Chapter 147 Chapter 148 Old Father
The two arrived at Black Mary’s dress shop.
Under the introduction of Jima, Black Mary readily agreed to custom-make a fitting and appropriate dress for him. The condition was that Jima had to make her a doll, dressed in the female outfit designed by Black Mary herself.
In front of Enleke, Jima pretended to look embarrassed, making Black Mary appear increasingly as if she had some unmentionable quirks.
Seeing Enleke’s growing guilt, Jima seemed to resolve something, nodding vigorously.
When they left, Enleke purchased a few fitting casual women’s outfits, planning to wear them at home.
As they stepped out and said their goodbyes, Enleke couldn’t help but say, “Miss Xiao Qiao, I think I shouldn’t order here.”
“Why? This is the suggestion of the five-crown champion.”
“She looks strange.” Enleke lowered his voice, “The way she looks at you has an abnormal enthusiasm. Have you experienced it?”
Jima was silent, turning her head away, as if something really extraordinary had happened.
Enleke turned around and said, “I’m sorry, I’ll go back and tell her I won’t place the order; there are many good tailors in this city.”
Jima said, “You don’t need to worry. You just need to promise me to do your best to win the championship and catch up with your beloved.”
After saying this, Jima displayed a “sorrowful” smile and said:
“I once had a wonderful romance, but unfortunately, due to differences in status, the road to happiness was full of thorns. I didn’t even try; I just turned and ran away. I just hope my regret doesn’t happen again. So please work hard; the result doesn’t matter; what matters is whether you have fought hard.”
Enleke’s eyes were misty due to her heartfelt words as he said, “I will.”
Jima took a bag from the hands of a braided maid, which contained a complete set of black lace underwear—something Jima insisted he buy. She stuffed the bag into Enleke’s arms, saying:
“Go and fight, young man. Change directly in the carriage and learn to be a woman.”
Enleke initially intended to hide the underwear, but since Jima had said so, he could only accept the bag and promise, “For sure.”
This was a man’s promise.
“Goodbye.”
After saying this, Jima turned around, raising her head at a 45-degree angle to the horizon.
In the eyes of Enleke and his servant, Jima’s back looked so mournful.
The braided maid quietly said, “She must be recalling her past lover.”
“Shh, she turned around just doesn’t want us to see her tears.” Enleke, holding the bag of black lace underwear, got into the carriage.
As he heard the sound of the carriage wheels leaving, Jima couldn’t help but lightly cover her mouth and laugh.
…
…
In Enleke’s mansion, the dining room.
Enleke’s father, a handsome middle-aged man, was sitting on the sofa in the living room, sulking.
“Tell me, how did I end up with such a son?” Enleke’s father complained to his wife, “He actually willingly wears women’s clothing to pursue a woman, participating in a beauty pageant, throwing away a man’s dignity. Our family’s reputation is about to be ruined. How did he not inherit even a little bit of my charm?”
His legal wife complained, “Who doesn’t know you were charming and flirtatious in your youth with three to five lovers?”
“Young people, they’re just temporarily hot-headed.” The second wife said, “How could a beauty pageant allow a man to participate? Little En will definitely come to his senses.”
“He better come to his senses.” Enleke’s father calmed down a lot. “I was just angry to find my son has no ounce of masculinity.”
The servants brought in the last plate of dinner, and a lady dressed in a goose-yellow gown slowly approached.
Enleke’s father asked, “Where is Enleke? Why hasn’t he arrived yet?”
As soon as he finished speaking, the beauty in the goose-yellow gown sat in Enleke’s seat, sipping tea small sips, immediately catching the attention of everyone present.
First, Enleke’s father was puzzled, then astonished, and finally disgusted.
His legal wife smiled and asked the beauty, who resembled her, “Are you that guest? It seems you’re sitting in my son’s chair.”
The fork in Enleke’s father’s hand bent, and he shouted, “Enleke!”
Enleke lowered the tea cup, shrinking his hand in fear, but then recalled Jima’s encouragement. With eyes the same color as his father’s, he firmed up and said to his father:
“I am now called Xiya; this is my female name, and I hope everyone calls me that.”
“Brother really is.” His half-sister said, “More beautiful than me.”
Enleke’s father inhaled deeply, shaking with anger, “Why are you dressed like this?”
“My teacher said I don’t look like a woman,” Enleke replied, “So I have to treat myself as a woman in daily life, father.”
The legal wife complimented, “Quite cute, I always wanted a daughter.”
“I don’t have a daughter like you; I only have a son.” Enleke’s father said, “Change back; otherwise, you cannot inherit the family’s assets.”
Enleke faced his father directly; dressed in women’s clothing, he felt as if he had donned armor, strengthening himself considerably. He spoke to his biological father as if he were a different person:
“My fleet is the only one that survived; it just returned to port, earning at least tenfold.”
The legal wife praised, “As expected of my good son.”
Enleke corrected, “Daughter.”
The legal wife nodded with a smile, “Good daughter.”
Enleke’s father, feeling indignant, said to his wife, “You gave birth to a good son; he takes after you in everything!”
“Fortunately, he didn’t take after your plucking and grasping nature.”
