Chapter 1
Cheng Xiangbei felt that his whole life had been ruined by Lu Nan's one foot.
The story goes back to the day the two first met. It was a sunny afternoon in the small bedroom on the second floor of the Cheng family home. Cheng Xiangbei was seven months old and Lu Nan was six months old.
The reason for the meeting was that Lu Nan's mother, who works in the city, had returned to work after her maternity leave, leaving little Lu Nan in the care of her grandparents in the countryside. Unfortunately, little Lu Nan's weaning wasn't very successful, and without breast milk, she cried incessantly. The Cheng and Lu families had been neighbors for many years, and when Grandma Cheng heard that her old friend was in trouble because of this, she warmly took Grandma Lu to her house, asking her daughter-in-law to breastfeed little Lu Nan as well.
Cheng's mother took an instant liking to Lu Nan. The child had just cried, her eyes brimming with tears, looking pitiful. Cheng's mother quickly put down little Xiang Bei and took little Lu Nan into her arms. The breast milk was rich and sweet, and Lu Nan held on tightly, refusing to let go. Cheng Xiang Bei, lying on his back on the bed, saw his exclusive territory being encroached upon and instinctively got up to chase away the invader.
"Ah! Ah!..." (Get out of the way!)
Lu Nan ignored him, of course he didn't understand either. He just buried himself in Cheng's mother's arms and ate with all his might. Cheng Xiangbei got impatient and tried to push Lu Nan's foot away with his little hand. Lu Nan, who was happily eating, couldn't stand such a disturbance, so he kicked down hard—thump! Cheng Xiangbei lay there. To be fair, Cheng Xiangbei was really tough; he didn't even cry after being kicked.
He stood there, stunned, lost in thought. Grandma Cheng, seeing her beloved grandson kicked, rushed over to check on him, but before she could even touch the child's clothes, Cheng Xiangbei scrambled to his feet and continued his attack on the invader. Just as his little hand touched Lu Nan's foot, Lu Nan's flying leg came crashing down—thud! Right between the eyebrows.
This time, Cheng Xiangbei couldn't hold back and burst into tears. Grandma Cheng tried to comfort him, both amused and exasperated.
Looking at Lu Nan again, she had already eaten and drunk her fill and was fast asleep.
Through Lu Nan's kick, the two became acquainted.
The Cheng and Lu families lived in the southwest corner of the village. There weren't many children in the area, and Cheng Xiangbei and Lu Nan became sworn brothers. The term "sworn brothers" simply meant a friendship built together on sandcastles. What did two or three-year-old children know? Cheng Xiangbei was born with a chubby face and a fierce appearance, and his temper became increasingly explosive as he grew older. Apart from his father, no one could control him.
Cheng's father stroked his son's head and laughed, "Our family has a little tiger."
This is how Cheng Xiangbei got his nickname "Little Tiger". When Cheng Xiangbei was five years old, he already knew how to protest that the nickname "Little Tiger" was too childish, so everyone in the family changed to calling him "Tiger". Only Lu Nan kept calling him "Tiger Tiger" all day long. Cheng Xiangbei protested many times to no avail, so he had to accept it.
Five-year-old Cheng Xiangbei and Lu Nan are getting ready to start preschool.
Cheng's father prepared beautiful new schoolbags for them, and Grandma Lu made new clothes for the children. Grandpa Lu, a retired elementary school principal, led one child by the hand as they arrived at school to register. The two children, acting like spoiled brats, received a warm welcome as soon as they entered the door.
Preschool is similar to kindergarten in the city; it doesn't care about teaching children any knowledge, it's just about playing.
There are twenty children in the class, and Lu Nan is the most popular. Five-year-old Lu Nan has rosy lips, white teeth, and bright, sparkling eyes; he's the prettiest child in the class. However, he's also quite carefree and often absent-minded. He's the one who forgets his schoolbag, the one who trips and falls flat on his face while walking, and the one who unwittingly follows a girl into the girls' restroom. This little darling is both endearing and exasperating; all the children in the class dote on him.
Especially the boys, seeing Lu Nan's face, which was even prettier than a girl's, made their hearts tremble, and they blushed even when talking to her. Cheng Xiangbei saw all this and was furious. These little brats actually dared to bypass him and try to get close to Nan Nan. And those girls, one was giving Nan Nan candy, another was wiping her sweat. Ugh! Did they think he, Cheng Xiangbei, didn't exist?!
