Chapter 20: 20. Chapter 20: Heirloom (3)

Chapter 20: The Heirloom (3)

"Your Grandpa Jian is a big, burly man with plenty of strength. He’s very good at hunting; if you’re craving meat, you can’t go wrong by heading over to his place.

Living with your Grandpa Jian is your Grandpa Yan. He’s the doctor in our village. If you have a headache, a fever, or get a scrape or bruise, you go to him."

Bai Lie lowered his voice as he spoke.

"Dad will tell you a little secret. Your Grandpa Yan is actually incredibly impressive. He studied abroad and learned medicine; he’s the kind of person who is even better with a scalpel than the doctors at the big city hospitals.

It’s just that, one time, someone saw your Grandpa Yan performing surgery on someone else, and some nasty rumors started spreading."

Shuyue: "..."

So, *whoosh*, the white blade goes in, and *slash*, the red blade comes out...

Is that where it came from?

Shuyue felt embarrassed. Thankfully, it wasn't anything weird.

Seeing that she wasn't afraid, Bai Lie patted her head and said gently, "There’s a saying: 'Hearing is believing, but seeing is the truth.' But if you ask Dad, even hearing isn't necessarily false, and seeing isn't necessarily the truth.

Your Grandpa Yan is a healer who saves lives, yet in the rumors, he was misunderstood by people repeating what they heard and painted as a heinous villain."

Bai Lie paused. Although there was a part of this that the two old men had intentionally orchestrated, but...

"Rumors are fiercer than tigers, and gossip stops at the wise. Dad hopes you will be a wise person."

He hoped that Shuyue would learn to discern things for herself, to hold her tongue, not to follow the crowd. To not speak is a great virtue; to remain silent is a form of cultivation.

Shuyue nodded blankly.

To be able to say such things requires a certain level of literary cultivation.

You say a man who can speak so eloquently is a thug who relies on violence and intimidation? She found that very hard to believe!

Bai Lie’s words made her reflect. Rather than worrying about how others she hadn't met were, she was more concerned about how she had judged Bai Lie—a man she hadn't met—based on Er Ya’s words and her own speculations, arbitrarily deciding what kind of person he was.

Shuyue’s expression turned serious.

This was indeed her fault.

Shuyue was reflecting very earnestly, but Bai Lie, looking at the fair, delicate little child with her exquisite face set in such a serious expression, felt that he might have been too heavy-handed with his words, and his expression turned sheepish.

"That...

Little Yue'er, Dad isn't saying it's bad for you to talk to Dad like that.

We’re family. Dad is happy no matter what you say to him.

If you have any thoughts, anything you don't understand, or anything you want to share or vent about, just tell Dad. Dad will be very happy, even if it’s just idle chatter..."

He paused, then looked at Shuyue earnestly: "You are Dad’s daughter. Dad wants to give you the best, wants to pave all the roads for you and keep you under his wings, but Dad knows that’s impossible.

So Dad thinks, if I teach you all the principles and experiences I know, maybe you’ll have fewer detours to take.

But maybe Dad is still too impatient. You’re still so young, there are many things you probably don't understand, and it’s not yet time for you to understand them..."

Seeing him furrow his brows several times, looking somewhat frustrated, Shuyue actually understood what he meant.

She was a four-year-old child with no experience, and this man had no experience being a father either!

Shuyue pursed her lips and smiled. She was too embarrassed to mention her various speculations about Bai Lie, so she just said very earnestly, "If I don't understand, then you can just say it a few more times, and I'll understand."

Bai Lie was stunned, then laughed.

Shuyue only then noticed that he actually had a small dimple on his cheek when he smiled. Shuyue couldn't help but reach out and poke it.

Mm, it felt pretty good.

(End of chapter)