Chapter 1: Becoming the father of three children, bean porridge

“BABABA……”

“SOS……”

“I want Daddy, wuwu……”

The moment Song Xian opened his eyes, he saw two ragged boys standing vigil beside him.

The older boy looked about thirteen or fourteen, with a sun-kissed complexion, sturdy build, and bloodshot eyes that were desperately trying to hold back emotions.

The younger one, about six or seven years old, was a tiny bundle, delicate and fair-skinned, crying pitifully for their father.

Were these two children grieving for him?

Looking at their tender faces, their clothes patched up all over, and the multiple scabs crisscrossing the exposed tops of their feet and toes, Song Xian’s heart tightened.

He slowly reached out and placed his hand gently on the smallest boy’s head, soothingly rubbing it.

Song Ji Min, who was wailing uncontrollably, froze at the touch and looked at Song Xian in surprise.

Song Lu Yuan followed suit, turning to look at Song Xian as well.

Noticing the older boy staring at him, Song Xian immediately placed his other hand on Song Lu Yuan’s head, rubbing it softly.

“Don’t be sad anymore. It’s okay now. Daddy will take good care of you from now on.”

Song Lu Yuan fixed his gaze on Song Xian and suddenly stood up.

Song Ji Min immediately grabbed Song Lu Yuan’s arm.

“Second brother, it’s great! Daddy’s awake! Let’s go get big brother!”

Like a little monkey, Song Ji Min climbed onto Song Lu Yuan’s back, patting his shoulder to urge him along.

Song Lu Yuan frowned but carried Song Ji Min as they left the straw hut.

Song Xian smiled as he watched the two boys leave, then let out a long sigh, unsure whether he should laugh or cry.

Good news: his wish had come true!

Yesterday, he had specially gone to a certain Wish Temple famed for its effectiveness and wished for “a family.”

Today, that wish had granted him a family.

Bad news: his wish had been a Consolation Wish!

He had transmigrated to ancient times and become the stepfather of three children, living in such poverty that even the four walls were missing.

Apart from a few rotten wooden beams barely holding up the roof, the room was enclosed only by tattered straw mats and random branches.

The roof had a large hole, the edges of the thatch hanging loosely—making the whole place look like a giant bird’s nest.

The original owner’s memories were few, but fortunately, Song Xian had years of experience reading web novels, so he was familiar with transmigration tropes.

By piecing together scattered memories, he reconstructed the sequence of events perfectly.

The original owner was greedy and wicked, who had gone to the Song Family as a “warming the marriage” live-in son-in-law and stepfather to the children:

Day one, he caused his wife’s death;

Day two, he sold off the property cheaply;

Day three, he ran off with the money;

Day four, he met his retribution and died falling off a cliff.

The three children had found him under the cliff and temporarily placed him in the dilapidated straw hut.

Fate is unpredictable.

What others discard like trash is precisely what he longed for the most.

Song Xian had no parents since childhood and desperately yearned for a family.

Before age five, he lived in an Illegal Laboratory, the most successful Experimental Subject in a Gene-Editing Laboratory.

That period was shrouded in darkness—constantly drained of blood by demons in white coats, surrounded by children dying one after another…

Until the Illegal Laboratory was shut down, and he was left in an Orphanage, where his life finally became relatively normal.

He had always longed to connect with peers, but due to his introverted personality and poor communication skills, he was often rejected.

As he grew older, he gradually learned to open up and respond, but the adult world no longer offered much warmth to unfamiliar strangers.

Song Xian wanted a family so badly.

He wanted to feel the closeness, the unwavering bond between family members.

Now that fate had brought it to him—even if it was a Consolation Wish—it was still a fulfillment.

If his role was to be a father, then so be it.

He had been a beast of burden and a horse before; what was there to fear about being a father!

After two incense sticks burned down, the two younger brothers finally arrived with their eldest brother, Song Han Cheng, trailing behind.

