Chapter 6:002
659 Words
Ning Meng, thinking he was scared, coaxed: "Be good. It’ll be over soon."
Shi Qi nodded silently.
After the examination, the doctor reported: "No serious issues. His past neglect requires gradual nutritional recovery—start with easily digestible foods like congee. Perhaps try Eight-Treasure Lotus Seed Soup tonight."
"Agreed," said Ning Meng. *Overcompensating could backfire*.
Shi Qi blinked, confused. He knew lotus seeds, but what was "lotus seed soup"? He stayed quiet, fearing mistakes.
Ning Meng pinched his cheek—soft but bony. "Will you have the soup tonight?"
Shi Qi endured her touch, replying softly: "Yes," his voice still raspy but pliant.
She pinched again, heart aching at his obedience. *But now I’m his grandmother—I’ll raise him well*.
Li Chun and Li Xia (trained maids named after solar terms) prepared the soup swiftly. True to its name, the Eight-Treasure Soup required eight nutrient-rich ingredients, ideal for nourishment.
Summer provided fresh lotus seeds. The main mansion soon delivered ingredients, including a budding lotus flower placed in a vase. Its delicate fragrance filled the air.
"Ah!" Ning Meng exclaimed in surprise. Skyscrapers dominated the city—lotuses were rare sights, usually confined to cultivation zones or crowded tourist spots where touching was f*******n. This freshly picked bloom carried a quiet beauty.
She placed it by the window where it swayed in the breeze. Shi Qi trailed her everywhere, noticing the vegetable plots outside—a stark contrast to the Shi estate’s grandeur.
Ning Meng patted his head: "Beautiful, isn’t it?" Seeing him stare at the garden, she added: "Pick anything you want to eat—just give it to the maids."
Shi Qi murmured: "Okay."
Ning Meng had grown accustomed to limited mobility and fading eyesight. *All things considered, I’ve gained more than I lost*.
She led Shi Qi outside by the hand. Summer night breezes brushed their skin as they walked beneath the corridor eaves, insects chirping around them.
Shi Qi stole glances at the old woman, warmth swelling in his chest. *No one but Father ever cared for me like this. I must repay Grandma*.
Under the corridor lamps, Ning Meng studied the boy properly for the first time. True beauty lay in bone structure—his delicate features, high nosebridge, and crystalline green eyes like galaxies at the planetarium. His thin lips seemed cold, yet his frailty evoked nothing but protectiveness. His pallor deepened her resolve: *He must regain health*.
*From today, I’ll live as an elder raising a child* , she mused. *Tending gardens sounds peacefully rewarding*.
After touring the grounds, Ning Meng showed Shi Qi around the building. Li Chun eventually called them back for dinner.
With Li Xia away, Li Chun meticulously set the table, serving the lotus soup. Ning Meng sat Shi Qi down—tiny against the large table—and pushed a bowl toward him: "Only this tonight."
The translucent bowl held lotus-colored soup with red, yellow, and black beans, candied dates, and plums. Steam rose invitingly from the appetizing blend.
The aroma flooded Shi Qi with memories. He’d never known his mother—only his struggling father in a slum filled with fights and shouts, offering no peace.
Two weeks ago, his dying father gave rushed instructions before sending him to the Shi manor. He’d never seen such lavishness—like TV dramas. Everyone wore clean clothes and spoke gently, ignoring him completely until he reached this warm annex.
*Grandma is truly kind*, Shi Qi thought.
Meanwhile, Ning Meng conversed with her system: "Can you extend my life AND activate his Yin-Yang eyes?"
The system timidly replied: "...Use the spirit-writing opportunity with your elder son. The violent ghost could work—activation requires intensity, not necessarily bloodshed."
Ning Meng grasped the idea. The malicious ghost in the spirit-writing ritual should suffice. *I’ve worked so hard for Shi Qi—what a doting grandmother I am.*
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*My grandmother is so good to me.*
*I must repay her someday.*
- Writer
