Chapter 201 Yaozu in the Mountain Village (Sixteen) Beep! Strive to be a good person...
The train headed towards Beijing, and little Dong Mengru had fallen asleep against the window sometime during the journey. Her brow was slightly furrowed, and even in her sleep, she seemed unusually uneasy. Song Ce sighed and gently laid her down on the lower bunk.
Looking out the window at the gradually darkening sky and the rapidly receding fields, Song Ce felt a mix of emotions. Before that, he had wanted to find suitable and reliable adoptive parents for Dong Mengru, but when they heard that the child was already eight years old and a girl, they awkwardly waved their hands and refused.
He didn't consider himself a saint or a saint, but Dong Mengru had suffered too much in her previous life; happiness had never shone upon her. The little girl's brief appearance in that world was like a blade of grass that no one cared about, leaving not even the slightest ripple.
That kind of suffering is enough to experience in one lifetime.
The lights in the carriage came on, casting a warm yellow glow down the aisle. Song Ce glanced instinctively at Dong Mengru, worried that the light might wake her. The little girl was fast asleep, her long eyelashes casting soft shadows beneath her eyelids, and her slightly furrowed brows had relaxed somewhat.
As dawn broke, the train pulled into Beijing Railway Station.
Looking at the towering buildings and pedestrians in front of her, Dong Mengru rubbed her eyes and looked at everything outside with curiosity.
"Brother, brother, where is this? It's so big!"
Seeing Dong Mengru's amazed tone, Song Ce smiled and said to her, "This is Beijing. From now on, you will live in Beijing with your older brother and sister."
"Beijing..."
A hint of confusion and fear flashed in Dong Mengru's eyes. She subconsciously grabbed Song Ce's clothes and didn't dare to let go for a moment.
"Ruru, don't be afraid, follow your brother."
Song Ce smiled reassuringly, took Dong Mengru's small hand tightly, and led her through the crowd back to Runzhuyuan Community.
At this moment, Song Xi, who had already received the news in advance, kept looking around at the entrance of the community. Before long, she saw a taxi slowly stop not far away. Her younger brother got out of the car with a little girl he didn't know and waved to her.
"sister!"
Song Xi quickly went to meet her, her gaze naturally falling on Dong Mengru. The little girl timidly hid behind Song Ce, only her bright black eyes showing.
"You must be Ruru?"
Song Xi lowered her voice, a gentle smile on her face, "I'm Sister Song Xi, come on, let's go home!"
Dong Mengru pursed her lips and didn't speak, but her small hands gripped Song Ce's clothes even tighter. Song Ce patted the top of her head and said softly, "Ruru, this is my sister. She's a very nice person. You don't need to be afraid."
"elder sister."
Dong Mengru slowly moved half of her body out and called out softly, but as soon as she finished speaking, she shrank back behind Song Ce to hide.
Seeing this, Song Xi couldn't help but laugh and reached out to help Song Ce carry his schoolbag. "Xiao Ce, let's go! It's hot outside, let's go home first."
"Um."
After the three finished their meal, Dong Mengru gave a very delicate yawn. Song Xi smiled and led her to the room that had been prepared in advance. Before long, Dong Mengru fell asleep.
Song Xi quietly closed the bedroom door, glancing at her younger brother who was cleaning up the dishes in the kitchen. She couldn't help but lower her voice and ask, "Xiao Ce, are you really sure about this child? You're only a freshman in college; raising a child will be very hard. Besides, you and Chu Xia just officially started dating. I'm worried..."
Song Ce wiped the water droplets from his hands and smiled slightly, "Sister, I know what you're worried about. I've already talked to Chu Xia about it, and she's very supportive of me."
Seeing the seriousness in her younger brother's eyes, Song Xi swallowed back the words she was about to say. She knew her brother's temperament; although he seemed easy to talk to, once he made up his mind, he wouldn't easily change it.
Thinking about the future, Song Xi couldn't help but sigh. "Xiao Ce, it's not a big deal to have more mouths to feed at home, but my brother and I are still in college. She has to go to school, right? Who will take care of her then?"
“Sister, I’ve already completed the enrollment procedures for Ruru. I’ll send her to Jingnan Affiliated School next Monday. Aunt Zhou will take care of her daily life.” Song Ce replied.
"Aunt Zhou?"
"Yes, Aunt Zhou is the top-notch nanny I found for Ruru. After a while, once she gets used to school life, I'll enroll her in some extracurricular classes to enrich her life. And when I don't have many classes, I'll come over and keep her company."
Song Xi nodded and said helplessly, "Since you've thought of everything so thoroughly, then I support you. From now on, we'll take care of Ruru together."
"Thank you, sister." Song Ce smiled and thanked her sincerely.
...
Time flies, and before they knew it, it was time for Song Ce and Qin Chuxia to graduate.
In four years, Song Ce upgraded his antique appraisal skills from basic to advanced. He restored countless antiques and cultural relics. Even when he was still a student, he was already a highly respected young restorer in the antique circle.
Because of his foundation in antiquities appraisal and restoration, Song Ce, while attending university, successfully restored a Yuan Dynasty blue-and-white snake-head ewer at the Jingbei Museum, which had been damaged for nearly twenty years. This restored the rare ancient porcelain to its former beauty and charm. Soon after, the Yuan Dynasty blue-and-white snake-head ewer became one of the museum's prized possessions, displayed in the most prominent position in the porcelain exhibition hall.
