First item on the list.

Many years later, when I looked back on the boy who had saved me by jumping into the river without hesitation during my childhood, I had no more memories of him. Time pushed and shoved my eroded childhood, leaving behind a string of footprints that could not be guarded in my life as I moved forward without hesitation.

Ji Ming furrowed his brows and cried out, "Mom!"

Oh, forget it, I'll go by myself. Ji Ming shook off my hand, looked around, and complained, "Isn't this embarrassing?"

Quiet! Quiet! Ma Wenjuan was relentless, as anxious as ants on a hot pan, but couldn't help but resist like challenging a hot pan. "Ji Dahai, if anything happens to Ji Ming, it's your dereliction of duty as a father!"

I don't want to fight back. The sound of the door lock turning came from behind Ma Wenjuan. I glanced at the door. Ji Dahai was holding a briefcase and changed his shoes as soon as he entered, using his fingers to press on the Jingming acupoint.

Ji Dahai extinguished the cigarette in the ashtray and shouted to stop Ji Ming, who wanted to sneak into the kitchen to eat: "Stop!"

Ji Dahai exhaled in annoyance and said, "Worried? If you're worried, go out and take a look. It's such a trivial matter, yet they keep chattering endlessly. Isn't it annoying?"

I'm too lazy to participate in this war of words anymore. I tidied up the books on the dining table, carried my backpack, and went into my own room, saying, "I'm not having dinner."

I really don't want to see this kind of commonplace family war.

I sneered and inserted my finger into my hair, pressing against my head, saying, "Every time something happens to your son, it's always my fault as his older sister. If there's anything good about me, why didn't you consider that I am your son's sister?"

I am like the typical character in a blended family that appears in TV dramas and novels, who is never liked by the stepmother, and I am also not interested in being liked by her.

I don't know.I put down my backpack, walked into the kitchen, lifted the lid of the pot, and found only a sumptuous dinner left inside. Without thinking, I knew it was for her son Ji Ming. "He finishes school earlier than me. I stayed after school today, so he should be home before me."

Upon hearing the commotion, Ma Wenjuan poked her head out of the kitchen with a spatula in hand. Seeing Ji Ming on the verge of tears from acting so well, she immediately pulled him into her arms and comforted him, saying, "Ji Dahai, if you're having a hard time at work, don't take it out on the children. They have classes tomorrow."

I said, "No, I just think he has his own sense of propriety. You don't have to treat him like a precious pearl in the palm of your hand."

"Are you in class?" Ji Dahai's eyes were like torches, staring at Ji Ming so intensely that he dared not look at him. "Ask him if he's in class or playing games, ask him!"

Why didn't your younger brother come back with you?Ma Wenjuan sat on the sofa in the living room, knitting a sweater for her beloved son.

My name is Ji Qingnian, which is a very awkward name. The name that I am most satisfied with is the one my father gave me, even though he did not give me a warm family.

You probably don't want to hear this again. I looked at her defiantly.

Upon seeing me, his expression changed subtly and his voice lowered as he said, "It's you."

Upon seeing the situation, I hurriedly quickened my pace and followed.

He is my own flesh and blood. How can I not hold him in my hands like a precious pearl?Ma Wenjuan gave me a white eye, emphasized her tone, paced back and forth in the living room, then took out her phone and called Ji Ming twice, but no one answered.

What do you mean by not knowing the way home? Ma Wenjuan became excited and said, "Are you and your father like-minded? Don't you both care about my son, right? Dahai, Jiming is not your biological child, aren't you worried?"

Don't pull me like this, it's embarrassing!Ji Ming yelled and reached out to hit me, but his flexibility was extremely poor. He couldn't even counter my grip and could only let me pull him helplessly.

Come home with me," I said.

Ji Dahai asked, "Where did you go?"

When Ji Ming was brought to the doorstep, the war inside the house had already ceased. Ma Wenjuan was cooking in the kitchen, while Ji Dahai was smoking on the balcony.

I took out my textbooks and homework, and solved math problems on the dining table. Ma Wenjuan came over and urged me, "Hurry up and go out to find your younger brother. I need to cook dinner for your dad, and I don't have time."

You... Ji Dahai was so angry that he couldn't speak. His chin trembled with his lips, and then he pointed at Ma Wenjuan and squeezed out two words, "Ignorant!"

"What did you say?" Ma Wenjuan asked me sharply.

Ma Wenjuan widened her eyes, fell silent for 10 seconds, and then, like an angry lion, lashed out at me: "Ji Qingnian, how do you study? Do you dare to contradict your elders like this? Are you unhappy with just a few words from me? What qualifications do you have to be unhappy? Everything you eat, wear, and use is provided by me. Asking you to find your younger brother makes you feel mistreated by me?"

I sighed heavily. Such scenes are played out every day. Ma Wenjuan is a rare and talented actress in real life.

Ma Wenjuan put down the ball of yarn in her hand, walked to the window, looked at the darkening sky outside, and said, "It's getting late, and he hasn't come back yet."

