Chapter 77 You Can’t Leave Me, and You Can’t Leave Him

Shi Xiaoai agreed, turned around, went to the cupboard, took out a plate of shrimp cakes, put it on the table, and said to Cheng Lin, "Fill your stomach first, and we'll start eating after you finish talking."

She made the shrimp cakes herself. She chopped up the small white shrimps she had bought earlier and mashed them into a paste. Then she added steamed mashed potatoes and carrots, added seasonings, and stirred until combined. She then spread the paste evenly on the seaweed and baked it on a griddle until it was set.

These shrimp cakes are fragrant and crispy when they are freshly baked, and they make a crunchy sound when you put them in your mouth. Not to mention children, even adults will find them so delicious that they can't stop eating them.

It is not bad to eat even if it is cooled. The moisture in the shrimp paste will gradually seep into the seaweed, allowing the various flavors to blend together. The shrimp meat, vegetable paste and seaweed will also fit better, making the shrimp cakes tough and chewy.

It's already past twelve o'clock, and the two children have been sitting at the door waiting since who knows what time. It's hard to say whether they have had breakfast or not.

Cheng Yang is the older brother and needs to maintain his dignity, but Shi Xiaoai doesn't want to see the child suffer.

After putting down the shrimp cakes, Xiao Ai made another bowl of sugar water and handed it to Cheng Lin, saying to him, "While you eat, tell your brother that Yuncheng is very humid, don't freeze yourself."

Cheng Lin was actually very nervous when his brother called him out alone. Countless thoughts flew through his mind as he walked the few steps from the cabin to the living room, and his body was tense.

But with his sister-in-law interrupting him with eating and drinking, he suddenly relaxed.

Only then did Cheng Lin finally realize that he was now at his brother's house and he was facing his closest relatives, so what was there to be afraid of?

He suddenly became righteous and confident.

Without saying a word, Cheng Lin picked up a piece of shrimp cake and put it in his mouth. After chewing it a few times, his eyes suddenly lit up.

"Delicious!" He nodded vigorously, then swallowed it quickly and picked up the second piece.

In the middle, he didn't forget to gulp down several mouthfuls of sugar water.

Cheng Yang sat aside, speechlessly watching his brother eating and drinking so comfortably that he couldn't help rubbing his temples.

He waited patiently until Cheng Lin had completely eaten and drunk his fill and wiped his mouth clean before he finally spoke again and asked, "Tell me, what happened? How did you find your way here?"

"I lost my grain certificate." Cheng Lin suddenly said.

Cheng Yang raised his eyebrows, obviously he didn't expect his brother to say this.

"Well, then what?" he continued to ask calmly.

Cheng Lin lowered his head, rubbed his nose lightly, and explained, "I didn't mean to do it. I really lost the grain book by accident. I was supposed to go buy grain that day, but Kaikai suddenly had a stomachache and asked me to take him to the hospital. I stuffed the grain book and the supply book into my bag together, but when I got to the hospital, I was in such a hurry that I forgot to take them on the trailer. When I got off, I lost my bag, the grain book, and the supply book."

Cheng Lin raised his head and spoke with a hint of grievance, "We're out of rice and oil at home, and I haven't had time to collect my food coupons yet. Brother, if I hadn't brought Kaikai to join you, we would both starve to death in a few days."

The young boy sniffed as he spoke, stretched out a finger and gently touched the back of Cheng Yang's hand on the table, and just like when he was a child, he acted coquettishly to his brother in a soft voice: "Brother, please don't abandon us. If you don't abandon us, no one will want Kaikai and me."

Cheng Yang reached out and touched the top of his brother's head.

But in fact, he didn't believe everything Cheng Lin said.

Although he hadn't seen him for many years, Cheng Yang had not forgotten that his younger brother had been very cunning since he was a child.

Cheng Lin is ten years younger than him. When he and his mother moved out, the boy was only five years old.

But such a small thing could quietly cross half of the city and find its way to the small house where they lived.

Cheng Yang still remembers that when that kid suddenly appeared in front of them, his mother almost had a seizure on the spot!

Even though the little guy was crying and making a fuss, Cheng Yang still sent him back. It wasn't that he and his mother were hard-hearted, it was simply because his brother was too young and their situation was too bad.

But after that trip, Cheng Lin seemed to have unlocked some new skills, and no matter how strictly his father Cheng Fanying guarded him, he could not be stopped.

Locking the door prompted him to learn to jump out of the window. He had no money to take the bus so he would just walk. If I sent him back, he would run out again...

In order to avoid being sent back, he learned to lie, act pitiful, and evade fares.

The mother was extremely worried, but given the circumstances at the time, she couldn't bear to let her youngest son suffer with her.

