That night, the moonlight shone like water. The garden was serene. Nourished by Qiqi's holy light, the beads rested peacefully on their specially crafted velvet cushions, radiating a warm glow. The abacus frame was spotlessly clean, its cracks largely healed. The vines danced gently in the moonlight, the parts repaired by Lingbao glowing with life. Lingbao was already fast asleep in his cradle. Erbao slept soundly in Su Li's arms, clutching his now-rediscovered, polished silver pacifier. Qibao and A'Luo also retired to their rooms to rest.
Only Chen Bao, holding the restored abacus frame, sat on the moonlit stone steps, his small figure looking somewhat lonely. He looked at the neatly arranged, quietly resting beads, his little face reflecting an unprecedented look of earnest thought.
Xiao Jue walked silently to his side and sat down without saying much, just quietly accompanying him.
After a long time, Chen Bao raised his head and looked at his father. His dark eyes were particularly clear in the moonlight: "Dad, Chen'er was wrong."
"Oh?" Xiao Jue raised his eyebrows.
"The abacus... is Chen'er's partner, not a tool." Chen Bao's voice was filled with regret, "Chen'er shouldn't... just think about deduction and let it calculate over and over... until it's tired and smoking." He remembered the highlighted conclusion before the abacus beads went on strike: [Insufficient heat dissipation efficiency! Efficiency loss rate: 233%! ] And the universal law written by Ling Bao on the abacus... the increase in entropy in a closed system, the dissipation of energy... partners will also get tired.
A hint of relief flashed in Xiao Jue's eyes, and he gently rubbed his son's head with his big hand: "Admitting one's mistakes and being able to correct them is the greatest virtue. Between partners, understanding and cherishing each other are the most important." He pointed to the beads that were resting, "They also need to rest so that they can better accompany you on your journey."
Chen Bao nodded gravely. He embraced the abacus frame and walked over to the resting beads. He reached out his small hand, not to fiddle with them, but like Qiqi, with his fingertips, a faint, gentle touch of his own (no longer the sharpness of his calculations), gently brushing over each warm bead. It was as if he were silently apologizing, or making a promise.
Moonlight gently fell, coating everything in the courtyard with a silvery sheen. The dancing vines, the resting beads, the quiet children, the silent father. The air lingered with the freshness of Qiqi's holy light, the subtle sweetness of the vines, and a faint, moonlit tranquility.
Suanpan's strike protest, Lingbao's cosmic draft, Erbao's flying pacifier, the system's emergency legislation... This chaotic storm, unleashed by the careless mistakes of these adorable children, ultimately dissolved under the moonlight into a gentle reconciliation about companionship, responsibility, and understanding. The daily routine of the General's Mansion continued to flow forward in this cycle of hilarious yet heartwarming moments.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com