Chapter 26: What Kind of Malice Could a Child Possibly Harbor?

A peanut came flying through the air and struck Dong Yuefan squarely on the forehead. It stung.

"Uncle Dong, are you alright?" Little Yaoguang asked curiously as Dong Yuefan returned to their private dining room, rubbing his brow.

Hearing the children address Dong Yuefan as "Uncle" again, and observing the expression on his face, Hong Xiaoduo turned toward Tianshu, who was sitting upright, with a look of mild reproach. *Another one of your schemes, isn't it?*

*Did you think that since this tactic worked on me, it would be just as effective on others?*

Tianshu, feeling guilty, turned his head away and began straightening the collar of Tianxuan’s robe, even though it wasn't crooked.

"Some unlucky brat outside was throwing things around and I just happened to get hit," Dong Yuefan said with a laugh. He spoke loudly, showing no concern that the diners in the next room might be disturbed.

The private room contained one large round table. Originally designed to seat ten, it felt quite spacious with only seven children present. Hong Xiaoduo sat with Yuheng on her left and Yaoguang on her right. With two empty seats beside Yaoguang, Dong Yuefan had pulled up a chair right next to her.

"Little ones, how about we change how you address me?" Dong Yuefan suggested with a smile once he was seated.

Hearing this, Hong Xiaoduo glanced at Tianshu, who lowered his head as if he had indeed done something wrong.

"I’m so sorry, Brother Dong. It’s my fault for not teaching them better," Hong Xiaoduo apologized quickly.

She actually thought this was for the best; Tianshu would surely learn his lesson and stop trying to build rapport by calling everyone he deemed "friendly" an uncle. It wouldn't be fair to call it emotional blackmail—at most, it was just a small, clumsy trick the boy used whenever he met someone he felt he could trust. Even though it wasn't her responsibility—she hadn't taught them to call people that, nor had she spent enough time with them to impart much of anything—she felt she had to say something.

Seeing Hong Xiaoduo’s apologetic expression and the anxious, tense faces of the seven little bald children, Dong Yuefan realized they had misunderstood him. "No, no, that’s not what I meant," he quickly clarified. "I meant that you could call me Uncle Yuefan or Uncle Fan instead. The surname 'Dong' is quite common, after all; if you shouted it on the street, half a dozen people might turn around. But Uncle Yuefan or Uncle Fan is different—those are titles exclusive to me. Besides, I’m quite happy to have so many lovely little nephews and nieces."

*Is that really the truth?* Hearing his explanation, Hong Xiaoduo and the seven children looked at him in unison, clearly skeptical.

"It’s true. There are six brothers in my family, and I am the youngest. I have no sisters, so naturally, no one has ever called me uncle before," Dong Yuefan explained, seeing their disbelief.

"Uncle Yuefan!" Tianquan was the quickest to react, calling out first. The other six children followed suit in crisp, unison voices. Since the "uncle" himself had agreed to the title, they could use it with peace of mind.

Seeing this, Hong Xiaoduo didn't bother dwelling on whether it was appropriate or not. She felt quite relieved, at least, that Tianshu hadn't secretly taught them to call Dong Yuefan "Godfather."

Feeling a gaze upon her, Hong Xiaoduo turned to see that it was indeed Tianshu. He lowered his head again. She didn't see any sign of triumph on his face, only the look of someone who had made a mistake, which made her heart ache even more.

Dong Yuefan responded to the children cheerfully just as the waiter began bringing in their food. Soon, the table was filled with crystal shrimp dumplings, chicken wonton soup, beef pancakes, steamed egg custard, and meat porridge. The children caught the scent and looked toward Hong Xiaoduo; seeing her nod with a smile, they rolled up their sleeves and began reaching for the dishes closest to them.

Hong Xiaoduo started to stand up to move the food closer to the children, but Dong Yuefan had already signaled the waiter to do it for them. He even personally ladled out portions of porridge, wonton soup, and egg custard for each child.

