Yashiro the Blind

People came and went in the room, and now only two—or more accurately, three—remained. From the very beginning, the baby that Yashiro brought back had been held and soothed by Jiro.

As the oldest among them, Jiro-hoshi is only twenty-three years old this year. In this day and age, when most people become parents in their teens, twenty-year-olds and older can really be considered young women.

In addition, she is used to taking care of others, so she often seems more mature than her actual age. At this moment, she is holding the baby and gently humming a lullaby from Yuanjiang. The baby falls asleep peacefully, occasionally smacking its lips, as if it is sleeping soundly.

"Benefactor, what do you intend to do with this child?"

After a moment, Jiro looked down at the baby again and asked softly.

"To be honest, I don't know either."

Yashiro shook his head. "I thought I couldn't just leave this child in the mountains, so I brought him back... As for what to do next, I'd like to ask for your advice, Master."

"You asked for my advice..."

Jiro gave a wry smile, clearly having no good ideas either. But given her personality, since Yashiro had raised the question, she began to think about it seriously.

The room was quiet for a moment, and outside the window it was dawn, with only a few birds chirping, clear and melodious.

Yashiro rubbed her nose and sneezed again.

Looks like I've really caught a cold...

She thought to herself with some distress.

……

And so, the baby stayed at Ryūtai-ji Temple for the time being.

The idea came from Master Jiro, who then consulted Zen Master Nanxi Ruiwen. The old monk didn't hesitate much, looking at the little one in the swaddling clothes, and said with a smile, "Every drink and every bite is preordained. Since Jiro wants to keep the person, then keep him."

With the abbot's permission, Master Jiro discussed the matter with the other monks in the temple. After all, raising a child is easy, but feeding, relieving oneself, and everything else is hard work, especially in a temple, a place of monastic purity. Many monks had no relevant experience, so raising a child would be even more troublesome. They had to discuss it in advance to avoid any dissatisfaction or conflict later.

Fortunately, the monks of Longtai Temple were all incredibly compassionate. After hearing the baby's story, they were all moved to tears and immediately agreed to help. The hottest-tempered monk, Haotian, glared at them and shouted, "This child has such a tragic past and nowhere to go. How can the Buddha, in his compassion, not save him! If any bald monk dares to disagree, I, Haotian, will be the first to speak out—Ouch! Jiro, why did you hit me!"

"Senior Brother Haotian, be careful what you say."

"Be careful what you say. You're different from us; you have hair. This 'bald donkey' insult won't affect you—"

“But Senior Brother Haotian, you have no hair.”

Jiro smiled and patted him on the shoulder with his stick.

Haotian was stunned for a moment, then raised his hand to touch his bald head, finally realizing, "Oh right! Now I'm a donkey too!"

"I don't know if others are bald monks, but you certainly are a stubborn donkey." The tall, thin monk Zong Jun stood by, arms crossed, and made sarcastic remarks.

Haotian's eyes widened, and he was about to lash out. The next moment, with two sharp cracks, he and Monk Zongjun each received a blow from Master Jilang.

"Avoid being impatient."

A simple sentence was enough to silence the two who had been at loggerheads. It wasn't because they were cowards; it was mainly because they wouldn't listen to reason now, and Jiro was about to grab his weapon and beat them to a pulp...

"So, if everyone agrees, is that settled?"

"It's settled!"

Haotian was the first to speak, and Zongjun nodded in agreement. The other monks also expressed their agreement one after another. Even if two or three raised questions, they were worried about whether a young child could grow up safely in the temple. After receiving the answer, they turned to support it.

Originally, this matter should have been settled, but unexpectedly, new problems arose—

I don't know if it's because of the fledgling effect or some other similar reason, but this child usually seems well-behaved and doesn't cry or make a fuss. Not to mention Jiro-hoshi, even Hatsume could coax the child quite well. But once he leaves Yashiro, probably because he can't see anyone in his field of vision, he will suddenly start crying and screaming. No matter how you coax him, he won't listen until he sees someone again and then he will calm down.

One time could be considered a coincidence, but after several times in a row, everyone finally realized the reason. From then on, whether it was Jiro, the Tenji sisters, or other monks who came to help take care of the child, they would automatically and consciously mention to Yashiro that they should bring the person over. Even if they didn't do anything, they would at least let her stay by the baby's side so that the child wouldn't cry and fuss.

Over time, the two, one big and one small, seemed to become inseparable, like fireflies and birds. Even when they met, the monk Haotian would greet them, "Benefactor Baxun, where is your daughter?"

"First of all, that's not my daughter, and secondly, she's asleep inside..."

After a while, Monk Zongjun came over with a cold face, nodded to her, and greeted her: "Greetings, benefactor. Where is your daughter? When I went out to beg for alms during the day, I happened to see a family grilling rice cakes. I thought that children seem to like eating this, so I got two pieces for her... What, too young to eat rice cakes? Well... in that case, the rice cakes are for you. You can share them with Jiro and the others."

