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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 44: Forever Abandoned Child
Fat was busy as a bee. When I ran outside, he waved his hands frantically, overwhelmed. I returned to the shop feeling quite down. Being an Abandoned Child wasn't that big of a deal, but the key issue was that in such a large hospital with so many people, if it weren't for that Nun earlier, they would have just watched me die.
If I died, would I become a vengeful spirit seeking out those responsible for my demise, including the man and woman who had created me for a moment's pleasure?
Just like everything with my grandfather was destined, I, Ma Qi, was fated to be part of the Ma Wu Funeral Home. My grandfather raised me, and his kindness was deeper than the ocean. I may not have many talents, but I could certainly help promote the Ma Wu Funeral Home.
Thinking this way filled me with confidence, and I perked up. The order-taking process was tedious; we had to gather the deceased's birth Ba Zi, height, shoe size, and all necessary items.
Before I could finish that task, I saw Mi and Chi Xinrong arriving.
The two beauties were surprised to see so many people at the Ma Wu Funeral Home, hesitatingly glancing at me before rushing over to ask if they could help with anything.
"You two can count the Hell Money Paper they need," I instructed them. The good thing about assigning tasks to them was that I didn't have to worry; they were more meticulous than Fat.
As it was nearing the end of the Ghost Festival, orders were coming in frequently; it seemed normal yet abnormal at the same time.
Chi Xinrong found a moment to come closer to me. "Why didn't you ask about Master Nian?"
"What about him?" I asked in surprise. Did Chi Xinrong know that Master Nian was a ghost?
"He's a doctor; he's been retired for several years."
"What? He’s a doctor from your hospital?"
"Yes, my uncle knows this best. I heard it from him indirectly; it seems there are stories about him that haven't been uncovered yet."
"I know that story." I noted down the measurements and asked a few more questions before handing everything over to Fat for preparation. With my hands free, I wanted to smoke. I patted my bag and remembered that the cigarettes Zhu Gang gave me had been taken over by Fat. Seeing him sneakily smoking made me furious. "Fat, those are my cigarettes."
"Hey! You know his story?"
"Yeah."
Chi Xinrong clearly didn't believe me; she tilted her head and blinked her big eyes a few times. "Go on, I want to hear."
"Are you addicted to listening to stories, you little brat? I still have things to do."
"Telling stories can be work too." Chi Xinrong persisted, and I glanced at Mi, wishing she would come cling to me. Unfortunately, she was like a big sister, always understanding Chi Xinrong and taking care of everyone with such thoughtfulness.
Han Mi was filled with maternal instincts. This kind of nurturing was rare in Chi Xinrong, who was selfish and had a boyish personality—bold in action and love, unafraid of expressing her feelings. I was watching Mi, and she was looking back at me while helping Fatty tie the frame of the Paper Figurine.
Mi had been out for some time now, and it seemed her family no longer cared about our relationship.
Chi Xinrong urged me to tell a story while I continued to watch Mi. She grew impatient, slapping the counter with her hands. "Ma Qi, Mi is mine; stop staring at her and hurry up with the story."
"What’s there to tell? It's just some old, boring tales," I couldn't stand Chi Xinrong's nagging anymore and wanted to brush her off.
"Ma Qi, listen. If you tell this story today, we’ll be even. If you don’t tell it, I’ll make sure Mi goes off with someone else. Do you believe that?"
"Go away! You think Mi is yours? She's my wife; if she’s not with me, who else would she be with?" I, Ma Qi, wasn’t someone who could be threatened; it wouldn’t work on me.
"Ma Qi, really! Doctor Nian is getting old and look at the mess he’s in. His son is no saint either. No matter what, he’s getting his comeuppance." The cunning Chi Xinrong tried another tactic when the first one failed, using my curiosity to draw out the story's origin.
"What happened?"
"You haven’t heard? Back when Doctor Nian's wife couldn’t have children, the whole hospital knew about it. At that time, my uncle was the deputy director and didn’t comment on the nurses' private discussions but strictly prohibited doctors and nurses from getting involved. If caught, they would face severe punishment."
"Oh."
"Later on, a nurse who got involved with Doctor Nian had a child. Unfortunately for her, she worked in the Mother-Infant Room and had to see loving couples bringing their children in and out. How could she bear that? Eventually, she quit her job and disappeared for quite some time. During that period, Doctor Nian was so distraught that he kept making excuses to visit the Mother-Infant Room. About a year later, he suddenly appeared at the hospital holding a child—his son named Nian Fa."
"You’re partly right and partly wrong. That nurse didn’t feel bad seeing loving couples; it was because she saw how aborted babies were treated coldly in the Mother-Infant Room that she became disillusioned and left..." As soon as I said this, I realized I had fallen into Chi Xinrong's trap; she had lured me in without any defenses. Looking at her smug face with wide eyes encouraging me to continue, she said, "Go on!"
"This story seems ordinary but is anything but. Doctor Nian married late but felt lost because his wife couldn’t bear children. Later he met that nurse; they fell for each other. The nurse was understanding and kind-hearted; she didn’t want to destroy his family but loved him enough to want to have a child with him. At first, everything was fine until she witnessed too much death; her heart turned to ash and led her to contemplate leaving."
"They had this child together, and both were overjoyed. Just thinking about names for their unborn child took them all over town to various bookstores in hopes of finding a classic name that would stand out. They ended up with plenty of names but weren’t satisfied with any of them. In the end, they resorted to drawing lots—writing all the names on paper, crumpling them up, tossing them into the air, and whatever one they caught would be considered fate."
I laughed at this twist of events and encouraged Chi Xinrong further: "Keep going."
The story that was heard is quite complete; it is the continuation of the tale involving the doctor, the nurse, their child, and the woman who could not bear children.
The child's name has been chosen as Nian Fa, which means "surplus every year" and "prosperity."
In my view, it sounds rather cliché.
Wealthy people often create problems for themselves. The child's name has been decided, but there are still many preparations to be made, and the important matters lie ahead.
Now, let us listen as Sister Chi recounts the story slowly—
Nian Fa is the biological child of Doctor Nian, yet he concealed from his wife that the child was adopted from outside. It is quite easy for a doctor working in a hospital to adopt a child. The First Wife believed his words and planned to raise this child together with him.
Since ancient times, parents have shared similar hopes and aspirations: to see their daughters become phoenixes and their sons become dragons. To cultivate a talented child, one must start from an early age. The first step is to find a good Kindergarten. They cannot compare with those attended by celebrities and wealthy individuals; instead, they should look for one suitable for children from middle to upper-middle-income families.
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