8 Chapter 8 An Elephant in the Rain

Chapter 8 An Elephant in the Rain

Xi stared into the young woman's eyes, feeling completely bewildered. It was as if he had been dropped into an ocean with no hope of escape. She appeared to be around Xi's age, radiating youthfulness and vitality.

Her long, flowing hair was as dark as ebony, cascading in lustrous waves down to her waist. The silky strands reflected the light, giving her an air of mystery. She adorned her hair with delicate accessories, adding a touch of elegance to her youthful charm.

She possessed a delicate yet blossoming beauty. Her smooth and flawless complexion glowed with a natural radiance, complemented by a hint of youthful blush on her cheeks. Her lips, soft and supple, had a natural rosy tint that enhanced her overall appeal.

Seeing Xi lost in a daze, the beautiful woman began to worry. She hurriedly exclaimed, "Oh no, you must be famished! Your brain has stopped working!" She picked up a dumpling with her hands and thrust it into his mouth.

COUGH

Xi choked on the dumpling and snapped out of the daze, slightly disillusioned that this beautiful woman had just fisted his mouth.

She placed her hand on her chest, relieved that Xi was alive. Looking at him, she smiled confidently and said, "Thankfully, I resuscitated you."

Still taken aback by the contrast between her beauty and intelligence, Xi felt it would only hurt her if he pointed out her mistake.

Changing the subject and trying not to focus on the saliva on her right hand, Xi asked, "What do you mean by 'you can help me now'?"

Pouting like a squirrel hiding nuts in its mouth, she exclaimed loudly, "How can you forget?! You gave me a gold coin six years ago in Grace of Dragons City!"

Xi was shocked and wanted to ask her how she could remember such a small event from so long ago and even remember him after all this time. Xi was just a child back then. To recognize him after all these years, she must have an incredible memory. Xi recalled her actions up to this point, along with her remarkable memory, he was reminded of a certain creature. To validate his thoughts, he asked, "You never forget anything, do you?"

Believing that he was complimenting her, she nodded and proudly declared, "Never."

Xi touched his chin then noted in his mind, she indeed is an elephant. He quickly brought himself back to reality, afraid that she might stuff another dumpling down his throat. Xi said, "Thank you for your help. I vaguely recall helping someone when I was returning from the tournament. By the way, my name is Xi Long."

She smiled happily and said, "Nice to meet you, Xi Long. My name is Lin Yanling. Please take care of me from now on."

Xi was delighted to meet such a beauty but confused by her statement. He wondered, "What does she mean by 'take care of me from now on'?"

As if anticipating his question, she answered, "So where are we going to live now?"

Xi was shocked and thought "What the fuck. When did we start living together?"

But she didn't stop talking. She continued, "I also have to inform my sister and mother about us. Oh, and I have to pack. So much to do, so much to do."

Xi couldn't help but scream, "Wait! What do you mean, tell them about 'us'?"

Lin blushing slightly, smiled and said, "Of course, that we are married now."

Xi fell backward. He was so shocked his legs gave out from the great leap of logic. He questioned himself, "How did this series of events lead to his marriage."

In a voice devoid of energy he asked, "When did we get married?"

Lin smiled proudly and said, "I paid your dowry, so now you are married to me. Honey, you need to think more logically."

Recalling the events of a few days ago, Xi realized that things were unfolding much like the growth of his first brain tumor. In an attempt to expedite the process of his death, he asked, "So does that mean you will follow me forever, regardless of what I do?"

She was still listing her tasks when his statement caught her attention. Smiling, she replied, "You are the one who ate the dumpling, so of course. Food is scarce, you know."

Xi glanced around at the abundance of food surrounding them, questioning if food was really scarce. However, as he looked at her right hand still bearing his saliva, he understood that questioning her actions would exhaust him to death. He turned around and headed back to his inn.

Naturally, Lin followed behind him like a puppy. As she looked around, making comments about everything, her stomach growled.

The sound was loud enough to distract Xi from the pain of growing two brain tumors in a single week. Lin covered her stomach, laughing, and said, "I forgot I was hungry."

Hearing her statement and remembering how she fed him when he was hungry, Xi found her endearing. He still held the plate of dumplings in his hand. He brought the plate closer to her, and Lin looked at the food with a teardrop in both her eyes and a drool on the edge of her mouth. She said, "I can't eat that. That's my dowry for you."

Frowning, Xi asked, "So I can do whatever I want with it, right?"

Lin was confused by the question but nodded her head.

Xi picked up a soft dumpling with his bare hands and brought it close to Lin's mouth. He said, "Open up."

Lin wanted to refuse but thought that as a good wife, she couldn't say no. Opening her mouth wide, it looked like she could swallow not only the small dumpling but Xi as well. Hoping not to be devoured, he placed the entire plate near her mouth and flipped it upside down. She didn't even chew; the dumplings disappeared as if they had never existed. All five of them.

Lin smiled sweetly and said, "Thank you, honey."

Xi was slightly shocked, but his gaze shifted from her mouth to her stomach. He wondered, "How can she be so petite when her brain and appetite are like an elephant's?"

