After the Salted Fish Transmigrated into a Book, He Discovered the Whole Family were Villains - Chapter 9

Jian Chengxi coaxed the child to sleep. The bed in the kid’s room was small and cramped, and the house itself was unusually dilapidated. He couldn’t even stretch out his legs while lying down. After seeing that the child seemed to be asleep, he slowly began to ease himself out of bed. In the process of getting up, he accidentally brushed against the wound on his arm.

“Hiss…”

The sharp pain made him grimace, but in order not to wake the child, Jian Chengxi gritted his teeth and held it in.

After the tide of pain subsided, he got off the bed and pulled the child’s thin blanket up a little higher. Once he was sure the child wouldn’t catch a cold and everything was fine, he looked at the child’s sleeping, fair face, and a gentle smile curled at the corner of his lips.

“Good night.”

His voice was soft and low, yet filled with the tenderness and care one would show to a precious treasure.

…

The door was quietly opened and then gently closed again.

The room fell silent.

Outside the window, the bright moonlight poured in. The entire sky was still shrouded in a grid of electric netting, only adding to the oppressive atmosphere.

On the pillow, Li Suisui, who had been breathing steadily, slowly opened her eyes. She sat up, her small frame clad in thin clothes, and with the back of her slender, pale hand, she gently touched the cheek where Jian Chengxi had caressed her, as if savoring the feeling.

It was as if her Daddy’s warmth still lingered there.

Li Suisui looked toward the small bed not far away and whispered, “Ge, do you think Daddy might have really changed…”

“Suisui.” Li Chen’s voice was clear in the small room. His bed was by the window. He sat up and looked at his little sister, speaking softly, “Don’t forget, if I hadn’t broken my leg, Daddy would’ve already run off with the jade pendant by now.”

No one would believe that children so young could be this mature.

That frail little body seemed to be carrying far too much.

Li Chen’s figure appeared heavy and intense in the darkness, his expression calm, “Right now he’s still here because he lost the jade pendant, but one day, when he finds a new lover, he will still leave.”

Li Suisui pressed her lips together.

The little girl sat silently on the stone bed, and in that moment, it was as if countless memories flooded her mind.

Slowly, a mist seemed to rise in her dark eyes.

But even at such a young age, she stubbornly lowered her head and wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. Then, the emotion in her eyes shifted again, like a fog that wouldn’t lift.

“If that’s the case, then we just have to make all of Daddy’s lovers disappear.” Li Suisui gave a childish yet brilliant smile. “That way, Daddy will never leave us, right?”

Li Chen looked at his sister and slowly nodded. “Mm.”

A child’s logic was always so simple.

The siblings exchanged a glance, as if silently reaching some sort of agreement.

This way, our family will always be together…

Daddy.

…

The next day.

On a bright, sunny day, Jian Chengxi was sorting through the fruits he had picked from the mountain a couple of days ago.

The system said: 【These fruits taste okay. Since they grow farther from the soil, they don’t have that same bitterness.】

Jian Chengxi sat on the ground, picking up each fruit to examine it. He had eaten quite a few over the past few days and noticed something interesting. Some of the fruits were bland, while a few unexpectedly had a bit of a fruity aroma. Would these two types of fruit have different prices? Would there be any difference in nutritional value when eaten?

Jian Chengxi fell into thought. “They all come from the same orchard. If the land is polluted, why are some of the fruits still sweet?”

The system said: 【After all, every fruit has a different constitution.】

Jian Chengxi stood up and said, “I’ll take both baskets to the market myself today. We’ll find out then.”

Since he had made up his mind to head out, he had to make sure the kids were taken care of.

It was still early when Jian Chengxi went upstairs. The children were sleeping soundly, but by the time he arrived, Li Suisui and Li Chen had just woken up. He walked over to help them get dressed, and reminded them, “Daddy’s going to the market to sell fruit today. You two stay home and play nicely, don’t go running around.”

Li Suisui asked a bit clingily, “Daddy, can you take us with you?”

Jian Chengxi replied, “You and your gege are still young. The market’s crowded and messy, it’s not safe. Your gege’s leg hasn’t healed yet and he shouldn’t be walking too much.”