To signify ownership, Cheng Xiangbei and Lu Nan went to and from school hand in hand every day. He insisted on sitting next to Lu Nan when assigned seats, and even went to the toilet together. Lu Nan had long been accustomed to Cheng Xiangbei's company; if Cheng Xiangbei didn't hold his hand on the way to and from school, he might get lost and take a wrong turn, circling the entire village before finally getting home.
The two of them went to school happily and came home joyfully every day. Their feelings for each other grew stronger day by day.
This angered the other students in the class. Why should Lu Nan be monopolized by you?! But seeing Lu Nan's happy face, she didn't seem unwilling at all. Finally, on the eve of preschool graduation, a daring student, taking advantage of Cheng Xiangbei's inattention, pounced on Lu Nan and gave her a big kiss on the cheek!
"Aww—!" Cheng Xiangbei, who was lining up at the front, instantly turned red-eyed, rushed over, tackled the pervert, and started beating him! "Damn it! Who told you to kiss Nannan! I'll beat you to death!!!" His fists clattered as they hit the man. The teacher who arrived rushed over to separate the two, but it was too late. The lecher was beaten black and blue.
"Cheng Xiangbei! Why did you hit your classmate?!" The teacher was very angry.
Cheng Xiangbei stiffened his neck and angrily said, "He kissed Lu Nan!"
"Uh..." the teacher sighed, "Friendship among classmates..."
Before he could finish speaking, Cheng Xiangbei declared sternly, "No one is allowed to kiss her. Lu Nan is mine!"
After saying that, he cupped Lu Nan's face in his hands and kissed the spot where the lecherous man had kissed her three times. Then, he looked at everyone defiantly. The teacher sighed, rubbing his forehead, and the students were all dumbfounded.
Lu Nan was the only one who looked completely lost, just grinning foolishly.
Cheng Xiangbei was seven years old, the age to start primary school.
Cheng's father wanted him to go to school in the city, where his older brother Cheng Xiangdong could take care of him.
Cheng Xiangbei didn't say anything and went to ask Lu Nan where he went to school. Lu Nan said his parents were busy with work and he still had to attend primary school in the village. After hearing this, Cheng Xiangbei went home and told his father that he wouldn't go to the city; he would go wherever Lu Nan was.
Cheng's father didn't insist, but privately he said to Cheng's mother: Why do I feel like our son is being raised by the Lu family?
Cheng's mother rolled her eyes at her husband and said, "Do you think he can marry into that family? Pshaw!"
Cheng's father touched his nose and went out.
The two children's primary school life is still wonderful.
Lu Nan remained as popular as ever, while Cheng Xiangbei remained as protective of his food as ever.
Over the course of six years of elementary school, Cheng Xiangbei got into countless fights, almost half of which were because of Lu Nan, and the other half were due to others' provocations. Cheng Xiangbei was very active, so to burn off his energy, his father specially hired a kung fu instructor to teach him martial arts. As the Cheng family's business grew, having some kung fu skills for self-defense was also a good thing.
Lu Nan wasn't fond of physical activity. While Cheng Xiangbei practiced martial arts vigorously in the yard, he would follow his grandfather in the study, writing large characters. Grandpa Lu was a member of the county's calligraphy association, and his calligraphy was highly regarded in the village.
The two of them usually go to school, and practice martial arts and calligraphy in their spare time.
On holidays, Cheng's father would send someone to pick them up and go on a trip together.
The two children have traveled to almost every part of China. Although they are young and may not remember everything, they have at least broadened their horizons and increased their knowledge. Moreover, every time they go out, Cheng Xiangbei carefully packs their luggage, making sure Lu Nan has everything she needs. In every big city they visit, he also searches for delicious chocolates to replenish Lu Nan's snack supplies. Over the years, Cheng Xiangbei's babysitting skills have become increasingly refined. Lu Nan has also become more and more accustomed to his care, to the point that she can hardly move an inch without Cheng Xiangbei.
"Tiger, how can I live without you!" Lu Nan, who was still being led to school by the hand in sixth grade, exclaimed dramatically.
Cheng Xiangbei patted his head with a smile, feeling very pleased with himself.
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