Chapter 104

 After the Cannon Fodder Top Turns to Farming, He Gets a Happy Ending with the Aloof Protagonist (Transmigration)

"Ahem." With a metaphorical broadsword hanging over his head, Shen Feng certainly couldn't admit to it; he immediately wanted to flip the script and hand the baby back to them.

But just as he was about to pass the child over, the little one—who had been so well-behaved in his arms—suddenly pursed his tiny lips. Those big, curious eyes, which had been gazing around, fluttered rapidly as tears welled up in them.

Before Lu Lizhi could even take him, the baby let out a heart-wrenching wail.

Everyone was instantly thrown into a panic, while the culprit—feeling incredibly guilty—wanted to run away even more.

Yet, an inadvertent movement where he pulled the baby back toward himself acted like a magic switch, instantly stopping the crying.

Everyone: "???"

"Huh?" Shen Feng, as if discovering a fun game, kept alternating between pulling the baby back and offering him forward; the little darling would cry and then stop, over and over.

"That's enough!" Jiang Ye and Lu Lizhi, their hearts breaking, spoke almost in unison.

Jiang Ye immediately scooped the baby back into his arms; despite having spent the last few days caring for Lu Lizhi, his hold on the baby was perfectly practiced.

The tiny, pink bundle was the apple of his eye—a precious treasure that Lizhi had endured so much hardship to bring into the world. Held against his broad chest, the contrast was striking—a picture of rugged tenderness.

The little darling still wanted to cry, his small head turning to the side as if searching for something. Shen Feng, who had originally intended to slip away unnoticed, found his resolve completely crumbling. "C-could I... hold her just a little longer?"

"There's no need; please take your leave, Mr. Shen." Jiang Yeye didn't even spare him a glance; Li Zhi would be fine with or without him—it might just be a bit more exhausting, that's all.

The others also made it clear he wasn't welcome; his attitude earlier had made it seem as though he viewed Jiaojiao as nothing more than a plaything.

Shen Feng was suddenly at a loss. He had never encountered a situation like this before—especially not when the little baby was restlessly searching for him, her tiny hands struggling free from the swaddling clothes and flailing anxiously, accompanied by increasingly heart-wrenching sobs.

Shen Feng clutched his chest abruptly; he couldn't take it anymore.

He was a goner.

"Give her to me—quick, let me hold her. She’s crying her heart out; the poor little thing."

Lu Lizhi blocked his path. He didn't know what had suddenly come over the little one, but the bond between father and daughter meant he was suffering terribly, too.

Shen Feng’s expression turned serious. "It’s my fault." He offered a sincere apology; Lu Lizhi tried to step aside, unwilling to accept such a gesture from him.

Then, the other man dropped another bombshell.

"I am originally from Zhangqu in Jianning. 'Shen Feng' isn't my real name—that’s just an alias. My surname is Chu, and my given name is Feng—the 'feng' from 'wind and rain'."

At these words, Lu Lizhi’s brows twitched. Even the baby stopped crying, looking over in that direction as her father held her up. Facing the little tot’s innocent, wide-eyed gaze, Shen Feng puffed out his chest with an air of pride. "You might not know my real name, but everyone calls me 'Master Qishan'."

Having said that, he waited to hear exclamations of awe.

Lu Lizhi thought to himself: *A fraud!*

While the man was indeed highly learned, Lu Lizhi hadn't forgotten how they met—not to mention that the real Master Qishan had already been engaged by the Jiangyi Lu clan to tutor Lu Qingchuan.

Jiang Yeye stifled a laugh. "Who is Master Qishan? Just saying so doesn't make it true; you have to prove your skills!"

Shen Feng wanted to argue, but one glance at the little one made him back down. "I'll teach her—I'll teach you too, alright?" His tone shifted to one of near-pleading.

Lu Lizhi remained hesitant.

"This child and I clearly share a bond; perhaps we are truly fated for a master-disciple relationship. When I teach her, you can simply listen in."

"There's no need to force yourself, Master Shen; once you leave, Jiaojiao will be fine." Seeing that Shen Feng still held onto his arrogance, Jiang Yeye brought out the "little shield."

The "little shield" pouted, on the verge of tears. Shen Feng felt a headache coming on and ultimately gave in.

As he held the little one in his arms again, he felt that notions of freedom and a carefree life no longer mattered at all.

Although Lu Lizhi didn't quite believe he was Master Qishan, out of respect, he deferred the decision regarding their earlier dispute to him. @Wonderful stories, all on Jinjiang Literature City

"Choosing a name? That’s a major affair." Shen Feng asked for the baby’s birth details and actually performed a proper calculation. He determined that the little one had a "Fire" destiny but lacked "Water" in her Five Elements; her fate was noble, yet required something to balance it out.

He then selected one character from each of the names the fathers had proposed and combined them.

"Let’s call her Lu Huaixi."

