Chapter 857: 859, Bai Niangzi and Xu Xian (First Update)

Zhou Jin grabbed Lin Xiyuan’s arm, "Xiyuan, never speak of such things again! Not only do I disapprove, even Little Zhe would never agree to it! This is simply preposterous! How could someone as educated as you even utter such words?"

Zhou Jin couldn’t accept this matter at all.

If she really agreed to Lin Xiyuan, that would also be unfair to Mo Qingyi; she couldn’t do such a thing.

Lin Xiyuan continued.

"Auntie, I promise, I will not destroy Brother Duanmu’s and Sister Qingyi’s marriage. I just want to bear a child for Brother Duanmu. Auntie, you are a mother too. Can you bear to watch Brother Duanmu without an heir? Rest assured, after the child is born, I will hand them to Sister Qingyi to raise, and from then on, Sister Qingyi will be the child’s birth mother. I will never appear before Sister Qingyi again. I will find someone I love and live a good life!"

"No way, Xiyuan, stop talking. I won’t agree to this, just go now, your uncle will be back soon." Given the current situation, Zhou Jin could only urge Lin Xiyuan to leave quickly.

"Auntie, please let me repay my debt. Otherwise, I will have restless nights. Brother Duanmu saved my life; it’s only right that I repay him with a child." Lin Xiyuan was still kneeling on the ground, tugging at Zhou Jin’s clothes, her eyes showing nothing but the desire to repay the kindness.

"Xiyuan, I appreciate your sentiment, but I truly cannot agree to this. If Qingyi really can’t bear a son or a daughter for the Duanmu family, I will accept it. Even if we have to adopt a child from the orphanage, we cannot agree to this. What you’re proposing is not repaying a favor, it’s creating animosity." How could Lin Xiyuan, a good girl, bear a child out of wedlock? Even if she doesn’t regret it now, she will in the future.

Zhou Jin would absolutely not do such a thing.

Her values wouldn’t allow her to do it, either.

"Auntie, an adopted child could never compare to one’s own flesh and blood, and the Duanmu family’s vast estate is the result of you and uncle’s hard work. Can you really watch as outsiders take it away? Auntie, I know you are refusing for my sake. Please be at ease, if I’ve decided to do this, I will not regret it, and I won’t let anyone else find out. Please agree for my sake." Lin Xiyuan pleaded desperately.

"I can’t agree, I truly can’t," Zhou Jin waved her hand, "Xiyuan, you are still young, and I can understand your impulsiveness. The incident last time, if it wasn’t Little Zhe, any person would have done the same. If it had been someone else who saved you that day, would you also want to bear his child?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiyuan immediately rebutted.

"But the fact is, it was Brother Duanmu who saved me. If he hadn’t, I would be dead by now. You saw the situation that day, no one else but Brother Duanmu was willing to help. Auntie, please fulfill my desire to repay his kindness. A thousand years ago, Bai Suzhen bore a child for Xu Xian to repay him for saving her life. Just think of me as that White Snake, here to repay Brother Duanmu’s kindness. Once I have borne the child, I will leave and never disturb Brother Duanmu and Sister Qingyi’s lives."

Zhou Jin frowned slightly, "Bai Suzhen repaid Xu Xian by bearing his child because Xu Xian was unmarried. But Little Zhe is a married man. Your behavior is akin to interfering in someone’s marriage, to put it bluntly, you are being a third party, Xiyuan. You are a good girl. Why would you debase yourself like this?"

Zhou Jin’s words were rather harsh. It was only because Lin Xiyuan’s spirit was strong—that any other person would not have been able to tolerate such language.

Third party.

That was not a good term.

"Auntie, I just want to repay a favor; I’m not trying to intrude on Brother Duanmu’s and Sister Qingyi’s marriage. Auntie, I hope you can understand me. You and uncle have been so kind to me, and Brother Duanmu risked his life to save mine; I cannot just watch as the Duanmu family line ends." Lin Xiyuan spoke with righteousness.

