Immortal Clan: I have a Tree of Creation

A year has passed quickly.

Zhou Yuanshan, the eldest son of the Zhou family, successfully entered the Vajra Martial Arts School and became the disciple of the deputy master, Master Huo Jiangchuan.

Although he is currently just an ordinary apprentice practicing basic skills by rubbing his fingers together, he is still a long way from becoming a disciple personally taught by a master.

That depends on future fortune; whether he is the true gold that can inherit the old man's mantle.

However, this kid has really worked hard over the past year and has won his master's favor.

The apprentices at the King Kong Martial Arts School are roughly divided into three categories.

Calculated by the number of years, there are three-year, eight-year, and fifteen-year terms.

Three-year apprenticeships are relatively rare; they are usually sent by wealthy families to "gild their resumes," at most learning some rudimentary skills, but not the essence of the Vajra Martial Arts School.

The largest number of apprentices are those with an eight-year training period; these are children who genuinely want to learn martial arts and make a living from it.

The 15-year term is even less, accounting for less than 10%.

Training in the coldest days of winter and the hottest days of summer—the sheer hardship alone can break a person's bones.

Not to mention the cost of living over the past ten years, which ordinary families couldn't afford even if they tightened their belts.

Only after enduring these fifteen years can one truly "graduate" from the King Kong Martial Arts School and stand tall in the martial arts world.

Zhou Chengnan originally only planned to let his son study for eight years, so that he would return at the age of seventeen or eighteen, which would be the best age for him.

Now that Shan'er has become a disciple of a martial artist of innate talent, his future is bright.

Fifteen years, you must study for fifteen years. If you can learn real skills from Huo Jiangchuan, it will be worth any amount of money.

A year has passed, and naturally, something even more important has happened in the family...

—The fourth child of the Zhou family was born.

Wang Shuzhen gave birth to another healthy baby boy for Zhou Chengnan, named Zhou Yuanyi.

The couple named him Zhou Yuanyi.

Having learned from previous experiences, Zhou Chengnan invited a midwife early on and prepared plenty of herbal medicine just in case.

The delivery went very smoothly, taking only half an hour, and both mother and child were safe.

From crying naked to sucking on a pacifier while wrapped in swaddling clothes, the little guy, still somewhat bewildered, has finally made it through the first hundred days of his life.

Today is the 100-day celebration for Lao Si Yuanyi.

Zhou Chengnan and his wife were overjoyed and sent invitations to their few close relatives and friends, as well as a few good neighbors.

Zhou Yuanyu and Zhou Yuanqing each asked for leave.

Even the eldest brother, Zhou Yuanshan, was granted an extra day off with the permission of his master, Huo Jiangchuan.

The three children helped their parents run errands and greet guests at home.

Five tables were set up at home, filling the front and back yards.

Five tables were set up in the front and back yards, fully occupied by a banquet.

The adults sat around the table, drinking tea and chatting, while the children ran and played wildly in the yard. The usually quiet Zhou family courtyard was unusually bustling with activity.

Among the guests attending the banquet, the wife's Wang family had the most relatives, while those surnamed Zhou had the fewest.

Among the relatives who came to the banquet, Wang Shuzhen's family made up the majority, while there were relatively few relatives with the surname Zhou.

After Zhou Chengnan's parents passed away, the Zhou family's relatives were like kites with broken strings; distant relatives almost stopped visiting, and only one family came today.

Speaking of which, Zhou Chengnan's father also had an older sister, who was his aunt, named Zhou Yunlan.

She married into the county town early on, separated from her family, and gradually drifted apart.

After Zhou's father passed away, Zhou Chengnan could no longer see his aunt.

Ten years ago, when the eldest son, Zhou Yuanshan, was born, he still went to the county town to deliver invitations, following the address left by his father.

As it turned out, my aunt wasn't home, and afterwards she only sent a servant to deliver some "gift money".

This great-aunt didn't seem to care at all when her nephew's family had a new addition to the family.

After that, Zhou Chengnan gave up on that idea.

"Shan'er, your uncle should be arriving soon, go and greet him."

"Yes, Father." Zhou Yuanshan replied readily, tossing down the barrel of wine. He never hesitated to do what his father told him to do.

