BW Extra 12

About Raising Cubs

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Girls and boys were raised differently. Boys couldn’t be spoiled too much.

When Ning Xiu was three years old, Ning Buwei didn’t know where he had heard this saying from. Chu Jun felt it was very likely from when he had seen the children at Ning Jiafeng’s house a few days ago.

Ning Buwei looked at Ning Xiu, who was lying on the bed sleeping with drool flowing freely. He said with some worry, “Other people’s children can recite poetry at three years old, but Ning Xiu’s heart and eyes are full of nothing but food.”

Although he really didn’t want to discourage his dao companion, Chu Jun still very much wanted to tell him bluntly that all the cubs they were raising were like this.

They had all drilled into the mindset of eating.

Sure enough, when Ning Xiu woke up, he struggled with his short little legs to get down from the bed by himself. He ran pat-pat-pat to Ning Buwei’s side, his face still bearing two red marks from sleeping. In his milky voice, he said, “Father, I dreamed of big chicken legs~ I want to eat chicken leg mush~”

Before Ning Buwei could criticize this strange and bizarre way of eating, Ning Xiu had already climbed up onto the table along his clothes. He grabbed a purple pill fruit from the table and started gnawing on it with crunching sounds, getting purple juice all over his hands and face.

Ning Buwei lifted him up by his collar in disgust and put him on the ground. He casually pointed to a character on the screen and asked, “Do you recognize this?”

Ning Xiu hugged his fruit and nodded, “I recognize it~”

“Oh? How do you read it?” Ning Buwei became somewhat interested and asked him.

“Hua hua!” Ning Xiu said happily to the nine-leaf lotus in the painting. (TL: flower)

Ning Buwei: “…………”

“Other people’s children your age can already write many characters.” Ning Buwei said.

“But I’m father’s child.” Ning Xiu refuted with reason and evidence.

Ning Buwei squatted down and tried to make the little cub realize the seriousness of the problem. “Some others already know how to draw qi into their bodies. Although you were born with a golden core, although you have a Luotian spiritual body, although——“

Ning Buwei pulled the topic back, “But you still need to work hard, or even little geniuses will become little waste!”

Ning Xiu, who was gnawing on the purple pill fruit, was so scared he hiccupped. His eyes widened in shock, “Little waste?”

Ning Buwei frightened him, “That’s right, you’ll be beaten until you flee with your head in your hands with no power to fight back, and your beautiful dao companion will also become someone else’s.”

Ning Xiu was so scared he couldn’t even gnaw on his purple pill fruit anymore. With teary eyes, he said, “Xiao Shan doesn’t want to become little waste, doesn’t want his dao companion to be snatched away by others, and there are also chicken legs, mush, roasted sweet potatoes, Sky Sea beast eggs, candied hawthorn…”

Obviously he was more afraid of having nothing to eat.

“So you need to start working hard.” Ning Buwei said seriously.

“I’m going to start working hard~” Ning Xiu puffed out his little belly, then secretly licked the fruit juice on the back of his hand when Ning Buwei wasn’t paying attention.

Seeing his son wanting to work hard, Ning Buwei felt deeply comforted and decided to personally be the teacher to teach Ning Xiu how to write.

He lazily sprawled on Chu Jun’s body, confidently listing his detailed teaching plan to Chu Jun, including but not limited to what time to make Ning Xiu get up, how long to practice writing, how many mental techniques to memorize, how to practice swordsmanship, how to study formations, what combinations to eat for three meals a day… Very complete and detailed.

Chu Jun gently stroked his lower back, “Chengfeng, he’s still a three-year-old child.”

Ning Buwei caught his nose and bit it, squinting his eyes as he asked, “What were you doing when you were three?”

“Writing, reading books, practicing sword.” Chu Jun couldn’t refute.

Ning Buwei looked like “as expected.”

Chu Jun turned over and pressed him underneath, wanting to untie his belt, but was decisively stopped by Ning Buwei. “No, tomorrow is my first day teaching Ning Xiu. I need to rest early.”

“Integration stage cultivators don’t need to.” Chu Jun lowered his head to kiss his neck.

“No, I need to think more——hiss, don’t bite my neck!” Ning Buwei was furious and turned over to pin the person under him.

Chu Jun looked at him with an innocent face, smiled embarrassedly, but his hands had already reached inside his robes.

The beauty’s smile was too lethal. The great demon immediately threw his child-rearing plan to the back of his mind and waved his sleeve to extinguish the candles.

The next morning early, Ning Buwei went to Ning Xiu’s room to wake him up to study.

Ning Xiu, who hadn’t slept enough, was drowsy with sleepy eyes. His little head nodded like a chicken pecking at rice. Perhaps because it was too early, he didn’t even cry and let Ning Buwei dress him in his little clothes, lying on Ning Buwei’s shoulder as he was carried to the study.

Ning Buwei placed him on a small stool and said seriously, “Today we’re going to learn to write three characters.”

Ning Xiu nodded drowsily with his eyes closed.

Ning Buwei patted his little table, “Ning Xiu, be serious! Open your eyes!”

Ning Xiu opened his eyes with difficulty, constantly yawning, “Father~ So sleepy~”

“Other people’s children have already finished reciting a poem by this time.” Ning Buwei felt somewhat reluctant, but for Ning Xiu’s future, he decided to be a ruthless father.

Ning Xiu’s little chubby hand tremblingly gripped the writing brush, struggling to follow him in learning the strokes. With a thud, his forehead knocked on the table, hurting so much that he started crying.

Ning Buwei quickly reached out to hold him up.

Ning Xiu hugged his father’s neck, sleepy, hurt, and aggrieved, “Father~ I want to sleep~”

Ning Buwei sighed.

“I don’t want to be other people’s child either~” Ning Xiu yawned, rubbing Ning Buwei’s cheek with his little face covered in ink, saying softly and sweetly, “I only want to be father’s child~”

When the sky brightened, Chu Jun opened his eyes and found the person beside him was already gone. He helplessly got up, deciding to see the results of the father and son’s diligent studying.

When the sun rose, the candles in the study were still burning. On the table, crumpled papers with unknown scribbles were scattered everywhere. Large and small writing brushes were messily placed on top, with several rolled onto the carpet below.

Under the table, Ning Buwei was sleeping sprawled out, with Ning Xiu lying on his father’s chest, drool flowing all over Ning Buwei. The father and son pair slept in complete darkness, their breathing even and steady.

Chu Jun helplessly shook his head.

Ning Buwei was sleeping soundly when he felt himself being picked up. Sensing the familiar scent, he didn’t even open his eyes, just lazily hummed once.

Ning Xiu, who was lying in his arms, turned over, opened his little mouth and also made a humming sound, then tilted his head and fell asleep again.

Obviously, whether big or small, neither had the heart for studying.

****

It was still too early to cultivate Ning Xiu, so Ning Buwei turned his attention to the two older ones, but unfortunately, there were problems everywhere.

“This talisman! Even a dog could draw it better than you!” Ning Buwei irritably pointed at the talisman papers that Feng Zizhang and Jiang Yizheng had turned in.

“You’re scolding children, why drag innocent dogs into it?” Big Yellow, who was passing by the window walking Little Black, poked his head in to ask.

What responded to him was an irritated paper ball.

“Draw it properly before you can eat!” Ning Buwei said fiercely, “You’re about to graduate from Wanxuan Academy, and not only are your grades at the bottom year after year, you can’t even draw a concealment talisman properly! Last time when I went to get your test papers, those deans and head teachers dared to joke with me sarcastically! What are you looking at, hurry up and draw!”

Feng Zizhang held the writing brush with a troubled face, not knowing where to start. Jiang Yizheng looked at him with red eyes, saying in a small voice, “Father, I don’t understand how to draw it.”

“I’ve explained it to you how many times and you still don’t understand——” Ning Buwei slapped the table, and Jiang Yizheng and Feng Zizhang couldn’t help but shudder.

Jiang Yizheng was so scared she cried out with a “wah,” threw down her writing brush, “I’m just stupid and can’t understand! The more you scold me, the more scared I get, and the more scared I get, the less I can draw! I hate father the most!”

After saying this, she ran out of the study while wiping her tears.

Ning Buwei stood there stunned, with a sour face saying, “What attitude! How many people in the seventeen states want me to teach them, but I don’t teach them, and here you are being picky! If you don’t call me father, I’ll teach you!?”

Feng Zizhang held his writing brush trembling, not daring to speak.

“Girls can be delicate, but you draw two hundred times for me!” Ning Buwei scolded.

Feng Zizhang nodded obediently, wanting to cry but having no tears.

“Father is so mean! I just can’t learn it. I also want to understand immediately after hearing it once, but no matter how hard I try, I can’t understand it, wuu wuu wuu——” Jiang Yizheng wiped her tears while facing Chu Jun, “I’m never going to draw talismans again. I’m just the most useless waste in the family, wuu wuu wuu… You all lied to me. I can’t possibly establish the dao at all. Dad, your aptitude isn’t good but you’re smart. Not only is my aptitude poor, but my brain is also stupid…”

The little girl cried until she was out of breath. Chu Jun patted her back and handed her a cup of fruit tea.