“Master Yashiro, your daughter…”

“Benefactor, my daughter…”

"daughter……"

……

"So! Why! Why! Does everyone think she's my daughter?!" One morning, Yashiro took a big gulp of wine from the gourd and complained while still drunk, then threw the gourd away.

Wuyi reached out and took a sip, then looked at the baby girl sleeping with her finger in her mouth beside her: "After all, you were the one who picked her up, so just accept your fate. Besides, I don't think you actually dislike her."

"I don't dislike it, but..."

Yashiro sighed softly.

Mai glanced at her. "But you're not mentally prepared yet, are you?"

"What kind of mental preparation?"

"You need to be mentally prepared to adopt this child."

“Adopt…” Yashiro was taken aback.

"Why do you think everyone hasn't thought about naming this child yet? Oh, although Monk Haotian and a few others once insisted on naming her, they were quickly persuaded by the eldest sister..."

"Is this the kind of persuasion I'm thinking of?"

"of course."

Recalling the lively scene at the time, Mai couldn't help but smile. Then, looking at the expression on Yashiro's face, she couldn't help but sigh and reached out to throw the gourd back into the air.

“I asked around, and it turns out that the child’s parents died too early, and no one even knows what her name is. Considering the kind of people her only remaining relatives are, it’s naturally not their place to name her.”

"You brought her back, and she seems to be closest to you. Logically and emotionally, it should be you who gives her a new name... Or, do you want to pass this right on to someone else?"

……

Chapter Ninety-Eight: Starting Today, I'm a Dad

"Naming it..."

In the spring of the first year of Yonglu, the wind blew the leaves, birds flew and clouds moved, and the fragrance of tea wafted into the guest rooms.

Tea stems floated up and down in the cup, and several small bean cakes were placed on the wooden tray next to it. One of them had been bitten twice, and the curved teeth marks reminded people of last night's moon.

Yashiro lay leisurely on her side on the floor, propping her cheek up with her elbow, and holding a fan in her other hand, gently fanning the baby in her swaddling clothes. She muttered to herself in a low voice, a faint look of sorrow on her face.

How to do it……

Two more days passed, and she still couldn't make up her mind about whether she should choose the child's name herself. In many people's eyes, this was not a problem at all, or at least not something to worry about, but Yashiro had other ideas.

In her mind, a name is a kind of expectation.

Whether parents choose a name with auspicious meaning by drawing on classical allusions or give a humble name like that of a cat or dog for the sake of easy upbringing, it is essentially the parents' and elders' expectations for their child's future, and this expectation is naturally true when the child is born.

But her biological parents died long ago, leaving no trace of the name they originally intended for her. Thus, she was like a blank sheet of paper, untouched by any past. To give her a new name would, in a sense, be to take on a responsibility that wasn't originally hers.

The reason why Yashiro struggled for so long was precisely because of this.

Although she is now over forty years old by the time her two lifetimes are combined, this life is a different story. All her relatives have died long ago, leaving her all alone and without any ties. Even in her relatively ordinary previous life, she never encountered a reliable family.

After falling out with his parents, he lived away from home for many years, wandering around. Until he transmigrated, he had barely held a girl's hand more than a few times in his more than 20 years of life, let alone got married and had children. He was a carefree person who didn't have to worry about anyone else. He was carefree, but he basically never took on any responsibility.

Unfamiliar things always inspire fear.

That's why she couldn't make up her mind for so long.

Lost in thought, Yashiro noticed that the teacup had stopped steaming. He closed his folding fan and put it down, then grabbed the half-eaten bean cake, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed it, and swallowed it—"Mmm, mmm!"

Then he choked.

It turns out that it's best not to eat while lying on your side, otherwise even a sword master who can easily take on ten people at once will choke and beat his chest in frustration, with tears welling up in his eyes.

She hurriedly grabbed the teacup, almost spilling it halfway through. Fortunately, at the last moment, she hooked the rim of the cup with her finger and used a clever trick to stabilize it. Then, with a "gulp," she finally swallowed the bean cake stuck in her throat, along with the tea leaves.

"call……"

Having narrowly escaped death, Yashiro patted his chest with relief. Just then, he heard a series of gurgling sounds from beside him.

A newborn baby, naturally, can't speak or walk. Lying in swaddling clothes, the baby waved its little hands, making soft, babyish noises that were hard to understand. When Yashiro reached out her hand, she immediately grabbed its wrist and laughed happily.

When she was with Yashiro, the child always seemed to be smiling. Hearing that laughter, Yashiro's mood improved. She wiped away the tears glistening in the corner of her eyes and poked the child's cheek with her finger: "Little one, oh little one..."

Before she could finish speaking, the child had already bitten her fingertip with a "whoosh." Of course, the child didn't have teeth yet, so it was more like sucking on it than biting. Feeling a slight tickle, Yashiro smiled and pulled her hand back.

