Chapter 8 Acting and Gambling.
In the living room, a man knelt timidly on the floor, under the gaze of two figures, one tall and one short, on the sofa. The man, named Mu Chen, was an eight-star master craftsman, currently being punished by his wife… His daughter's gaze made him feel like he was being tortured by needles.
After a long while, Mu Xi's expression softened considerably.
"So, this little sister is Dad's apprentice?"
When her mother, Yuan Bao'er, returned home, Mu Xi finally understood the whole story after her parents' explanation.
Because she had recently started learning forging, her father, in a good mood, went out for a walk and happened to encounter this little girl with exceptional forging talent.
"Yes, Xiao Xi! Your father told me when he came back that I changed the child's clothes, but I didn't tell you because I was worried you'd overthink it…"
Seeing her daughter gradually understanding, Yuan Bao'er immediately gave Mu Chen a wink: I'll leave our daughter to you for now; I'll go talk to that little girl.
Yuan Bao'er could completely understand. The young girl was forging well when she suddenly fainted and was taken to an unfamiliar place. And that guy looked a bit…wild?
Well, he was a master forger; once he got into it, he could easily become absorbed. Plus, he was a man, so his slovenly appearance was to be expected.
If Mu Chen continued to interact with the girl, it would only frighten her more, and she would most likely refuse to become his apprentice, possibly even causing the opposite effect. It would be terrible if she ran away; after all, such a genius might never be found again.
Therefore, Yuan Bao'er decided to go and comfort her first, and also mention Mu Chen's situation to the girl.
After all, his status as a Saint-level craftsman was undeniable, and the treatment of a Saint-level craftsman's apprentice was extremely rare! After receiving his wife's permission, Mu Chen immediately stood up and sat on the sofa to soothe his daughter's emotions, bringing up some forging-related topics.
His daughter loved forging; Mu Chen, as her father, naturally knew this. Changing the subject now might help her forget about it later.
Good, a promising child!
Seeing her husband's actions, Yuan Bao'er smiled and nodded, then turned and left the living room. A guest was waiting for her in the study!
"Hello, little one!" As soon as she opened the door, Yuan Bao'er saw Hei Ta sitting on the sofa, seemingly having been there for quite some time. "Sorry, it took me some time to deal with that 'bad guy.' Did he scare you?"
Since this child already saw Mu Chen as the bad cop, she'd play the good cop!
Clearly, Mu Chen had been betrayed.
"..." However, Hei Ta didn't speak, just silently watching Yuan Bao'er.
The scene seemed a little awkward, but Yuan Bao'er wasn't about to sit idly by. She immediately opened her arms and pulled Hei Ta into her embrace.
"Mmm! So cute!"
"Where are your parents? How could they let such a cute child like you out like this? What if you got kidnapped by bad people?"
"...Auntie, I don't have parents." Hei Ta turned her head away, no longer looking at Yuan Bao'er who was hugging her. "They left a long time ago."
"Yao Lan, as the original body, had already lost her parents before transmigrating, leaving her all alone in the world. The Black Tower at this moment is Yao Lan's consciousness, a completely genuine expression of emotion. Ah, this is a bit troublesome."
Before she could even say a few words, Yuan Bao'er had already stepped on a landmine, but she didn't show any panic, because there was still room for redemption.
"I see..." Her expression turned slightly regretful, but Yuan Bao'er quickly composed herself, opening her arms once again to embrace the Black Tower. "If you'd like, could you call me 'Mom'?" Using the same hugging method as Mu Chen, Yuan Bao'er, being a young mother, clearly appeared more approachable than Mu Chen, subtly reducing the girl's resistance.
Coupled with that last sentence, it not only played the emotional card but also allowed Hei Ta to express her opinion, implicitly respecting her own—a multi-pronged approach…
She's really cunning!
Even Hei Ta was stunned for a few seconds. However, she had no intention of refusing. After all, wasn't she staying here precisely to get what she wanted?
Now it seemed she could not only become "the disciple of the Holy Craftsman Mu Chen," but also had the opportunity to advance further, becoming "adopted daughter and disciple"... This identity was even better!
A red light flashed in Hei Ta's eyes; this was a sign of the simulated calculations of the Learned One.
Both Yuan Bao'er and Hei Ta were now using their acting talents to achieve their ulterior motives.
"Mom..."
"Hey!" The moment Hei Ta spoke, Yuan Bao'er hugged her again. "Since you've called me Mom... then Mom won't be polite! *sniff*" This lighthearted approach helped ease the gloom in her heart. In the following time, Yuan Bao'er used playful methods to completely become friends with Hei Ta.
"Hey, so little Hei Ta is so amazing? You're only a little younger than my Mu Xi, yet you have the skills of a level five blacksmith, and you even taught yourself? Even that big bad guy wasn't as good as you when he was little!" Obviously, Mu Chen had been sold out again.
"If it's little Hei Ta, you'll become a master craftsman in no time, right?"
"Hmph! Of course, because I'm a genius!"
Amidst Yuan Bao'er's surprised voice, Hei Ta had completely shaken off her previous uneasy and sad state and was moving in a positive direction.
"But, does Little Black Tower know anything about higher-level forging?"
"This... does Bao'er's mom know?"
From their previous conversation, Yuan Bao'er knew that Black Tower was a child from the slums. Although he had outstanding talent, his future development was likely to be limited by his surroundings. So, Yuan Bao'er threw out bait...
"Do you remember that big bad guy from earlier?"
"Of course I remember! That bad... that uncle who didn't look like a good person kidnapped me without saying a word. Luckily, I met you, Bao'er's mom!"
The original word "bad guy" was swallowed back, replaced by a gentler term. Black Tower did this intentionally. As for the effect... well, he's just a child! Seeing that Black Tower had controlled her words, Yuan Bao'er was certain that she had gained a certain place in Black Tower's heart. This meant she could proceed to the next step.
"Well, that uncle brought you here, but he was worried about you! What if he left you there alone and you got kidnapped and sold by bad guys?"
"But it was wrong of him to just take you away like that.
How about he compensates you? Don't let his rugged appearance fool you, he's an eighth-level blacksmith! In blacksmithing, there's only one person in the world better than him." "He can teach you blacksmithing techniques as compensation, how about that?"
Yuan Bao'er cleverly framed "taking on an apprentice" as "compensation," making it even harder to refuse. However, seeing Hei Ta's hesitant expression, Yuan Bao'er knew she needed to give her one last push.
"Don't worry, if that uncle bullies little Hei Ta, just tell me, and I'll make him kneel on a washboard tonight! We pinky swear!"
"Okay, pinky swear!"
Yuan Bao'er had already gone this far, and Hei Ta finally put on a bright smile, extending her little finger.
One side gained a genius daughter, the other gained a perfect family...
Yuan Bao'er: The advantage is on my side!
Black Tower: No, it's me!
(End of Chapter)