The caller was from an unknown number.

Chen Ke answered the phone: "Hello?"

"Brother, it's me." Chen Guo's timid voice came from the phone.

Chen Ke recalled the petite figure from the original owner's memories, his eyes smiling and his voice gentle: "What's wrong, Guoguo? Is something the matter?"

Chen Guo is in her first year of high school, and given the Chen family's financial situation, it's impossible for them to buy her a cell phone.

The original owner hadn't been back for two years, and when she usually called, she would just say a few words to Chen's father, ask for the money, and then hang up. This call was the first between the siblings in two years.

Chen Guo had expected her brother to question her coldly, but she never expected Chen Ke to call her Guo Guo so gently.

A sudden, heavy feeling welled up inside me, and my eyes stung. "Brother..."

The word "brother" made Chen Ke sit up, and Chen Guo seemed upset.

"What's wrong, Guoguo? What happened? You can tell your brother anything, and he'll take care of it."

"It's nothing, brother, I just...missed you..." The two siblings had never had such a tender moment. Although Chen Guo was a little shy, the bond of blood made her muster up the courage to say it.

"Brother misses you too, but Guoguo, you can tell your brother anything."

"Yes, I know. So, brother, are you coming back this summer vacation?" Chen Guo asked cautiously, because even when his father asked his brother this question, his brother would give a short, angry reply.

"I'll be back in about two weeks. I'll come back as soon as the holiday starts! I'll buy Guoguo some pretty dresses and beautiful bags then, okay?"

“I don’t like those things. Brother, don’t buy them. Dad said that the cost of living in big cities is very high. You should use your money to buy what you need. I’m happy that you’re back, and Mom and Dad are happy too.”

Although Chen Guo knew that her brother couldn't possibly buy these things and didn't have the money to, she couldn't help but feel secretly happy because of his intention to buy her these things. For the first time, she felt that it was really good to have a brother.

"Okay, Guoguo must come pick up her brother that day."

"Then it's settled! This is my good friend's phone. If you need to call me, just call this number. But we turn off our phones during class."

"I know, then Guoguo should go and rest."

"Okay, bye-bye, bro."

"Bye-Bye."

As soon as Chen Guo hung up the phone, a head popped out from the upper bunk. "So, Guo Guo? What are your thoughts after talking to your brother?"

“I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to drop out of school to work and earn money so that my brother can finish his college studies.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Ruo quickly climbed down from the top bunk and shouted in a low voice, "Are you crazy! Your brother's future is important, but yours isn't? Besides, is a taxi driver who hasn't called you even once in two years worth this sacrifice?"

"But he is the hope of our family, the only hope of my parents."

Chen Guo's words left Liu Ru speechless. She wanted to say something more, but she knew they were incredibly weak and that no matter how much she said, she couldn't change the situation.

Chen Guo said she was hesitating about whether to drop out of school, but she must have already made up her mind before making the call. It was just that the call made her more willing to do so.

But was her brother really worth such a sacrifice from her whole family?

······

Chen Ke knew that Chen Guo was in a bad mood, but he was far away and didn't know what had happened. He just reminded himself to call his parents tomorrow before going to sleep.

Because Chen Ke never imagined that Chen Guo was already preparing to drop out of school. In the original owner's memory, Chen Guo dropped out in the second half of her second year of high school.

What he didn't know was that it was precisely his gentle attitude towards Chen Guo on the phone that made Chen Guo make a decision so quickly.

When the original owner received the call, his tone was cold and harsh. Chen Guo hung up impatiently after only a few words. Chen Guo was unwilling to sacrifice her future for such a brother, so she kept putting it off until her second year of high school. It wasn't until her father, Chen Dasheng, fell ill from overwork that she had to drop out of school and start working.

The next morning, Chen Ke called his father.

Chen Ke thought it was early, but Chen Dasheng had already dug two ditches in the field. He took out his old-fashioned mobile phone from his pocket and saw that it was his son calling.

Chen Ke rarely called back on his own initiative. If he did call, it was usually to ask for money. So when Chen Dasheng received a call from Chen Ke, he was always half happy and half uneasy.

However, his voice didn't betray that thought at all. "Hey, Ake, what's up calling so early?"

"What? Yes, you're already working in the field. Are you tired? Not at all. It's just digging a ditch in the rice paddy to drain the water. It's not hard work at all."

Before Chen Ke could speak, he heard Chen Dasheng on the phone talking to himself for a long time, and Chen Ke felt a pang of sadness.

Sure enough, Chen Ke immediately heard someone else's voice on the phone: "Is that your Ke? This kid is so filial, calling you so early."

"Hehe, Old Chen, if you ask me, your son Ake is so filial, how come he hasn't come back even once in almost three years? Does he look down on our poor, remote village?"

These words were harsh, and Chen Dasheng quickly covered the phone, saying, "Xu Dafu, what are you yelling about! Are you looking for a scolding so early in the morning?!"

After saying that, Chen Dasheng put the phone to his ear again and said, "Hey, Ake, what's up?"

Chen Ke pretended not to hear anything, "I wanted to ask about Guoguo. Has she said anything to you since she came back recently? She called me last night and seemed to have something on her mind."

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