Chen Jixing walked up to him with a laugh, picked up the little tiger, lifted him up high, swung him around, and then kissed the little guy's chubby face hard.
"Fourth uncle! Your beard pricked me!" Little Tiger laughed and dodged.
Everyone laughed.
Gu Qi nodded slightly to everyone, and then said to Chen Jixing: "Fourth brother, I hope you have a smooth journey. I hope you will return soon."
Chen Jixing happily stuffed the little tiger back to him and said, "Take it! Thank you!"
At this time, Chen Xingling came forward carrying a large, bulging backpack.
"Fourth brother, you gave me a generous gift, so I have to give you one in return."
Then she took off the large backpack and handed it to him.
Chen Jixing originally thought it was something heavy, but when he took it, it felt light and fluttery. He couldn't help but ask, "What on earth is this?"
"Life raft." Chen Xingling lowered his voice: "Don't open it normally. Once opened, you may not be able to put it back. If you encounter special circumstances, quickly unzip it and throw it into the water, and the life raft will automatically open."
Chen Jixing was slightly surprised and asked, "Where did it come from? Can it really be used? There are everything on the ship, so it shouldn't be needed."
"This is very easy to carry." Chen Xingling smiled bitterly: "Just take it with you. There is a distress signal and a life jacket inside. I hope you never need it."
Chen Jixing nodded and said gently, "Okay, I'll take it."
Then he rubbed his sister's head, waved to everyone, and quickly got on the boat.
When he was about to reach the deck, he looked down and smiled brightly.
"Everyone wait! Next time I will bring back a beautiful wife to marry!"
Everyone was feeling sad, but when he called out to them, they all burst into laughter in surprise.
"Old Four! Is this true or false?!"
"You better keep your word, kid!"
"Finally you said something right! Bring it back quickly!"
Chen Jixing laughed and turned away.
Liu Peiyun's eyes turned red from crying again, and she wiped her tears quietly.
Chen Xingling's eyes turned red unconsciously as he watched his fourth brother's back gradually disappear into the distance.
In the original book, the fourth brother is considered a minor supporting character and appears very few times, but he is a brother who loves his younger sister very much, and he is also a son who loves his parents and brothers.
The book records that the fourth brother worked on a ship all year round and only retired and returned to his hometown when he was in his teens. He never married, had children, or found a companion to live with until his death. He lived out his life alone.
Fortunately, his nephews and nieces were very filial and went back to take care of him from time to time, so his later years were not too miserable.
It turned out that when he was young, he had fallen in love with a foreign woman. Later, the woman finally applied for an entry visa and planned to return to her country with him to marry her. However, on the way back, they encountered a big storm, and the ship deviated from its track and hit a big reef.
The fourth brother was devoted to his duty, could not leave his post, and actively participated in the rescue.
Later, when the ship tilted, the woman and several crew members accidentally fell into the sea and disappeared. The fourth brother and the rescue boat searched for the woman in the nearby waters for several days but could not find her. In the end, he could only return home alone in despair.
From then on, no matter who introduced a partner to Fourth Brother, no matter how excellent or beautiful the other party's conditions were, Fourth Brother would refuse them all.
When the foreign woman died, his heart died with her. He would spend the rest of his life with the sea, accompanying her soul.
Others asked the woman for specific information, but she refused to answer and just shook her head in silence.
Seeing how heartbroken he was, his family members dared not bring up the subject again, nor did they help him arrange a marriage.
The old father and mother had many sons, grandchildren and granddaughters, and they loved their son deeply. They did not force him, but supported him with tolerance and understanding.
Chen Xingling felt sorry for his fourth brother who was lonely in his old age, but he didn't know how to help him.
A few days ago, I was choosing a gift for my fourth brother in the hyperspace, but I kept thinking about it and found nothing suitable. It wasn't until I saw two life rafts and several life jackets in the field rescue supplies area that I finally made up my mind.
