As a father, I just want to quietly watch you live a long life Chapter 1: Chapter 1: The Birth of the Beloved Daughter and the Joy of Obtaining a Dao Fruit
Fei Lei City, Yun Province, Great Vista.
The dilapidated city had been draped in a silver shroud by a night of relentless snowfall, bringing a cold that pierced through to the marrow.
Under a leaden sky, the freezing wind gusted like a sharpened blade, slicing at anyone caught in its path.
Li Che pulled his thin cotton garment tighter to shield himself, clutching a stiff, frozen carp. He had spent a significant sum to secure this fish in the dead of winter.
It was intended to provide nourishment for his pregnant wife.
He rubbed his rough beard and exhaled a puff of white vapor into his hands. Braving the gale, Li Che trudged through the snow-laden streets of Fei Lei City, making his way home in a hurry.
Having spent nineteen years in this realm—transitioning from an infant to a commoner struggling for survival—Li Che had long since abandoned the hope of possessing a Golden Finger.
The memory of neon signs and towering skyscrapers had faded into a dream-like haze, a distant past to which he could never return.
This world resembled ancient times but was far more perilous; natural disasters, civil unrest, and roaming evil spirits made the lives of the peasantry a constant struggle.
Resigned to his circumstances, Li Che's only ambition was to safeguard his modest home and family, seeking a quiet, stable existence to make the most of his second life.
Following his family's arrangements, he wed at eighteen. His wedding night proved fruitful, and now, ten months later, his wife was on the verge of labor.
Fei Lei City was divided into two distinct zones: the Inner City and the Outer City. It was said that the Inner City was the domain of noble clans and Official Masters, characterized by wide avenues, luxury, and heavy patrols.
Only those of high social standing were permitted to live there.
In contrast, the Outer City served as the dwelling place for the masses of laboring commoners.
After walking several miles down the main road and turning into a cramped alleyway, he reached a cluster of low-slung houses with dark tiles and earthen walls.
His rapid footsteps made a crunching sound against the fresh powder.
"Che! Oh, Che, you're finally back from your shift!"
"Your wife's time has come! Get inside and see her quickly!"
"You're about to become a father!"
Neighbors who recognized Li Che began calling out to him from a distance.
Li Che felt a jolt of alarm.
Overwhelmed by tension and nerves, he accelerated his pace, racing toward his earthen home as snow sprayed behind him.
The light was fading from the sky. When Li Che reached his front door, he found the weathered wood standing open. From within, the cries of a woman in labor mingled with the midwife's steady encouragement.
"You've returned?"
In the small courtyard, an Old Scholar sat upon a worn bench. He wore a cotton jacket beneath an aged scholar’s robe and was rhythmicly clicking a dry pipe against his teeth.
This man was Li Liang, Li Che's uncle.
Li Che had been orphaned at the age of eight when his parents succumbed to illness, and his uncle had raised him. Under the family's care, he had grown up, married, and was now awaiting his firstborn.
"Be at peace. Grandma Lei is the most skilled midwife for miles. Xiao Ya will be fine; both mother and child are sure to be safe," the Old Scholar remarked, his pipe in hand.
Despite having lived two lives, this was Li Che's first time becoming a father, and his anxiety was palpable.
Still clutching the frozen fish, he paced nervously back and forth in front of the house.
This restlessness eventually annoyed the Old Scholar. "Why are you pacing like a caged animal, you brat? A man becoming a father needs to show some composure!"
"And for heaven's sake, can you put that frozen fish down?"
Li Che glanced at him but offered no reply, nor did he set the fish aside. However, he did stop his pacing.
Suddenly, a piercing cry erupted from inside the house!
Li Che's gaze sharpened, and he felt as though a hand had suddenly squeezed his heart.
Li Liang, the Old Scholar, stood up instantly, tapping out his pipe and looking toward the doorway with anticipation.
At that same moment, a roar of thunder shook the darkening sky!
The Old Scholar trembled, whispering something under his breath.
Li Che looked up instinctively, seeing a flash in the clouds that resembled the fleeting silhouette of a dragon.
Was this a celestial omen for a birth?
Did he think he was a protagonist in a fantasy novel?
Li Che brushed the thought aside. Hearing the midwife call for him, he rushed into the room.
A charcoal stove was lit inside, cutting through the chill and providing a bit of warmth.
The midwife held a newborn with a healthy, rosy complexion. She smiled at Li Che. "Congratulations, Master Li. It is a blessing; you have a beautiful daughter."