The children, who had never tasted such things, ate with great relish. Even Hong Xiaoduo, who had enjoyed plenty of fine food in her time, found the breakfast delicious. The seven children had excellent table manners, but Dong Yuefan’s attention was entirely on Hong Xiaoduo, whose manners were the least refined—she polished off the crystal shrimp dumplings one by one and devoured the beef pancakes in just a few bites. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and Dong Yuefan found himself eating more than he usually did.

"Who gave them their names? Was it you, Lady Hong?" When the waiter came in to clear the table, he brought a pot of fine tea. Dong Yuefan poured her a cup and asked.

Hong Xiaoduo nodded. "Why? Is there something wrong with them?"

"They are named in the order of the Big Dipper. They sound very pleasant, but the elders often say: 'Men should not have "Tian" in their names, and women should not have "Xian" in theirs,'" Dong Yuefan said, looking at her.

"The common people generally believe in nature worship, holding that all things in the world are governed by the mandate of Heaven. A man with the word 'Tian' (Heaven) in his name might be seen as someone extraordinary with a special mission. Such people easily invite jealousy and suspicion, so people generally try to avoid using that character.

"As for women, they should avoid the word 'Xian' (Immortal). In ancient times, 'Xian' was linked to gods and goddesses. An immortal was seen as a being with supernatural abilities and a special status, representing nobility, mystery, and a life of purity. However, such a status is considered too lofty for an ordinary woman. It is generally believed that a woman should take pride in being a virtuous wife and mother, and a name containing 'Xian' can feel out of place. Furthermore, the word 'Xian' often appears in funerary contexts, such as 'Xianshi' to describe the passing of a loved one, so it is also considered unlucky." He continued to explain in detail.

*Oh, I see,* Hong Xiaoduo thought, nodding absentmindedly. She hadn't realized there were such taboos surrounding names.

"Well, that’s a relief," Hong Xiaoduo said. "I thought you were going to say that using the word 'Tian' would offend the person sitting on the Dragon Throne." After all, the person on the throne was called the Son of Heaven.

Dong Yuefan shook his head and laughed. "Not at all."

"Did you all hear what Uncle Yuefan said?" Hong Xiaoduo asked the seven children.

The seven little bald heads nodded in unison. Looking at them, Dong Yuefan thought that if these seven were in a room at night, there would be no need for candles; they would provide plenty of light on their own.

"So, the four of you—would you like to change your names? You could have Uncle Dong pick new ones for you. He is well-read and scholarly; he would surely give you much better names," Hong Xiaoduo suggested.

"Mother, I like this name. I won't change it. I'm not afraid of others' jealousy or suspicion," Tianshu declared first.

"Mother, we like our names too. We won't change them, and we aren't afraid either," the other three chimed in, their attitudes firm and without a hint of hesitation.

Their mother had named the seven of them after the Big Dipper, which looked like a ladle in the sky. It was a beautiful name. They had always been together, a single unit; if the four of them changed their names, that sense of unity would be lost. It wouldn't do—they absolutely refused.

"Alright, alright, we won't change them. You can always change them later if you grow up and decide you don't like them," Hong Xiaoduo said quickly, seeing the tense looks on their faces.

"The names Mother gave us are the ones we will use for our whole lives," Tianshu insisted, worried by her words.

Hong Xiaoduo felt a mix of laughter and frustration—she had only said it in passing; why were they taking it so seriously?

Dong Yuefan watched from the side, smiling. Suddenly, he thought of something. "You children go wait outside for a moment. I have something important to discuss with your mother."

He watched as the seven little heads turned toward Hong Xiaoduo. Seeing her nod, they didn't immediately scurry out; instead, six of them looked at Tianshu. Tianshu looked between Hong Xiaoduo and his siblings before finally leading them out of the room.

Once outside, Tianshu closed the door. He didn't linger to eavesdrop, nor did he wander off, but waited obediently...