Chapter 7: Love from now on

Xue Xiang left the vegetable market and looked at the time. It was already seven o'clock. At eight o'clock, three young people at home still had to go to school. Time was a little tight. Xue Xiang hung the vegetable basket into the handlebar, stepped on the seat, carried the marijuana bag with his left hand, and held the handlebar with his right hand, and ran to the house with lightning speed. It was too late to make breakfast for them. Passing by the Red Star Canteen, he bought three kilograms of meat buns and two kilograms of fried dough sticks into the basket. The liquids of soy milk and other liquids were easily leaked and it was inconvenient to store, so he had to give up.

Five minutes later, Xue Xiang drove into the military district courtyard with his bicycle, and kept greetings along the way. After two minutes, he entered the courtyard. When he entered the courtyard, he saw Xiaoyi and Xiaoshi, brothers and sisters brushing their teeth while washing sinks with water cups. Xue Xiang parked the car into the carport, carried the marinade and vegetable baskets and walked towards the washing sink. When he got close, he stood his foothold and stared at the two brothers and sisters but couldn't see enough.

Xiaoshi was wearing a rustic blue cotton coat, with some cotton exposed on the cuffs and a pair of loose yellow cotton pants. I don’t know who I picked up. In early spring, it was the coldest, and there were single-sided cloth shoes on my feet. Xiaoyi was not much better. He was wearing a loose yellow military uniform with wide shoulders and thick sleeves, and his legs were obviously thick. Fortunately, he had a few rolls of trousers, otherwise he had to drag the ground. He was wearing a pair of yellow rubber-soled cloth shoes on his feet, and a crooked patch was made with a piece of linen on the toe of his left foot. At a glance, he knew that the clothes and shoes of the two brothers and sisters were also sewn together, and they were made by people to change the size of the big ones. Xue Xiang knew that these were all Xiaowan’s skills.

Xue Xiang knew the whole thing from his memory. Since his parents passed away two years ago, he has been escaping this fact, afraid of seeing these younger siblings, and afraid of seeing them remembering their tragic deaths. In addition to going to the Revolutionary Committee every month to get the lives of four people to Xiaowan, he rarely goes home for dinner. At this time, Xue Xiang sighed infinitely and secretly vowed in his heart that he would not let his younger siblings suffer any more and to make up for all his debts to them.

Xiaoshi felt that the eldest brother today was very strange. He usually avoided him immediately when he saw him, and even did not take the initiative to talk to others. What happened today? He came back from somewhere in the morning and kept staring at him and his third brother.

"Last and Xiaosi, your second sister, wash it quickly and come for breakfast. Brother, I bought you Hongxing's big meat buns." Xue Xiangyang raised the vegetable basket and said to the two little guys with a smile.

The two little guys were a little at a loss and didn't wash their teeth carefully. They rinsed their mouths and looked at each other. The two small eyes were wandering around, full of confusion, and they couldn't figure out the situation.

Xue Xiang looked at the two little guys' rolling eyes, feeling both cute and sad. It was natural for the younger brother to be taken care of by his brother, but it became a luxury to them. The two little guys followed Xue Xiang into the main hall without saying a word. Xiaowan was preparing breakfast in the kitchen. Xue Xiang put aside the macaque and vegetable baskets and prepared to go into the kitchen to ask Xiaowan to come out for dinner.

Xue Xiang was in the kitchen. The rice fragrance was filled with steaming smoke. Xiaowan, wearing a yellow military uniform, was cooking porridge on the stove. Her thin little hand was holding a spatula and stirring it in the pot, her eyes were dull, as if she was thinking about something.

"Xiaowan, go out for dinner. I've bought breakfast. You go and eat it. Don't cook the porridge first. I'll cook it later." Xue Xiang walked over and patted Xiaowan's shoulder gently, and said with pain.

"This is the last little rice in the rice jar. There are still ten days left before the living expenses will be collected on the fifth day of next month. The family has not much money anymore. It seems that it will not last the end of the month. Xiaoyi's schoolbag is broken and can no longer be replenished. Forget it, take off and make a pair of socks for Xiaoshi..." Xiaowan was worried about the family's livelihood, but suddenly he was patted on his shoulder and heard someone talking. When he looked back, he found that it was the eldest brother.

"Brother, did you wash the clothes in the yard?" Xiaowan asked with his eyes staring at Xue Xiang tightly. She got up early in the morning and prepared to wash clothes. When she came to the yard, she saw that the clothesline was full of washed clothes, and the basin of the washing sink was empty. She was very curious and returned to the kitchen to buy vegetables. She found that the basket was gone. She opened the secret lattice for storing the bills. The secret lattice for storing the bills was mostly half missing. She was so scared that she thought that her family had been thieves. She hurried to Xue Xiang's room and called out to her brother. She didn't want her brother to be in the room. Thinking about it carefully, she guessed a possibility, but she couldn't believe it. Now that Xue Xiang is back, she asked him for confirmation as soon as possible.

"I washed it, and I bought all the rice and flour. From now on, you, the third and the fourth brother, and the fourth brother, will leave the family affairs to me. I used to be my elder brother, I'm sorry for you, I never took good care of you. I have caused you so much suffering. I will compensate you well in the future." Xue Xiang said in a low voice, his eyes turning red for a moment.

