Defunct v3 c19: Dreams of the Future (Patreon)

Was a dream really just a dream?

It was on my mind as I stared out across my property, waiting for breakfast. The world was clad in a thin blanket of pure white.

I was… Content. Very content this morning, and it was from a dream I had had last night.

Meimei had woken up smiling too, and after our morning ritual we had come down to satisfied faces and a pep in people’s steps.

Perhaps I would have just attributed it to the change in seasons. Chunky was dashing around the winter wonderland already, rolling happily in the snow, with Peppa following behind him. He hadn’t had any nightmares last night, and it showed.

But speaking of dreams, the dream last night… It stuck with me a little. Quite a few of them had featured a little girl. Honestly, I had thought most of them had been just because I was going to be a father. That was a thing that happened, right?

But now… now I wasn’t so sure. The normally fleeting memories of my dreams were a bit clearer this time. The damage on her body. The golden cracks that wound through her. The same cracks that had appeared on my arm and on Xiulan’s chest.

And the warm energy that felt so much like the earth was there too.

Maybe she was some kind of spirit. Maybe she was my isekai cheat. Those were popular even if it felt a bit cliche.

Whatever the case, we’d have a talk when she woke up in the spring. I wasn’t going to wake her up right now, and demand answers. We would talk, eventually, get everything sorted out and on the table.

But for now, I wished that little girl sweet dreams.

I smiled and shook my head— and then noticed Tigu carting out some of the sculptures she had made last year. The very same sculptures of me that were near universally naked.

She planted the one she was carrying, the one of me flipping over a boar, along the walkway to the house and grinned. Xiulan and Bowu were with her, each carrying a sculpture of their own. Bowu looked quite embarrassed, while Xiulan just seemed amused.

“There! Now we can see how much I’ve improved this year!” Tigu declared as she stared at them with pride.

Three sculptures were placed down beside the walkway and then Tigu skipped away with her helpers, going to get the rest of them out.

I sighed and shook my head. Well, I had kept them. I shouldn’t have been surprised that Tigu was getting them out... And arranging them around the house.

About a minute later, Xianghua and Gou Ren, who were walking arm and arm, came from their own house. Both paused. Xianghua glanced down at the crotch area of the sculptures.

She blinked at them twice. She tilted her head to the side, and then whispered something to Gou Ren.

My friend gained a beatific smile and nodded his head.

Xianghua looked stunned as they walked past them and into the house. Xianghua found Meiling, who was just setting some food out, and planted a hand on her shoulder.

“Lady Meiling, my deepest condolences.” She stated.

Meimei just looked confused while I sidled up behind the man who was trying not to laugh.

I slung an arm around his shoulder, in a friendly way. Gou Ren paled, realising I knew what he had done, and immediately started to struggle. He had gotten pretty strong…

But not strong enough, as he went face-first into the snow.

The first day of snow was heralded by a snowball fight of epic proportions— where cultivators used all their strength and skill to topple each other.

In the end, we were all sopping wet. But that was half the fun, sitting around the fire afterwards, drinking tea and laughing.

And thus… Life went on.

My family had gotten a little bigger. My home, a little more established. The world slowly drifted off into winter.

Life didn’t change too much though. The chores still had to be done. The actual animals had to be fed. Meals still needed to be cooked, and floors still needed to be cleaned, but many hands made for light work.

There was absolutely no concern that we would have enough food for winter. There was no worry of sickness, nor the careful counting of logs for fuel.

As a farmer? I had succeeded. I had effectively won the great game. To want for nothing— and to share your bounty with family and friends.

And with the fruits of our labour, we could do as we pleased as the snow came down.

The General That Commands the Winter grew to a truly impressive size, as the first snows of Winter kept coming. It was a whole-farm affair, the massive snowman getting taller and taller until he poked out above the treetops. The strange bit of ice that had formed in the previous General’s Chest had survived in the cold cellar unmelted, and so I put that back into him.

I kind of wanted to see how big we could make it, over the years. With his reed hat and giant carrot nose… he was a sight to behold, the jaunty General being absolutely extra.

But he was tradition now. The General would stand guard every winter— especially since Big D was the one who started gathering up the snow for his base.

More sculptures popped up too. Gou Ren took to using the snow as a replacement for bricks and wood, testing out floor-plans and putting his own budding architectural talent to work. He had willing accomplices in his brother and Xianghua, the two of them helping him out, and Yun taking pictures from above with Washy’s help.

The drophammer and glass hut worked every day, Bowu and Miantiao making the most of things. More flat pieces of glass, and scaffolding for another greenhouse—both the snake and the boy teaming up to make their own.

Yin and Tigu sparred, and Tigu taught the rabbit how to carve ice— or rather melt it into a perfectly clear sculpture. The two of them worked together often. Though I had to get them to focus on projects other than me.

Peppa kept everything in order for us…. And really, she was starting to become invaluable. She was certainly better at organizing things than me— and better than Meimei at things not named Spiritual Herbs. I think I’d call her a secretary, but she did way more than just shuffle papers.

Chunky and Babe plowed the roads between us and Verdant Hill, the two of them sometimes taking Washy along with them, the fish riding in a jar on one of their backs, until he would go off and scour the forests for food.

Rizzo and Meimei kept up their own studies, working out a plan to tackle Maintiao’s back—it was apparently even more screwed up than Bowu’s leg had been.

As for me? Well, I had lessons with the Lord Magistrate, and sparring with everybody else. In the end, just like in the morning, the exercises became somewhat of a family affair.

I was kind of warming up to the whole sparring thing. It was kind of fun.

============================

While the days were spent normally outside or doing chores, the nights were quieter. Most people went off to play board games, or cards, or read. I often played Go with Xiulan—ignoring Meimei’s, and now also Xianghua’s, heckles to make it Strip Go.

But most of the time, I found myself in the greenhouse with Meimei. Instead of our cold and snowy rock, we got a warm place to relax. Just the two of us and the bees.

We were cuddling together, Meimei practising her knitting and me twanging away on my banjo, when Meimei suddenly started, her hand flying to her stomach. Her eyes widened, and I felt a wave of panic suddenly come over me.

Had something gone wrong?!

Her breath came out shallowly as she turned to look at me.

“It kicked.” She said, her voice quiet. Immediately, I calmed, slumping down in relief. “I’ve felt it moving for a little while now, but… that was the first kick—ah!”

My hand shot to her stomach and I felt the little tremor, the little bulge where a foot stuck out for but a moment.

Her stomach getting big was one thing. But this… this was complete proof. Something a bit more real than that. The feeling of my child, moving.

I swallowed thickly.

“How…. how does it feel?” I asked, and Meimei waved me off.

“It tickles… a little—geh!” She suddenly doubled over.

“Are you okay?!”

“Right in the bladder. I nearly pissed myself.” My wife harrumphed, glancing at her empty cup of tea.

I snorted, slumping in my seat as I started to laugh, and Meimei soon joined me.

“It's… not too far off now, is it? I asked, and my wife nodded.

“Three months and… eight days?” she hazarded.

Three months. Three months and eight days. Into the new year. A baby born for the last few weeks of winter, before it turned to spring.

My arms tightened around my wife.

Would… Would I be a good father?

I had no idea.

But as Meimei looked up at me with a smile… I knew I’d give it my best shot.

=================

================

This one was super scuffed. But I think it works now.

Thanks to the edit squad as always!

Editors: Massgamer,

Ayje,