Chapter 2: A New Destiny in the Snow

Calm down and close your eyes.

Li Che once again caught a glimpse of the scene he had seen before.

On the vast, barren land, a mighty tree burst from the earth, its branches lush and leaves fluttering, bearing a single, radiant fruit shimmering with myriad colors.

Perhaps watched long enough, the dazzling fruit suddenly dropped with a soft ‘plop,’ drifting gently into Li Che’s hand.

“Dao Fruit…”

Li Che murmured as he gazed at the fruit in his palm.

……

[Your daughter is born safe and sound. You have acquired a Dao Fruit: ‘Xian Gong’]

[Xian Gong (Dao Fruit): All-Encompassing Celestial Art, A Divine Touch, Peerless Craftsmanship]

……

Flickering text appeared.

Li Che narrowed his eyes as his emotions surged unexpectedly.

Nineteen years in this world, and he had never been granted a golden finger—until now, when his daughter’s birth brought this golden opportunity in such an extraordinary form.

Does a father’s worth rest on his daughter?!

A broad smile spread across his face. The very name ‘Dao Fruit’ carried such grandeur; surely it would become the asset he needed to secure his future.

Just as joy swelled within him, the prompt before his eyes shifted once more.

……

[Name: Li Che]

[Bond: Li Nuanxi (daughter)]

[Dao Fruit: Xian Gong (lv1 0%)]

[Note: For every year your bonded one grows soundly, the Dao Tree can bear one Dao Fruit]

……

Li Che’s breathing quickened as he stared at the prompt, his heart pounding with tumultuous emotion.

For every year his daughter grows safe and sound, the Dao Tree will bear a Dao Fruit…

To Li Che, the Dao Fruit simply meant the gift of a skill—a special craft.

At present, Li Che worked as a helper at a wooden carving shop in Feilei City’s Outer City, moving finished wooden carvings. It was backbreaking labor paid by the piece, but honest work.

After a hard day’s toil, he might earn only thirty or forty large bronze coins—enough to feed his family, but hardly a path to wealth and luxury.

Yet from now on, if he could ensure his daughter grows safely, with the Dao Tree bearing one fruit for each year of her growth, everything might change!

“XiXi is my daughter. I must protect her until she grows strong—it is my duty as a father…”

Li Che beamed. His daughter’s birth had transformed his luck and lit a hopeful future. How could he not be overjoyed?

As the Dao Fruit gradually dissolved in his hand, Li Che noticed no immediate change in himself.

After studying the [Xian Gong] Dao Fruit, he found no obvious clues.

“Gurgle, gurgle…”

The bubbling of carp soup in his pot broke his reverie.

Quickly, he scooped a bowl of the aromatic, creamy tofu-and-carp soup, inhaled deeply as a smile crept across his face, and carefully headed toward the Earthen House.

His wife, Zhang Ya, had finished feeding XiXi and was contentedly sipping the soup Li Che had prepared.

Cradled in his arms, XiXi was gently patted on her soft back under the guidance of Lei A-Po—a proper burping technique.

After bustling about in the Earthen House and giving Li Che some parenting advice, Lei A-Po prepared to take her leave.

After handing XiXi over to Zhang Ya, Li Che followed suit.

“Thank you so much, Lei A-Po,” Li Che said, stuffing ten coins into her hand.

Lei A-Po waved dismissively and sighed, “Che-ge, I’ve watched you grow up. Carrying those heavy wooden materials and sculptures at Xu Ji’s Wood Carving Shop isn’t easy. Keep this money and use it well to care for your family.”

“The Outer City… lately, fewer children have survived after birth. Take good care of XiXi and stay alert.”

Lei A-Po’s words made Li Che’s expression grow serious.

“A-Po…”

Wrapping her head in a cloth and shouldering a bamboo basket, Lei A-Po advised, braving wind and snow, “Remember: never take your child out on the streets casually. Stay away from those who worship children and chase after offerings.”

“In these hard times, children are at risk. You parents must be extra cautious.”

In the bitter wind and snow, Li Che exhaled a wisp of white vapor and nodded solemnly.

A heavy feeling settled over him; reports of many children perishing had become common lately.

He had never been overly concerned before, but now as a father, caution weighed on him.

“Understood, Lei A-Po.”

Li Che replied in a low voice.

Lei A-Po said no more. With a sigh, she tightened her cotton-padded clothes and disappeared into the snowy alley lined with Earthen Houses.

Watching Lei A-Po vanish, Li Che returned to the Earthen House and quickly sealed the door gap to keep the warmth in.

After rubbing his hands and stoking the stove with extra charcoal, Li Che went to the kitchen to fetch more fish soup.

Once the couple was well fed, Li Che climbed into bed.

