Chapter 24: Father Saw It

Jiaoyue let out an immediate "ah."

Patriarch Meng knew this was Yueya confirming that Zeqiu was trustworthy. He had only wanted his granddaughter to help him gauge Zeqiu’s reliability, not to have her fawn over him. He was even more worried that Zeqiu, unaccustomed to holding infants, might make the precious baby uncomfortable.

"Zeqiu, do you know how to hold a child this small?" Patriarch Meng asked.

Meng Zeqiu replied immediately, "I do. I’ve held all my children and grandchildren."

Realizing that Zeqiu was a grandfather himself, Patriarch Meng relented. "Since Yueya wants you to hold her, then go ahead."

"Yes, sir!" Meng Zeqiu responded excitedly. He rubbed his hands together and carefully took the soft, milky infant into his arms. Seeing how adeptly Zeqiu held the child, the Patriarch knew he was indeed experienced.

Jiaoyue smiled and babbled at him. Meng Zeqiu was thrilled; little Yueya truly seemed to enjoy being held by him. "Little Yueya, when you’re a bit older, Grandpa Qiu will take you to explore all of Lanzhi Mountain. Let me tell you, there are so many wonderful places there, and every season brings different flowers. I’ll take you to see them all."

Jiaoyue responded happily, "Okay, okay! Grandpa Qiu, you must keep your word!"

To Zeqiu’s ears, it was just babble, but her response was enough to make him beam. Having accomplished his goal, Patriarch Meng noticed his granddaughter had been playing for a while and it was time for her to sleep.

Meng Zeqiu reluctantly handed Jiaoyue back to the Seventh Young Master, thinking to himself that he would definitely accompany the Patriarch next time to get another chance to hold little Yueya—she was simply too adorable.

Hearing his thoughts, Jiaoyue felt immensely proud. See? In this life, she was a darling loved by everyone. She liked Grandpa Qiu too, so she decided to boost his fortune later.

Thinking of fortune, she realized she hadn't checked her grandfather’s black and white numbers yet to see how his luck stood. She had boosted her parents' fortune earlier, but the numbers hadn’t changed. She wondered if the same would happen for her grandparents.

Jiaoyue looked at her grandfather’s head. His white number, glowing brightly, was eighty-five—an astonishingly high figure—while his black number was only fifteen. His fortune was truly exceptional.

Although Qingguo’s numbers were higher, their social statuses were different; for someone of her grandfather’s standing to have such values, he must be a man of great virtue. She hadn't been able to see these numbers yesterday due to her limited spiritual energy, but today she could see them clearly for both her grandparents.

Her grandfather’s fortune was far superior to her grandmother’s. Compared to a family like the Mengs, the Madam’s fortune should naturally be good, yet why were her white numbers so low? They were within the range of a kind person, but still lower than those of the butler, Grandpa Qiu.

An idea flickered in her mind. Wasn't this the perfect opportunity to test if the numbers were linked to fortune?

As soon as she was back in her father’s arms, she summoned her little white book and wrote down the names of her grandfather and Meng Zeqiu. Seeing his daughter’s little hand moving as if to write, Meng Wuxuan turned slightly to shield her from view. He wasn't worried about his father seeing, but Uncle Qiu was also present—while trustworthy, some things were better kept private.

Once the names glowed and vanished, Jiaoyue checked their heads. The numbers hadn't changed. It seemed her boosting their fortune didn't alter the black and white numbers. This meant the numbers didn't represent fortune values after all. But what did they signify? If they weren't fortune, why did people with good luck have high white numbers?

Jiaoyue was perplexed. She racked her brain but couldn't find an answer; nothing like this had ever happened in the cultivation world, and she had no references. She would have to ponder it later.

As Meng Wuxuan held his daughter, he prevented the Patriarch from seeing her off. Once his father left, he whispered, "Jiaoyue, don't write when others are around."

Jiaoyue paused. Had her father seen? Even if he had, he wouldn't know why she was writing, but if he could notice, others might too. She would have to be more careful. Seeing her father’s worried expression, she let out an "ah" to show she understood. Relieved, Meng Wuxuan carried his daughter back to the inner courtyard.

Along the way, Meng Wuxuan introduced everyone they passed to Jiaoyue, making it clear to the entire household how much the Seventh Young Master doted on his daughter. While it seemed he was just a father who didn't know how to spoil his child enough, he and his daughter were actually working in tandem to screen the people in their courtyard. Fortunately, the results were good; everyone in their household was above suspicion.

Meng Wuxuan breathed a sigh of relief. Back in the bedroom, Jiaoyue was exhausted. After a yawn, Meng Wuxuan tucked her into her cradle, instructed Qingguo and Nanny Zhang to watch her closely, and went out to handle his affairs.

By then, news had spread throughout Hanmo Town at the foot of Lanzhi Mountain: the long-awaited daughter of the Meng family possessed magical abilities and an innate sensitivity to poison. She refused to consume anything tainted, whether in food or medicine. The incident with the poisonous wet nurse and the poisoned goat milk became the talk of the town within a day. The rumors grew increasingly fantastical, painting Jiaoyue as a reincarnated goddess, and the story began spreading rapidly throughout the Great Yu Empire.

When Jiaoyue woke up, she was fed rice oil, which was safe—at least it wasn't poisoned. Because she was so young, she alternated between goat milk and rice oil. Her parents had decided not to hire another wet nurse; not only were they distrustful, but Jiaoyue simply wouldn't eat from them.

That night, once her parents were asleep, Jiaoyue summoned her little white book again and wrote her grandmother’s name. The light flashed, and the name vanished.

Madam Meng, who was a light sleeper, was watching her husband sleep soundly. She was surprised; while he usually slept well, he seemed to have drifted off the moment his head hit the pillow. At that moment, as Jiaoyue wrote her name in the book, Madam Meng suddenly yawned, an overwhelming wave of drowsiness hitting her. She fell asleep, wondering why she had become so tired so quickly. They were unaware this was the result of Jiaoyue boosting their fortune.

Jiaoyue didn't write any more names; she would wait until the "washing of the baby" ceremony tomorrow to assess her uncles' fortunes. Sensing that her parents were sound asleep, she moved her mind and entered the Warm Jade Space. She had named it herself, having discovered it because of her obsession with the warm jade bed. She felt the space was intrinsically linked to that bed.