Chapter 26: What Malice Could a Child Possibly Have?

The response to Dong Yuefan was a single peanut, which struck him right on the forehead; it actually hurt quite a bit.

"Uncle Dong, what happened to you?" When Dong Yuefan returned to his private room, Xiao Yaoguang asked curiously upon seeing him rubbing his forehead.

Hearing the child call him "Uncle Dong" again, and seeing the expression on his face, Hong Xiaoduo felt a bit embarrassed. She glanced toward the composed Tianshu and thought, *It was your idea again, wasn't it?*

*Do you think that because this trick worked on me, it will work on others too?*

Tianshu turned his head guiltily, adjusting the collar of Tianxuan, who was sitting beside him, even though it wasn't crooked at all.

"I don't know whose unlucky child was throwing things around and hit me," Dong Yuefan said with a smile. His voice was quite loud, showing no concern that the diners in the next room might be disturbed or take offense.

The private room contained only one large round table, which could originally accommodate ten diners. Now that seven of them were children, it felt quite spacious.

To Hong Xiaoduo's left was Yuheng, and to her right were the two little girls, Yaoguang and another. Beside Yaoguang were two empty seats, so Dong Yuefan sat right next to her.

"Little ones, how about we change how you address me?" Dong Yuefan suggested with a smile after sitting down.

Hearing this, Hong Xiaoduo first glanced at Tianshu, only to see him lower his head as if he had indeed done something wrong.

"I'm sorry, Brother Dong. It's my fault for not teaching them better," Hong Xiaoduo apologized quickly.

She felt this was for the best; Tianshu would surely learn his lesson and remember not to call every friendly person "uncle" to try and get close to them.

It wouldn't be appropriate to say the child was emotionally blackmailing people; at most, it was just a little trick the child had discovered to use when encountering someone he felt he could trust.

Even though it wasn't her responsibility—she hadn't told the children to call them that, and they had only known each other for a few days without her teaching them anything—it would be improper not to say something at a time like this.

Seeing Hong Xiaoduo's apologetic expression and the anxious, nervous faces of the seven little bald heads present, Dong Yuefan realized they had misunderstood his words. He quickly clarified, "No, no, that's not what I meant. I meant they can call me Uncle Yuefan, or perhaps Uncle Fan.

After all, the surname Dong isn't particularly rare. If you shout it in the street, several people might turn around.

But calling me Uncle Yuefan or Uncle Fan is different; those would be my exclusive titles.

Besides, having so many handsome little nephews and nieces all at once makes me quite happy."

*Is that really so?* Upon hearing his explanation, Hong Xiaoduo and the seven children looked at him in unison, appearing unable to believe him.

"It's true. I am the youngest of six brothers, and I have no older sisters, so naturally, no one ever called me uncle," Dong Yuefan explained further, seeing their skepticism.

"Uncle Yuefan!" Tianquan was the quickest to react, calling out first.

Immediately after, the other six children followed in unison, their voices crisp and clear. This was a title approved by the uncle himself, so they could call him that with peace of mind.

Since that was the case, Hong Xiaoduo stopped fussing about what was appropriate or not. She actually felt quite relieved that, at the very least, Tianshu hadn't secretly taught them to call Dong Yuefan "Godfather."

Sensing someone watching her, Hong Xiaoduo followed her intuition and looked over; it was indeed Tianshu.

Tianshu lowered his head again. Looking at his expression, Hong Xiaoduo saw no sign of triumph, only the look of someone who had done something wrong, which made her heart ache for him even more.

Dong Yuefan responded happily just as the waiter began bringing the food.

Soon, the table was filled with crystal shrimp dumplings, chicken soup wontons, beef pancakes, steamed egg custard, and meat porridge.

Scenting the aroma, the children looked at Hong Xiaoduo. Seeing her nod with a smile, they rolled up their sleeves and began eating the food closest to them.

Just as Hong Xiaoduo was about to stand up to move the food closer to the children, Dong Yuefan had already signaled the waiter.

Small portions of each type of meat porridge, wonton, and egg custard were served to each child individually.

