Chapter 884: I Bestow Upon You the Name Changsheng

"Grandpa Immortal, what is your name?"

"I already told you, I am not an Immortal."

"Then what is your name, Grandpa?"

"It is only polite to introduce yourself first before asking for someone else's name."

"I am Jiang Gungun."

Chen Changsheng said, "This Chen goes by the name Changsheng."

"Changsheng... Chen Changsheng..."

The boy murmured, "That name really sounds like an Immortal's."

Chen Changsheng said, "Immortals do not take such names. The name Changsheng is meant to bring good fortune, mostly for those who suffer from illness and disaster in childhood."

"Ah..."

The boy opened his mouth and asked, "Grandpa, were you sick a lot when you were little?"

Chen Changsheng nodded.

The boy said, "Then—then does this name actually work?"

Chen Changsheng thought for a moment, then shook his head.

In truth, it did no good at all.

The boy let out a soft "Oh."

Chen Changsheng then asked, "What about you? Why did you take the name Gungun?"

The boy said, "Once, I was caught eavesdropping by the Mister. The Mister asked what my name was, and I said I was called Bean. The Mister said I didn't have a proper name. I have never seen a great river, only streams, so I chose the name Jiang Gungun for myself."

"Where are your parents?"

"Never met them. I was abandoned at birth. The Daoist priest in the temple raised me. Later, the Daoist temple collapsed, so I shamelessly begged for meals in the market town, and that's how I survived."

Chen Changsheng sighed softly and patted his head.

The boy said, "What's the big deal? There are plenty of kids without fathers and mothers. It's not pitiful. The fact that we can survive at all is amazing. It's not pitiful."

Chen Changsheng was taken aback, but he quickly chuckled and nodded. "Right, amazing!"

Jiang Gungun smiled, looking rather pleased with himself.

He was a strong-willed child.

Chen Changsheng continued chatting with him. "And what about now?"

"I gather herbs for a living."

Jiang Gungun often went up the mountain to gather herbs, then took them to the Medicine Hall to sell, barely making enough to scrape by.

"Impressive," Chen Changsheng said. "When This Chen was your age, I did not have your skills."

Jiang Gungun paused, then shook his head. "Grandpa, you were definitely better than me when you were little."

Chen Changsheng shook his head. "When I was young, I couldn't feed myself."

"How could that be?"

"It is true. That is why I said I lacked your skills."

Jiang Gungun did not quite believe it.

The two of them walked along the river.

A moment later, Jiang Gungun seemed to figure something out.

Grandpa Immortal once had parents and did not need to feed himself. Thinking about it, he was actually a bit envious, but being stubborn, he kept his mouth shut.

Chen Changsheng glanced at the river water and said, "There are fish in the river."

Jiang Gungun said, "The weather is too cold, so it's hard to go into the water. Otherwise, I could catch one with a single dive."

"That impressive?"

"Yeah."

Jiang Gungun was getting hungry. He pulled a piece of Dry Flatbread out of his pocket, with absolutely no intention of sharing it with Chen Changsheng.

"This Chen is also hungry," Chen Changsheng said.

Jiang Gungun hid the bread away. "Immortals don't need to eat. Don't go eyeing my bread."

Chen Changsheng chuckled. "I won't eye it, I won't."

Only then did Jiang Gungun breathe a sigh of relief, taking small bites of the Dry Flatbread.

Chen Changsheng smiled. "This stingy look of yours really reminds me of..."

Halfway through his sentence, Chen Changsheng suddenly froze.

The boy was in the middle of eating the Dry Flatbread when he suddenly felt a hand press down on his shoulder.

"Eh?"

Jiang Gungun was startled. He tried to break free but couldn't.

"What are you doing?"

Chen Changsheng said, "Let This Chen get a good look at you."

Jiang Gungun quickly backed up two steps, shielding the Dry Flatbread. "Hey, there's no need for that, right? It's just a piece of Dry Flatbread. It's not like you can't afford to eat, yet you're trying to rob me."

