Chapter 17: Chapter 17: The Refugee Father and Son
The next day.
The Golden Crow rose in the east as usual.
The traps were all dismantled as well, lest someone accidentally trigger them.
In the courtyard, Wentian and Jianyi Mingwei practiced the *Little Dragon-Elephant Art* together.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sounds of the father and son exchanging moves rang out continuously, waking Bai Jing.
She draped a robe over herself and walked out, yawning as she asked, "Husband, Shitou, when did you two wake up?"
Wentian chuckled.
"It's still early. Wife, you can sleep a little longer."
"I'm not the lazy sort. Since Husband and the children are already awake, I naturally should be as well. Are there any clothes that need washing? I'll wash them first."
"There are. I put them in the usual place."
Bai Jing nodded, went back to put on her clothes properly, then carried a wooden basin to the nearby square pond.
"Father, will Mother notice?" Jianyi Mingwei asked with some concern as he looked at Wentian.
Wentian smiled.
"Although we dealt with things simply, it isn't foolproof. But even if she notices, it doesn't matter. Your mother understands the bigger picture. Besides, isn't your father here?"
"Mm."
Jianyi Mingwei responded, then shouted, "Father, be careful. Watch my Fire Dragon Swings Its Tail!"
His left leg entered a bow stance. As he inhaled, he lifted his right knee. As he exhaled, his lower leg swept horizontally like a whip of flame.
This was precisely:
The tail sweeps with the force of a thousand jun, burning away evil filth.
The foot steps into the Li position, refining true fire.
The two of them sparred for two or three quarters of an hour. Their bodies were drenched in sweat, but their expressions did not show the slightest sign of listlessness.
One possessed **[Innate Divine Strength]**, excelling in bones, muscles, and physical force.
The other possessed **[Dragon's Vitality]**, excelling in long-lasting qi and blood.
Pfft.
A sudden abnormal sound came from Jianyi Mingwei's body.
The next moment, he said with delight, "Father, I opened another acupoint!"
"Youth really is good."
Wentian stopped.
"Practice a few more rounds, then rest."
"Mm."
Jianyi Mingwei was young and full of vitality. In another year or two, he would overtake Wentian from behind.
However, Wentian did not only possess **[Dragon's Vitality]**. He also had **[Heaven Rewards Diligence]**.
Accumulation would eventually burst forth.
For others, the further they progressed, the slower they became. They had to rely on qi and blood herbs to assist them before they could open acupoints.
But even without such medicinal assistance, Wentian's speed would not be slow.
On the contrary, it would become faster.
Days passed one after another.
Recently, more and more refugees had appeared.
Some surged toward Qingjiang County City. Others simply stayed in Dongxi Village, begging for a mouthful of food.
Chen Ergou's family rented thirty mu of farmland and combined it with their previous twenty mu, using all of it to grow the fruits and vegetables designated by Wentian.
The Green Jade Pear trees in their thirty mu of mountain forest had also all been removed and replaced with other fruit trees.
The workload was not small, so they hired more than a dozen refugees as temporary laborers.
"Mother, there are refugees at the gate," Jianyi Mingyuan's voice rang out.
Behind him, Jianyi Mingxuan revealed half of his head, looking somewhat timidly at the ragged man outside the gate.
The man was also holding the hand of a little boy around three or four years old, who was so thin he was little more than skin and bones. The child's eyes were lifeless.
Bai Jing walked out and glanced over the two of them. Then she said to Jianyi Mingyuan, "A'Yuan, go bring them some water and dry rations."
"Yes, Mother."
"Many thanks, female Bodhisattva!"
The man knelt and repeatedly kowtowed. His head struck the ground with heavy thuds, and he also pulled the little boy beside him to do the same.
"No, no, there's no need. Hurry and get up. The child is here. If you act like this, you'll frighten him."
"Yes, yes."
The man repeatedly agreed and stopped kowtowing.
Before long, Jianyi Mingyuan came out with food and dry rations.
The man accepted them and began eating in large mouthfuls, not forgetting to let the little boy eat as well.
