Chapter 24 Dad, are you scared?
Compared to the rented cottage where she had lived with Sunflower's father for the past few days, Xingxing was actually more familiar with the villa.
Just as Qiuqiu said, the stars in doomsday never suffered any hardship except for being hungry at the beginning.
The humans and fellow humans he met in the doomsday took good care of him. For a long time, even if he had to travel dozens of kilometers a day, Xingxing was never left alone to walk a few steps on his own.
He is a little zombie who lives in the arms of humans and his own kind, and sleeps on the back of a big spider web. He possesses everything that others in the doomsday can hardly reach even if they try their best.
A safe place to live, fresh food, and a playground that was restored just for him...
To human beings, it is the end of the world, but to Xingxing, the king of zombies, it is a warm nest woven by everyone layer by layer.
So when he was held in his arms and strolled around in this huge villa, there was not much surprise and longing in the little boy's eyes. In Xingxing's eyes, big houses and small houses were just places to live.
"This is Xingxing's bedroom." Xu Meng pushed open a door with a stuffed duck hanging on it, and said to the child in her arms in a gentle voice, "But this room was just renovated today, and it will take some time to ventilate. So Xingxing will sleep with us from now on, okay?"
The grandmother next to him also smiled and said lovingly: "Xingxing, sleep with your mother and father Cheng first, and sleep with grandma tomorrow night. In two days, your father Zhou will move in, and you can go home and sleep with him, how about that?"
Arrange the starry night clearly.
Xingxing looked at the brand new bedroom that still smelled of furniture, hugged her mother's slender neck, and leaned her cheek against hers.
"Okay~" Xingxing nodded with curved eyes.
Then he said to his grandmother: "I will sleep with my mother, and the other star will sleep with my grandmother. We will switch tomorrow."
The main focus is to keep everyone in balance and not leave anyone behind.
The two were so touched by his cuteness that the old man couldn't help but hold Xingxing's little hand and squeeze it again and again, and his originally shallow wrinkles deepened a little bit when he smiled.
As for Cheng Yulin, who was completely invisible in the laughter, he quietly went to the end of the corridor after his cell phone vibrated, and said something indifferently to the person on the other end of the phone.
When he hung up the phone and came back, Xu Meng gave him a questioning and concerned look.
Cheng Yuling smiled gently and shook his head at his wife, his eyes falling on Xingxing who was playing with building blocks with his mother.
He did not disturb them, but walked out lightly.
Seeing this, Xu Meng followed him out and half-closed the door.
"What's wrong?" Xu Meng walked up to Cheng Yuling and asked softly, "Has the court announced the verdict?"
Cheng Yuling was not surprised by his wife's sharpness. He nodded and said in a slightly tense tone, "They admitted their guilt very well. In addition, the two children were not obviously harmed, and it was not abduction or trafficking, so the verdict came out very quickly."
But this also means that the results cannot satisfy him.
The Criminal Law does not contain any crime or penalty clauses for child swapping, so it is not feasible to convict Chen Guixia and her brothers and sisters for this crime. The charges can only be transferred to similar crimes for sentencing.
However, among similar protection clauses for infants, only the crime of "child trafficking" is the closest to it.
However, within the scope of the "crime of child trafficking", the two children who were swapped are alive and well, no more serious injuries have occurred, and no specific acts of trafficking have been carried out.
Therefore, not only will the Chen family not be sentenced to death, but because they confessed and explained the facts of the crime, the main culprits Chen Jinchuan and Chen Guixia were sentenced to ten years in prison. Chen Jinchuan's wife, the biological mother of the child, was sentenced to three years in prison because she had just given birth when her husband decided to replace the child and had no knowledge of the matter. She could only be regarded as knowingly failing to report it afterwards.
"With this level of sentencing, they don't need three or ten years at all, they can be released."
Cheng Yuling's voice was cold, and he was obviously very dissatisfied with the result.
