Chapter 52 The Gloomy Little Poor Boy from the 70s
Another child's problem has been solved.
Su Wanqing was like a seedling that had been parched for a long time and then received rain, desperately absorbing every opportunity that could help her grow.
Knowing that the opportunity to study was hard-won, she studied with all her might, and her grades quickly rose to the top of the grade, even surpassing those of Shen Huai in the beginning.
As expected of the female protagonist of the world, her intelligence and resilience are truly remarkable.
Fortunately, Shen Huai has already transferred to an international school in Shanghai; otherwise, if the two of them were in the same school, they would probably immediately become each other's strongest competitors.
Every weekend, without fail, Su Wanqing would come to the Shen family's old house. Regardless of whether Shen Ci and her son were there, she would always find something to do.
Pulling weeds in the yard, helping Aunt Fan clean, doing whatever chores were available—these were the ways she expressed her gratitude.
No one asked her to do anything; it was all voluntary on her part.
Her drive even influenced Shen Huai, who was far away in Shanghai. Shen Huai, who was already extremely self-disciplined, is now even more demanding of himself.
He harbored an unspoken competitive spirit; he had to be the most outstanding and proud child in his mother's eyes, and he couldn't be outdone by others.
Appropriate competition can indeed motivate people to strive for progress.
But that's not enough. Although there is no romantic relationship between Shen Huai and Su Wanqing at present, and they have only met a handful of times, fate is a strange thing, and who can say for sure?
That day, Shen Ci sought out Shen Huai and discussed the matter with him in a calm tone.
"Xiao Huai, Mom has an idea and would like to hear your opinion."
"Please speak."
Shen Huai put down the book in his hand and looked at his mother seriously.
"You know Wanqing, she's grateful, hardworking, and excellent. I like her very much."
Shen Ci took out a scarf and a pair of gloves.
"Look, this is a gift she bought for her mother with her scholarship money. The red scarf was hand-knitted by her own yarn as a way of thanking me."
These black gloves, she bought them at the store, as a gift for you.
The red hand-knitted scarf, though perhaps not perfectly stitched, was made by Su Wanqing herself, while the black gloves she bought at the store were a polite way of expressing her gratitude while maintaining a distance.
Intelligent and perceptive, she instinctively sensed that Shen Huai might not need her to enthusiastically make a gift by hand.
Shen Huai looked at the gloves, and for a moment his expression became uneasy.
He recalled that when he first met Su Wanqing, he only wanted to drive her away. Compared to her thoughtfulness in maintaining distance while still being polite, he felt that he was a bit... petty.
"Mom is thinking about adopting Wanqing as her goddaughter. What do you think?" Shen Ci asked gently.
Shen Huai paused for a moment.
He understood that his mother was respecting his opinion, so he raised his head and spoke calmly.
“If Mom likes her very much, then do as Mom wishes. I respect your decision.” He paused, then added.
"This is your right."
Let alone adopting a goddaughter, even if the mother wants to remarry and have another child, he can only have his own opinion, but has no right to interfere. Everyone is an independent individual, and no one can bind others based on their own selfish desires.
"And what about you? Putting everything else aside, what kind of child do you think Wanqing is?" Shen Ci pressed, wanting to know her son's true opinion.
Shen Huai thought carefully for a moment and offered a few words.
"Intelligent...thoughtful...knows how to assess situations." He acknowledged her intelligence, but he could also sense a caution and weighing of options beyond her years.
Shen Ci almost laughed when she heard this. She thought the boy was being scheming, but he didn't even look at the "scheming" label on his system panel. However, she was happy that her son hadn't belittled or smeared the other person because of his personal likes or dislikes; his evaluation was quite objective.
“You also said she’s smart,” Shen Ci said, guiding the conversation.
"It would be a shame to waste such a smart child. Our family business will grow bigger and bigger in the future, and we need to cultivate many reliable and capable people."
Mom's donations to education projects are also a way to discover promising talents among these bright children, so they can become your right-hand men in the future.
She looked into her son's eyes, her tone becoming even more sincere.
"So my mother wanted to adopt her as her goddaughter. On the one hand, she didn't want to waste her talent and hoped to nurture her properly. On the other hand, she genuinely liked the child."
But Mom asked you because if she becomes my goddaughter, that is, your god-sister, this matter concerns you, and Mom has to care about your feelings.
Because in my heart, you will always be my most important biological child.
Everything your mother does is simply paving the way for you, clearing away any obstacles that may arise in the future, and giving you a smooth path.
In fact, Shen Ci had considered whether to adopt Su Wanqing directly and completely cut off any possibility of becoming husband and wife. But then she thought, can feelings be completely severed by an adoption?
The world is full of grudges and entanglements, and what is meant to happen will happen. Instead of forcibly creating obstacles with titles and status, it is better to start guiding them properly from now on, so that both children can walk on the right path, build a healthy relationship, and become good children.
Even if something unexpected happens in the future, it should be done openly and honestly, rather than creating new entanglements of love and hate.
After listening to his mother's long explanation, Shen Huai's slight unease dissipated, and he nodded.
“I have no objection, I agree, and I don’t dislike her, I just don’t know her well yet.”
He thought for a moment, then asked, "Will she move in with us?"
He was a little worried that his mother would have an even harder time taking care of two people.
"She will probably stay in Huaicheng to study most of the time. During holidays, we can pick her up and bring her to Shanghai to stay for a while. Mom can also take you on a trip so you can see more of the world and broaden your horizons."
As Shen Ci made her plans, she held Shen Huai's hand, looked into his eyes, and was extremely solemn.
"Xiao Huai, remember this: no matter how many children your mother has or how many godparents she has, you are always your mother's only biological child."
This will never change; we will always be mother and child.
She knew that Shen Huai had a strong possessive desire for this hard-won family bond, and the essence of this possessiveness was the deep-seated fear of losing it. She had to give him enough security.
Looking into his mother's firm yet gentle eyes, Shen Huai's last trace of unease vanished, as if his mother always knew what he was thinking.
He really didn't want to share such a wonderful mother with anyone, but his mother was indeed the one who cared about him the most. His love-struck mind turned him into a mama's boy.
"Mom, I understand."
"Ding-dong! Villain rescue value +10%!"
Current rescue value: 65%!
Darkening value -10%!
Current corruption level: 35%!
The system notification sounded at the right time, and Shen Ci was filled with emotion.
Gaining the child's trust and favor at first was so difficult; the boy, who had just come from Zhoujia Village, was full of vigilance and unease about the unfamiliar world.
But with her constant companionship, unconditional love, and patient guidance, she gradually melted the ice in his heart.
Once someone is included in his inner circle, his trust and favorability towards them will increase rapidly. He can be said to be completely unguarded with people he truly trusts, showing an extremely innocent side.
Just like in his original destiny, he trusted Su Wanqing without reservation and gave her all his vulnerabilities, which is why Su Wanqing betrayed him and stole his trade secrets.
Her child, deep down, is a simple and affectionate good child. Having experienced so much suffering, he still retains the ability to trust others. How precious and how difficult this is!
She was proud of him.
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