The Great Qian Dynasty, Shunzhi Second Year, Lunar New Year's Day.
Zhou Fan, accompanied by the female members of the Kang Wang Residence and Zhou Qianxin, who was exactly one hundred days old, celebrated the most lively Spring Festival together at Luoyun Temple.
Originally, Zhou Fan didn't want Jiang Qingzhi and Fu Fu Jie to meet so soon, but Jiang Qingzhi proactively suggested before the Spring Festival that she wanted to meet Fairy Shen of Luoyun Temple and the three imperial princesses.
Zhou Fan could only go along with it; he used to run between two places frequently, which was quite tiring. During the Spring Festival, everyone staying together allowed him to spend time with both sides.
After meeting Jiang Qingzhi, Fu Fu Jie was unexpectedly well-behaved.
It was likely because when Zhou Fan and Shen Yufu first met, he had already emphasized that he was a married man. Therefore, Shen Yufu was very respectful towards Jiang Qingzhi, the rightful wife, and even felt a little guilty for taking away some of Jiang Qingzhi's husband's time.
Jiang Qingzhi was also quite satisfied with the friends Zhou Fan had made outside. Not only were the three imperial princesses knowledgeable and reasonable, but Fairy Shen of Luoyun Temple was also quite polite to her.
Furthermore, since both Jiang Qingzhi and Shen Yufu enjoyed reading ancient texts, the two women quickly became like-minded friends after a long conversation.
Spring Festival evening.
After everyone finished their New Year's Eve dinner, Yaya and Pei Yu Han went to their room to continue playing the card game Zhou Fan had brought, while Jiang Qingzhi and Shen Yufu went to another room for a night of candlelit conversation.
Murong Qing and Xiao Huan, who had been pregnant for several months, were already asleep.
Zhou Fan held the babbling Zhou Qianxin, whose small hands were flailing about, alone in the empty room. After a moment of gazing into his daughter's innocent and clear eyes, Zhou Fan helplessly rubbed Zhou Qianxin's chubby little face.
"Oh, you, why do you cry whenever someone else holds you? You're only quiet when you're asleep. You're truly a born crybaby."
Zhou Qianxin didn't understand what Zhou Fan was mumbling. She just extended her small hand and patted Zhou Fan's face.
Zhou Fan found it a bit hard to bear. He hadn't expected Zhou Qianxin to be so clingy, which meant he had been living the life of a stay-at-home dad for three months.
And seeing Zhou Qianxin patting his face and giggling, Zhou Fan felt he'd have to be a stay-at-home dad for at least another year.
Sigh, who made her his own child? No matter how clingy, he had to accompany her.
After half an hour of mutual face-patting with Zhou Qianxin, the little one finally fell asleep.
Zhou Fan placed her beside him, honed his own magical power for a while, and then prepared to sleep in his clothes.
But less than a quarter of an hour after he lay down, a faint knock on the door suddenly sounded.
Zhou Fan got out of bed to open the door and found Empress Su Caiwei, who usually dressed in elegant and dignified attire, now wrapped in a bathrobe, her pretty face flushed, standing at his room door.
"Young Master Zhou, the bath in my room is broken. May I use yours to bathe?"
Zhou Fan heard this and replied earnestly, "Of course, Miss Caiwei can use the bath if she wishes."
"However, my daughter is still fast asleep, and it's not very convenient in here. How about I go to Miss Caiwei's room and see where your bath is broken?"
Su Caiwei's face turned crimson upon hearing this.
Of course, the bath in her room wasn't broken. Her main reason for coming was being stimulated by Kang Wang's wife and her maid, who were both several months pregnant.
Moreover, having spent over half a year with Zhou Fan, she had long been infatuated with this humorous, capable, and talented man.
Su Caiwei didn't want to wait any longer. Since Young Master Zhou was unwilling to break the unspoken barrier between them, this time, she, Su Caiwei, would take the initiative for her own happiness!
After Zhou Fan conversed with Su Caiwei a few more times and confirmed that this bright and graceful Empress of Great Qian had made up her mind, he no longer declined.
He carried the sleeping Zhou Qianxin to the room where Jiang Qingzhi and Shen Yufu were.
Under the somewhat teasing gazes of the two women, Zhou Fan took Su Caiwei's delicate hand, who was clearly feeling a bit less confident, and then led Su Caiwei into her room.
...
In his previous life, Zhou Fan actually thought that being a repairman wasn't bad. On weekdays, he would just go to other people's homes to clear drains, fix air conditioners, and then money would come in. It didn't feel that tiring.
Although he couldn't fix air conditioners in this life, after arriving at Su Caiwei's room, Zhou Fan carefully and thoroughly inspected her bath and found that the main issues were with the drain and the sewer.
Once a problem is found, it must naturally be solved.
As a Heavenly Human Realm martial Cultivator, Zhou Fan's control over his muscles had reached the pinnacle, so the repair went very smoothly. After all, the most important factors in repairing furniture are nothing more than two points.
One is skill, and the other is strength. Zhou Fan lacked neither of these, so he quickly repaired the furniture. Although it wasn't restored to its original state, at least the furniture looked perfect on the surface, even better than before.
...
After Zhou Fan left that night, Shen Yufu looked at Zhou Fan's departing back and said with a somewhat sour tone, "It seems we're going to have another new friend in our family."
Jiang Qingzhi heard this and said calmly, "My husband's abilities far exceed those of ordinary people. As the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility. It's only natural for my husband to help more unfortunate people."
"Qingzhi, you have such a good mindset. No wonder that naughty younger brother dotes on you so much."
"Sister Yufu is joking. In the future, when my husband and you go to the Cultivation World together, I won't be able to help my husband at all. Sister Yufu will definitely be my husband's only capable assistant then."
"The Immortal-Mortal Passage opens in nine years. Qingzhi, aren't you planning to go to the Cultivation World with us?"
"My cultivation is low, and my Aptitude is also mediocre. In nine years, at most, I'll Breakthrough to the Middle Stage of Qi Refining. Even if I go to the Cultivation World, I won't be able to provide any help to my husband, and I might even be a burden."
"So, I plan to peacefully Cultivate here in the Fan Realm, raise Zhou Qianxin until she grows up, and then, when the Immortal-Mortal Passage opens again nineteen years from now, I'll go to the Cultivation World to accompany my husband."
"Qingzhi, you..."
Shen Yufu was now completely convinced by Jiang Qingzhi, the rightful wife, because Jiang Qingzhi truly put Zhou Fan first, always. To allow Zhou Fan to strive peacefully in the Cultivation World, Jiang Qingzhi was even willing to endure the pain of separation for ten years.
Shen Yufu felt she couldn't bear to be away from the naughty younger brother for so long. Even before, when they hadn't seen each other for just a month, she missed Zhou Fan greatly.
Ten years, how many ten years are there in a person's Lifespan?
Even if Qi Refinement Cultivators Cultivate to the Late Stage, their Lifespan is no more than two hundred years.
Some people, seeing an opportunity to enter the Cultivation World, wouldn't hesitate even to betray the Master who raised them.
And some people, for the sake of their loved one's smoother development, even if the opportunity to enter the Cultivation World is placed before them, they will steadfastly make the choice that is more beneficial to their husband.
...
Nine years later.
