Cultivation Retirement Plan (BL)

38. Child of the Su Clan

Stonecut Valley Town, 13 Years Ago

"Go away!"

"Yeah, we don't want you playin' with us!"

In an alleyway next to the marketplace, three figures leered at a smaller, better-dressed boy as they shoved him backwards.

Seven-year-old Su Shimeng huffed but gamely scrambled back to his feet. "Why not?!"

The leader of the bullies, a proud merchant's son, placed his hands on his hips. "Cause you got a girl's name."

Su Shimeng flushed. "So? I still beat you fair and square!"

They had just finished a game of tag and Su Shimeng had been It, though he still caught the three older, taller boys without a hitch. That had surprised them, but it quickly turned to disdain as soon as Su Shimeng said his name.

"Y-yeah, so what?" the leader huffed. "You just got lucky, that's all!"

"Then let's play again!" Su Shimeng huffed. "I'll be It and tag you all!"

"You wish!"

"You scared?"

"As if!" The leader almost gave in then and there, but then one of his cronies poked out his head and asked, "If you're surnamed Su, are you Lady Bai's son?"

Over the past few years, Su Manor had owed no little of its success in the jade trade to Su Shiyu's wife, Bai Tingyao. By now her name was quite well-known around town.

"That's my big sis!" Su Shimeng said proudly. "My mommy's Madam Su! She's the head of the entire Su Manor!"

"Hah~?! That Madam Su?" the leader gaped. "I heard she's nothing but an evil dem, dum..."

"An evil demoness!" the friend supplied, eyes as wide as saucers as he stared at Su Shimeng. "Mommy told me all about her. She killed off your daddy and your other mommy. She almost killed your big brother too! She's bad!"

"Yeah, that's really bad!"

"You're probably bad too!"

"T-that's not true!" Su Shimeng was indignant. "My mommy's a good person! She, she didn't kill anyone!"

"Then how come nobody likes her, huh?" this time, it was the third child who spoke up. "My daddy says everyone in town knows Madam Su is cursed! And she even gave you a girl's name. She's weird!"

"I was sick," Su Shimeng protested. "I got this name 'cause I wasn't feelin' well, and—"

"Your mommy probably made you sick," the leader huffed again. "If we play with you, we're gonna get sick too!"

"No! I don't wanna get sick!"

"Ew ew, run away!"

Before Su Shimeng could defend himself, the children ran off, laughing and screaming as they disappeared around the corner. He scowled, his chubby face scrunching into something close to tears. Dumb dumbheads! He would beat them up again once he caught them, just wait!

"Mengmeng!"

Seconds before Su Shimeng bolted after the trio, a voice called him back. Aggrieved, the little boy turned to face his sister-in-law Bai Tingyao. Although he grew healthier after his name change, Madam Su still insisted on keeping him at home for his safety. Today he'd finally begged his sister-in-law to take him to town after promising to be very, very good.

And he was! He was super good until he saw a vendor pushing a cart of sugar candies and then he'd followed him until he got lost in this alleyway. There were other children here—one of the first he'd seen outside of the manor's guests—so he'd tried playing with them, and that'd gone well until they made fun of him and left...