58 The Family of Three (1/2)

All along the way, Wang Baole was tempted to ask about the mask, but he resisted it, knowing that it would be inappropriate to do so outside since the matter was serious. He decided to ask his father tonight, after they finished their drinks.

Before long, the father-son duo reached their house, the place where Wang Baole grew up. The feeling of familiarity made Wang Baole, who had left Phoenix City a year ago with gusto, slightly sentimental.

By virtue of his father's archaeological work, Wang Baole's house, an independent property, was considered relatively high-end in Phoenix City, though it still could not be compared to a typical apartment in Ethereal City in terms of price.

Once he stepped foot into the house, Wang Baole instantly smelled the fragrance of food. His eyes lit up, immediately running into the house after removing his shoes, where he saw his mother approaching him with a plate of braised meat.

”Mum, I'm home!” Wang Baole exclaimed cheerfully as he gave his mother a tight hug.

”Look at you, slow down!” Wang Baole's mother was about forty years old, and although crow's feet could be seen on her face, one could still see that she had been a beauty in her younger days. At that moment, her eyes were filled with a mother's love. She put the dish in her hands down and brought Wang Baole to the dinner table as she fussed over him.

”Baole, you have lost weight! Come, eat more,” Wang Baole's mother said as she placed a big chunk of red-braised pork into Wang Baole's bowl.

Seeing that, Wang Baole's father, who was still removing his shoes, pursed his lips and shook his head. The very reason Wang Baole could not successfully slim down had to do with the amount of pampering Wang Baole's mother showered on him.

Very quickly, the family of three gathered around the dinner table. After catching up on Wang Baole's life for the past year, his father brought out a bottle of wine and began drinking with him.

”Baole, don't eat so much. Drink more!”

”Old Wang, here's a toast from your son. In the future, our whole family can depend on me. You can finally retire and stop digging all over the place. It's very dangerous.”

Wang Baole's father jokingly reprimanded Wang Baole for what he just said. Until now, this boy was still confused between an archaeologist and a grave robber. Nonetheless, Wang Baole's words filled his heart with warmth, and he gulped down the wine with satisfaction.

Looking at the interaction between the father and son, Wang Baole's mother felt immensely content. Her gaze was gentle and loving, as the both of them were equivalent to the world to her.

”Mum, I am doing extremely well now! I am the only Head Prefect in the Dharmic Armament Faculty of the college!” Wang Baole mumbled as he stuffed a large piece of meat into his mouth.

”Our Baole has always been intelligent and handsome since he was young, so it is no surprise that he can become the Head Prefect.” While picking up another piece of braised meat with her chopsticks to add to Wang Baole's bowl, Wang Baole's mother smiled sweetly as she asked curiously, ”Right, Baole, what is a Head Prefect?”

Wang Baole immediately and patiently gave his mother a brief description of what a Head Prefect did. After understanding the role of a Head Prefect, Wang Baole's mother was filled with surprise, and his father was in disbelief.

”I was just wondering why the City Lord brought along so many people to pay us a visit a while back… It's because our Baole is so capable!” Wang Baole mother expressed cheerfully, explaining to Baole that in the past few months, the City Lord and Deputy City Lord of Phoenix City had shown up several times, asking about their wellbeing and offering numerous gifts.

”The Deputy City Lord? His son is my subordinate now,” Wang Baole said as he delightedly raised his right hand, dangling the bracelet on his wrist in front of his parents.

”Let's not talk about that. Look at this! This storage bracelet was a reward that an Upper Academy Elder gave to me for answering his question correctly,” Wang Baole bragged as he shook the bracelet slightly, retrieving numerous bottles of Ice Spirit Water and pills, as well as several Dharmic artifacts to hand to his parents.

”This Ice Spirit Water is produced by the Dao College. Try it! It is especially refreshing.

”Also, take these pills. I bought them from the Alchemy Faculty at Dao College. They can strengthen your body and cure any disease.

”Mum, your health is poor, so you should eat more of these. Dad, you are always out on your archaeological excavations, so carry some pills with you as well. I will buy better quality ones for the both of you next time.”

”As for these Dharma artifacts,” Wang Baole said as he handed the artifacts out, ”they were handmade by me. Dad, these are for you, and Mum, carry these on you.”

Seeing how Wang Baole has achieved academic excellence in his year of study and how filial he was, his parents were extremely heartened. The family of three was immersed in an atmosphere of warmth and love.

They had a long dinner, with Wang Baole sharing his experiences over the past year. With the exception of certain encounters that he feared would make his parents worry, he detailed everything for them. In the end, Wang Baole shared a laugh with his mother as they cleaned up after their meal.