Chapter 7: A Little Girl Descends from the Heavens
After speaking, she herself was taken aback, but she didn't regret it.
Taking a deep breath, she approached Zhouzhou step by step, squatting in front of her, and tenderly embraced the little girl in her arms, gently patting her back. Her voice was gentle as she said, "Don't be afraid, Zhouzhou. Grandma wants you. Come home with me."
Huh?
As Zhouzhou's crying stopped, she stared blankly at the woman. Her voice was very gentle, and her embrace was warm. The big hands that caressed her back carried a comforting meaning. Whether it was in the temple or the Taoist temple, she had always been surrounded by a group of men. This was the first time a woman had embraced her.
It was fragrant, soft, and warm.
Unconsciously, she grew a bit attached to it.
She had originally planned to fake cry to soften Mingtong's heart, so he wouldn't abandon her. But she didn't expect that the first person to be softened would be the old lady.
The gentle voice echoed in her ears, and Zhouzhou's nose felt a bit sour. Now, she really felt like crying.
She was the first person who didn't despise her.
Thinking of something, Zhouzhou's eyes dimmed again. She withdrew from the embrace, reluctantly grabbing the woman's clothes at the hem with her fingertips. But in the end, she let go, hanging her head and despondently saying, "Thank you, Grandma, but it's not necessary."
She wiped her eyes and felt a bit of dampness. "I am cursed with a lack of money. It will bring bankruptcy to your family, and we will become very poor, unable to afford food. We will have only a few grains of rice, and even our bowls will be broken."
As she spoke, she grew sadder. Finally, she took a deep breath and smiled at the woman, looking up. Her little dimples appeared on her face, making her look both well-behaved and adorable.
Madam Qin's heart grew even softer.
She held Zhouzhou's hand, gestured with grandeur, and said, "What's the big deal? Grandma's family has plenty of money. If you can really spend it all, that's talent. I would like a granddaughter who can spend money."
As these words came out, something stirred in her heart.
Perhaps, making her the granddaughter wouldn't be a bad idea.
She had asked Zhouzhou just now and learned that she had grown up in the mountains since she was a child. She had been a monk and later became a Taoist. In short, her master, who was the abbot, had picked her up when she was still swaddling in clothes.
She was an orphan.
Now that her master had asked her to leave the mountain and Mingtong refused to take her, perhaps adopting her would be a good choice.
What's there to fear about spending money? The Qin family had plenty of it.
Thinking this, she held Zhouzhou's hand and gently said, "Zhouzhou, you just said that you are cursed with a lack of money, right?"
Zhouzhou nodded.
Madam Qin's voice became even gentler. "What a coincidence. Grandma's house happens to have money, and there's a son who is the richest person in the world. So, aren't we a perfect match?"
One cursed with a lack of money, the other with no shortage of it.
She was destined to come to their family!
Old Master Qin, seeing her look like the big bad wolf trying to coax Little Red Riding Hood, couldn't bear to look directly at her. His gaze fell on Zhouzhou, and he lightly nodded.
He also quite liked Zhouzhou.
Raising such a gentle granddaughter seemed quite nice. She was much better than those stinky boys in the family.
As for the talk of being cursed with a lack of money, what a joke! Was the Qin family afraid of that?
And also, what kind of saying is that?
Zhouzhou tilted her head and pondered for a moment. She hesitated a bit, clutching the corner of her clothes, and whispered, "But I caused the temple and Taoist temple to go bankrupt."
She wasn't foolish. She knew the reasons behind the bankruptcy of the temple and Taoist temple. So when her master wanted her to leave the mountain, she only pretended to cry to ask for some gifts. She had no intention of really clinging and not leaving.
She didn't want to burden everyone anymore.
Upon hearing this, Madam Qin patted her head. It felt smooth and had a great texture. She smiled and said, "Although fate is predetermined, different people can lead to different outcomes. For example, some people have tough luck and bring bad luck to their husbands. But if they meet someone with the same tough luck, they might actually be a perfect match, right?"
Her voice was soft and carried a hint of coaxing.
Today, she had made up her mind. She must lure Zhouzhou back home!
With that in mind, she exchanged a glance with Old Master Qin.
Seeing this, Old Master Qin cleared his throat and struggled to put on a gentle expression. His mouth twitched awkwardly, but his voice still sounded a bit stiff, "The Qin family is not short of money. Spend as much as you want!"
