Inseparable Peach Blossoms

Zhu Chougong never once imagined he'd become a father in this life. In his youth, he was infamous throughout the Jianghu as a slippery scoundrel, making his living through scheming, swindling, and looting in the chaos of others' misfortune. Whenever people mentioned the name "Zhu Chougong," they'd spit first, roll their eyes second, and finally clutch their coin purses and walk the other way. Yet he lived a carefree life, if a lonely one, though loneliness was never something he thought ill of. Until he grew old. Old enough that turning over in bed at night made his knees creak like someone sawing wood. Old enough that the scars from his younger years itched whenever the weather turned gray, itching so badly he wanted to curse. Old enough that he finally took a friend's words to heart: "If you still want to live, head east. Clear a few acres of wasteland, plant some peach trees, and give up this career for good." Zhu Chougong froze for a moment, as though doused with a bucket of cold water, but Elder Changle's words, he truly took to heart. He returned to his old home in Qingzhou, planted peach trees, and waited for them to bloom and bear fruit. But before the fruit ever came, two wild brats showed up instead. That year, the Yellow River flooded, and two filthy, wild children clung to each other, not for warmth, but to fight. Fists flew at faces, nails dug into flesh, all to fight over a single spoiled bun. Zhu Chougong sat in the tree, watching for a good while. In his youth he'd seen too many people tear at each other just to survive. That wasn't shameful, it was simply the most instinctive way to live. But watching two girls barely as tall as his knee brawl like mortal enemies over a mouthful of spoiled bun, something inside him was suddenly struck, like a string plucked. So sour. So bothersome. He simply hooked the wine gourd to his belt, leapt down, and grabbed each girl by the collar with one hand, hauling them up. The two girls dangled in midair, limbs flailing, cursing all the while. The smaller one even bit down on his hand. Zhu Chougong looked down at the bleeding tooth marks, then at the little wild things who clearly had no idea who they were dealing with, and suddenly he laughed. He disliked smiling more than anything else in his life, for others always said his smile looked ferocious and menacing. Better not to smile at all. Yet he smiled as he tucked the two girls under his arms and carried them home just like that.

"From now on, you two are sisters." Both girls looked up at the same time, eyes full of confusion. He pointed at the older one: "You're the elder sister." Then pointed at the smaller one: "You're the younger sister." "Why is she the elder?" "Because she's half a head taller than you." "Ain't doing it!" "Like you get a say?" Zhu Chougong's eyes flashed, his fierce nature laid bare. His face had never been much to look at even in his youth, and age had only added more wrinkles, lending him an even more menacing look. That glare alone made both girls shrink back in unison, like a pair of wilted puppies. He softened his voice, as if sighing: "You two have no father, no mother. In this world, you've only got each other left. To survive from here on, you can't do it alone." He plucked a peach branch, snapped it in two, and pressed a piece into each of their hands. "Kneel. Bow three times to each other, and it's settled. You're now sworn sisters. From now on, she protects you, and you protect her. That's just how it should be." The two girls glanced at each other. The older one knelt first; the younger hesitated, then knelt as well. Neither said a word while bowing. When they rose, neither had let go of the peach branch in her hand. Zhu Chougong nodded. "Good. Now call me Father." The older one was quick to speak, timidly calling him Father. The younger one bit her lip, glaring at him for a long while, before finally forcing out a reluctant "Father" through gritted teeth. Zhu Chougong burst out laughing, and somehow his laugh looked even worse than his usual scowl... But that was the first time in his life he thought that laughing wasn't so bad after all.