“Uncle, we’ve become so rich.”
ʕっ•ᴥ•ʔっ
After returning home, Wei Ming, a senior high school student, took two fever reducers and went to bed to rest for a while.
When he opened his eyes again, it was pitch black outside. Disoriented, Wei Ming got up, put on his glasses, and glanced at the time.
It was just past six o’clock.
His fever had gone down a bit; his body no longer felt painfully hot. Wei Ming quickly got dressed, got out of bed, and downed a large glass of warm water to quench his dry throat.
He wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, and at that moment, a strong pang of hunger hit him.
Holding his stomach, his gaze landed on the Memory Bread he had casually left on the dining table.
The Memory Bread had cooled down completely. Too lazy to heat it in the microwave, he picked it up to eat.
*”Big brother, you have to eat the Memory Bread before you use your brain. That way, you can remember a lot of knowledge, okay.”*
This sentence suddenly popped into his mind. Wei Ming hesitated, pausing with the bread near his mouth.
He scratched his head. Well, it couldn’t hurt to try.
Wei Ming finished the cold Memory Bread in a few bites. The red bean paste filling was sweet but not greasy, with a texture as soft and smooth as ice cream.
Wei Ming thought it was much tastier than the red bean buns at the breakfast shop downstairs.
He regretted not buying more. Being a senior was already tough enough; he shouldn’t be depriving his taste buds.
Daydreaming for a while, Wei Ming reluctantly pulled out his vocabulary notebook with a look of despair and started his daily study session.
He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination.
But today, the vocabulary words were exceptionally easy to memorize. He remembered them after reading them just once, whereas it usually took four or five times.
Next, he pulled out a math test paper. His problem-solving logic was clearer than ever before; he could glance at a question and immediately know which formulas to apply.
It was all too smooth, abnormally so.
Confused, Wei Ming slowly placed his hands on his stomach. Could it really be because of the Memory Bread?
ʕっ•ᴥ•ʔっ
After a hard day’s work, the aunt and nephew had accumulated enough points. The next day, they set off happily to the concert. The venue wasn’t far from home, so they could simply walk there.
Yuyu wore a little yellow helmet-like cap and a fresh green skirt set, standing out among the crowd like a tender spring onion.
The main road was too crowded. Yan Xingli took the child through a maze of winding alleys.
“Uncle, what’s that big brother doing?”
Yan Xingli glanced casually and explained calmly, like a detached commentator: “He’s climbing over the wall.”
The person clinging to the wall froze.
Yuyu: “Uncle, why isn’t he moving anymore?”
Yan Xingli: “Maybe he heard us talking about him and got shy.”
The boy climbing the wall: “…” Sweating profusely. No way, it couldn’t be that coincidental. Was he about to encounter a celebrity he’d only ever seen on screen in this situation?
Qi Youyu: “Then let’s close our eyes quickly.”
“Okay.”
The boy secretly sighed in relief. That was close. He quickly scrambled down from the wall in two moves and was about to pull up his pants and run off.
“That big brother came down really fast. He must be great at climbing trees.”
As soon as Yuyu’s clear, crisp voice rang out, the boy skipping class froze. Weren’t they supposed to have closed their eyes?
He turned back in disbelief, only to be caught squarely by the camera.
He was doomed!
With a yelp, the boy fled in a panic, running haphazardly until he disappeared.
“Look at you, scaring people like that.” Yan Xingli gave the child a sidelong glance.
Yuyu bumped him with her head: “I clearly said he was good at climbing trees!”
Yan Xingli explained seriously: “It’s because humans evolved from apes, so we’re naturally good at climbing.”
Yuyu’s eyes twinkled mischievously: “Uncle, which zoo did you live in before?”
Yan Xingli: “…Not telling you. Guess.”
Hmph.
Arriving at the concert venue, fans wearing the artist’s green support colors were already lining up. Qi Youyu’s eyes widened in amazement, and she let out a loud “Wow!”
“Uncle, there are so many people!”
“This isn’t even half of it. The venue can hold fifty thousand people, and not everyone’s here yet.”
Yan Xingli smiled. “But don’t worry, we’re in the VIP section, very close to the stage. We’ll have a great view of everything happening on stage.”
Hearing the number fifty thousand, Qi Youyu’s eyes lit up brightly.
“So many!”
“Are they all alive?”
Yan Xingli: “…What, have you seen dead people attending concerts before?”
Qi Youyu stroked her little chin: “Not yet.”
“So I’m going to work hard on inventing a Soul Catcher, so that everyone’s deceased uncles and aunties can live again.”
