The light rain lent the weather a chill. The old street of Yellow Springs Town lay empty, washed clean, and outside the old tavern at its center, the weathered sign reading "Yellow Springs Blade Mound" had turned a blackish yellow under the soaking rain.
Beneath the eaves, a sturdy man sat on a little stool with a small table before him.
Opposite him sat a five- or six-year-old girl with little horn-shaped pigtails, diligently writing with a brush as she murmured:
"Dad, where did Grandpa Qiu go?"
"Call him Uncle Qiu."
"But Grandpa Qiu is over fifty. He told me to call him that..."
"..."
Xuanyuan Tiangang drew a breath and raised a hand to rub the little girl's head.
"Martial arts experts live long lives. There's nothing wrong with calling someone in his fifties your big brother. Next time you see him, call him Big Brother Qiu..."
"Gangzi!"
Inside the tavern, the proprietress, A Lan, threw her cleaning rag onto the table. The little girl hurriedly lowered her head over her writing in fright, and Xuanyuan Tiangang sat a little straighter too.
"I was only joking."
"What kind of joke is that? Our daughter is so little, she'll listen to anything you say. If you don't teach her proper manners now, what if she strays down the wrong path when she grows up?"
"Ah..."
A wife scolding her husband was undoubtedly the common folk's favorite entertainment. The voices drew looks from quite a few neighbors, and even the little girl lowered her head to hide a smile.
After listening for a while, Xuanyuan Tiangang braced his hands on his knees, rose, and headed for the backyard.
"Business is slow. I'll go cast a few nets..."
"Don't run off. It's almost dark, and it's raining. What are you going fishing