Chapter 632
The Beginning is Also the End
Chapter 632 The Beginning is Also the End (End of Main Text)
After leaving his memory, Qin Huai remained unresponsive for a long time.
He couldn't see anything in front of him. He knew that theoretically, after leaving his memories, he should be in the kitchen, but he couldn't feel the warmth of the kitchen or see the pots and pans. In his vision, there was only a blur, but his mind was unusually clear.
He couldn't hear the people around him talking. He was in a very strange state. He could hear many sounds and see many images. It was chaotic, yet he was also very clear-headed.
An unprecedented level of clarity.
He remembered many things, and many unfamiliar yet familiar faces flashed before his eyes.
He even recalled many important details that he had overlooked when he was with the spirits.
He is the little beggar in Chen Huihong's memory; he is the Taifeng Restaurant helper who helped Qin Wan back and protected her in Zhao Cheng'an's memory; he is Qin Huai.
He is the owner of Qin's Pastry Shop, who gave Qu Jing glutinous rice cakes in her memory; the toddler in Luo Jun's memory who grabbed Jiang Weiming and called him Mingming; the pastry shop owner in Chen Gong's words who advised him to think positively and gave him snacks when he was contemplating suicide; and the spirit in An Youyou's memory who made An Youyou very unhappy and took away most of An Youyou's inheritance—he is Chen Shun.
He is Shi Dadan's good brother; he is Wang Gensheng's close friend; he is Director Xu's son, he is Xu Nuo.
Qin Huai's mind was in turmoil, but his train of thought was clear.
He finally understood why Chen Huihong looked at him with such a complicated expression the moment she woke up.
I understand Zhao Cheng'an's occasional ramblings, and why he was so insistent yesterday that he had achieved enlightenment. He hadn't truly achieved enlightenment; he was just on the verge of waking up. The fermented rice buns he was making were starting to taste more and more like Qin Wan's.
Qin Huai understood Shi Dadan's silence and his occasional simple smile, and he understood Wang Gensheng's dilemma and his hesitation when he first woke up.
He even understood An Youyou's implication: according to the normal logic of inheritance, he had inherited so much of An Youyou's estate, and now it was time to give some money to An Youyou to help save the impoverished three-legged toad.
Most importantly, Qin Huai learned of Director Xu's joy.
Among the many fragments of memory that flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern, he remembered the words he spoke when he was still Xu Nuo, words that he hadn't seen in Wang Gensheng's memory, but which were spoken while holding Director Xu's hand.
"When I'm reincarnated, it's okay if I don't remember you, Mom and Dad, in my next life. Our names in our last life are the same as our first. If you meet a young man of the right age named Qin Huai, whose name is Qin Huai from the poem 'Mooring at Qin Huai River near a tavern,' that means I've come back to see you."
At this moment, Qin Huai finally understood what Director Xu had said to him that day.
“I’ve fantasized many times about what it might be like when I’m sitting in a rocking chair on the first floor of a nursing home before I die, and suddenly an old friend comes to find me and tells me that he has been searching for me for many years and has finally found me. He’ll chat with me for an afternoon until I quietly lie in the rocking chair and close my eyes before the sunset disappears.”
"Before I close my eyes, I will divide my estate into parts, just as I inherited the estate of my eldest brother and Chen Shun, and give one part to each of my deceased relatives."
At the time, Qin Huai always thought that Director Xu was saying this to An Youyou, but now he realized that Director Xu was saying it to that old friend.
It was his father who told it to his son, who was so confused that he couldn't remember anything from before.
Qin Huai's vision remained a vast expanse of white, and he could still hear a cacophony of voices around him. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something. There were so many people he wanted to see, so many things he wanted to say. He felt a thousand thoughts surging through his mind, yet he couldn't express them all in a single sentence.
At this moment, Qin Huai finally understood why every spirit would fall into a long period of stagnation before waking up, but remain silent the instant they awoke.
Because memory is a magical thing.
When you forget the important things, you subconsciously ignore the little things in life that make you feel strange. You can live a normal life, carefree like a fool.
But when you recall everything, all the overlooked details, all the memorable moments, will flood your mind at the same time. It takes time for the body to carry these memories, and it also takes time for the brain to process them, but once processed, they can be accepted quickly.