Madam Qin looked at his stiff mouth and couldn't help but glare at him, laughing in a somewhat scary manner. She was careful not to scare Zhouzhou.
Old Master Qin also looked helpless. He didn't know how to smile.
Ignoring him, Madam Qin turned her head and continued talking to Zhouzhou, "Grandpa is right. Our family is big, with hundreds of companies everywhere. We have money that can't be spent for dozens of lifetimes. If Zhouzhou can help us spend some of it, she will truly be a great benefactor to our family."
"And Grandma's house has a lot of money and delicious food. We have Stewed Vegetable, Five-Colored Ruyi (roastedean sprouts, black fungus, celery, mushrooms, carrots), Strawberry Yam, Jinyumantang (boiled bean curd skin, vegetarian minced meat, red dates, radish, enoki mushroom, wolfberry, leek), Treasure at the Door (cashews, walnuts, diced carrots, diced celery, sweet corn kernels and fresh lilies are wrapped in bean skins and fried), and Vegetarian Buddha Jumps Over the Wall... They are all exceptionally delicious."
Just listening to it made her mouth water.
Hearing her words, Zhouzhou couldn't help but swallow her saliva.
She really wanted to eat.
Seeing her wavering, Mingtong's eyes turned, and he also approached, saying, "That's right, Zhouzhou. There's a lot of delicious food down the mountain. I'm not doing well, and if you follow me, we can only eat free meals and work off our debts by washing dishes. It's too hard. It's better to go home with this grandma and give it a try. Your destinies complement each other naturally. Who knows, this might be the fate that Heaven has destined for you. How would you know if you don't give it a try?"
Madam Qin glanced at him, knowing that he was afraid Zhouzhou would continue following him. But at least he was helping to push Zhouzhou toward her side, so she didn't say anything.
Seeing that Zhouzhou was still hesitating, she held her hand, covering her heart, and said, "Grandma has always wanted a granddaughter in her lifetime. Zhouzhou, just pity me and fulfill my wish, alright?"
As she spoke, she wiped her eyes.
Seeing her like this, Zhouzhou felt a sense of familiarity. She was the same when she pretended to cry.
She wanted to say something but hesitated. However, she couldn't bring herself to expose her act.
Seeing her looking at her with anticipation, her heart softened, and she instinctively nodded, "Okay."
An instant smile bloomed on Madam Qin's face. In the moment Zhouzhou nodded, she immediately lifted her up and stuffed her into the car. She held onto her tightly and urged the driver to start the car quickly, as if she was afraid Zhouzhou would change her mind and run away.
Old Master Qin and the butler understood and quickly got into the car as well. The car door closed with a "click," and the car immediately started, disappearing from the spot in less than three seconds.
Watching the speeding car, Mingtong couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth. He lowered his head and calculated with his fingers, raising an eyebrow involuntarily. He looked in the direction they had left, revealing a meaningful smile on his face.
It's fate, after all.
On the other side, Madam Qin hurriedly brought Zhouzhou back home and immediately took out all the vegetarian food she could eat, filling up a coffee table with a variety of dishes.
Zhouzhou's eyes widened even more at the sight of these diverse delicacies, and she couldn't help but salivate incessantly.
Seeing her reaction, Madam Qin burst into laughter and opened a package of biscuits, handing it to her. "Here, Zhouzhou, eat."
Zhouzhou peered at the dark and round objects inside with some hesitation. But finally, looking at the expectant gaze of Madam Qin, she tentatively took a bite. As soon as it entered her mouth, her eyes lit up. "Yummy!"
Madam Qin loved seeing her like this and wished she could bring all the delicious food in the world to her. "Then eat more, try everything. If you like something, tell Grandma, and Grandma will buy more for you."
"Mm!"
With a good start, Zhouzhou became more open to these new things and happily ate, puffing out her cheeks and making munching sounds.
Madam Qin watched her from the side, her smile never fading from her face.
So adorable.
From now on, she would be her granddaughter!
Thinking of this, her smile grew even bigger.
However, just in case, she still needed to find a way to keep Zhouzhou in their family permanently.
At the very least, getting her registered in their household was a priority.
But whose household should she register under?
Since they were not directly related, the little girl probably couldn't be registered under her and the old man's household. Their four sons were all married and had their own families, leaving only...
Got it!
Her eyes lit up, and she took out her phone, taking a photo of Zhouzhou and sending it to a person in her contacts. Then she lowered her head to edit the message.
[Look, your daughter!]
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone