Cultivating Immortality, Starting from Childhood Sweethearts

"You little rascal! How dare you pee on me!"

Wang Feng shot to her feet, her cheeks blazing red, pointing at Xu Ming, who was proudly sitting on the bed, his "little elephant trunk" raised high.

Qin Qingwan, sitting beside Xu Ming, froze for a moment, and then started wailing, "Waaah waaah waaah," while clutching tightly onto Xu Ming. The more she cried, the louder she got.

Xu Ming, realizing the situation, immediately joined in with a deafening cry of his own, "Waaah waaah waaah," as if competing for attention.

On the side, Xu Xuenuo, seeing both Qin Qingwan and Xu Ming crying, felt a wave of emotion welling up within her. Though her lips quivered, the stubborn girl refused to let her tears fall.

"You're crying?!" Wang Feng strode over, raising her hand to smack the brat's bottom.

"Waaah waaah waaah!"

Terrified by her mother's furious demeanor, Xu Xuenuo finally broke down, crying out loud.

Madam Qin quickly stepped forward to console the three children. As Xu Ming was being soothed, he caught a faint whiff of gardenia from Madam Qin's presence.

Chen Suya, seeing Wang Feng about to strike her son, turned pale. She hurriedly positioned herself in front of Xu Ming, bowing low and clasping her hands together. "Ming'er is young and doesn't understand. I beg the First Madam to forgive him and not take offense at his actions."

Wang Feng's raised hand froze mid-air.

Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at Zhao Qing, who was busy calming the children. She realized that hitting the child would be inappropriate, but not hitting him left her seething with resentment.

If she didn't punish him, she would have no outlet for her anger after being peed on. But if she did, she would come across as petty for picking on a five-month-old child, especially with Madam Qin present. What would people say about her dignity?

As the children gradually stopped crying, Zhao Qing, noticing Wang Feng's fluctuating expression, stepped forward, her gaze tinged with an almost playful regret.

"Fifth Madam, is this the first time Ming'er has peed on someone?"

Chen Suya, puzzled, looked up to see Zhao Qing's charming, almond-shaped eyes.

"It is," Chen Suya answered, catching onto Zhao Qing's lead. "This is indeed Ming'er's first time peeing on an adult."

"Please don't be angry, Sister Wang," Zhao Qing said with a warm smile. "In fact, this shows you're blessed with great fortune."

"Fortunate?" Wang Feng's chest rose and fell dramatically, but as Zhao Qing was the esteemed First Madam of the Qin family, she couldn't lash out. "Sister Qing, how exactly does this make me fortunate?"

"You may not know this, Sister Wang, but in my hometown, there's an old belief—if you're the first person to be accidentally peed on by a baby boy, it signifies overflowing fortune and a great blessing."

Zhao Qing took Wang Feng's hand gently as she spoke.

"Last time, my Qingwan accidentally peed on my personal maid, Xiaoqing, and my husband sulked for days because he thought he deserved that blessing instead."

Wang Feng, listening to Zhao Qing's explanation and looking into her seemingly earnest almond eyes, glanced back at Xu Ming on the bed. Gradually, her expression softened.

"I never knew such a belief existed in your hometown. It seems I truly am fortunate," she said, her tone easing.

"Indeed you are," Zhao Qing nodded, her smile unwavering. "If Sister Wang wants to enhance this fortune, you can bathe in purple dragon flower water—it'll bless both your husband and children. I have some at my place; you're welcome to use it."

"That sounds perfect. Let's go," Wang Feng replied, finally finding a way to diffuse her anger and save face.

Zhao Qing gave a polite bow toward Chen Suya. "Fifth Madam, we'll take our leave for now. I'll visit again another day to learn from you."

"Madam Qin is too kind," Chen Suya said quickly, returning the bow.

After Zhao Qing and Wang Feng left with their daughters, Chen Suya let out a long sigh of relief. She rushed to the bed, scooping Xu Ming into her arms. "Ming'er, it's okay. It's okay. Mommy will protect you. Don't be scared."

"Awuuu~" Xu Ming babbled, nestling into his mother's embrace.

Xu Ming let out a little cry, resting his head on his mother's shoulder.

Chen Suya looked at her son, her heart stirring as if she understood his unspoken thoughts. "Are you saying that you'll protect Mother in the future?"

"Awoo~" Xu Ming cried out again, his tone firm and resolute.

"My good Ming'er," Chen Suya said, gently tapping his nose. She smiled, but soon her tears began to blur her vision. "Then Ming'er must grow up healthy and strong to become a real man, okay?"

Time passed quickly, and another three months went by.

"Ming'er, slow down! Don't fall!"

In the Spring Courtyard of the Xu household, eight-month-old Xu Ming was waddling along the pebble path on his short legs, running about with boundless energy.

[Running 1 meter: Leg strength +1, Stamina +1.]

[Running 1 meter: Leg strength +1, Stamina +1.]

Each step Xu Ming took seemed to make him stronger.

Typically, a well-developing baby could start walking around the age of one. Xu Ming, being far ahead of the curve, was already jogging at eight months—surely that wasn't too extraordinary, was it?

After several months of training, Xu Ming could now lift up to 15 pounds with his tiny arms, and faint outlines of abdominal muscles had started to form. As for his running speed... Well, without a stopwatch, it was hard to measure. But Xu Ming estimated he could finish 100 meters in about 50 seconds, give or take.

He had also started eating solid foods, which was a blessing given his intense physical activity. Even if his half-sister Xu Xuenuo didn't compete with him for milk, his mother's supply still couldn't keep up with his growing appetite.

"Third Young Master, isn't this courtyard beautiful?"

"I heard the matriarch plans to merge this courtyard with the Qin family's next door to make a grand garden in the future."

"Forget the garden—within two months, both Miss Xu and Miss Qin will celebrate their first birthdays! Preparations will begin tomorrow, and it'll be a grand event, with officials from all over attending!"

As Xu Ming ran about in the courtyard, he overheard cheerful chatter from a group of maids in the distance.

Amid their conversation, a three-year-old boy walked in Xu Ming's direction, surrounded by a gaggle of maids fawning over him.

Seeing the boy approach, Chen Suya quickly picked up Xu Ming and stepped forward, bowing respectfully. "This humble concubine greets the Third Young Master."

"Sister Qiu Ju, who's she?" The three-year-old boy asked clumsily, speaking from the maid's arms.

"This is Fifth Concubine, and the child in her arms is your younger brother," replied Qiu Ju with a smile.

"Younger brother? Like Sister Xuenuo?" The chubby boy asked curiously.

"Yes and no," another maid chimed in with a subtle smile. "It's the same in some ways, but also a bit different."

"Oh..."

The three-year-old seemed to grasp it vaguely. Suddenly, his eyes lit up as though he'd remembered something. Pointing at Xu Ming, he clapped his hands and shouted with excitement,

"I know now! Mother said it before: the children born to concubines are bastards, like the servants and maids!"