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墨書 Inktalez
December 2039
On a snowy night filled with wind and snow.
The snowflakes tapped against the bricks at the edge of the eaves, and through the warm window, the old man could still feel the biting cold outside. For him, too many life experiences had made it unnecessary to feel the outside temperature to know everything.
The snow was not heavy; it fell and melted on the ground, unknowingly accumulating light-colored snowmelt in the yard's depressions.
"Thud."
After finishing the last stroke, the old director leaned back in his chair, closed the pen cap, and turned to look at the dreamlike reflection in the puddles outside the window.
Since six o'clock, the lights in the orphanage office had been on, shining until now. Today, they confirmed that several orphans from outside the city would be accepted. Although Sunshine Orphanage was already at full capacity, Director Lu Weifeng still approved the request. Therefore, to accommodate the new children, he was reviewing documents late into the night. He had just finished reading the transaction contract from the bedding supplier but still felt uneasy as he flipped through these children's background introductions.
"This child seems to..."
In front of him was an introduction for a child named Xiao Lin, who didn't even have a formal name.
"Schizophrenia, delusional disorder..."
Director Lu couldn't bear to read any further. He sighed and stared blankly at his own reflection in the window.
He needed to understand these children better to know how to care for their fragile and wounded hearts.
"Ugh... ugh..."
His thoughts were gradually pulled back by faint cries; Director Lu felt something was off and adjusted his glasses, leaning closer to the window to look out.
Amidst the sound of rain and snow, a bush at the gate was shaking vigorously. The symphony of rain and snow muffled any other sounds. The director listened intently.
"Someone is crying."
Confirming that this sound came from the gate of the yard, Director Lu hurried downstairs. As he got closer, he realized it was indeed a cry—clearly that of a baby.
Director Lu tiptoed and looked around before taking a deep breath and opening the gate.
On the ground lay a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes.
Fortunately, whoever abandoned this child still had some conscience; the eaves temporarily played the role of a mother, gently shielding this child from the rain.
"Wah! Wah wah wah—"
Such heartbreaking cries surely indicated a longing for a mother's embrace.
"Whose child is this!"
Director Lu was old but still tried his best to shout out loud.
No one responded.
"Whose child is this!" Director Lu shouted again with all his might, "Are there parents like you?!"
Still no response.
Helplessly, he picked up the baby from the ground and quickly took off his coat to wrap around it before running back to the orphanage.
In a nearby thicket beside the orphanage...
"Alright, stop crying now."
A ragged couple quietly watched everything unfold; unable to contain her anguish any longer, the woman covered her mouth and softly sobbed.
"We... we did this... we broke the law, didn't we?" After a long pause, the woman said, her voice trembling.
The man nodded. "Yes. But who will know? It's better than letting the child suffer alongside us. We can barely take care of ourselves, let alone a child. Stop crying. This child is unfortunate, born into a poor family like ours. Perhaps for her, this is a turning point in life. We had agreed not to have children; maybe here, she can have a better life."
You can never foresee the reasons why parents abandon their children. As long as the child can be well, what hesitation should parents have? Keeping this child in a poor household means she will endure countless feelings of inferiority and ridicule. What others can solve in one step, she must take several steps to achieve.
Many people are forever trapped in suffering, their sorrows endless. This abandoned infant is just one among many.
Perhaps it was simply for the child's good, or perhaps it was merely for their own survival. They did something wrong, but they are also innocent.
Many impoverished individuals are merely prisoners of fate, playthings of their times.
The couple watched as their child was taken home by Chairman Lu and then quietly disappeared into the snowy night.
It is worth mentioning that their reason for abandoning this child was actually more complicated; the answer is simple yet strange and rare.
Back in the heated room, Chairman Lu unwrapped the infant's swaddling cloth only to discover that the baby had already sprouted a few strands of hair—red hair.
"Red hair?" Chairman Lu murmured.
Due to a naturally fiery temperament and difficulty in forming close relationships, red-haired individuals often exhibit aggressive tendencies toward those around them. To date, the red-haired gene has nearly vanished from human genetics. Only a very few people are born with natural red hair, and families that retain this gene are exceedingly rare.
Because of their inherent volatile nature, red-haired individuals are often ostracized and suppressed by society, sometimes even unable to interact normally with their parents. Thus, when this couple discovered their child had red hair, they had already decided to abandon her.
However, contrary to Chairman Lu's understanding, the infant gazed at his kind face and gradually calmed down, even reaching out her tiny hand to touch Lu Weifeng's aged face!
It seemed that in his embrace, she felt she possessed the entire world.
The love that had been dormant within him surged forth as he felt her small hand against his wrinkles. Chairman Lu shook his head in surprise and disbelief, leaning closer so that the baby's chubby little hand could explore his features.
"Why are you so cold..."
Lu Weifeng's heartache fell gently from his glistening eyes as he turned away slightly, patting the child while humming a fragmented lullaby.
Half an hour later, the baby drifted sweetly into slumber.
After holding her for over half an hour and feeling his arms grow weary, Chairman Lu gently placed the infant on the bed.
"How could your parents be so immoral as to abandon you? You poor thing. From now on, I will take care of you. Consider it a gift from God... because... I have no children of my own anymore."
