Chapter 7, From this day forward, we will love and cherish each other.
Xue Xiang gently stroked Xiao Wan's hair with his left hand and lightly patted her back with his right hand to help her regulate her breathing. At that moment, the two little ones heard their sister crying and barged in, seeing their second sister crying in their elder brother's arms, thinking that the scoundrel elder brother had bullied her. Xiao Yi glared at Xue Xiang with fierce eyes, looking as menacing as a little wild wolf, while Xiao Shi pouted, clearly about to speak up. When Xiao Wan saw the two of them come in, she released Xue Xiang and stopped crying. Xue Xiang stepped forward to hug Xiao Shi, but as soon as he reached out, Xiao Shi twisted her little body to dodge away. Xue Xiang felt extremely awkward, realizing that he was truly a failed elder brother, utterly lacking in popularity.
The little girl frowned and pouted, saying: "I forgot when we last had the big meat buns, when will the next time be? Second sister and third brother are still eating, I want to eat too, I don't want to wait for the next time!"
"Second sister is deceiving; elder brother is not that good. Last time when someone fell to the ground, he didn't even help me up," Xiao Shi pointed at Xue Xiang, accusing him. The little one has a good memory; he knows clearly who is good and who is bad.
"Don't worry, my little darling, your big brother promises to hug you every day." Xue kissed the little one's cheek, took out his wallet, and handed a five yuan bill to Xiao Wan, saying, "You keep this money, use it to pay for Xiao Shi's school fees, and save the rest for your pocket money. You're already in middle school, a big girl now, you should have some money on you. Besides, having money makes it easier for you to buy some snacks for Lao San and Xiao Si." Although the three siblings are in different educational stages—kindergarten, elementary school, and middle school—they all attend the same campus, which is part of the Yuying system.
Come, help yourself to some food. The buns are filled with pork and mushrooms, and the fried dough sticks are freshly made. Hurry up and dig in!" Xue Xiang called out in a peculiar tone, alleviating much of the earlier awkwardness. The three of them, Xiaowan included, were already craving it, and as soon as Xue Xiang finished speaking, they all reached out with their hands.
"Are we having pig's trotters for lunch? Oh, oh, we're having meat, great! I won't eat anymore. When we have meat for lunch, Second Sister and Third Brother won't eat as much as I do, hehe." The little one was delighted, thinking he had outsmarted everyone, with a smile that curved like a crescent moon: "Big Brother, do you really buy meat buns for Little Shi every day? That's wonderful! You used to not talk to anyone before. Also, from now on, you have to call me 'Little Treasure,' I like that. You can't call me 'Little Four.' But does our family have that much money? Forget it, I guess I'll just eat once every two days, three... five days." The little one was counting on his fingers, slowly adding from two to five, looking very serious.
Elder brother, there isn't much money left at home, Xiao Yi's backpack is too damaged to be repaired, and Xiao Shi's two yuan book fee hasn't been paid yet. Xiao Wan has finished eating and wiped her lips.
"Big brother is a bad guy. From now on, big brother will hold you every day, okay? Alright, let's go eat. In the future, if you want to eat something or buy anything, just tell big brother. Don't trouble your second sister anymore; big brother will take care of you." Xue Xiang squatted down and gently looked at the little one as he spoke.
"Elder brother, did you wash the clothes in the yard?" Xiao Wan asked, her eyes fixed intently on Xue Xiang. She had gotten up early, prepared to do the laundry, and upon arriving in the courtyard, she found the clothesline filled with freshly washed clothes, while the basin in the washing area was completely empty. She was extremely curious. Returning to the kitchen to prepare to buy groceries, she discovered that the vegetable basket was missing. Opening the hidden compartment where the receipts were stored, she found that more than half of the receipts were gone, frightening her into thinking that the house had been robbed. She hurried to Xue Xiang's room to call for her elder brother, only to find that he was not in the room. After some thought, she guessed a possibility, but she did not dare to believe it. Now that Xue Xiang had returned, she immediately sought to confirm with him.
