206 Planning

August 11, 20XX (Sunday)

Zhao Manor

Arriving in Zhao Manor to reach dinner, Yang and Mei Li had decided to tell the family of their decisions immediately. They both weighted everything in their car ride. Mei Li had even told Yang her fears about being a bad mother in which Yang snorted. If anyone should worry among them, it should be him. His hand was not used to being gentle, but he knew this was the right move. The first time he met Ling Ling was the day he wanted to have children. The first time he was kicked on the legs by Chang was the day he realized kids whether unruly or not were blessings. He usually doesn't have thoughts like that, but he did. Those thoughts had scared the living daylights out of him, but now, he was sure. As sure as he is to his decision to marry Mei Li, he wants to be Chang and Ling Ling's father.

When Mei Li had voiced her opinion about them living in a condo, Yang had immediately noted to buy a house, or stay at the manor if need be. The condo only has two rooms so they would not fit there. His thoughts about their place to live in were interrupted with Mei Li saying, "Hopefully, we can adopt them in time for our wedding so they can take part."

Yang could imagine Chang as their ring bearer and Ling Ling as their flower girl. The thought just made Yang want to hurry the process of adoption more. This was like courting Mei Li all over again.

Yang repeats his past motto again, 'Baby Steps, Zhao Yang.'

When they arrived in the manor and immediately sitting on the table to eat with everyone else, Mei Li and Yang dropped the bomb after the people had eaten half of their plates. It was Yang that started the confession, "We will be adopting two kids."

"What?" Every Zhao member except Yang chorused like a choir in their surprise.

"We went to an orphanage to see the kids that helped me with my proposal. There was a little girl with a cute pigtail," Yang trailed.

"And a young gentleman that kicked Yang's feet that we fell in love with." Mei Li continued.

Mother Zhao frowned, surprising Mei Li. She was always the most supportive of her when they meet; it was weird that she was not as supportive now. Mei Li suddenly remembers her true connections to the Xue family. Was the reason Mother Zhao behaved like a mother to her because of the Xue family? Mei Li immediately pushed the thought out of her head. Those days have gone by; it was no use to repeat it over and over again.

As an orphan herself, Grandma Zhao was the first to understand them and spoke, "Do you know that having children is a large responsibility. You are not even married, yet. Although with our connection, we can hasten the process, but there will still be inspections that need to be done. Need I remind you that Mei Li and we will be going on a month tour?"

Grandpa Zhao added, "And to bear the Zhao name would make any child crumble. I remember how Yang had almost crumbled from the pressure, and even Yue still evades her responsibilities. Are you sure that putting them would be beneficial to the children and not only because of your decisions?"

"How can you even think of adopting children when you both have other jobs to do? Yang has a conglomerate to run, and you have to paint. Do you know how hard it is to wake up at midnight to care for a crying baby? It will be hard to balance those things." Aunt Qinyang said.

Yue chose to remain silent, but Father Zhao spoke with a little tactlessness that made Yang and Mei Li immediately straightened up, offended, "You can adopt after you have your own kids. There are still many orphans that you can choose from. Let yourself grown more matured first. I think rushing into this is a bad idea."

Mei Li briefly scanned all of their eyes and overbearingly said, "I am an orphan. No matter whose family will claim me in the future, my past will never be erased."

Aunt Qinyang and Mother Zhao flinched at Mei Li's words. Yue smirked secretly to herself. These old folks were sometimes too close-minded. Her brother was already thirty-three years old, and Mei Li was already twenty-six. In their age, her mother and father had already made two kids. Age nor maturity was not her brother, and best friend lacked. Yue knew their personality; they would never decide things if they were not a hundred percent sure.

Yang placed his hand on Mei Li's thigh as she continued, "Except for Grandma Zhao, everyone in the table does not know how to be only ten years old but still look after younger children. In an orphanage, we helped each other. I know how to raise children because I help raised more than fifty orphans even before I reached the age of eighteen. I respect all of you and am grateful for all your help, but you cannot question our maturity when all of you married years before our ages now and even had children when you were younger than I am now."

Yue almost clapped for Mei Li. Preached, girl! Mother Zhao's and Aunt Qinyang's eyes were wide open; Father Zhao leaned into his chair with tensed shoulder, Grandpa and Grandma Zhao were smiling.

Yang also made his point known, "I know how hard it is to be a Zhao and a Xing. I cannot bear to give that name to orphans, who will be bullied because of their blood. Mei Li and I agreed to sign the papers as mother and father, but we will give them her last name instead. I am already thirty-three years old, I have made our company larger than before. I have learned from my mistakes too. This decision to adopt is not because we want children, but because we fell in love with two specific children. If not Ling Ling and Chang, we would not bother to adopt at all."

Suddenly, all Zhao family members' jaw drop as Yang announced his final words, "I have only been in love with Mei Li. She is like the moon in my always dark sky, and although I want to make love to her and make a family with her, the thought just scared me. Me, Zhao Yang, a father? Almost makes me snort, but when I met those two children, I fell in love as if my night sky now have twin stars. Please, do not break my heart by letting us choose because, for us, they are already our children just as we are your children. Leaving the orphanage felt as if I left a part of me behind."

After a while of silence, Grandma Zhao giggled, and then laughed out loud. All shocked eyes turned to her, more stunned at her unexpected reaction. She held Grandpa Zhao's hands and nodded, "We will support your decision."