Chapter 59: Teaching Dad to Cultivate

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"What's wrong?" Big Dragon was puzzled. Had he done something to upset his wife? He had just come back, and he was hoping to have some intimate time with her.

"What's wrong? Let me tell you, what's gotten into you? How could you sell our daughter to them? I'll tell you, our daughter is a disciple of a high-level practitioner, and your agreement doesn't count," Liu Xiujian's mother, Liu Meilan, said angrily.

Tang Daliang was completely baffled. "What do you mean? When did I sell our daughter?"

"You didn't betroth Ailian to Li Xinye, the son of your coworker Li Qiuyu?" Liu Xiujian's mother, Liu Meilan, asked angrily.

"When did I betroth Ailian to Li Xinye?" Tang Daliang was still confused.

Liu Xiujian's mother, Liu Meilan, felt a sudden sense of unease. Could it be that Liu Meilan had made a mistake? But when she thought of the pocket watch in her hands, which belonged to Tang Daliang, her heart skipped a beat. "Let me ask you, where's your pocket watch?"

Tang Daliang's pocket watch had been bought during a business trip to Shanghai. It was an old item, and even though it had only cost twenty yuan, it was his prized possession. He had never let it leave his side.

Tang Daliang furrowed his brow. "Why are you asking about that?"

"I'm asking, why did Liu Meilan take your pocket watch and claim it was your betrothal gift to her? She said you betrothed Ailian to their son, Li Xinye, and she even mentioned that you had something of hers," Liu Xiujian's mother said, her expression turning even more unpleasant.

Tang Daliang asked, "Did she really tell you that?"

"Didn't you give her your pocket watch as a betrothal gift? Why did you give her the pocket watch?" Liu Xiujian's mother, Liu Meilan, had a tearful look on her face.

Tang Daliang felt a headache coming on. "When did I give Ailian to Li Xinye? I didn't agree to that."

Liu Xiujian's mother, Liu Meilan, suddenly felt puzzled. "If it wasn't a betrothal gift, then why did Liu Meilan act like it was? She was so smug about it."

Tang Daliang explained, "It was just a parting gift. When Li Qiuyu was leaving the factory due to a leg injury, I wanted to comfort him. We had a drink together, and when we parted ways, we exchanged mementos. I didn't have anything valuable on me, so I gave him the pocket watch."

It turned out to be a parting gift. Liu Xiujian's mother, Liu Meilan, looked relieved. "Then what did he give you in return? How could Liu Meilan claim it was a family heirloom?"

"He gave me a piece of jade with a phoenix carving on it. He called it 'Phoenix Pendant'," Tang Daliang took out the jade piece.

Liu Xiujian's mother, Liu Meilan, examined the jade and found it to be quite large and rough, nothing like a family heirloom. She couldn't believe that this chunky piece of jade was considered a family treasure.

She couldn't help but wonder, "If it was just a parting gift, why did Liu Meilan act like it was a betrothal gift?"

Tang Daliang was feeling exhausted. "When we were having a good time drinking, Li Qiuyu mentioned Ailian and Li Xinye's matter. I said that in the modern world, arranged marriages for children were no longer the norm, and it was up to the children to decide when they grew up. Li Qiuyu said it was just a way to strengthen the relationship between the two families, and he even joked that the mementos we exchanged could be considered betrothal gifts. I had been drinking and didn't think much of it. I just said that when the children grew up, they could make their own decisions."

Liu Xiujian's mother, Liu Meilan, was frustrated. "How can you not consider the lifelong marriage of your daughter carefully? You need to get that thing back from Liu Meilan and exchange it for your pocket watch."

Tang Daliang closed his eyes and turned toward the room. "Don't worry too much. I never actually agreed to anything. When Ailian and Li Xinye grow up, if Ailian doesn't like him, can they still force them into marriage?"

Liu Xiujian's mother, Liu Meilan, wanted to say more, but Tang Daliang had already started snoring.

"Regardless, I will never agree to let Tang Ailian marry Liu Meilan's son!"

Clearly, Tang Daliang didn't take this so-called arranged marriage seriously.

Of course, the main reason was that Tang Daliang didn't want to deal with the trouble. He felt that since they had already exchanged mementos, he didn't need to take further action. Going back to ask for the items would make him seem petty and disrespectful, and he didn't want to lose face. Besides, this arrangement was not set in stone; it was just a casual remark, not a formal agreement.

However, they had all underestimated the consequences of this seemingly minor incident.

The next morning, just as it was getting light, Tang Daliang went for a run. He circled the village and noticed that someone was following him. Slowing down his pace, he realized that the follower was none other than his daughter, Tang Ailian, who was not yet three years old.

Tang Daliang was shocked. Tang Ailian was barely over two years old, and yet she was keeping up with his run? He remembered that people had said she had become a disciple of a hidden high-level practitioner, but he had been skeptical. How could such a young child become someone's disciple?

Now, seeing his three-year-old daughter keeping up with him during the run, he couldn't help but be amazed. He was well aware of his running speed, and even many of his coworkers couldn't keep up. But this little girl, who was not yet three, had managed to do so?

He looked at his daughter with a somewhat strange expression.

Tang Ailian felt frustrated. When she woke up and saw her father going for a run, she thought it was a good opportunity to teach him her master's techniques. She got out of bed and tried to catch up to him. However, her father was running too fast for her tiny legs. For every step he took, she had to take three. If she relied solely on her physical strength, there was no way she could keep up with him. So, as she ran, she recited her master's incantations and formed hand seals, drawing upon the natural energies to speed up her pace.

Eventually, she managed to catch up to her father.

When she reached her father's side, Tang Daliang was surprised. "Wow, my little genius. What are you doing, chasing after Daddy?"

Tang Ailian looked very

 serious. "Daddy, do you want to learn my master's techniques?"

Tang Daliang chuckled. "My daughter's master's techniques? Can you teach Daddy?" He knew that these kinds of techniques were not easily passed on to others.

"Yes, my master said that he knows what kind of person you are. If you want to learn his techniques, I can teach you," Tang Ailian said seriously.

Tang Daliang's expression became serious as well. "Is that true?"

"Of course, it's true," Tang Ailian said earnestly.

Tang Daliang thought for a moment, then found a clean spot in a nearby temple and sat down cross-legged, closing his eyes and adjusting his breath. "Is this okay?"

Tang Ailian nodded. "First, sit down cross-legged and relax your body."

Tang Daliang followed her instructions and sat down cross-legged, closing his eyes. "Is this good?"

Tang Ailian nodded and stood in front of Tang Daliang with a serious expression. She concentrated her thoughts on her middle finger, and then pointed it at the center of Tang Daliang's forehead.

Tang Daliang received a flood of memories from his daughter and was astonished. What kind of technique was this, where a single finger could transmit so much information?

He quickly focused and started reading the information. It was about the Cultivation Technique of the Shaman-Healer, a method that could potentially lead to immortality.

(End of this chapter)