64
Chu Qinghuai wasn't called this when he was a child. A fortune teller said he was destined to harm his children, which gave his ignorant parents an excuse to believe that his brother's cerebral palsy was caused by him. So from the moment he was born, he became the family's punching bag.
His parents called him "the beginning of misfortune".
When it came time to register his birth, some relatives who couldn't stand it said that the name was too awful and might bring bad luck to the whole family. His parents, being old-fashioned, thought this made sense. They overheard a neighbor's child reciting a poem about the Qinhuai River, and after some discussion, they randomly chose the name Chu Qinghuai and registered it. By sheer luck, it sounded quite nice. But from the time Chu Qinghuai was born until he entered junior high school, his parents still called him "the one who will bring disaster."
His hatred for his parents was not without reason. He had never had a good day before he turned eighteen. Even the university he worked so hard to get into was taken by someone else, and the culprit was his parents, who sold that university spot for 50,000 yuan.
His parents said it was a debt he owed his older brother, so the 50,000 yuan was to be saved to buy his brother a wife.
Meeting Zhong Wan was more precious to Chu Qinghuai than discovering an oasis in the desert; it was the greatest stroke of luck in his life.
The other person was around the same age as him and they were together. The young couple worked hard together without complaint. As two insignificant specks of dust in this city, they hoped that one day they would become two stones, at least noticeable.
The two shared a similar plight, and Chu Qinghuai was willing to do anything for Zhong Wan, except for having a child, which he hesitated about for nearly two years.
Chu Qinghuai, who was cursed since childhood as a jinx who would bring misfortune to his parents, children, and siblings, was hesitant to gamble. He was afraid that if something really happened to his baby, how would he face it? After all, his life had been filled with so many unlucky things, and what if he accidentally passed on his bad luck to his baby?
Who knew that later, someone told him that he was actually destined to have many children, and that he would have a peaceful and smooth life.
"..."
"Want to know about your past lives?"
A well-maintained middle-aged man stroked his chin and asked the two men with a smile.
Chu Qinghuai snapped out of his daze and, upon hearing the words, exchanged a knowing glance with Zhong Wan. Both of them saw in each other's eyes the question: "Should we believe in science?"
The middle-aged man smiled. "You can choose not to believe it."
Zhong Wan thought to herself: Once you tell us, how can we not believe you?
Chu Qinghuai answered him seriously, saying that in order to see the children as soon as possible, he was willing to seize any clue, even if it was wrong.
"Then, Chief, could you please tell us what happened in our past life?"
The mere mention of the words "past life" made him feel like his mouth was burning, and his ears were burning as if he were doing something improper.
"Have you never wondered why these three children are your biological children?"
“Of course,” Zhong Wan answered quickly, but a hint of caution crossed her face the next second. “We two should be human, right?”
Don't conjure up any kind of deity or anything like that for her; she's never seen a deity who's suffered such a miserable fate.
“You must be human.” The middle-aged man was both amused and exasperated. He finally understood where the little lotus spirit’s quirky personality came from; it was exactly like Zhong Wan’s.
After laughing, he placed his hand on his chin and began to speak slowly and deliberately.
...
Just as Zhong Wan guessed, she and Chu Qinghuai were indeed gods in their past lives, but they were the lowest-ranking minor gods.
Because their spiritual energy was too weak, they were arranged to be in the same batch to take care of each other when they descended to the mortal realm to undergo tribulations. Their first stop was Maple Orange Island, which was also the place where they stayed the longest, for a whole year.
When two people in love live in a simple and warm environment for a long time, they will have the idea of having a child.
It's incredibly easy for gods to create children. All the parents need to do is love each other, and they can use their spiritual energy to condense a embryo, and the child will slowly grow up.
Zhong Wan does not need to endure pain like human women to experience the joy of giving birth to a new life; on the contrary, she does not have to suffer any pain.
However, the embryo must absorb the spiritual energy of the parents' love in order to grow strong.
So Mu Mu's claim that she had met her parents was not a lie. Zhong Wan and Chu Qinghuai did indeed spend a full eight months watching her use the essence of Maple Orange Island to transform into an orange spirit, and then into human form, truly living a wonderful time with her parents.
However, the happier they were at the beginning, the more painful it was when they parted. The two little immortals, Zhong Wanchu and Qinghuai, completely forgot that they had to go to different places to undergo tribulations. Every time they arrived at a new place, their memories of the previous period would be erased, and they would start over.
They forgot about their daughter left on Maple Island and repeated their mistake in Fog Mountain, where their love was so intense that they conceived another child, Cai Cai, the Vegetable Spirit.
There was a reason why Xiao Qingcai was weak from a young age. Chu Qinghuai and Zhong Wan left Wushan again at the most critical time when he was about to become human. The small and weak vegetable spirit lacked the spiritual energy of his parents and grew up weak and sickly. Although he later became a child in a daze, he was slower to speak and walk than others.