After listening to her husband's retelling, Xu Meng couldn't help but sneer, "She didn't know about it right after giving birth? Then three years after giving birth, she used Chen Guixia as an excuse to come to our house to see the baby... For three whole years, she still didn't know about it?"
Xu Meng remembered that woman, and also remembered Chen Jinchuan, because Chen Guixia worked as a nanny in the Cheng family. She seemed to be dedicated and responsible on weekdays, and was very kind to Cheng Qian'an. Sometimes even Xu Meng, as a mother, couldn't help but wonder if she was too career-oriented and inadvertently neglected the child. Otherwise, why was the child always closest to the nanny? No matter whether he was crying or acting coquettish, he would always go to Chen Guixia first.
Xu Meng also expressed her gratitude to her husband and mother-in-law for her dedication. During these three years, they gave her salary increases and bonuses time and time again. Chen Guixia even bought a large flat in the city center during these three years. On weekdays, she was provided with food and accommodation by the Cheng family, and the house was given to Chen Jinchuan and his wife to live in.
Precisely because she had a good impression of Chen Guixia, whenever someone occasionally came to Chen Guixia's house over the past three years, she, as the host, would warmly entertain them with a smile. Even during the New Year holidays, she would not forget to bring Chen Guixia and her brothers and sisters a sincere and generous New Year gift.
It turns out that she is the biggest and stupidest fool.
Not only do they raise the cubs that have taken over the magpie's nest, they also raise the entire family of doves.
And what about her own child? He had long been thrown by this family next to a stinking trash can. If Zhou Xiangyang hadn't picked him up, he probably wouldn't even have had the chance to live to see this world.
Whenever Xu Meng recalled the behavior of the Chen siblings over the past three years, she felt nauseous.
How could she not hate him? She wanted these three people to die right now!
"Since the law cannot punish them, let's wait for the future."
Xu Meng's eyes darkened slightly, and his tone was cold: "In the future, the first step they take out of prison will also be the first step towards the destruction of their families."
Even if it does not violate the law, the Cheng family has plenty of ways to make Chen Guixia's siblings and their family live a life worse than death.
Cheng Yuling stood beside his wife, looking at the blue sky outside the window, and responded softly: "Okay, when the time comes, I will arrange it myself and will not let them have any time to struggle and breathe."
Inside the house, Xingxing listened to the stern and resolute voices of her mother and father Cheng, and under the loving gaze of her grandmother, she lifted a small blue building block and carefully placed it on the rough little house.
Qiuqiu squatted on top of Xingxing's head, grinning and cheering, "Great! Another piece has been put on. Come on, kid, put this block on the left. Right, right, right... Wow! We must be the best team in the world!!"
-
For two days, no one was idle, including Xingxing.
If I could get the answer from Qiuqiu to the question "What is the first gift after being adopted into a wealthy family?", I would probably get answers that are commonly seen in novels.
For example, you could set up a charitable foundation for the newly adopted child, or hold a grand banquet to introduce the child. At the very least, you should give him money and various expensive materials. This would maximize the display of belated family affection and reflect the guilt and compensatory psychology of the wealthy relatives towards the real young master.
But what is the reality?
In fact, on the first day Xingxing returned to the Cheng family, he was taken to the hospital for a full physical examination. A nutritional intake chart most suitable for his current growth status was planned, and he was also given various vaccines that infants and young children should have received a long time ago.
Some vaccines require a longer interval between doses, so Xingxing's arms are spared from being pricked with many blue and purple needle holes again.
In addition, he was busy with his kindergarten enrollment. Since he had never attended early education classes, it was not easy for him to enter the best kindergarten. Even though the Cheng family had a lot of input, Xingxing had to take an exam in the kindergarten principal's office and get the paper score and performance score before he could be successfully registered and wait for school to start in September.
In just two days, Xingxing was busy like a little top. When Zhou Xiangyang came to pick him up after everything settled, what he saw was the cub curled up in his thick and soft nest, dozing with his little head buried.
