Chapter 11: The Summoner Tang Ziran

"Ah!"

Shen Xin and Tang Ziran both cried out in shock.

"Ziran, you don't need to bother with her. She's just so obsessed with having a daughter-in-law that she's lost her mind. Come on, let's go eat."

The meal was a bit awkward and tense; Shen's parents were slightly embarrassed, and Shen Xin ate with a darkened face, saying nothing.

But his mother was not one to give up easily. After dinner, she started tidying up the guest room, thinking to herself that since her son was still young and clueless, it was up to her as his mother to create more opportunities for him.

Out of sight, out of mind, Shen Xin took Tang Ziran on his motorcycle to the market in town.

Tang Ziran had come with nothing; her clothes were still dirty. In town, Shen Xin praised her endlessly and bought her everything she could possibly need. He replaced all her clothes, bought her daily necessities, and, thinking his parents might get jealous—since money was no longer an issue—he bought a few sets of clothes for them as well before heading home.

Tang Ziran clung tightly to her new clothes, her spirits soaring. After a bath, she changed into the new outfit and finally looked like a vibrant young girl.

After dinner, the two strolled by the riverside.

"Brother Shen Xin, you’re not really in love with me, planning to marry me, are you? Otherwise, why are you so good to me? In this world, aside from Grandpa, you treat me the best!"

Shen Xin hurriedly waved his hands, explaining, "Ah, it’s nothing like that. Besides, you’re still so young—don’t let your imagination run wild."

Tang Ziran's expectant expression froze. She looked pitiful as she said, "But your parents want you to marry me."

"Come on, it’s a different era now—marriage is about freedom. I’m not listening to them. You’re the same age as my sister. In the future, you can just be my sworn sister."

"Oh," Tang Ziran replied, crestfallen, a complex mix of emotions stirring inside her. She’d never thought of marrying so young or getting married without really understanding it, but she did long for a warm home—a family like Shen Xin’s would be nice.

The contradiction in her heart left her conflicted.

Early the next morning, Shen Xin decided to leave with Tang Ziran. Mainly, his mother was too much—constantly fussing over Tang Ziran and making her uncomfortable.

Seeing she couldn’t persuade them to stay, Shen’s mother packed up the food she’d prepared, three large containers, each weighing at least ten pounds. There were even chicken, duck, and fish, but Shen Xin refused those.

When they reached the town, Shen Xin hired a car straight to the No. 1 High School and called his sister, Shen Lan, out.

Shen Lan had short, choppy hair, wore black-framed glasses, and a faded school uniform—she looked every bit the bookworm.

But she was far from simple.

She ignored the food Shen Xin offered and instead looked at Tang Ziran, teasing, "This must be my sister-in-law, right? Sister-in-law, what do you see in my brother? He’s a slob who hates to bathe—he’ll wear the same clothes for half a month, and the smell is enough to make your eyes water!"

"Hey, do you talk about your own brother like that?" Shen Xin immediately protested.

"Hmph, am I wrong? It’s all true!"

Tang Ziran smiled awkwardly, not sure how to respond.

Shen Xin set the heavy food containers on the ground and laughed in exasperation, "The college entrance exam is less than a month away, and you still have the mind to joke around? Can you get into a good university?"

Shen Lan glanced at the food and complained, "Why bring so much food in this heat? As for the exams, don’t worry, it’s practically a sure thing."

"Then I’ll wait for your good news."

Shen Xin turned to leave. Since childhood, he and his sister had always bickered and fought—it was routine. Afraid of running into Yu Yanan in Ning City, he immediately flagged down a taxi and headed to Ox City.

Yu Yanan was incredibly clingy. If she found out Shen Xin had gone to Ox City, there was a 99.9% chance she’d follow.

Normally, Shen Xin would have loved a sweet, beautiful girl always by his side, but with all the chaos at school, he didn’t want Yu Yanan to come so soon.

Upon arriving in Ox City, Shen Xin brought Tang Ziran to the compound. There were plenty of empty rooms—if it weren’t for his classes, he’d have moved in himself. Not only would it save a few hundred in rent each month, but the living environment was ten times better.

As usual, only Chen Jiawang was training in the compound. Seeing Shen Xin bring back a girl, his curiosity was instantly piqued.

"Old Shen, I didn’t expect you to find a new flame in just one day!"

"Knock it off. This is Tang Ziran—she’s a summoner-type psychic."

"A psychic?"

Chen Jiawang immediately sobered up, looking at Tang Ziran seriously. "Then show us your ability."

"Ziran, show him what you can do."

"Okay!" Tang Ziran nodded, raised her hand, and in the next moment, two large gray wolves appeared on the lawn.

The wolves seemed to hold a grudge; the moment they saw Shen Xin, they lunged at him. Shen Xin had to freeze them in place.

Chen Jiawang shook his head. "Your summoned wolves don’t have much attack power. Can you summon anything else?"

Tang Ziran summoned again. This time, a wild boar appeared on the grass, looking dazed and confused.

"No, no, that’s not very useful," Chen Jiawang said, shaking his head vigorously.

Tang Ziran replied helplessly, "I can only summon wild beasts I’ve seen with my own eyes. The strongest ones I’ve seen are just wolves and wild boars."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jiawang’s eyes lit up. "So, as long as you see it, you can summon it?"

"I suppose so—at least that’s how it’s worked before."

"Great, you two come with me!"

Chen Jiawang led them down to the second basement floor—a place Shen Xin had never been before. He marveled, "I never knew the compound had this kind of place."

In the basement, five exotic beasts were caged in iron bars as thick as an arm. Chen Jiawang pointed to a snarling white tiger and asked, "Tang Ziran, now that you’re seeing the white tiger, can you summon it?"

"I’ll give it a try."

Tang Ziran carefully observed the white tiger. Then, raising her hand, she summoned a white tiger outside the cage—while the one inside vanished.

Freed, the tiger was confused for a second but immediately lunged at Chen Jiawang—only to be teleported back into the cage by Shen Xin while still in midair.

Chen Jiawang nodded. "Interesting. I have two more questions: first, what’s your summoning range? Second, do the summoned beasts obey you?"

Tang Ziran answered without hesitation, "As for range, ten miles shouldn’t be a problem. But as for obedience, not necessarily—I need to build a bond with them first."

"Congratulations, Tang Ziran, you’ve passed the assessment. Welcome to our family! From now on, the five exotic beasts on this floor are your responsibility."

Chen Jiawang was in great spirits; he’d been the one caring for the beasts, which took a lot of his time every day. Sister Dan had captured them for breeding, saying they’d fetch a good price in Holy City, but she still hadn’t taken them away. Now, there were already five exotic beasts locked up; the white tiger was the mildest among them.

"No problem, but can I ask—what’s the monthly salary?"

"Just caring for the beasts, you’ll get ten thousand a month. If you take on missions like Shen Xin, the base pay is a hundred thousand."

Tang Ziran was stunned, her jaw dropping. Before she came, she’d thought a three-thousand-a-month job would be good enough, considering she was only a primary school graduate.

Now, hearing that just caring for exotic beasts paid ten thousand a month, she almost jumped for joy.

"Brother Shen Xin, thank you for recommending this job to me."

Tang Ziran gave Shen Xin a bow.

Shen Xin quickly sidestepped and said dryly, "Save your bow for my funeral. For now, just focus on caring for the beasts and don’t take any missions."