The whole family is insanely eavesdropping on my thoughts Chapter 640
Chapter 640: First Birthday Ritual
“D-Don’t… don’t cry.” Shan Shan clumsily fumbled in his pockets, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe the tears from Mai Feng’s face with great awkwardness.
Mai Feng’s eyes were red, his voice hoarse. “I’m not crying. There’s just sand in my eyes.”
Shan Shan shoved both hands into his pockets. “Oh…”
“Muddy… find, find… Bunny!” He lifted his chin, stammering through his words.
Mai Feng’s expression froze. Outside the carriage, Xie Yu Zhou sat, and Windchaser rode alongside on horseback.
At this moment, the only ones inside the carriage were him and Shan Shan.
Mai Feng wiped his tears away. “Find who? Guo Guo and Rui Rui? You can find them?” His face was filled with disbelief.
Shan Shan nodded proudly. “Midnight, find home!”
Mai Feng’s expression shifted from shock to delight, but then he shook his head. “Shan Shan, thank you for your kindness, but I can’t let you be affected because of me. The dead are gone like a snuffed-out lamp. My fate with Guo Guo and Rui Rui ends here. I’ll send them off on this final journey.”
Shan Shan tilted his head.
He could clearly see how much Mai Feng wanted to see them. Then why was he holding back?
Because of me? Was he trying to protect me?
Many emotions were still beyond Shan Shan’s understanding. He leaned against the carriage window, seemingly deep in thought.
By the time the group returned to the posthouse, it was already late at night.
After a long day of travel, everyone was exhausted. A simple wash-up later, they retired early for the night.
Shan Shan clutched Mai Feng’s sleeve tightly. The wet nurse noticed and suggested, “Why not have Young Master Mai Feng stay with Shan Shan tonight? This is the first time I’ve seen him take such a liking to someone.”
Windchaser consulted Mai Feng, who happily agreed, and only then did they settle down for the night.
In the middle of the night, Shan Shan opened his eyes.
Ever since they left the village, he had sensed a cold and eerie presence lingering around Mai Feng. Now, as he opened his eyes…
A pair of pale, swollen eyes loomed right in front of him.
Nose to nose.
A corpse drowned in water, bloated and ghastly, with the faint stench of river rot still clinging to it.
Rui Rui lay on the edge of the bed, staring at Shan Shan.
“Rui Rui, what are you doing? Staying too close to mortals will harm their lifespan. Step back.”
“Big brother is here.”
“Lotus City is thick with Buddhist energy. We can’t linger for long. We just wanted to see Big Brother one last time before leaving… Too bad Big Brother still can’t see me.” Guo Guo sighed as he looked at Mai Feng sleeping soundly on the bed.
Rui Rui tilted his head slightly. “I have this feeling… he actually can see me.”
He pointed at Shan Shan.
Guo Guo didn’t even blink, still staring at Mai Feng. “That’s impossible. He’s just a…” He turned his head, only to see Shan Shan sitting up, chubby little hands propping himself up, his face full of curiosity.
“See! I told you! I wasn’t lying!” Rui Rui leaped up excitedly.
Shan Shan gave them a glance, then waved his little hand, instantly pulling them both into a dream realm.
Not long after, he heard Mai Feng crying in his sleep.
Shan Shan pursed his lips in disdain. He had thought the two ghosts wouldn’t dare show themselves.
As dawn broke, the first rays of sunlight painted the sky with soft hues of gold.
Hand in hand, Rui Rui and Guo Guo stood before Shan Shan’s bed. “Big Brother Mai Feng has a kind heart. Good people deserve good endings. Now we can finally move on… Thank you.”
The two exchanged smiles before vanishing into the morning light.
Moving toward their true future.
Mai Feng woke up in tears but with a peaceful smile, as if a weight had been lifted from his heart. Seeing that Shan Shan was already awake, he looked somewhat embarrassed. “Shan Shan, I dreamt of my brothers.”
“They came to bid me farewell. They told me that even though their time was short, the days they spent with me were happy.”