Because this is the truth, this is the complete self. People can always quickly accept what has happened and accept their true selves.
Gradually, those complex sounds faded from Qin Huai's ears.
His vision was no longer filled with flashing memories and a white light; his eyes began to focus, and familiar scenes began to emerge. Qin Huai saw the stove, the white walls, the terrazzo floor without tiles, and the spirits surrounding him, staring at him expectantly.
Chen Huihong, Qu Jing, An Youyou, Chen Gong, Wang Gensheng, Zhao Chengan.
And then there's Director Xu.
Shi Dadan wasn't there; he probably hadn't made the trip. He lived quite far away and couldn't get to Qin Family Village in just a few minutes.
Chen Huihong was on a video call, and Gong Liang was on the other end of the video.
Seeing that Qin Huai's eyes had regained their clarity, Chen Huihong smiled and moved closer to him, looking at Qin Huai with a smug, meaningful, and somewhat delighted expression.
"Awake?" Chen Huihong asked.
Qin Huai didn't answer Chen Huihong's question, but smiled helplessly: "Sister Hong, I didn't expect you to be such a good actor."
"It was so-so. My acting wasn't very good at first, and I got scolded by Luo Jun every day. But I think my acting is pretty good compared to Xiao An. Xiao An often lets things slip, and we were always worried about her, afraid that it would affect your tribulation. But it doesn't seem to have much of an impact now."
"Sister Hong, I just accidentally let it slip when I first woke up, okay? But you can't blame me. I had just woken up and didn't know the whole story, so I blurted out the wrong thing, but I quickly made up for it." An Youyou quickly protested, then leaned forward and stared at Qin Huai with wide eyes.
"Boss, Chen Shun, Qin Huai, you finally remember now, right? You remember how much money you cost me, right? In my first life, I worked so hard to save up money for so many years, scrimping and saving, and in the end, I ate so much spoiled food that I died. Most of my inheritance went to you. Now all I want is 52% of the shares in Cloud Canteen. Is that too much to ask, boss?"
An Youyou's voice was filled with the feeling that if you didn't give me 52% of the shares in Yunzhong Canteen, I would hang myself at your doorstep tomorrow and show you what the grief and indignation of a dead toad looks like.
Qin Huai: ...
To be fair, it's not an exaggeration.
Back when he was still Chen Shun, he was nowhere near as good at saving money as An Youyou. At that time, he didn't remember what his obsession was, but he vaguely felt that it was related to the Jiang family. He wanted to find all the members of the Jiang family, so he traveled all over the country. He didn't work or do business properly and didn't make much money. If An Youyou hadn't died and inherited a huge sum of money from him, he wouldn't have had the money to travel all over the country.
"It's not excessive. We'll give you 52% of the shares in Yunzhong Canteen after the New Year. But you're not good enough to be a store manager right now. You'll need to train for a few more years before you can become a store manager."
“No problem, I can continue doing odd jobs! But don’t wait until after the New Year, boss, I’m really poor right now. I only have less than 3000 yuan in my bank account. Could you transfer 1 yuan to me first for emergencies?” An Youyou said in a poor voice.
Qin Huai immediately took out his phone and transferred money to An Youyou.
Qin Huai knew that it was time for him to tell everyone his story.
This is the normal procedure. After waking up, each spirit must tell everyone what their obsession is, why they failed their tribulation, and what exciting stories they have experienced that are worth sharing. Qin Huai has significantly more to share than the other spirits. He has three incarnations that are worth telling in detail: his first life as a little beggar, his second life as Chen Shun, and his third life as Xu Nuo.
However, Qin Huai felt that he should say something else before sharing his story.
Qin Huai looked at Director Xu, who was still sitting on a small stool some distance away, smiling at him.
"Dad, I'm sorry to have worried you."
Factory Director Xu smiled and shook his head: "I'm not worried."
Before telling the story, Qin Huai first asked about the current situation. Why was there only Director Xu in the kitchen before he looked at the memories, but after he looked at the memories, there were people everywhere?
Chen Huihong briefly explained the situation to Qin Huai.
Simply put... they have a large group behind Qin Huai's back.
