Chapter 348 - The Arrival of Ji Yanlai (2/2)

But Ling Zhang inquired of Ji Yanlai, “Clan Leader, is it okay that so many people out there have seen your face?”

Ji Yanlai appeared nonchalant. “What could they possibly know about if I don’t tell them anything about the origins of the Millennium Pavilion or my ident.i.ty as the leader of it? They’re just curious about my appearance. It’s no big deal.”

Ling Zhang looked at Ji Yin, who raised no objection either, so he made no more comments on this matter.

He led Ji Yanlai and Ji Yin to the gateway of the Ling Mansion, where Ling Xingzhong, Ling Zhaowu and Ling Zhaowen, along with Ling Maomao, were waiting for them.

As they all knew who Ji Yanlai was, Ling Xingzhong and Ling Zhaowen were quite polite to Ji Yanlai. Ling Zhaowu, however, acted in a much more natural way.

Cong, who was being drawn forward by Ji Yanlai, curiously sized up Ling Maomao.

Ling Maomao was also looking at him, probably because Cong, who was a fair-skinned, round-faced little boy with beady big black eyes, struck him as quite cute. Ling Maomao couldn’t help gazing at him for a few moments.

Cong asked, “Who are you?”

“I’m Ling Maomao. What’s your name?” Ling Maomao replied.

“Cong.”

“Cong?” Ling Maomao was puzzled. “Just Cong? What’s your full name?”

“Well, it’s just Cong. Ji Xiaocong,” answered Cong in a silvery voice.

Ling Maomao was bemused. His parents had named him this? Didn’t people only put ‘Xiao’ in pet names?

“Is ‘Cong’ the one meaning smartness?” Ling Maomao asked him.

Cong was perplexed for a brief moment, clearly having difficulty finding in his memory a Chinese character that was p.r.o.nounced ‘Cong’ and meant smartness. Having no knowledge of this character, he responded, “No, it’s the one meaning ‘chopped green onion’. My uncle told me that chopped green onion’s very fragrant, that it’s the most fragrant thing in the world, so I was named ‘Cong’, because I’m the best.”

Ling Maomao was also thrown into perplexity. Ah?

On hearing this, all adults standing on the side pulled wry faces. Ji Yanlai had named his nephew ‘Cong’ just because chopped green onion struck him as fragrant? What kind of uncle would do this kind of thing to his nephew?

Ling Zhang was torn between amus.e.m.e.nt and sympathy for Cong, but he didn’t really believe that ‘Ji Xiaocong’ was this boy’s full name.

Unsurprisingly, Ji Yanlai explained, “It’s a rule of our clan to wait until a child pa.s.ses their seventh year to give them their full name, so ‘Cong’ is just his pet name.”

All the others felt relieved for Cong at this explanation. Ling Maomao also heaved a sigh of relief, feeling that it would be such a shame that an endearing white-skinned young boy like Cong had actually been named ‘Ji Xiaocong’. Fortunately that was not his full name, he thought.

Cong, whose attention had been distracted by his uncle’s words, asked, “What’s a full name, Uncle?”

“Well, it means a formal name,” answered Ji Yanlai.

Surprise was written all over Cong’s face. And then something occurred to the boy and he jerked his head up to look at his uncle and said in a voice tinged with panic, “I don’t want a full name. I want my name to be ‘Ji Xiaocong’!”

Ji Yanlai lowered his head to look back at him, his eyebrows lifted. “Why?” he asked.

“Because chopped green onion is very very fragrant, and the name ‘Cong’ makes me the best. I don’t want my name to change,” answered Cong, sounding somewhat anxious.

Ji Yanlai reached out a hand to give the boy a playful pinch on the cheek. “You’re quite discerning. Actually I think it’s a pretty good name as well, but your mother would probably kill me if I make it your formal name. Let’s wait until you’re seven years old to talk about this. There’s no hurry.”

But Cong was still a little anxious, a sulky expression on his face.

Ling Maomao, who was walking abreast of him, consoled him, “‘Cong’ is a good name, but it does no harm for you to get a full name that sounds even cooler.”

Cong looked at him. “A full name that sounds even cooler?” he asked.

Ling Maomao gave a bob of the head. “Yeah. One cooler than ‘Cong’,” he replied.

Cong’s eyes moved to him again. “What kind of name would sound even cooler than ‘Cong’?”

Ling Maomao started racking his brains. Ling Zhang walking on the side looked at them with a curious face, thinking, ‘Not bad. Maomao has learned how to coax people.’

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