TNIBFT -Chapter 36 Calling “Dad” for the First Time

Ye Tian’s voice was low and hoarse as he hugged his daughter tightly, his throat choking up: “It was my fault before. Thank you for coming back.”

“I promise I’ll never sell you again, and I won’t ever hit you.”

Gripping Ye Shuangxue’s shoulders with both hands, Ye Tian looked into her eyes seriously. “I’ll make sure you live a good life. I’ll do everything I can to protect you. I won’t let you become a major villain.”

“Even if you do become a major villain… I’ll make sure you’re the protagonist.”

Major villain?

Ye Shuangxue frowned at Ye Tian. “Are you frozen in the head?”

The little girl looked utterly disgusted, casually threw her bundle onto Ye Tian’s bed, then crouched down and expertly got the fire going.

“Did you come back alone?”

Ye Tian awkwardly followed behind his daughter like a shadow, worried she might run off at any moment. To the readers, Ye Shuangxue and her siblings were just stepping stones for the protagonist, mere NPCs in the story. But to Ye Tian, they were his children, his own blood.

“I ran the fastest…”

Before Ye Shuangxue could finish, the door curtain was flung open. A gust of cold wind twisted the flames and sent ashes flying. Squinting, Ye Tian looked over and saw Ye Yunting holding Xiao Jiang’s hand, standing at the doorway. Snowflakes clung to the two children’s heads and shoulders, their little faces flushed from the cold.

“Xiao Jiang, Eldest!”

Ye Tian shouted, rushing over in a few excited steps. He scooped both children up in his arms tightly.

Ye Yunting was a little awkward, shifting his body stiffly.

Xiao Jiang hugged Ye Tian’s neck with his small hands, shyly saying, “I don’t want to leave.”

“From now on… can we always be together?”

“Of course we can!”

Ye Tian replied excitedly, his broad hand gently touching the back of Xiao Jiang’s head. “I’m your dad. We’re a family. We’ll definitely always be together.”

“Xiao Jiang, Eldest… thank you both for coming back. I… I thought… I thought I’d never see you again.”

Ye Tian’s mouth twitched, nearly breaking into tears.

Xiao Jiang hurriedly flailed his small hands, wiping imaginary tears off Ye Tian’s face and speaking in a childish voice: “Dad, don’t cry. We’re not leaving. From now on, Xiao Jiang will behave and earn lots and lots of money, so Dad, Big Brother, and Sister can all live well.”

“Mm.”

Ye Tian nodded along in agreement.

Suddenly realizing something, Ye Tian grabbed Xiao Jiang’s shoulders excitedly: “What did you just call me?”

Seeing Ye Tian acting so frenzied, Ye Yunting’s heart tightened, afraid his father might lose his mind.

Xiao Jiang pursed his lips and whispered softly: “Dad.”

“If you don’t like it, I won’t call you that again,” he added quietly, looking down.

“No!”

Ye Tian hugged him excitedly, his face lighting up. “I like it. I really like it! Thank you, Xiao Jiang.”

The effort of the past few days had finally paid off.

Ye Tian was deeply moved. Xiao Jiang had acknowledged him; now only Ye Shuangxue and Big Brother remained. Given enough time, the children would surely see his sincerity.

Ye Yunting twitched at the corner of his mouth. This scene… feels off.

Oh well.

Since his younger siblings didn’t want to leave, Ye Tian wouldn’t sell them, and they wouldn’t have to enter the city’s main residence as slaves just to survive. This ending was actually the best.

The family of four steamed some buns.

The three children sat by the fire. Ye Shuangxue took off her boots, stretched out her small, pale feet, and roasted them while drying her boots. Steam rose from the tiny boots. Seeing his daughter holding the boots for so long, Ye Tian took them and continued drying them slowly.

“This is your silver.”

“And this set of clothes. Shuangxue, you have enough clothes for now. Take them to the city tomorrow to exchange,” Ye Yunting said, handing a shiny piece of silver to Ye Tian.

Ye Tian took the silver coins and said, “I’ll keep them for now.”

“I’ve already made arrangements for this money.”

The three children immediately looked at Ye Tian seriously. Ye Tian continued, “If we want to survive, we have to know how to make money. I plan to open a hotpot restaurant in the city.”

“What’s a hotpot restaurant?”

Xiao Jiang asked in surprise.

Ye Shuangxue and Ye Yunting also looked at Ye Tian with curiosity. Ye Tian flipped through the boots in his hands and explained, “It’s a place to eat. You put beef tallow and chili in a copper pot, bring it to a boil, then put in slices of meat and vegetables. It’s fiery hot, and eating it is extremely satisfying.”

After hearing this, Xiao Jiang immediately nodded. “Good idea!”

“This way, people eating out won’t have to worry about their food getting cold before they finish their wine or meal.”

Ye Shuangxue quickly craned her neck. “So… does that mean we’ll have food to eat every day?”

“Of course!”

Ye Tian looked at Ye Shuangxue proudly.

Ye Yunting observed Ye Tian’s every word and action. Now that they had money, Ye Tian wasn’t thinking about gambling—his first thought was about making more money. This was completely different from before, when he only spent time with friends, eating, drinking, and gambling, never caring about the three siblings’ lives.

“And tomorrow, I’ll go inquire about the school so you can start attending as soon as possible,” Ye Tian said.

Ye Shuangxue immediately jumped up from the small stool. “Go to school?”

“I’m not going.”

The little girl shook her head nervously, then continued, “No girls in the village go to school, only boys. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me…”

“Besides, if I go to school, who will cook and tend the fire for you?”

Ye Shuangxue’s big eyes rolled—her logic was flawless.

Ye Tian looked at his daughter. “I can cook myself. Girls in the village don’t go to school because their parents won’t allow it—they want to save money, thinking daughters will eventually marry into other families. But Shuangxue, in my heart, you, your brother, and your little brother are all equal.”

“You’re outstanding, even more so than your brother and little brother. Sending you to school isn’t about fame or success—I want you to understand the principles of life. Only by studying can you learn the past and present and find clarity for life’s questions.”

Ye Shuangxue’s head ached.

She had never been restricted before. Thinking of those bookish kids at school, nodding and swaying, made her dizzy.

But Ye Tian was willing to spend money to send her to school. That meant he valued her—he even believed she was the best. Ye Shuangxue’s heart trembled slightly. Seeing Ye Tian’s expectant gaze on her, she pressed her lips together and reluctantly said, “Fine, I’ll go!”

“Can I go to school too?”

Xiao Jiang asked excitedly, looking at Ye Tian.

Ye Tian said, “All three of you siblings will go. With me at home, you don’t need to worry.”

Ye Yunting lowered his head, eyes dim and unfocused.

Going to school had always been his dream.

He never imagined it would come true so easily.

…

A few days later.

Ye Tian and Fang Shenghuo had asked around and learned that the neighboring village had a school. The teacher was an elderly scholar in his fifties, a man of rules and a good reputation.

Ye Tian brought three gifts for apprenticeship and prepared to take the three children to meet the teacher.

“Three chickens.”

“Ten large buns.”

“One jin of sesame oil.”

“One jin of sugar… wait, why is there only half?”

Ye Tian looked puzzled. He turned his head and saw his daughter’s small mouth smeared with something glistening. His expression changed as he looked at Ye Shuangxue. “Did you eat some secretly?”