Book 3, Chapter 7 - Couldn’t Imagine Myself Giving Birth
I took the boxes from Harry, which were quite heavy. I opened the box on the top first, and there was a pair of rings inside it. The black rings were made of a unique metal and embellished with fine diamonds. There was an unknown gemstone among them and it twinkled like stars. The pair of rings looked like stars in the night sky. They reflected each other’s radiance and looked mysteriously beautiful.
I picked up the girl’s ring, and realized that the starlight on the guy’s ring immediately dimmed as the girl’s ring moved away. When I moved it closer, the guy’s ring began to twinkle again. It was so magical!
“How is it?!” Harry was standing in front of me, as he leaned on my door frame. He had successfully put on a smug expression, but there was still a hint of nervousness in his eyes.
“Why are you giving me a pair of rings?” I looked at him in confusion.
“Heh,” he chuckled and turned away. After a pause, he shook his head, and then turned back to look at me. “Of course, it’s for when you pick your husband.”
“Ah!” I gawked.
He extended his hand to poke my head. “Are you that shocked? There were no rings in Noah City until now, but since we found this pair of rings, I had to save it for you. I’m telling you..” He looked to the left and right cheekily. Then, he licked his lips and whispered in my ears softly, “This is the most beautiful pair of rings. They are even prettier than Arsenal’s. I hid them for you as soon as I saw them. I am a genius, right?” He stepped back and smiled at me. He looked just like a child seeking compliments.
He was right. Noah City had no rings, but steel nuts. Raffles would modify them for fitting, and would engrave the husband and wife’s names on them.
The women in Noah City normally had more than two husbands. Hence, there would be all of her husbands’ names on her ring, while the man only had his wife’s name on his.
There was finally a proper ring.
“Hey, who would you choose?” Harry asked as he stood in front of me, taking up my entire view.
“I don’t know. I can choose not to pick at all, right?” I closed the ring box. I really liked them a lot, and they were very beautiful.
“Tsk! Idiot. You can reserve men in Noah City. You can pick one as your fiancée, so that he wouldn’t be taken away by the others. If you don’t like him later on, you can reject him and let the others have him.” It seemed like men in Noah City ranked lower than women. They were just like goods bought on Taobao, and they could be returned within seven days of purchase with no reason.
However, these were actually Noah City’s rules.
At a girl’s coming-of-age-ceremony, she could choose a few guys as her fiancées. Later on, if she didn’t have any feelings for one or more of them, or they weren’t compatible with her, then she could call off the engagement. After that, the guy or guys would be back in the pool for other girls to choose from.
Although Noah City practiced polygamy, marriage was still built upon the premise of both parties mutually liking one another. There was no forced marriage. The only one who could marry someone forcefully would be our Princess, Arsenal.
However, judging from Arsenal’s character, she wouldn’t force anyone because she..
“Look at Sis Cannon. She picked fourteen guys, but she only liked Khai. Isn’t it?” Harry was instigating me to get a fiancée as soon as possible.
I was distracted by the bigger jewellery box as he continued talking, and opened it. Inside this box was a black gemstone necklace and bracelet. The black gemstones twinkled like stars in the dark night. They weren’t obvious, but they adorned the night sky so that the night sky didn’t look as scary, while still maintaining its mysteriousness.
Although the set of jewelry and the pair of rings were made out of entirely different materials, the night and the stars made a perfect match.
“How many girls are going through the coming-of-age-ceremony this year? Not only Arsenal, but Xiao Jing is also turning sixteen.Then there is also Aunt Catherine’s daughter, as well as Sis Bai’s daughter. Also, those who didn’t pick in the past might pick someone this year, for instance, Sis Ming You. You’d better look after Raffles. Just in case he is chosen by other girls,” he said maliciously.
Stunned, I lifted my head to look at him.
He blinked at me and there was an ambiguous look in his amber eyes. “Raffles is not bad. As a man, I personally think he is not bad. He is smart, gentle, and caring. Most importantly, he listens to you. A man like him would be the best choice as a fiancée. Even I am convinced by his good qualities. Hahahah..”
“You really think I should pick him?” I asked him as he laughed.
“Cough.” He suddenly choked and started coughing. An obscure expression flashed past his crystal eyes. He looked away and coughed. “Of course. I have to pick the best for you.”
Even though he had said ‘of course,’ he was sounding guilty, and he was also avoiding meeting my eyes.
He suddenly became quiet. He stopped smiling and took a deep breath, as if something was pressing down on his chest and obstructing his breathing.
I lowered my face and looked at the jewelry box. “I don’t want to pick anyone yet.”
“Why?!” He immediately turned to look at me.
“I..” Why would I want to get married and give birth at such a young age?
Although I am turning seventeen, we still study and daydream at this age back in my world. Why would I be thinking about getting married and giving birth?
Oh yeah, there are many girls in the rural village who get married and have babies at eighteen.
My cousin had told me that her other cousin had given birth when she was eighteen and she had already completed the two-children-plan in her teens. She was a mother of two at the age of twenty-two.
I can’t imagine such a life. A child following behind me and calling me mom?
Oh my!
And calls Raffles dad!
Oh my!!
Raffles is so beautiful. Would the children call him mom and call me dad instead?
The entire world feels chaotic.
I can’t do it. I really can’t do it.
I’d rather head out more often on missions and bring back more resources for Noah City, than stay home and make more babies.
Plus, I am always out on missions all year round. Wouldn’t it be Raffles who would stay home to take care of the children instead?
The sight where Raffles would carry one child in each of his hands respectively was quite harmonious.
D*mn. What am I thinking about?
The world is so advanced. Why can’t they make the guys be in charge of giving birth instead?
I am a child myself. How can I take care of another child?
Marriage and pregnancy are too far away from me. I am not mentally prepared for these responsibilities.
*Psst.* The communicator on my table suddenly buzzed. Raffles was calling me.
“Luo Bing! Hurry up and come to the meeting room! Elder Alufa has something to announce!”
“So early?!” Elder Alufa is really on steroids today.
“Yes! This early!” Raffles smiled excitedly. His smile indicated that there was some sort of good news!
I immediately put the jewelry on the table and picked up my communicator. Subsequently, Harry’s communicator buzzed too. As expected, it was Raffles. “Harry, hurry up and come to the meeting room! Are you outside Luo Bing’s room?”
“Yeah!” Harry raised his communicator while his other hand was against my door frame. He looked at ease and sounded like he was showing off.