Chapter 496: 496. Mo Yan’s Enchanting Days

With trepidation, Cheng Yun was finally contacted for a conversation by Weng Ming that day.

Cheng Yun, however, was not nervous, but relaxed, hoping that the conversation would end soon.

Weng Ming made up an excuse, asking Cheng Yun to help move furniture in his courtyard. Weng Ran was not at home today, she went to the Ministry Mansion to look at Min Rou’s wedding dress.

As Cheng Yun followed Weng Ming into the house, he heard him ask, “What’s going on between you and Ranran?”

Cheng Yun calmly gave the answer he had prepared long ago, “Grandfather Weng, I am pursuing Weng Ran.”

Weng Ming was not surprised, he signaled Cheng Yun to sit down and poured him a cup of tea.

The tea was hot, clearly prepared in advance.

“You’re pursuing Ranran? When did you fall in love with her?” Weng Ming inquired amicably.

Cheng Yun nodded, “Yes, but I can’t say exactly when I fell in love with Weng Ran, perhaps, this is what Su Liang refers to as the love at first sight which is realized afterwards?”

Weng Ming almost spurted the tea that had just entered his mouth when he heard Cheng Yun’s serious answer. He put down his teacup, wiped the corners of his mouth, and coughed lightly, “You young people are indeed…” However, the slight upward curve of his lips indicated his satisfaction with Cheng Yun’s answer.

From Weng Ming’s point of view, he was getting old and hoped to see Weng Ran married and find a suitable husband as soon as possible, especially as most of the young people in the mansion have paired up and gotten married, with children coming one after another, which made Weng Ming envious.

Recently, since Qiao Cong returned, he began to arrange the marriages of his grandchildren and talked frequently about becoming a great-grandfather in the coming year. Elder Mu, although seemingly alone, has an obedient disciple who he raised from childhood and is now married.

Weng Ming saw all this and heard all this, prompting him to increasingly think about Weng Ran’s marriage. Ever since he came to Su Mansion, he had made up his mind that his granddaughter’s husband must come from among Gu Ling and Su Liang’s acquaintances. There was no doubt about their character and strength, and their future prospects were bright.

To tell the truth, Weng Ming had thought to himself that among the young, single men of suitable age in the mansion, only Cheng Yun, Feng Ming and Zhu Zan were left. Although Feng Ming was good, he was not home before. Zhu Zan was not familiar with Weng Ran and both of them did not have the intention of getting closer. Weng Ming had secretly observed that Weng Ran and Cheng Yun seemed to get along quite well.

Recently, the two began their “underground romance”, and Weng Ming was pleased to see it. Today he talked to Cheng Yun, wanting to “explore the bottom”, and there was one thing he needed to ask, who was the initiator?

Weng Ming knew that his granddaughter was outgoing, and Cheng Yun’s beauty was second only to Gu Ling’s among the young men in the mansion. Otherwise, Yan Shiba wouldn’t have been so obsessed with him at first sight back then. From Weng Ming’s standpoint, out of self-interest, he naturally hoped that it was Cheng Yun who took the initiative and that Cheng Yun liked Weng Ran more, instead of the other way around.

Therefore, when he heard Cheng Yun seriously say that his love for Weng Ran was a kind of love at first sight realized later, Weng Ming’s heart was put at ease to a large extent.

“What are your plans for the future? Have you talked about it?” Weng Ming asked again.

Seeing Weng Ming’s demeanor, Cheng Yun silently breathed a sigh of relief, and shook his head slightly, “We have not yet talked about the matter of marriage. I hope to get married sooner, but everything depends on Weng Ran’s decision. Whatever she decides, I am okay with it.”

Weng Ming chuckled, “If Ranran still wants to think about it, let’s wait. She has always had her own ideas, and as her grandfather, I can’t interfere too much. However, I feel that at your age, it’s good to get married early, while I still have the strength to help you take care of your children for a few years.”

Knowing that he had passed the test, Cheng Yun quickly agreed with Weng Ming’s words, “I hope so too. I’ll strive to get Weng Ran to agree to marry me soon. I’ve already asked Ajun to help select a mansion for when we get married.”

Weng Ming laughed heartily, “Very good, very good. Honestly, I was initially worried that you had been a monk for too long and that your disposition and habits might take a while to change. Now it seems, my worries were unnecessary.”