My father-in-law's family has a total of five children, four girls and one boy.

Wang Shuzhen was the second eldest daughter born of the first wife. She also had a third younger sister born of the same mother and a younger brother named Wang Dong. Her other two younger sisters were born to the second wife.

Although they were not born of the same mother, Wang Dong was the only son in the Wang family. He was raised by his four older sisters from a young age, and the siblings had a very good relationship.

My second sister had a baby and was celebrating a big day. I heard that her uncle, Wang Dong, had been preparing a 100-day gift for his nephew a month in advance.

This gesture warmed the hearts of Zhou Chengnan and his wife.

"Third Brother, you guys drink first, I'll join you later!" Zhou Chengnan said while busy serving the guests.

"Uncle, you're getting old, please don't have too many drinks!"

"Sister Ning... Oh, Brother Lu is here too! Please come in!"

Soon, Zhou Yuanshan returned from the main road outside.

But instead of his brother-in-law Wang Dong, it was...

"father......."

"Father, come here quickly." Zhou Yuanshan's voice sounded a little strange.

When Zhou Chengnan heard his son's voice, he turned around and was immediately stunned.

"Auntie?"

The visitor was none other than my aunt, whom I hadn't seen for many years.

Zhou's father's older sister, Zhou Chengnan's aunt—Zhou Yunlan.

"Xiao Nan, congratulations!"

Zhou Yunlan pushed away the young man beside her and walked towards her nephew, her face showing not only emotion but also trepidation.

"My aunt has been too busy with trivial matters to visit you all these years..."

"Auntie!" Zhou Chengnan interrupted her, forcing a smile as he stepped aside to let her in. "It's good you're here. Come on in!"

Zhou Yunlan choked for a moment, then nodded. "This... must be my nephew."

"Yes, this is the boss, Zhou Yuanshan."

"Shan'er, quickly call her Grandma."

This aunt, whom he had never met before, held Zhou Yuanshan's hand.

He looked at it from left to right, touched it again and again, his eyes filled with indescribable complex emotions.

Finally, she secretly slipped a heavy little brocade pouch into Zhou Yuanshan's hand.

Zhou Chengnan observed all of this without making a sound.

The slight resentment in my heart quietly eased a bit.

It seems that this aunt came prepared for today's visit, and was not entirely feigning kindness.

"Auntie, Shuzhen and the child are inside."

"Okay...okay..." Zhou Yuanshan led this "auntie" into the house.

In this remote rural area, apart from a handful of respectable families, which ordinary farmer can afford to hold banquets regularly?

We might not even have enough to eat, let alone have any extra food or money to entertain guests.

The Zhou family has finally recovered in recent years!

Today is the 100th day celebration for the fourth son. Although the wine and dishes are far from lavish, they have everything you need.

Steamed chicken that smells delicious, roasted meat that sizzles and drips with oil, braised fish with a rich and flavorful sauce... a full five kinds of meat.

The sake was two barrels of clear liquor brought from town, and there was plenty to go around! The sweet potato rice was piled high.

In Jinyang Village, this would be considered a very high-class banquet.

Whether it was fellow villagers or relatives of the Wang family, everyone was praising the Zhou family boy's abilities.

She raised four children while also building this family business.

The Zhou family today is no longer what it used to be, in the eyes of relatives and friends.

"Xiao Qing, Xiao Qing, come over here, chicken leg!" Zhou Yuanyu was quick-witted and nimbly slipped between the adults' legs like an eel.

He managed to snatch most of the glistening chicken leg from his younger brother, Zhou Yuanqing.

"You eat first! I'll save some pig's ears for my brother, which he likes..." Zhou Yuanyu wiped his sweat and squeezed back into the crowd.

When there's a happy occasion in the family, the happiest people are none other than these kids.

The Zhou family is well-off, but they don't usually get to eat this much good food.

It's considered good if you cook meat every other day; who can eat five different kinds of meat in one meal?

"I wish we could have a feast every day!"

That's what the children think.

Zhou Chengnan also hoped for this.

The birth of the fourth child signifies the formation of a new spiritual fruit.