CH 88

The town was very quiet, especially during a winter night, it was completely silent and most people were asleep, and the streets were also quiet with only occasionally a dog barking a few times.

Li Xin's room was illuminated, and in order to save electricity we turned off the lights in the hallway. The room was a little warm, and I put the basin of water next to the bed, which was still pretty hot.

I sat next to her, and Li Xin dipped her tiny feet into the water to test the temperature, careful to touch, and quickly retracted her feet, like a frightened rabbit.

I looked at her and was about to laugh, but she hit me angrily: “Hmph, why don’t you try the water out yourself if it’s that funny, just know I’ll laugh at you.”

I’ll try it, I’ll try it… I stuck a bit of my foot and it was very hot ah, it was so hot that I couldn’t control it and scrunched up my face. Also, since it was during the winter and my feet were cold, it burned even more.

I tried to pull back my feet but Li Xin put her feet on top of mine, and had an evil smile on her face: “Don’t pull away, help me get used to it.”

A smart one, huh? I rolled my eyes, but after a bit it wasn’t that hot and I got used to the heat.

Li Xin moved her feet and used my feet as a raft of some sorts and she was trying to dip a part of her feet into the water, but she was afraid of it being too hot. I said it’s not that hot, just put it in, she didn’t believe me and told me to slowly lower my feet deeper into the water.

I couldn’t help but laugh a bit as I quickly lowered my feet. Her foot went into the water and she shrieked while lifting up her foot, and she hit me angrily again: “You jerk!”

I couldn’t hold back my laughter and said good girl, it’s not hot anymore, I wouldn’t let the water scald you like that. She pouted and carefully dipped her foot back into the water.

I watched her hesitate to put it in five or six times, and then finally she submerged her foot into the water, and she moved her foot around a lot as if trying to block me from putting my other foot in.

I stepped on her feet, she also stepped on me, and that led to us playing around so much that a lot of water kept falling out.

But we were happy, sitting next to each other, and finally the water was completely cold, I hurriedly stood up: "Quickly dry your feet, or your feet will get cold."

Li Xin lifted her feet, splashing a bit of water: "Humph, help me wipe my feet, or it's going to get cold."

I said you dare to ask this of me, girl? She had a proud face: “You’re the one who’s my brother.”

It seems that this playfulness has made her happy, and she is not so "cold". I said fine alright, your brother will go get a towel.

I went to get a towel, she was swaying her feet while sitting on the bed, getting some water on the floor.

I was afraid that she'd get cold, and rushed to dry her, but she actually got flustered while I was drying her, and after I barely even began, she grabbed the towel herself: "Hmph, this is an adequate job, you can go now."

Adequate..? What do you even mean by that? But she already shrunk back into her blankets, and seemed particularly comfortable.

I took the basin of water and said good night to her, she smiled sweetly at me, like a cloud during the summer.

Everything was done, and I went to bed. I slept exceptionally well tonight and had beautiful dreams, I can't remember exactly what they were, but I woke up feeling ecstatic.

And as soon as I woke up I smelled bread, Li Xin must have bought breakfast already

I still didn’t want to get up, and after a moment Li Xin opened up the door a little, she seemed to be afraid of waking me up so she moved very gently, and when she came closer I opened my eyes and shouted: “WAHW!” 

She shrieked in fear, I laughed, her face was red with shame, she puffed up and hit me: "You jerk!"

Her little palm hit me with no force, and I burrowed myself back under the covers, saying I still had to sleep a bit. She pulled at the covers and wrinkled her nose in anger: "Get up and do your homework."

Damn who does homework this early… don’t people usually do it right before school starts… I said no to homework, and she, who couldn’t do anything, said nothing and then it was silent.

I was so cold that I shivered and said you are too mean, how could you do this? She laughed, and stuck her hand inside again: "Are you gonna get up?"

I did not get up, but I grabbed her hand and put it on my chest: "I'll get up when your hand is warm."

She didn't move either. I pushed the blanket away to look at her, she turned her head and hummed: "It's warm..."

No, no, just for a bit longer. I held her there for a bit, but eventually released and got up, and went to go eat breakfast.

We were still messing around while eating breakfast, and when she kicked me with her feet I said your feet are also cold, do you want me to warm it up too?

