Inside the house.
A mysterious child had appeared in the village, prompting the village chief to call a meeting.
"Ahem, quiet down." The village chief possessed a certain authority. The villagers' clamor made him decide to exert his influence. As he spoke, the room fell silent. Everyone looked at him, waiting for him to speak.
"Our village has always been isolated, with little contact with the outside world. Just now, this child appeared in our village. It's been a long time since we've had a visitor. You could say that he is a blessing bestowed upon us by heaven."
"Child, where did you come from?"
The village chief looked at the child kindly, asking gently, his eyes filled with pity. Seeing the child's condition, he figured the child must have been through a lot, likely a refugee.
Although he hadn't left the village for a long time, he knew that wars often broke out between empires, leaving many families broken, scattered, and homeless.
Therefore, the village chief could confidently declare that this child was definitely a refugee.
By chance, the child had stumbled upon their beautiful village. After all, this village flourished under his, such an excellent village chief's, leadership. How could it not be beautiful?
Seeing that the child didn't reply, the village chief sighed regretfully, "This poor child. It seems he's mute. Such a problem at such a young age, what will he do in the future? But don't worry, child. You coming here means you have a connection with our village. We definitely won't drive you away."
Saying this, the village chief felt a surge of righteousness. Perhaps this was what it meant to be a respected village chief.
The villagers hadn't realized the child was mute. They all felt sorry for him.
"Alright, getting back to the point, regardless of whether this child is mute or not, the purpose of this meeting is to arrange for his future. Who among you is willing to adopt this child?" the village chief asked, addressing the key issue. He added, "Don't all look at me. As the village chief, I should indeed lead by example, but I'm already old. I need a cane to walk. Where would I find the energy to care for a child?"
The villagers exchanged glances.
It wasn't that they were unwilling to adopt the child, but adoption was no joke. Once they made the decision, they would have to care for the child for life. It wasn't something to be decided on a whim.
"Sigh, I already have three little rascals at home. If I add another one, I'm afraid I won't be able to manage."
"My situation is the same as yours."
"Me too!!!"
The village chief felt exasperated by the villagers' behavior. Whoever was willing to adopt the child should just speak up. Why did they have to explain their situations and find excuses for themselves?
No one was forcing them.
"Lin Fan, we all know you don't even have a wife yet and live alone. You found this child, which means you have a special connection with him. Why don't you adopt him? He can inherit your work and carry on your legacy. What do you say?" the village chief asked.
He thought about it, and Lin Fan adopting the child seemed like the best option. A young, strong man, more than capable of raising a child. Having a child around would also help him pass the time.
Lin Fan smiled, "Alright, I have no problem with that."
Then, stroking the child's head, he said, "Come live with me. I'll take good care of you."
He had previously decided not to form deep connections with the people in this dream world, fearing the pain of separation. But now, in this situation, he felt that if he didn't adopt this child, the child would truly have nowhere to go.
So, after some thought, he decided to let it be.
Perhaps the mission could be completed at any time. He could delay completing the mission, watch the child grow up, find love, and then leave without any regrets.
"Good, it's settled then. Lin Fan will adopt this child. Everyone in the village should help him out," the village chief declared.
The villagers nodded in agreement.
"Lin Fan, what are you going to name this child?" the village chief asked.
Lin Fan replied, "I don't know. I don't know his original name yet. If he doesn't have one, I can give him a name, but I haven't thought of one yet. I need to think about it carefully."
He had some talent in naming things.
The name of the first weapon he crafted was something he came up with. Overall, it was quite good, a rather domineering name, definitely not something an ordinary person could come up with.
"Mm, alright. In that case, let's adjourn the meeting." The village chief stood up and waved his hand. He had other things to do. He had been talking about his youth with his younger sister earlier, and it brought back so many memories.
Afternoon!
A large tub was placed in the room, water was boiling, and clothes borrowed from neighbors were laid out. The child was covered in dirt, and Lin Fan was preparing to give him a good bath and get him clean.
Although Lin Fan had no experience in childcare, he had been learning. Since he had adopted the child, he had to be responsible.
Before long, everything was ready.