As he spoke, he shoved the Dry Flatbread straight into his mouth.

Watching this scene, Chen Changsheng stared in a daze.

"Mmph, mmph..."

The Dry Flatbread was incredibly tough to swallow. Jiang Gungun's face turned flush red from choking, and he began to pound his chest.

He immediately spun around, ran to the riverbank, slumped over a rock, and gulped down the river water.

"Phew!!"

Jiang Gungun let out a long breath, finally clearing his throat.

He had choked so hard that tears were squeezing from his eyes.

Chen Changsheng stood behind him, looking at the boy.

This stingy demeanor of his looked exactly like his past life.

Jiang Gungun turned back and said, "It's gone. I ate it all."

Chen Changsheng offered a gentle smile. "I will not rob you."

Even now, Jiang Gungun remained guarded against this old man.

As far as he was concerned, anyone who coveted his Dry Flatbread was up to no good.

Chen Changsheng thought for a moment, then said, "This Chen feels like having some porridge."

Jiang Gungun frowned slightly. "Grandpa Immortal, why are you so erratic? You want one thing one moment and another the next."

"The craving just suddenly came to me," Chen Changsheng said.

Jiang Gungun said, "The inns sell it. You can just go there."

Chen Changsheng looked at him. "This Chen suspects you must be quite skilled at making porridge."

Jiang Gungun shot him a glance and hurriedly quickened his pace.

It was as if he was terrified Chen Changsheng would try to scam a meal out of him.

Chen Changsheng said, "This Chen will pay for the rice."

Jiang Gungun's footsteps halted. "Are you serious?"

"Naturally!"

They returned to the market town.

Chen Changsheng indeed bought rice, and quite a lot of it.

Arriving at an old temple, Jiang Gungun fetched river water, took a few lotus leaves gathered from the market, coated them in yellow mud, and fashioned them into a makeshift pot.

He built a dirt stove with practiced ease.

The rice and water went into the pot, and before long, it began to bubble and boil.

A rich aroma of rice wafted over. Jiang Gungun swallowed hard, practically drooling.

Such thick rice porridge was a true luxury.

"You're really rich," Jiang Gungun noted.

Chen Changsheng paused. "In truth, I am quite poor."

"Then how can you bear to spend so much?"

"I wanted to eat porridge, so naturally I was willing to spend."

Jiang Gungun blinked, then muttered, "You really make no sense."

Chen Changsheng paused, suddenly feeling somewhat dazed.

Seeing him space out, Jiang Gungun was confused. "What's wrong?"

Chen Changsheng snapped back to reality and smiled at him. "Nothing."

Jiang Gungun smacked his lips and shook his head.

He snapped off a clean twig to stir the pot, then waited patiently.

"It should be about ready," Chen Changsheng said.

Jiang Gungun said, "Not even close. Porridge needs to be simmered. Only when it's simmered for a long time does it reach peak flavor. When it gets all thick and sticky, that's when it tastes best."

Chen Changsheng smiled. "I will follow your lead."

They waited for several more quarters of an hour.

Finally, the porridge was ready.

They used lotus leaves for bowls and twigs for chopsticks.

"Hoo, hoo, hoo..."

Jiang Gungun puffed out hot air; he had clearly burned his mouth in his haste.

Chen Changsheng took a bite, then froze.

This taste was so incredibly familiar.

Jiang Gungun swallowed the mouthful of porridge and beamed. "Delicious!"

Chen Changsheng smiled along with him, but suddenly remembered something.

"Jiang Gungun."

"Hmm?"

"How about I bestow upon you the name Changsheng?"

Jiang Gungun frantically waved his hands. "No way, no way! It's not like I'm sickly or cursed with disasters."

Chen Changsheng suddenly burst into laughter.

Startled, Jiang Gungun quickly backed away a step.

He couldn't begin to fathom what kind of crazy fit this old man was having.