Please add the book into your library and provide the power stones for the author, to motivate me to write...guys!
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Chapter : 11
Grandpa Chi
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The attendant was surprised for a while but she quickly regained her composure and asked,
"Miss, we will deliver the product to the Qing Clan."
"Hmm..." Song Yan nodded after hearing.
"Then measure his size and calculate the cost, I will pay right now." Thinking for a second, she looked at the attendant and asked her to measure the size for the dress.
The attendant quickly took out a measurement scale, while Qing Tian cooperated with the attendant to complete it.
After giving the measurements, the final calculation came to 3200 low-grade spirit stones.
"Miss, do you want to pay in low-grade spirit stones or the 32 medium-grade spirit stones?" The attendant looked at her abacus and asked.
"Take it." Song Yan took out a pouch from the storage ring and handed it to the attendant.
The attendant took the pouch and used her own spiritual power to scan the amount of money inside. After finally confirming it was the right amount, she nodded and took it into her own storage ring.
And Qing Tian had already paid the amount of money for the handkerchief that he bought for Song Yan.
"Thanks for your visit, please visit again." Seeing them leaving, the attendant bowed to them.
Hmm…!
After that, both Qing Tian and Song Yan came out of the store and wandered in the city again.
"Aunt, let's go and meet Grandpa Chi..?" Pausing in the middle of the road, he requested to visit Grandpa Chi.
"Hmm... Uncle Chi… indeed it has been a long time since we met."
"Let's go." Song Yan muttered to herself, then walked with Qing Tian toward Grandpa Chi.
After walking for almost an hour in the entire city, both finally reached an old house with big doors and dried trees, covering the surrounding.
Actually, it was not a house, but rather an orphanage, that was located outskirt of the city.
Grandpa Chi was actually the person who was the owner of the orphanage house, and there were dozens of children present in the orphanage, who were taken cared by the old man.
As for how Qing Tian knew about the person as Grandpa Chi...
Three years ago, when he came to the market with his aunt, he was a child and ran somewhere else, and got caught in the middle of a fight between others. At that time, Grandpa Chi saved him.
And from then, whenever they came to the market, Qing Tian and Song Yan basically bought food and milk in huge quantities for the orphanage, and usually the food would be sustained for a long time.
Just reaching the entrance.
"Grandpa... I am back...!!!"
The creaking sound of the orphanage's heavy wooden doors came, as it was opened slowly.
An old man with long white hair and a slightly hunched back walked out from inside of the house.
His face was filled with many wrinkles, but his face had a gentle smile that warmed the heart of the many people present here.
He wore a robe that had lost its fineness, but he had a kind of dignity that suggested that time has respected him.
"Hoho... look what it is. Little Tian and Yan'er," Grandpa Chi's voice cracked with age, but it had a certain vigor in it that made the catered children stir.
"Grandpa Chi!" Qing Tian screamed and he started to run towards Grandpa Chi's voice.
The boy's innocent shout was followed by a chorus of children.
A multiple children came out from the courtyard, laughing as bright as bells.
Boys and girls of all ages, from five year old to teens, were surrounding Qing Tian.
They were not from exalted lines, and they did not wear finery, but their smiles were more brilliant than jade.
"Brother Tian, is that you!"
A great laugh erupted from the Grandpa Chi and reverberated in the entire courtyard, so loud and happy, it scared the sparrows on the roof at the top of the stairs.
"Oh, you rascals! You see him occasionally and act like he hobbles in here with a fortune in his pockets!"
"We do-!" a mischievous boy teased , do not caring about the old man words, while pointing to Qing Tian.
"Did you bring more candy, for us?"
"Haha, he always does! Didn't you know yet?"
They all approached him once again, pulling on his sleeves and hugging his shoulders as if they were all friends.
And were all friends.
Qing Tian's laughter was piercing as it harmonized with theirs, without even a trace of arrogance from his noble status. He even bent over to hug of the little girls, who would not let go of his arm!
Song Yan had stayed a few steps back and smiled softly. At that moment, her Xiao Tian appeared to be much happier than when he was inside the inside of the rich Qing Clan.
There were no plots or schemes or rivalries cast by someone else's brilliance. There were just raw friendships.
Grandpa Chi was stroking his long white beard and staring into the distance looking on those child.
His old eyes were watering just a little when he gazed down on the boy (Qing Tian) and sighed to himself.