"Take off your clothes. I'll give you a bath. After you're clean, you'll smell nice and be so cute. I have a friend named Little Bao. He wears new clothes every day and smells nice. Although I don't have the same means as him, I'll do my best," Lin Fan said with a smile, stepping forward to help the child undress.
Splash!
The clothes came off.
He placed the child in the tub.
Pouring warm water over the child's head, he washed the hair clean. It was originally difficult to tell what color the hair was, but after washing it, he discovered that the child's hair was purple.
The skin on the child's face was very fair and tender, and the eyes were bright and large.
"Wow, your hair, your eyes, your skin, they're so beautiful," Lin Fan praised.
Washing!
Washing!
Lin Fan exclaimed, "Ah! You don't have a little wiener—so you're a girl!"
The little girl stared blankly at Lin Fan, her eyes clearly questioning, as if to say, Are you just now figuring this out?
Noticing her gaze, Lin Fan awkwardly smiled and said, "I really thought you were a boy. You're all dirty, and usually only boys get this messy. But it's okay! Once we wash you up, you'll be the cutest little girl."
Having never bathed a child before, Lin Fan wasn't sure where to start. He just focused on scrubbing the dirt off her.
After a long while, the task was done. The little girl was transformed—clean, dressed in fresh clothes, and looking entirely different, like a little fairy.
"Can you talk?" Lin Fan asked, looking into her eyes.
The girl stared back, her previously cold demeanor softening. Somehow, the warmth in this stranger's eyes and smile made her feel like she was basking in sunlight.
Finally, after some hesitation, she slowly said, "Yes."
"Wow!" Lin Fan's face lit up. "I knew it! Such a cute little girl couldn't possibly be mute."
"Hehe!"
He chuckled foolishly.
The girl thought this strange man was odd, as if he weren't very bright, yet he was different from anyone she'd met.
Lin Fan took the girl's hand and led her out, walking around the village. He wanted the villagers to meet her and know there was a new member of their community.
He tried asking for her name, but the girl didn't respond. Either she didn't want to say or she didn't know her own name.
Lin Fan decided he'd come up with a beautiful name for her later.
As they wandered through the village, they drew attention. Earlier, the villagers had seen the dirty child, but now they were stunned to see Lin Fan holding the hand of such an adorable little girl.
"Lin Fan, is this the same kid from before?" one villager asked in disbelief.
"Yup! Cute, right?"
The villager dumbfoundedly nodded. My goodness, who would've thought that dirty little kid could turn into a beautiful swan once cleaned up?
And it wasn't just this villager.
Everyone who saw the girl reacted similarly.
Lin Fan patted her head and said, "See? You're so well-liked. From now on, you're one of us. I'll take good care of you."
The girl looked up at Lin Fan's smile. She had never seen someone smile so beautifully before. Warm, comforting—it gave her a sense of security she'd never known.
Maybe this was…
Lin Fan smiled brightly, his expression exuding warmth, embodying the kindest smile in the world.
After all, he was someone who represented light.
How could that warmth not be contagious?
As the sun set and evening approached, Lin Fan said, "Stay home and be good. I'll prepare something delicious for you."
He planned to make a hearty dinner to celebrate the start of their new life together. He couldn't let the little girl go hungry on their first day as a family.
But his blacksmith shop wasn't exactly thriving, and money was tight.
He usually ate simple meals himself, but this time was different. The girl was thin and frail—she needed good food to nourish her. A feast was necessary.
After Lin Fan left, the girl sat quietly, lost in thought.
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, countless beasts trembled and prostrated themselves on the ground. A deafening dragon's roar echoed across the land before fading away completely. No one knew what had happened, not even the beasts.
Before long, the oppressive dragon's presence disappeared, leaving the territory unclaimed. The beasts resumed their battles for dominance.
Lin Fan soon returned with meat in hand.
The girl was curious. How did he get meat so quickly?
"We're in for a treat tonight! I ran into a little lizard on my way out."
"Don't worry; my cooking is top-notch. I'll make you some meat soup and roast meat. Just you wait—you'll eat until your tongue falls out!"
"Because it'll be that delicious."
Lin Fan talked to himself, shamelessly boasting about his cooking skills.