“Soul Catcher?? What sci-fi movie has Yuyu been watching now?”
“Never mind the Soul Catcher for now, Yuyu! Do you have any more Memory Bread? Urgently needed!!!”
“To the person above, is the Memory Bread really that good? Want to see a review video!”
“How it tastes is the least noteworthy of its advantages…”
The average lifespan on Cang’ai Planet was 150 years, and with technological advancements, there was potential for further extension.
People lived without much pressure, which theoretically should encourage more reproduction. However, as times changed, not only had the citizens of Cang’ai Planet evolved their thinking, but the new government also learned from past lessons that having fewer, healthier children was the most beneficial for human development.
Weighing the pros and cons, they implemented a series of policies favoring eugenics. Although the birth rate was low, the crime rate was nearly zero, producing a population of high-quality individuals.
Rather than gambling on unknown new births, it was better to retain existing talents. Therefore, the government of Cang’ai Planet initiated a research project for a Soul Catcher.
If successful, deceased national academicians and key personnel could continue to serve in another form.
Yuyu wasn’t clear on the details. She only remembered her mother frowning anxiously, muttering about the Soul Catcher in her dreams.
Her mother had so many things to invent. She needed to grow up quickly to become her mother’s little helper.
There was still an hour before the concert started. Yan Xingli took Yuyu backstage.
Singer Liu Qin was the first senior colleague he had befriended in the entertainment industry. She had been one of the mentors on that male idol selection show back in the day. Since he was here, it was only polite to say hello.
“Dad, I, I’m scared.”
Zheng Xiaofeng and Liu Qin were long-time friends. Taking advantage of his daughter’s birthday today, he had specifically brought his wife and daughter along to show support.
“Don’t be scared, Yueyue. Mom and Dad are here. You love listening to Aunt Xiaoqin’s songs, don’t you? Dad is bringing you to meet her today.”
Zheng Yue kept her head down, not looking particularly happy.
Shen Lan, walking behind, furrowed her brows, watching her daughter’s back with concern.
For the past two years, Yue Yue hadn’t been enthusiastic about her birthdays, even insisting on not celebrating them. What was wrong with this child?
Up ahead, Zheng Xiaofeng bent down with a smile: “Yueyue, look who’s there?”
Zheng Yue paused, looked up curiously, and a trace of delight appeared on her face: “Yuyu.”
The two little girls met backstage.
Seeing Director Zheng Xiaofeng, Yan Xingli immediately tensed up, giving him a questioning look, wary that the production team might have another scheme, wanting to stir up trouble before the concert started.
Zheng Xiaofeng patted him on the shoulder: “Relax, I just brought my daughter out to have fun.”
Yan Xingli smiled, his expression clearly saying, “Do I look like I believe you?”
Both had connections with Liu Qin, so they decided to go together to her dressing room to say hello.
The adults chatted, and the children couldn’t really join in. Yuyu, having a playmate, didn’t bother her uncle. She wanted to play games with Zheng Yue, but quickly sensed something was off.
“You’re unhappy, aren’t you?”
In a small corner, Yuyu brought her round face close to Zheng Yue’s, almost nose to nose. “Who bullied you?”
Zheng Yue’s face flushed crimson. She shook her little head and stepped back: “No, no one.”
“Yes, you are.” Yuyu pinched her own chubby cheek and said, “You have a lot of unhappiness. You’re turning into a little old lady.”
Zheng Yue glanced around, saw that her parents weren’t paying attention, tugged at the hem of her shirt, and whispered: “Today is my birthday.”
Yuyu’s mouth dropped open in surprise: “It’s your birthday?”
In the next moment, the child clutched her head: “Oh no, this is terrible! I didn’t prepare a gift.”
Zheng Yue quickly whispered that it was okay.
But Yuyu was distressed. A tiny kid, she beat her chest in frustration. Her second good friend on Earth was having a birthday, and she was showing up empty-handed. It was unacceptable!
Qi Youyu spun around like a top in place. Zheng Yue was both touched and anxious. The words tumbled out: “Then, you can just give me a hug.”
Yuyu, who had been pulling at her hair, stopped and looked at Zheng Yue with wide, unblinking eyes.
Zheng Yue’s ears were burning red, about to drip blood. She stammered: “A hug… counts as… a birthday gift.”
As she spoke, she didn’t dare look at Yuyu, afraid of being rejected.
But before she could finish, she was enveloped by a soft, warm little body. This time, it wasn’t the milky scent of strawberries but the burst fragrance of a juicy peach.