There are life jackets, survival signals, etc. in the life raft, hoping to help Fourth Brother or his lover at the critical moment.
As far as she knew, it would be either this year or next year. According to what Fourth Brother said just now, it was most likely this time.
Hope this helps.
…
The busy and fulfilling days passed quickly and it was July in a blink of an eye.
Seeing that the college entrance examination is just around the corner, the learning tasks in school are very heavy. Teachers are doing their best to prepare test questions for students, just so that students can get satisfactory results in the college entrance examination next week.
In the third month of the lunar calendar, the south has entered the hottest summer season, with the scorching sun hanging high in the sky and heat waves rolling everywhere.
The weather was too hot, and the students who were immersed in studying hard every day had no appetite for food, and Chen Xingling was no exception.
Since the beginning of summer, she and Jia Shuanghua would take their aluminum lunch boxes and eat under the big banyan tree in front of the school's teacher dormitory building, seeking a little coolness that was hard to come by in the summer.
Usually they arrive first, while Ma Dali and his younger sister come a little later.
As usual, Chen Xingling would share some food with the two siblings.
"It's too hot today, so I prepared some mixed cucumbers and some sweet potatoes this morning. There are a lot of sweet potatoes, so each of you can help eat two."
"Thank you, Sister Ling!" Ma Sanyue thanked happily: "I love eating sweet potatoes the most!"
Ma Dali glanced at his sister lovingly and whispered, "You like everything Chen Xue brings the most. There is nothing you don't like the most."
Several girls laughed.
Jia Shuanghua had become familiar with the brothers and sisters, and asked with concern, "Why didn't Sifang come?"
"Middle school students are on vacation now." Ma Dali explained: "She stayed at home to work, and had to go to the fields to help in the morning and evening."
Originally the backyard of their house was a wasteland. Going hungry was too uncomfortable, so they were forced to learn how to grow crops and vegetables, and they reclaimed the wasteland one after another.
Ever since Chen Xingling gave him some vegetable and melon seeds, plus some rice or meat every now and then, their family finally got through the most difficult time.
Now we can exchange some vegetables and melons with neighbors for food. Basically, we don’t have to go hungry and most of the time we can have enough for three meals a day.
At first, when Chen Xingling gave him food, he never dared to accept it, and even secretly wondered if she was interested in him.
But she was so frank and open, and frightened him into quickly giving up his inappropriate thoughts.
Later, when he heard classmates talking about her taking leave to get married, he secretly felt sad for a few days. However, he was a man who had no time for romance, so he soon devoted himself to studying and working to make money.
Unexpectedly, Chen Xingling said that she had been married for several years and this time she asked for leave to go back to her hometown to hold her brother-in-law's wedding. While he was secretly laughing and crying, he was also glad that he didn't fall too deeply into it.
Since they couldn't be a pair, he quickly adjusted his attitude and became a schoolmate of Chen Xingling.
Chen Xingling said that her husband worked in a shipyard and had a high salary, so there were no problems in his daily life.
There is usually some surplus food at home. Living in an apartment, I can't raise chickens or pigs myself, and it would be a pity to throw away the leftover food, so I asked the brothers and sisters to help with the food as much as possible.
Ma Dali knew that she was sincere and made up such a white lie to protect their self-esteem. He secretly vowed that he would repay her in the future, even if it meant going through fire and water.
With Chen Xingling's secret help, their family finally got their wish and welcomed the dawn.
"Brother, I'm full." Ma Sanyue handed him the last sweet potato and muttered, "I'll go to the canteen to get some hot water first."
"Eat first!" Ma Dali pulled his sister back and whispered, "I have enough food here, eat first."
Ma Sanyue shook her head: "I am really full. Brother, you have to go to the dock to carry goods after school this afternoon, you have to eat more."
After saying this, she ran away.
Chen Xingling listened to their whispers and asked casually, "Da Li, which university are you going to apply to?"
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