Amnesia Chapter 22: Eyes Lingering Briefly

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: SpringBreeze

 

“ZhiZhi, why are you hurting yourself?!” Seeing that the second child had completely ripped off the flower branch and left a scar on their hand, Jing Man whispered in anger.

He did not expect that this would attract everyone’s attention.

The onlookers then realized that this young man, who had a good relationship with Dr. Mu, had a little golden dragon child on his arm and a small treant hidden in his pocket. They began to tsk and tsk, whispering speculation about their relationship.

“ManMan don’t worry, it will still grow out and it won’t hurt.” Mu CangZhou comforted, took the peach blossom branch and solemnly squeezed it in his palm, nodding to ZhiZhi.

The flowering branches of treants contained their energy, which was very beneficial to newborns. And this race was naturally very sensitive to all things, ZhiZhi must have sensed something.

This little mussel was originally a much weaker premature baby than any of the others, and it was best not to intervene. Taking this as a backup plan, Mu CangZhou’s eyes still fell on the quietly sleeping mussel in the water.

Birth was a new life journey for everyone.

When a human child was born, the doctor needed to make sure they cried loudly and announced their arrival to the world with a piercing sound. The midwife also needed to make sure that the hatchling that hatched from the egg was awake, preferably immediately picking up an eggshell to nibble on.

The little mussel, on the other hand, was merely asleep.

The sleep was insubstantial, and the eyelashes twitched slightly, as if it was a nightmare.

Lin Zhuzi also sensed the difference, eyes locked on her daughter.

Her friends and relatives had many births of their children and when they were born, they would be shy and close their mussel shells, to ensure that they could be in a safe environment. None of them opened their shells for a long time like her daughter, who was sleeping and showing her body to people around her. She asked nervously, “Dr. Mu, when will my baby close her shell?”

Her voice sounded a little hoarse, she had been crying for too long today and her eyes were swollen into walnuts.

“Soon.” Mu CangZhou put on his gloves and gently massaged the little mussel with regular light strokes, trying to get her to wake up through external stimulation.

Finally…

The little mussel softly wailed, her frown gradually relaxed, and she spit out a bubble as she woke up leisurely. After discovering that she was surrounded by so many people, she was terrified.

The little mussel showed a pitiful look, trying to close her mussel shell, but because her body was weak, she didn’t have enough strength. Her little face was red and only half closed. Finally she gave up and pulled a few pieces of broken eggshell from the side to cover herself, shyly spitting bubbles.

Seeing that she relied on her own ability to wake up, Mu CangZhou instantly felt a sense of relief.

Now he would be able to use the peach blossom branch to replenish her lost energy. He frowned, this fountain water capacity was too large, and would dilute the energy, causing too much waste.

Mu CangZhou’s eyes fell to the wash basin and shook his head.

The line of sight shifted back to the mussel woman.

Her silver gray clam shell was large, more than two meters¹ in diameter, like two large, open, round tables. Her shell was not deep enough to be used as an incubator.

However, Mu CangZhou visually estimated that, when full of water, it should be able to shallowly cover the small mussel, enough to be used as she absorbed the energy. So, he asked, “Madam, would you accept to transfer the little hatchling into your shell? This flowering branch will provide enough energy for your daughter to close.”

Seeing that she could finally do her part in her daughter’s vocalization, Lin Zhuzi cried with joy and said, “Of course!”

Once more, she started crying again.

Mu CangZhou’s temples popped, and he patiently directed several other midwives to add water to the mother and transfer the baby…

Finally, he used the instrument to process the flowering branch contributed by his child into tiny fibers and scattered them into the mother’s shell.

Lin Zhuzi gently stroked her daughter with infinite tenderness in her eyes. She raised her eyes and asked, “Dr. Mu, can I close my shell?”

“Remember to leave a breathing slit.” Mu CangZhou nodded his head in acquiescence.

This was indeed able to facilitate the melting of the flowering branch fibers, allowing the little mussel to absorb energy more quickly. The mussel woman and the small mussel were enclosed together, so no one else saw anything.

Onlookers gradually dispersed.

However, Jing Man noticed that the four beast people who helped carry Lin Zhuzi from the end of the street were still waiting on the sidelines.

They must be worried that later Lin Zhuzi could not turn into a person, afraid that she would still need help.

He smiled at the crowd and relaxed his mood a few points.

He was a little hungry, so he found a place to sit down, and picked up the paper bag of dumplings previously bought in the Shui Family Dumpling Store.

The sweet dumplings were almost half stuck in a ball and the jam inside was oozing out from the running and squishing. The salty vegetable dumplings and meat dumplings were also soaked in vinegar sauce, so that they could not be seen in their original shape.

Jing Man picked the ones that could still be tasted, and the taste was really good.

Sweet, but not greasy, with slightly natural fruit acidity, the fruit and neutral flavors were very good. They had their own characteristics, and the previously eaten dumplings were not the same. He fed Xiao Jin a little soft sweet dumpling as well, and the little dragon ate with satisfaction, his golden brown eyes filled with contentment.

Feeling resistance coming from his lapel, Jing Man looked down to see the little treant also looking at him with bated breath. ZhiZhi licked their lips with a look of anticipation.

Thinking that ZhiZhi could eat dirt, and the eggshell had been chewed, they should be able to eat some supplementary food.

