All Realms and Worlds: The Lost Home

The butler scrambled out, his voice hoarse from shouting, "Master! Master! It's born! It's born! It's twins, a boy and a girl!"

Startled, Mr. Shen dropped his teacup with a clatter. Without even picking it up, he grabbed the butler's arm and rushed towards the delivery room, his voice trembling: "Where's Madam? How is Yingying? Is she alright?"

The midwife poked her head out of the delivery room, wiped the sweat from her brow, and replied with a smile, "Don't worry, sir! Madam is perfectly fine, and the young master and young lady are both healthy. Their cries are so loud they could shake the roof!"

Master Shen's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, instantly settled. He danced around excitedly, his mouth agape, exclaiming, "Excellent! Excellent! My Shen family has an heir, and twins at that!"

As she spoke, she lifted her leg to go into the delivery room, but the midwife quickly reached out to stop her, both amused and exasperated: "Oh! Sir, you can't go in! We're still preparing Madam, the room is a mess!"

Old Master Shen abruptly stopped, slapped his forehead, and said with a fawning expression, "Yes, yes, you all hurry up and tidy up! Yingying loves to look pretty. If she sees me barging in and sees her hair all messed up, she'll definitely throw a tantrum!"

The servants around were all trying to suppress their laughter. Everyone knew that Master Shen was a well-known henpecked husband who didn't dare to breathe loudly in front of his wife.

Just then, a servant suddenly pointed to the sky and cried out in alarm, "Master! Look! An auspicious omen! It's an auspicious omen!"

Master Shen looked up immediately, his pupils shrinking sharply—the once clear sky was now shrouded in rolling auspicious clouds, and within the clouds, the faint shadows of dragons and phoenixes could be seen, their scales and claws visible, surrounded by celestial energy.

The next second, a golden gate suddenly opened in the sky, and countless rays of light poured down, enveloping the entire village in warm golden light.

Immediately afterwards, two streams of golden energy, as thick as buckets, shot out from the Heavenly Gate as if they were tangible, carrying immense pressure, and plunged down at a visible speed, directly merging into the bodies of the two newborn children in the delivery room.

The midwife, holding the baby, trembled with shock, her voice trembling: "Master! The young master and young lady are truly auspicious omens from heaven! Their fortune surpasses even that of royalty!"

Standing there, Master Shen gazed at the auspicious clouds filling the sky and the two streams of fortune, beaming from ear to ear, repeatedly exclaiming, "Excellent! Excellent! My Shen family is about to rise to great heights!"

In stark contrast to the joyous atmosphere inside the Shen mansion, the street corner outside the mansion's gate exuded a sense of desolation and bleakness.

An infant wrapped in a tattered swaddling cloth was quietly abandoned on the stone steps by the roadside. Its little face was red from the cold, and it occasionally let out a few weak cries, but no one paid any attention to it.

Unbeknownst to anyone, in the afterglow of the auspicious clouds, a tiny yet pure wisp of golden fortune, like a firefly, quietly drifted down and slowly poured into the baby's body.

Following closely behind the auspicious energy was a small black dagger, no bigger than a fingertip. The blade gleamed with a faint, cold light. After hovering in the air for a moment, it transformed into a black shadow and silently merged into the infant's dantian, disappearing without a trace.

Just then, a servant from the Shen household passed by carrying a bucket of water. Caught off guard by the swaddled baby on the stone steps, she exclaimed in surprise, "Oh dear! How can there be a baby here? Who could be so heartless as to leave such a tiny child here!"

She quickly put down the bucket, walked over, and carefully picked up the swaddled baby, her face full of heartache.

An old woman passing by heard the noise and came over. Looking at the weak infant in the swaddling clothes, she couldn't help but sigh, "In this chaotic era of war, there are still people who are willing to abandon their own children, alas..."

The old woman paused, looking at the joyous laughter coming from inside the Shen residence, and said softly, "Today is the birthday of the young master and young lady of the mansion, a very happy day. Let's take this child back with us, as it will bring good fortune to the young master and young lady and do a good deed."

