"No! That's a memento Grandpa left us. We're not giving it to you!" Goku flatly refused. He wasn't ignorant of the fact that his grandfather had died.
He had simply placed his longing for his grandfather in the Dragon Ball Son Gohan had left behind. Of course he couldn't accept Bulma's request.
Wuchen patted Goku on the shoulder to comfort him, then turned to Bulma and asked, "We do have one... Dragon Ball. What do you want it for?"
Seeing that Wuchen seemed willing to budge, Bulma was delighted. Facing two little kids—especially such simple-minded ones—she had no reason to be on her guard.
"Balls like this are called Dragon Balls. There are seven in all. Legend says that if you gather all seven, you can summon Shenron, and he'll grant any wish you make."
That gave Wuchen pause. If what she said was true, could they bring Grandpa back to life?
"We can't just give you the Dragon Ball, but we can go with you to look for the others. We'll need one chance to make a wish." Wuchen spoke as if it went without saying. Did he think the seven Dragon Balls granted seven wishes?
"You only get one wish at a time. If you want something like candy, I can buy you as much as you want. I could even build you a house out of candy." As the daughter of the richest man in the world, Bulma spoke with the confidence of someone with money to spare.
"One at a time? So we can make more wishes later?" Wuchen seized on the key detail and hurriedly asked.
"That's right. After making a wish, you just have to wait another year and gather all seven Dragon Balls again to make another wish."
Wuchen studied Bulma carefully, confirming that she had no cultivation at all, then spoke frankly. "In that case, could we make our wish first? We want to bring our dead grandfather back to life. A year from now, we'll help you gather the Dragon Balls again, and I'll give you enough compensation, too."
"Really? We can really bring Grandpa back?" Goku was just as excited.
Just as Bulma's earlier words had moved Wuchen, what he and Goku said now touched Bulma, too. A motherly glow seemed to come over her, and her sympathy began to overflow.
"So that's it. You want to wish for a loved one to come back to life. Then we'll gather the Dragon Balls together this time and bring your grandfather back. As for my wish—to find a strong, handsome, devoted boyfriend—I'll save that for next time."
After saying that, Bulma's cheeks quickly turned red. How had she let such a private wish slip out? Fortunately, neither Goku nor Wuchen reacted strangely, and she soon composed herself. "Let's hurry."
"Thank you," Wuchen said sincerely. He also knew how to be a good host. "Miss Bulma—no, Bulma. If you don't mind, let's eat something together before we go."
Bulma glanced at the huge fish beside Goku and lost her appetite. "I'd rather not. Are you hungry? I'll treat you to something instead." As she spoke, she reached for her Hoi-Poi Capsule case, but Wuchen stopped her.
"That wouldn't be right. You're our guest; we should be the ones to host you. Goku, help me start a fire. Bulma, go inside and sit down. Have some water and wait a moment."
"All right..." The brothers led her into the house, and Bulma felt rather nervous. Would she really have to eat the fish later? Would refusing hurt their feelings?
She didn't have to stay nervous for long. The brothers soon finished cooking the fish.
It wasn't nearly as bad as she'd imagined. They'd cut up the fierce-looking fish into pieces, and each chunk of meat looked tender and smooth. With the side dishes, it was a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate.
It smelled wonderful. In fact, just breathing in the aroma made Bulma feel refreshed all over. The sensation was hard to describe.
She'd felt it earlier, outside the house. She'd assumed it was just the fresh mountain air, but now she wasn't so sure.
"All right, it's ready."
"Then I won't hold back." The food had already whetted Bulma's appetite, so she was no longer reluctant to try it.
"Let's eat!" Goku was even more eager.
Before long, the three of them had polished off the fish and side dishes.
Goku and Wuchen had eaten most of it, but Bulma had eaten enough to make her belly swell, too.
Now she wore a blissful expression. She couldn't say what made the food taste so good, but it simply made her feel wonderful.
And despite eating so much, she felt lighter than before. It was really strange.
Afterward, she ate an unfamiliar fruit and felt a pleasant warmth spread through her body. Even inside the house, it was as if she were basking in the sunlight.
Only after Bulma had rested for quite a while did the brothers take the Dragon Ball from in front of Son Gohan's grave and bow in farewell. Then, wide-eyed with amazement, they squeezed onto the motorcycle Bulma had "conjured up" and set out on a wondrous journey.
As soon as they left the area around Mount Paozu, a strange bird—a type of Pterosaur—ambushed them. Before it could get close, Goku struck it with the Power Pole, sending it tumbling into a ravine, its fate unknown.
At dusk, the three stopped in an open space near a forest.
Bulma took out a Hoi-Poi Capsule and made a hemispherical house appear out of nowhere, astonishing the brothers once again.
Goku suspected Bulma was a monster who knew magic.
Wuchen was struck by how mysterious this world was. There was no spiritual energy here, yet it was full of wonders. Its mastery of space was unusual, and its puppetry was unique as well.
"Why do I smell so bad? What happened to me today?" As soon as she entered the house, Bulma headed straight for the bathroom. She didn't know why, but she'd sweated much more than usual today, and it was sticky and smelled awful. It was more than any proper young lady could bear.
"You two aren't allowed to peek!" That was all she said before the brothers heard the sound of splashing water.
They waited for what felt like a century before Bulma finally came out wrapped in a bath towel. "Isn't there a sofa? Why have you been standing this whole time? Never mind. I'll wash you two first. Come into the bathroom."
The brothers looked around as they approached. At Bulma's direction, they entered the bathroom, where warm mist immediately enveloped them, carrying a strong herbal and floral scent.
"Take off your clothes. I'll give you a bath." The brothers were barely as tall as Bulma, so she didn't feel the need to be bashful.
Goku didn't know what she meant and simply took his clothes off without a second thought.
Wuchen was shocked. Was this woman really so bold? But then he thought about it: he and Goku could still be considered little kids.
And though the woman looked young, she wasn't a girl anymore. Perhaps she was already in her twenties or thirties and had simply taken good care of herself. Seen that way, there wasn't anything strange about it.
"N-no, that's not necessary. Just show us how to use everything, and we'll wash ourselves." He wasn't really a little kid, after all. There was no way he could let this happen.
"You're pretty shy."
Bulma felt like laughing for no particular reason, but when she saw Wuchen's serious expression, she stopped teasing him.
"All right, look here. This is how you turn on the water, and this is the hot water... This is body wash, and this is shampoo... Use the towel on the left. Don't touch the one on the right; that's mine... If you need to use the toilet, it's over there. The toilet paper's to the left of it... All right, wash up by yourselves. I'll go out."
After Bulma left, Wuchen made sure the door was shut before speaking to Goku. "Goku, don't ever take your clothes off in front of other people. And one more thing: until you've fully mastered the first level of training with the Heaven-Propping Staff, you have to preserve your original yang. Remember?"
"Big Brother, what does preserving my original yang mean?"
"Uh..." Wuchen had no idea how to explain. He didn't even know how he'd first come to understand this sort of thing, let alone how to teach Goku about it.
"Anyway, it means you shouldn't get too close to girls."
"Girls? But how am I supposed to know who's a girl?"
"..."
"Go ahead and wash up."
Before you continue