Jiang Yizheng took it and drank several sips, paused for a moment, and said while sniffling, “Dad, what’s in this? It tastes so good… wuu wuu wuu.”

“Wenlan fruit and honey.” Chu Jun said unhurriedly, “Using tea leaves that just came out this year from Ruogu Peak, and snow water stored from last year.”

Jiang Yizheng drank several more sips. Her eyes were swollen from crying, and she said in a muffled voice, “Dad, am I very stupid and annoying?”

Chu Jun handed her a handkerchief, “Take it slowly. My aptitude is ordinary. When I was young learning a mental technique, eldest senior brother and third senior brother could master it thoroughly in one or two tries. Second senior brother could create his own mental technique in three tries. But I practiced hundreds of times and still didn’t understand the meaning. I was also very discouraged and felt I would never learn it in this lifetime.”

Jiang Yizheng said in surprise, “But Dad, you’re extremely amazing now.”

“On the path of cultivation, aptitude and temperament are both indispensable. If your aptitude is ordinary, you need to put in many times more effort than others. Complaining about heaven and people cannot solve problems.” Chu Jun said gently, “Your father was born with a heavenly spirit body, making cultivation much easier than ordinary cultivators. He’s also extremely clever, understanding things immediately. Those who taught him were all extraordinary talents like Ning Xingyuan and Yan Jinzhou, so he doesn’t understand why you don’t get it.”

Jiang Yizheng held her tea cup in a daze, “Is that how it is?”

“He has an impatient temperament and poor patience. Actually, he’s anxious himself and doesn’t know how to teach.” Chu Jun poured her another cup of tea and said patiently, “You’re about to go out on your own to explore and train. He’s afraid you and Zizhang will suffer losses outside.”

Jiang Yizheng gulped down another cup of sweet fruit tea and vigorously wiped her tears, “Dad! I understand! I’m going to apologize to father right now!”

Without waiting for Chu Jun to speak, she ran off in a hurry.

Footsteps came from behind. Chu Jun turned his head and saw Yang Lingzhu holding a small cauldron, looking at him timidly.

“What’s wrong?” He beckoned to Yang Lingzhu.

Yang Lingzhu hesitated for a moment, then sat beside him holding the small cauldron, “Dad, my medicine cauldron… I blew a crack in it, and I can’t fix it.”

She had tried many methods these past few days but couldn’t fix it. She really couldn’t bear to replace it, but after struggling for a long time wanting to ask Ning Buwei for help, she happened to encounter Ning Buwei getting angry right outside the door and was so scared she turned around and ran.

The several cubs had very different personalities. Jiang Yizheng was bold and straightforward. When she couldn’t solve something, she would run to find them, daring to argue and fight with Ning Buwei head-on, and also daring to drag Chu Jun while crying with snot and tears. When leaving, she wouldn’t forget to take away his treasured tea leaves. But Yang Lingzhu had a quiet personality, was cautious and careful, and rarely asked them for anything.

“Let me see.” Chu Jun took the small cauldron from her hands.

Yang Lingzhu watched as the small cauldron that she had no way to repair turned twice in Chu Jun’s hands and was easily restored to perfect condition. She was so shocked she couldn’t speak.

“There are several small cauldrons in the family storehouse that are just right for refining medicine. You can use them to practice first.” Chu Jun handed the small cauldron back to her, “Use this one after you’re skilled, then it won’t explode.”

Yang Lingzhu held the small cauldron, her eyes bright, “Thank you, dad!”

Really… so amazing!

On the other side, Ning Buwei looked at Jiang Yizheng who ran back. Seeing her eyes swollen from crying, before she could speak, he said somewhat insincerely, “I was too fierce. I should teach you slowly. Don’t cry anymore.”

Jiang Yizheng sniffed, “It’s okay. I’m too stupid, and Father, you’re too smart. Dad already told me everything.”

Ning Buwei raised an eyebrow, “What did he say?”

Jiang Yizheng honestly repeated everything, adding her own summary, “…So I misunderstood you. You actually really want to teach us well.”

Ning Buwei twitched the corner of his mouth, “Oh.”

No! He was simply angry at her stupidity!

But for his daughter’s self-esteem, he didn’t refute, “Since you understand, then study properly.”

“I will! Father! What I said just now was said in anger. I don’t hate you at all! I love father the most!” Jiang Yizheng sat confidently at the low table, “Let’s start!”

Half an hour later, Ning Buwei’s roars, Jiang Yizheng’s breakdown cries, and Feng Zizhang’s innocent pleas for mercy rang out again.

“I hate father the most!”

Later on, Ning Buwei finally understood a cruel truth——

You absolutely cannot teach children yourself.

You’ll be angered to death.