PCJ – Chapter 459 A Nephew Is Acknowledged

The child of a poor family still has the nature of a child. Just seeing Liu Jun’s pure and lively eyes made Liu Qiaoye feel deeply heartbroken. She didn’t know where Liu Jun’s parents were and didn’t dare to ask casually.

“The marinated tofu is so delicious. When I was little, whenever my parents took me to the market, they often bought me some marinated tofu to eat,” Liu Jun said excitedly while walking with Zhang Jiaohua. However, as soon as he spoke about his parents, his face darkened.

Liu Qiaoye, though curious, didn’t ask further. At this moment, asking about Liu Jun’s parents would be like opening an old wound.

“What else is there to eat? I haven’t eaten enough yet,” Zhang Jiaohua said, perhaps intentionally or unintentionally changing the subject.

The two children ate a variety of street food, their stomachs full. Normally, Liu Qiaoye would worry about them overeating, but today, she let them enjoy themselves without restrictions.

Liu Qiaoye took the two children to a shopping mall, which was the most upscale in Hongyan Town. Although it couldn’t compare with Gezhuping Town, it was the best in Hongyan.

Had it not been for Liu Qiaoye’s unique and sophisticated attire, it would have been hard to believe she was not a typical rural woman. However, the two children were dressed in worn clothes, clearly indicating they came from a poor mountainous area. Patchwork clothes like theirs were rare in Hongyan Town, and it was even more uncommon to see someone wearing patched clothes on the street.

The saleswoman, seeing their appearance, was worried they might stain the store’s clothes.

“Find a few proper outfits for them,” Liu Qiaoye said, noticing the dismissive look the saleswoman gave the children. She was immediately irked and spoke with no courtesy.

The saleswoman wasn’t sure about Liu Qiaoye’s background, but she could tell from the quality and style of Liu Qiaoye’s clothes that she was not a regular person. Having worked in a store for years, she knew the clothing Liu Qiaoye wore couldn’t be bought in this mall, and probably not even in the county town.

“Miss, if these clothes get dirty, you’ll have to buy them,” the saleswoman said meekly. She didn’t want to be the bad guy but feared Liu Qiaoye would refuse to buy, causing trouble for her with the boss.

“What kind of attitude is this? You think their clothes will get dirty just by trying them on? Look at them, except for the worn clothes, what’s dirty about them?” Liu Qiaoye replied angrily.

The saleswoman became embarrassed. “Miss, I’m just a worker here, please don’t make it hard for me.”

“Fine. As long as they fit, I’ll buy them. If not, I’ll go somewhere else,” Liu Qiaoye said impatiently.

“Okay, okay. I’ll go get them some clothes,” the saleswoman hurried off, her eye for sizing was good, and she immediately knew what sizes to bring for Zhang Jiaohua and Liu Jun.

“Auntie, I don’t want it. I don’t want it. I’m just here to buy clothes for them,” Liu Jun said quickly, waving his hands when he heard that the clothes would be bought right away.

The saleswoman looked to Liu Qiaoye for confirmation.

Liu Qiaoye smiled, “I’ll get them some clothes. Jun, my surname is Liu, and so is yours. You shouldn’t call me ‘Auntie,’ call me ‘Aunt’ instead. You can consider me your aunt. Whatever Jiaohua gets, you won’t miss out.”

Liu Jun liked the new clothes, but he felt a little embarrassed and didn’t know what to do.

“Jun, don’t be nervous. When you grow up and make money, you can buy better clothes for my mother,” Zhang Jiaohua said.

“Alright, Auntie. When I grow up, I’ll definitely buy better clothes for you,” Liu Jun said firmly.

Liu Qiaoye chuckled, “Mm, I’m waiting for Jun to grow up and make money.”

When they returned to Muyun Village, the two children, now dressed in new clothes, were almost unrecognizable to the villagers. Especially Zhang Jiaohua, whose transformation was the most dramatic. His hair, once shoulder-length, was now much shorter, making him look even more spirited. His fair skin made him stand out from the other village children. Even though he had been running around in the mountains, he hadn’t gotten tanned and his skin was startlingly pale.

Liu Zhaodong was uneasy and scolded Liu Jun, “You don’t know anything! We didn’t help Jiaohua at all. Why are you asking people for this and that?”

Liu Jun, originally happy, burst into tears after being scolded.

“Uncle, what’s the matter? I acknowledged Jun as my nephew. Isn’t it right for me to buy him two sets of new clothes? Jun promised he would buy me better clothes when he grows up,” Liu Qiaoye quickly pulled Liu Jun aside.

“You… You…” Liu Zhaodong didn’t know how to respond. Actually, he wasn’t against Liu Jun having new clothes, but sympathy from others is only temporary. Having lived in poverty for so long, they didn’t feel the hardship, but once they tasted sweetness, it made them uneasy about the future.

“Actually, finding Jiaohua wasn’t my doing. It was Zhang Zhenren’s credit. If anyone should be thanked, it’s Zhang Zhenren,” Liu Zhaodong confessed. Zhang Jiaohua already knew this.

“We also need to thank Zhang Zhenren. Uncle, don’t worry. I truly like Jun. Look, Jiaohua and Jun get along so well, like brothers. Jun is so smart; he’ll surely succeed in the future,” Liu Qiaoye tried to console Liu Zhaodong, who finally felt relieved.

Before leaving, Zhang Jiaohua’s family visited Zhang Guanyu’s temple to deliver some supplies.

Zhang Guanyu didn’t care much for the supplies, but upon seeing Zhang Jiaohua, he immediately pulled him into the temple.

“Little Daoist, I’ve been refining pills these days, but the result is the same. I’m still only able to refine the low-quality Peiyuan Pills. Tell me, what do I need to do to refine a better Peiyuan Pills?” Zhang Guanyu asked, holding Zhang Jiaohua’s shoulders urgently.

“You want me to confess?” Zhang Jiaohua asked discontentedly.

“No, no. I’m asking for guidance,” Zhang Guanyu quickly let go of Zhang Jiaohua, feeling embarrassed.

“My master said that refining pills depends on talent. Your techniques are fine, but you can’t find that feeling, so you can’t make good pills. Not all cultivators can refine pills,” Zhang Jiaohua replied, causing Zhang Guanyu to be furious.

“So, are you saying I’m just not suitable for pill refining?” Zhang Guanyu asked.

“I guess so. Look at your Peiyuan Pills; what’s the difference between those and waste?” Zhang Jiaohua gave Zhang Guanyu a harsh blow.

“Forget it. Little Daoist, will you help me refine a few more Peiyuan Pills?” Zhang Guanyu could only try another approach.

“This is no problem. But you have to agree to one condition,” Zhang Jiaohua said. Refining Peiyuan Pills wasn’t too difficult for him. As long as Zhang Guanyu provided the ingredients, Zhang Jiaohua could easily refine them. However, Zhang Jiaohua needed Zhang Guanyu’s help with Liu Jun.

Zhang Guanyu happily agreed.