The group was called "When Will Qin Huai Wake Up?" Luo Jun's undeleted WeChat account was in that group, as was Factory Director Xu, and even Xia Murui. Only Qin Huai and Zhou Hu, who was still unconscious, were not in the group.
Qin Huai: ...
As the Lunar New Year approached, Qin Huai's state became increasingly closer to waking up. Qin Huai himself was unaware of this, but the spirits who came into contact with him could clearly sense it. This was why everyone wanted to come to Qin Huai's house for the Lunar New Year this year to join in the festivities—no one wanted to miss the spectacular moment when Qin Huai woke up.
Gong Liang couldn't come because of his family, so he decided to take a gamble, betting that Qin Huai wouldn't wake up until after the third year of junior high school. Obviously, the gamble failed.
Gong Liang, speaking in the video call, was filled with regret for not being able to be there in time to witness the event. At the same time, he was also happy that someone else was sharing his regret—Shi Dadan was still on his way.
The moment Qin Huai told Factory Director Xu that he wanted to see his memories, Factory Director Xu had a hunch that the memories Qin Huai wanted to see were actually his own. He informed everyone in the WeChat group about this. When no one replied, he called everyone one by one to wake them up and get them all to come over.
"So Qin Huai, what's going on with you? What's with this system of yours? Even if you're Fei Fei, you can't have a system, right?" Zhao Cheng'an had been holding back for a long time, and seeing that Qin Huai had finished asking his questions, he couldn't wait to pour out all the questions he wanted to ask.
Yes, Qinhuai is Feifei.
A type of spirit from the Classic of Mountains and Seas that frequently appears in movies, TV series, and novels, but whose presence is not high and whose abilities are not particularly strong; they are more often regarded as mascots.
If Qin Huai were still on a mission, he would definitely be checking his phone right now to find out what Fei Fei was. But now that he's awake, he knows his situation perfectly well, so there's no need for him to go online to check.
According to the "Classic of Mountains and Seas, Central Mountains, Mount Huo": "Forty li further north is Mount Huo, where many grain trees grow. There is a beast there, which looks like a fox, but has a white tail and a mane, named Feifei. Keeping it can relieve worries."
In plain language, Feifei looks like a kitten and can dispel worries. In witchcraft, this ability to dispel worries can refer to both mental distress and physical illness, making it a very rare type of creature among the spirits in the Classic of Mountains and Seas.
Some TV dramas and movies would change Feifei into a chubby little bird. For a while, Luo Jun was obsessed with watching similar fantasy dramas. Qin Huai also watched a couple of episodes. Now that he thinks back, Qin Huai suspects that Luo Jun didn't actually like watching that drama. He just wanted to see Feifei changed into a chubby little bird.
However, Feifei in the world of spirits and monsters is different from the one recorded in the Classic of Mountains and Seas. Feifei's ability to relieve worries is multifaceted. As long as Feifei wants and is willing, except for the absurd thing of resurrection, Feifei can solve almost any worry of the person making the wish, that is, fulfill any wish.
At the same time, Feifei is also one of the most special kinds of spirits, and is very popular among all spirits. This is because Feifei is one of the very few spirits that can directly help spirits who have failed their tribulation to succeed, participate in their karma, and will not cause their tribulation to become more difficult; rather, it will only increase the difficulty of Feifei's own tribulation.
A spirit that is purely devoted to its purpose.
Therefore, most of the Fei Fei are warned by their seniors before they undergo tribulation, telling them to mind their own business and to refrain from doing good deeds.
It was clear that Qin Huai hadn't listened to a single word.
This is why even though Chen Huihong and others didn't know what kind of spirit Qin Huai was when they met him in their previous lives, they instantly understood his species the moment they woke up.
Only Felix could wake them up through forceful intervention.
Zhao Cheng'an continued to ask, "I've never actually seen a Feifei, to be precise, I've hardly ever seen any spirits. Of course, I've heard of you Feifei, but the way you helped us successfully overcome our tribulations is just too outrageous. You look at our memories, then make us a meal, and after eating it, we wake up. Are you a Feifei or the Heavenly Dao? Did you set the rules? How can you be so happy? Are all male protagonists this happy?"