Li Suisui nodded obediently, accepting the answer.

Jian Chengxi then turned to look at Li Chen.

The boy sitting by the window had already dressed himself, but just as the doctor had said, his legs on the bed hadn’t healed well. These days, he could barely walk without help, otherwise, he was prone to falling. But the child was proud and stubborn. He hated showing weakness and didn’t like relying on others. He didn’t say much, but he had clearly grown more withdrawn.

Jian Chengxi saw it all, and it made his heart ache.

If the original owner hadn’t squandered all the family’s money, maybe the child could’ve had better treatment, and it wouldn’t have come to this.

Jian Chengxi calculated in his mind that if he could sell all the fruit this time, he might as well head up the mountain to find some wood and build a wheelchair or crutch for the boy. That wouldn’t be too bad either.

“You and your gege stay home and behave,” Jian Chengxi said with a warm smile. “Daddy will bring back something tasty for you.”

But Li Suisui clutched the corner of his shirt and said, “I don’t want something tasty.”

Jian Chengxi turned back in confusion.

He saw a serious expression on his daughter’s thin little face. Her small body seemed so fragile as she leaned against him, head lowered, and said softly, “Daddy, come back early.”

It seemed the child still hadn’t gained a sense of security.

Jian Chengxi’s heart ached even more. He held her hand and said brightly, “Don’t worry, Suisui. If you really start missing Daddy, let’s play a game. It’s called the Bunny Counting Game. Just count bunnies silently in your head, and when the sun sets, the bunny magic will activate, and Daddy will appear!”

Li Suisui was silent: “…”

Daddy, can you please act your age?

…

That afternoon, Jian Chengxi sold the fruit at the market.

Just as he expected, the sweeter fruits really did sell for a better price. Quite a few people even said that if he had more of those fruits, they would be willing to pay a premium. There were others at the market selling fruit too, but Jian Chengxi’s stock sold out much faster. It’s not only because his fruits were carefully selected, but also because he had an exceptionally delicate and striking face.

Elves were generally known for their refined looks.

Dark elves living in the underground city were already rare, and someone as attractive as Jian Chengxi was even more sought-after.

He made a decent amount of money today, which stirred up some quiet jealousy from nearby vendors.

Seeing how bustling the street was, Jian Chengxi asked the person beside him, “Excuse me, why is it so lively on the street today?”

The vendor next to him replied, “There’s a night market and lantern festival tonight. It’s the liveliest time!”

Jian Chengxi said, “So that’s what it is.”

Thinking it was a rare festive day, he figured he might as well bring his two kids over to enjoy it too. Since he had made some money selling fruit, buying them some treats sounded like a good idea.

Jian Chengxi began packing up and said, “Then I’ll go home and get the kids. We’ll come back tonight to have some fun.”

The woman beside him said cheerfully, “We’re planning to bring our kids too. Perfect timing! We hardly ever see your two little ones around. Bring them along, you can’t keep them cooped up at home all the time. Let them play with the other kids!”

Jian Chengxi thought she had a point.

He realized he had never seen his own children play with others. They were still so young so how could they grow up without interacting with kids their age?

With that in mind, Jian Chengxi nodded and smiled. “Alright, thank you.”

That evening, Jian Chengxi returned home, set down the baskets, and got the two children cleaned up before heading out. This was also the first market event he had attended since coming to this world, and he was a little excited himself. After all, he had always liked lively occasions.

Jian Chengxi helped Li Suisui tie her hair into two little braids.

Li Suisui shook her head slightly, then looked at him shyly. “Do I look pretty?”

Jian Chengxi smiled and pinched her cheek. “Our Suisui is the prettiest of all.”

What little girl doesn’t love being told she’s pretty? After hearing that, she practically floated with joy, spinning in place like she might twirl right into the sky.

Only Li Chen sat silently in the distance.

Of course, Jian Chengxi wanted all the children to be happy. In his heart, he was already quietly planning to save up for treatment for Li Chen’s leg. Right now, he walked over and picked up both kids, saying, “Let’s go! Daddy’s taking you to the market!”

…

When the family arrived at the village entrance, sure enough, quite a few people were already there.

Today’s market was indeed bustling.