In fact, when Chu Qinghuai Zhong was conceiving the third embryo, he had already regained a trace of his previous memories. He vaguely remembered that there seemed to be two more babies. However, things didn't go as planned. Just as the two were about to go to find the orange spirit and the vegetable spirit, the old deity in charge of this matter learned of the good deed they had done. He not only severely criticized them, but also erased their memories again and banished them back to the mortal world to atone for their sins.
Isn't it all about atonement? Zhong Wan and Chu Qinghuai's story begins with a catastrophic start, and the hardships they endured in their first twenty-five years could fill an inspirational novel.
...
The couple listened in a daze. Zhong Wan never imagined that she had such a rebellious side. She couldn't accept it for a moment and unconsciously put her hand on Chu Qinghuai's thigh. He said, "The children are innocent. Punishing us is enough. Why make them suffer these unnecessary hardships?"
If only he could have seen his three children sooner.
The middle-aged man, who was also the director of the Bureau of Spirits and Monsters, said, "Yes, the children are innocent."
These words suddenly awakened Chu Qinghuai. He pursed his lips, his face turning pale and then red, and he lowered his head in shame.
The children are innocent, yet he and Zhong Wan conceived three lives without considering any consequences, bringing them into this world without their consent, and have yet to take responsibility.
Isn't the suffering of babies caused by their own parents? Who can they blame?
The young parents were unusually quiet, and they all lowered their heads to reflect.
"Now this is our punishment, isn't it? We won't be able to see the babies anymore."
Zhong Wan was afraid that she would never see them again in her life. What would she do then? They were her own flesh and blood.
It's unimaginable how babies grow up without their parents by their side, how they learn to speak for the first time, walk for the first time, eat for the first time—she missed out on countless important milestones. There's nothing more regrettable than not being able to see her own child grow up.
"Do you love them?" the bureau chief asked.
"like!"
Chu Qinghuai and Zhong Wan spoke in unison, without the slightest hesitation.
"What if they become less pretty and cute, less obedient and well-behaved, or even perform poorly in school in the future? Wouldn't you mind? As far as I know, raising a child is extremely costly and stressful. Are you sure you want to take on three burdens?"
Then, the two gave a bitter smile. It wasn't regret, but sadness. How unreliable they must have been to make the other ask such a question.
"This is the most basic responsibility of parents, and we are fully willing to take it on and will never regret it."
This time, they will not push their children away again. They will be good parents and will raise them well, even if it means selling everything they own.
As for what would happen if the child became disobedient, Chu Qinghuai replied: "Children don't need to be obedient. I will teach her to be a person who respects the law and is kind, and that's enough."
He can tolerate children's naughtiness, and that's not just talk. He didn't say anything when Cai Cai secretly put cherry tomatoes in the shoes he was going to wear. Once, when the adults weren't paying attention, Xiao He took a bed sheet from the closet, draped it over himself, and ran around, getting himself all dirty. Zhong Wan could tolerate that too.
What they have no shortage of is patience, which can last for ten years or even decades.
Chu Qinghuai and Zhong Wan hope to have a chance to atone for their sins, to make up for the mistakes they made when they were young and ignorant, and to spend their whole lives learning to be good parents. They are both happy to do so.
The director was surprised to hear their words. Chu Qinghuai gave people the feeling of a mature man. It seems that his years of experience have been useful. He has been tempered into a deep and reserved person. The children will definitely be able to be well taken care of by him.
Turning my gaze to Zhong Wan, I was captivated by the gentle maternal glow emanating from her, softer than a spring breeze and more resilient than winter snow. No wonder the three little devils liked her and longed to be loved by her.
“Raising three children is quite a burden. Would you like to take care of just one child?”
Zhong Wan's face immediately fell. "No! They're not commodities! I want all three babies; we can afford to raise them."
The couple held hands even tighter under the table.
The man sitting opposite him laughed heartily, seemingly satisfied, and said slowly, "Go back and wait. I promise you'll see the child tomorrow. I'll have Little Eagle deliver it."
Zhong Wan's eyes lit up: "Really?"
"real."
"..."
Their world suddenly brightened, like the dazzling and breathtaking moment when a night-blooming cereus blooms, captivating all who behold it.
Two ordinary grains of dust are now washed away by the sweet spring water and are no longer insignificant.
-
Contrary to her previous negative attitude, Zhong Wan tidied up the house meticulously. She dried and washed the sheets and blankets in the children's rooms and disinfected the toys, waiting for their little owners to return.
Chu Qinghuai was cooking in the kitchen. Because the range hood was too loud, neither of them heard the knocking at first. It wasn't until they heard a clear "Mom" that Zhong Wan realized what was happening. After a moment of surprise, she went to open the door and was greeted by a huge hug. Three pairs of small hands hugged her legs at the same time.
"Mother!"
Before Zhong Wan could respond, the first thing she noticed was that they seemed to have grown quite a bit.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
