Chapter 631
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Chapter 631? ? (The End) (Bonus chapter for the generous donation from the Alliance Leader, Fenxin Liangye!)
After a brief period of direct contact with Qin Wan, the little beggar returned to his previous state, begging every day, circling around the Jiang family's house, secretly following Qin Wan when she went out, and occasionally fighting with thugs who dared to trespass on his territory.
Everything seems the same, yet something has changed.
Qin Huai could clearly sense that the little beggar was becoming restless. He was no longer the detached, philosophical person he used to be, as if worldly affairs were nothing to him. He began to act more like a living person. He cared about Qin Wan, and by extension, he cared about Qin Wan's children and Qin Wan's sister-in-law, Jiang Huiqin.
His happiness was Qin Wan's happiness, and his sorrow was Qin Wan's sorrow; his world revolved solely around her. Sometimes, Qin Huai even felt that the little beggar might impulsively rush into the Jiang family home, grab Qin Wan's sleeve, and ask her:
Why have you been giving steamed buns to beggars all these years? Why did you give me a cotton coat back then? Why did you pull me out from under the table that day? Why did you speak to me so softly? Why did you teach me, a little beggar, a lesson? Why didn't you scold me, chase me away, despise me, or show me any disgust?
Everyone has a reason for doing things. Most people want to be rewarded for doing good deeds, so why don't you?
Just because you're a purely good person? Why are you a purely good person?
The little beggar hadn't done it yet, but Qin Huai felt it would happen soon.
As it turned out, the little beggar was more patient than he had imagined. He stayed by the Jiang family's side year after year, until Qin Wan had given birth to six children. She was no longer young, no longer liked to wear bright clothes as she had in her youth, her steps were no longer light, and she was no longer always cheerful, but often had many worries.
Fine lines began to appear at the corners of Qin Wan's eyes, her gaze became tired, her back was not as straight as before, and she often rubbed her eyes while mending clothes.
Time has left many marks on Qin Wan, but the only thing that remains unchanged is that every winter when it snows, Qin Wan would leave a basket of steamed buns at the door, and sometimes she would also leave one or two of her children's old, stiff cotton-padded clothes that they no longer wore and were no longer warm.
Excessive childbirth caused Qin Wan to age rapidly.
After giving birth to her sixth son, Qin Wan's health was noticeably worse than before. She went out less often, stopped carrying heavy things, and when the weather was nice, she would only take the children to play in the yard.
At these times, the little beggar would squat by the wall. Qin Huai believed that with the little beggar's hearing, he could hear every sound in the courtyard, and even if he couldn't see what was happening inside, he could imagine it from the sounds.
Time flew by, and on a bright afternoon, Qin Wan was playing with the children in the yard as usual, the little beggar was squatting by the wall listening as usual, and Qin Huai was sitting bored next to the little beggar, waiting for night to fall.
In the blink of an eye, night had not yet fallen.
Qin Huai was somewhat stunned.
In these days that are as boring as a documentary, time flies by very fast; almost in the blink of an eye, a day is over.
But now the flow of time seems to have returned to normal.
Qin Huai was instantly invigorated. Did this mean an important plot point was about to unfold?
The little beggar finally couldn't resist rushing in to ask Qin Wan, "Do you have any wishes that you need me to fulfill?"
Is the wish-granting spirit finally going to unleash its power?
Qin Huai stared intently at the little beggar. He really wanted to go through the wall to see what Qin Wan was doing, but he didn't dare to go in, afraid of missing the little beggar's actions.
The little beggar didn't do anything; he closed his eyes as if he were asleep.
This is what a philosopher's daily life is like.
until--
"Mother, there's a little beggar outside, he looks like he's fainted from hunger!" Jiang Weian (Qin Wan's fourth son) ran out of the house at some point, saw the little beggar by the wall, mistook the little beggar who was resting against the wall with his eyes closed for the poor man who had fainted from hunger at his doorstep, and screamed.
Qin Huai: ...
