When Tian Er and his wife appeared before Qin Liuxi again, it was already the next day, and they knelt in front of her.
"This is the choice to leave, eh?" Qin Liuxi observed their faces, which seemed brighter and less gloomy than the day before.
Tian Er wryly said, "Master was right, I am indeed not a biological child of the Tian family."
"Even though not biologically related, they had raised you, which is also an act of fate. Having resolved this destiny, from now on, you owe each other nothing. Whether poor or rich, it is each individual’s own fate," said Qin Liuxi indifferently.
Lady Tian added, "Master, all the money from selling ourselves to servitude was given to the Tian family. Does this count as resolving our fate?"
Hearing this, Lady Tian looked at Tian Er and said, "You heard it, we’ve given them the money, we no longer owe anything to the Tian family."
Although it was a setup, the ruthless heartlessness of the Tian family, their refusal to spend money to save someone, and even their intention to pocket the money from the servitude, was hard to ignore.
But now, hearing about settling fate with money and owing nothing further, the burden seemed suddenly lifted.
"Owe nothing, good." Tian Er wiped his nose and pursed his lips.
Yu Changkong, with his hands behind his back, said, "Uncle Qian, return the deed of servitude to them."
The couple was stunned and quickly said blushing, "Young Master, we have signed the deed, and we wish to serve you as our master."
Lady Tian realized, someone like the immortal Yu Changkong, they were not qualified to be slaves; it was just merely them tagging along with him.
Yu Changkong said, "I do not lack servants by my side."
Tian Er’s face grew redder as he said, "But, but we have no silver to repay the Young Master."
The thirty taels for their servitude were genuinely paid by Uncle Qian, and the deed had witnesses’ signatures and stamps—it was indeed legitimate. Now that Yu Changkong refused their service, they could not repay that money.
When they left the Tian household, they only took two small bundles, leaving almost empty-handed, not taking more than they were allowed by the Tian household.
"That silver, consider it a loan from me, and I’ll add twenty more taels," Yu Changkong signaled Uncle Qian, who then took out the deed, an ingot equal to ten taels, and a small bag of broken silver, handing it over to them.
"Thirty taels to pull you out of the mud. Twenty taels to establish yourselves. Whether you succeed, that’s for you to decide," Yu Changkong spoke coolly, "Once you leave this door, remember, if you fail, do not blame the Grandmaster’s guidance yesterday, for it was all your choice. Similarly, if life is hard in the future, it’s also your own problem, not others’."
Qin Liuxi, a person of the Mystic Sect, naturally open-minded, might not care about these matters, but he knew that human nature is selfish. Mow, these words were just setting the reality straight.
Qin Liuxi raised an eyebrow, glancing at Yu Changkong.
"Rest assured, Young Master and Grandmaster, although we come from peasant roots, we know right from wrong. We won’t dare to blame you, no matter how it turns out," the couple said tremblingly, kneeling, "Young Master, we’re already grateful that you aren’t asking for the thirty taels now, how could we possibly ask for more silver from you?"
Twenty taels, even in a year, the Tian family could hardly save that amount, yet the noble Young Master was lending it to them.
Though it was called a loan, it almost felt like a gift since he hadn’t even asked for a written promise. It seemed he didn’t care whether they could repay it.
"You are leaving clean, about to travel far from your homeland, penniless and unable to move a step, besides, winter is approaching," continued Yu Changkong. "Altogether that’s fifty taels, if you succeed in the future, then please give ten or even a hundred times as much back to Qingping Temple as incense oil. Of course, this is not mandatory but according to your goodwill."
He considered what Qin Liuxi had said that they would have a son, and if raised, would bless the land and water of a region.
What she hoped for, he was willing to support.
Twenty taels, if saved carefully, would suffice for a family of three to survive. More wasn’t impossible either, but he knew human desires are hard to satiate, and giving more would make it seem too easy, thus not appreciated as much.
Such human nature, he did not wish to test.
Lady Tian immediately said, "I, Chen Fang, dare to promise, if we succeed, we have the confidence to return a hundred times as much in incense oil, or else let me not..."
"Ah, ah, no need for such," Qin Liuxi chuckled and stopped her mid-sentence, "It doesn’t have to be returned to Qingping Temple. Doing good deeds itself is virtuous. Of course, if done in the name of Qingping Temple’s believers, that too adds to our temple’s merit."
Lady Tian and Tian Er looked at each other and said, "We shall follow the Grandmaster’s advice."
"Luck lies to the east. Head east; the rising sun will fulfill your wishes."
Lady Tian felt intrigued, "Does the Grandmaster imply that we could..."
"Heavenly secrets must not be disclosed," Qin Liuxi smiled gently, leaving them with, "Just do good deeds, ask not about the future."
She then handed them two peace charms, "Grandmaster blesses your smooth journey; you may start now."
Taking the peace charms, they bowed to everyone, "We, husband and wife, will forever remember the kindness of the Grandmaster and Young Master. Once we are settled, we will erect a longevity tablet for both."
With these words, they walked away, looking back three times with each step.
Out of Li City, they headed eastward. Ten days later, as they passed through a forest at a place called Wanli Slope, they suddenly heard a faint cry of a baby. Following the sound, under a tree, they found a newborn male infant, still attached by the umbilical cord, crudely covered with a woman’s trousers and freezing cold, the cries almost silent.
Next to him, lay a ragged, dirty woman with bare lower body amidst a pool of blood, already long dead.
She must have died after giving birth.
"My God, this poor soul." Lady Tian picked up the baby, looked at the woman, and with a heavy heart, she cut the umbilical cord without a second thought, wrapped the baby in warm clothes from her bundle, handed him to Tian Er, then covered the woman with her own clothes.
"Tian Er, dig a grave to bury her," Lady Tian had Tian Er dig the grave, buried her right there, and erected a wordless tombstone.
"We do not know your name, but rest assured, we will treat him as our own, raising him with all our hearts," Lady Tian and Tian Er bowed before the tombstone.
The morning sun rose in the east, soft light filtering through the trees.
The couple exchanged glances, then looked at the frail little boy, Lady Tian placing the peace charm given by Qin Liuxi over the baby’s heart, "The Grandmaster is truly divine, Tian Er, how about we name him Donglin, Tian Donglin?"
The sun rises in the east, a son arrives, born to nourish the land and water.
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