar, who scolded, "What are you loitering for, young man? You're about to become a father, and you're not showing any composure!"
"Can't you put down that frozen fish first?"
Li Che glanced at him but didn't respond. He didn't put down the fish, but he did stop pacing.
Suddenly, a loud, clear cry rang out from inside the house, causing Li Che's heart to skip a beat.
The old scholar, Li Liang, also stood up, his pipe still in his mouth, as he eagerly watched the house.
At that moment, a muffled thunderous roar echoed through the dim sky, startling the old scholar.
Li Che instinctively looked up, and in the darkening sky, he could vaguely make out the fleeting appearance of a thunder dragon.
A birth accompanied by an anomaly?
Li Che didn't entertain any fantastical thoughts. As the midwife called out, he rushed into the house.
Inside, a charcoal stove warmed the room, dispelling the cold and bringing a touch of comfort.
The midwife held a red-faced infant and said to Li Che, "Congratulations, sir! It's a beautiful baby girl!"
Li Che's face lit up with joy, and for a moment, he didn't know what to do with the frozen fish in his hand. He repeatedly thanked the midwife before finally realizing he should discard the fish.
After expressing his gratitude, he carefully took the baby, his hands trembling slightly, and examined her closely.
As he laid eyes on the newborn, a sense of blood connection seemed to surge within him, though the baby's skin was wrinkled and it was hard to tell if she was pretty or not.
But Li Che felt that this little treasure was the most beautiful child in the world.
Because she was his daughter!
Just as Li Che was filled with joy, gazing at the little one without blinking.
Suddenly, his vision blurred, as if a mirage appeared. It was as if on a barren land, the earth cracked, rocks pierced the sky, and a lush emerald green sprout emerged, soaring upwards.
In an instant, it grew into a towering tree with lush branches and flourishing leaves!
"This..."
Li Che's face was filled with bewilderment.
Then, on the towering tree, as countless leaves trembled, they seemed to reflect a radiance, forming an image of his daughter crying out for the first time in the earthen house.
The vision flashed by, and then, at a visible speed, it began to shrink like a vortex, finally condensing into a crystal-clear, colorful fruit on a branch.
...
[Congratulations on Your Daughter's Birth, Bond Established]
[Your Daughter is Born, Dao Tree Bears Fruit]
[Your daughter is born safely, and you obtain a Dao Fruit]
...
Li Che suddenly snapped back to his senses, and his daughter's cries of "waa waa" continued.
"Husband, let me see our daughter," a weak voice came from the pale, delicate young woman on the bed. Li Che hurriedly and carefully brought the baby closer.
"Wife, look, our child!" Li Che couldn't help but smile, his joy radiating from his face.
The Dao Fruit... he didn't have the mind to think about it at the moment; his heart was filled only with thoughts of his wife and daughter.
Zhang Ya, Li Che's other half, was the woman who, in this chaotic world, was willing to entrust her life to him.
"Husband, our child's nose really resembles yours, so straight and strong," Zhang Ya said, her face weak but filled with joy. She extended her slender finger and touched the baby's little nose.
Li Che looked at his wife with gentle eyes, "Wife, does it hurt?"
Zhang Ya pursed her pale lips and smiled faintly, "No pain, just happiness."
"Husband, what should we name our child?" Zhang Ya asked expectantly, but then seemed to think of something, her gaze shifting past Li Che to the old scholar standing at the door.
Li Che glanced at the old scholar, noticing his furrowed brows. Unlike his usual self, he didn't argue for the right to name the daughter.
Li Che knew what was on his mind.
But he didn't mind. Holding his wife's cold hand, he said softly, "I've been thinking about it for a while now."
"This winter is extremely cold, and I only hope that our little one can stay warm. Let's name her Li Wanxi..."
"Warmth like the morning sun's fire, dispelling disasters, illnesses, and pain, growing up safely and happily."
Li Che spoke softly.
Zhang Ya smiled happily, "Wanxi, what a beautiful name..."
Xixi in Zhang Ya's arms seemed to hear her name and stopped crying, revealing a smile.
However, after a moment, she opened her throat and started crying loudly again.
The midwife hurriedly came closer, "The baby must be hungry, she needs to be fed..."
Li Che and the old scholar, upon hearing this, quickly left the earthen house.
...
...
In the courtyard, goose-feather snowflakes drifted from the sky.
The cold intensified, and the harsh winter wind blew.
Li Che's smile never left his face. Being a father felt like this, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of responsibility to protect his wife and daughter.
However, the old scholar seemed a bit sullen and picked up his tobacco pipe to smoke.
Li Che frowned at the smell of tobacco, "Elder Brother, put it out quickly, the baby is here."
The old scholar sighed, extinguishing the pipe, and muttered, "It's just a girl, why didn't she bring a son? Our Li family..."
Li Che couldn't help but smile at his words, "Does it matter if it's a son or a daughter?"
"Does the Li family have a royal throne to inherit?!"
The old scholar's preference for sons over daughters wasn't easily dismissed, but he fell silent, muttering under his breath.
Li Che shook his head but didn't say more.
He picked up the frozen crucian carp and headed to the kitchen, planning to make a hot crucian carp and tofu soup for his wife.
During the break from cooking the fish soup,
Li Che finally had a moment to himself and decided to study the Dao Fruit that appeared with his daughter's birth.
(End of Chapter)
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