The little beggar didn't react; his eyes were closed, as if he had truly fainted from hunger.
Jiang Wei'an screamed again: "Mom, he really fainted from hunger!"
Qin Wan hurriedly ran out, her steps hurried, carrying her sixth son, Jiang Weiping, who was only a few months old. Upon seeing the little beggar, she turned and handed Jiang Weiping to Jiang Huiqin, then stepped forward and touched the little beggar's forehead, letting out a sigh of relief.
"He didn't have a fever. He must have fainted because it was too hot and he was hungry. Huiqin, carry Weiping to the room. Wei'an, go and scoop a bowl of cool water from the water tank, and also go to the kitchen to see if there's anything to eat."
Jiang Huiqin and Jiang Weian rushed back after hearing this, leaving Qin Wan alone outside to watch the little beggar. The little beggar then slowly woke up, and his superb acting skills made Qin Huai, who was standing next to him, stare in amazement and applaud.
Seeing that the little beggar had woken up, Qin Wan said softly, "Don't be afraid. You fainted at my doorstep. I'll have my son get you some food. You should feel better after you eat and drink some cool water."
The little beggar was clearly unprepared. On their second meeting, his lips moved, and he finally uttered the same two words: "Thank you."
Qin Wan smiled and said, "It's fate that you fainted at my doorstep. It's hot now, and you'll feel uncomfortable wearing three layers of clothing. I have many children and some old clothes. If you don't mind, I can get you something light. Don't be silly and walk in the sun wearing so many layers in the future."
The little beggar looked at Qin Wan with a confused expression, clearly wondering why she was talking so much to a beggar she didn't even recognize.
"Miss Qin... do you remember me?" the little beggar couldn't help but ask.
Qin Wan was visibly taken aback when the little beggar called her Miss Qin. She hadn't heard that title in many years. Since she got married, no one had called her Miss Qin anymore; everyone called her Madam Jiang, a name that felt very distant to her.
"You..." Qin Wan's eyes were filled with doubt. In her opinion, it was impossible for a little beggar to call her Miss Qin at his age. The last time someone called her Miss Qin, the little beggar should not have been born yet.
"You recognize me?" Qin Wan carefully examined the little beggar, trying to recognize a familiar face from his features, but to no avail. "You're from beyond the Great Wall?"
Qin Wan could only guess at the little beggar's origins from her old friends outside the Great Wall, and pressed him for details: "Who are your parents? Are they my old friends? Did they send you to seek refuge with me?"
The little beggar shook his head.
The little beggar shook his head, but Qin Wan assumed he was unwilling to talk, which only strengthened her belief that the little beggar was the child of one of her old friends. He had suffered a misfortune at home and come to Beiping seeking refuge with her. After searching for a while, he finally found her address and eventually collapsed outside her door.
A perfectly reasonable guess.
Qin Wan took the little beggar's hand: "There's hot water at home, and some old clothes that fit you. Take a bath first, then eat something, and we can talk about the rest later."
The little beggar hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not resist and followed Qin Wan into the house.
This was the first time the little beggar had entered the Jiang family's residence, whether it was the large mansion outside the Great Wall, the smaller one behind it, or this residence in the capital. Having followed Qin Wan for so many years, this was the first time he had ever stepped inside.
Like a naive child, the little beggar was led by Qin Wan, looking around as he walked, seemingly trying to confirm whether the house looked the same as he had imagined.
This house is actually quite ordinary; Qin Huai has been inside it countless times.
The yard was piled with clutter. A few years ago, Qin Wan could keep the house tidy, but in the last two years, her health has declined, and the house has become much messier. Because there are many children, there are many toys in the house. The older children are already of school age and can read, while the younger children are still crawling on the ground. Therefore, the house has items for children of all ages.
Clothes are also available.
Qin Wan filled the bathtub with hot water and let the little beggar wash up first. She then went to the closet in the room to find clothes suitable for the little beggar and quickly found several sets.