Cheng Yun thought to himself that his changes were largely due to Weng Ran. When he had feelings and decided to start a family, he needed to take on real responsibility, which was uniquely his. He was still learning how to be a good man, and Gu Ling was an excellent example.

If Cheng Yun before his secular life could be considered a blank page, the person who had left the most traces on this page now, was undoubtedly Gu Ling. Previously, when they went out to handle affairs together, Cheng Yun was always prepared to stand in for Gu Ling, so he had closely observed how Gu Ling handled various matters, including his views and ways of handling many things, all of which had been quite beneficial for Cheng Yun.

When Cheng Yun was about to leave, Weng Ming asked another question, “When do you two plan on informing the rest of the family? There’s no need to keep such things hidden, it’s better to be open about being together.”

Cheng Yun nodded, “Grandfather is correct. Once Ranran returns today, I will discuss it with her.”

Upon hearing Cheng Yun call him “grandfather”, Weng Ming laughed heartily, “Alright, you young ones go and discuss.”

Ranran returned in the afternoon and, upon seeing Cheng Yun, was pulled into the small grove by him.

“What’s wrong? Did my grandfather summon you?” Ranran frowned, assuming something had happened.

Cheng Yun nodded, “Yes, your grandfather summoned me.”

Upon hearing the word “grandfather”, Ranran softly coughed, “What did you two discuss?”

Cheng Yun thoroughly relayed his conversation with Weng Ming to Ranran.

Ranran began to laugh as soon as she heard the start of the story. By the end, she couldn’t help but raise her thumb in approval. “Who would’ve thought, Cheng Xiaoyun you’re quite cunning. You’ve become quite the speaker.”

Cheng Xiaoyun… Cheng Yun thought of Lian Shun, who always liked to add a diminutive suffix to people’s names, making it sound more affectionate. He liked it, this was the first time anyone called him this way, it felt strange, yet cute.

“Everything I said was from the heart.” Cheng Yun replied sincerely. His motive, aside from following his heart, was to respect Ranran and understand Weng Ming’s love for his granddaughter. Thus, what to say wasn’t a difficult task at all.

Su Liang had once said, Cheng Yun was very smart, but some of his views were restricted because of his identity as a Buddhist disciple. Now that Cheng Yun has opened up his thoughts and perceptions, he has undergone tremendous changes. Apart from his youthful and beautiful face, both his actions and mentality have become more mature.

“Regarding the marriage…” Ranran hesitated, “Do you really want to get married soon?”

Cheng Yun nodded, “Yes, if you don’t want to, I can wait.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to, everyone is settling down and Rourou won’t have that much time to spend with me anymore,” Ranran sighed a little, then giggled, “Shall we tentatively plan to get married in the second half of the year? Recently, there are too many weddings and our family is overwhelmed; let’s not add to their burdens.”

A look of happiness spread across Cheng Yun’s face, “Okay! I’ll tell Grandfather to pick an auspicious day.”

Ranran took another glance at Cheng Yun, and sighed again, “Are you still the little monk I first met?”

Cheng Yun shook his head, “Don’t be ridiculous, I had already given up the monkhood by the time we met.”

Ranran laughed, “You’re right. As for making it public, we can just announce it to everyone at dinner. They’ve known for a long time anyway, we just need to make it official.”

Thus, at dinner time, Cheng Yun formally announced his relationship with Ranran to everyone.

However, after he finished speaking, everyone remained silent, continuing to eat and chat as if they hadn’t heard anything. Even the children who usually enjoy such news didn’t react.

Cheng Yun was stunned. After preparing so thoroughly and taking the trouble to make a formal announcement, their apathy made him feel very embarrassed. He glanced at Ranran, who was looking down, unable to see her expression. Was she upset? Was everyone opposing them, or were they genuinely indifferent?

Cheng Yun wanted to say something more, but ended up sighing heavily, looking defeated as he sat back down.

The next moment, Ji Xiaoshu’s voice rang out loudly, “Congratulations Uncle Cheng Yun and Aunt Ran!”

The atmosphere became lively again, like ice water suddenly boiling.

Cheng Yun looked dumbfounded as everyone congratulated him with smiles on their faces. Qiao Jing was patting his shoulder, saying, “You’re remarkable!” It was as if the cooling atmosphere had been just his illusion.