Qin Huai: ...
"I really don't understand how you have a system. Do systems really exist in this world? If you can have a system, can I have one too? You're a special spirit, and so am I. Why do you have a system and I don't? Aren't I the male lead?"
Qin Huai directly covered Zhao Cheng'an's mouth, physically interrupting him: "You've asked so many questions, why don't you let me answer them? Isn't this the part where I'm going to explain to you? To explain why I have a system, of course I have to start with what my obsession is. A story has to start from the beginning, haven't you ever told one before?"
Zhao Cheng'an: "Ugh, ugh... ugh ugh ugh!"
"Everyone, don't stand, find chairs and sit down. I'll talk to you all when Lao Shi arrives. How long until Lao Shi gets here?"
No sooner had Qin Huai finished speaking than Shi Dadan rushed into the kitchen like a pig charging forward, grabbed Qin Huai, and nearly knocked her to the ground. Luckily, Shi Dadan was strong enough to hold her back.
Shi Dadan burst into tears.
"Xu Nuo, I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to run you over."
“I’ve wanted to tell you this for a long time, but I didn’t dare. I didn’t want to lie to you. I was afraid I would blurt it out and you wouldn’t be able to pass your tribulation. I’m sorry, I was too stupid. I can give you all my inheritance.”
Qin Huai: ...
Qin Huai was quite helpless, and comforted him, "Old Shi, you're not stupid at all. Your acting skills are the best. You even fooled me."
Shi Dadan cried for two minutes, and only after calming down a little did he sit down. Qin Huai made him some Poria cocos cakes so he could eat something sweet to soothe his nerves.
After making several Poria cocos sandwiches, Qin Huai felt that the occasion was perfect for him to make Poria cocos sandwiches for everyone while telling them his own story, so he made them and talked at the same time.
"Before we faced our tribulation, our elders often warned us to mind our own business, to be less kind-hearted, and not to be like the phoenix, pitying everyone and wanting to help everyone. It's okay to help people fulfill their wishes, but only if they have been kind to us. Otherwise, it will easily increase the difficulty of our own tribulation."
"I've got it."
"But I didn't expect the human world to be different from what I knew. I transformed into the appearance of an eight or nine-year-old child because children of this age are the least threatening. Under normal circumstances, even if you were to recruit soldiers, you wouldn't be able to recruit children of this age. And I have enough strength to survive."
"But I never expected that just when I was thinking about how to integrate into human society and learn the rules of the world, I would get caught up in a fight among beggars, and inexplicably help Shi Tou hit me, which made him want to take me as his follower and help him beg for food. That's how I became a beggar."
Hearing Qin Huai say this, An Youyou was a little unhappy. When Qin Huai was still asleep, she had the most basic respect for a boss towards him. Now that Qin Huai was awake and was still the boss, An Youyou's respect had faded considerably.
"What's wrong with beggars? Back then, being a beggar was definitely the best profession in the world!" An Youyou spoke up for beggars.
Qin Huai: ...
Qin Huai continued, briefly recounting his and Shi Tou's experiences begging, and how he helped Shi Tou fulfill his wish to have parents. He talked about how he persistently followed Qin Wan all the way from the Northeast to Beiping, and how he confessed to Qin Wan that he wanted to help her fulfill her wish, but Qin Wan refused to make a wish.
"At the time, I didn't really understand why Qin's mother was unwilling to make a wish. It was such a good opportunity. Human wishes are so simple for us. Whether it's wealth and glory or health and longevity, I could help her fulfill her wish. She made a wish, but it wasn't a sincere wish."
"Now I understand. It's not that Qin's mother didn't want to make a wish; she just didn't understand what spirits were and could only see me as a demon. She felt that if she made a wish and I fulfilled it, it would harm my magic. I would have to pay a price for helping her fulfill her wish. She hasn't done much for me, yet I have to repay so much; it's not worth it."
"She was a good person, a pure person who did good deeds without expecting anything in return."
"But at that time I couldn't understand why there would be such good people. Good people don't get good rewards. There is no cause and effect in this world. Good people won't live to be a hundred years old and live a happy life just because they do good deeds all their lives, and bad people won't suffer disasters just because they do a lot of evil. My elders always taught me not to be such good people."