The older children, such as Jiang Weize, Jiang Weijin, and Jiang Weiming, had already gone to Taifeng Restaurant to help out. The younger children who stayed at home were very curious about how their mother had brought the little beggar in, but they didn't dare to ask too many questions and could only peek through the door frame.
The little beggar saw Jiang Weian peeping at him while he was taking a bath.
The little beggar didn't react much. He calmly washed his hair, and when he realized that he couldn't get his hair clean, he asked Jiang Weian for a pair of scissors and decisively cut off his hair, leaving short hair that looked like it had been chewed by a dog. Only then did he wash it clean.
Jiang Wei'an asked naively, "You're just cutting your hair like this? Won't your mother scold you?"
"No," the little beggar said calmly.
"My mother is looking for clothes for you. Will you be living at my house from now on?" Jiang Weian asked again.
Jiang Weian's question silenced the little beggar. He was holding scissors in his hand, and even though he had already finished cutting the hair, he subconsciously made a snip in the air. After pausing for more than ten seconds, he whispered, "I don't know."
“You’re older than me. If you live in my house, should I call you brother? I already have many older brothers. I don’t want another older brother. I want another younger brother,” Jiang Weian continued.
"Wei An." Qin Wan's voice came from outside, with a hint of sternness, "Don't disturb the new brother. He's tired and needs to rest. Go inside and play."
Jiang Weian had no choice but to run out reluctantly. Then, Qin Wan instructed him to take the clothes inside to give to the little beggar. Only then did he run into the house, shouting as he ran, "Auntie, Mom won't let me play with the new brother."
This child has always had a loud voice.
Qin Wan smiled helplessly and stood outside waiting for the little beggar to finish washing up and changing.
About ten minutes later, the little beggar had even washed the mud and sand out of his fingers, changed into new clothes, and looked very clean. He came out of the house with wet, dog-chewed hair.
Qin Wan looked the little beggar up and down again, trying to recognize which old friend's child he was. After looking for a long time, she still couldn't remember. She smiled self-deprecatingly and said, "There's some leftover millet porridge from lunch in the kitchen, as well as some homemade pickled vegetables. Have something hot to tide you over, and I'll go find you some pastries."
After saying that, Qin Wan took the little beggar's hand again and led him to the kitchen.
There was a small table in the kitchen with a bowl of thick porridge, two dishes of pickled vegetables, and a piece of tofu drizzled with sesame oil on it.
Qin Wan had already set out the bowls and chopsticks for the little beggar. The little beggar sat down somewhat helplessly, awkwardly picked up the chopsticks and tried to pick up the tofu on the table, but because he was not good with the chopsticks, he could not pick it up no matter how hard he tried.
That's normal. The little beggar probably hasn't used such high-end tableware as chopsticks since he transcended his tribulation. During his days of begging, he basically ate with his hands and never used a spoon.
Qin Wan interpreted the little beggar's inability to use chopsticks as a result of an injured hand from his journey, leaving him weak. Qin Wan reached out and took the little beggar's hand, gesturing for him to put down the chopsticks. She placed a spoon in his hand and whispered, "Eating with a spoon is just as good. Don't rush, take your time."
Qin Wan's words seemed to have a magical power; the little beggar put down his chopsticks, picked up a spoon, and began to clumsily eat the porridge with it.
Qin Wan originally planned to go to the room to get some pastries for the little beggar, but seeing how he was eating, she didn't dare leave. So she simply sat down next to him and watched him eat.
The two of them ate heartily while the other watched quietly, just like a mother waiting for her child to finish breakfast before sending him to school.
The little beggar ate quickly, emptying his bowl of porridge in no time. Just as Qin Wan asked him if he wanted some more, the little beggar put down his spoon, looked at Qin Wan, and, as if he had made up his mind, asked very seriously, "What is your wish?"
Qin Wan was taken aback.
Qin Huai: ! It's here, it's finally here. Heaven knows how long he's been waiting for these words.
Qin Wan clearly didn't understand. She began to wonder if the child had a fever and was confused.
