Chapter 94: From Now On, You’ll Be Called Lin Tao
The Imperial Grandson didn’t know their words were about him. Feeling amused when Lin Xin bounced him, his two little chubby legs kicked vigorously. He cried “ah ah,” patted Lin Xin’s shoulder with his little hands, and bounced his little butt up and down twice on her arm, signaling her to continue bouncing him.
Lin Xin was so amused by him that she laughed. She held him horizontally, tossed him up and caught him, repeating this several times. The Imperial Grandson was even happier, giggling loudly.
Lin Jing saw her like this and didn’t know what to say. Remembering his father’s instructions, he braced himself and said to her, “You’ve done a good thing, but you’re still just a half-grown child yourself, and you have Nan Nan at home. Taking on one more might be too much to handle. Why not let Uncle Jing find a family in the village to send the child to!”
Lin Xin was startled for a moment, then suddenly delighted. “Uncle Jing, no need. I really like this little guy, and Nan Nan has already been taken as a direct disciple by Old Cui. He’ll spend most of his time with Old Cui from now on, so I don’t need to worry about him too much.”
“Xin Yatou, you should still think it over! Now… now there are already unpleasant rumors spreading in the village. You’re a girl, and you’ll have to marry someday. What if your reputation is ruined?” Lin Jing was genuinely worried for her.
“I don’t care about that. If someone doubts me just because of these groundless rumors, then I don’t need to marry such a person. I can live on my own.” Lin Xin waved her hand dismissively.
“You… sigh!” Lin Jing knew he couldn’t persuade her no matter what, so he sighed and brought up something else. “Fine, I won’t interfere in this matter. Later, find a time to tell my father yourself! He’s very worried about you. Also, about Young Master Meng and the others—are they planning to settle in the village or what? Ask them for me too.”
“Sure,” Lin Xin caught sight of Mo Ziyuan walking over from afar with her peripheral vision and immediately waved to him. “Big Brother Mo, Uncle Jing has something to discuss with you.”
Mo Ziyuan had seen from afar that Lin Jing’s expression wasn’t great and worried he might make things difficult for Lin Xin, so he thought to come over and help her out. Then he saw Lin Xin calling him and hurried over. “What’s the matter?”
Lin Xin pointed at Lin Jing. “This is Uncle Jing, the son of the old clan leader. He’s the one who has something to discuss with you.”
Mo Ziyuan first cupped his hands in a salute, then asked Lin Jing what the matter was.
Lin Jing had originally thought that Mo Ziyuan and his group weren’t simple people. Seeing him salute him now, he felt flattered and awkwardly returned the gesture by cupping his fists, then said, “It’s like this: your house is already built. I just wanted to ask if you need to settle here in the village.”
Mo Ziyuan shook his head. “Uncle Jing, to be honest, the few of us are temporarily staying here to complete a secret task given by Your Majesty. But this matter shouldn’t be publicized, so please help us keep this secret, alright?”
Upon hearing it was a task from the Emperor, Lin Jing paled in fright and said repeatedly, “Then I won’t ask, I won’t ask. Rest assured, I absolutely won’t tell anyone. I guarantee it.”
Mo Ziyuan smiled, but it carried an intangible sense of oppression. “Please also restrain the villagers from being too curious about us. Old Cui, Lin Nan’s master, is close friends with my father, so we will naturally take care of her family. I hope there won’t be any more bad rumors spreading, alright?”
Lin Jing nodded like a little chicken pecking at rice. “Rest assured, rest assured. I’ll go tell my father right away. From now on, the villagers absolutely won’t gossip about Xin Yatou anymore.”
Mo Ziyuan nodded in satisfaction and cupped his hands again. “Thank you very much.”
“No thanks, no thanks. Well then, if there’s nothing else, I’ll head back first. Xin Yatou?”
Lin Xin was secretly amused watching Mo Ziyuan put on a serious act, but suddenly being called, she quickly composed herself and shook her head. “I’m fine.”
“Then I’ll head back first. If there’s anything, come find Uncle at home. Worst case, there’s still my father!”
Lin Xin knew he truly meant well and thanked him repeatedly. Even the Imperial Grandson in her arms imitated Mo Ziyuan by stacking his little hands together and shaking them up and down, amusing everyone. Lin Jing finally relaxed a bit, gave Lin Xin a few more instructions, and hurried home.
“Will saying that work?” Lin Xin asked Mo Ziyuan with a smile.
“Why not? This isn’t entirely made up—the Crown Prince is also a lord.”
Lin Xin laughed. “Fine, you have a point. The Crown Prince is also a lord.”
At this moment, the Imperial Grandson suddenly blurted out, “Lord lord…”
Mo Ziyuan and Lin Xin looked at each other, a problem that everyone had been ignoring now right in front of them.
They would be living in the village from now on, so they couldn’t keep calling him the Imperial Grandson. First, he needed a name. He definitely couldn’t use his original one; they had to come up with a new one.
Lin Xin knew she was terrible at naming, so this honorable task fell to Mo Ziyuan.
Since the Imperial Grandson’s current identity was that of an orphan Lin Xin had picked up from the mountains, he naturally had to take her surname Lin. Mo Ziyuan thought for a moment and asked Lin Xin, “What do you think of calling him Lin Tao?”
“Lin Tao? Which two characters?”
“Double wood for Lin, Tao from literary and military strategy.”
Lin Xin repeated it twice and found it quite pleasant, so she approved it.
“There’s another issue.” Mo Ziyuan asked Lin Xin schemingly, “What do you plan to have Lin Tao call you? Older sister or mother?”
“Wh-what, cough cough cough, what? Mother?” Lin Xin nearly choked to death on her own saliva. What the heck was mother?
Mo Ziyuan suppressed the corners of his mouth. “There’s something I need to remind you of. Although we are nominally lord and vassal with the Crown Prince, we actually treat each other as peers. Lin Tao is his son, you…”
Lin Xin understood. If she had Lin Tao call her older sister, she would inexplicably be a generation below Mo Ziyuan and the others for no reason.
“Then have him call me Auntie. I’m absolutely not letting him call me mother.” Lin Xin firmly stated she absolutely refused to accidentally become a mother.
“Alright, then from now on, have him call you Auntie and Nan Nan uncle!” Mo Ziyuan made the final decision. “I’ll go tell them, so they don’t call him wrong in the future.”
With that, he walked away, struggling to suppress the corners of his mouth.
Although Lin Xin felt his enthusiasm was a bit off, she didn’t think much of it. He was the Heir of Dingguo Duke from a great noble family, and she was just a poor village girl. What could he possibly want from her?
After comforting herself, she bounced the little bundle in her arms. “From now on, you’ll be called Lin Tao, Tao from literary and military strategy. Do you like this name?”
The Imperial Grandson couldn’t understand these words at all. Seeing Lin Xin smiling at him, he grinned back like a little chubby flower.
“You like it too, right? From now on, Auntie will call you Tao Tao! When you’re a bit older, you’ll study with Mister Meng alongside your little uncle, then learn martial arts from your Uncle Mo. In the future, you’ll be a little treasure proficient in both literary and military arts!” Lin Xin chatted with him while carrying him to Mo Ziyuan and the others’ new house.
Thanks to Clear Morning Oversleep, Fallen Leaves Know Autumn-Ad, Peace-aD, and Mmy Dang for the votes, and thank you all for your support, thank you!