"Wow!"

"You're still not happy..."

With a hint of disgust, Yashiro wiped her wet fingers, pouted, and poked the other person again. "Little guy, are you so clingy to me because I brought you back from the cave, which is practically saving your life? Or is it just that you like me?"

"Speaking of which, I've heard that children can see things that adults can't. In your eyes, what am I now? A man, a woman, a good person, a bad person, a ruthless executioner, or just an ordinary blind man..."

With a slightly self-deprecating laugh, the baby babbled energetically, its cries echoing the sounds of the wind and birdsong outside the window, creating a scene as tranquil and peaceful as a secluded island between heaven and earth.

"brat."

At one point, she suddenly smiled and sighed, as if letting go of some inner turmoil. Then, in a light and airy tone, she said, "I definitely won't have my own children in this life. I had already mentally prepared myself, thinking it didn't matter whether I had them or not. But now that an opportunity has come up... how about it, do you want to be my child? If you don't say anything, I'll take that as a yes..."

"Ah! Ah!"

“Speaking means agreeing. Okay, from now on, you are my child, call me Mom... no, you should call me Dad.”

"ah!"

"Say 'Daddy.' Come on, repeat after me, 'Daddy, Daddy—'" Even though he knew that babies this age couldn't speak at all, Yashiro seemed to find it very interesting and kept correcting his pronunciation.

Suddenly, a head popped in through the window: "Did you call me?"

"roll."

A piece of bean cake flew out.

The dance costume fell to the ground with a thud.

……

"I just heard from Wu Liu that you, Benefactor Ba Xun, have decided to adopt this child?"

That evening, after finishing his daily prayers, the monk Jiro came to the guest room. After listening to Yashiro's brief explanation of the matter, the woman in the monk's robe was slightly taken aback, but her words did not reveal much surprise.

In fact, it wasn't just Mai who had similar thoughts. Jiro and Hatsume also had similar ideas about naming the child and even the final adoption. However, one of them was mature and the other was considerate. They saw through Yashiro's inner struggle and deliberately didn't mention it. Instead, Mai directly exposed the problem and brought it to the forefront.

"Correct."

Yashiro nodded.

"That's fine too."

Jiro smiled upon hearing this, then lowered his head to look at the baby sleeping peacefully in his arms. Although the child was usually the most attached to Yashiro and would cry incessantly if she opened her eyes and couldn't see anyone, she was actually a little reluctant when Yashiro held her. The Tenji sisters were the same; only when lying in Jiro's arms would they show a satisfied smile and sleep especially soundly.

As a result, the two of them spent more time together on weekdays. Although Jiro was not a talkative person, even when they were in the same room, he was mostly doing his own thing, either meditating, reading, practicing calligraphy, or taking care of his crimson spear.

Yashiro was also doing her own thing nearby. There wasn't much interaction between them, but the atmosphere wasn't awkward or unbearable. Compared to the usual lively and noisy interactions, this calm and peaceful way of getting along was quite enjoyable.

"Then what is the child's name..." Jiro asked again.

"I've been thinking about this. What do you think of the name 'Mio', Master?"

"Mio?"

"After all, I met this child in the rain. The storms of life have washed away her past, and from now on, naming her after this is the most fitting thing to do," Yashiro explained.

"Well... yes, it is indeed a good name."

Master Jiro pondered for a moment, then agreed.

"Yeah, right."

Yashiro smiled happily, but perhaps because their conversation was a little too loud, the baby—who now had a new name, Mio—smacked her lips and shifted her body. Hearing this, Yashiro suddenly stopped talking and only touched her index finger to her lips.

Upon seeing this, the woman smiled slightly.

……

And that's how things were settled.

Because of the sudden addition of an adopted daughter, Yashiro's original plan to travel to the Western Country had to be temporarily put on hold. After all, it didn't matter to her own homelessness, but she couldn't just wander around with a baby in swaddling clothes.

Although I had seen that "wolf with a cub" pushing a stroller around doing good deeds in my previous life, Bai Yidao had a real blood feud and was forced to flee with his young child. Now that there is no need for that, why make things difficult for yourself?

Besides, even a skilled cook can't cook without rice. She had never cared for infants in either of her lives. Her blindness was a minor issue; the most important thing was... that she had nothing to feed the child when he was hungry. As the saying goes, "whoever provides the milk is the mother," and from this perspective, Yashiro was probably a very incompetent "mother."

Fortunately, there is a noble profession in this world called wet nurse.

To prevent the child from starving, Jiro specially asked someone to invite an experienced old woman to come over. It is said that she has been in this line of work for nearly 20 years. She is experienced and trustworthy. Not only did she feed the little guy well, but she also shared her knowledge on all aspects of childcare without reservation. She taught Yashiro a lot of relevant knowledge by word and deed, which benefited the latter greatly.