Zheng Yue was hugged by a child two years younger. Yuyu even stood on tiptoe and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
“Yueyue, happy birthday. I hope you’re happy every day!”
Zheng Yue’s eyes went wide. It felt like she had seen an angel.
Surrounded by pure kindness, smelling the delightful peach scent, her head felt sweet and dizzy.
Zheng Yue: “Yuyu, you’re an angel.”
Qi Youyu, who particularly loved cats and dogs, shook her head and puffed out her little chest: “No, I’m a cat angel! And sometimes, a dog angel~.”
Zheng Yue: o.o
Getting back on track, Yuyu held Zheng Yue’s fingers and asked with concern: “So why were you unhappy?”
The topic shifted abruptly, and Zheng Yue forgot to stammer: “Because it was hard for Mom to have me.”
“My birthday is… Mom’s… ‘day of suffering’.”
Though Zheng Yue was young, she wasn’t clueless. She had once heard a classmate’s mother sigh, “A child’s birthday is the mother’s day of suffering.”
She remembered that and so didn’t want to celebrate her birthday, feeling guilty that her birth had caused her mother pain.
Qi Youyu was full of question marks. What was all this?
“Yueyue, you’re wrong.” The child raised one finger and explained earnestly: “We kids hatched from eggs. Every child has their own egg.”
“Huh? Is… is that so?”
“Yes, we grew up inside eggs. Mom and Dad watered our eggs and took us to bask in the sun. When we were big enough, we hatched out.”
Zheng Yue’s head was in a whirl. This was completely different from what the director at the orphanage had said.
A chubby child suddenly appeared among the chatting adults.
A serious, high-pitched little voice cut in: “Uncle, didn’t you help Auntie give birth to the baby?”
Yuyu stared intently at Zheng Xiaofeng, who looked a bit bewildered by the question.
“We gave birth to Yueyue.”
Yuyu: “Yueyue said only her mom gave birth to her. Didn’t you help?”
“Me? I can’t give birth.”
“But you’re the dad.” The little one, looking up, wrinkled her nose and scolded without reservation: “Every baby egg needs both mom and dad to take care of it. Uncle, how come you were slacking off?”
Yuyu said sincerely, “I think you should apologize to Auntie.”
Zheng Xiaofeng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He decided to bend down and have a word with this child who was wise beyond her years.
“When Yueyue’s mom was pregnant with her, I stayed by her side. It’s just that when it comes to actually having the baby, I really couldn’t help.”
He explained patiently: “Yuyu, didn’t your uncle tell you? Babies come out of their mommy’s tummy, not from eggs.”
Qi Youyu was confused for a moment, then shook her head: “No, babies come from eggs. That’s what my mom and dad told me.”
The child was absolutely certain: “They even made me a big helmet from my eggshell.”
“Thank goodness Yuyu’s parents didn’t tell her kids pop out of rocks, or she’d be picking up stones to hatch right now to prove it lol.”
“What kind of egg was it? An ostrich egg?”
On Cang’ai Planet, obtaining a parenting license each year was as difficult as taking the civil service exam on Earth – a hellish level of competition.
The licensing process encompassed parenting knowledge, assessment of parental knowledge, background checks, physical examinations, asset verification, and more. Only couples who obtained the parenting license could go to the hospital to receive the artificial womb baby egg.
The “egg” Yuyu mentioned was the artificial womb. It was like a dormant pod where the embryo formed from the fertilized egg was nurtured.
The environment inside the egg completely simulated the human uterus. A full-term baby would hatch from it like a chick breaking out of its shell.
As soon as the concert started, Yuyu was astonished by the sheer number of people surrounding her – a seemingly endless sea of humanity. Her little nostrils flared in amazement.
We’re rich, we’re rich, we’re rich.
O(∩_∩)O
“Today at my concert, I have two special guests. Let’s welcome Yan Xingli and the adorable Yuyu!”
Their images instantly appeared on the big screen. Yuyu, clinging to Yan Xingli, stared wide-eyed.
“Uncle, we’ve become so big!”
Yan Xingli maintained a calm smile, holding the child and waving to the audience.
They were engulfed by enthusiastic cheers. Yuyu, however, was oblivious to the noise. Her round eyes reflected the surging emotional energy.
The child was grinning from ear to ear, looking like a little money-grubber. She tightened her grip around Yan Xingli’s neck and shook him excitedly:
“Uncle, we’ve become so rich!”
“Uncle, you should come home with me!”
“I’ll support you!!”