"There have been so many things going on these past two days that even the adults were exhausted, but Xingxing never cried or made a fuss. She was so well behaved that it made people feel distressed." The old lady explained to Zhou Xiangyang with a smile, but in this short sentence alone, she wanted to use two-thirds of the words to praise Xingxing.
"...It's my fault that I was too careless before." Zhou Xiangyang didn't expect that raising a child involves so many details, such as vaccinations and early education classes. He has already tried his best to support himself and Xingxing. He has no extra time, energy, or money to support him in doing everything for Xingxing.
Hearing this, Zhang Yayu smiled and shook her head, praising gently: "Xiaoyang, you have taken good care of Xingxing. No one can blame you because we all know that you have done your best."
Her warm eyes fell on the sleeping Xingxing, and she slowly comforted the young man in front of her: "On the contrary, we should feel guilty. If it weren't for you, maybe when I find out that the child I raised is not my own, even if half of my body is buried in the ground, I will still be worried and die with my eyes open."
Zhou Xiangyang was stunned by the deep emotions hidden in her words, but Xingxing, who was awakened by her inner voice, yawned slowly, rubbed her eyes with her little hands, and peeked out of her soft little nest in a daze.
"Daddy, hug me~" The child opened his hands habitually and yawned continuously because he was so sleepy, with physiological tears hanging from the corners of his eyes after yawning. The whole baby looked dazed, as if he was still in a dream.
Zhou Xiangyang held the sleepy little guy in his arms. It had only been two days since they last saw each other, but holding this little soft ball in his arms, he felt as if his empty and desolate life was filled up again.
As soon as Xingxing was in her father's arms, her mind, which was originally trying hard to wake up, was immediately swept away by sleepiness. She curled up into a small ball in her father's arms and slept very soundly with her eyes closed.
Zhang Yayu looked at this scene and felt a little regretful.
As relatives of the stars, they missed the opportunity and were late for three whole years.
So I could only envy Xingxing's safe and defenseless dependence in Zhou Xiangyang's arms.
She sighed softly in her heart and turned to talk about some arrangements regarding Zhou Xiangyang.
"Although your situation is special, your sister Xu Meng has already found a professional teacher to train you. You should study hard. After a while, Yuling will transfer the shares and dividends that originally belonged to the other child to your name. It will be easier for you to get started then."
"As for Xingxing's part, all the assets under our entire Cheng family's name will belong to him in the future. So if you want to make progress and grow into someone Xingxing can rely on, you have to work harder than before. The opportunity in front of you will not slip away. You have enough time to learn to reach out and grab it."
These words, whether it was Xu Meng or Cheng Yulin who said them to Zhou Xiangyang, were not appropriate. But as Zhang Yayu was the only elder in the two families, she could say them, and Zhou Xiangyang would definitely take every word she said to heart.
Zhou Xiangyang indeed listened to it and remembered it deeply in his heart. When he walked out of Cheng's house holding Xingxing, he looked back at this villa that represented the wealthy circle. His chest heaved, and he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
It's just a short step to success.
When I picked up the little one wrapped in swaddling clothes three years ago, when I sat at the door sobbing and crying while holding Xingxing who still had a high fever after taking medicine and getting injections, when I stayed up late to study with an old mobile phone a few days ago without any idea...
For three years and more than a thousand days and nights, Zhou Xiangyang never thought that the little guy he picked up would bring such a huge turning point in his destiny.
"Now, Daddy has really become a high-ranking official thanks to you." He smiled and lowered his head to touch the little guy's forehead. He was originally talking to himself, but who knew that he would unexpectedly meet a pair of bright and clean eyes.
Zhou Xiangyang was slightly stunned, and subconsciously lowered his head again, and then asked: "When did Xingxing wake up?"
Xingxing tilted her head, smiled softly and answered obediently: "When my dad said I was a puppy~"
Zhou Xiangyang: “…”
"The kindergarten should be able to start early, right?" He gritted his teeth, feeling that the little guy was deliberately misinterpreting the meaning of his words.