The baby rolled over and let out a soft gurgle.
"What should I name you..." Chairman Lu pondered aloud before looking up at an old photograph hanging on the wall.
In that photo was a girl holding a bouquet of tulips, looking down as she took her first step onto the beach—also the last step in Chairman Lu's memory.
"Then I'll name you Lu Sha. What a beautiful name! One day you will be known all over the world."
Children from the orphanage came and went; the pear blossoms outside bloomed and withered repeatedly. In the blink of an eye, fifteen springs and autumns passed.
Chairman Lu's hair had turned significantly gray; his wrinkles deepened further still. Yet amidst this mix of black and white were countless traces of love for the children.
Many years ago, Lu Weifeng's son had heroically sacrificed himself during an operation against the Viper Organization. The emptiness left in Lao Lu's heart was something no one could understand; thus his spouse also passed away from cancer.
The only thing he could do to comfort himself was to pour all his love into these children.
But his greatest concern remained with fifteen-year-old little Lu Sha.
Because of her red hair, Lu Sha naturally became an outcast among her peers—blocked from using restrooms, having her hair pulled during class, losing her spot while watching television, being cut in line during meals...
For this reason, she had fought many battles and shed many tears.
Yet every time she cried or faced bullying, there was always an elderly man standing up for her—he was Director Lu Weifeng.
In Little Lu Sha's eyes, he was a ray of sunshine in a black-and-white world, illuminating her life and igniting her hope to live. One time, Little Lu Sha got into a fight at school and ended up bleeding. Lao Lu personally went to the school to talk to the teacher and the parents of the child who hit her. The parent, believing that the red-haired Lu Sha must be at fault, refused to admit their child's wrongdoing. Furious, Lao Lu slapped the parent without hesitation and unleashed an hour of unstoppable scolding before taking Little Lu Sha away from the school.
This was the first time in Lao Lu's life that he had lost his temper so greatly. To her classmates, Little Lu Sha was a silent and cold-blooded creature, but when she was with Lao Lu, she transformed into a lively and adorable person. During those moments, Lao Lu would often lift her onto his lap, their closeness resembling that of a father and daughter. In Little Lu Sha's world, only Chairman Lu was colorful; even Sun felt inferior in front of Chairman Lu.
One night, after 11 PM, Lao Lu sat alone on a rocking chair in front of the yard gate. He reminisced about the bits and pieces of his life: the departure of his wife, the sacrifice of his son—each memory felt like a knife to his heart until Little Lu Sha appeared...
With a creak, the back door opened. Lao Lu turned to see Little Lu Sha. She couldn't sleep that night and wanted to go out for some food, not expecting to find Lao Lu waiting outside. Little Lu Sha shyly walked down, tightly clutching ten yuan in her hand. "Dad..." she said.
"Where do you want to go?" Lao Lu asked kindly with a smile.
"I... I just want to go out for a bit."
"Really?"
"Okay, I want to buy a cup of instant noodles."
Lao Lu laughed heartily and wanted to hold Little Lu Sha in his arms, but unfortunately, he was already in his seventies and no longer had the strength to lift her. Little Lu Sha took the initiative to sit on Lao Lu's lap; after all, she felt embarrassed about going out again.
The two gazed at the starry sky together. The words stuck in their throats could only churn silently; in truth, grown-up Lu Sha had already guessed the truth through her intuition.
After hesitating for a long time, Little Lu Sha finally voiced what she had been holding inside.
"Principal Dad, you always say you are my real dad; actually... that's not true, right?"
After a long silence, Lao Lu sighed softly and admitted, "Yes, I lied to you. I know I can't hide this from you forever. I'm sorry, Sasa. I just wanted to give you as warm a childhood as possible."
Little Lu Sha wasn't angry or accusatory; instead, she nestled into Lao Lu's embrace. "I didn't say I blame you; in my heart, you are my dad! I have a dream—to become a hero and protect you for life!"
Lao Lu nodded. "That's a good ambition, but you must remember there are many people in this world worth protecting. The world isn't as evil as you think; everyone has their own mission. You need to integrate into a kind world and find your true self. Do righteous things and be a righteous person."
Three years passed in the blink of an eye. Little Lu Sha finally came of age. Lao Lu told her that she could leave the orphanage and seek her own world, but Lu Sha refused.
She only wanted to protect Chairman Lu in return for eighteen years of companionship. Or perhaps it was that she felt anger and dissatisfaction towards the outside world—perhaps even fear.
One day, Lao Lu saw Lu Sha swinging on a swing and staggered over behind her, saying gently: "Your college acceptance letter has arrived; go take a look."
"I don't want to go," Lu Sha said firmly.
She didn't even glance at Lao Lu.
Lao Lu sighed deeply and turned back.
Ultimately, Lu Sha softened; she looked back at Lao Lu's retreating figure. The mixed emotions of life spilled over into her heart; her watery eyes seemed eager to reclaim her earlier resolve with light.
As Lao Lu leaned against the wall and disappeared around the corner, Lu Sha turned once more to gaze at the pear blossoms by the wall. The tears welling up were gently blown by the wind, rustling alongside the snow-white pear blossoms in her youthful heart.
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