"Miss Qin, do you have any wishes?" the little beggar asked. "Any wish is fine, as long as you want it, even becoming the emperor is something you can wish for."
Qin Wan was amused by the little beggar's words: "There are no emperors anymore, you child."
“I’m serious,” the little beggar said. “I’m not human.”
Qin Wan: ?
"Many years ago, before you got married, there was a particularly cold year in the area beyond the Great Wall. Your maid was named Chunhe. On the day of the first heavy snowfall that year, after Chunhe went outside to give black flour buns to the beggars, she told you that there was a little beggar outside wearing only three thin layers of clothing. You found your younger brother's old clothes and asked Chunhe to give them to that beggar. Do you remember?"
Qin Wan was taken aback again, lost in thought. She could tell that Qin Wan had a vague recollection of the beggar, but not much. She asked hesitantly, "Are you that beggar's child?"
"I am that beggar."
Qin Wan was stunned.
"I told you, I'm not human."
Clearly, the little beggar's words were too direct and impactful, and Qin Wan stared at him blankly for a long time, not knowing what to say.
“In the first year after you married Jiang Chengde, Qin’s Pastry Shop was not doing well. Your younger brother came to borrow money and knocked on the back door of the Jiang family’s old house for most of the hour. I was begging for food by the wall at that time.”
“When you were pregnant with your first child, you especially loved eating sour dates from a shop in the east of the city. Chunhe would go there to buy them every day, and I could see Chunhe going out every day.”
“One year you were carrying Miss Jiang out, and she insisted on eating candied hawthorn. As a result, she choked while eating the candied hawthorn, and you were so scared that you hit her and cried at the same time.”
“When we were outside the Great Wall, there was a period when Jiang Chengde came back very late. You would always stand at the door with a lantern and wait for him until late at night. As a result, you caught a cold and were sick for half a month before you recovered.”
"And also, you like..."
"..."
The little beggar recounted his observations over the years in detail. Qin Wan's eyes went from initial bewilderment to shock, then to doubt, then to existential doubt, then confusion, and finally, amidst the shock, she seemed to accept it somewhat.
Qin Wan knew that the person who could say these words must know her very well or have been by her side for many years.
You have to see it with your own eyes to be able to describe it in such detail.
At his young age, the little beggar couldn't possibly know any of this.
After the little beggar finished speaking, Qin Wan fell into a long silence. It took her a long time to recover from the shock. When she looked at the little beggar, there was no fear or apprehension in her eyes, only deep curiosity: "You...you're really not human?" "No." The little beggar shook his head. "I'm a spirit, a spirit who came to the human world to undergo tribulation. You can treat me as a demon."
"You are my calamity."
The little beggar's words startled Qin Wan again. She jumped to her feet, flustered and at a loss for what to do: "I...what did I do? Did I accidentally break some of your rules, or...should I..."
"That's just how I feel." The little beggar looked at Qin Wan. "At first, I didn't want food. I just wanted to know how to be a human being and how to successfully overcome my tribulation."
"But I also know I can't tell humans everything, or I'll die a horrible death. Many of my predecessors were turned into elixirs."
"Everyone I've met over the years has a reason for doing what they do."
“Shitou led me to beg for food, wanting to be my boss, because he wanted me to fight for him and give him steamed buns. Other wealthy families outside the pass distributed porridge during festivals, either to gain a good reputation or for their own beliefs.”
"The shops along the street occasionally give leftover food to beggars out of a moment of kindness."
"The guys chase away the beggars for business and to keep their jobs."
“Chunhe gives us steamed buns every day because that’s what you ordered.”
“I can understand why you give steamed buns to beggars, because you are a good person. Winters are bitterly cold, and every winter many little beggars die outside the Great Wall. You give more when you are able and less when you are not rich. You are trying your best to help these little beggars survive the winter.”
"But I don't understand why you gave me this cotton-padded coat."
"Why did you take my hand at Qin's Pastry Shop that day and tell me I couldn't beg like this? Why did you open the food box and give me the white flour pastries? Isn't it enough to give a beggar black flour pastries?"