Zhengzheng’s serious little face asked, “Uncle Cheng Yun, did you feel the time stop earlier?”

At this point, Cheng Yun noticed Weng Ran laughing on the table and Weng Ming, who could not close his mouth due to laughter. He finally realized what was happening; the family had joined together to play a prank on him! It was so annoying!

Su Liang laughed lightly, “Actually, we are all very happy for you. Are you feeling even happier than expected now?”

Such a stirring plot… Cheng Yun held his forehead, “I almost cried earlier, you guys are all so mean. Whose idea was it?”

Seeing Cheng Yun looking over, Ji Xiaoshu and Zhengzheng immediately acted innocent, congratulating him again, “Wishing Uncle Cheng Yun and Aunt Ran a hundred years of happy togetherness” and “wishing you have a child soon.”

“It must have been you two.” Cheng Yun didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Ji Xiaoshu explained cheerfully, “We felt Uncle Cheng Yun’s past life was too bland and his personality too relaxed, and he needs some stimulation.”

Zhengzheng spoke his reasons, “I just wanted to make sure anytime Uncle Cheng Yun remembers this day in the future, he would laugh out loud.”

Cheng Yun laughed and ruffled Zhengzheng’s hair, mentally recording all those cheerful faces, “It indeed will.” He knew whenever he would think of this day in his remaining life, he’d surely smile, remembering those interesting, warm, and loveable family members.

Qiao Jing suggested that Cheng Yun get married on the same day as him, so their close girlfriends Min Rou and Weng Ran could also get married on the same day.

This suggestion was immediately rejected by the parents of both families.

Qiao Cong disagreed, “Qiao Jing’s wedding day is approaching, everything is ready, whereas Weng Ran and Cheng Yun haven’t started preparing. It’s too rushed, there’s no need.”

Weng Ming also disagreed, “We must carefully select an auspicious day that matches the birthday characters. We can’t treat this like a child’s play.”

Qiao Jing quietly closed his mouth and lowered his head to eat. His emotional IQ was now less than Cheng Yun’s, but Min Rou told him that his straightforward personality was good and didn’t need to change.

In the end, Yan Shiba summarized, “Both of you owe your relationship to my matchmaking. Be sure to prepare a good matchmaker red envelope, a big red envelope!”

Everyone agreed wholeheartedly. As a former admirer and enthusiast of Cheng Yun and also the closest person to Weng Ran at home, Yan Shiba’s decision to let go and withdraw was a critical prerequisite for Cheng Yun and Weng Ran to come together. Furthermore, it is indeed true that she was the earliest and most enthusiastic person who pushed them together. If you say Cheng Yun changed a lot, from being part of Buddhism to being in the worldly, Yan Shiba’s transformation was even greater – from a battlefield to a normal world, and also becoming more kind-hearted.

The next day, Yan Shiba went to the dungeon.

Mo Yan was still alive; Feng Ming or Zhu Zan would bring water and food once a day. The two who visited him most frequently were Zhengzheng and Ji Xiaoshu, who even asked Zhu Zan to help drag Mo Yan out so they could observe and record the recovery situation of the wounds they had treated. This was their first medical practice exercise, and they were quite serious about it. After recording, they would report to Gu Ling and Su Liang.

Therefore, Mo Yan’s injury recovery was not bad. The internal injuries caused by anger were ignored, but Zhengzheng and Ji Xiaoshu were serious about treating his flesh wounds.

“Do you still recognize me, you old bastard?” Yan Shiba rarely used foul language now, but occasionally saying this still felt good.

Mo Yan sat leaning against the wall. Hearing this, he looked up at Yan Shiba with a cold stare, “Just a dog that has been tamed by Su Liang.”

Yan Shiba laughed upon hearing this, “Hahahaha! Now I understand what Su Xiaoliang’s story was about, ‘impotence in spite of rage’. This is too funny, Mo Yan! If it wasn’t for the magical treasure, given your brains, you would have died eight hundred times over, ha ha!”

Yan Shiba was previously someone with fiery and easily triggered temper, and now looking back, she feels it was unbearable. Su Liang had once told her she was annoying in the past but occasionally cute, something Yan Shiba strongly agrees with.