Jing Man tried to put a small piece of dumpling in their hand, the size of a fingernail.

ZhiZhi’s eyes lit up with a light smile and they started to taste it with the “root” in their hand.

This piece of dumpling was absorbed by them in a short time, and they looked at the rest with greed.

Although his second child did not say a word, Jing Man made up ZhiZhi’s soft voice, requesting their words. Piece after piece, he put a lot of food in their hand until ZhiZhi burped and their eyes stopped staring at the box containing the dumplings.

Unknowingly, most of the dumplings were secretly eaten by father and children.

Only a few squished and indescribable shapes remained.

“Doctor, the baby closed her shell!” The silver gray large mussel shell slowly opened, and Lin Zhuzi happily informed everyone.

She was in a thin summer dress all wet with water, attracting the attention of passing pedestrians. There were also people who were excessively whistling, eyes showing obscenity, lingering on her body.

However, the new mother had all her attention on her daughter, and did not notice this.

Seeing this, Jing Man couldn’t sit still, he picked up the two kids and walked over, turning sideways to block those disgusting eyes. Jing Man’s face was scarlet and his eyes looked away as he whispered, “Lady, let’s close the shell first. The clothes are wet…”

Lin Zhuzi looked down, squealed, and snapped the shell closed.

But remembering what Mu CangZhou said about leaving some slits for her daughter to breathe, she slowly opened it up again a few inches.

“Zhuzi! Wife, baby!” A short while later, the father finally arrived with the aquarium incubator.

Still huddled in her shell, Lin Zhuzi responded with a loud voice, “Honey, you’re finally back!”

Several midwives, including Mu CangZhou, started to move again and began to transfer the mussel baby to the incubator.

The mussel dad was unsure, and asked around his wife’s mussel shell, “Zhuzi, still haven’t recovered yet? Now that the baby is well, don’t be afraid.”

Only to hear the annoyed curses inside, “I’ve long been able to change! It’s just now my shell is full of water, and my clothes are also wet!”

The mussel dad was anxious and ran to buy his wife dry and clean clothes. He also borrowed a large piece of cloth to cover Lin Zhuzi, so that she could safely change clothes.

The little mussel lived comfortably in the aquatic incubator. She quietly opened the shell a slit, thinking that no one would know as if secretly watching.

Finally, it came to an end. Lin Zhuzi regained her human form, and together with her husband they gave thanks to the onlookers. She also said that she would ask all the midwives and the beast people who helped her move to settle their fees.

“Remember to take the baby for a health checkup, the sooner the better. When you register, say it’s a premature birth and they will give you an early number.” Mu CangZhou did not want to pester and left these words, held Jing Man quickly away, and disappeared in the crowd.

Being dragged almost half a block, Jing Man kept holding the children carefully, his hair spread out and drifting in the wind. When he stood still, Jing Man gasped and asked, “Brother Mu, what’s the hurry?”

Mu CangZhou hugged Xiao Jin to lighten his load, “Those two are not very rich people, they can’t afford to hire me.”

Oh right, he’s a gold medal midwife, and expensive.

Jing Man nodded his head, thinking that he had accidentally discovered another side of Mu CangZhou.

“By the way, Brother Mu.” He smiled a little, with a scarlet hook in the corner of his eyes, and asked out loud, “That fountain, it was the person you contacted to turn it off, right?”

He had been observing, although everyone wanted to contribute their share. But that big fountain definitely turned off once Mu CangZhou used his personal terminal.

Mu CangZhou, “…”

He was shocked in his heart, he didn’t expect to be perceived by ManMan. His brain was running fast and he started to think how to explain it perfectly.

Jing Man suddenly tapped his head and said, “Oh yes, Brother Mu is a gold medal midwife. Midwives have to work at the egg breeding base for a few years at first. Brother Mu is from Tianhu District, he worked in this egg breeding base before, right? You should know someone there.”

Mu CangZhou just wanted to go with the flow and agree, but his eyes met with Jing Man’s and read the cunning hidden in it.

As his partner for many years, he naturally knew what it meant.

Mu CangZhou immediately shook his head and denied it in a cold and hard tone, “No, I was assigned to work at the egg breeding base in Leiyun district and was not here.” He explained calmly, “I contacted the Five Seasons Hotel and informed them of the emergency situation here. This fountain belongs to them.”

So… 

Jing Man’s eyes sank, it seemed he guessed wrong. He had just received a message from Feng Huo saying that his family Xiao Ze would be able to have a physical exam early tomorrow morning and was now washing him in vain. And, everyone was obviously coming together, but Mu CangZhou said his own children could only be booked on the day after tomorrow, his heart was slightly suspicious.

It seemed to be a misunderstanding, there were really too many people rushing to the egg breeding base. He gave an embarrassed smile and with wet eyes proposed, “Brother Mu, let’s go eat dumplings again?”

Mu CangZhou took a look at the time, Shui Xuan should not be off work yet.

He waved his hand, “Let’s go eat something else. I just saw you, Xiao Jin, and ZhiZhi already tasted those dumplings.”

Jing Man’s heart warmed and he nodded slightly.

He really didn’t expect that Mu CangZhou’s eyes had lingered on him while he was busy rescuing the young child…