Xiao Wan held two meat buns, shoving the one in her left hand into her mouth with great force, swallowing it in large bites, the bright red chili oil dripping onto her hand without her feeling the heat. Xiao Yi had a youtiao in her left hand and a bun in her right, taking a bite of the bun and then tearing off a piece of the youtiao. Perhaps the youtiao was too hot, as she was tearing and biting while shaking it to cool down, yet she wouldn't let go. Xiao Shi, small in stature, held the meat bun with both hands, gnawing at it, with one bun covering half of her small face, as if she wanted to bury her little head inside the bun, nibbling while peering through the top edge of the bun with her big eyes, staring intently at the table, guarding it closely, a typical case of eating what's in the bowl while looking at what's in the pot. Xue Xiang watched his younger siblings eat in such a messy manner, feeling a bit heartbroken, and got up to pour a glass of water for each of the three.
Xue Xiang exited the market, raised her hand to check the time, and saw that it was already 7:10. The three children at home needed to go to school by 8:00, leaving her with little time. Xue Xiang hung the vegetable basket back on the handlebars, mounted the seat, held a large hemp bag in her left hand, and grasped the handlebars with her right hand, racing home at breakneck speed. There was no time to prepare breakfast for them, so she passed by the Hongxing Canteen and bought three jin of large meat buns and two jin of fried dough sticks to stuff into the vegetable basket. Soy milk and similar liquids are prone to spilling and are inconvenient to store, so she had to give up on that.
This is the last bit of rice in the rice jar, and there are about ten days left until the fifth of next month when the living expenses will be distributed. The family doesn't have much money left, and it seems we won't make it to the end of the month. Xiao Yi's backpack is broken and can no longer be repaired. Forget it, I will take it apart to make a pair of socks for Xiao Shi... Xiao Wan was worrying about the family's livelihood when suddenly she felt a tap on her shoulder and heard someone speaking. Turning around, she was surprised to see her elder brother.
"Alright, from now on, I will only call you Little Baby. Big Brother will play with Little Baby every day. Whenever Little Baby wants to eat meat buns, they will be available. I just worry that Little Baby will become a little chubby girl." Little Shi slid down from the chair, waddling over to Xue Xiang with her short legs. She pressed her small hand against Xue Xiang's thigh and attempted to climb up. Xue Xiang picked her up and held her in his arms, and the little one giggled happily.
"Little Three, Little Four, what are you doing? Why are you ignoring Big Brother? Just now, Second Sister accidentally got some ashes from the stove in her eyes, and it hurt so much that tears fell. Big Brother, come over and help me blow my eyes." Little Wan said with red eyes
"Will you always hold me like this in the future, big brother? I'm so afraid you'll go back to how you used to be, ignoring me." Xiao Shi tightly grasped Xue Xiang's collar with her small hands, staring wide-eyed at Xue Xiang.
Little darling, from now on, your big brother will buy you something every day, but you are not allowed to eat anymore right now. Your big brother will make braised pig's trotters for you at noon, but you have eaten too much now, and when it comes time for lunch, there will be no room left in your little belly for meat.
Xiao Yi did not speak, the fierceness in her eyes gradually faded, her lips tightly closed, indicating that she had not yet forgiven this elder brother
"Xiao Wan, let's go out for a meal. I have brought back breakfast for you, so go ahead and eat. Don't cook the porridge just yet; I will come and cook it later." Xue Xiang walked over and gently patted Xiao Wan's shoulder, speaking with concern.
Five minutes later, Xue Xiang rode his bicycle into the military district compound, greeting people along the way. It was not until two minutes later that he finally entered the small courtyard. Upon entering the courtyard, he saw the siblings Xiao Yi and Xiao Shi each holding a cup, brushing their teeth by the washing basin. Xue Xiang parked his bicycle in the shed, picked up the burlap sack and vegetable basket, and walked towards the washing basin. As he got closer, he stopped in his tracks, unable to take his eyes off the two siblings.
Xue Xiang was aware of the entire sequence of events from his memory. Since the death of his parents two years ago, he had been avoiding this reality, fearing to see his younger siblings and dreading the memories of their tragically deceased parents. Apart from going to the Revolutionary Committee every month to collect the living expenses for the four of them, which he entrusted to Xiao Wan, he rarely returned home for meals. At this moment, Xue Xiang felt an overwhelming sense of emotion and silently vowed never to let his siblings suffer again, determined to make up for all the debts he owed them.
