Rebirth: Illuminating a Brilliant Life

Chapter 121 The Joy of Returning Home, the Warmth of Family and Love

Cheng Ran was playing with his daughter, Su Nianci, on the lawn in the park. Nianci, like a cheerful little rabbit, hopped and skipped after a butterfly. Suddenly, she stopped, pointed to a flowerbed not far away, and exclaimed in her childish voice, "Daddy, there are so many pretty flowers there, like stars!"

Cheng Ran was amused by her cute analogy. He went over and picked her up, gently sniffing the fragrance of the flowers, and said, "Baby, aren't these flowers especially fragrant?" Nianci nodded vigorously, then pressed her little face against Cheng Ran's face and said coquettishly, "Daddy, shall we take these flowers home? That way, we'll have stars in our house too."

After returning home, Cheng Ran was preparing dinner in the kitchen while Nian Ci played with her toys in the living room. A little while later, Nian Ci ran in carrying her teddy bear, stood next to Cheng Ran, and said expectantly, "Daddy, the teddy bear says it wants to eat the food you made too, it's hungry."

Cheng Ran smiled and said, "Then Little Bear, be good, and you can eat in a little while." Nian Ci nodded quickly, and then said to Little Bear, "Little Bear, Daddy is making something delicious, so we should wait patiently."

After dinner, Cheng Ran told Nianci a bedtime story. Nianci lay in bed, her eyes wide open, listening intently. When Cheng Ran got to the part about the little rabbit not being able to find its way home, Nianci sat up anxiously and exclaimed, "Daddy, let's go help the little rabbit find its home! It's scared!"

Cheng Ran comforted her and continued telling the story. Nianci held Cheng Ran's hand tightly until she heard that the little rabbit had safely returned home. She breathed a sigh of relief and whispered, "Daddy, goodnight. I'm going to sleep with the little bear now. Tomorrow we're going to help more animals." Looking at his daughter's adorable sleeping face, Cheng Ran's heart was filled with warmth and happiness.

Su Xuan returned home after finishing her work at Sanxingdui. As soon as she entered the door, she saw her cat "Pangqiu" walking gracefully towards her.

Su Xuan picked up Pangqiu and affectionately rubbed its head, saying, "Pangqiu, did you miss me?" Pangqiu meowed, broke free from her embrace, jumped onto the sofa, and patted a small plush toy with its paw, as if showing her its new toy.

Su Xuan changed her clothes and went into the kitchen, where she saw Cheng Ran busy preparing dinner. She quietly walked up behind Cheng Ran and suddenly hugged him. Cheng Ran was startled and laughed, saying, "You little rascal, you didn't even make a sound when you came back."

Su Xuan stuck out her tongue and, seeing the dishes on the cutting board, asked curiously, "What delicious food are you making today?" Cheng Ran pointed to the pot and said, "Your favorite braised pork, and the sweet and sour pork ribs that Nianci specifically requested."

At this moment, Nianci ran out of the room, holding a painting in her hand, and excitedly shouted, "Mom, Mom, this is a painting I drew, look!" Su Xuan took the painting and saw that it depicted a family of three holding hands and standing next to a mask that resembled the Sanxingdui style.

Su Xuan asked with delight, "Baby, did you draw our family?" Nianci nodded vigorously and said, "Mommy works at Sanxingdui, so Daddy and I came to visit you. This big mask next to us can protect us." Su Xuan hugged Nianci with emotion, kissed her on the cheek, and said, "You're such a good baby!"

At dinner, Nianci, like a little adult, served food to Su Xuan and Cheng Ran, saying, "Mom works hard, so eat more. Dad works hard cooking too." The family sat around the table, filled with laughter and joy, and a warm atmosphere permeated the entire room.

After dinner, Nianci insisted that Su Xuan tell her the story of Sanxingdui. Su Xuan sat on the sofa, held Nianci in her arms, and began to tell her story: "Baby, there are many mysterious bronze artifacts in Sanxingdui. They all have big eyes, as if they are gazing at ancient secrets."

Nianci opened her eyes wide with curiosity and asked, "Mom, do those bronze artifacts have magic?" Su Xuan smiled and replied, "Maybe. They've been sleeping underground for so long, they must hold many stories we don't know."

Just then, Cheng Ran walked over with a plate of fruit and joked, "You two, one big and one small, are chatting so enthusiastically without even including me."

Nianci reached out and handed a piece of fruit to Cheng Ran, saying, "Dad, then you should also listen to Mom tell the story of the magical bronze artifacts." Cheng Ran sat down beside her and gently stroked Nianci's hair.

Suddenly, Nianci jumped off the sofa, mimicking the pose of the Sanxingdui bronze statues, and said in a serious tone, "I am a little bronze guardian, protecting the ancient treasures."

Su Xuan and Cheng Ran were amused by her and burst into laughter. Su Xuan showed Nianci some photos she had taken while working at Sanxingdui. Nianci pointed to the bronze tree in the photos and exclaimed, "This tree is so tall and beautiful. Are there immortals living on it?" Su Xuan patiently explained to her the possible uses and symbolic meanings of the bronze tree. Although Nianci didn't quite understand, she still nodded repeatedly.

At night, Nianci lay in bed, hugging her Sanxingdui doll, and said to Su Xuan, "Mom, I want to be like you when I grow up and discover lots and lots of ancient secrets." Su Xuan looked at her gently and whispered, "Okay, baby, you can definitely do it when you grow up."

Then he gently kissed Nianci's forehead, tucked her in, turned off the bedside lamp, and the room gradually quieted down, leaving only Nianci's even breathing and the soft sound of the wind outside the window.

Over the weekend, the family decided to go on a picnic in the countryside. Su Xuan carefully prepared a variety of delicious foods, while Cheng Ran was responsible for bringing the picnic mat and tent. Nianci excitedly ran around, carrying her little basket and filling it with her favorite snacks and toys.

Once in the countryside, Nianci was like a free-spirited pony, running happily across the grass, chasing after colorful butterflies. Cheng Ran and Su Xuan set up a tent, laid out a picnic blanket, and laid out some food.

Before long, Nianci got tired from running and returned to the picnic mat, panting. She picked up a small cake and stuffed it into her mouth, her cheeks puffed out like a little squirrel.

After finishing their meal, Nianci took Su Xuan and Cheng Ran's hands and said, "Let's play a treasure hunt game, just like when Mom was searching for cultural relics at Sanxingdui."

So, Cheng Ran hid some small items in the nearby woods, and Nian Ci, holding a small shovel, began her serious "treasure hunt." She dug here and searched there, and suddenly, she shouted, "I found it!" It turned out to be a colorful seashell.

Nianci held up the seashell, her face beaming with the joy of victory. "Look, this is the treasure I found. Isn't it as precious as the artifacts from Sanxingdui?" Su Xuan and Cheng Ran nodded with smiles, praising her as a remarkable little explorer.

Tired from playing, the family lay on the picnic mat, gazing at the blue sky and white clouds. Nianci pointed to a cloud and said, "Doesn't that cloud look like a bronze mask from Sanxingdui?" Su Xuan and Cheng Ran looked in the direction she was pointing and indeed, it did bear some resemblance. In the warm sunshine and gentle breeze, the family enjoyed this pleasant time, their laughter echoing in the suburban sky.