Lin Xiyuan repeatedly mentioned the word "lineage" with the intent to provoke Zhou Jin into yielding.

Why wouldn’t she agree when a fine girl like her was willing to bear a son for Duanmu without asking for anything in return?

Moreover, she had never revealed her love for Duanmu Zhe in front of Zhou Jin.

With no emotional entanglement, Zhou Jin shouldn’t have so many reservations.

"Xiyuan, please leave. There’s no need to say more, I truly cannot agree to this!" Zhou Jin’s stance was very resolute.

Her way of addressing Lin Xiyuan had changed as well.

Lin Xiyuan still refused to give up.

Since things had come to this point, she wouldn’t back down so easily.

She really wanted to have a child with Duanmu Zhe.

A child that belonged only to them.

Lin Xiyuan continued.

"Auntie, I understand your concerns, please believe me, I will not tell a single soul about this. Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, I know. There are so many methods of conception now. If you’re worried about Brother Duanmu’s and Sister Qingyi’s feelings, we can keep it from them, as long as you cooperate with me."

There were many ways to get pregnant nowadays; it wasn’t necessary to conceive naturally.

Lin Xiyuan only wanted a child that belonged to Duanmu Zhe, the method was unimportant.

Zhou Jin sighed, "Stop talking, I won’t agree to this, Xiyuan. Let’s just pretend I have never been here today and go back." With that, Zhou Jin walked toward the inner room, ignoring Zhou Jin.

No matter what Lin Xiyuan said, Zhou Jin would not agree to it.

It was simply too absurd.

If she really agreed, she would not only be betraying Mo Qingyi, but also her own conscience.

Lin Xiyuan watched Zhou Jin’s retreating figure, biting her lip with a sense of unwillingness.

A moment later, she stood up from the ground, narrowed her eyes, and left the place.

Even if Zhou Jin did not agree today, she would find a way to make Zhou Jin agree.

Time can solve everything.

On the second floor, Zhou Jin stood on the balcony, deeply sighing as she watched the fading figure of Lin Xiyuan.

No matter what, Lin Xiyuan’s intentions were good.

Nowadays, there really aren’t many girls willing to sacrifice themselves for gratitude.

However, Zhou Jin could not accept the way Xiyuan wanted to express her gratitude.

Poland Mountain.

Bao Bao and Bei Bei had successfully arrived at Poland Mountain.

Life on the mountain was quite novel. Bao Bao and Bei Bei were either chasing the rooster around the yard or hiding in the corner making clay figures. These days, Bao Bao and Bei Bei even learned how to climb trees.

Bao Bao and Bei Bei were like two simpletons from the city visiting the countryside, not understanding anything and curious about everything they encountered.

Bao Bao and Bei Bei also had very sweet mouths, calling everyone grandpa and grandma, which made Uncle Wu and Aunt Lin extremely happy.

"Grandma, what are you doing?" Bao Bao asked curiously as he approached Aunt Lin.

Aunt Lin was sifting through millet to remove the broken leaves and sand.

A sieve was an ancient household item, almost unseen in the city now, and both Bao Bao and Bei Bei were seeing such a strange object for the first time.

Aunt Lin smiled and said, "I’m sifting millet. Don’t you both like millet fritters? After I sift the millet, I’ll grind it into flour, and then I can make millet fritters."

Now, Bao Bao and Bei Bei were Aunt Lin and Uncle Wu’s new favorites.

Days on the mountain were leisurely, and it had been a long time since the old couple had enjoyed such familial happiness.

Every day, Aunt Lin thought of different tasty dishes to make for Bao Bao and Bei Bei.

"What do you use to grind it?" Bao Bao continued to ask.

"A stone mill," Aunt Lin said cheerfully.

"What’s a stone mill?" Bao Bao asked, scratching his head in confusion.