“Shan Shan, I feel so blessed. I may have nothing, yet I feel like I have everything.”
Mai Feng mimicked the wet nurse’s care for Shan Shan, even carrying him to breakfast.
Mai Feng was eager to learn, and his temperament was naturally steady.
Windchaser discovered that he had a spiritual root and decided to personally guide him in cultivation.
“Today is Shan Shan’s first birthday. The gifts from Northern Zhao arrived early and are already placed in the main hall.”
“The Great Priest sent an invitation yesterday. Should we invite them to the birthday feast?” Zhu Mo asked.
Xie Yu Zhou shot him a look. “Do you want the Great Priest to come and slay demons?”
“Let’s just celebrate as a family.”
Lu Chao Chao wasn’t worried about the Great Priest sensing anything. If Shan Shan hadn’t been born into their family, no one would have been able to guess his true identity.
But since Xie Yu Zhou didn’t want to see them, so be it.
“Shan Shan’s identity is unique. It might cause unnecessary trouble. Let’s just keep it within the family.”
“Are the items for the grabbing ritual prepared?” Lu Chao Chao asked.
The maidservant smiled. “Everything is ready.”
Lunch was a lavish feast. Thanks to Shan Shan’s birthday, he even got a soft, juicy chicken leg.
After the meal, the wet nurse arranged all the objects for the grabbing ritual.
“This is the general’s seal from General Rong.”
“This jade pendant was rushed here by the Duke of Stabilization’s people. It’s a Rong family heirloom.”
“This is the imperial jade ruyi, a gift from His Majesty.”
“This was given by the Empress… This one is from the Empress Dowager. The eldest, second, and third young masters sent these…”
Xu Shi Yun also sent auspicious tokens, traditional choices for a first birthday grabbing ceremony.
Dressed in bright red, Shan Shan looked positively festive.
The wet nurse placed him on the table covered with a red cloth, where countless treasures lay in wait. “Shan Shan, crawl forward and pick the one you like the most…”
Mai Feng jingled a rattle drum in front of him. “Come on, Shan Shan…”
Shan Shan crawled forward slowly, feeling an odd sense of shame.
He grabbed a brush, but after a moment’s consideration, he threw it off the table.
The wet nurse’s eyes twitched. “Oh dear, oh dear! Perhaps a future top scholar! Our family might have three scholars in a row!” But before she could celebrate, plop, the brush hit the floor.
Next, he grabbed a sword. Before the wet nurse could react, he swiped it off the table too.
Then he picked up the imperial jade ruyi. Toss.
The gifts from the young masters. Toss.
The gift from his mother. Toss.
His father’s general seal. Toss.
His grandfather’s heirloom. Toss, toss, toss.
In an instant, the table was empty.
Xie Yu Zhou silently pulled out a string of Buddhist prayer beads. “Want this?”
Shan Shan kicked his chubby foot. The beads hit the ground.
I, Seven Sins, refuse to be defined.
I just won’t choose, I won’t!
Even as a baby, his instincts were sharp. In an instant, he sensed everyone’s faces darkening.
Even Lu Chao Chao was giving him a grim look.
Shan Shan quickly scrambled up and wobbled toward Lu Chao Chao, flinging himself into her arms, clutching her tightly.
Everyone was stunned.
Xie Yu Zhou’s face fell. “Bootlicker! You picked your sister instead! You’re already sucking up!”
The wet nurse beamed. “How is choosing his own sister bootlicking? Following her means fewer missteps in life, right, young master?”
“Quick, send word to the General and Madam!”
“The young master made an excellent choice—he picked Princess Sunshine!”
Lu Chao Chao had been glaring, but as Shan Shan planted a big, sloppy kiss on her cheek, her face turned an awkward shade of red.
“Don’t think choosing me means I’ll go easy on you.”
“I am strict and unyielding! You’d better not mess up in front of me…”
Before she could finish, Shan Shan smacked another kiss on her cheek.
Acting like a perfect little lackey.
Lu Chao Chao…
Fine. Seven Sins is just this foolish, I might as well look out for him.
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation