My father was buried, and I cried even harder than when he died. I knew I was just using it as an excuse to have a good cry. Fang Cheng came to help me, but I pushed him away and offered my hand to Xiao Ming instead. At the cemetery entrance, I saw my sister. She was sitting in Uncle Zhou's car. When she saw us, she opened the car door and got out, dressed in black. Uncle Zhou ran over and helped me up. "Are you alright?!" I could only smile at him, unable to speak. My sister looked at me quietly for a while, then sighed and got back into the car, no longer looking at me. Uncle Zhou smiled again, held the car door for me, and I silently got in. The car drove directly to Uncle Zhou's office, and we were taken to a small conference room. I didn't know what they wanted! Fang Cheng wanted to wait outside, but my sister pointed to a chair and gestured for him to sit down.
“Yingying, Xiaoming, your father made his will here. I originally wanted to refuse, but the old man said that if I don’t accept it, there are plenty of others who will! I don’t want to cause trouble for your sister! Do you understand?” he explained hurriedly.
"Uncle Zhou, just say the word! It doesn't matter who does it! If you do it, you can at least think of a solution for my sister!"
"I knew you were sensible!" He smiled at me and opened the folder. "Actually, the old man didn't have much money. He had already sold one of his houses, and with his insurance money and a one-time subsidy from his work unit, he divided it into three equal parts, which are for you three siblings. The only requirement was that you must take care of Xiao Ming until he turns eighteen. In fact, your sister has already given up her inheritance rights, but she accepts Xiao Ming! Do you understand?"
“I’m giving up my inheritance too! I also have a job, and I’ll take care of part of Xiao Ming’s life! Do you want to sign?” I said decisively.
"Of course, you are all so kind! Qin, Yingying is tired, come stay at my villa!"
"Thank you, Taisho! I've booked a hotel. I'll treat you to dinner before I leave!"
"You're leaving?!" He was taken aback.
My sister looked at us, thought for a moment, and said, "They're tired. Let's go first. Can I think about it some more?"
“You’ve been thinking about this for ten years, Miss!” He patted his head and took a deep breath. “Alright, you can take your time thinking it over! You’ve already waited so many years, but if you wait any longer, I’ll be an old man!”
"Alright, you were already an old man when I met you. Thank you so much!" She smiled at him, and he smiled back. They seemed to be getting along very well. I looked at Fang Cheng; he was very calm.
"I'm tired!" I exclaimed on purpose, and my sister turned around to look at me.
"Fang Cheng, you didn't take good care of her?!"
"I can't even take care of myself!" he laughed, a hint of coquetry in his voice. My sister smiled, nodded to Uncle Zhou, and went out. Xiao Ming came over to support me, and we followed my sister out. Fang Cheng walked last. I saw him nod to Uncle Zhou, smile slightly, and then come out. He didn't consider Uncle Zhou a match for him. Was he confident? Or was there another reason?
My sister booked a suite at the hotel, and without saying a word, I went into the inner room and fell asleep immediately. I needed to calm down and process everything. I don't know how long I slept, but Fang Cheng pulled me up.
"I'm going back to Beijing this afternoon, want to come along?" He was in a hurry, then shook his head after thinking for a moment. "It's better if we go together, I'll book your ticket!" He called the lobby and asked the hotel to book him the earliest flight back to Beijing. I finally came to my senses. My sister and Xiao Ming were standing at the door, smiling at us, as if waiting to see a show.
"Why should I go with you?" I couldn't be bothered with any of that anymore. I just glared at him angrily. If he didn't love me, why did he keep bothering me?
"My dad wants to see you! If you don't want to be summoned by him like a daughter-in-law, then run away with me!" He was in a hurry, his face was very bad, and I was furious.
"Why? Why didn't you tell him clearly that you don't love me at all? Why should I take the blame?" I was furious and hit him hard with a pillow.
"I didn't tell him anything, it was all his own idea! Hurry up, if he catches you, you won't be able to escape! We have to go back and pack our bags tomorrow, and register the day after!" He pushed aside the pillow, grabbed me, and ran out, not caring if I was a mess. I saw my sister and Xiao Ming were already doubled over with laughter. They didn't come with us; I slept for two more days after returning to Beijing before they came back. I didn't see Fang Cheng during those two days either. Without my sister, he couldn't be bothered with me.
"Sis, Fang Cheng is on the phone!" They had just entered the door when Fang Cheng called. I smiled. Was it pre-arranged? My sister looked at me and smiled.
"Hurry up and pick him up! If he apologizes, forgive him!" She thought we'd been playing games with each other these past few days.
