Liang Xing and An An: The Beginning of Lu Bai House of Children

Adoption

Six drafts to go~

Some time later An An healed enough to move around on her own. Right away Liang Xing and the parents on both sides quickly set up the ceremony and in a huge whirlwind had a ceremony that cased delight throughout the capitol.

It was splendidly loud with banging drums and scenic with flower petals trailing the marriage sedan. Everything was colorful in reds and golds and cheer filled the air.

Event though the couple knew they would never be blessed with a child their love had become true enough that to them being together was all they needed to feel blissful.

As for the parents, even though this would mean both family lines would be extinguished at the end of their children's generation they could only agree. If the ordeal with Lin Ruo had taught them one thing it was that the lovebirds truly had only each other in their hearts.

And in fact, as the years passed the couple's life was a truly blissful life...but the specter of hope of children always remained on the back of their mind, especially for An An who would never experience the greatest joy of being a woman.

One day the couple walked hand in hand around the capitol simply for fun. However, this walk had quickly turned depressing as the scenery around them depicted the poor and destitute that flooded to the capitol as a result of a recent disaster.

"Husband, I wonder, do you think adopting a child would be good?" An An asked as she spotted a child begging for food in the market. The child looked tired, hungry and desperate but everyone walked right past him without a second look. Yet the child seemed to have instantly tugged a string in An An's motherly heart.

Liang Xing looked at the child with Pity. "Anything you think best we will do." He told her within merely a heartbeat of consideration.

An An's eyebrows moved up imperceptibly in pleasure as her lips turned up slightly. "You always spoil me. " An An's face was cold but her eyes were incredibly expressive, and right now they were full of love and happiness. She truly loved Liang Xing, just as he truly loved her.

Others might divorce their wife because she could not continue the family line, but only Liang Xing would not only marry a woman he knew was barren but would also accept the blood of an unknown man into his family and treat that child as his own without second thought. All to please An An.

"Then let's do that. We will adopt a child." An An said decisively and then walked up to the beggar boy who was staring emptily at the crowd that passed him by without a second thought.

"Hello little boy, my name is An An and this is my husband Liang Xing." She said softly as her expressionless face stared down at the little boy.

The boy looked up at An An with caution and huddled closer to the wall. "Does Miss have some spare coin?" He asked in a tiny voice as he slightly recoiled into himself. He was afraid, An An was so close and her face was totally devoid of emotion. The little boy knew not what her intentions were.

An An shook her head. " I did not come to offer you coins. Instead, I want to know if you want to become my son." She said very straightforwardly and without much explanation about her intentions.

The beggar boy looked at her for a moment and then his look turned into one of indignation. "You, how can you make fun of me like this!" He yelled at An An as his eyes filled with tears. The poor boy had been kicked and hit by life's tragedies at such a young age and now someone was here making fun of him offering him a life he could never really have. It was readily apparent the couple in front of him was very wealthy even to a young boy like him. The couple was dressed simply but their colorful clothing seemed to move softly with their every step. Nothing like his course and gray potato sack like shirt and pants.

Liang Xing immediately stepped forward in front of An An. "My wife is not making fun of you, she is sincere. If you do not wish to consider her offer than we apologize for bothering you. " He told the boy sincerely as he pulled An An back slightly.

The boy was impressed by Liang Xing's behavior which seemed not to look down on him despite his status as a mere beggar. Considering for a moment that boy squinted his eyes and asked suspiciously, "You are serious?" The serious doubt was readily apparent in his voice. The boy's demeanor also quickly began to change. He stopped cowering and the fear on his face seemed to have been wiped out instantly. The boy that had seemed only about sever years old as he curled up now looked around ten as he unfurled and revealed his real personality. Even his voice had become less subservient and pleading.

Liang Xing opened his eyes a little wider as he noticed the changes but still nodded once.

The boy frowned. He seemed to be considering the matter seriously. After some time, he finally answered.

"No, I cannot. I am the leader of the orphans and if I left, they would just waste away. None of them is old enough to be the new leader." Suddenly a heavy air of responsibility surrounded the boy as he denied the chance to live without worrying about food or clothing.

From behind Liang Xing An An looked at the heavily laden with responsibility child and finally realized the reason for her trials. Her eyes softening in enlightenment An An stepped in front of Liang Xing again. "In that case, I won't adopt you. Instead I will open an orphanage. Will you help me do this?" An An just had the idea and already she could envision it. Why stop at one child when she could have them all. She was not poor, in fact she was so ridiculously rich it was not even believable. Even if her family wasn't so incredibly wealthy the general's household was not poor either.

The little boy trembled. "Are you serious?" He asked in a distant unbelieving tone. His face displayed complete and utter shock.

"Yes, I am." An An affirmed with bright eyes full of purpose.

The boy took a deep breath. " then let me introduce you to all my brothers and sisters, my fellow orphans." He reached out his small dirty hand and almost as if testing An An seemed to be daring her to take it.

Without hesitation An An did so.