younger sister
When taking Xiao Zhili away, Lu Wanqing suddenly realized that her grandmother didn't seem to completely dislike her.
While her father turned around and left easily, her grandmother stayed for a long time.
When her grandmother kept nagging about this girl who was quiet, obedient and capable of working, when she realized that her grandmother had specifically found a good family to sell her to instead of just selling her to the next village.
Lu Wanqing knew it. It was not that she didn't love her at all, but her feudal thoughts and her harsh mouth didn't know it, so she had to rely on her instinct of love and use harsh words to push her granddaughter out of that remote and miserable place.
So Lu Wanqing took Xiao Zhili's hand tightly and decided again to treat this daughter as her own.
The couple lives in Hangzhou. Both of them are from highly educated families in Hangzhou. They met and fell in love on campus, and later started a business together. They currently run a medium-sized foreign trade company together.
We are not particularly wealthy, but we are a middle-class family. At least we have enough food and clothing.
That day they gave Xiao Zhili's biological father, Lin Yong, 200 yuan, saying it was a voluntary gift. After finishing the charity event and completing the adoption procedures locally, they took Xiao Zhili away.
They brought Xiao Zhili to Hangzhou to register their household registration and change their names.
At this point, Xiao Zhili officially became a member of the family.
The day they came to Hangzhou was Xiao Zhili's first time on a plane. She was frightened by the discomfort of ear pressure and was about to cry. Lu Wanqing rubbed her earlobes gently with both heartache and amusement, even though she knew it was futile.
After getting off the plane, the world outside the car window gradually changed.
The low adobe houses were replaced by concrete and steel, and the fields disappeared completely. The buildings grew taller and taller, their glass curtain walls gleaming in the sunlight, dazzling Xiao Zhili so much that he couldn't take his eyes off them.
The car drives into the underground garage of the community.
Her parents took her in the elevator. The feeling of weightlessness as they went up made her panic and she grabbed her mother's arm tightly.
Mom squatted down and stroked her head to comfort her.
"It's okay, Xiaoli. You have to take the elevator every time you go home. You need to get used to it."
Home.
The word rolled over Xiao Zhili's tongue with a strange sweetness.
Her attention was diverted, and she lowered her head and tugged at her floral dress with her fingers. It was a new one her parents had bought to replace the coarse cloth she had worn for so long. The new fabric felt unreal and soft against her skin.
It wasn't until the elevator door opened and the door to the house was opened that Xiao Zhili came to his senses.
The south-facing living room has floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides. Sunlight pours in from all directions, slowly covering the smooth floor.
Xiao Zhili stood at the door, not daring to step in, for fear that the dust on her body would dirty the bright space - even though she knew her mother had already helped her take a bath.
"Come in."
Dad called her softly, took off his shoes first, and put on slippers to demonstrate to her.
Xiao Zhili followed suit and carefully put on the slippers. The soft inner lining wrapped her up, making her feel like she was walking on clouds.
…
That night, Xiao Zhili tossed and turned in her comfortable and soft bed, unable to sleep.
Too quiet, she thought.
There was no whistling of the mountain wind, no chirping of night insects, only the occasional sound of cars passing in the distance, like some kind of strange tide.
Xiao Zhili looked at the sporadic car lights that flashed through the gaps in the curtains like shooting stars, and fell asleep along with the city.
…
The air was filled with a pungent smell of alcohol and wood smoke, and the footsteps in the darkness were heavy and chaotic.
Xiao Zhili huddled in the corner, watching the tall figure getting closer and closer. The shouting and the sound of things breaking pierced his eardrums sharply.
Then, usually a slap from a swung hand or a whipped stick of firewood, accompanied by the sound of wind, the pain is too vivid to be a dream -
…
"A small gift! A small gift?"
Xiao Zhili gasped and opened her eyes, her body trembling slightly from the lingering pain of the memory. It took her three seconds to confirm that it was her mother's arm that was pressed against her, and that the hand blocking her view was only her father's hand, which was used to help her adjust to the light.
"It was a nightmare, wasn't it?"
Lu Wanqing asked in the softest voice she could muster.
The hand hesitated in the air for a moment, and finally landed very lightly on Xiao Zhili's arched back, the touch as soft as a feather.
Xiao Zhili didn't dare to speak, but felt a little embarrassed.
I didn’t have any dreams before, so why am I having nightmares now that I’m in such a good environment?
"Don't be afraid, Xiaoli. Mom and Dad are here."
Lu Wanqing spoke patiently in a low voice over and over again, patting her back gently with her hands, in a slow and steady rhythm.
"It's safe here, no one can hurt you. Mom and Dad will protect you. No one will bully you, Xiaoli..."
