WangXian Forever 3

Chapter 25 Myths

XiChen poured tea for everyone sitting around the table in Uncle Qiren's room.

"This is Li XiWang." Wei Ying introduced her to him.

"Our daughter." Lan Zhan added, proudly.

She was sitting in between them both, holding their hands, but she stood up and bowed gracefully to Uncle Qiren and her Uncle XiChen.

"We should have a naming ceremony." Uncle Qiren replied, still looking stern, but...was that a twinkle in his eye?

There was a knock on the door and SiZhui entered.

"The cook would like to see Li XiWang in the kitchens." He said, beaming at his sister.

Wei Ying kissed her cheek and let her go.

"Please tell us everything in detail." XiChen asked, glad that the little girl was not here for this now.

Wei Ying filled them in on all that had happened. When he got to the part with the doctor, Uncle Qiren interrupted him.

"Suanni? Are you sure you heard him correctly?" His gaze was also sharp, and Wei Ying was reminded of his grandmother.

"What is that, Uncle?" XiChen asked.

"He is mentioned in a story, and as all such things, nobody knows whether it is true or not. The Suanni was a mythical beast, the eighth son of a dragon, with the body of a lion. He likes fire and smoke, but some say he has a gentle personality. Buddha took him to be his mount." Uncle Qiren stroked his beard.

"So he does exist?" Wei Ying looked doubtful.

"No one knows. Perhaps more research is needed."

Wei Ying pulled out the parchment paper he had collected from the doctor. "And what do you make of this?"

Uncle Qiren and XiChen pored over the numbers, brows furrowed in concentration.

"I cannot say." Uncle resumed his position, leaning slightly away from the table.

"It looks like a tally, to me." XiChen added, finally.

"Can you please explain?" Wei Ying sat forwards, excitement growing.

"Well, when the farmers send me their requirements, they make a similar list. It's basically how much they need of grain, supplies, that sort of thing. This just looks...very like that."

"If that's true, then I think you're amazing!" Wei Ying gave him a brilliant smile. "Ow, Lan Zhan, that hurts."

Lan Zhan stared straight ahead, ignoring him.

Wei Ying took the paper in the hand that was free, to examine it once more. "You know, I kept looking and looking at this, wondering if there was a pattern, or if it was code for something, but you solved it in seconds."

XiChen blushed. "I could be wrong." He said, modestly.

"No way! The more I see these numbers," Wei Ying pointed at a particular column, "the more I think you're right." He sighed. "Now we just have to figure out what they're talking about."

There was another knock on the door. A disciple entered.

"Sect Leader Jiang Wanyin and his nephew, Jin Rulan are here."
He said, bowing.

"Have them wait in the Great Hall." Uncle Qiren bristled with annoyance.

"Uncle, they are family now." XiChen pointed out, a little hurt.

"Let us go and meet them, then." Uncle Qiren stood up, not looking happy.

They all left to go to the Great Hall, XiChen staying behind and looking worried.

"Maybe he's just not feeling good today." Wei Ying said, sympathetically.

"Uncle thinks I've been neglecting my duties." XiChen told him miserably.

"That sounds familiar." Wei Ying laughed.

Uncle Qiren looked back at him in irritation.

XiChen looked surprised.

"He told Lan Zhan the same thing. I wouldn't worry about it." Wei Ying said, casually. "It's because he's never been married. He doesn't know that a person can concentrate on two things." He winked at his brother in bond. "Don't worry." Well aware that Uncle Qiren could hear ever word.

Consequently, Uncle Qiren scowled when he saw Jiang Cheng.

'What's wrong with him?' Jiang Cheng mouthed to Wei Ying.

"Indigestion." Wei Ying whispered.

"What can we do for you?" Uncle Qiren was saying.

Jiang Cheng looked at Jin Ling.

"Our treasury was broken into." The young man said, looking at his Uncle Wei.

"Again?" He asked.

"Again?! What do you mean?" This was now an angry Jiang Cheng, upset because he had no idea there was a first time.

Jin Ling hid behind the other uncle. "I'm sorry!"

"He didn't want to bother you on your wedding night." Wei Ying grinned at him, shielding his nephew. "You know, because you were going to be busy!"

XiChen blushed, Jiang Cheng burned red.

"That's no excuse!" He yelled, ignoring the disapproving look from Uncle Qiren. "Spill! What happened?"

"N-nothing was taken the first time!" Jin Ling dodged a poke from his volatile uncle. "Even this time, they didn't take anything!"

"What?" Jiang Cheng, still shouting. "You mean to tell me someone broke in, twice, and took nothing??"

"Y-yes."

Jiang Cheng managed to grab him despite interference from Wei Ying, who seemed to be amused at this.

"Isn't that great, though?" He said.

Everyone turned to look at him in surprise.

"Explain!" Jiang Cheng held the boy by the scruff of his neck.

"Well, if they took something, you would be doubly upset, right? But they broke in and appear to have taken nothing, so it seems like we should be happy about that." He shrugged.

XiChen placed a hand on Jiang Cheng's arm, coaxing him to let go.

"But Jin Ling, you really need to do a full inventory. We need to find out what they wanted." Wei Ying smiled kindly at him.

"I'll get started on that." He smiled back, tentatively.

"Before you go, you have to meet our daughter." Wei Ying took his arm and led him out the Great Hall, away from irritated gentlemen.

Li Xiwang was running towards them, a big bowl in her hands.

"Wei ge-ge, you have to help me. It's melting." She cried.

Wei Ying let go of one child and picked up the other. When he saw what she was holding, he grinned at both of them.

"Introductions later, this is an emergency. Let's go!" He ran to the Jingshi with Jin Ling following.

Later, SiZhui knocked on that door to find one adult almost passed out, his friend near comatose, and a little girl. When she saw him, she held out a spoon.

"You have to help us! We can't finish this now." And she promptly lay her head down on the table.

SiZhui looked at the bowl of melted ice cream and smiled.