Picking Up Another One

(In my mind, Huang Feng'er would remain single throughout and would not be involved in any romantic matters or have any intimate scenes with anyone else, so please rest assured.)

Tang Ziran and Lang Yue had already been filled with confusion when they saw Na'er suddenly run toward that unfamiliar red-haired girl.

The two exchanged glances, each seeing the other's puzzlement.

But when they saw Na'er take the girl's hand and skip back toward them, the confusion on their faces turned straight into stunned disbelief.

Na'er ran very quickly, her little pink leather shoes pattering crisply against the concrete.

Her short silver hair fluttered in the wind, and her face was filled with a brilliant smile, like a happy little bird.

Huang Feng'er was pulled along behind her, her steps still somewhat unsteady. Her short red hair covered half her face, making her expression impossible to see.

"Dad! Mom! Brother!"

Na'er ran up to the three of them, raised her little face, and spoke with sparkling eyes and unwavering determination.

"I want her to be my big sister!"

["Well, well. That was quite the move—act first and report afterward."

Jin Qiu leaned against the Starlight Tree in the Sea of Spirit, folding his arms as he clicked his tongue in amazement.

"I thought she would discuss it with Tang Ziran and the others first. Who would have thought she would just drag the girl back?

Not bad. This little girl looked all soft and cuddly, but she was actually quite decisive."]

Tang Ziran and Lang Yue were completely dumbfounded.

They opened their mouths and both let out a confused, "Huh?"

They had thought Na'er had merely gone over to say something and greet her.

Who could have expected her to bring the girl home as her sister?

They had known each other for less than three hours!

She did not even know the girl's name, yet she dared bring her home?

Tang Ziran scratched his head, looking troubled.

He looked at Lang Yue, then at Na'er beside him, who was watching expectantly, before finally turning his gaze to Tang Wulin.

"Uh, Wulin, what do you think?"

He was the first to speak, asking Tang Wulin for his opinion.

After all, there were now two additional children in the family. As their big brother, Tang Wulin's thoughts were important as well.

"I support Na'er's decision."

Tang Wulin nodded without even thinking.

He looked at Huang Feng'er, who stood in the distance with her head lowered, and recalled her lonely figure during the competition. A trace of sympathy rose in his heart.

Besides, Huang Feng'er's bloodline had some connection to his. Though it was not a particularly good connection, he instinctively felt that she was not a bad person.

"She's all alone. It would be fine to let her live with us."

"Alright."

Tang Ziran and Lang Yue exchanged glances and both sighed helplessly.

It was not as though they were unwilling.

It was simply that the family had never been well-off. They had just adopted Na'er, and now there was another child. Their financial burden had suddenly grown much heavier.

Tang Ziran was already working very hard to support the family alone. Now, three children needed food, clothes, and schooling, and in the future, they would need to save up money to buy soul spirits for all three of them. Of course, the most pressing issue was still food.

"Dad, Mom, don't worry."

Tang Wulin saw their concerns and stepped forward, his little face full of seriousness.

"I'll become a Level One blacksmith soon. Then I can take on forging jobs and earn money. I can support Na'er and Sister Feng'er, so you don't need to worry about money."

Seeing how sensible their son was, Tang Ziran and Lang Yue both felt warmth fill their hearts.

Lang Yue crouched down and reached out to stroke Tang Wulin's head, a gentle smile appearing on her face.

"Silly child, why would we need you to support the family?"

She smiled as she spoke.

"Your father and I are still young. We can earn money. As long as the three of you are happy, that matters more than anything."

After saying that, she turned toward Huang Feng'er, who was standing behind Na'er.

Huang Feng'er had kept her head lowered, standing there quietly like an invisible person.

Na'er still gripped one of her hands tightly, while her other hand clutched the wrinkled prize-money envelope so hard that her knuckles had turned white.

Lang Yue sighed softly, then crouched down to meet her gaze.

She deliberately softened her tone, her voice gentle enough to melt, afraid of frightening this timid-looking little girl.

"What's your name?"

she asked.

"Huang Feng'er."

Huang Feng'er raised her head. Her golden eyes looked at Lang Yue, and her voice was flat, without any discernible emotion.

"Feng'er. What a lovely name."

Lang Yue smiled and continued asking.

"Then where is your home? Where are your father and mother?"

Huang Feng'er shook her head. Her long lashes lowered, concealing the emotions in her eyes.

"I don't know."

she said softly.

"When I woke up, I was in the forest. I've always been alone."

Hearing that, Lang Yue's heart instantly clenched.

She looked at Huang Feng'er's faded tracksuit, at the thin calluses on her hands, and at the faint loneliness and wariness hidden deep in her eyes. Her heart immediately softened completely.

She reached out and carefully, gently stroked Huang Feng'er's head.

