After the Salted Fish Transmigrated into a Book, He Discovered the Whole Family were Villains - Chapter 8

Jian Chengxi listened to his two kids talking, then turned his head to glance at the rabbit not far away.

Strangely enough…

Even though he was just facing two children, he couldn’t shake the chill down his spine. It was like he was the one being hunted, like he was the rabbit.

Li Suisui, sitting on a nearby rock, asked, “Daddy, can you eat rabbit?”

Jian Chengxi: “Uh…”

He had actually raised rabbits before, but never eaten one. Still, he had heard of dishes like spicy rabbit head and such.

Not wanting to lose face in front of his kids, he forced himself to say, “Probably?”

But what he didn’t expect was that right after he said that, both kids gave him rather strange looks.

In the end—

It was Li Suisui who jumped down from the rock, took Jian Chengxi’s hand, and said sweetly and sensibly, “Daddy, you don’t have to force yourself to eat those nasty things. My gege and I… we can drink less nutrient solution. You can have ours.”

Jian Chengxi froze. “Nasty?”

He almost blurted it out.

Spicy rabbit head actually tastes pretty good, doesn’t it?

The system popped out to explain: 【Host, this planet suffered a natural disaster and contamination a hundred years ago. All the plants on the land have a bitter taste now, and so do the animals. That’s why the locals mainly survive on nutrient solutions.】

Jian Chengxi finally understood why everyone drank nutrient solution.

No wonder, even though the conditions in the underground city were so harsh and the nutrient solution was expensive, people still avoided eating the mountain plants and wild rabbits and insisted on drinking that flavorless liquid.

Jian Chengxi said, “That’s so miserable. Is there any chance for change?”

System: 【The natural disaster was caused by the Zerg’s weapons and pollution. As long as the enemy is eliminated, redemption is possible.】

Jian Chengxi thought of his husband, who had joined the military three years ago and hadn’t sent a single word since.

At first, he had resented that man, thinking it was incredibly irresponsible to leave behind his wife and children to enlist. But over time, as he gradually learned more about the underground city and the suffering this planet was enduring, he slowly began to understand. The rise and fall of a nation is the responsibility of every citizen. Sacrificing the small family was for the sake of the greater good.

After the brief conversation, Jian Chengxi was filled with renewed determination.

If this path doesn’t work, then he’ll find another. He had come all this way so there’s no way he would go back empty-handed.

“Rabbit meat is too bitter, so we won’t eat it,” Jian Chengxi said, taking the children’s hands. “Good thing we brought the basket. It’s autumn, and the mountain’s full of fruit. Let’s go pick some to take home.”

Li Suisui and Li Chen were a little surprised.

For as long as they could remember, their Dad had never done this kind of manual labor. He never cared about anyone and only spent the money left by their grandfather.

He thought picking fruit was beneath him and something unworthy of his status.

Back then, only she and her brother would go foraging.

But now, Daddy was actually the one suggesting they go pick fruit together.

Could it be—

Has Daddy really changed?

Jian Chengxi led the kids into the orchard, looking at the trees full of fruit, and said excitedly, “We can sell the fruit for money, and then we’ll have money at home!”

“…”

Looks like they were expecting too much.

Picking fruit might seem simple, but it wasn’t.

Some of the fruit was too high for the kids to reach, so Jian Chengxi climbed a bit higher himself. He stretched out his arm to pick the fruit, but as he pulled his hand back, he accidentally bumped into a branch. The impact wasn’t heavy, but it sent a jolt of numbness through his arm. A sudden wave of sharp, overwhelming pain made his hand tremble, and the fruit slipped and fell to the ground.

When he looked down, he saw that his pale white arm was already red and swollen. The pain was so intense it brought tears to his eyes.

“Mm…”

Jian Chengxi let out a low groan, his whole body trembling with pain as cold sweat broke out on his back.

The system immediately asked: 【Host, are you alright?】

Jian Chengxi couldn’t even speak from the pain. In his mind, he asked, “What’s wrong with this body? I just hit a branch so why does it hurt this much?”

【The original host’s constitution is very unusual. He experiences pain differently than most people.】 The system reminded him: 【The Elf race actually possesses healing magic. The original host is an elf, but because he has no elven power, he ended up being cast out to the underground city.】

Jian Chengxi finally understood why the original host never did any work.