Xue Xiang extinguished the stove fire and led the three siblings into the main room, where they took out bowls and chopsticks. He retrieved the oiled paper bag from the basket of food and placed it on a yellow hardwood table, which served as their dining table. The four of them sat around the table, and Xue Xiang opened the paper bag, from which the steam of the food wafted out, and the enticing aroma stimulated their appetite
Xiao Wan let out a cry and burst into tears, tightly embracing Xue Xiang, burying her head in Xue Xiang's chest, crying and hitting, her sobs heart-wrenching. As Xiao Wan cried fiercely, she became somewhat breathless, her cries gradually turning into gasps, as if she were trying to vent all the sorrow of her parents' passing and the suffering she had endured over the past two years.
"Lao San, Xiao Si, where is your second sister? Hurry up and wash up, come over for breakfast. Eldest brother has bought you all big meat buns from Hongxing." Xue Xiang raised the vegetable basket and said with a smile to the two little ones
Xiao Shi was wearing a rather plain blue cotton coat, with the cuffs worn out and revealing some cotton stuffing. He had on a pair of loose yellow cotton pants, which seemed to be someone else's discarded clothing. The early spring season was particularly cold, and he was still wearing single-layer cloth shoes. Xiao Yi's attire was not much better; she was dressed in a loose, earthy yellow military uniform, with wide shoulders and thick sleeves, and the pant legs were noticeably baggy. Fortunately, the cuffs were rolled up a few times, otherwise they would have dragged on the ground. On her feet were yellow rubber-soled cloth shoes, and the toe of her left shoe had a crooked patch made from burlap. It was evident that the clothing and shoes of the two siblings were mismatched and cobbled together, clearly stitched together by Xiao Wan's handiwork.
Xue Xiang looked at the two little ones with their twinkling eyes, feeling both adorable and heartbroken. It was a natural thing for a brother to take care of his younger siblings, yet here it had become a luxury. The two little ones silently followed Xue Xiang into the main room, where Xiao Wan was preparing breakfast in the kitchen. Xue Xiang set down the burlap sack and vegetable basket, preparing to go into the kitchen to call Xiao Wan out for a meal
Xue Xiang entered the kitchen, where the aroma of rice filled the air and smoke was rising. A young girl in a dirt-yellow military uniform was cooking thin porridge at the stove. With her frail little hand, she was stirring the pot with a spatula, her gaze vacant as if she were deep in thought
Xiao Shi found it strange that her elder brother was acting unusually today. Normally, he would immediately avoid her and wouldn't even initiate a conversation. What was going on today? Early in the morning, he returned from somewhere and kept staring at her and San Ge without stopping.
The two little ones were somewhat at a loss, not paying much attention to brushing their teeth, hastily rinsing their mouths. They exchanged a glance, their little eyes darting around, filled with confusion, somewhat unsure of the situation.
"Which bag should I use? Lao San, after school in the evening, wait for me at the door, and we will go together to buy you a backpack. I also need to get you three some new clothes. In the past, it was Da Ge's fault for only thinking of himself. From now on, you three can focus on your studies, and if you encounter any difficulties, just tell me." Xue Xiangdao tightened his embrace around the little one.
"I washed it, and I have also bought the rice and flour. From now on, you, Lao San, and Xiao Si can just focus on your studies; I will take care of the household matters. In the past, I, as the elder brother, did not take good care of you, and you have suffered so much. In the future, I will make it up to you properly," Xue Xiang said in a lowered voice, his eyes reddening momentarily.
I no longer need a backpack, Second Sister, please find me a piece of cloth; I can just use the cloth to wrap my things. Xiao Yi responded, the little one is only eight years old yet quite sensible, understanding the family's difficulties and not wanting to put her sister in a difficult position
The three of them remained silent, engrossed in their meal. After finishing two large meat buns, Xiao Shi was about to go for more when Xue Xiang stopped him, saying: "Little darling, if you eat too much, your little belly will hurt. Save some for next time."