“He might not be looking for me!” I lay down again. My sister still knew nothing. What should I say? ‘He’s looking for you!’ or ‘Fang Cheng loves you!’ I pulled the blanket over my head. So many days have passed, and I still can’t erase him from my heart. More than ten years have passed; it’s not that easy. I heard my sister answer the phone.
“She’s asleep! Okay, I’ll tell her, are you coming back? Okay, we’ll wait for you to eat!” She used the word “coming back.” She considered him family, and she had always been very good to him, at least much better than I was to him.
"Get up! I have something to say to you!" She hung up the phone, came in, and pulled back my blanket. Xiao Ming also sat on my bed. It seemed my sister was going to call a family meeting.
“Dazheng has really gotten old. I knew it when he was sick last time; I had to go back to take care of him. I met him when I was twelve, and he's always been very good to me. When I was eighteen, he asked me if I wanted to marry him after graduating from university. I didn't answer him. After graduation, he asked me to work at his firm. You could say he made me who I am. I know he's been waiting for me all these years, but he doesn't lack women. However, so far, I'm the only woman he's ever considered marrying. I'm getting old too. I love Dazheng, and I haven't felt tired being with him all these years! Then there's Xiaoming. He needs to study. You're all grown up now, and Fang Cheng is here to take care of you! Shall I take Xiaoming back with me?”
"He doesn't lack women to take care of him, does he? You know he has other women, so why do you still want to go back to him?"
“Yingying! I have no right to demand any promises from him, right? Let’s be reasonable! I’ve never promised him anything, I’ve never even said I liked him, so why should he remain chaste for me? Silly girl, nothing in this world is inevitable! I’m already very happy that Dazheng is treating me like this.”
"Why have you changed so much?" I looked into her eyes.
"I'm tired! I'm almost thirty. Although I'm still considered pretty, my youth is fading. It's not easy to find a man who truly loves you. Dazheng and I went through the most difficult time of my life together. He raised you and ensured you grew up in an environment where you didn't lack a father's love. I owe him all of this, and that's why I depend on him. Now I suddenly feel so tired. I've never wanted someone to be with me, someone to lean on, so much. He's my only option right now!" For the first time, she showed signs of exhaustion. She took my hand. "We always have to part ways eventually. I'll go back and wait for you. When you and Fang Cheng have had your fun, come back. My home is your home!"
"Can we wait a little longer?" I jumped off the bed. I was going to find Fang Cheng. I wasn't sure whether Fang Cheng or Zhou Dazheng was more suitable for my sister. I wanted to hear his opinion. Zhou Dazheng's sincerity towards my sister was obvious to everyone. I wanted to see his sincerity! I had to make sure about my sister's happiness.
Where are you going?
"Find Fang Cheng!" I ran out without looking back. When I got to the school, he was moving. I helped him, and I silently followed him to his place. He seemed to have done a lot these past few days. It was a small, illegally built room, less than ten square meters. There was a bookshelf, his collection from the past four years, a desk, which looked like it was bought from a secondhand market, and the only new thing was probably the metal bunk bed. It looked really shabby.
"How will we solve the problem of food?"
"I've already talked to the landlord; he'll cover my dinner! Is there anything I can do for you?"
"My sister is taking Xiao Ming back to Uncle Zhou's place!"
"I knew it!" he said as he packed up, showing no surprise whatsoever.
"Don't you love her? You don't want her to stay!"
"You should think about why she wants to go back! The most likely reason is Xiao Ming! Do you understand?" He smiled at me, and seeing that I didn't understand, shook his head. "Your father is dead, her only enemy is dead, and her will to live is gone. But Xiao Ming has nowhere to go, so she has to take him in. But she's already too tired. She raised you, saw off two elderly people, and now with fifteen-year-old Xiao Ming on top of that, she really can't take it anymore. Zhou Dazheng loves her and has waited for her for ten years, which, to some extent, earns her trust. Don't you know what kind of person your sister is? The only man in her life is Zhou Dazheng, and at most, I'm one of them. That's only because she thinks I'm your boyfriend, so she's not on guard with me. If Xiao Ming stays to study, you know his grades in Beijing; he won't get into university. If he goes back to study, your sister will have to go back too, and then she can only end up in Zhou Dazheng's arms." He already knew his sister so well.
Aren't you worried at all?
“What’s there to worry about? You’re already here, aren’t you? If you had agreed to her marrying Zhou Dazheng, you wouldn’t be here! You won’t let her go back. She considers you her lifeblood. If you don’t agree, she won’t go back.”
"Fang Cheng!" I was almost furious when he raised his hand.
"Okay, I was wrong! You came to me because you wanted to help me, right? Friends aren't just pretenders." He patted my shoulder gratefully, but I brushed his hand away.