Huang Feng'er's body stiffened instinctively, but she did not dodge away.

Lang Yue's hand was warm and carried a faint gardenia fragrance. It was a tenderness she had never experienced before.

"Then are you sure you want to come with us?"

Lang Yue looked into her eyes and asked seriously.

"Come home with us. From now on, we'll be family."

Huang Feng'er looked into Lang Yue's gentle eyes, then at Tang Ziran smiling beside her, Tang Wulin nodding at her, and Na'er, who tightly held her hand with an expectant expression.

It was as if something inside her melted.

A warm, unfamiliar emotion surged up from the depths of her heart, filling her empty chest.

She nodded firmly. For the first time, a faint glimmer of moisture appeared in her golden eyes.

"Yes."

she said, her voice slightly louder than before.

"That's wonderful!"

Na'er jumped happily and wrapped her arms around Huang Feng'er's arm.

"I have a big sister now! I have two older siblings now!"

Tang Ziran smiled as well. He stepped forward and took the heavy prize-money envelope from Huang Feng'er's hand.

"Come on, children. Let's go home."

he said with a smile.

"Today is a good day. Let's go to the market and buy lots of delicious food to celebrate our family gaining another new member!"

As the sun set, its golden afterglow stretched the four of their shadows long across the ground.

Tang Ziran walked in front, carrying a large bag of groceries he had just bought. There was braised pork, sweet-and-sour ribs, steamed fish, and Na'er's favorite strawberries.

Lang Yue walked in the middle, holding Na'er's hand with her left hand and Huang Feng'er's with her right.

Tang Wulin followed at the back, carrying the three children's schoolbags and holding the remaining half-bag of hawthorn slices.

Along the way, Na'er chattered nonstop to Huang Feng'er. She told her about the family, about how Tang Wulin could forge, about how delicious Lang Yue's cooking was, and about the little ants in the yard and the sunflowers they had just planted.

Though Huang Feng'er did not speak much, only occasionally nodding or murmuring "Mm," she listened attentively the entire time. A faint light flickered in her golden eyes.

Every so often, she secretly glanced at Lang Yue beside her, then at Tang Ziran smiling ahead. Her heart was filled with a sense of security unlike anything she had ever known.

So this was what it felt like to have a family. It was so wonderful.

["My, my. In less than a day, a family of four has turned into a family of five."

Jin Qiu floated within the Sea of Spirit. Looking at the warm scene outside, she could not help but sigh.

"This family must have some kind of child-adoption buff, right?

First, they picked up one child. Then the child they picked up brought back another child, and then that child brought back another one.

Maybe they forgot to turn off auto-loot.

Still, it's good. The house will be livelier from now on."

Tang San's divine consciousness beside her, however, frowned slightly.

He looked at the red-haired girl's back outside, his eyes filled with wariness.

"This Huang Feng'er has an unknown origin, and her bloodline is so unusual."

he said in a deep voice.

"Will it be dangerous to keep her by Wulin's side?"

"What danger could there be?"

Jin Qiu waved a hand dismissively.

"She's just a six-year-old girl. What, do you think she's going to eat you? Besides, I'm here. Even if there really is a problem with her, I can handle it. Stop worrying for no reason and hurry back to your Divine Realm to deal with the spacetime turbulence."

Tang San said nothing, merely giving Huang Feng'er a deep look.]

Since Tang Wulin still had to go to Mang Tian's place, it was already dark by the time they returned home.

Lang Yue settled the three children in the living room to watch television, then went into the kitchen with Tang Ziran.

Soon, the kitchen filled with the clattering of chopping and the sizzle of stir-frying, while a rich aroma quickly spread throughout the house.

Na'er gave Huang Feng'er her favorite little rabbit plushie and shared half the lollipops Tang Wulin had bought her.

Tang Wulin sat beside her and told her amusing stories about Red Mountain Academy, how fierce Teacher Mang Tian was, and how fun forging could be.

Huang Feng'er hugged the soft little rabbit plushie and held the sweet lollipop in her hand. Watching the cartoon playing on the television, the corners of her lips unconsciously lifted into an extremely faint curve.

Before long, the meal was ready.

The table was full of dishes, perfect in color, aroma, and taste.

The braised pork was tender and flavorful, the sweet-and-sour ribs were tangy and delicious, the steamed fish was incredibly fresh and tender, and there was also a plate of stir-fried cabbage and tomato-and-egg soup.

The five of them sat around the dining table. Warm yellow light fell over them, creating a cozy and beautiful scene.

"Come, Feng'er, eat more."

Lang Yue continuously placed food into Huang Feng'er's bowl until it was piled high.

"You're so thin. Now that you're with us, you must eat more and grow strong."

"Thank you, Auntie."

Huang Feng'er said softly, then lowered her head and took small bites of the food in her bowl.