Song Han Cheng was just seventeen, his youthful face still soft and unshaped.

He wore old patched robes, his hair tied up with a bamboo pin.

He was slender, pale-skinned, lacking color, an aura that was gentle yet distant.

Song Xian steadied his mindset and silently prayed that this handsome eldest stepson would be a little gentler when scolding him.

“Are you still in pain?”

“Sorry you have to stay in this shabby straw hut.”

Song Xian blinked in disbelief.

Was his eldest son really showing concern for him?

Why did they have to live in this broken straw hut?

Because he—the wicked man—had sold their original nice house cheaply.

He also stole all their money, which had been lost during the fall from the cliff.

Under such circumstances, the eldest son said nothing accusatory, no cold stares, only worry about his injuries and concern that the poor living conditions might upset him…

This was truly angelic!

He was incredibly lucky—he knew how to make wishes and had found the perfect family.

“I’m not really in much pain, and I’m not upset. What’s upsetting is you all.”

“Sorry for my past corruption, greed, and wickedness. I sold the house cheaply and ran off with all your money. Thank you for repaying evil with kindness and still saving me.”

“Nothing compares to the warmth of family. I promise to change from now on and be a good father. I swear I’ll lead you all to a better life.”

After speaking, Song Xian noticed the three brothers were giving him strange looks, as if they didn’t believe a word he said.

He clasped his hands earnestly.

“I accept reform, supervision, and assessment. If I ever slip up again, I am willing to accept any punishment. Just please trust me once and give me a chance to start anew.”

Song Han Cheng smiled.

Song Ji Min blinked lively.

The two younger boys were willing to give him a chance!

Song Xian breathed a sigh of relief inside.

“Peh!”

Song Lu Yuan angrily jabbed a finger at Song Xian’s nose.

“You—”

Song Han Cheng and Song Ji Min simultaneously covered Song Lu Yuan’s mouth.

Song Xian swore sincerely,

“I truly want to change—more sincerely than pearls. I will repay you with a better house and double the money.”

Song Ji Min nodded eagerly.

“I believe you, Daddy!”

Song Han Cheng smiled faintly.

“I believe too.”

Muffled, Song Lu Yuan made urgent sounds as if trying to express his disbelief!

Song Han Cheng shot him a cold glare, and Song Lu Yuan immediately went silent like a choked chicken.

“Second brother is hot-tempered; Daddy hopes you can forgive him.”

“It’s fine. I’m the one who made the mistake. I’m in the wrong. If he blames me, it’s deserved.”

Song Xian glanced cautiously at Song Lu Yuan, only to be met with a fierce look.

He scratched his head and smiled good-naturedly, having no complaints at all.

“Don’t mind him.”

Song Han Cheng helped Song Xian sit on the straw pile, taking his wrist to check his pulse.

“The injury on the back of your head is severe, but since you’re awake, it’s nothing critical. You just need to rest well for a few days.”

Song Han Cheng took a White Porcelain Bottle from his chest and told Song Xian to take three pills a day after meals, to replenish Qi and nourish the blood.

Song Lu Yuan got excited upon seeing the bottle, but after Song Ji Min tugged hard on his sleeve, he forced himself to stay quiet and turned away, huffing.

Guessing the medicine was precious, Song Xian quickly declined.

Song Han Cheng insisted,

“Didn’t you say you want to take care of us? How can you care for us if you’re dragging a chronic illness around?”

The eldest stepson was truly kind.

To persuade him to accept the medicine peacefully, he never mentioned its value.

Song Xian’s heart was warmed by a flood of emotions, and his determination to give the three kids a good life was strengthened.

The three brothers went out to prepare dinner while Song Xian lay on the straw pile in a daze.

The light inside the hut gradually dimmed as thick clouds covered the sun.

The air felt stuffy, and swallows frequently skimmed low over the roof.

Song Xian got up, enduring the pain, and slowly moved toward the door.

Outside, about thirty feet from the hut, a makeshift stove made of a few stones held an Iron Pot simmering with Cornmeal Porridge.

Song Han Cheng chopped beans and sprinkled them into the porridge.

Song Ji Min added salt nearby.

Song Lu Yuan, unable to hold it in, suddenly blurted out,

“Big brother, why did you give him my favorite Sweet Bean Candy as medicine?”

Song Han Cheng didn’t even raise an eyelid as he stirred the porridge.

“We’re testing him.”

“What good will that do? If you ask me, better to hold my big knife to his neck!”

Song Lu Yuan was about to grab his knife and go after Song Xian.

“Second brother, don’t be impulsive.”

Song Ji Min hurried to block Song Lu Yuan, climbing onto his back and trying to cover his eyes to stop him from moving forward.

“You little monkey, don’t make things worse!”

Song Lu Yuan shook him off easily, tossing the small Song Ji Min aside.

Despite being thrown, Song Ji Min didn’t cry out and got right back up to continue obstructing Song Lu Yuan.

The two brothers tangled and argued noisily.

“Second brother, a dishonorable person breaks promises!”

Song Lu Yuan gritted his teeth,

“Alright, alright, I get it.”

As Song Ji Min was reveling in having subdued Song Lu Yuan, Song Han Cheng suddenly reached into his chest and threw a Storybook into the fire.

Song Ji Min’s face crumpled in pain.

“Ah, my Storybook—”

The flames engulfed the book instantly; its pages curled and blackened before turning to ashes.

Song Xian took a long time to reach the door, just as the three brothers came with porridge.

“It’s going to rain.”

Song Lu Yuan instinctively questioned,

“How do you know it’s going to rain?”

“The clouds are thickening, the air is humid and stuffy, the swallows are flying low,”

Song Xian pointed toward the ground in the west, “and the ants are moving house.”

Excited, Song Ji Min ran over to watch.

“It’s true! They’re moving!”

Song Xian spoke softly,

“We need to find shelter quickly.”

The straw hut was too broken to keep out the wind and rain.

He was injured, and the children were young with weak immunity.

If anyone got sick from the rain, it would be troublesome.

Boom!

Thunder rumbled in the distance as the wind picked up, signaling an approaching storm.

“What should we do?”

Song Han Cheng looked at Song Xian, curiosity in his eyes.

Song Xian pointed to the forest.

When he first saw the forest, he was stunned.

He never expected the vegetation in this world to be so magnificent.

Looking out, towering trees rose dozens of meters high, most trunks thick enough for three people to encircle, some thick enough for five or even seven.

There were smaller trees with trunks as thin as a bowl’s diameter, but they were rare—likely because this was an ancient forest, where nutrients were mostly taken by the giant trees, leaving little room for young saplings to grow.

“We’ll take shelter under that tree.”

Song Xian pointed to a conspicuous tree in the forest.

Its trunk was yellow, and its leaves were reddish-brown, shaped like lotus leaves, each as large as an umbrella, layered densely throughout the tree.

“You’re crazy! That’s an ancient forest, a cursed place. Anyone who goes in dies! Besides, hiding under a big tree during rain makes you an easy target for lightning. If you want us dead, just say it! I always knew you, little pretty face and venomous scorpion, had bad intentions!”

Song Lu Yuan spat curses at Song Xian, then immediately looked toward big brother Song Han Cheng.

“Is it really safe to hide there?”

Song Han Cheng tilted his head, looking at Song Xian with a somewhat naive expression.

Song Lu Yuan:

What the hell?

His big brother was playing dumb?

“Trust me. This tree can ward off lightning. If we hide under it, nothing will happen.”

Song Xian could see the Value Description hovering over every non-living thing.

For example, this tree was labeled:

[Value Description]:

Big Lotus Tree, Divine Tree, has lightning protection; leaves are large and decay-resistant…