Maybe he wasn’t being dramatic and maybe even the slightest bump really did hurt too much.

Li Suisui’s footsteps came closer. She softly called, “Daddy?”

Jian Chengxi snapped out of it.

“Daddy, are you… okay?” Li Suisui asked in a small, incredulous voice. “Are you crying at the tree?”

There was no way he would cry in front of the kids. Jian Chengxi quickly wiped his tears and made up an excuse, “No, I was just looking at all this fruit and got emotional. The fruit tree is so selfless, using its own body to nurture so many fruits so we won’t go hungry. Suisui, we must always be grateful and thank nature for its gifts.”

“……”

Daddy’s completely lost it.

By evening, the day’s work had come to an end, and the three of them made it home before sunset.

Dinner was simple, it was just a nutrient solution. As dusk settled in, the whole world seemed to quiet down. Jian Chengxi sat at the outdoor table, secretly applying ointment to the bruised and swollen part of his arm. There hadn’t been any medicine at home and the ointment seemed to be from a medical kit left behind by the original host’s husband.

As he rubbed it in, the pain made him want to cry.

Jian Chengxi had always been healthy growing up. Any scrapes or bruises would heal by the next day. He had never felt pain like this before.

The system tried to comfort him: 【Host, press a little harder. If the bruise doesn’t lessen, it’ll hurt even more tomorrow.】

“Why am I so unlucky? Why did I have to transmigrate into this guy’s body?” Jian Chengxi sobbed quietly, wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes. “What kind of cursed constitution is this? It hurts so bad I could die.”

The system silently endured his dramatic wailing.

Meanwhile, upstairs, two small figures stood hidden in the shadows, watching Jian Chengxi from above.

Li Suisui withdrew her gaze and whispered to her brother, “Why is Daddy sitting by the window, crying over Father’s things?”

Li Chen gently shook his head.

They both knew Jian Chengxi used to spend all his time looking for some lover and he had no feelings for their father.

Li Suisui softly said, “I think maybe… Daddy misses Father.”

“Impossible.” Li Chen didn’t hesitate at all. He said in a low voice, “If he really missed Father, why would he buy a jade pendant and plan to elope? Unless…”

The two children exchanged a quiet glance.

In their eyes was a sharpness and wisdom far beyond their age.

Li Suisui voiced the thought, “Maybe Father isn’t dead.”

…

Later that night, Jian Chengxi returned to his bedroom.

He first went next door, out of habit, to check on the kids. Just as he was about to leave, his sleeve was tugged. He turned around to see a small, thin hand, and Li Suisui’s pitiful little face.

Jian Chengxi looked down and asked, “Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

Li Suisui’s big black eyes stared up at him as she said sweetly, “I can’t fall asleep.”

The quiet night reminded Jian Chengxi of his own childhood. He had been an orphan, living with his aunt’s family. When he was little and scared, he always wished he had a mom to stay with him but all he had was a found stuffed toy to hold as he fell asleep alone.

“Are you scared?” Jian Chengxi took off his shoes and lay down on the bed, naturally patting the child’s back. “Daddy’s here.”

His gentle tone made Li Suisui momentarily dazed.

It had been so long since she’d been held like this, if ever at all. In fact, she couldn’t remember a single time it had happened before.

Jian Chengxi gently stroked her soft hair in the moonlight and asked in a quiet voice, “Suisui, why can’t you sleep?”

Li Suisui felt his gentle touch and lowered her eyes, hiding the thoughts behind them. Her voice was soft and childlike as she buried herself in Jian Chengxi’s arms and spoke in a whisper, “Daddy, is Father really never coming back?”

Jian Chengxi froze.

“Other kids all have fathers.” Li Suisui clutched his shirt, her voice tinged with grievance. “Why don’t my gege and I have one?”

So that’s what this was about. She missed her father.

Jian Chengxi sighed inwardly and asked, “Do you really want a father?”

Li Suisui gave a small nod, hoping to test him. To find out whether her Father was truly dead, and whether her Daddy really wasn’t going to remarry or run away anymore.

But instead—

“If the old doesn’t go, the new won’t come,” Jian Chengxi said, completely shifting the perspective. “Want me to find you a new father?”

“…”

Silence hung in the air for a moment.

After a while…

Li Suisui quietly said, “It’s okay, Daddy. I don’t miss Father anymore.”

“Good girl.”

Jian Chengxi patted her head.