Not only her youngest son, she also forced Cheng Yang to go back many times, even threatening to commit suicide.

Cheng Yang was only fifteen years old at that time, and was at his most rebellious. After Cheng Lin sneaked over again and was hit by a bicycle on the road, the anger that he had suppressed for a long time finally broke out!

He took his brother to Cheng Fanying's unit and fell out with him in public, accusing him of being ruthless, ungrateful and selfish. He also said that if anything happened to his brother again, he would definitely make Cheng Fanying pay!

At that time, he only wanted to vent his anger, but did not think about the consequences.

The day after he left, Cheng Lin was sent to the home of a former comrade from Cheng Fanying in the countryside. They said it was a place to reminisce about the good old days, but in reality, they just wanted to send the child away so he wouldn't cause trouble at home.

After Cheng Yang found out, he ran over to Cheng Fanying to make trouble again, but this time he didn't even enter the unit gate.

The messenger spoke coldly, "Minister Cheng said that since you've severed your father-son relationship, whatever decisions he makes have nothing to do with you. He's disciplining his own son, what right do you have to interfere?"

No matter how much Cheng Yang quarreled and made a fuss, he waited at the door of the unit, but he was never able to see Cheng Fanying again.

Only then did he realize that when that person was truly determined, his threats and anger would become insignificant.

Cheng Fanying got married three months after this incident, and after the marriage he finally brought Cheng Lin back.

The few months of absence made the little guy seem like a different person. Since then, except for visiting during the New Year, Cheng Lin has never come to this house privately.

Even when visiting relatives and friends during the New Year, Cheng Fanying would have the car wait outside, and the mother, son and brothers would only be able to exchange a few words.

Later, Cheng Yang went to the countryside.

In the first few years, Cheng Yang had actually been communicating with his younger brother, especially after his mother passed away. At that time, his younger brother was his only relative.

But this period of time did not last long. Within two years, he went to the battlefield.

If you were to say who Cheng Yang feels most guilty towards over the years, it would be his wife Shi Xiaoai and his younger brother Cheng Lin.

Whatever the reason, he did abandon his brother several times in succession.

"Since you are here, why not stay for two more days? Tomorrow I will accompany you to send him a telegram and tell him that I will send you back after a while." Cheng Yang said to his brother.

What he didn't expect was that this sentence was like stirring up a hornet's nest, and Cheng Lin jumped up!

"I'm not going back! I didn't plan to leave since I came here! It's no use complaining! And you can't find him either. He's been squatting in the countryside for several months. Even if he comes back, I won't go back!"

"I don't mean to chase you away." Cheng Yang rubbed his eyebrows.

"But what about Cheng Kai? Doesn't he have to go to school? School should have started by now, right?"

Cheng Lin was silent for a moment, then said firmly: "Kaikai won't go back either. There's no one at home, and he'll starve to death if I'm not at home."

He raised his head and said, "Brother, Kaikai is also your brother. You can't abandon me, and you can't abandon him."

Cheng Yang: "..."

"Where's his mother?" he asked after a while.

"Aunt Yun and Dad have been divorced for several years. She has moved to Ningcheng to live with her eldest son and his family. There are only three of us left at home. Whenever Dad goes on a business trip, it's just the two of us. If I don't take him with me, he will have to wander around."

Cheng Yang rubbed his temples vigorously.

Seeing his brother's stern face and silent silence, Cheng Lin became uneasy again.

But he and his younger brother have depended on each other for these years, and it can be said that Cheng Kai was truly raised by him.

Cheng Lin wanted to be with his brother, but he couldn't let his younger brother go, so he had to bring him along.

But he also knew that there was no affection between his brother and his younger brother, and that it would be too selfish for him to do so. But he couldn't think of any other solution...

Cheng Lin stood up and walked over to Cheng Yang, squatting down. He placed his hand on his brother's knee, looked up at him as he did when he was a child, and whispered, "Brother, don't chase us away. I don't want to go back to that home. I don't know what to do. Please take us in. I can go out and work. I won't eat your and your sister-in-law's food for free. Please don't abandon us."

Shi Xiaoai couldn't stand it anymore in the kitchen.

No matter how this matter would be resolved in the future, on the first day the children arrived, when they had taken the train for so long with full of hope and were eager to come to their brother, she could not let Cheng Yang say no.

What's more, she knew that Cheng Yang would not want to say it.

"The meal is ready. We can talk later if you have anything to say. Cheng Yang, come here and help me serve the dishes. Xiao Lin, go and ask them to come and eat." She said with a smile as she walked to the kitchen door.

Her interruption significantly eased the atmosphere outside.

Cheng Yang and Cheng Lin both breathed a sigh of relief.

Cheng Lin stood up quickly, agreed and walked towards the door, as if this would allow him to avoid facing his brother's rejection.