"Especially don't be a kind person who is weak himself but can give a lot to others."
“Mother Qin said she has many children, but none of them have her surname. I am willing to take her surname and have her name me. I have no parents, and she is willing to be my mother.”
“She said she believed I was a spirit because I really didn’t understand the human world and was not like a human at all. She asked me how to successfully overcome the tribulation, and I told her that I could overcome the tribulation by entering the world or by not entering the world at all. At that time, it was impossible for me to completely avoid the world, so I could only enter the world. But I didn’t know how to enter the world. So Qin’s mother said she would teach me, she would teach me how to be a person.”
"She told Jiang Cheng... Master Jiang that I was a child from her distant relative's family. My parents had died and I came to Beiping to seek refuge, so I stayed at Qin Mama's house. Qin Mama said that her family had a family tradition of making pastries, but her younger brother was not good enough to learn the family's skills. She had been secretly learning, and her skills were better than her brother's. However, she was a daughter and could not inherit the craft, so she could only learn and make some relatively simple pastries in front of everyone. She did not dare to teach the real secrets to others."
“But I’m the only child who has her last name, so she can secretly teach me, teach me all her skills.”
"I learned the craft from Aunt Qin."
“I have a talent for making pastries. After learning the craft for two years, Master Jiang introduced me to Taifeng Restaurant. I started as a handyman, which was a decent job to make a living. Normal children grow up, but at that time I failed to overcome my tribulation and I couldn’t grow up. Mother Qin told everyone that I had a strange disease that made it difficult for me to grow up.”
"Later, Master Chen found Zhao Cheng'an, and then there was another Zhao Cheng'an who also had a strange disease, which made my strange disease seem more believable."
Zhao Cheng'an: ...
"Later, Qin's mother became pregnant with her last child."
“The Jiang family’s house was not big and the housing was tight. I had an income at that time, so I moved out. Even after I moved out, Qin’s mother still took good care of me. She was worried that I could only make pastries but not cook. Taifeng Restaurant often sent me food because the food for ordinary helpers was not good. During holidays, she would invite me to the Jiang family’s house for dinner. The Jiang family would always leave a set of chopsticks and a bowl for me on the New Year’s Eve dinner table.”
“Every time Qin’s mother came to Taifeng Restaurant to deliver food, she would give me an extra egg.”
"She told me not to be so withdrawn, not to always be so taciturn, to talk to everyone more, and not to care too much about Wei Ze, Wei Jin, and Wei Ming, since they look older than me and don't need me to take care of them."
"She would listen to me very patiently, telling me what Boss Lu had said, what minor conflicts had occurred between colleagues, and then telling me how to handle them, what they were thinking, and that everyone didn't mean any harm, but just had their own perspective."
Zhao Cheng'an was surprised to hear this: "What? You actually listen to their gossip in private? I thought you were like me, not caring about anything except what you eat every day."
Qin Huai: "...So back then you were the famous fool at Taifeng Restaurant, but I wasn't." Zhao Cheng'an: ...
"Qin Huai, your words have become even more offensive since you woke up!"
“Before, when we were at Taifeng Restaurant, you just seemed arrogant and aloof. Now you talk a lot and your words are harsh.”
Ignoring Zhao Cheng'an, Qin Huai continued, "Mother Qin is truly a wonderful person. At that time, I felt that what the senior said was wrong, and that being a good person is also good. I want to become someone like Mother Qin. I won't blindly help everyone fulfill their wishes, but I think we should lend a helping hand when they need it, just like Mother Qin said."
"It's a pity that good people don't live long."
"When Qin's mother gave birth to Wei Guo, she suffered a difficult childbirth and severe bleeding, which damaged her vital energy and her foundation. Since then, her health has been very poor. No matter how much medicine she drinks or how many tonics she eats, she can't get better. She can't overwork herself, can't be exposed to cold wind, and doesn't even have the strength to knead dough."
"She always lies down, only going out to sunbathe in the yard when the weather is particularly nice."
“I really hope that Qin’s mother’s health can improve. I begged Qin’s mother to make a wish to me that she would be healthy. I thought that as long as she made a wish, she would be healthy, but Qin’s mother did not.”
