Challenges and Growth
That day, Rao Haiyi accompanied Xiaofeng to buy a motorcycle—a Moto Guzzi. Its unique design, honed over a century of history, and its exquisite craftsmanship, radiating a gentle glow, boasted a transverse V-twin engine, a flexible body structure, and adaptive aerodynamics. Xiaofeng gazed at it with tears in her eyes.
As Rao Haiyi test drove the car, the engine emitted a steady roar, and the body of the car traced a smooth arc in the sunlight. Xiaofeng exclaimed, "Dad, you're such a great driver!" The two little ones in the stroller also waved their fists wildly, as if to cheer on their grandfather.
"My hands are not used to it now." Rao Haiyi stopped the car and scratched her head embarrassedly.
Xiao Feng quickly pulled out his phone and pulled out a bunch of racing photos: "Look, I now have two championship trophies and a runner-up trophy - it turns out this is genetic talent."
Rao Haiyi flipped through the photos, her fingertips stopped on a family portrait, and she asked softly, "Is this the children's father?"
Xiaofeng glanced at the photo, turned his head away and nodded slightly.
Rao Haiyi looked at the photo, then at her daughter beside her, and smiled: "Not only do these two brothers look alike, they also have the same good taste."
On December 7, 2015, the sun was as warm as melted honey. Xiaofeng placed her two children on a mat in the yard to bask in the sun while she squatted beside them, carefully wiping down her motorcycle. When she finished, she stood up to find Oscar's tiny figure alone on the mat. Her heart suddenly clenched, nearly leaping out of her throat. Terrified, she dropped the rag and frantically searched around, stumbling toward the gate. Just then, she stumbled headfirst into a strong embrace.
Xiaofeng looked up suddenly and saw that the man was holding Lucas in his arms. She immediately grabbed the child and held him against her chest, her voice trembling: "Why did you crawl out by yourself? You scared me to death..."
It was not until Lucas in his arms reached out and tugged at her clothes that she came to her senses and looked at the man standing in front of her with his back to the light - it was Brother Zhou Yang.
The moment their eyes met, Zhou Yang pulled her into his arms without hesitation, his voice filled with relief at having survived a disaster: "I'm late."
This gentle comfort instantly broke Xiaofeng's tense nerves, and tears welled up in her eyes. She wiped her face and introduced him in a sobbing voice, "Brother Zhou Yang, this is my brother Lucas." She walked into the yard, placed Lucas on the mat, and clapped her hands.
Oscar's attention was caught, and he excitedly crawled toward his brother. Xiaofeng picked him up, smiling and introducing him, "This is my little brother, Oscar." Zhou Yang reached out to hold the child. As soon as she took Oscar, the little one turned to look at Xiaofeng, then looked up at Zhou Yang, and suddenly burst into tears. As if by telepathy, Lucas, who was sitting on the ground, also burst into tears. For a moment, the four people in the yard were almost crying together. Xiaofeng frantically tried to comfort one, while Zhou Yang fumbled to pat the other. The scene was both chaotic and hilarious.
Rao Haiyi walked to the backyard and couldn't help laughing when she saw this scene: "Is it Zhou Yang?"
Zhou Yang stood up from the mat and brushed off the grass debris on his clothes: "Hello, uncle."
"Just like when he was a child, a handsome man." Rao Haiyi nodded with a smile.
Without waiting for them to exchange pleasantries, Xiaofeng walked into the house with Oscar in her arms, turning back and shouting, "Help bring Lucas in."
As soon as the two little ones held the bottle, they immediately made a satisfied "cooing" sound, and the world finally became quiet.
"They look exactly the same, how can we tell the brother and the younger brother apart?"
"Just look at the hair."
Zhou Yang took a closer look and then laughed: "Is this... specially made?"
"I shaved it," Xiao Feng shrugged, reaching out to wipe the milk stains from the corners of Lucas' mouth. "My elder brother shaved a small spot on the left side, and my younger brother shaved a small spot on the right side."
Zhou Yang laughed heartily and poked Xiao Feng on the forehead: "Did you do this on purpose, or was it an accident?"
"As long as we can tell the difference, it's not important."
"What a sloppy mother." Rao Haiyi shook her head helplessly, but she couldn't hide the smile in her eyes.
Moonlight filtered through the gauze curtains, weaving a hazy silver web across the living room floor. Xiaofeng gently swirled the beer bottle in her hand, reflecting flickering spots of light. Zhou Yang sat silently in a corner of the sofa, their shadows tangled on the wall, a blur of inky black, a stark reminder of their tangled relationship over the years.
Xiao Feng sighed softly and broke the silence: "Did Uncle Zhou tell you about me?"
"Yeah, he's worried." Zhou Yang's response was as low as a whisper.
"I'm fine. Maybe I was too impulsive that day and scared them."
"You can tell me whatever you have in mind." Zhou Yang frowned and his voice dropped.
"I'd rather know about you. How have you been these past few years?"
Zhou Yang's voice suddenly rose, carrying years of suppressed grievances: "Remember the day I left, you originally agreed to go home with me?"
Xiao Feng's silence seemed particularly heavy in the moonlight. After a long while, she whispered, "I remember. What happened?"
"Originally, my parents wanted to discuss with you about changing your household registration. They wanted to..." Zhou Yang's eyes were red, and the rest of the words were stuck in his throat and he couldn't say them.
Xiaofeng said for him what he hadn't finished: "You want to do the cutting, right?"
"Mom was very resolute at the time," Zhou Yang said, her teeth chattering. "Grandpa was in poor health at the time, and they all said it was because of me that he got so angry."
"So what do you think?"
"When I saw you and Jiang Wenqing so close, I thought listening to them might be the best option. Over the past few years, I've followed their instructions, studying and interning, and I've made it step by step. It's because of this that they agreed not to interfere with my marriage for the time being."
"Do your uncle and aunt know you're here?"
"It's not important, Xiaofeng." Zhou Yang looked at her with burning eyes. "Now I want to make up for it. If I hadn't left that day, I would have tried again..."
"The result won't change." Xiaofeng looked him straight in the eyes with a firm expression and added, "I will still choose Wenqing."
"Even now, don't you regret it?" Zhou Yang's voice was filled with pain.
"No regrets." Xiaofeng's voice trembled slightly. "It's been five years since we first met, and I really feel very happy. Wenqing treats me well, and my parents, second uncle and fourth uncle all love me too." She smiled bitterly, tears welling up in her eyes. "Until now, I don't know who to blame or hate. I understand them too well - if it were me, I might also choose to hide this kind of thing. It's just that I don't know how to face them again." She paused, her voice as soft as a sigh, "But it doesn't matter. After two years of separation, the divorce will be granted."
The moonlight seemed to have become particularly cold at this moment, and the tears on Xiaofeng's face reflected the faint light. Zhou Yang looked at her, his Adam's apple rolling: "Do I still have a chance?"
"Brother Zhou Yang, you deserve better and more choices."
"Xiaofeng..." There was pleading in his voice.
Xiaofeng quickly interrupted, "Why bother? Aunt Fan wouldn't accept my current situation. Even worse, what about the two children? How can I explain this to them?" Her voice trailed off, filled with endless fatigue. "Should I say, 'This is the child I had with my husband's younger brother during my marriage?'"
Zhou Yang clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white: "I will fight for it."
"Thank you for coming to see me." Xiao Feng lowered her head with tears in her eyes. "I just hope you are well."
The living room fell silent again, with only the occasional tinkle of beer bottles and the tireless chirping of insects outside the window.
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