"Look, that’s it." Aunt Lin raised her hand and pointed to the stone mill in the corner.

The stone mill obviously had many years on it, its handle worn smooth and shiny from use.

"Oh, this thing. I’ve seen it on TV," Bao Bao walked over, curiously eyeing the stone mill. He was quite short, his head just reaching the handle of the mill, "Grandma, how do you use this?"

Aunt Lin walked over with a smile and gave the handle of the stone mill a push, "Here, let me show you. You just push it like this."

Bao Bao immediately stood on his tiptoes and pushed, making the stone mill rotate.

Bei Bei squatted to one side, engrossed in observing the ground, with a stalk of straw in hand.

Chu Jin approached and softly asked, "Bei Bei, what are you doing?" The icy clarity that once filled her eyes had disappeared, replaced by a warm glow. She was obviously the mother of two four-year-olds, but on Chu Jin, not a single trace of the years could be seen.

"Mommy, shhh." Bei Bei put her index finger to her lips, motioning for silence, "Mommy, please speak quietly. I’m watching the little ants move," she whispered, "don’t scare them away."

Only then did Chu Jin notice a group of little ants transporting food on the freshly tilled soil.

"Bei Bei, stop watching these little ants. How about coming inside with mommy and having some mung bean soup? It’s cooling and detoxifying," Chu Jin whispered.

Bei Bei shook her head, "No, Mommy, I need to supervise these little ants personally. Look at this one; it keeps bullying that one. This little ant is the hardest working—it carries the most food. I have to keep an eye on them so they don’t bully other ants or get lazy."

Bei Bei was a very caring child and, likewise, very patient.

Chu Jin smiled and gently touched Bei Bei’s little head, "Then mommy will go inside first."

"Okay," Bei Bei nodded, "Mommy, you go ahead."

In the mountains, the weather can change in an instant. One moment it was sunny, and the next, the sky was covered with dark clouds, with thunder rumbling.

The air during rain was exceptionally fresh.

Everyone had returned to the house, with only Bei Bei continuing to squat under an umbrella in the heavy rain.

While Chu Jin was teaching Bao Bao how to draw, Mo Zhixuan saw Bei Bei squatting in the rain all by herself and, thinking she had been wronged, hurriedly ran over and soothingly said, "What’s wrong, Bei Bei? Did that naughty Bao Bao bully you? Daddy won’t like him anymore, come back with Daddy."

Whenever Bei Bei was upset, Mo Zhixuan’s first thought was that Bao Bao was to blame.

"Brother didn’t bully me," Bei Bei looked up at Mo Zhixuan, her voice childishly sweet, "Daddy, I’m holding the umbrella for the little ants. Otherwise, the rain will wash them away."

The heavy rain had come on quickly, and the little ants hadn’t completely made it back to their nest.

"Okay," Mo Zhixuan nodded slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips, "then Daddy will stay with you."

"Daddy, you’re so nice." Bei Bei tiptoed and gently kissed Mo Zhixuan’s cheek.

That gentle kiss melted Mo Zhixuan’s heart.

Ever since he had a daughter, Mo Zhixuan felt like his own mental age had gotten younger, too. Years ago, he would have never imagined that one day, he would be standing in the rain with a young little girl, holding an umbrella for ants.

Chu Jin was helping Bao Bao with his drawing.

Bao Bao might have been young, but the way he held the pencil was quite correct. He took the pencil confidently, positioned it mid-air, squinting his eyes and accurately capturing the essence of each scene, like a gifted young artist.

Bao Bao was drawing a father and daughter holding an umbrella for the ants amid a downpour.

Though a simple sketch, it had character. With just a few strokes, he had captured the spirit of the father and daughter in the rain.

It was filled with warmth.

The title of the drawing was, "The Happy Little Ants."

He put down the pencil.

XX Year, August 16th, drawn by Bao Bao at Poland Mountain.