Gently patting his milk-fed, sleeping daughter, Li Che squinted as a smile tugged at his lips.

He spoke softly to his wife, Zhang Ya, who, perhaps weary from childbirth, soon drifted off to sleep.

But Li Che, eyes wide and alert, murmured to himself.

“The charcoal is used up again. Tomorrow I’ll buy some from the charcoal seller. XiXi has just been born—we can’t let her get cold.”

“You must rest properly during your confinement, or you might fall ill…”

“Yes, tomorrow I’ll move more statues at the shop. The Inner City has an increased demand for statues lately. There’s plenty of work, and I can earn a lot.”

“I’m determined to save enough to buy a big house so we can stay warm even in winter.”

“Don’t worry, my dear. Our lives will only get better…”

In bed, Li Che gently embraced his wife and daughter, closing his eyes.

Their breathing was soft and nearly imperceptible.

……

……

The next morning, at dawn,

Li Che rose early. After watching Zhang Ya finish the breakfast he had prepared, and after burping XiXi, he donned his bamboo hat and left the Earthen House.

The ground was white and the wind biting; snowflakes as large as hands fell.

The cold was piercing, cutting like a knife.

The heavy snow showed no sign of stopping, piling thick layers over Feilei City’s Outer City.

After several miles, under a gloomy sky and amid whirling snow, he arrived at his workplace—Xu Ji’s Wood Carving Shop.

Though called a shop, it was actually a vast estate, spacious inside with many piles of wood waiting to be carved.

Li Che, along with several hired helpers, was responsible for moving raw wood or completed wooden carvings for the master carvers.

Finished carvings varied in weight, but each move was paid at five large bronze coins, while transporting raw wood fetched only one coin per load.

Handling finished carvings was risky—any damage could result in nearly all the payment being deducted.

Shaking the snow off and removing his bamboo hat, Li Che placed it at his workstation and stepped into the shop.

Inside, a charcoal stove burned steadily, filling the space with a comfortable warmth and the rich scent of wood.

“Xiao Li, go fetch me a larger piece of ‘Shui Qu Yang.’ Also, help move the ‘Six-Eyed Bodhisattva’ carving from three days ago to the inner room. In a few days someone from the Inner City will come to collect it. If the snow melts and it gets soaked, it won’t do.”

Barely inside, an elderly man clad in padded clothes with a snowy white beard and a ruddy complexion called out to Li Che.

The old man carried a gleaming, oiled wine gourd filled with old yellow wine.

“Alright, Master Chen,” Li Che answered brightly with a smile.

Well known among the helpers for his careful and efficient work—never having been involved in any mishaps while moving carvings—Li Che had earned a sterling reputation.

After some of the carvers became acquainted with him, they often requested him specifically for jobs.

Master Chen was one such regular employer.

After acknowledging Master Chen, Li Che turned and entered the spacious courtyard.

The heavy snow had buried many piles of wood in the yard, and with some effort, he located the section where ‘Shui Qu Yang’ was stored.

Finding a larger piece, Li Che dragged it out.

After binding it securely with hemp rope and testing its weight, he patted the wood and headed toward the finished wooden carvings in the far corner of the courtyard.

Since Master Chen had mentioned the ‘Six-Eyed Bodhisattva’—which was Li Che’s responsibility—he knew exactly where it was.

He found the wooden carving, covered in snow—a sculpture as big as an adult, carved from ‘Hua Qu Yang’ wood.

Li Che brushed the snow off the sculpture.

A peculiar feeling welled up inside him as the ‘Six-Eyed Bodhisattva’ seemed to come alive, its six eyes blinking intermittently.

Then, an indistinct image suddenly flashed in his mind.

It was the scene of Master Chen carving the ‘Six-Eyed Bodhisattva,’ each precise stroke echoing in his mind as if he were there, one with Master Chen.

Slowly, the carving techniques and skills used for the ‘Six-Eyed Bodhisattva’ melded into Li Che’s own instinct.

“Huh?”

The vision faded, and the ‘Six-Eyed Bodhisattva’ stopped blinking; Li Che’s breathing grew rapidly shallow.

A slight stir in his heart—as if just by touching the wooden carving, he had absorbed Master Chen’s skills—washed over him.

Surely, this was connected to the Dao Fruit [Xian Gong] he had received yesterday because of XiXi’s birth!

“All-Encompassing Celestial Art, A Divine Touch, Peerless Craftsmanship…”

“The effect of the Dao Fruit Xian Gong… perhaps it will give me a chance to become a truly skilled master woodcarver!”

Li Che’s eyes gleamed with a newfound ambition.

If he could become a master woodcarver at Xu Ji’s Wood Carving Shop, it would be a far better future than merely being a helper moving wood and carvings!

That way, providing his family a good life in these tumultuous times would no longer be an unreachable dream.