This was the first time that Xiao Zhili felt the embrace of a woman so vividly.
Mother.
She slowly closed her eyes in peace, and before she fell asleep, she kept thinking about this name.
…
Xiao Zhili began to truly understand the concept of "home".
She no longer had to get up before dawn every day to feed the chickens, and she wouldn't be scolded if she accidentally overslept in the morning.
Her mother would gently wake her up, touch her head, and tease her by calling her "little lazy cat."
There is always her favorite breakfast on the breakfast table.
At first she was embarrassed to say what she liked or disliked, but the breakfast items she rarely touched would always disappear from the table the next morning without a sound.
Mom and Dad would leisurely chat about the news and work over breakfast, and then whoever was free that morning would take her to kindergarten.
The tone of Mandarin gradually became mellower in her mouth, without the abrupt turns.
Sometimes she would even subconsciously imitate her mother's particularly gentle tone, making her feel more like a member of the family.
She made many friends in kindergarten, learned many words, and had more clothes in her wardrobe.
She began to get used to the sounds of the city. The white noise of the endless stream of traffic on the elevated highway in the distance late at night was no longer a reason for her insomnia, but instead became part of her peaceful background.
One day, her "new grandparents" came home, and another day, her "new grandparents-in-law" came.
The old people all greeted Xiao with a smile, hugged her and touched her face.
"What a beautiful little girl. Qingqing and Ajie, you guys have found a treasure."
The wrinkles on the old woman's face were filled with kindness, not always tears, hostility, and "brother" - like her "old grandmother", like the countless old men in the mountain village who looked down on girls.
On the day my grandparents came, after lunch, Xiao Zhili was reading a children's illustrated picture book at the dining table while the adults were chatting in the living room.
Xiao Zhili pricked up her ears and faintly heard some adults whispering in low voices:
"Are you sure you want to raise this child?"
"Yes. Mom, don't worry. Xiaoli is very well behaved. It's not difficult to raise her."
After a long silence, I heard my grandmother's helpless voice: "Alas... Look at you, you've been as stubborn as a donkey since you were a child. I asked you to be a teacher, but you refused to listen and insisted on starting a business. Now you've quietly brought back a little kid from the mountains—"
"Oh, Mom—"
"Hey, hey, let me be clear, that's not what I meant! I just wanted to tell you that you have to take responsibility for the decisions you make."
"Mom, we brought Xiaoli back home, so of course we have to be responsible for her."
The old man laughed softly, and it was impossible to tell whether he was happy or sad.
"Then treat her well. Now that she has entered our family, she is one of ours."
The tear marks remained on the picture book, but no adults noticed.
"Home" is no longer a concept that needs to be repeatedly confirmed.
It becomes muscle memory, the rhythm of breathing, and the new branches that grow day after day on the gradually forgotten hometown in the mind.
…
However, the happy life of the family of three did not last long.
One day, Lu Wanqing actually handed Wen Jie a pregnancy test stick with two red lines on it.
Wen Jie was stunned. "Is this...pregnancy?"
"Well, what should I do? Should I give birth to the baby?"
"This... this child I finally conceived..."
"But Xiaoli has only been in our house for a short time. I'm afraid..."
Wen Jie sighed softly, "Let's ask Xiaoli's opinion first."
At the dinner table, Lu Wanqing cautiously spoke to Xiao Zhili, "Xiao Li, do you... want a younger brother or sister?"
Xiao Zhili understood what she meant as soon as she heard it. Her grandmother had often told her that Lin Yong should quickly find a woman to give her a younger brother.
But why is there an option for sister here?
She didn't want to refuse. Looking at the expectant look in her parents' eyes that they were trying their best to hide, she knew that she had no right to refuse.
She smiled and said, "Okay, if possible, Mom and Dad, please give me a sister."
Lu Wanqing and Wen Jie breathed a sigh of relief at the same time, and didn't notice Xiao Zhili who was about to bury his face in the rice bowl.
…
Lu Wanqing began to take care of her pregnancy.
Xiao Zhili thought that her good life would naturally end with the arrival of this child, and she was prepared to face it.
But no.
Lu Wanqing and Wen Jie both assured Xiao Zhili that even if a younger brother or sister was born, mom and dad would still love her.
She was still feeling uneasy at first, but later she felt at ease and couldn't help but look forward to the birth of the baby with her parents.
She knew that her parents were different from Lin Yong, and even if the baby was a girl, her parents would still love the child.
Little Zhili was very curious about his mother's growing belly. He often put his little hands on his mother's belly, trying to feel what was inside.
Every time at this time, Lu Wanqing smiled gently and said to the little one in her belly:
"This is my sister, Sister Xiaoli."