The character "Huai" (怀) carried a sense of dignity and grace, while "Xi" (汐) retained a girlish charm; furthermore, the inclusion of the "Water" element made the name sound perfect to Jiang Dazhu and the others—they were absolutely delighted with it.

Since the two characters were chosen from the names proposed by Jiang Suye and Lu Lizhi respectively, the name embodied the heartfelt wishes of both fathers.

The two men exchanged a glance and nodded with smiles.

However, Shen Feng soon discovered that the little one had a wandering eye; she no longer wanted him to hold her, instead darting her big eyes around in search of the arms of other uncles and aunts.

Shen Feng: "..." Little one, tell me you aren't just teasing me!

Watching his child—a total social butterfly—instantly charm everyone into cooing endearments like "my heart" and "my little darling," with everyone feeling a special connection to the baby, Jiang Suye couldn't help but laugh so hard he doubled over right next to Lu Lizhi.

Meanwhile, Master Qishan felt like banging his head against a wall. "

Lu Lizhi smiled as he imagined the scene.

He realized something was amiss; the little one, so young, had already found a renowned teacher for his father.

"But he..." Lu Lizhi composed himself and casually turned a page of his book.

"Still in confinement, don't be so engrossed in your book," he said, but couldn't quite bring himself to read it.

"My opponent is formidable; I can't be careless." Lu Lizhi coaxed him, "Good boy, go play somewhere else."

Jiang Ye said, "Let me check your wound." Lu Lizhi stiffened slightly, not because he looked unwell, but because he had only recently given birth and hadn't fully recovered. He had reacted strangely both times Jiang Ye applied the medicine.

It seemed he was even more sensitive now.

This slightly alarmed him. His desire for intimacy during pregnancy was already unusual enough; he wanted to be intimate every night, almost addicted. Back then, he had been mindful of the baby, taking things slowly, which had gradually subsided, and it had taken quite a while. .

It seemed like only that one thing was on his mind.

Lu Lizhi's expression was serious; he wouldn't let Jiang Yiye touch him, and was even wary of being touched by him.

Jiang Yiye was confused, but Lu Lizhi was increasingly showing the makings of a future powerful minister. When he was finally dismissed, Jiang Yiye touched his nose.

It seemed he was increasingly outmaneuvered by him. @Unlimited good stories, all at Jinjiang Literature City

Estimating the time, he went to cook again. ...some goat milk; the little fellow had a hearty appetite, gulping down more than half a bottle at a time. After finishing, he would keep his mouth open and eyes wide, seemingly waiting for another serving.

The baby was born on the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month. Between the arrival of the new life and the flurry of activity, everyone had forgotten to formally celebrate the New Year, yet the atmosphere was livelier and more joyful than in previous years.

By the time everyone realized it, the eighth day of the new year had already arrived.

The eighth day marked the festival honoring the Eight Immortals. Although the inn’s restaurant service had paused—and the head chef, Pang Feifei, had returned to the capital with Dr. Pang, planning to celebrate the Lantern Festival with family before coming back—the lodging facilities remained open.

Not everyone had a complete family or a home to return to for the holidays; as the reputation of Ziran Manor grew, an increasing number of people came to stay for extended periods.

Take Shen Feng, for instance—a man shrouded in mystery. Had he not inadvertently revealed a bit about himself and subsequently found himself pestered by others, he would have... One might wish to set up a room here—admiring the drifting snow in winter and the lotus blossoms in summer; it would be a truly delightful existence.

Now that his identity was out in the open, Jiang Luye arranged a high-standard "suite" for him, fully equipped with heating and running water.

A diverse array of guests had taken up temporary residence at the estate: officials who had resigned and returned to their hometowns, wealthy gentlemen living in solitude, young men who had run away from home, traveling merchants (including women disguised as men), members of merchant guilds, and even families in transit who had not yet decided where to settle down.

Some had simply reserved rooms, intending to return and stay once spring arrived after the New Year.

None of them were short on money.

Jiang Luye’s estate boasted vast tracts of farmland; he had hired hands to cultivate a wide variety of grains and vegetables, primarily to supply the estate's own needs. However, the "agritainment" area also featured numerous unused cooking hearths, allowing residents to prepare their own meals if they wished. Paying the people on the estate to help make them would also give them a chance to earn some extra money.

Everyone currently staying at the leisure estate was living a carefree, leisurely life; thanks to careful management, this resort—which was the size of a village—had gradually transformed into a veritable Shangri-La for relaxation and vacationing.

That day, people began sending servants over one after another to ask when they would open for business, and to inquire—with eager anticipation—whether any events would be held there for the Lantern Festival.

Jiang Yeye, who had originally intended to focus solely on raising the baby, thought: *Oh well, guess I still need to earn money for milk powder!*

So, he threw himself into the preparations with great energy.