After all, this really is a sesame-filled glutinous rice ball star.
Starry eyes curved as he lay in his father's arms for a long time, and after finding a comfortable position for himself, he rested his head on his father's neck in a familiar way. As his father walked forward, he looked at the scenery on both sides and asked in a low voice: "Dad, are you scared?"
Zhou Xiangyang paused in his steady pace, then walked forward naturally after a moment, and asked in a gentle tone: "Why did Xingxing ask that?"
Xingxing's feet were dangling in the air, there was not a speck of dust on the brand new soles of her shoes, and she accidentally stepped on Dad's clothes without leaving any traces.
He lay there with his head tilted for a long time, probably thinking about how to describe it. After all, children who haven't even entered kindergarten yet don't have a very large vocabulary.
After about a minute, Zhou Xiangyang heard the soft voice of a child.
"Because, Sunflower Daddy has taken root in the hard mud without water. Now he is being pulled out by the roots. Will it hurt? When it hurts, is Daddy afraid?"
After asking, Xingxing straightened up her little body and stared at her father intently, leaving him no room to lie.
Zhou Xiangyang remained silent for a longer time under his son's concerned and worried gaze, so long that he had already walked back to the villa next to the Cheng family, which would be his and Xingxing's home in the future.
She put the child who was staring at her in her arms on the ground, closed the door, changed her shoes, and then took the curious child by the hand and walked to the sofa to sit down.
The sofa was very soft. When the tiny Star was put on it, it leaned to one side before it could even sit firmly. Zhou Xiangyang happened to sit down next to it, and naturally a warm and sparkling Star cub fell into his arms.
Zhou Xiangyang steadied the toppled child and watched him naturally fall into his arms. His eyes were slightly red as he said softly, "Yes."
"Because in order to stay alive and absorb more water, Dad can only desperately take root in the dry soil."
"My roots are so deep, so when they are pulled out, I feel pain and fear. I even think: Why do I have to be transplanted? Isn't it better to just let me continue to live in the original soil?"
Zhou Xiangyang reached out and patted Xingxing, who was listening attentively to his answer. He patted Xingxing's back through her clothes, and it was more like he was gently patting himself, who was feeling uneasy, through Xingxing's transmission.
He wanted to answer slowly, his eyes were red with tears, and the corners of his lips rose a little.
He said, "But I know very well that these cowardly thoughts are wrong, because Dad has planted deep roots, tried his best and endured a lot of hardships, but in the end he still grew crooked. So what will the stars who are learning to plant roots beside Dad do in the future?"
"My stars must take root in fertile soil, have warm sunshine and sweet rain, and grow comfortably and peacefully in the best flower beds."
"You don't have to work as hard as I did, you don't have to work so hard to grow deep roots, and you don't have to be treated as a weed and easily cleared away and thrown away."
He lowered his head, kissed the child's forehead, and said softly: "Dad was blessed by the stars to have such an opportunity that he dared not even dream of. So even if it hurts and scares when being uprooted, Dad will only turn these pains and fears into expectations and yearnings for a new growth environment."
"Because from now on, Dad and Xingxing will have a future that is a thousand times better than before."
Some people retreat because they are timid, while others go against the wind because they are afraid.
Zhou Xiangyang is the latter. Cowardice and pain only make him more aware that he is changing for the better and will only get better in the future.
But the star who asked that question didn’t really understand.
He stared at his father quietly for a few seconds, then raised his hand, clenched it into a fist, and imitated the behavior of children in cartoons, and said seriously: "Dad is great, keep it up, Dad!"
When you don’t know what to say, just be a good kid who is polite and knows how to praise humans.
In this way, Dad’s tears won’t become salty, and he won’t realize that Xingxing didn’t actually understand such a long and convoluted string of words.
Zhou Xiangyang didn’t know about Xingxing’s “disguise”. He felt that his son had encouraged him in every way.
