Chapter 19 Siblings
"When you were seven, you secretly took out that blue-and-white porcelain brush washer from your dad's study, which he treasured like a precious gem and was supposedly from the Qing Dynasty, to play with. You accidentally dropped it and it cracked. You were terrified. I hid the shards in the deepest box under my bed and even took out all the pocket money I'd saved up to go to Old Wang, the antique repairman on the street corner, and begged him to fix it..."
Although it was stuck on crookedly, at least it stood up. Later, Dad noticed the brush washer had shifted and asked about it. I stepped forward and, forcing myself to say I'd accidentally knocked it off… As a result, Dad punished me by making me copy the entire *Three Character Classic*, my hand almost broke. You hid behind the door, crying in fear, and secretly slipped me candy.”
"Also, you had a crush in your third year of junior high. You wrote a love letter to that girl in the next class who had a ponytail, and she posted it on the school bulletin board. Although you crossed out your name, your handwriting was recognized by your homeroom teacher. Your dad was called to the school and came back to beat you. I grabbed your dad's leg and cried and made a scene, saying that I had imitated your handwriting in the letter as a prank... As a result, your dad forbade me from watching TV for a month and I had to write a 3,000-word self-criticism..."
Jiang Yining calmly recounted those long-blurred memories, filled with youthful ignorance and deep sibling affection, now as clear as if they were happening yesterday.
Jiang Yunting's fingers, holding the cigarette, began to tremble uncontrollably. Ashes fell in a flurry. Those secrets buried deep in his heart, known only to him and his sister, those he thought had been buried by time with his sister's passing, were now being brought to the surface so clearly by the person involved.
He turned around abruptly, his bloodshot eyes brimming with tears. He opened his arms wide, embracing Jiang Yining tightly, a tight embrace filled with the fear, longing, grievances, and overwhelming joy of regaining what he had suppressed for eight years.
"Sister... Sister... Waaah..." This man, who had long been married and established in his career, was now crying like a child who had been lost for many years and had finally found his way home. Hot tears streamed down his face, soaking the fabric of Jiang Yining's clothes.
He spoke incoherently, his voice broken and choked with sobs: "You...you do you know...all these years...how scared I...I was afraid Mom wouldn't be able to hold on...I was afraid Dad would collapse...I was afraid this family...would fall apart...Waaah...Do you know...it's all your fault...it's all your fault..."
The pain, fear, feigned strength, and burdens he had suppressed for eight years, along with the weight he was forced to bear as the only son in the family, finally found an outlet in this warm embrace.
He cried his heart out, his shoulders shaking violently. In the living room, Jiang's mother and Mu Qing stood by the door, watching the brother and sister on the balcony, who were tightly embracing and sobbing uncontrollably. Their faces were already wet with tears.
Mu Qing held her mother-in-law's hand tightly, silently offering comfort. Jiang's mother's tears, however, carried a smile of relief. Her home, her lost pieces of the puzzle, had finally been pieced back together in the most bizarre way by fate.
The atmosphere at dinner was warm and relieved, as if they had survived a disaster. After dinner, Jiang Yunting took his wife and son back to their home in another building in the same community. Before leaving, he and Mu Qing both nodded solemnly to Jiang Yining, their eyes meeting, everything understood without words.
Jiang Yining began a carefree life at her parents' house, much like being a "pig-raiser." She slept in until she naturally woke up each day, ate her fill, and then strolled around the neighborhood, getting familiar with her new environment. She explored the world with curiosity using various apps her younger brother had taught her to use. Scanning QR codes to pay, ordering takeout, watching short videos… she was like a country bumpkin just arriving in the city, everything was new and exciting. Several times her mishaps made her little nephew giggle, and Jiang Yunting laughed so hard he couldn't stand up straight.
However, this happy period didn't last long. As Jiang's mother watched her daughter's increasingly "degenerate" life of leisure, the maternal love she had regained quickly faded, replaced by a deep worry for her "useless daughter."
"Get up quickly and pack your bags." On a sunny morning, Jiang's mother pulled back Jiang Yining's blanket. "Your second cousin, Jiang Yunming, is getting married in S City next month, and all the relatives are going. You're free anyway, so go ahead and lend a hand. There's a lot to do with wedding preparations, so go and help out. Don't just lie around at home all day; it makes me dizzy."
"Mom, I've only been back for a few days, and you already don't like me and want to kick me out?" Jiang Yining wailed, hugging her blanket.
"Yes, I just can't stand the sight of you." Jiang's mother stood with her hands on her hips, exuding an imposing aura. "I've booked your plane ticket; you're leaving this afternoon. When you get to S City, find your older cousin, Jiang Yunyan; he'll make arrangements for you. Don't rush back after the wedding; look around for work so you don't just rot at home." Her tone left no room for argument.
You can't fight city hall. In the afternoon, Jiang Yining, carrying her new phone (the latest flagship model sponsored by Jiang Yunting, finally ridding her of the nightmare of crashes), and a simple bag, embarked on her journey again, her destination—S City.
The plane landed at S City International Airport. Stepping off the jet bridge, the bustling atmosphere immediately caught Jiang Yining's eye, causing her to widen her gaze instantly.
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