The servant nodded hurriedly, carefully carrying the baby, and followed the old woman into the Shen residence. No one knew what kind of storm this abandoned baby would stir up in the future.

Meanwhile, in the other bedroom, Mr. Shen finally waited until the midwife was ready and hurriedly pushed open the door and went in.

He moved closer to the bedside, cautiously staring at the two babies in their swaddling clothes. He frowned and muttered softly, "Yingying, they're so ugly, like monkeys..."

The words had barely left her lips when Madam Shen, still somewhat weak from giving birth, widened her eyes in an instant. She reached out and slapped Mr. Shen's arm, her tone a mix of reproach and anger: "Shen Yuan! Get out of here! Newborn babies are all like this! What do you know!"

Startled by the slap, Mr. Shen stumbled and quickly begged for forgiveness with a forced smile, "No, no, no, Yingying, I was wrong! I misspoke. Our child is the most beautiful and adorable!"

Seeing Mr. Shen's flustered and ingratiating expression, Mrs. Shen couldn't help but chuckle. Her anger dissipated considerably, and she gently stroked the swaddled baby, her eyes filled with tenderness.

The midwife smiled and stepped forward, gently handing the two swaddled babies to Madam Shen. She said softly, "Madam, look, the young master and young lady have just your features. When they grow up, they will surely be beautiful and extraordinary."

Madam Shen gently touched the child's soft little face, her eyes full of doting affection. She turned and glared at Mr. Shen: "Did you hear that? If you dare say our child is ugly again, see how I deal with you!"

Master Shen nodded vigorously, leaning closer to the bedside to examine the child closely. The more he looked, the happier he became: "I heard it! Our child is beautiful no matter how you look at him. I was blind, I was blind!"

Seeing the weariness between Madam Shen's brows, Mr. Shen's tone softened instantly. He carefully tucked the blanket around her and said, "Yingying, you should rest well first. I'll go and settle the two children in so as not to disturb your recovery."

A hint of warmth appeared in Madam Shen's eyes. She nodded gently, her voice slightly weak: "Yes, don't overexert yourself. Let the servants lend a hand."

Mr. Shen readily agreed, then took one last, reluctant look at the baby in the swaddling clothes before quietly following the midwife out of the bedroom, afraid that any noise would disturb Mrs. Shen's rest.

After leaving the bedroom, Master Shen immediately perked up and summoned the most attentive wet nurses and maids in the mansion to bustle around the two swaddled babies.

One moment she'd be instructing the servants to make the nursery warm and cozy, the next she'd be nagging about preparing the softest bedding, as if she wanted to pile all the best things in the entire mansion in front of the two children.

Just as he was frantically arranging everything, and occasionally peeking into the nursery, the butler strode over, his face showing a mixture of hesitation and respect.

"Master, excuse me for disturbing you." The butler bowed slightly and said in a low voice, "Just now, your wet nurse, Granny Wang, found an abandoned baby on the street corner outside the mansion gate. She is currently waiting for your instructions in the side hall with the child."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Shen paused in his errands, his joy fading slightly as he frowned: "Oh? You found a baby? What happened?"

The butler quickly recounted to Master Shen how the nanny and servants had found the baby, adding at the end, "The nanny said that today is the young master and young lady's wedding day, and finding a child would be considered an act of kindness, so she brought him back first and came to ask for your opinion."

After hearing this, Master Shen's brows gradually relaxed. He pondered for a moment, then softened his tone and waved his hand, saying, "Since the wet nurse found them, and it's the young master and young lady's wedding day, let them stay."

He paused, glancing towards the nursery, and added softly, "Let's leave that area there so the two kids can have someone to read to. It'll be a good thing for the mother and her two children."

Upon hearing this, the steward immediately bowed and replied, "Yes, sir! This old servant will go and inform Granny Wang to take good care of the child, and let him grow up alongside the young master and young lady from now on."

Master Shen nodded slightly and then instructed, "Take good care of the child, don't let him suffer, and don't let the madam and young master and young lady be disturbed."

"This old servant has remembered!" the steward replied respectfully, then turned and strode quickly toward the side hall.