With his big hand wrapped around his small fist, Zhou Xiangyang was full of positive energy.
He also said loudly and seriously: "Yes! I will definitely try my best!!"
"Son, it seems that Sunflower Dad has secretly injected adrenaline. The mental wavelength shows that he is very excited now. If he goes out now, he can easily move a thousand bricks in one breath~"
Xingxing looked at her father curiously, not understanding why his mood suddenly changed so drastically.
In the end, the two kids couldn't find the reason and could only communicate secretly in their minds:
Xingxing: "Humans are so weird~"
Qiuqiu: "Yeah, Sunflower dad is a weird human!"
Xingxing: "Dad said a lot, I didn't understand~"
Qiuqiu: "It's okay, kid. We are still little now. Just remember these words in your head. When you grow up and finish kindergarten, you should be able to understand these words!"
Xingxing: "Dad said he was in pain and scared."
Qiuqiu: "Well...how about hugging him? Humans are easy to coax. If you hug him and have someone accompany him, he won't be so scared."
Xingxing nodded and believed it.
Then he stayed in his father's arms the whole day, occupying his only hand very reasonably.
Zhou Xiangyang was helpless, and finally he shamelessly went to the Cheng family next door to eat and drink for free.
Of course, the most important thing is to let Xingxing develop more feelings with the Cheng family.
-
After the first two busy days, everything finally got back on track.
It's time for Xingxing to report to kindergarten.
On the first day of school, the whole family sent him to school together.
Among them, Cheng Yuling, who looked the calmest, was the least calm.
Xu Meng was driving today, so Cheng Yulin and Zhou Xiangyang sat in the back. The two big men held the little kid in between, giving each other instructions.
Cheng Yuling: "If Xingxing gets bullied at school, she must fight back. Don't tolerate it. At worst, ask the teacher to call her parents!"
Zhou Xiangyang: "Xingxing, when you go to school, you must listen to your teachers and not bully other children. If you are bullied, don't be afraid. Use your watch to call your dad. Dad will support you no matter what he does."
Cheng Yuling: "If Xingxing makes good friends at school, she can invite them to her home to play. But if any child isolates you, you can use the things in your schoolbag to share with those who are nice to you."
Zhou Xiangyang: "You can't use the things in your schoolbag like this. Making friends depends on the heart and the eye. If there is no kid you particularly like, Xingxing should remember that it is better to have nothing than to have something that is not good enough. Friends gained through material things are unlikely to last long, you know?"
Cheng Yuling: "Xingxing, if you feel unwell at school, call us immediately, then go find the teacher and ask them to take you to the school clinic for a check-up. Take the medicine obediently. If you are afraid of injections, put a piece of candy in your mouth first."
Zhou Xiangyang: "Your father Cheng is right. If Xingxing feels that she is sick, she must go to the teacher and the doctor immediately. She should take medicine and get injections. Don't be afraid, because Dad will definitely come to accompany you as soon as possible."
Cheng Yuling: "Xingxing you..."
Zhou Xiangyang: "Xingxing you..."
Star:"……"
After being forced to listen to the conflicting instructions along the way, the child, who had been patient all the way, finally couldn't hold it in any longer when the bus stopped. Before entering the school, he vomited milk all over his two fathers because of motion sickness.
So in the end, the pale-faced child was dazed and escorted into the classroom by his grandmother and mother, while the two talkative fathers were left standing at the school gate as punishment. They both disliked each other, but it happened that for the trouble they had caused today, each of them had to bear half the responsibility.
Xingxing had only drunk a small cup of warm milk in the morning, and now that her stomach was empty from vomiting, she felt more energetic than when she was dizzy sitting in the car.
He was carrying the small schoolbag prepared by the housekeeper and looked around the kindergarten full of humans with curiosity.
Adult humans, and human cubs.
Food, and food reserves.
Looking at the humans of all sizes crowded together, Xingxing swallowed subconsciously.
Fragrant~
I'm hungry.
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