Xiuzhu had been born during the Republican era in her previous life.
Her previous life had been so miserable that I had been prepared to stake my own life on persuading her to reincarnate, hoping only that she could have a good life in her next incarnation.
Yet I had never expected her current life to turn tragic as soon as she was born.
If someone adopted her and treated her as their own, that would be ideal too.
But who could guarantee that the family who adopted her would treat her well?
I wanted to adopt her, but I did not meet the adoption requirements.
But Seventh Master did!
I discussed it with Seventh Master and asked whether he would consider adopting Xiuzhu.
Seventh Master froze for a long time, neither agreeing nor refusing. I thought he might not have been mentally prepared, that he might never have imagined adopting a child.
His partner and child had been murdered when he was in his twenties, and he had lived alone all these years. Being suddenly asked to adopt a child would feel abrupt to him.
I said to Seventh Master, "You're healthy now, so it's not much of an issue. But when you're older and have trouble getting around, who will look after you? Who will be there to care for you like a dutiful child?"
Seventh Master stared blankly for a long time, then gazed at the sleeping Xiuzhu and said thoughtfully, "By the time she grows up and can support me in my old age, the grass on my grave will have come and gone several times over..."
"But..."
As he spoke, he suddenly smiled. "Maybe this really is fate. My surname is Zhao, and her mother's surname was Zhao too. Maybe some unseen force... really does