Jian Chengxi finally realized that there were actually quite a lot of people living in this village. The streets were filled with all sorts of strange and interesting things. There are fire-dragon birds flying in the sky, six-legged ground-walking chickens on the road, and many other novelties.

Not far away was a stall selling sweet-flavored nutrient drinks.

A woman from the village said, “These are the kinds of things kids love. My kid’s been saying for ages they want to try the sweet nutrient drink.”

That was the first time Jian Chengxi had heard of it. Other children could drink things like this, but his own two likely hadn’t even had a taste. He knew too well what it felt like to grow up in someone else’s home with nothing, and he didn’t want his children to go through the same.

“Sis, take me with you to buy some,” Jian Chengxi offered. “I want to get two bottles too.”

The woman nodded, a bit surprised but did not refuse. “Sure!”

There were also quite a few children from the village nearby.

Jian Chengxi hesitated for a moment, then said, “You two stay here and play with the other kids. Daddy’s just going to buy something and will be right back.”

The two children didn’t really want to be apart from him, but still nodded in agreement.

Jian Chengxi went with a few villagers to the sweet drink stall to buy the nutrient drinks.

The shop was quite large, filled with all kinds of nutrient drinks. It turned out the cheapest ones in green bottles, the tasteless ones, were the lowest grade. The flavored ones were the premium nutrient drinks, usually only affordable to nobles in Sky City. Down in the underground city, people only bought a small amount of them during market festivals like this.

Jian Chengxi hesitated for a moment, but in the end, only chose two bottles.

There wasn’t much money at home and he had to save. When it came time to pay, he asked the shopkeeper, “Hello, how much for these?”

The shopkeeper replied, “Two bottles, sixty-two coins.”

Jian Chengxi pressed his lips together, feeling the sting of the price, but for the sake of the children, he endured it. His eyelashes trembled slightly, and though it hurt to part with the money, he still smiled and said, “Alright, please wrap them up for me.”

Elves seemed to be born with a kind of delicate, protective aura.

People in the underground city were used to dealing with rough traders and laborers and it wasn’t often they came across someone with such striking looks. For a moment, even the shopkeeper was a bit dazed. With a trace of pity, he said, “Just give me sixty.”

Jian Chengxi’s eyes lit up, and he smiled. “Really? Thank you, sir!”

The shopkeeper smiled awkwardly. Seeing Jian Chengxi’s exceptional appearance, he couldn’t help but feel a bit tempted. He asked, probing slightly, “May I ask what your name is? Are you seeing anyone?”

Jian Chengxi paused for a moment, then looked up at the shopkeeper.

The man was over forty, with a bulging belly, and at this moment, his eyes clearly revealed a mix of greed and intent that couldn’t be hidden.

Jian Chengxi replied, “Thank you for your kindness, but I have a husband and children. Having strangers around the house probably wouldn’t be appropriate.”

Sure enough, the shopkeeper’s smile stiffened. “You have a husband?”

Jian Chengxi nodded. “That’s right.”

“Then why didn’t your husband come with you to buy things?” The shopkeeper wasn’t a fool. “Don’t tell me he’s not around.”

After all, letting such a beautiful wife—an elf, no less—roam alone without his man was just too suspicious. The shopkeeper clearly wasn’t that easy to fool.

The shopkeeper went on, “Why are you wearing such cheap fabric? Doesn’t your husband buy you clothes? Honestly, you would be better off separating from him sooner. Maybe find someone new?”

Jian Chengxi replied, “That’s because my husband went off to join the military.”

The shopkeeper froze, about to say something but before he could—

Jian Chengxi spoke up directly, “But I think he’ll be back very soon. In the few years since he enlisted, he’s already risen to a high rank. When he returns, he’s taking me and the kids to Sky City. He’s great at everything but just a bit hot-tempered. I’d really love to be friends with someone like you, but the thing is, my husband, after so many years in the army, he’s got a short fuse. If there are strangers in the house, he might get violent. You know how it is—soldiers, always fighting on the front lines. They don’t exactly know how to hold back…”

As he spoke, Jian Chengxi glanced sideways at the shopkeeper, continuing to spin his tale with a sweet smile, “So I wonder how many hits you think you could take?”