As for Mo Yan, he is just purely stupid. Until now, he fears death, can’t let go of his absurd dignity, and even dares to insult Yan Shiba. It is really ridiculous, he has no ability to fight back, can only seek some sense of existence by mouthing off.

“You may curse all you want, if I get angry, I lose.” Yan Shiba smirked, “I’m undergoing self-improvement right now, I need some stimulation to practice. Go ahead!”

Upon hearing her words, watching Mo Yan grinding his teeth, Yan Shiba opened the dungeon door, took hold of his arm and lifted him, “You take your time to think, I have plenty of time to play with you today. I’ve chosen a good place for you, let’s head over there now.”

Mo Yan’s hands and feet were chained, and Yan Shiba dragged him out of the dungeon. That’s when he saw two “little devils” as he regarded them.

Zhengzheng and Ji Xiaoshu greeted them eagerly, Yan Shiba kicked Mo Yan down, “Alright, you can begin your observation now.”

After Zhengzheng and Ji Xiaoshu looked at Mo Yan’s wounds again, they both agreed; their first medical treatment went quite well.

“Aunt Yan can take him away in peace. We’ll observe how the injuries are when they get soaked and dirty and how it feels when they fester, then we can try the bone-scraping treatment taught to us by our teacher!” Ji Xiaoshu happily said.

Listening to this was like a thousand arrows piercing his heart for Mo Yan— not only did he wish for death, but now he also has to witness, listen, and wait for the inevitable torturous pain!

“You guys…” Mo Yan gritted his teeth.

Zhengzheng gave a warm smile, “You want us to spare you the pain? Say it, maybe we will please your wish.”

Ji Xiaoshu dragged Zhengzheng away, “Eldest Brother, you’re thinking too much. He’s just a cowardly mouse, he doesn’t have the guts.”

Yan Shiba laughed even more. As soon as the two kids walked away, she dragged Mo Yan up from the ground and left Su Mansion with him to the “good place” she had found.

Before leaving the mansion, Yan Shiba shared a piece of “good news” with Mo Yan, “Your beloved disciple Sheng Yue, is almost finished wiping out the remaining foes on Xingluo Island and will come to submit to us in the capital. You must stay alive to receive his greeting. Look at you, Sheng Yue is wily, and you dare to use him! Suddenly I feel bored. I’ll give you a riddle. If you answer it correctly, I’ll spare you today.”

Mo Yan remained silent and heard Yan Shiba ask, “It’s the New Year, your family has a donkey and a pig, and you can only kill one. Which one should you kill?”

Mo Yan frowned, “The donkey.” He didn’t understand this riddle, but he figured the donkey was probably the right answer since Yan Shiba mentioned it first.

Yan Shiba burst into laughter, “That’s exactly what a pig would think! Ha ha!”

Mo Yan spat out another mouthful of blood. Although he was a transmigrator, he had never heard of this riddle before.

Laughing her heart out, Yan Shiba enjoyed the sight of Mo Yan’s uncomfortable face, “When your beloved disciple Sheng Yue arrives, I will definitely ask him the same riddle. I’ll see how he replies and share it with you. That is, if you live to see that day. By the way, Su Xiaoliang and Gu Xiaoling plan to build a nice farm in our baby Nuannuan’s spatial magical treasure, construct comfortable houses, raise fish, plant flowers, grow vegetables; Nuannuan can then take us out and play. We won’t even have to walk, how comfortable! God sent you to transmigrate just to deliver this treasure so it could find its real owner.”

Mo Yan stopped talking. When Yan Shiba had finished speaking, Mo Yan smelt a stinky odor. They had reached the outskirts of the town and confronted by a sewage ditch with various unidentifiable things floating in it…

Mo Yan had already guessed what Yan Shiba was going to do, but he still clung onto a shred of hope, “Yan Shiba, I know you, why did you give up your free-spirited life in the martial world to serve Su Liang? She’s just good at pretending, she’s not genuinely treating you, she’s using you! The magical treasure will return to my control as long as it’s back in my hands! We can join forces then, anything we want will be at our fingertips!”

Yan Shiba kicked Mo Yan into the sewage ditch, looking speechless. “Steal Nuannuan’s magical treasure? On what grounds? Because you’re stupid, blind, or maybe because you’re older? Tch!”