Upon hearing Chen Ke's voice, Chen Zhi immediately lowered his head and hid behind the stove, forcing a smile. He couldn't let his older brother see him with a miserable expression, or else his brother would think he was useless.
After making sure he looked like he was in a good mood, Chen Zhicai raised his head.
Chen Ke noticed his brow furrowed slightly. "Chen Zhi, what happened to your face?"
Chen Yu turned around in confusion and saw Chen Zhi with a stiff grin, but his eyes were drooping down, looking like he was making a face at someone he was unhappy with.
"Second brother! If you can't laugh, then don't. The way you are... is creepy."
Chen Zhi: ""
Chen Yu immediately turned to Chen Ke and explained, "Big brother, second brother couldn't laugh because he was stank by the sewage all day."
Chen Ke could imagine Chen Zhi rolling his eyes from the stench of the sewage, and he was somewhat surprised that Chen Zhi was still able to help Chen Yu with the fire after returning, which showed that he had a pretty good tolerance for the stench.
"I bought some vegetables, let's pour them into a plate and eat together."
Chen Yu quickly took it, feeling both happy and worried, "Big brother, you bought so much again, what about yourself...?"
Chen Ke interrupted Chen Yu, "Big brother knows what he's doing. We'll eat together once we buy it."
After Chen Ke finished speaking, he took a basin and went out to wash his hands and face. Chen Yu turned back to look at Chen Zhi with surprise. Chen Zhi had a blank face and looked disgusted. "Look at how happy you are. It's just corn buns. When I get my salary, I'll buy you as many as you want."
Chen Yu glared at Chen Zhi, "Didn't you hear what your older brother said? He said we'd eat together once he bought it! What does that mean? It means you can eat with him too, and your older brother isn't angry with you anymore!"
A hint of surprise flashed in Chen Zhi's eyes, then turned to hesitation. "Yes, right? What if I misunderstood? Wouldn't that be embarrassing?"
"Believe me, absolutely."
Hearing Chen Yu's confident words, Chen Zhi was somewhat skeptical.
To be honest, after being in a "cold war" with his older brother for so long, he had long wanted to "make up," but he was too proud to admit it. After all, his older brother used to be the one to coax them, and now that things had suddenly changed, he was having trouble adjusting.
"Don't be so arrogant and wait for your older brother to coax you. Why don't you apologize first?"
Although Chen Yu was not as old as Chen Zhi, he was smarter. When forced by reality, he immediately realized that although Chen Ke was their older brother, it was not his responsibility or obligation to raise and take care of them.
So she continued, "Our eldest brother has done more than enough to raise us. If we continue to be as immature, lazy, and temperamental as before, the kinship that binds us will be worn away little by little. At that time, our eldest brother might really abandon us."
After all this time, haven't you noticed anything? My brother definitely just wanted to change us, so he used these methods. It's not like what you said, that he doesn't want us anymore because he's getting married.
So, Second Brother, what's there to be embarrassed about in bowing your head and apologizing to your eldest brother?
Chen Zhi listened to these words in silence, and Chen Yu, seeing this, had no other choice but to turn around and go pack the dishes.
When Chen Ke returned after washing up, Chen Yu had already set the table with the food.
This was their best meal of the month. Chen Zhi glanced at the lavish dishes on the table and secretly swallowed, his stomach feeling empty after all the hard work. If it were like this tomorrow…
Chen Zhi couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't faint from hunger one day and fall headfirst into a cesspool.
Unaware of the intense internal struggle Chen Zhi was facing, Chen Ke picked up his bowl and said, "Eat."
"Hey." Chen Yu immediately picked up her chopsticks as well.
"Brother, you eat the cabbage, we'll eat the pickled vegetables. You used to eat so much, now it's our turn."
In the past, whatever fresh dishes the original owner cooked were given to the two children, while she herself would just eat some pickled vegetables with rice.
It hasn't been long, and Chen Yu is already willingly giving up the best food. So, we can't spoil children all the time.
When he takes your kindness for granted, then you can forget about him ever thinking about you.
Chen Ke was quite satisfied with Chen Yu's performance. He glanced at Chen Zhi, thinking that the harsh reality would soon make him understand.
Chen Zhi was already struggling with how to start the conversation, but Chen Ke's gaze made him snap out of it, and he blurted out before he could even think: "Brother, I'm sorry, I was wrong."
After he finished speaking, Chen Zhicai's eyes widened suddenly, and his heart pounded wildly.
Chen Ke responded with an unexpected "Oh?" and slowly asked, "Where did you go wrong?"
After Chen Zhi's heart gradually calmed down, he felt an unprecedented sense of relief. He didn't expect that saying "I'm sorry" would make him feel so at ease, and the rest of the words came out naturally.
“I shouldn’t have threatened to stop studying out of spite, nor should I have misunderstood your good intentions. Thinking back on what I did before, I feel like I’ve been a complete ingrate.”
Chen Ke raised an eyebrow. "Your understanding is very clear."
Chen Zhi: ······
"Hehe, big brother, I was wrong. I will never do anything stupid again."
Say it again.
Chen Zhi scratched his head, completely confused. "Huh? Say it again?"
"I'm sorry, but I'll say it again. Stand up and speak seriously. Chen Yu, you too."
Chen Zhi and Chen Yu didn't know what their older brother meant, but they both immediately stood up obediently.
The two men exchanged a glance, then bowed deeply to Chen Ke and said with utmost sincerity, "Brother, we're sorry, we know we were wrong."
Chen Ke closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again to look at the two people with their heads down.
"Alright, sit down."
After the two were seated, Chen Ke put down his chopsticks and said in a somewhat serious tone, "From today onwards, I have recognized you as my younger brother and sister. I hope that we can unite as one, help each other, and strive to enable everyone to live the life they dream of."
“Okay! I’ll listen to you, big brother!” Chen Yu was the first to excitedly express his support.
Chen Zhi lagged behind, looking bewildered. After a moment, he exclaimed, "Me too!"
"Then let's start planning our lives over dinner. Chen Yu, you're the first one here, what are your plans for the future?"
Chen Yu exclaimed excitedly, "I want to study hard and get into university!"
Chen Ke nodded. "Good, keep up the good work." Then he looked at Chen Zhi. "What about you? Do you want to go back to school, or do you have other plans?"
Chen Zhi chuckled bitterly, "Brother, I really don't have your and my sister's brains for studying. Even if I went back to study, I wouldn't learn anything. I... I'll just continue dumping sewage."
Chen Yu couldn't stand it anymore. She looked at Chen Zhi with disappointment and said, "Second brother, are you going to spend the rest of your life shoveling manure?"
"I don't want to, I don't want to do it for even a day, but... but now I have no other choice but to dump sewage, those factories don't want me."
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