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.
A coat of silver had been draped over the crumbling city by a night of relentless snowfall, bringing a cold that pierced through to the marrow.
Sharp as a blade, the freezing wind sliced through the air beneath a leaden, overcast sky.
Li Che pulled his thin cotton garment tighter against his frame. In his grasp was a carp, frozen solid, which had cost him a small fortune to obtain during this harsh winter.
Its purpose was to provide nourishment for his pregnant wife.
Rubbing his rough beard and exhaling a plume of white vapor into his hands, Li Che braved the icy gusts. He hurried toward his home, his boots crunching through the snow-laden paths of Fei Lei City.
Having spent nineteen years in this world—transitioning from an infant to a struggling laborer—Li Che had long since abandoned any hope of possessing a Golden Finger.
The memory of neon lights and towering skyscrapers had faded into a dreamlike haze, a distant life to which he could never return.
This realm resembled ancient times but was far more perilous; it was a land where natural disasters, human cruelty, and malevolent spirits were commonplace, making existence a grueling trial for the masses.
Resigned to his reality, Li Che’s only desire was to safeguard his modest home and family, seeking a quiet, stable life to make the most of his second chance.
Following his family's arrangements, he had wed at eighteen. Their first night together had been fruitful, and now, ten months later, his wife’s time had come.
Fei Lei City was vast, split between the Inner and Outer districts. It was said that the Inner City was the domain of noble clans and Official Masters, a place of wide boulevards, luxury, and heavy protection.
Residency there was a privilege reserved strictly for those of high status.
The Outer City, conversely, served as the dwelling for the teeming masses of laborers.
After walking several miles down the main road and navigating into a cramped alleyway, he reached a cluster of low-slung, dark-tiled houses made of earth.
The silence was broken by the sound of rapid footsteps on the soft snow.
“Che! Oh, Che, you’re finally back!”
“Your wife is in labor! Get inside quickly!”
“You’re about to become a father!”
Neighbors who recognized him began calling out from a distance as he approached.
Li Che felt a jolt of adrenaline.
Overwhelmed by tension and nerves, he surged forward, racing toward his earthen dwelling as snow sprayed in his wake!
The light was failing, and by the time Li Che reached his front door, the weathered wood stood open. From within, he could hear the pained cries of his wife and the steady, encouraging tones of the midwife.
“You’ve arrived?”
In the small courtyard, an Old Scholar sat upon a battered bench. He wore a cotton jacket beneath his traditional scholar’s robes, rhythmically clicking his dry pipe.
This man was Li Liang, Li Che’s uncle.
Li Che had been orphaned at eight when his parents succumbed to illness, and his uncle had taken him in. Under his family’s care, he had reached adulthood, married, and was now on the verge of parenthood.
“Calm yourself. Grandma Lei is the finest midwife for miles. Xiao Ya will be alright; both mother and child are sure to be safe,” the Old Scholar remarked, puffing on his pipe.
Despite having lived two lives, this was Li Che’s first time becoming a father, and his anxiety was palpable.
Clutching the frozen fish, he paced restlessly in front of the house.
The Old Scholar eventually lost his patience. “Why are you dancing around like that, boy? A man becoming a father should show some composure!”
“And can you please put that frozen fish down?”
Li Che glanced at him but offered no reply. He didn't set the fish down, though he did stop his pacing.
At that moment, a piercing cry erupted from inside the house!
Li Che’s gaze sharpened, his heart feeling as though it were being squeezed by a firm hand.
Li Liang immediately stood, knocking the embers from his pipe as he looked toward the doorway with anticipation.
Suddenly, a roar of thunder shook the darkening sky!
The Old Scholar trembled, whispering something under his breath.
Li Che looked up instinctively, catching a glimpse of the clouds shifting as if a dragon had momentarily flickered through the heavens.
Was this an omen of the birth?
Did he really think he was a protagonist in a fantasy tale?
Li Che dismissed the thought. Hearing the midwife call out, he rushed into the room.
A charcoal brazier burned within, chasing away the winter chill and filling the space with warmth.
The midwife held a rosy-cheeked infant in her arms. She beamed at Li Che. “Congratulations, Master Li. You have been blessed with a beautiful daughter.”
A wide grin spread across Li Che’s face. Still holding the frozen carp, he seemed lost for a moment, stammering, “Thank you... thank you...”
After a hurried word of gratitude, he finally remembered to toss the fish aside.
With trembling hands, he carefully took the child into his arms.
A profound sense of connection washed over him. Though the newborn’s skin was wrinkled, making it hard to judge her features,
Li Che was certain she was the most beautiful creature in existence.
Simply because she was his daughter!
As Li Che stood there, captivated by the tiny life in his arms,
His vision suddenly blurred as if by a hallucination. He saw a vast, desolate expanse where the ground shattered, and a vibrant green sprout erupted from the rubble, surging toward the sky.
In a heartbeat, it transformed into a massive, sprawling tree.
“This is...”
Li Che was stunned.
As the myriad leaves rustled, they seemed to shimmer with light, projecting an image of himself standing outside the house, listening to his daughter’s first cries.
The vision passed, and then, like a swirling vortex, the light condensed onto one of the branches, hardening into a shimmering, translucent Dao Fruit that glowed with the colors of the rainbow.
...
[Joy of a precious daughter, the bonds are sealed]
[Upon the birth of your daughter, the Dao Tree bears fruit]
[Your daughter has entered the world safely; you have received a Dao Fruit]
...
Li Che snapped back to reality, the sound of his daughter’s crying still filling the room.
“Husband... let me see her...”
The faint voice came from the bed. His young wife, pale but beautiful, watched him. Li Che hurried to her side, cradling the baby with extreme care.
“Wife, look! Here is our child!”
Li Che’s smile was radiant, brimming with pure happiness.
The matter of the Dao Fruit was forgotten for the moment; his heart was entirely occupied by his wife and daughter.
His wife, Zhang Ya, was his partner in every sense—the woman who had chosen to trust him with her life in these turbulent times.
“Husband, her nose is just like yours... so straight,” Zhang Ya whispered. Despite her exhaustion, she looked joyful as she reached out a delicate finger to touch the infant's nose.
Li Che looked at her with deep affection. “Wife, are you in pain?”
Zhang Ya’s pale lips curled into a soft smile as she shook her head. “It doesn't matter. I’m just happy.”
“Husband, what shall we call her?”
Zhang Ya asked with hope in her eyes, though she glanced toward the Old Scholar standing in the doorway, as if remembering tradition.
Li Che looked over at his uncle. The Old Scholar had his brow furrowed and remained uncharacteristically quiet, making no attempt to show off his learning or claim the right to name the child.
Li Che understood what was likely on the old man's mind.
However, he didn't care. He took his wife’s cold hand and said softly, “I have been thinking about it lately.”
“Since this winter is so bitter, I only want our little one to remain warm. We shall name her Li Nuanxi...”
“Warm as the morning sun, a light that drives away sickness and sorrow, so she may grow up in safety and joy.”
Li Che’s voice was filled with tenderness.
Zhang Ya beamed. “Nuanxi... what a wonderful name...”
In her mother’s arms, little Xi Xi seemed to react to the name, ceasing her cries to offer a tiny smile.
A moment later, however, she opened her mouth and began to wail again.
The midwife stepped in quickly. “The little one is hungry; it is time for her to feed...”
Hearing this, Li Che and the Old Scholar promptly stepped out of the room.
...
...
Heavy flakes of snow continued to drift down into the courtyard.
The temperature dropped as the deep winter exerted its grip.
Li Che couldn't stop smiling. The reality of fatherhood had taken hold, and a fierce protective instinct for his family surged within him.
The Old Scholar, however, seemed somewhat dejected as he prepared his pipe once more.
Li Che frowned at the scent. “Uncle, put that out. The baby is right there.”
The Old Scholar sighed, extinguishing the pipe, but he couldn't help muttering, “It’s just a girl. Why couldn’t it be a boy? Our Li family line...”
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 inheriting?!”
The Old Scholar fell silent. His traditional preference for sons wasn't easily changed, but he stopped arguing and simply grumbled to himself.
Li Che shook his head and moved on.
He retrieved the frozen carp and made his way to the kitchen, intent on preparing a hot bowl of fish and tofu soup for his wife.
As the soup began to simmer,
Li Che finally found a moment of quiet to examine the Dao Fruit that had appeared at the moment of his daughter's birth.