"Why would you care whether I fainted at your doorstep today, bring me in, give me a bath, new clothes, and porridge? Aren't you afraid I'm a bad person?"
The little beggar asked countless questions, staring intently at Qin Wan, clearly wanting an answer. These questions had puzzled him for many years; the more Qin Wan followed him and observed her, the more questions arose, and the more perplexed he became.
"Logically, I should have found you after that winter ended and asked you what your wish was. You gave me a cotton coat, which theoretically allowed me to survive that winter. I should repay you and fulfill your wish, but I didn't."
"Because I don't understand why you're doing this, I want to know the reason. If I help you fulfill your wish, I can't keep following you like this."
Qin Wan listened quietly. Qin Huai could tell that there were some things Qin Wan didn't quite understand. For example, she still didn't understand what the little beggar was. Was he a god or a demon? But that didn't stop Qin Wan from understanding the little beggar's confusion.
"So, you came to the mortal realm to undergo your tribulation because you didn't understand why I did what I did, and I delayed your tribulation." Qin Wan explained her understanding. "If I made a wish to you, would your tribulation go smoothly?"
The little beggar nodded, then shook his head: "I don't know."
Qin Wan smiled and said, "It does sound absurd, but I believe you."
"If I were to make a wish, I might..." Qin Wan thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up, "I wish that my children could all be healthy and happy, free from illness and disaster, and live a blissful life."
It's a very normal, simple wish that fits a mother's identity.
The little beggar looked at Qin Wan with some displeasure.
"What's wrong? Is this wish not allowed?" Qin Wan asked.
“You didn’t make a wish at all,” the little beggar said. “Making a wish to me means you have to truly believe that your wish can come true. You don’t believe that I can grant your wish.”
Qin Wan smiled somewhat embarrassedly.
"I don't really believe it," Qin Wan said. "I'm starting to believe what you're saying, but at the same time, I think it's just a child's nonsense."
“I don’t believe in ghosts or gods, and I don’t expect to be rewarded for doing good deeds, or for the blessings I accumulate in this life to extend to the next. You said you don’t understand why I gave you the cotton coat, but it’s actually very simple. Although I don’t know what I was thinking back then, I think anyone who has an extra cotton coat would be willing to give it to a little beggar who is only wearing three thin clothes in the cold winter.”
"Not everything needs a reason, and not every good deed needs a reward. Sometimes you just want to do it, feel that it's the right thing to do, and have the means, so you do it."
"You can't explain why I pulled you out from under the table that day," Qin Wan said, smiling as she patted the little beggar's head. "Because you were just a child."
"A child in a year of famine, filthy, living hand to mouth, starving, and without the protection of his parents."
"Giving alms to a beggar might be enough with a dark-colored steamed bun, but isn't it reasonable to give a poor child a warm white steamed bun?"
Qin Huai, like the little beggar, was taken aback upon hearing this.
Qin Huai just stared blankly at Qin Wan, as if something inside him was about to overflow.
"You said I wasn't really making a wish, and I really wasn't."
"It's not that I don't trust you, but rather that I somewhat trust you."
“I don’t believe in ghosts and gods, but I’ve heard people talk about them and read storybooks. In those stories, scholars save demons, and the demons have to pay a price to repay them.”
"I only gave you a few steamed buns and a cotton coat, and you're asking for such a big wish? I don't dare to make such a wish."
"If you really are a demon, then it hasn't been easy for you to cultivate to this point. I haven't given you anything, yet you've done so much for me; I feel embarrassed."
The little beggar was stunned.
“But…” the little beggar didn’t know what else to say, “You can make a wish to me, any wish is possible.”
"I believe you," Qin Wan said with a smile. "It's precisely because you believe me that I can't make a wish. I wish my child to be safe and healthy, but you are also a child, and your parents would also wish you to be safe and healthy."
The little beggar was completely stunned.
Now it was Qin Wan's turn to ask the little beggar, "I may not be able to make a wish for you, but is there anything else I can do for you?"
