Tang Hao's New Home

"Hey, mister, is your place big? Could you take me in too? I can wash dishes and wipe tables!"

Xiao Wu put her gift for making herself at home to work. She sidled right up to Tang Hao, blinked her innocent red eyes, and shamelessly turned on the charm.

"No! The shop I bought isn't an inn!"

Tang Hao refused flatly.

Raising a child alone was hard enough. Taking in Huo Yuhao was one thing.

But if he added a little girl who looked like trouble, would there be any peace left at home?

"Bring her along."

Huo Yuhao glanced at Xiao Wu and said,

"Another person means another pair of hands to work."

"Great! Thanks, Cousin!"

Xiao Wu cheered. Ignoring Tang Hao's livid face, she skipped after Huo Yuhao and Tang Sanmei.

"..."

Tang Hao stared at the three brats who had formed a team without him and were treating him like air. His head buzzed with anger.

Who had bought the house, anyway?!

Half an hour later, in the courtyard behind the newly built Blacksmith Shop across from Notting Academy.

Tang Hao looked at the three little tyrants standing inside. Pointing at the only two bedrooms, he said with a dark face:

"This is all the space behind the shop. Two bedrooms and a living room! I'm warning you now: there are no spare beds!"

Tang Hao pointed to the slightly larger room on the left, where the sunlight was better:

"Sanmei, you and the new little girl sleep in there."

Then he pointed at Huo Yuhao with open disgust and gestured through gritted teeth toward the slightly smaller room on the right:

"As for you, brat, you're sleeping in my room tonight! We'll see whether you behave yourself in your sleep!"

"No! Absolutely not!"

Like a tiger cub guarding her food, Tang Sanmei planted herself in front of Huo Yuhao and shook her head like a rattle-drum.

"Cousin can't sleep in your room!"

"Why not?!"

Tang Hao's eyes widened.

"He's a boy! If he doesn't sleep with me, is he supposed to sleep with you?!"

"What's wrong with him sleeping with me? I'm supposed to attend to him day and night anyway!"

Tang Sanmei planted her hands on her hips and aired her father's faults in front of outsiders:

"Dad, don't you know what you're like when you sleep? You snore like thunder in the middle of the night, and you reek of wine and stale sweat!"

Tang Sanmei looked at Huo Yuhao, her face full of concern:

"Cousin's already frail, and he needs quiet at night to meditate and cultivate. What if your snoring disrupts his cultivation and sends him into a frenzy? What if the stink of your sweat makes his old injuries flare up? Can you take responsibility for that?!"

"I... you..."

His own daughter's barrage left Tang Hao speechless. His face turned the color of liver.

The mighty Clear Sky Douluo snored?

And smelled of sweat?!

If word got out, how could he ever show his face again?!

Yet to protect this little wild boar, his daughter had spared her own father not a shred of dignity!

"Exactly! You really do smell, mister."

Xiao Wu, never one to pass up a chance to stir the pot, pinched her nose and dealt another blow. Then she hugged Tang Sanmei's arm and said with a grin:

"In that case, Cousin can sleep in the big room with us two girls! The bed's big enough. We can look after him, and we don't snore!"

"Bullshit! Don't even think about it!!!"

At Xiao Wu's suggestion, Tang Hao's eyes nearly popped out of his head. His roar shook dust from the ceiling.

He watched Huo Yuhao like a thief, spittle flying:

"Even if I had to jump off this building, even if Spirit Hall beat me to death, I would never let Tang Hao's Daughter sleep in the same room as some brat! Not even when you're only six! Haven't you heard that boys and girls should keep their distance?!"

"But Dad!"

Tang Sanmei stamped her foot anxiously.

"You snore and you stink, so Cousin can't sleep with you. You won't let him sleep with us either, so where is he supposed to sleep? He's so frail. We can't make him sleep on the floor! The Tang... our family doesn't treat guests like that!"

Faced with his own daughter's interrogation, Tang Hao froze.

He looked at the large room on the left, then at the small room on the right.

As a father, he absolutely would not let Huo Yuhao sleep with his daughter.

But his daughter couldn't stand his snoring or his smell and absolutely would not let Huo Yuhao sleep with him.

That left only one option...

Tang Hao's eye twitched twice. The mighty Clear Sky Douluo had never suffered such an indignity in his life.

"Fine... fine!"

Tang Hao ground his molars, forced the words through his teeth, then went to the cabinet. He yanked out an old blanket and flung it onto the narrow, hard wooden bench in the living room.

Pointing at the two bedrooms, he growled at Huo Yuhao:

"Sanmei and this little brat sleep in the big room on the left! You, wild boy, get into the small room on the right! None of you set one foot beyond your bedroom door!"

"As for me..."

Tang Hao pointed at himself, then at the shabby bench in the living room. Tears glimmered in his eyes.

"I'll sleep in the living room! I'll guard the door for you!!!"

Huo Yuhao looked at the furious Tang Hao, who had no choice but to give in, and nodded with perfect understanding:

"Sorry to put you out, Uncle Tang. See you in the morning."

With that, Huo Yuhao slipped his hands into his pockets, strolled into his own room, and closed the door behind him.

Tang Sanmei and Xiao Wu cheered and ran into the big room hand in hand.

Before closing the door, Tang Sanmei poked her head out and called to Huo Yuhao with concern:

"Sec... Cousin, if you get thirsty tonight, just cough. I'll come take care of you right away!"

Bang.

The door closed.

In the new two-bedroom home, Tang Hao stood alone in the middle of the living room.

Night deepened, and all was quiet.

The Clear Sky Douluo, whose name shook the continent, curled up miserably on a hard wooden bench too short for him to stretch his legs, covered by a thin old blanket.

Listening to the steady breathing from the rooms on either side, Tang Hao stared at the dark ceiling and ground his molars in the cold draft.

What have I done to deserve this!!

I spent every last bit of my savings on this two-bedroom place... and in the end, I didn't even get a bed!!!

In the morning, the first ray of sunlight came through the window and fell on the hard wooden bench in the living room.

"Ow, my poor back..."

Tang Hao rolled over in pain and nearly fell off the narrow bench.

The mighty Clear Sky Douluo, feared throughout the land, had spent the night curled up on that miserable plank and woken with a crick in his neck.

He sat up, rubbing his aching neck. Then his nose twitched twice.

That smells good!

It was the rich aroma of chicken stewed with mushrooms!

Tang Hao perked up and turned toward the kitchen.

There stood his sweet, thoughtful daughter, Tang Sanmei, on a little stool, bustling over the stove with beads of sweat on her forehead.

Warmth flooded Tang Hao's heart. His eyes grew moist.

That's my own daughter, all right!

She knew I had a rough night sleeping in the living room, so she got up early to make chicken soup for me.

No way that little wild boar would get treatment like this!