"Mommy, does my drawing look good?" Bao Bao looked at Chu Jin with an air of pride, his expression clearly saying, "Praise me! Praise me!"

"It looks very good," Chu Jin nodded gently.

Bao Bao jumped off the stool, "I’m going to show grandma and grandpa." With that, he scampered off to the kitchen, bouncing along the way.

Aunt Lin and Uncle Wu were making yellow rice cakes.

Seeing Bao Bao’s drawing, they lavished him with praise, so much so that his tail might have been ready to curl up to the sky.

After a while, Mo Zhixuan walked in with Bei Bei holding his hand.

Over there, Aunt Lin and Uncle Wu also came out of the kitchen with Bao Bao.

"Bei Bei, do you want to eat the fried yellow rice cake Grandma has made?" Aunt Lin approached Bei Bei with a plate of just-fried yellow rice cakes.

"I want to eat, I want to eat." Bei Bei nodded repeatedly, "I love the fried yellow rice cake made by Grandma the most!" Bei Bei was so happy that she almost jumped up.

The yellow rice cakes fresh out of the pan were golden and crispy, sweet and soft, incredibly tasty, and even Chu Jin ended up eating several more pieces.

Life in the mountains was truly wonderful.

There was no disturbance from strings and woodwinds, no burden of paperwork.

Serene and leisurely.

After lunch, the wind had stopped, the rain had stopped too, and the sun quietly peeked out from the clouds to reveal a dazzling rainbow above the lush foliage.

"There’s a rainbow, it’s a rainbow!" Bao Bao and Bei Bei excitedly pointed to the sky.

In the bustling city, it was almost rare to see a rainbow.

Bao Bao and Bei Bei usually only saw such beautiful rainbows on TV, so they were extremely thrilled.

"Mommy, quickly take a picture of me and sister." Bao Bao hugged Bei Bei and struck a victory hand pose.

The two little ones wore identical clothes, and their faces looked so similar too. If they didn’t speak, it really was difficult to tell who was Bao Bao and who was Bei Bei.

Chu Jin picked up her phone and took a joint photo of Bao Bao and Bei Bei.

"Bao Bao and Bei Bei, do you want Grandpa to take you mushroom picking in the mountain?" Uncle Wu approached Bao Bao and Bei Bei, smiling amiably.

After heavy rain, many new edible mushrooms would appear in the forest.

"Yes, yes, I want to go," said Bei Bei, quite excited.

"Then I’m going too. I will protect my sister," said Bao Bao, holding Bei Bei’s hand, a serious look on his face.

Uncle Wu gave each of Bao Bao and Bei Bei a little basket and also put a small straw hat on them.

The two followed behind Uncle Wu, looking proper, as they walked into the forest.

Chu Jin and Mo Zhixuan followed behind them.

A thick mist had risen in the mountains after the rain, and with Bao Bao and Bei Bei being playful, it would have been difficult for Uncle Wu to handle any situation by himself.

It was their first time mushroom picking, and Bao Bao was exceptionally excited, humming along the way, "The little girl picking mushrooms, with a large bamboo basket on her back, wandering the forests and hills barefoot in the early morning..."

After hearing the song, Bei Bei scratched her head and said, "Brother, it’s me who should be singing that song. You are a boy."

"Right, I am singing it for you," said Bao Bao, looking at Bei Bei. "Sister, don’t you know how to sing this song? Shall I teach you?"

Compared to Bei Bei, Bao Bao seemed much more ’talented and versatile.’

Bao Bao could sing, play the guzheng, and harmonica... He had even followed Bei Bei and learned classical dance... and even danced better than Bei Bei did.

No one had deliberately taught him; he just watched a few times and learned.

The song of the two little ones echoed through the forest.

Although the pronunciation wasn’t so precise, it made people feel joyful and very happy to listen to.

Indeed, there were a lot of mushrooms after the rain, and in a short while, they had filled several baskets full.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read