"She said she couldn't do it."
"She still doesn't understand what spirits are, and she doesn't know how I can successfully overcome my tribulation, but she feels that making such an illogical wish will hurt me, and she doesn't want to hurt me."
“She said I was her child, that she loved the children she gave birth to and that she loved me too, and that she hoped every child could be safe and happy, including me.”
Qin Huai paused, a tear glistening in his eye, and then said, "Then Qin's mother passed away."
“Before she died, she told me that I would never grow up, that I was special, and that I was kind. I have been learning how to be a person, but she knew very well that I had not actually learned. She said she could understand why my senior would say those things to me, because she was like my senior; she wanted me to be kind, but she also wanted me not to be kind.”
"She told me to take care of myself and not to be sad. The world is not good now. If possible, she hopes I can help take care of Wei Ze, Wei Jin, and Wei Ming. She hopes we are all safe and healthy. She hopes I can successfully overcome this tribulation."
"Before she died, Qin's mother told me many wishes, but none of them were wishes."
“I will stay in Taifeng Restaurant. I want to help Qin Mama take care of her children, but I can’t do it.”
"The world is in chaos."
“I am just a nobody. When no one makes a wish to me and I don’t want to fulfill that person’s wish, I have no power. When Beiping fell and the Jiang family left Beiping, I wanted to protect them but I was powerless to do so.”
“I dare not reveal to anyone other than Qin Mama that I am a spirit. Wei Ze and his wife got separated from us while looking for their lost child. Wei An and Wei You are seriously ill. Wei Ming went to find medicine but never came back. I can’t find the medicine, and I can’t find Wei Ming either. I can only hold Wei An and Wei You’s hands and make them make a wish to me, wishing that they will be healthy and that their illness will improve.”
"They just thought I was crazy."
"They never truly made a wish to me until the day they died."
"I don't understand. Making a wish is such a simple thing, something everyone can do. Back then, Stone clearly didn't believe, but he still made a wish and it came true. Why can't Mother Qin do it? Why can't Mother Qin's children do it? Why won't they make a wish to me?"
"For the first time, I hated my own abilities so much, and hated that I needed others to make wishes to me in order to fulfill my desires."
"At that moment, I knew that I had failed to overcome the tribulation."
"When Wei Ming went missing while looking for medicine, I went to look for him. On the way, I was robbed by bandits and stabbed to death."
"This is my first life."
"In my second life, I was Chen Shun, and I was reborn into a farming family in Shu."
“That life was strange. I remember many things. I remember Mother Qin and all the things that happened in the first life, but I don’t remember what my obsession was. I don’t remember anything at all.”
"I only vaguely felt that I should go find someone, but I didn't know who to look for or what to do after I found them."
“When I was a toddler, I met Weiming. I grabbed him and kept calling him Mingming. I was happy to see him. My intuition told me that I needed to find him, but not just him.”
"Later, my parents and I moved to Shanghai, where I met Youyou, Weiguo and Dad, and you all know what happened next."
"In that life, I was always running a pastry shop until I died. All the pastry shops I opened were called Qin's Pastry Shop. I was always looking for someone, looking for someone aimlessly, looking for someone without any purpose."
"Perhaps it was influenced by Qin's mother. In that life, even if I didn't really want to help people, I always couldn't help but want to help when I saw my kind, because I knew I was Feifei and I could help them, even if I didn't have the ability."
“In my third life, I was reborn as Xu Nuo. To be honest, Dad, I never knew you were Xiao Jiu until I died. I really never imagined that I would be reborn as the son of my friend from my previous life. But Dad, you are truly my best father.” Qin Huai said to Director Xu.
Factory Director Xu could only sigh, "Life is indeed a strange thing. I never imagined that I would know him before my son was born, and that I would see him again after my son died."
“You all know what happened when I made the promise. My memory is incomplete at that time, and I don’t remember what my obsession was, but I still wanted to find the person. My intuition told me that I shouldn’t stay in Suzhou, and I should go to other places to find the person. So I’m never content with the status quo, and I don’t want to have a stable job. I just want to run away.”
"Then he died unexpectedly."
