Journey to the West: Starting by taking Sun Wukong as my disciple!-Chapter 455: Xuan Feng Turns into a Small Bird
"Don’t think of me as so grand," Nuwa said, looking at his gaze, which was overly fervent. Chen Nuo knew, even without the sound of joy, what Nuwa was thinking.
He didn’t want to deify himself and explained, "I just wanted to find something to do in the small town. If it weren’t for the fact that I had to stay here for a while, I wouldn’t have done such a thing."
"But you still did it, regardless of the purpose." Nuwa’s fondness for Chen Nuo soared at that moment. She even thought that having Chen Nuo as a husband in the future would be much better than struggling alone to aid the common people.
"Enough, let’s not talk about this." Chen Nuo didn’t want to dwell on such a small matter, and, besides, Nuwa might be thinking too highly of him. He just did what he felt was right.
The path was neither very short nor too long. They continued talking as they walked and soon arrived in front of the house.
He Xi was sitting on the swing that Chen Nuo had made for her. Usually, Chen Nuo would come back a cup of tea into the evening, and He Xi would sit on the swing and read books when she was bored.
As she was reading, she looked up and saw Chen Nuo’s figure, and stood up from the swing, delighted. "Chen, why are you back so early today?"
Chen Nuo walked over with a smile and patted He Xi’s head. "I have a guest today. Did you finish the writing I asked you to do?"
He Xi was eleven years old, the age to attend elementary school. Originally, she had no opportunity to learn while living with her mother. Now, with him, Chen Nuo naturally wouldn’t let He Xi become illiterate.
In his spare time, he constantly taught her to read and understand principles, even leaving her homework every day when she went to town.
"I finished it a long time ago." As He Xi responded, she glanced behind Chen Nuo. "Is it those two brothers from last time?"
When she looked back, she didn’t see the two burly and strange-looking men from before. Instead, there were two very pretty sisters, one of them exceptionally so, as beautiful as the falling geese and sinking fish described in the books Chen Nuo gave her.
"Who are these two sisters?"
"I am Nuwa, and the one beside me is Xuan Feng," Nuwa introduced herself.
"Goddess!" Xuan Feng was somewhat dissatisfied. "How can you speak so politely to a mortal? She should be performing a kneeling salute to you."
"Brother, I know what a kneeling salute is."
Nuwa wanted to stop Xuan Feng from speaking. Although what she said was not wrong, He Xi was, after all, raised by Chen Nuo, and Nuwa did not wish to accept such a gesture. However, before she could speak, He Xi beat her to it.
Looking at Nuwa with a puzzled expression, He Xi asked Chen Nuo, "Brother, the book says how to do it. Do I need to perform a kneeling salute to this sister? Do I do it now, or should I wait?"
"There’s no need," Chen Nuo said with a smile. "That sister was just joking with you."
"Shopkeeper Chen, you’re not being proper, are you? Considering Goddess Nuwa’s status, even divine officials performing salutes to her would be appropriate. Why shouldn’t this little commoner give her a kneeling salute?" Xuan Feng was unhappy, blaming Goddess Nuwa’s usual affability for the lack of respect from this mere mortal.
"Xuan Feng," Chen Nuo’s voice grew colder. "Are you implying that I should also salute Nuwa?"
Xuan Feng had never heard such a tone from Chen Nuo before, but her mouth reacted faster than her brain, and she asserted, "Goddess Nuwa is compassionate. If you knelt before Goddess Nuwa, she would deem it acceptable."
If Chen Nuo were a person of this world, what Xuan Feng said wouldn’t have been so wrong. But the mistake lay in the fact that Chen Nuo was not of this world. The cosmology of deities and humans here did not include him. Xuan Feng’s words were merely boasting and showing off.
Nuwa realized something was off at that moment and quickly tried to mediate the situation. "No, no, I didn’t mean that, Shopkeeper Chen, please don’t be angry."
"I didn’t say anything wrong," Xuan Feng insisted stubbornly.
"You really are disobedient. Have you forgotten what you told me before?" Nuwa was truly angry. She stretched out her hand and, using her mana, transformed Xuan Feng into a bird the size of a palm. "Since you’re so disobedient, you should reflect on your actions."
"Brother, that lady turned into a little bird!" He Xi exclaimed in surprise.
Nuwa tossed Xuan Feng into the air; the bird chirped and fluttered, wanting to perch on Nuwa’s shoulder but not daring to, and after circling around, it chose to settle on the head of a sunflower.
"Xuan Feng is disobedient; I will discipline her later. Shopkeeper Chen, please don’t be angry," Nuwa said while apologizing and carefully observing Chen Nuo’s expression.
She feared that Chen Nuo would take out his anger on her because of Xuan Feng. She had just gathered the courage to approach Chen Nuo and didn’t want to cause him to have a poor impression of her because of Xuan Feng.
"It’s okay, I know her mouth works faster than her brain," Chen Nuo said. "As long as you didn’t mean it that way, it’s fine."
Nuwa quickly nodded, looking perfect in her meticulously applied makeup, yet her expression was frantic with worry that Chen Nuo would be upset, "I didn’t mean it that way. The child is very adorable; I like her very much."
"He Xi’s mother passed away last year due to illness. When I first saw her, she was wandering in the streets. Those who felt pity would give her something to eat; otherwise, she would have nothing but an empty stomach."
Chen Nuo asked He Xi to pour tea for Nuwa, then explained the girl’s background to her, "I’m not a very kind person, but since I encountered this child, my home doesn’t lack an extra bowl of rice for her."
You could say that He Xi’s backstory is indeed pitiful. But in these hard times, there are many more pitiable than she. However, He Xi had the fortune to stumble upon him.
As the two were conversing, He Xi came with the teacup in hand. Just stepping outside, she met Nuwa’s gaze and sweetly called out, "Sister, the tea is ready."
Nuwa took the tea and nodded at He Xi without saying much. Chen Nuo, on the other hand, had a smiling face and patted He Xi’s head, "Thank you."
He Xi appeared very well-behaved and then cocked her head, looking at Nuwa as she asked, "Sister, why don’t you say ’thank you’? Chen says we must always say ’thank you,’ and if you don’t, you’re not a good child."
As someone of noble standing, Nuwa naturally couldn’t bear to thank a mortal. Hearing He Xi say this, she hesitated, and found that she simply couldn’t utter the word ’thank you.’
The Xuan Feng, who had settled on the sunflower, grew restless at this point, fluttering up from the flower and chirping incessantly around Nuwa.
Fortunately, she was now just a bird, merely chirping away, with her words unintelligible.
However, everyone present, except for He Xi, could guess what Xuan Feng was probably chirping about, which was nothing more than Goddess Nuwa’s nobility and her not needing to thank such an insignificant mortal.
Although Chen Nuo was a modern person, he could understand, having spent so much time in this world. This world had a clear hierarchy, and Nuwa, as the creator of mortals, naturally wouldn’t extend her thanks to one.
He patted He Xi’s head, "This sister is not a common person; she doesn’t have to say ’thank you’ to you."
"Why not?" He Xi still tilted her head, looking very puzzled.