Time flies, and a month has passed in the blink of an eye. The Shen residence is brightly decorated and bustling with activity.

Today is not only the full moon day of Master Shen's son and daughter, but also the day when their names are decided and the first birthday celebration is held. Everyone in the mansion is busy and excited.

Inside the main hall, the room was filled with guests. Madam Shen held her two children, her face beaming with a gentle smile, while Mr. Shen stood to the side, looking triumphant and receiving congratulations from the guests.

Once the guests had quieted down, Mr. Shen cleared his throat and said solemnly, "Today is the one-month celebration of my son and daughter. Thank you all for your kind words; today we will officially name our two children!"

His gaze fell on his son, his eyes resolute: "My son, I shall name him Shen Jianxin. May he one day be chivalrous, wielding his sword to conquer the world, and becoming a true, upright man!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the guests applauded and praised her. Madam Shen gently stroked her son's face, her eyes full of expectation.

Then, Mr. Shen looked at his daughter, his tone softening instantly: "My daughter, I will name her Lin Nannan. I wish her a peaceful and joyful life, that she may be charming and lovely, and that she may be treated gently by the world."

Madam Shen's original surname was Lin. Master Shen doted on his wife and specially arranged for his youngest daughter to take her mother's surname. This was partly to express his gratitude for the hardships Madam endured during her ten months of pregnancy, and partly to give Madam more to worry about and find comfort in.

Lin Nannan seemed to understand, her little mouth pursed slightly, which made everyone chuckle, and Madam Shen smiled so much that her eyes crinkled.

At this moment, Granny Wang came over carrying the abandoned baby and said softly, "Master, this child should also have a name, so that he can grow up with the young master and young lady."

Master Shen looked at the baby with delicate features, pondered for a moment, and slowly said, "He is destined to be with Jianxin and Nannan, so let's name him Shisi. May he have a peaceful and prosperous future and live up to our expectations."

"Shi Si... What a wonderful name!" The guests echoed, and no one asked any more questions about the child's background, assuming he was an adopted son of the Shen family.

After the naming ceremony, the "grasping ceremony" begins.

The servants had already set up a long table in the center of the main hall, which was filled with all sorts of items—small wooden swords, spirit crystals, writing brushes, jade pendants, small wooden knives, abacuses, and so on, a dazzling array.

The first one to be carried onto the table was Shen Jianxin. He was placed in the center of the table, his big, round eyes curiously looking at the objects around him.

Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on him. They saw Shen Jianxin crawling towards a small wooden sword, grabbing it tightly in his hand and waving his little hands, looking exceptionally energetic.

"Excellent! Excellent! Jianxin truly lives up to his reputation as a son of the Shen family, born with chivalrous spirit!" Master Shen beamed with joy, and the guests also praised him, saying that Shen Jianxin would surely be accomplished in both literature and martial arts in the future.

Immediately afterwards, Lin Nannan was carried up. She was soft-spoken and timidly looked around, her little hands gently pawing at the objects.

Before long, she was attracted by a crystal-clear spirit crystal. She gently held the spirit crystal in her little hand, her eyes full of joy. She even brought the spirit crystal to her nose and smelled it. She looked extremely cute.

"My daughter is so lucky! She actually caught a spirit crystal. She's sure to be a girl with spiritual roots and great fortune in the future!" Madam Shen said with a smile, her eyes full of doting affection.

Finally, Shi Si was carried onto the table.

He wasn't as lively as Shen Jianxin, nor as gentle as Lin Nannan; he simply sat quietly, his gaze slowly moving across the objects on the table.

A moment later, he reached out his small hand, not to grab the shiny jade pendant, nor to touch the calligraphy brush that symbolized literary talent, but instead grabbed an inconspicuous little wooden knife, holding it tightly in his palm, his eyes revealing a calmness that was not commensurate with his age.

Master Shen was slightly taken aback, then smiled: "Shi Si is quite tenacious. He grabbed the little wooden knife; he'll definitely be a responsible child who can protect his younger siblings in the future."

The guests echoed their sentiments, and the main hall was filled with laughter and joy. The festive atmosphere of the Shen residence infected everyone present.