Cheng Yang walked into the kitchen.

"Stop talking. There will always be a way out when you reach the mountain. Why are you forcing Cheng Lin like this?" Shi Xiaoai said in a low voice.

"It would be fine if Xiaolin came alone, but there is also Cheng Kai." Cheng Yang did not hide anything from his wife and expressed his concerns.

"Don't say that. Now that they're here, there's no point in chasing them away immediately. Let's stay here first and see how things go in a few days." Shi Xiaoai made the final decision.

The children were all hungry. Although they had just eaten some sweet potatoes, it was obviously not enough. Xiao Ai made a big pot of stew and heated up ten large steamed buns, but they were all eaten up. In the end, she had to go out and make a few freshly made egg pancakes to fill the little ones' stomachs.

After dinner, Cheng Yang sent the sleepy children to bed and went to the post office. Regardless of Cheng Lin's advice, he sent a telegram to Cheng Fanying to let him know that the two children were with him.

This was the first time he took the initiative to contact that person after five years.

The next day, Shi Xiaoai originally wanted Cheng Lin and Cheng Kai to have a day off. After all, it takes twelve hours to get from Beijing to Yuncheng by train.

The two children came in a hurry and couldn't even buy seat tickets. It is said that they stood on the road for a full eight hours. Finally, they finally got a seat when someone got off the bus when the bus was almost at the terminal.

But what she didn't expect was that when she just got up at five in the morning, Cheng Lin followed Cheng Yang out of the house.

"Xiao Lin, go back to sleep. We don't need your help here." Shi Xiaoai said quickly.

"Sister-in-law, it's okay. I woke up." Cheng Lin rubbed his eyes hard and said with a smile.

Looking at the child's swollen eyes from crying, Shi Xiaoai felt helpless: "Really, there's no need. A sister will be here soon. The two of us can finish these tasks. Go back to sleep."

But Cheng Lin didn't agree: "Sister-in-law, I can do housework. I can do all these kitchen tasks. Really, I cook all the meals at home. If you don't believe me, I'll show you how to cook."

As he spoke, he strode forward, grabbed the basket of potatoes on the ground and poured them into the sink to wash them.

Seeing him like this, Xiao Ai felt a little embarrassed, and she turned to look at Cheng Yang.

Cheng Yang was obviously worn out by his brother's temper. He rubbed his brow and said, "Let him do what he wants!"

After saying that, he turned around and walked outside.

You can see that he is in a very bad mood.

Shi Xiaoai was completely speechless because of this pair of brothers, but she couldn't chase them away.

The most important thing is that Cheng Lin really does what he says, and he really does it.

He does these things in the kitchen much more efficiently than his brother!

Cheng Yang was willing to help, but he was really not good at kitchen work. After working there for so many days, the most he could do was pick vegetables, wash vegetables, and flip the steamed buns. He was not good at any delicate work.

As for Cheng Lin, he was very good at washing, peeling and cutting vegetables.

Each potato shred he cut was of uniform thickness, and Xiao Ai couldn't match his knife skills.

"It seems like you've done a lot of work in the kitchen?" Shi Xiaoai sighed when she saw him like this.

Cheng Lin skillfully shredded carrots and explained, "My dad and my aunt don't know how to cook, so we ate in the cafeteria every day in the beginning. Later, two factions in the unit got into a fight and smashed the cafeteria, so it's closed since then."

It was too expensive to go out and eat every day. Aunt Yun was pregnant with Kaikai at the time, so she had to go to the hospital all the time and take medicine, which all cost money. Then Aunt Yun tried to cook for herself. But she was too clumsy, and the food she made was terrible, so I started cooking.

"How many years older are you than Kaikai?" Shi Xiaoai asked.

"Ten years old." Cheng Lin smiled and said, "My brother is ten years older than me, and I am ten years older than Kaikai. When I was little, my brother took care of me, and when Kaikai was little, I took care of him."

Shi Xiaoai looked up at Cheng Lin and smiled back at him.

But deep down I feel an indescribable pain in my heart.

Across time and space, she seemed to see a skinny and weak little boy standing in the kitchen clumsily cooking for his family.

She didn't ask what their father was doing at that time?

There is no need at all.

A man who can force an elderly mother who is unwell and an underage child to learn how to cook can be said to have no meaning in a family.

Shi Xiaoai is a person who is very good at adapting to the environment. Besides, Cheng Lin is Cheng Yang's brother after all. If he is too polite, he will definitely be more restrained.

Since Cheng Lin was eager to do the work, Shi Xiaoai did not refuse and immediately handed all the vegetables to be cleaned to him.

Cheng Lin was very happy to see his sister-in-law was not shy, and he became more enthusiastic in his work.