Jianyi Mingxuan suddenly thought of something and also ran back into the house. He brought out a delicate pastry.
It was a small snack Wentian had made for him in his spare time. Sweet, soft, and glutinous.
"This is for you. Father made it for me. It's really tasty."
Jianyi Mingxuan handed the pastry to the little boy.
The little boy accepted it blankly and glanced at the filthy man. Only after seeing the man nod did he begin to eat.
After taking one bite, a light immediately appeared in his murky eyes.
Wentian had taught him that he had to learn to share. Jianyi Mingxuan had not thought much of it before, but after doing it this time, he felt especially happy inside.
Bai Jing stroked Jianyi Mingxuan's head with relief.
Under Wentian's education, every one of the children was exceptionally outstanding. Who knew how many commoners in Dongxi Village envied them?
After seeing the man finish eating a large flatbread, Bai Jing asked, "Are you also fleeing disaster?"
"Yes. We came from Xishan County. A once-in-a-century flood struck over there. Many people were swept away by the flood, houses were destroyed, and farmland was submerged.
"We had no home to return to, so we could only leave our homeland and flee south."
"How pitiful. Then what plans do you have from now on?"
"None."
The man sighed repeatedly.
"On the road here, my eldest daughter starved to death. His mother saved her dry rations for us and starved to death as well."
As if thinking of something, he hurriedly knelt again and kowtowed, pleading, "I beg the female Bodhisattva to show mercy and take in us father and son. We are willing to become slaves or servants. We only ask for a mouthful of food."
"Even if you cannot take me in, at least have pity on this child."
"He cannot eat much grain."
Jianyi Mingxuan tugged at the corner of Bai Jing's clothes and said sympathetically, "Mother, they're so pitiful."
Jianyi Mingyuan watched quietly and did not speak.
Whether to take them in or not was not something they could decide. If Father did not speak, Mother could not make the decision either.
Moreover, he had heard that there were hundreds of thousands of refugees this time.
How could they possibly help them all?
Bai Jing found the matter difficult. After hesitating for a long while, she said, "Then stay outside the gate for now. I am only a woman and cannot make the decision. We must wait for my husband to return and let him decide."
"Yes, yes. We are willing to wait. Even if it does not work out, that is fine."
At noon, Wentian and Jianyi Mingwei returned home and saw the refugee father and son outside the gate.
Surprised, he asked, "Who are you?"
Bai Jing walked over and briefly explained the matter to Wentian.
Wentian considered it for a while.
"This matter can wait until tomorrow. For now, you father and son may settle down on the empty land beside my house. This afternoon, I'll have my son send you a simple tent."
"We will also give you some food."
"Even if we do not keep you, we will still send you off with some dry rations and water for the road."
"Many thanks, Master! Many thanks, Master!"
At the Jianyi family's current scale, it was indeed time to gradually develop further. Taking in household servants and guards would naturally be necessary.
But Wentian would not accept just anyone.
The second day.
After Wentian woke up, he activated the fate talent **[Daily Divination]**.
**Ding!**
**[Daily Divination] has been activated.**
**Today's Hexagram: Auspicious.**
**You take in the Li father and son. They were once members of a prominent clan in Xishan County. Both father and son possess martial talent. The father's talent is ordinary, while the son's talent is quite good and has hope of reaching Xiantian.**
"A prominent clan?"
"That skinny little boy actually has the aptitude to reach Xiantian?"
"No wonder the hexagram is auspicious. As long as I take them in, they will be of considerable help to the Jianyi family's future."
"However, since they were from a prominent clan, how did they fall to such a state? Most refugees are ordinary commoners. Unless… it was revenge."
Wentian lay on the bed and pondered for a long while.
Xishan County was several thousand li away from this place. For them to survive all the way here, they likely carried some degree of fortune upon them.
"Since the hexagram is auspicious, there probably won't be much trouble behind this."
"As for influence stretching across several commanderies, perhaps only some of the great families in commandery cities would be capable of that."