One day, Xiao Zhili put his hand on his mother's belly again.
This time, it's different.
She actually felt the movement and even a shape - it was the little guy's palm.
Xiao Zhili looked up at her mother in surprise and excitement, "Mom, I feel her."
Lu Wanqing touched her head lovingly, "Then say hello to her?"
Xiao Zhili looked at her belly intently again, her hands still on her chest, and murmured:
"Baby, I'm your sister."
She seemed to feel the little guy's response again.
From that moment on, Wen Zhili vaguely realized that no matter what this little girl was like, she would love her just like her parents loved her.
She asked her mother, "What will you name her?"
Mom said she hasn’t thought about it yet.
After all, the couple had already decided on a name for their daughter and finally gave it to this one.
"How about giving her a small gift?"
Xiao Zhili blushed and nodded happily.
From that day on, Xiao Zhili would hold a book in his hand every day after coming back from kindergarten, studying the modern Chinese dictionary, the classical Chinese dictionary and the collection of ancient poems.
Finally, one day, many days later, at the dinner table, Xiao Zhili solemnly announced: "I have chosen a name for my sister or brother, it can be used for either boy or girl."
"What's the name?"
"Wen Yan."
Selected from "The Book of Songs", "When I think of a gentleman, he is as gentle as jade." It means to be gentle and firm, and to be consistent in words and deeds.
After Xiao Zhili finished explaining, Lu Wanqing and Wen Jie looked at each other and saw a positive answer in each other's eyes.
"Okay, then call her Wen Yan."
Xiao Zhili raised a happy smile at the corner of his mouth.
Wen Yan, please come out soon. Your sister is waiting for you.
…
When Xiao Zhili was 5 years old, Wen Yan was born.
She remembered that day, when her mother was still in the delivery room, a doctor came out and told the family members outside that the baby was delivered successfully.
It’s my younger sister.
Xiao Zhili smiled.
After her mother was pushed out, she first went to see if her mother was okay. Seeing that there were many adults taking care of her and she could not help much, she went to see her sister.
She was the first one to rush to her sister's bed. When the adults gathered and then dispersed, Xiao Zhili was still there.
The younger sister was a red, wrinkled, tiny ball, but Xiao Zhili couldn't take his eyes off her.
It turns out that you are the little one whose palms touch mine through your mother's belly.
She reached out her hand to her sister, who couldn't even open her eyes, but used her swollen little hand to pinch the tip of her sister's index finger.
The more Xiao Zhili looked at me, the softer my heart became.
"Yanyan, I'm your elder sister."
"Hmmmm." The little guy hummed softly twice.
As if responding to her.
…
Speaking of which, neither Lu Wanqing nor Wen Jie expected Xiao Zhili to be such a responsible sister.
Before giving birth to Wen Yan, Wen Zhili, who had just returned from kindergarten, was thinking about what name to give her sister.
After giving birth to Wen Yan, Wen Zhili spent all her time studying her younger sister after returning from kindergarten.
"Mom, Yanyan probably wants to drink milk."
"Daddy, it's time to change Yanyan's diaper."
…
Sometimes little Wen Yan wouldn't stop crying for some reason, and no matter how hard Lu Wanqing and Wen Jie tried to comfort her, it wouldn't work.
But when she was in Wen Zhili's arms, she heard her soft voice say a few words: "Yanyan, don't cry, sister is here."
Xiao Wenyan actually stopped crying.
Lu Wanqing often teased her that she took care of the child more attentively than she, the mother, did.
Xiao Zhili just smiled shyly and said nothing.
One day, Xiao Zhili came back from kindergarten. Her father was still at the company and her mother was cooking. As usual, she went to the bedside to entertain her sister.
At that time, little Wenyan could only utter a few simple syllables.
"Yanyan, do you know who I am?"
Little Wenyan opened her watery eyes.
"Ah, hum..."
"I'm your older sister."
Wen Zhili, as usual, patiently told her over and over again.
"I'm your older sister."
"elder sister--"
"Connect...the nodule..."
Xiao Zhili widened his eyes.
"What did you call me, Yanyan?"
"Connecting the festival...making a loan."
Little Wenyan waved her little fists, as if telling her that she really knew she was her older sister.
Xiao Zhili opened his mouth but couldn't say anything for a long time.
Was the first word Wen Yan said in her life "sister"?
Yes. Yes.
"Say it again, Yanyan, huh?"
"Untie..."
I finally heard the correct answer.
She reached out to tease little Wenyan's fist, and the little guy giggled.
Wen Zhili's heart softened.
Somehow, she made up her mind.
"Yanyan, I promise to do my best to be a good sister."
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