Upon hearing this, Shi Dadan lowered his head again, feeling extremely guilty.
"Old Shi, I've said it many times, this isn't your fault." Qin Huai said in a very confident tone, "My meddling in the karma of other spirits' tribulations has caused my tribulation to become much more difficult. Even if you hadn't run me over with your car, I would most likely have died a violent death in that life anyway. This has nothing to do with you."
"If anyone should apologize, it should be me apologizing to you. If you hadn't run me over, you wouldn't have failed your tribulation."
“I actually have some memories of my fourth life. I don’t remember the things before very clearly, but I remember that I was a spirit, not a human. But because my memories are so fragmented, I look like a madman. My mental state was also very unstable in that life. In addition, my parents divorced in that life and neither of them cared about me, leaving me to fend for myself. After graduating from junior high school, they sent me to a mental hospital. I wanted to run away but I couldn’t. In the end, I fell off a building and died while trying to escape.”
"And then there's this life."
"I know everyone is curious and wants to know what the game system is. Actually, I'm not very clear about it either, but I have a vague feeling about it now."
"My abilities haven't fully returned."
"This system should be the embodiment of my abilities."
"I've intervened in too many spirits' tribulations, making my own tribulation extremely difficult, to the point where it's almost impossible to succeed. I think this strange system is a straw that heaven gave me. The mission is a straw, helping you wake up is a straw, meeting you is a straw, everything is a straw for me."
"As for those who didn't return..."
"My obsession is that even if Qin Mama's children are separated by war, they will eventually be able to reunite."
"I hope they are all healthy and happy, just like Qin's mother hopes I am healthy and happy."
"I think those abilities must exist in some special form in other people who can help me fulfill my wishes."
"I've basically said everything I need to say. Do you have any questions? Or is there anything else you haven't told me? If you remember anything now, please let me know."
Qin Huai looked at Chen Huihong, and his intuition told him that this group of people were definitely hiding something from him.
Chen Huihong chuckled.
"some."
"Actually, Luo Jun's private investigator found Jiang Weiming a long time ago. He is helping his eldest son take care of his grandson in Sichuan. He is not living a very good life, but he is still in relatively good health. We have been afraid to tell you for fear of affecting your tribulation."
"Let me think if there's anything else I haven't told you..."
"Actually, there's something I haven't told you," Shi Dadan said timidly, raising his hand. "Something they don't know."
Everyone looked at Shi Dadan, their eyes filled with admiration.
I never would have guessed, Kang, that you were the one who hid the deepest secret.
"But I haven't figured out how to say it yet. Can I say it later? For example, in the epilogue, and have the author give me a separate epilogue to say it."
Qin Huai laughed and said, "Of course, Lao Shi, you can say it whenever you want."
Qin Huai glanced out the window; it was already broad daylight.
"My grandparents are probably already awake by now, so let's stop here for today and talk about other things later. Today is Lunar New Year's Eve, and the most important thing is to make the New Year's Eve dinner. I still have a lot of desserts to make."
"Okay." Chen Huihong stood up.
The next second, Shi Dadan's phone rang. When he answered, he heard his wife's roar on the other end.
"Shi Dadan, are you a reincarnated starving ghost during the New Year? Where are you now? Are you at Master Qin's house? You left your wife and children behind and ran off to eat breakfast. Hurry up and come back to pick us up!"
Shi DaDa:......
"Go quickly," Qin Huai said with a smile.
Shi Dadan hurriedly went back to pick up his wife and children.
"By the way, Qin Huai, what's Zhou Hu's condition? Why is he still asleep even though you're already awake?" Chen Huihong asked.
"Oh, I forgot to mention earlier, Zhou Hu was a fortune teller I met in my first life. Back then, he was roaming around Beiping City doing fortune telling, but his skills weren't very good. He swindled a lot of money from high-ranking officials and nobles. Perhaps he felt guilty, because he inexplicably failed his tribulation."
"Actually, I was quite surprised. He wasn't very good at fortune telling in his first life, but now he's quite good. A lot of the outrageous things he told me before turned out to be quite accurate after I woke up."
"This industry may indeed require some family-inherited skills."
"As for when Zhou Hu will wake up, I think it will be soon. He is actually quite close to waking up. If I give him a little push, he should wake up in the next few years."