“No, I just came to find out how much you love her so I can decide who to support! Zhou Dazheng raised me like a father, do you understand?” I looked directly into his eyes. “Do you love her? Will you marry her?”
“What Zhou Dazheng can give her, I probably can’t! If it were just based on my own abilities, he would also promise her a lifetime, but I won’t. Zhou Dazheng’s life is almost over, while mine is just beginning, right? All I can say is that I love her now and want to marry her. I don’t know what the future holds, but I can guarantee that while I have her, I won’t think about another woman. If I find that I no longer love her, I will tell her immediately, and we will solve any problems together. If we can’t solve them, I will give up! I promise I will never deceive her.” He grabbed my shoulders, making me look into his eyes to prove his sincerity, but I turned my head away. I didn’t want to be seduced by him anymore.
"Are you all packed?" I looked around.
"What?"
"Let's go home!" I sighed. "The revolution is not yet successful, comrades must continue to strive!" I didn't want to laugh; I only felt bitter.
"It's hard to accept, isn't it!" He winked at me, and I didn't quite understand what he meant. "Thinking that you have to call me brother-in-law, you got carried away!" I grabbed a book and threw it at him, and that became the most classic moment between us.
He went home with me, and my sister saw us going back together and laughed. I knew she had misunderstood again, but I didn't explain. Now, it wasn't me who was trying to persuade him to stay!
During dinner, my sister asked Fang Cheng with a smile, "When are you going to work? Can you still stay in your dorm?" It seems that I only started observing his relationship with my sister from that day on. My sister treats him like family, kind and gentle, unlike me, who can never talk to him properly.
"I've already rented a place. Xiao Ying just went there and it was pretty good! Has Xiao Ming's transfer application been processed?" He looked at Xiao Ming, who looked at me. I didn't say anything and focused on eating.
“We might go back!” the older sister thought for a moment.
"Really?" He nodded, took a mouthful of rice, and chewed slowly.
Chapter 4
I found it strange that he didn't say anything. Why wasn't he talking? Shouldn't he have asked his sister to stay? He was just focused on eating.
"Are you very hungry?" I slammed down my chopsticks.
"I was so busy cleaning up at noon that I forgot to eat!" He shoveled another mouthful of rice into his mouth, but his sister shook her head and put some vegetables on his plate.
"Take your time, no one's going to take it from you!"
"You're leaving soon, every meal we eat here is one less you'll have to go." So that's what he was waiting for! I smiled and shook my head. I picked up my chopsticks, took a piece of fish, and put it in my mouth. My sister is really good at cooking.
"Nonsense, Ying... never mind! It's a real problem, neither of you can cook! But what about Xiao Ming? He's from Beijing..." She was genuinely troubled. I looked at him, using the 'eating' trick? What a waste! Sometimes, the simplest solutions are the most effective.
"Xiao Ming, what was your score on the high school entrance exam?" He looked at Xiao Ming.
"Around 650!" Xiao Ming thought for a moment.
"Not bad! Your second sister is very good at studying, and she's also good at teaching. Just look at me! But you have good genes, so there shouldn't be any problem, right?"
"yes!"
"Is this a good decision? A family should be together, and besides..." He turned to look at his sister, thought for a moment, "I feel like this place is my home too!" He smiled, and everyone froze. It wasn't a declaration of love; he was just stating his needs. But sometimes, the simplest things, expressed in the simplest words, are the most touching. His sister actually decided to stay! How ridiculous! Before he left, he told me not to visit him for a while, as he'd be very busy. Before leaving, he also reminded me to be humble at work tomorrow, as people outside wouldn't be as kind as him, and not to be late.
After he left, my sister looked at me, smiled, and shook her head. "They're back together!"
"Sister, if someone tells you that they can't give you a lifetime of love, but the only thing they can guarantee is that they will never lie to you! I don't understand what kind of promise that is, do you know?!" I looked at them.
"I'll say yes. Forever? People these days make promises of forever so easily, but what in this world is truly eternal? To promise to never lie is already quite serious!" She sighed. "Today, a couple came to the firm wanting a divorce. They were blaming each other like they had a deep-seated grudge. Usually, I'd help the wife take all of the husband's assets, but today I didn't say a word. I quietly waited for them to finish their argument, then told them that when divorcing, they should think about the good things their partner has done for them; maybe these terms aren't so important anymore. I told them to go back and reconsider. When I saw them out, they actually..." She thanked me! A heartfelt gratitude. You know what? Every time after a lawsuit, my husband scolds me, and my wife never thanks me. It feels so good to be thanked! So Fang Cheng was absolutely right. They may never reconcile, but they'll remember that they also went through an unforgettable period, had happy times, and were just temporarily blinded by troubles. Forgiving each other isn't that hard, is it? They came together because of love, and it's normal to leave when the love is gone. Why make things difficult? She let out a sigh of relief, looking genuinely relaxed today, as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
I looked at her. Her father was dead, and she accepted Xiao Ming so easily. But she never mentioned to me what her father had done back then that she couldn't forgive. "What did Dad do back then?" I looked into her eyes. Her expression changed. She thought for a moment and then smiled.