She didn't want to, and told me to hurry up and eat. I said you need to feed me, she kicked me again: "Go away and die."

I thought we could banter like this forever together, but these times would abruptly come to an end in a few moments.

Because our parents came back. At that time suddenly someone was opening the door, and Li Xin was startled, and we both stopped laughing.

There was no doubt that it is our parents who came back, but I went over to check, the door opened, my mother was the first at the door, she was extremely tired, her hair was very messy, it looks like that they were in a car all night yesterday, and behind her was my father, but he was on crutches, one of his legs was bandaged up.

I was stunned, and they froze when they saw me, then my mother became joyful: "On vacation?"

I said yes, and my mother came to see me and said I seemed to have grown taller. I was a little happy, but more depressed that my parents were back.

My father wasn't happy at all, he looked at me and then at Li Xin, Li Xin walked over with her head down and spoke timidly: "Mom and Dad, you've worked hard......"

My mother forced a smile, Dad directly hummed: "You must've been comfortable."

Li Xin did not dare to speak, pinching the corner of her coat and standing. I spoke softly, "Xinxin, you should go back to your room."

She hesitantly went back to her room, and her parents did not stop her. I was relieved, then asked my father what was going on, he seemed to be seriously injured.

Mother wiped her tears away: "Last month he fell off the second floor at the construction site, broke one of his legs and lay in the hospital for more than half a month before he could even walk like that."

I was distressed, he is, after all my father, blood is thicker than water, and I cannot stop these feelings. But I did not know what to say, my mother wiped her tears and sighed tiredly: “We spent most of our money, and I was often late in order to take care of him, and the boss fired me."

I couldn't help but clench my fists as my father lay on the couch with his eyes closed, he didn't even want to move.

I wanted to comfort him, but I didn't really know what to say. My mother comforted me instead: "I'll look for a job after the New Year, it's okay, your father will be fine by then."

I felt that God was very unfair, why did he have to do this to my family?

I was getting more and more sad, I didn't know what to do at all, and I didn't know what to say.

My father spoke coldly: “Your sister needs to go to the city to work, I’ve talked to friends, she will earn money to support the family, and next year if I don’t recover then she needs to go to Shenzhen to work, she has no time to go to school.” (TN: Shenzhen is one of the best cities to find work in, as it’s pretty easy to get a job there)

He said this again... I stopped wasting time on being angry, and now there was only dead silence. I went back to my room to get the money I got from my manuscripts and put it in front of him: "Use this first, don't force my sister to work."

My parents were shocked, and my mother asked me where I had earned the money. I told the truth about how I was paid for writing articles, my mother cried, and didn't talk for a while.

My father was also silent for a long time, and then said: "You still have to pay tuition fees in the coming year, so keep the money, let your younger sister go to work, my friend will give you a little more money."

I calmly said: “I still get paid next month, I do not ask for anything, I only ask you to let my sister do what she actually wants, I will pay for her future expenses.”

My father started to get angry, and my mother quickly said: "Okay, since you’re saying all this, you must work hard.”

My father's anger was subdued again, and I took a deep breath: "In the future, you won’t have to pay for either of our fees, just don’t make my sister work.” 

My mother still said yes, and my father still had a cold face. I didn't want to say anything else, and I didn't want to do this to my parents.

I then went back to my room and saw Li Xin standing nervously at the door, eyes red, looking at me.

I went straight over and hugged her, "It's okay." She was about to cry out and was afraid of being scolded by her parents, so I said you can go back to your room, but she said she wanted to go out together.

She was afraid to go out by herself, and was still afraid of being scolded. I took her hand and went out. Both of our parents looked at us but didn't say anything.

Once I brought her to her room she looked more at ease, but was still very sad: "It’s happening again isn’t it, what should I do?”

I said don't worry, I won't let them force you to do anything, you'll finish college, I can make money now.

She did not say anything and hugged me tightly: "Brother, I'm so scared ......"

Translator Notes: :( thats all i have to say for this ending, it was looking really peaceful in the beginning and I liked how MC acted like a spoiled child a little during that bed scene… but alas this book’s sole purpose is to bring peril to our beloved characters, but they’ll make it out this hole for sure! Anyways sorry for missing last week… had something to do! But that appears to be it for today, until next timeee, byee byeeeee