While walking, Xi noticed the rest of his family walking out of the inn. Lin and he watched as the rest of the Longs, accompanied by Zhang, made their way toward them.

Seeing their faces, Lin quickly walked up to them, bowed, and then unleashed a powerful attack. "Lin greets mother-in-law, father-in-law, and grandmother-in-law."

Shen abruptly halted mid-stride, his jaw dropping in astonishment. Ming was equally shocked, her eyes wide open. Ling smacked her son's head, thinking her son had picked up another weirdo. As if reading her thoughts through the smack, Xi looked at his mother with a knowing expression and said, "I didn't pick them up; they got stuck to me."

Ling shot him a stern look then said, "If you weren't dirty nothing would stick to you. You did something to get stuck, didn't you?"

Xi looked down, his gaze fixed on Lin's wet right hand, and thought his mother was too powerful.

Finally finding his words, Shen asked, "You are this ingrate's wife?"

Lin nodded and reminded Shen, "Father was the one who suggested our engagement, and even grandmother agreed."

Shen and Ming exchanged confused glances. Then, Ling recalled a distant memory of a cute little girl with azure eyes who had been helped by her son many years ago. Approaching Lin, Ling embraced her warmly and said, "Welcome! I've always wanted a daughter, so from now on, you're my child."

Touched by the loving welcome, tears welled up in Lin's eyes. As Xi observed the scene before him, he realized he had already lost the battle with just a single move. Ming and Shen shrugged, accepting their new grandchild-in-law and daughter-in-law with open arms.

And thus, Lin, this beautiful elephant, became a cherished member of the Long family.

Xi shared the story of their sudden marriage during his brief stroll, leaving the family in disbelief.

However, Lin's proud expression convinced them that it was true. Ming and Ling found Lin even more endearing and decided to accept her as part of the family without any further questions.

Lin was overjoyed that her new family had embraced her so readily. She expressed her desire to inform her mother and sister about the marriage and pack her belongings.

She had only brought a few outdoor clothes as she had initially planned to participate in the tournament and return home.

Upon hearing this, Ling and Ming eagerly took hold of Lin and led the way through town, accompanied by the potters Shen, Zhang, and Xi. The potters dutifully carried the growing pile of items desired by the women, which now seemed like a small mountain in Xi's arms. He couldn't help but feel that they had spent all his earnings from the previous tournament.

Curious about this sudden change in his mother's behavior regarding tournament money, Xi finally asked, "Hey Mother, didn't you forbid me and Father from ever using the tournament money?" Ling, still walking ahead with a bright smile, didn't even turn around. She replied, "Of course, that's because I wanted to use it for my future daughter-in-law. And now that she's here, I will spend it all!"

Shen and Xi froze in their tracks and pleaded, "Please don't!" Witnessing their terror, Lin couldn't help but ask, in her adorable manner, "Mother, what tournament money?" Ling's affection for Lin deepened as she explained, "Six years ago, your husband won the tournament at Grace of Dragons City. The prize was 100,000 gold coins, and I intended to save it for his future wife. So whenever these two wanted anything, I would forbid them from using that money."

Lin had no knowledge of the events surrounding the last tournament in Grace of Dragons City, as it had become a forbidden topic. The legends of the formidable and ruthless Long Shi had spread fear throughout Qingmei. Tales of an old master causing havoc and destroying a coliseum due to his inability to fight to his heart's content were known far and wide. To appease his anger, the imperial family had made it illegal to utter his name within the country, and the unreconstructed coliseum served as a reminder of Long Shi's destructive power.

Unaware of his own crimes, Long Shi was still complaining about all the childhood items he wanted but couldn't have.

The new family purchased numerous dresses and accessories for their daughter-in-law, all from prestigious and high-end stores. Fortunately, they had the company of the well-known tycoon Zhang Wei, which helped avoid any trouble.

This is not the only reason why Zhang's reputation was steadily increasing in the Long family.

"No need madams. I will pay for this one too. This is tuition for a master. Upon accepting me as his student he did not ask for anything." Zhang said dutifully.

Shen couldn't help but look at Xi as if he were an idiot. Xi felt too embarrassed to meet his father's gaze. Farmers may be hard workers, but they weren't fools. If a farmer stumbled upon a gold mine, they would mine the gold, even if they remained farmers at heart.

Lin, not understanding the underlying dynamics, admired her husband even more. Ling considered correcting her new daughter-in-law's thought process but recalled how Lin had 'married' her son in the first place she decided to remain silent.

Needless to say, Lin looked stunning in everything that Ling and Ming presented to her. She became their dress-up doll, and Zhang seemed to be an endless source of wealth. The symbiotic relationship was a magical sight to behold.

After hours of shopping, the night arrived, and Lin's stomach growled once again. Lin laughed and said, "I guess it's dinner time." The entire Long family smiled at Lin's adorable remark. Xi confirmed, "Indeed, it is." He looked at Zhang, the source of their wealth, and asked, "Where should we eat?" Just as Zhang was about to respond, a raindrop landed on his nose.

Xi's face suddenly turned serious as the raindrops began to fall. The sound he had heard days ago echoed in his ears once more.