Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: A New Beginning of Affection

Xue Xiang left the market, glanced at his watch, and saw it was already 7:10. The three younger ones at home still had to go to school at 8:00, and time was tight. Xue Xiang hung the basket back on the bike handle, got on the seat, held the large jute bag in his left hand, and the handle with his right, and sped home like the wind. There was no time to make breakfast for them, so he stopped by the Red Star Canteen, bought three pounds of pork buns and two pounds of fried dough sticks, and stuffed them into the basket. Liquid foods like soy milk were prone to spill and were inconvenient to store, so he decided against buying them.

Five minutes later, Xue Xiang rode his bicycle into the compound of the military district. He was greeted by people all along the way and finally entered the courtyard after another two minutes. Upon entering, he saw Xiao Yi and Xiao Shi, the brother and sister, each holding a cup of water, brushing their teeth at the washing pool. Xue Xiang parked the bike in the shed, picked up the jute bag and the basket, and walked towards the washing pool. When he got close, he stopped and stared at the two siblings, unable to look away.

Xiao Shi was wearing a shabby blue cotton jacket, with some cotton showing through the worn-out cuffs. He had on a loose yellow cotton pants, which looked like a hand-me-down. It was the coldest time of early spring, and he was still wearing single-layer cloth shoes. Xiao Yi's clothes were not much better. She wore a loose, earthy yellow military uniform, with wide shoulders and sleeves, and the legs were obviously too big. The cuffs were rolled up a few times to prevent them from dragging on the ground. She wore a pair of yellow rubber-soled cloth shoes, with a crooked patch of hemp cloth on the left toe. It was clear that their clothes and shoes were pieced together and resized by Xiao Wan. Xue Xiang knew this was all Xiao Wan's handiwork.

Xue Xiang, who knew the whole story from memory, had been avoiding this reality since his parents' death two years ago. He was afraid to see his younger siblings, afraid to be reminded of his parents' tragic deaths. Apart from collecting their living expenses from the Revolutionary Committee every month and giving them to Xiao Wan, he rarely came home for meals. At this moment, Xue Xiang felt an overwhelming sense of emotion and silently vowed to never let his siblings suffer again, to make up for all the neglect.

Xiao Shi found his older brother's behavior strange today. Usually, he would avoid them and not even speak to them, but today, he kept staring at him and Xiao Yi without stopping.

"Old Three, Xiao Si, where's your second sister? Hurry up and finish brushing your teeth, and come eat breakfast. I bought pork buns from the Red Star Canteen for you." Xue Xiang waved the basket and smiled at the two children.

The two children were at a loss, barely finishing their tooth brushing, and glanced at each other, their eyes full of confusion, unsure of what was happening.

Xue Xiang, seeing their puzzled eyes, felt both affection and heartache. It was only natural for a brother to take care of his siblings, but for them, it seemed like a luxury. The two children followed Xue Xiang into the main room in silence. Xiao Wan was preparing breakfast in the kitchen. Xue Xiang put down the jute bag and the basket and prepared to call Xiao Wan to come eat.

When Xue Xiang entered the kitchen, the air was filled with the aroma of rice and steam. Xiao Wan, in her earthy yellow military uniform, was stirring a pot of porridge with a wooden spoon, her eyes vacant, as if lost in thought.

"Xiao Wan, come out and eat. I've brought breakfast. You go eat, and I'll take over the porridge later." Xue Xiang gently patted Xiao Wan's shoulder, his heart aching.

"This is the last bit of rice in the rice bin. It's only ten days until the next living expenses are due, and we don't have much money left. Xiao Yi's schoolbag is broken and can't be fixed. I'll have to take it apart and make a pair of socks for Xiao Shi..." Xiao Wan, worried about the family's finances, was suddenly interrupted by a pat on her shoulder and a voice. She turned around and saw her older brother.

"Big Brother, did you wash the clothes in the courtyard?" Xiao Wan asked, her eyes fixed on Xue Xiang. She had gotten up early to wash clothes and found the clothesline full of clean clothes, the washing pool empty. She was curious and went to the kitchen to buy groceries, only to find the basket missing. When she opened the secret compartment where they kept the tickets, she found most of them gone, thinking the house had been robbed. She rushed to Xue Xiang's room to call him, but he wasn't there. After some thought, she guessed what might have happened, but she couldn't believe it. Now that Xue Xiang was back, she immediately asked for confirmation.

"I washed them, and I bought the rice and flour. From now on, you and Old Three and Xiao Si just focus on your studies. I'll take care of the household. I'm sorry, Big Brother hasn't been a good brother to you. I'll make it up to you." Xue Xiang lowered his voice, his eyes welling up.

Xiao Wan burst into tears, hugging Xue Xiang tightly, burying her head in his chest, sobbing uncontrollably. She cried as if trying to release all the sorrow of her parents' death and the hardships of the past two years. Her sobs became more labored, as if she was trying to let it all out.