With a breakfast like this, not only did the children—who had never eaten such things—eat heartily, but even Hong Xiaoduo, who had enjoyed plenty of delicacies, ate with great relish.

The seven children had excellent table manners, but Dong Yuefan's attention was entirely focused on Hong Xiaoduo, who had the worst manners of them all.

She ate the crystal shrimp dumplings one by one, and finished the beef pancakes in just a few bites.

Watching her made Dong Yuefan's appetite soar, and he ended up eating much more than usual.

"Who gave them their names? Was it you, Lady Hong?" Since the service in the private room was excellent, the waiter had brought a pot of fine tea when he came to tidy up. Dong Yuefan poured her a cup and asked.

Hong Xiaoduo nodded. "Why? Is there something wrong with them?"

"They were named in the order of the Big Dipper. They are very beautiful, but... elders often say that when naming, a boy should not have 'Heaven' (Tian) and a girl should not have 'Immortal' (Xian) in their names," Dong Yuefan said, looking at her.

"Common folk generally believe in nature worship, thinking all things in the world are governed by destiny. A man with the character for 'Heaven' in his name might be seen as extraordinary or someone with a special mission.

Such people easily attract jealousy and suspicion, so people try to avoid using such words.

As for women, their names should not contain 'Immortal.' In ancient times, the word 'Immortal' was closely associated with deities and celestial maidens. Immortals were seen as beings with supernatural powers and special status, representing nobility, mystery, and an ascetic lifestyle.

However, such a status is too exalted for an ordinary woman. It is believed that a woman should take pride in being a virtuous wife and mother; a name containing 'Immortal' can give an impression of being out of place.

Furthermore, the word 'Immortal' often appears in the context of death, such as the term 'passing away into immortality' (xian shi). Therefore, naming a woman with 'Immortal' in her name is also considered inauspicious," he continued to explain in detail.

*Oh, I see. So that's how it is.*

Hong Xiaoduo understood and nodded absently. She hadn't realized there were such taboos in naming.

"That's a relief. I thought you were going to say that using the word 'Heaven' was touching upon the taboos of the one on the Dragon Throne," Hong Xiaoduo remarked. After all, wasn't the person on the throne called the Son of Heaven?

Dong Yuefan shook his head with a laugh. "Not at all, not at all."

"Did you all hear what Uncle Yuefan meant?" Hong Xiaoduo asked the seven children.

The seven little bald heads nodded in unison. Looking at them, Dong Yuefan felt that even if there were no candles in the room tonight, these seven kids would be enough to light up the space.

"So, do you four want to change your names? Let Uncle Dong give you new ones. He is well-read and learned; he will surely give you much more beautiful names," Hong Xiaoduo asked.

"Mother, I like this name. I won't change it. I'm not afraid of others' jealousy or suspicion," Tianshu was the first to declare.

"Mother, we like our names too. We won't change them, and we aren't afraid either," the other three chimed in, their attitudes resolute and without a hint of hesitation.

Their mother had named the seven of them after the Big Dipper, which looked like a ladle in the sky; the names were already beautiful.

The seven of them had always been together as one. If four of them changed their names, that feeling would be lost. It was no good; they absolutely refused to change.

"Alright, alright, no changing. It won't be too late to change them later if you decide you don't like them when you grow up," Hong Xiaoduo said quickly upon seeing the tense expressions of the four boys.

"We will use the names Mother gave us for the rest of our lives!" Tianshu cried out, getting anxious upon hearing her words.

Hong Xiaoduo was somewhat caught between laughter and tears; she had only said it in passing, how could they take it so seriously!

Watching from the side, Dong Yuefan laughed along, then suddenly thought of something. "You all go wait outside first. Your mother has something important to say to you."

The seven little bald heads first looked at Hong Xiaoduo. Seeing her nod, they didn't immediately obey and walk out; instead, six of them looked at Tianshu.

Only after Tianshu looked back and forth between Hong Xiaoduo and himself several times did he lead the six little ones out of the private room.

After going out, Tianshu helped close the door. He didn't approach to eavesdrop, nor did he walk far away; he simply waited obediently...