Do you also know what it means to lose face? I stared at Ji Ming solemnly, and he shook his head, hands behind his back, took a few steps, and then quickly ran out of the internet cafe.

After I closed the door, I could faintly hear the sound of arguing inside. I don't want to comfort either of them, nor do I want to bother with them. It's really heart-wrenching to live like this.

I left the residential area, and there were several butterflies fluttering on the roadside green belt. I have envied the free and unrestrained butterflies, envied the geese flying across the blue sky, envied the colorful world outside, but I have also envied others' harmonious families.

"Who are you!" Ji Ming threw away his earphones and looked up at me.

As soon as they saw me, they all obediently closed their mouths.

Ji Dahai asked me again: "What is my younger brother doing?"

Ji Dahai's brows furrowed tighter and tighter, and finally he angrily slammed the table: "Stop lying! Do you think I can't see your little tricks? How childish! All of you go stand over there, and no dinner tonight!"

Playing the final level, what are you doing? Ji Ming felt a bit annoyed and reached out to turn on the machine.

Jiming was laughing so hard outside the internet cafe that he bent over, while I furrowed my brows, reached out and grabbed the back of his collar, and walked towards home, saying "Let's go."

Ma Wenjuan saw Ji Dahai coming back and immediately went to complain: "Dahai, you came back just in time. You don't know how infuriating your daughter is! I just asked her to go out and find Ji Ming, and she thought I favored Ji Ming. Ji Ming is my son. Who else would worry if not me? This girl really makes me angry!"

Ma Wenjuan whispered to Ji Ming, confronting Ji Dahai, and said: "What's wrong with playing games to relax when the child is tired of studying? Are you so strict? Your outdated educational methods have long been left behind!"

I opened his hand and said, "Your mother and father are arguing at home because of you. If you don't go back soon, the house will be turned upside down."

Ji Ming glanced at me without answering.

As soon as Ji Dahai said this, Ma Wenjuan immediately wiped away a tear and complained, "Look at what you're saying! Do you know how difficult it is for me to take care of these two children? You always favor your daughter. When have you ever cared about Ji Ming's studies and health? I have to cook dinner for you, where do I have time to go out and look for him? And now you're haggling with Xiao Nian about letting him go out."

I walked over and directly shut down the host.

I put down the pen in my hand, pondered for a moment, and then looked up and said, "I have a lot of homework today. He's such a big person, he can't get lost. At most, he's playing outside and hasn't come back yet."

After speaking, I grabbed Ji Ming's arm and pulled him outside.

Although Jiming was unwilling, he obediently stood against the wall.

I went out to look! I jumped up from the chair, and the chair rubbed against the floor, making a harsh sound.

Mawenjuan is my stepmother. I have always called her without any title. She has a son, and she dotes on him.

I went to several internet cafes that he often goes to, and finally found him at "Online World". He was sitting in the corner of a two-person seat, typing on the keyboard with great effort while cursing.

"What are you saying?" Ma Wenjuan tilted her head and looked at me, her eyes full of confusion. "No matter how old he is, he is still your younger brother, right? As an older sister, shouldn't you care about your younger brother? I think, just because you didn't have the same mother, you don't pay attention, right?"

Ma Wenjuan's chest heaved up and down in anger, looking at me and shaking her head, sighing: "I really don't know how you became a sister!"

Ji Ming secretly tugged at my clothes and pulled me aside. I said, "I don't know him. I just met him on the street."

Enough! Ji Dahai growled, seeming to be in a bad mood. "I was scolded by my boss at work, and now I have to listen to you guys chatter on and on when I come back. Can't you let me have some peace and quiet for a while?"

I do understand Jiming's personality. If he doesn't go home, most of the time he would have gone to the internet cafe to play games with his buddies.

Ji Ming, what's going on? I guess it's because he saw his teammate suddenly go offline, and several of his friends raised their heads.

"Take a look!" Ma Wenjuan pointed in my direction as if she had caught me red-handed, saying, "No respect at all!"

What's wrong with ignorance? Ma Wenjuan patted Ji Ming's head and said, "I will take care of my own son."

I saw Ji Dahai looking exhausted and immediately tried to stop him, saying, "Ma Wenjuan, are you mistaken?"

Ma Wenjuan placed her phone in front of me and pointed at the screen, saying, "Take a look, take a look! If I don't answer the phone, what should I do if I'm being bullied outside or encounter bad people? Tell me."

I pulled open the curtains and saw the starry night sky. The argument between Ji Dahai and Ma Wenjuan has not yet ended. I plugged in my earphones to the computer and the lively music flowed into my ears, isolating me from this noisy world.

Okay. Ji Dahai loosened his tie, placed his suit jacket on the sofa, and pinched his brow. "You're already grown up, and you know the way home."

I remained silent.

Every day I repeat the same life trajectory, coming home after school, taking out the key to open the door. The iron key twists in the keyhole, making a sound of metal collision.