Enleke’s father stood up abruptly and turned to leave.
The second wife hurriedly stood up, chasing after him.
…
…
“Baa~~~”
The sheep, driven by the shepherd, flowed towards the river beside the village like a gray cloud, lowering their heads to drink water.
The shepherd dog frolicked on the grass, digging around. It unearthed a dead frog, and beside the dead frog, the grass was damp.
A lamb stretched its head, rolled its tongue out, and was chewing the wet grass.
After the flock had enough water, the shepherd drove them towards the stone bridge across the river. Behind him, Jima’s alchemy workshop grew farther away.
The sheep crowded across the stone bridge. A group of idle young men had to give way to the flock.
A young man with a bruised face approached the others with a wooden sword in hand.
A young man with a pot head greeted Henry, “Hey, Henry, have you been learning swordsmanship again? Want to be a hero?”
“Yeah.” Henry said, “I heard there are many foreign countries overseas, island kingdoms of high elves, the northern tribes of the North, and lizardmen in the tropical rainforests.”
“Spare me; you should fix those steel boots for the heroes instead.”
“One day I’ll forge a sword for myself, and then use the hilt to knock your teeth out one by one.”
“Hahahahaha.”
The young men burst into laughter.
“Spare me, Sword Saint Henry.”
Henry asked, “What’s with the slap mark on your face?”
“A new waitress came to the tavern. Others said I was a thief stealing underwear, and she got nervous. I just patted her shoulder and said ‘Hey’, and she turned around and slapped me. I hadn’t even flirted yet!”
“She didn’t wrong you.”
“It’s an injustice; I’m not a thief, and I haven’t gotten to that point yet. That little cat-eared brat came at me wildly with her stick.” The pot head said angrily, “If that’s the case, I might as well sneak into her yard and steal the clothes; anyway, we’re already thieves.”
Henry said, “This time, I won’t go with you.”
“Go practice your sword; don’t accidentally cut your brother off.”
Henry punched the pot head on the shoulder. At that moment, the back half of the sheep flock passed by them.
The pot head froze, not fighting back, his face quickly turned red.
“What’s wrong?” Someone waved a hand in front of the pot head’s eyes.
“There’s something I want to say; don’t laugh.”
“Mysterious, just say it.”
“Have you all noticed this sheep is quite special?” The pot head gazed dreamily at a lamb, pointing at it, “It’s so silly and cute.”
His companions glanced casually, “Where? They’re all sheep; you’re acting strange today; have you been lonely for too long?”
“Can’t see your sheep princess.”
The young men laughed heartily: “Hahaha.”
The pot head glared at them with frustration.
Henry also chuckled as he glanced at the flock. At that moment, a lamb appeared from behind an old sheep, as if a beam of moonlight fell on it. Its wool was so soft, white like the clouds in the sky, its ears playfully twitching like a girl’s mischievous twin tails.
The lamb noticed Henry, showing a charming smile.
Henry was startled and quickly shook his head. The lamb disappeared back into the flock.
The charming smile just now seemed to have been an illusion.
Henry felt a wave of fear; how could he think a sheep smiling was cute, feeling an urge to hug the lamb tightly.
It must be that his childhood friends were too perverted and had contaminated him.
At night.
Dark clouds covered the moon, and the entire village was pitch black. Only the torch in the watchman’s hand emitted a faint light in the ink-like darkness.
A figure crossed over the sheep pen, and the barking of dogs sounded in the pen, stopping shortly thereafter. After a brief silence, a chilling bleat rang out from the sheep pen.
“Baa~~~~.”
It rang for about two or three minutes before stopping.
More than an hour later.
A wailing bleat echoed from the sheep pen again.
The owner of the sheep pen finally sensed something was wrong and entered the pen with an oil lamp and a knife, counting the sheep and finding none missing.
Only one lamb looked strange, with a sticky backside.
The light fell on the lamb, making its eyes shine.
The owner of the sheep pen paused, thinking of a girl’s eyes.
Before long, another wailing bleat echoed from the sheep pen.
The next noon.
Jima and Lianxi were having lunch together in the house.
Lianxi had just returned from the village after shopping for fresh vegetables and milk. She took off her hat, revealing her fluffy red ears, and said:
“Master, there’s been a lot of talk in the village lately about the beastmen.”
“Beastmen? How could there be beastmen near the forests of Marlin City?” Inside the empire, there are vast undeveloped forests, deep within which beastmen often hide, attacking travelers on the roads. “Is it a starving goat-headed beast that has wandered into the village?”
“I heard that a minotaur has come to the village to spread evil seeds.”
“Ah? Did any housewife get harmed?”
“No, it was the sheep.”
“Sheep?”
“Yes, last night the sheep pen was very noisy; the watchman ran to the sheep pen and saw the owner of the sheep pen and a half-dead lamb. The owner said he had seen a minotaur rushing into his sheep pen last night and had just scared it away. Everyone says the minotaur came to plant seeds to have the sheep give birth to new beastmen.”
“How strange.” Jima became interested, “Let’s take a look after lunch.”
Just when she encountered difficulties improving the witch’s potion formula, Jima wanted to take the opportunity to relax.
