Shi Xia took out a photo from his arms, this is a family photo, and I saw the mother it said on the photo.

"This is my mother. It pointed to the other man in the picture, "This is Daddy."

Shi Xia's finger stopped on the body of another boy other than him in the photo.

"Is this?" I asked, looking at the boy in the photo who was about the same age as Shixia.

"It's Mommy's child," it said, "it's Mommy's college-going son." ”

"He looks about your age. I said, "Brother or brother?"

"Brother. If we count it in the order in which we entered this family, it should be the younger brother. Shi Xia's answer sounded a little strange.

"What do you mean... The order of entering this home?"

"When I first met my mother, she didn't have a child of her own. Shi Xia put away the photo, "She is a person who likes children very much, but she has not had children of her own for many years, and it was at this time that she met me, who seemed homeless." ”

"She wants to treat you like her own child. ”

"Well, maybe. Shi Xia said, "That unforgettable afternoon, I remember very clearly that the sunset was particularly beautiful, my mother wiped my hands with a handkerchief, and gave me the chestnuts I had just bought, although I felt very warm at that time, but I was still more vigilant, so I rarely answered her questions, just silently bowed my head and ate chestnuts." ”

"She adopted you?"

"At first, she didn't, because she thought I was just a lost child, because I didn't say anything, she took me home first, let me take a hot bath, I didn't use human things at that time, not only did she not blame me for making a mess in the bathroom, but she also patiently taught me how to use the shower, and when I finished the bath, she had already prepared sweet porridge," Shi Xia said, "When I thought everything was too perfect, she asked me, 'What are the names of your parents?'"

Yokai have no concept of parents.

"Of course I don't know how to answer, I want to answer no, but the ridicule of the children in the park makes me feel that not having parents is a wrong answer, but I don't know if there is any other answer, so I haven't spoken," Shi Xia took a sip of juice, looking at her expression and seemed to be satisfied with the taste of the juice, "She quickly realized something, and didn't ask any more, but continued to cook me delicious food, until her husband came home, and they discussed whether to contact the police." ”

"And then?

"On the one hand, they were worried that I just couldn't find a home, and that contacting the police would help me find the non-existent parents faster, and on the other hand, they had been thinking about having their own children, so they had no plans to adopt them for the time being," it said. ”

Forehead... Giving a youkai to a welfare house like that...

"I thought it was a little funny, after all, I could survive freely in the wild, and I could mix and mingle in the crowd without disagreeing, so I was going to be sent to a human institution called a welfare home? ”

"You didn't make up a lie or anything?"

"No, I quietly left the police station," Shi Xia said, "I hid in a quiet place and rested for a few days, I have to say that I still miss that beautiful mother very much, but there is no other way, isn't it? I'm just a monster, I am far away in the human family, at that time I suddenly understood why the children in the park laughed at me, and for the first time I strongly envied that human beings have a home - home, it is really a very warm place." ”

Shi Xia looked at me when he said this, "What kind of expression do you have?"

"Oh nothing," I realized I was a little distracted, and the concept of home was a bit special to me, too," you continue. ”

"I always think you're weird," fortunately, Shi Xia didn't bother me too much about my reaction, "after that, a few days later, I was going to leave here, but I don't know what happened and I went back to the park, the park is the same as usual, the children are playing, the parents are chatting and laughing next to me, I look at them in a daze, I don't know how long it has been." ”

"She's coming for you again?"

"Well, I heard her voice say, 'It's finally been you. I thought I was hallucinating, but the warm touch from my hair shook my whole body, this voice, this smell, of course, it was my mother," Shi Xia said, "I didn't expect her to come, I looked up and saw something shiny in her eyes, I didn't know what it was at that time, but I could see something different from that eye, as if it could contain everything about me." ”

"She's been waiting for you, since she likes children so much, and you left innocently without saying hello, she will definitely be in a hurry. ”

"As you said, I haven't seen her for a few days, she is a lot haggard, and the dark circles under her eyes are very heavy, and then I heard from my father that she has been complaining about herself since the day I left, saying that she didn't take good care of me, the child given to her by God," Shi Xia smiled, "She told her father that day that if she could find me, she must be my mother, so she would come to the park every day, hoping to meet me." ”

"It's good that you didn't leave directly. ”

"I'm surprised to see her again, but I'm not ready to be her child, I'm a youkai with the ability to become a human, and a youkai can become a human child, what a cheap thing," it said, "but what a mother did next, I completely lost the ability to refuse." ”

"What did she do?"

"She wiped my hands and face with a handkerchief like last time, and then took my hand, her hand was as warm as her eyes," Shi Xia looked at her palm, "I also wondered what she was going to do, so I followed her, she pulled me all the way to the place where the children were most concentrated in the park, and said to the parents of those children, 'This is my child, I have been too busy to accompany him, and I have caused you trouble for so long.'" ’”

Just thinking about that scene, I can feel full of warmth.

"I stood there dumbfounded, the parents were a little embarrassed, but soon they also skilfully greeted, but more than that, she took me to the children, squatted down, and said to the children, 'I am Xiaoxia's mother, everyone should get along well in the future.'" ’”

"Natsu-chan, does she know your name?"

"Of course not, Shixia, it's the name she gave me. ”

"So... It's not your real name. ”

"It wasn't before," Shi Xia said, "but now it is, and I've long since abandoned my original name." ”

“... Can youkai abandon their names?"

"It is impossible to completely abandon it, the original name will stay with you for a lifetime, but when you are willing to be bound by someone and are willing to abandon the past, the new name can replace the original name. Shi Xia said, "It is said that some demon slayers also have the ability to make monsters change their names willingly. ”

"How nice it was to have a home. I said.

"Well, I just entered the human society I don't understand a lot of things, inevitably out of place, but also brought a lot of trouble to my mother, people around her persuaded her to give up on me, everyone thinks that my IQ may have a problem, but she has been very patient, and did not question me, about half a year, I finally slowly became a 'normal person' in the general sense. ”

"Your mother must be very proud of you. ”

"The days were dull but interesting, and I gradually began to stop missing the life of a yokai," Shi Xia said, "but when I came to the house for a whole year, my parents celebrated this day as my birthday, and on that so-called birthday, I got the news that my mother had another child, and this time, it was her own child." ”

(End of chapter)