The little beggar never expected that when he mustered up the courage to confess everything to Qin Wan, he wouldn't get the reward of fulfilling Qin Wan's wish, but rather Qin Wan would want to fulfill his wish.
The little beggar remained silent for a very long time, and Qin Wan also sat quietly opposite him, waiting for him for a very long time.
"I...I want you to give me a name," the little beggar said. "I don't have a name."
"But names are important to us."
Qin Huai watched quietly from the side. For some reason, he felt that the scene in front of him was somewhat familiar, as if he had seen it before.
"Why are names so important to you?" Qin Wan asked, somewhat puzzled. "Actually, I have another question for you."
"Why have you followed me for so many years?"
"Walking from outside the Great Wall to Beiping was very tiring, even more tiring than begging for food."
The little beggar's eyes reddened.
Qin Huai's eyes also turned red.
For the first time, Qin Huai realized that he could shed tears when looking at his memories.
He felt tears gradually fill his eyes, and his vision began to blur, while sounds became clearer. But when he tried to see things clearly, they were no longer blurry, because the images seemed to be imprinted in his mind.
The little beggar said, "I'm not tired."
“I don’t know why I’m following you, but I just want to follow you.”
“I have so many opportunities to ask you these questions, but I just don’t want to. I just want to follow you.”
"Silly child." Qin Wan smiled and patted the little beggar's head. "You really are a child, just like my other children."
"Then why did you fight with those beggars and petty thieves?"
“I don’t know, I don’t want them near you.”
Qin Wan's smile held a hint of helplessness. She always wore a smile when facing the little beggar, though the meaning behind that smile often changed.
Qin Huai heard Qin Wan say, "If that's the case, I actually have a wish."
"I have six children, but none of them have my surname."
"If you want me to name you, can you share my last name?"
Qin Huai just stared blankly at Qin Wan.
The little beggar nodded emphatically, and Qin Huai also nodded emphatically.
“When I was outside the Great Wall, I often heard people say that there was a river in Nanjing called the Qinhuai River, which has been a place of elegance and romance since ancient times, a place where the rich and beautiful gathered. My surname is Qin, and I have a certain inexplicable fondness for this place with Qin in its name. They said that the scenery of the Qinhuai River is very beautiful, and the river does not freeze in winter, with lantern boats coming and going endlessly. I have never dared to imagine what a beautiful scene it must be.”
"I won't name it, if you'd like."
How is Qinhuai?
"I think it's a great name."
Qin Huai felt as if time had suddenly slowed down.
He looked at Qin Wan, then at the little beggar in front of him, and the fog that had been covering his heart and obscuring his vision suddenly dissipated.
He was like someone who had lost their memory for many years, suddenly hit hard on the head. In a daze, countless memories flooded his mind, and countless familiar scenes appeared before his eyes like a revolving lantern.
He looked at Qin Wan, and tears streamed down his face.
He looked at the little beggar—no, to be precise, he looked at himself—and laughed through his tears.
How could he have forgotten who he is?
Qin Huai looked at himself and murmured, "Qin Huai, you're such an idiot. You didn't protect Qin Mama's child, and you didn't protect yourself either."
"Not only did he not recognize Qin's mother, he also didn't recognize himself."
Qin Huai looked at Qin Wan, trying to see her features clearly, to see her meticulously styled hair, to see the slightly oxidized and blackened silver hairpin on her head, to see her smiling and gentle eyes, and to see her every smile, every gesture.
Qin Huai knew that he didn't have much time left to see it.
He is looking through a century of time at the person who has long since passed away.
Qin Huai's lips moved slightly.
They spoke at the same time as the little beggar.
Two voices overlapped, one that of a boy and the other that of a young man.
"Then I may call you."
"Is this Qin's mother?"
Qin Wan smiled and nodded.
Qin Huai said softly again, "Mother Qin."
"I'm sorry, I completely forgot about you."
Qin Huai has left behind her memories.
(End of this chapter)