"This child...intensely brilliant despite how vicious and unkind the world has been in a short, short time. Heaven may turn its back but bright spirits like him can not be buried."
"You two don't come to this part of town much these days." Grandpa Chi said while he poured tea into faded cups and held onto the cane, even though paid attention to what he was doing with his hands.
"I thought the Qing Clan were hoarding you with rules and tradition."
When Qing Tian finally managed to slip away from the irritating grip of the kids, he ran back to Grandpa Chi and grabbed his weather worn hand.
"Grandpa, I missed you. Aunt said we had to visit you today."
"Good, good," Grandpa Chi chuckled, lightly patting Qing Tian's head.
"You always bring warmth to this old courtyard."
Song Yan took a step towards Grandpa Chi, and bowed her head slightly with an apologetic tone. "Uncle Chi, I'm sorry I didn't come sooner. The clan has been... difficult, escpecially Xiao Tian had also grown now.."
Hmph, Grandpa Chi waved his hand, smiling gently. "The clan has no meaning, its own battles are theirs. Here you're Yan'er, and he's Tian. That is enough."
Song Yan laughed softly. "You're not wrong. Things at the strong clans have been... always tense and all for the profit of the clan."
Grandpa Chi stroked his beard. "They certainly are. Pride at a great clan is heavier than mountains, but like glass, it breaks easily. They care more about losing face than hearts."
Qing Tian shrugged. "Grandpa Chi, you don't care? Everyone else does."
"Hahaha!" The old man's laugh startled nearby children playing hide and seek.
"Care? Why could I care? I have nothing to care about. I have no blessed treasures, no bloodline, no cultivation. Just this beautiful orphanage, these beautiful children, and this old sack of bones. What can the Qing Clan do? Give me a pride beating?"
The children heard the old man saying, "pride beating," and all burst into giggles. "Grandpa, you're too funny! You want pride beating....Hahaha"
"Beating you with pride? How does that even work?"
Their laughter reverberated like ripples in the water and soon enough, Song Yan was free to smile too.
Grandpa Chi sipped his tea, his expression gentle on his face.
"When I was younger, I, too, wanted strength, glory, lift to the sky like a dragon...but the heavens bestowed something else. I didn't touch cultivation, but I touched lives."
He pointed to the children running around in the courtyard, "See? Abandoned, unwanted, discarded. But see them smile, see them laugh, tell me...that's not a type of cultivation?"
Qing Tian blinked and finally nodded her head slowly. "Cultivation...of the heart?"
The old man's eyes flashed with delight. "That's it! Your body will grow strong if you cultivate your qi, but your heart will grow strong if you cultivate your kindness and compassion. Remember this little Tian.
"Strength without kindness is like a sword without a hilt. It will cut everyone even you, the holder."
Song Yan did not lift her head. The old man's admonition had veered into her thoughts like an arrow on target. She hadn't ever reflected on her clan, and its savage scrutiny and derision, but realized she could possibly regard Grandpa Chi's path as cleaner than all of their "sophisticated" cultivation.
Grandpa Chi abruptly clapped his hands. "That is enough of that! Children!"
"Yes, Grandpa?"*n
"Bring the drum!"
Cheers erupted again as one child dragged a small hand drum. Another entered the courtyard with some wooden flutes. The children quickly huddled together and created a circle. Before long, the courtyard was filled with awkward and cheap music - the melody of a family who needed no blood to bond them.
Qing Tian joined in giggling as he clapped in rhythm. His cheeks were flushed, brighter than what he had shown in weeks.
After sometimes later.
The kids behind him had pulled a few wooden stools out and were insisting that their "Brother Tian" join them. With that, sounds filled the courtyard, stories and laughter.
Song Yan calmly out the spatial bag on the nearest table in the courtyard.
Inside were bags of rice, jars of milk, bundles of dried meat.
The sparkling eyes of the orphans, some even clapping.
But it was no less given for Qing Tian.
His smile as he sat among the children was sincere, his laughter real.
He was no longer the abandoned son of the Qing Clan, but their Brother Tian, where eveyone cares about him, with those sincere smile.
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End of the chapter!
currency levels
(100 low grade = 1 medium grade.
100 medium grade = 1 high grade.
100 high grade = 1 top grade.
100 top grade = 1 divine grade.)