In between resting and reading, Lu Lizhi also took the time to write numerous lantern riddles and create paintings—all of which could be sold.

Jiang Yeye felt this was a waste of talent—after all, Lizhi’s paintings were worth a fortune—so he simply dragged Shen Feng over to help.

Shen Feng, who was dedicated to becoming the baby's sole favorite person: "???"

"How much do you think these lanterns are worth?"

"Definitely more expensive than what's sold outside; after all, the guests are wealthy. Hmm, a fish-shaped lantern like this would go for three taels of silver, while the intricate openwork floral lanterns are more complex—four taels each."

"Do you know how much one of my paintings is worth?"

Jiang Yeye put on an "innocent and clueless" expression.

"Forget it, you wouldn't understand anyway." Just as he was about to leave, the baby burst into loud sobs.

Shen Feng: "I'll paint!" ”

Painting lanterns? A piece of cake!

Since he had tricked Mr. Qishan, Jiang Luye couldn't very well leave him empty-handed; not only did he treat him to all sorts of good food and drink, but he also paid him a generous fee.

However, Shen Feng immediately turned around and used the money to buy a flock of sheep, intending to milk them and feed the little one himself—surely that would make the baby grow closer to him!

Consequently, for the next few days, the sound of bleating sheep could be heard everywhere.

Jiang Luye finally understood why Li Zhiheng had been so reluctant to believe this man was the real Mr. Qishan.

The list of unreliable things Shen Feng did was simply endless.

By the time the Lantern Festival arrived, a festive atmosphere was already palpable in the air.

Jiang Luye had arranged for people to promote the event near the local academy and bookstores beforehand to attract scholars, and word-of-mouth from previous visitors helped spread the news further.

People arrived in twos and threes, or in larger groups. Given this trend, the area surrounding the Xian Manor would soon become bustling and prosperous.

The Magistrate of Nanyuan County and others—who had once made jokes at Jiang Luye’s expense—were now eager to curry favor with him, hoping he would help boost their political achievements and pave the way for promotions and wealth.

Naturally, they had brought quite an entourage with them today.

Tu Huanwen had come hoping to ask Lu Lizhi for answers to a few long-standing questions, while also bringing his wife along to view the lantern festival.

His wife was currently pregnant; after an initial period of dazed surprise at the prospect of becoming a father, a profound sense of paternal love and responsibility had welled up within him.

Consequently, he found himself unable to fathom what joy two men—Lu Lizhi and Jiang Luye—could possibly find in being together.

However, when he finally saw the pair, he found Lu Lizhi cradling a "bundle" in his arms; upon closer inspection, he was suddenly met with a beautiful little face, the baby’s tiny mouth smacking softly.

"Er... she’s adorable. Where did you steal her from? I mean—did you adopt a child?" Tu Huanwen blurted out.

The moment Tu Huanwen’s wife laid eyes on the baby, she was instantly charmed. "Oh my goodness! What a beautiful little girl. It’s rare to see a baby look so lovely at such a young age."

She gripped Tu Huanwen’s hand, squeezing it tighter and tighter in her envy. "I want to have a baby girl just like this—what should I do?"

Lu Lizhi smiled. "If the two of you wish for a daughter, perhaps earnestly wishing for one every day might just work." ”

Jiang Luye was so delighted he was practically floating on air, nodding earnestly.

Tu Huanwen’s wife actually took it to heart. "Oh, I’ll certainly pray for that; my in-laws have been wishing for a granddaughter."

Tu Huanwen, who hadn't even managed to show off himself but ended up being outdone by them, felt a sense of helpless resignation. "How did you two manage to move so fast?"

Jiang Luye hadn't expected it either; he had been truly terrified that day.

They didn't stay out long; he kept urging Lu Lizhi to return, fearing the cold might harm his constitution, while Lu Lizhi worried about Jiao Jiao catching a chill. After merely glancing from afar at the sea of ​​lanterns outside, the two of them retreated to the warmth of the house.

By evening, the bustle outside grew louder. A number of scholars clamored to see Lu Lizhi and engage him in debate, but Jiang Luye deftly diverted their attention to other amusements.

Once they saw the calligraphy, paintings, and riddles adorning those lanterns, they were instantly captivated—as if their souls had been snatched away.

"How does such an ordinary-looking lantern manage to give off such an impressive vibe?"

Shen Feng, passing by while herding a little lamb that had wandered off, thought to himself: *At least you lot have some taste!*

"This one looks even better than that one—the artistic style is superb!" Shen Feng nearly fainted when he saw it—to think he was accused of not caring about Lu Lizhi!

Later, the He family arrived as well; Old Master He had quite a few things to discuss with Jiang Daye, especially since their conflict with Shanyitang had reached a fever pitch.

But before that could happen, Madam He and Jiang Dazhu mysteriously pulled them aside, saying they wanted to show them a treasure!