A wide grin spread across Li Che's face. Still holding the frozen carp, he looked momentarily confused about what to do with it, only able to stammer, "Thank you, thank you..."
After a hurried word of gratitude to the midwife, he finally tossed the fish aside.
With trembling, cautious hands, he took the infant and studied her.
A profound sense of a blood connection washed over him. Though the newborn was wrinkled and it was too early to judge her features,
Li Che was certain that this child was the most beautiful creature in existence.
Simply because she was his daughter!
As Li Che stood there, consumed by joy and staring at the small baby,
His vision suddenly blurred as if by a mirage. He saw a vast, desolate landscape where the earth cracked open, rocks flying as an emerald-green sprout erupted from the soil, growing with incredible vigor.
In a heartbeat, it transformed into a massive tree with wide, reaching branches.
"This is..."
Li Che was stunned.
As the countless leaves rustled, they seemed to reflect light, forming an image. He saw himself standing outside the house, listening to the cries that signaled his daughter's arrival.
The vision flickered, then collapsed inward like a vortex, eventually settling upon a branch where it solidified into a shimmering, translucent fruit of many colors.
...
[Joy of a precious daughter, bonds are bound]
[With the birth of your beloved daughter, the Dao Tree bears fruit]
[Your daughter was born safely, you have obtained a Dao Fruit]
...
Li Che snapped back to reality, the "wa wa" cries of his daughter still filling the air.
"Husband, let me see her..."
A faint voice came from the bed. His wife, a pretty young woman with a pale face, watched him. Li Che hurried to her side, carefully cradling the baby.
"Wife, look! Our child!"
Li Che beamed with a radiant, joyful smile.
Thoughts of the Dao Fruit were pushed to the back of his mind; for now, his heart was entirely focused on his family.
His wife, Zhang Ya, was his partner and the woman who had chosen to trust him with her life during these turbulent times.
"Husband, her nose is just like yours, so well-defined," Zhang Ya whispered. Though she looked exhausted, she was clearly happy, reaching out a delicate finger to brush the baby's tiny nose.
Li Che looked at her with deep affection. "Wife, are you in pain?"
Zhang Ya pressed her pale lips together and gave a soft laugh, shaking her head. "It doesn't hurt. I am just so happy."
"What shall we name her, husband?"
Zhang Ya asked with expectation, but then, as if remembering something, her eyes shifted past Li Che to the Old Scholar standing at the door.
Li Che followed her gaze. The Old Scholar had his brows knit in a frown and remained unusually quiet, making no attempt to show off his learning or claim the right to name the child.
Li Che understood what was bothering him.
However, he didn't care. He took his wife's cold hand in his and said softly, "I have been thinking about it for days."
"This winter is so bitter, I only want our little one to stay warm. Let's call her Li Nuanxi..."
"Warm as the morning sun's glow, driving away sickness and sorrow, so she may grow up safe and content."
Li Che spoke with great tenderness.
Zhang Ya smiled. "Nuanxi... that is a lovely name."
In her mother's arms, little Xi Xi seemed to recognize her name; she stopped crying and offered a tiny smile.
A moment later, however, she opened her mouth and began to wail again.
The midwife stepped forward quickly. "The little one is hungry; she needs to be fed."
Hearing this, Li Che and the Old Scholar promptly exited the room.
...
In the yard, heavy flakes of snow continued to drift down.
The cold intensified as the harsh winter deepened.
Li Che's smile remained fixed. He finally understood the weight of fatherhood, and a fierce protective instinct for his wife and child rose within him.
The Old Scholar, however, seemed dejected, lighting his pipe once more.
Li Che frowned at the smoke. "Uncle, put that out. The baby is here now."
The Old Scholar sighed and extinguished the pipe, though he couldn't help but grumble, "It’s just a girl. Why couldn't it be a boy? Our Li family..."
Li Che chuckled at the remark. "Does it really matter if it's a boy or a girl?"
"Does the Li family have a throne that needs an heir?"
The Old Scholar’s traditional preference for sons wasn't easily changed, but he fell silent, continuing to mutter under his breath.
Li Che simply shook his head and didn't argue further.
He retrieved the frozen carp and walked toward the kitchen, intending to prepare a hot bowl of carp and tofu soup for his wife.
While the soup simmered on the stove,
Li Che finally calmed his mind to investigate the Dao Fruit that had appeared at the moment of his daughter's birth.