Xue Xiang stroked Xiao Wan's hair with his left hand and patted her back with his right, helping her catch her breath. The two children, hearing their sister's cries, rushed in, thinking their older brother was bullying her. Xiao Yi glared at Xue Xiang fiercely, like a little wild wolf, while Xiao Shi pouted, ready to cry. Xiao Wan, seeing them, let go of Xue Xiang, stopped crying, and Xue Xiang stepped forward to hug Xiao Shi, but he dodged, making Xue Xiang feel embarrassed. He realized he had been a terrible older brother, not earning their trust.

"Old Three, Xiao Si, what are you doing? Why aren't you talking to Big Brother? Second Sister accidentally got some ashes in her eyes from the stove. It hurt, so she cried. Big Brother was just helping her blow the ashes out." Xiao Wan said, her eyes still red.

"Second Sister is lying. Big Brother isn't that nice. Last time I fell, he didn't even help me up." Xiao Shi pointed at Xue Xiang, accusingly. The little guy had a good memory and knew who was good and who was bad.

"Big Brother is a bad guy, but from now on, I'll hug Xiao Shi every day, okay? Let's go eat. If you want anything, just tell Big Brother. Don't trouble Second Sister anymore. Big Brother will take care of you." Xue Xiang squatted down, looking at the little guy gently.

Xiao Yi didn't say anything, her fierce expression fading, her lips tightly closed, clearly not forgiving her older brother yet.

Xue Xiang turned off the stove, led the three siblings to the dining table, and took out the oil paper bag from the basket, placing it on the yellow wooden table. The four of them sat around the table, and Xue Xiang opened the paper bag, the steam from the food rising, the aroma tempting their appetites.

"Come, take what you want. The buns are pork and mushroom, and the fried dough sticks are fresh. Dig in!" Xue Xiang called out in a playful tone, easing the awkwardness. The three siblings, already drooling, reached out with six hands as soon as he finished speaking.

Xiao Wan grabbed two pork buns, stuffed one into her mouth, swallowing it quickly, the red oil dripping onto her hands without her noticing. Xiao Yi held a fried dough stick in one hand and a bun in the other, taking a bite of the bun and tearing a piece of the dough stick, shaking it to cool it down but not letting go. Xiao Shi, with his small hands, held a pork bun, his face half-hidden by it, trying to stuff his head into the bun, his big eyes peering over the top, guarding his food like a little watchdog. Xue Xiang, seeing his siblings eating messily, felt a pang of heartache and got up to pour each of them a glass of water.

The three siblings ate in silence, their heads down. Xiao Shi, after finishing two pork buns, reached for another but was stopped by Xue Xiang. "Little treasure, if you eat too much, your little tummy will hurt. Save some for later."

The little girl frowned and pouted. "When was the last time we had pork buns? I've forgotten. When will we have them again? Second Sister and Third Brother are still eating, I want to eat too. I don't want to wait for next time."

"Little treasure, Big Brother will buy you pork buns every day, but you can't eat any more now. Big Brother will make you pig trotters for lunch. If you eat too much now, you won't have room for the meat at lunch."

"Lunch with pig trotters? Oh, oh, meat! Okay, I won't eat anymore. At lunch, Second Sister and Third Brother won't eat as much as me. Hehe." The little girl was delighted, thinking she had a good plan, her eyes curved into a smile. "Big Brother, will you really buy me pork buns every day? That's so nice. You never used to talk to me. And from now on, call me Little Treasure. I like it. Don't call me Xiao Si. But do we have enough money at home? Let's make it every two, three... five days." The little girl counted on her fingers, adding up to five, looking very serious.

"Okay, from now on, I'll only call you Little Treasure. Big Brother will play with you every day, and you can have pork buns whenever you want. But I don't want you to become a little fatty." Xiao Shi slid off her chair, walked over to Xue Xiang, and tried to climb onto his lap. Xue Xiang picked her up and held her, making her giggle.

"Big Brother, we don't have much money at home. Xiao Yi's schoolbag is too broken to fix, and Xiao Shi's two yuan for schoolbooks hasn't been paid yet." Xiao Wan, having finished eating, wiped her lips.

"I don't need a schoolbag. Second Sister, just give me a piece of cloth, and I'll wrap my things in it." Xiao Yi said, the little girl, though only eight, was quite sensible, understanding the family's difficulties and not wanting to burden her sister.

"Wrapping things in cloth won't do. Old Three, after school today, wait for me at the gate. We'll go buy you a schoolbag and get some new clothes for all three of you. It was Big Brother's fault for only thinking of myself. From now on, focus on your studies, and if you have any problems, come to me." Xue Xiang tightened his hold on Xiao Shi and said.

"Will you always hug me like this, Big Brother? I'm afraid you'll go back to how you were before, ignoring me." Xiao Shi's little hands clung to Xue Xiang's collar, her eyes wide and fixed on him.

"Don't worry, Little Treasure. Big Brother promises to hug you every day." Xue Xiang kissed the little girl's cheek, took out his wallet, and handed a five-yuan note to Xiao Wan. "Take this money. Use it to pay Xiao Shi's schoolbook fees, and keep the rest for yourself. You're a big girl now, and you should have some money. It will also help you buy some snacks for Old Three and Xiao Si." The three siblings, though in different grades, were all in the same school, part of the Yu Ying system.

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