"What's the point of talking about the past? Fang Cheng confessed his love to you?"
"Sister, he loves someone else!" I said quietly. Xiao Ming, who was clearing the table, also looked up. My sister stared at me blankly; she couldn't believe it. The two of them put down all their work and sat down beside me.
"What did you say?"
"He has someone he loves, and that person isn't me!"
"Why?"
"Sister! There's no reason why, he doesn't love me! Those words he just said were his promise to that woman. Don't you understand?!" I smiled. "He loves that woman, and I support him!"
"Can she be better than you?" My sister seemed to never believe that anyone could be better than me. I couldn't help but smile at her. In her heart, I was the best, but in my heart, wasn't she the best too, irreplaceable?
"He didn't make the wrong choice this time, she's really much better than me! You seem to really like Fang Cheng?"
"Over the years, Fang Cheng is the only boy you've ever mentioned to me, and he's also the only boy you've ever been willing to bring home! Sigh!" She sighed and rolled her eyes at me.
"Really?!" I laughed. "But aren't you a little too fond of him? Even if I'm not good enough, you don't need to try so hard to promote me!"
“Fang Cheng is really great! By the way! You slept in Shuicheng, and I was having coffee with Fang Cheng when a father and daughter came over. The girl glanced at me and said I was his girlfriend's older sister. Apparently, the father is a colleague of Fang Cheng's father. He looked very dignified and must be a successful person. As for Fang Cheng's father…” She shook her head and didn't finish her sentence.
What are you trying to say?
“Our sisters’ photos should already be on the Fang family’s desk, so the old man wants to see you! I’m not the only one who misunderstands! Also, you’ve already passed his father’s test. The old man wants to see you, just as he said, so that you can stay and keep Fang Cheng for him. In a sense, he’s using you as a stepping stone because the woman he loves definitely won’t get his father’s approval, so you still have a chance!” She analyzed rationally.
"Sister!" I laughed, but I was even more worried. My sister couldn't get the Fang family's approval, and I was furious. "Why doesn't the Fang family approve of her? But don't worry, Fang Cheng is in Beijing. What can the Fang family do to them!"
My sister looked at me for a long while, then shook her head and stood up. She said she believed that girl was truly good, otherwise I wouldn't have protected her so much. However, she wanted to see that girl, and if she wasn't as good as me, she would kill her. I could only smile in response. My sister went inside to work; she looked beautiful while working. Xiao Ming had already gone back to his room, reading on the bed that used to be Fang Cheng's. I realized that the three of us were very similar; we all liked to read while half-lying on the bed, with a desk next to the bed piled with books, paper, and pens, just for convenience. At first glance, it might seem like we were very untidy! But that kind of orderly life made me feel that it wasn't a life fit for humans; humans shouldn't have order.
I sat down on the edge of his bed. He looked up at me and seemed to be adjusting well. He didn't seem to think that my sister and I were strangers who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
"Did your mother remarry?" I suddenly wanted to know more about him, my brother.
"Yes!" He was as quiet as his sister, and I felt like an oddball in the family.
"Do you have half-siblings?" I couldn't help but frown. I hate troublesome things, and I'm really afraid of some more messy issues.
"No!" He smiled at me, knowing what I was thinking from my expression. I smiled back, feeling a little embarrassed that my thoughts had been exposed. The atmosphere between us became harmonious, and he was less guarded.
"Do you know what happened between my sister and Dad back then?!" I suddenly asked. He seemed a little surprised, but his expression only changed slightly. He wasn't startled by my sudden question. He just stared at me for a while, then lowered his head to continue reading. I knew he wasn't really reading; he just didn't want to answer me.
"I need to know! This concerns my sister's happiness!"
"Why?" He finally raised his head.
"My sister wants to go back and marry that old man Zhou Dazheng because he gave her a sense of security! What happened to Dad back then is a knot in her heart that she can't untie. She will never open her heart to accept others until it is untied."
"Only he himself can untie the knot! Makoto likes Big Sister, right?"
"you……"
"Didn't he just confess his love?" He glanced at me sideways, and I felt like I couldn't sit still anymore, so I jumped up.
"Study hard, or you'll ruin my reputation, I'll skin you alive!" I ran away. Looking back, my behavior at the time seems strange. Was it because I couldn't accept it? Or was it because I could escape for as long as possible? Who knows!