Chen Huihong quickly said, "No rush, no rush. If he wakes up and remembers his first life, his fortune-telling skills might not be as good as they are now, just like Xiao Zhao. Let him finish his reading for us first. He's in good condition, there's no rush for him to wake up."
Zhao Cheng'an: ...?
You dare to insult me like that??
Qin Huai smiled and continued making desserts.
.
8:18pm.
In previous years, the Qin family's New Year's Eve dinner time was determined by when Qin Huai finished cooking. This year, perhaps because many guests came, Old Master Qin insisted on holding some unimportant ceremonies, such as setting the dinner time at 8:18, a day that sounds auspicious but is actually not very useful.
Qin Huai performed beyond his usual level—or rather, he performed normally after inheriting all the levels from his previous lives—and prepared a table of S-grade desserts.
The snacks smelled so good that Qin Luo was able to control herself from sneaking a bite in the kitchen, which shows that the child has indeed grown up.
"Brother, why do I feel like you're different today?" Qin Luo asked softly as she sat down by Qin Huai's side. "Not only do the snacks look even tastier, but you also seem to have a more refined and sophisticated air about you."
"Have you truly had an epiphany?"
Qin Huai smiled and said, "Perhaps."
"In the new year, there should always be some growth. This morning, while I was making desserts, I suddenly understood many things that I didn't understand before."
Qin Luo: ?
Qin Luo didn't quite understand, but she suspected her brother was showing off.
Bro, you've changed. You never used to act all high and mighty in front of me.
At 8:18 a.m., Grandpa Qin raised his glass with a beaming smile: "Today is a very special day. So many of Huaihuai's friends have come to our house. Welcome everyone to celebrate the New Year in our Qin Family Village."
"I won't say much more, I'm not usually very talkative. I just hope everyone eats and drinks well, and that the new year brings good fortune, smooth sailing, good health, and happiness!"
Chen Huihong and Chen Gong raised their glasses immediately, and the others followed suit.
"Happy New Year!"
All voices come together to become the most sincere blessings for the new year.
Including Philip's blessing.
.
A few years later—
[A well-made counterfeit bill]
The young man collecting the money didn't take it. Instead, he smiled apologetically at the burly, bald man with an impatient expression and said, "I'm sorry, sir, we don't have any change right now. We can't make change for a hundred."
"Can't make change?" The customer pulled the money back and reluctantly handed the young man a twenty-yuan bill. After receiving the change, he couldn't help but grumble a few more times before leaving the shop.
The young man smiled shyly at Qin Huai, who returned the smile and continued eating.
Qin's grandson's cooking skills are truly...
Qin Huai glanced at the Kung Pao Chicken that was about to be cooked in the kitchen.
A plate of Kung Pao Chicken with a mixture of sweat and oil
Never mind, just shake your head.
"Handsome, check please."
"Okay, 15 yuan."
"Sweep here, right?"
"It's all right."
After paying, Qin Huai waved to the young man, walked out of the shop, and looked up at the signboard when he reached the door.
Health Corner.
It's not as good as Taifenglou.
"Aren't you going to tell them?" Chen Huihong asked as she came out from next door after buying water. "Jiang Qi's amusement park has already opened, and Jiang Weiming is almost a hundred years old. Aren't you going to let your Qin Mama's descendants reunite?"
“My power is in him; he’s about to wake up,” Qin Huai said. “I can feel it.”
"Fate will reunite them."
(End of text)
.
P.S.: Don't worry, there will be many, many more side stories. All the side stories from all three books will be written in this one book. (Of course, the side stories will be updated slowly. I'll start updating them after I take a few days off during the Chinese New Year holiday.)
I wrote this ending solely to create this final conclusion, echoing the chapter title, for the beginning is also the end.
At last.
The story is finally finished! Happy New Year to everyone!
For more updates, please rewatch "Life-Based Games".
By the way, I'd like to mention in the author's notes that the physical books of the slice-of-life games are available for pre-order on the xv mini-program's Dimensional Aggregator. There's also a giveaway event in the comments section where you can win a physical book by commenting. Interested readers are welcome to participate.
(End of this chapter)