It was this classic restoration case that made Song Ce famous in the field of cultural relic restoration. He spent two years completing all the archaeology courses and the remaining two years restoring damaged cultural relics in various museums.
During this period, Song Ce pioneered a unique "antique repair" technique. Even broken pieces of porcelain the size of soybeans could be restored to their original state without any trace of artificial repair, which amazed everyone.
On stage, Song Ce, representing outstanding students, slowly addressed the audience: "China's thousands of years of history and civilization have created countless ancient artifacts that need restoration, yet there are far too few skilled individuals. I will dedicate my life to studying the art of artifact restoration, striving to achieve cultural confidence for China, and actively contributing my strength to the preservation of China's history..."
After the speech, Qin Chuxia waited for him in the audience, her eyes radiating love. Song Ce smiled slightly, took the sunflower Qin Chuxia offered, and took her slightly cool hand in his.
Qin Chuxia looked up at him, her eyes sparkling, "Song Ce, you spoke so well."
Song Ce patted the top of her head and smiled gently, "Is there a reward for being a girlfriend?"
Qin Chuxia lowered her head somewhat shyly and asked softly, "What kind of reward do you want?"
"Keep it a secret for now."
No sooner had Song Ce finished speaking than a clear voice came from not far away, "Brother, Sister Chu Xia!"
The two looked in the direction of the sound and saw Song Xi standing a little distance away, holding the hand of Dong Mengru, who had grown into a young girl. The girl was wearing a clean school uniform skirt, holding a small gift box prepared for them, and was waving vigorously at them.
Over the past four years, Dong Mengru has shed the frailty and timidity she had when we first met, and her eyes have gradually become more cheerful and lively. She is no longer the shy little girl she once was. At the Affiliated School of Jingnan, she quickly integrated into the group, and her grades naturally became among the best.
"Ruru, come here quickly!" Song Ce and Qin Chuxia waved to her.
Dong Mengru jogged over and handed the gift boxes to Song Ce and Qin Chuxia respectively. "Brother, Sister Chuxia, congratulations on your graduation." The gift boxes were bought with her own saved allowance, and the contents were gifts she made herself.
Qin Chuxia accepted the gift box with a look of surprise and delight, patted Dong Mengru's hair, and smiled, "Thank you, Ruru, I'm very happy."
"Um!"
After the graduation ceremony, Song Xi left early with Dong Mengru, saying she had a physical education class in the afternoon. Qin Chuxia, unsuspecting, smiled and waved goodbye to the two sisters.
Sunlight filtered through layers of leaves, dappling the two walking side by side. Qin Chuxia suddenly seemed to remember something and turned to look at Song Ce: "By the way, what exactly is this reward you mentioned that you're keeping secret for now?"
Song Ce paused, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes: "Come on, I'll take you somewhere."
Where are we going?
Come with me!
And so, Qin Chuxia, in a daze, followed them to an unfamiliar villa halfway up the mountain.
"Song Ce, where is this? What are we doing here?" Qin Chuxia asked curiously.
"You'll find out soon enough." Song Ce smiled slightly and led Qin Chuxia through a grove of weeping willows.
In the distance, on a lush green open space, large white rose petals were scattered. Bouquets of the same color were arranged on either side of the petals, the flowers unfolding layer upon layer, filling the surroundings with a refreshing fragrance.
Qin Chuxia subconsciously stopped in her tracks and unconsciously looked at the warm yellow colored lights that stretched out in the distance.
"Early Summer, shall we go further ahead and take a look?" Song Ce's voice rang in my ears, carrying a hint of barely perceptible tension.
Qin Chuxia nodded and slowly moved forward. Soon, more of the scenery gradually became clear.
As dusk fell, white and gray balloons were arranged in a giant arch, behind which stretched a vast expanse of misty reeds. A gentle evening breeze rustled the reeds, and warm yellow colored lights spelled out a short English phrase on the blades: "Marry me!"
Just then, a soothing melody began to play.
"This is..." Qin Chuxia covered her mouth, her eyes instantly reddening.
Song Ce gently wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, rested his chin on the top of her head, and whispered, "Do you remember what you said three years ago: the most romantic proposal isn't in a crowded place, but with a breeze and a sunset?"
Qin Chuxia hadn't expected that Song Ce would remember a casual remark she'd made for so long. She turned around, looking into the young man's earnest eyes, her voice trembling slightly, "How do you still remember..."
Song Ce released her, slowly knelt on one knee, took a velvet box from his pocket, and handed it to her: "From the moment I first saw you, I knew that you were the one I wanted to spend my life with. I am not a perfect lover, but I am willing to spend the rest of my life being good to you and ensuring that you will never suffer. Chu Xia, will you... marry me?"
Looking at the expectation and nervousness in her lover's eyes, Qin Chuxia finally couldn't hold back her tears. The moments they had shared over the years flashed through her mind like scenes from a movie, each moment seemingly filled with tender love.
"I do, Song Ce, I do want to marry you."
Song Ce's eyes reddened slightly. He picked up the ring and gently slipped it onto Qin Chuxia's ring finger; the size was just right. He stood up and hugged the girl tightly.
Qin Chuxia leaned against his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat, and hugged her lover tightly. The evening breeze ruffled her long hair, carrying the scent of grass and roses, gently enveloping the sweet couple.
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Author's Note: [Starry-eyed]
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