Xiaowan cried out with a loud cry, hugging Xue Xiang tightly, buried her head in Xue Xiang's chest, and cried while crying, heart-wrenching. Xiaowan cried so hard that she was a little out of breath. The crying gradually became gasping for breath, as if she wanted to vent the sorrow of her parents' death and the pain she suffered in the past two years.

Xue Xiang stroked Xiaowan's hair with his left hand and patted her back gently with his right hand to help her breathe. At this time, the two little guys heard her sister crying and rushed in. They saw her second sister pounced on her elder brother's arms and cried, thinking that the bastard was bullying her second sister. Xiao Yi stared at Xue Xiang fiercely, as fierce as a little wild wolf. Xiao Shi's mouth sagged, and she was about to speak out. Xiao Wan saw that the two of them came in, so she let go of Xue Xiang and stopped the crying. Xue Xiang walked forward to hug Xiao Shi. As soon as she reached out, Xiao Shi twisted her body and avoided her. Xue Xiang was extremely embarrassed. His elder brother was really failed and it was too unpopular.

"Last and Xiao Si, what are you doing? Why don't you ignore my elder brother? My second sister was accidentally, and the ashes on the stove squinted her eyes and she burst into tears in pain. My elder brother came to blow my eyes for me." Xiaowan said with red eyes.

"The second sister lied to others, but the eldest brother was not that good. Last time he fell to the ground, he didn't even hold me up." Xiao Yi pointed at Xue Xiang and accused him. The little guy has a good memory, and who is good and who is bad, and he has a clear mind.

"It's a bad guy from the big brother. Is it okay to hold Xiaoshi every day in the future? OK, let's go to have a meal. Let's tell my brother what you want to eat in the future and whatever you want to buy. Don't bother your second sister anymore. Brother will take care of you." Xue Xiang squatted down and looked at the little guy gently and said.

Xiaoyi didn't say anything, her ferocity gradually faded away, her lips were closed, and she seemed to have not forgiven this big brother yet.

Xue Xiang put out the stove, led the three brothers and sisters to the main hall, took out the oil paper bag wrapped in the vegetable basket, and placed it on a yellow hardwood table. This was their dining table. Four of them sat around the table. Xue Xiang opened the paper bag, and the hot steam of the food came out, and the tempting aroma stimulated her appetite.

"Come on, I took it myself to eat it. The buns are sunken by pork, mushrooms, and the fried dough sticks are also fried. Hurry up and get started!" Xue Xiang shouted in a strange tone, diluting a lot of the embarrassment just now. Xiaowan and the other two were so greedy. As soon as Xue Xiang finished speaking, six claws came out together.

Xiaowan grabbed two meat buns, and the one in his left hand was squeezed into his mouth, swallowing it with big mouthfuls, and the bright red spicy oil flowed into his hands. Xiaoyi didn't feel hot when he left hand, a bun in his right hand, bite the bun, and then tear a bite of the fried dough stick. Perhaps the fried dough stick was too hot, and he was shaking and scattering heat while biting, but he didn't let go. Xiaoshi's hands were small, holding the meat bun in both hands and gnawing, and a bun blocked half of his face. He wanted to get his little head into the bun, and while gnawing, he stared at the table, staring at the table, guarding it very tightly, typically eating the bowl and looking at the pot. Xue Xiang looked at his brother and sister in a mess and felt a little distressed, and got up and poured a glass of water for the three of them.

The three of them didn't say anything and ate a lot. After Xiaoshi finished eating two big meat buns, she was still waiting to get them, but was stopped by Xue Xiang: "Little baby, if you eat too much, your belly will hurt. Keep it for the next time."

The little girl frowned and her mouth frowned: "I forgot when did I eat big meat buns last time, and when is the next time? My second sister and third brother are still eating, so I want to eat them too, so don't wait for the next time?"

"Little baby, I will buy it for you every day in the future. I am not allowed to eat it anymore. I stew pig trotters for the baby at noon. I have eaten too much now. When I eat meat at noon, your belly has no place to put on it."

"Eat pig's trotters for lunch? Oh, oh, I'll eat meat. Okay, I won't eat it anymore. When I was eating meat at noon, my second sister and third brother did not eat much, hehe." The little guy was amused, thinking that he was scheming, and laughed crescently: "Brother, do you really buy meat buns for Xiaoshi every day? It's great. You didn't talk to others before, and in the future, you would call me a little baby. I like to listen. Don't call Xiaosi, but do you have that much money at home? Forget it, I'll eat it once every two days, three, and five days." The little guy turned his little finger and slowly increased from two to five, looking very serious.

"Okay, I will only call you little baby in the future. My brother will play with you every day in the future. When will the little baby want to eat meat buns? I'm afraid that you will become a fat girl." Xiao Shi slipped down from the chair and moved towards Xue Xiang with her short legs. His little hand pressed Xue Xiang's thigh and was about to climb up. Xue Xiang lifted her up and hugged her in his arms. The little guy giggled.

"Brother, there is not much money at home. Xiaoyi's schoolbag is too broken and cannot be compensated. Xiaoshi's two yuan book fee has not been paid yet." Xiaowan was full and wiped his lips.

"I don't need a schoolbag anymore. Second sister, please find me a piece of cloth. I just need it." Xiaoyi took the speech and said, "The little guy is quite sensible when he is only eight years old. He knows that his family is in trouble and doesn't want to make his sister embarrassed."

"Which cloth can be used? Third brother, after school in the evening, you will wait for me at the door. We will go buy you a schoolbag together, and you have to add a few clothes to the three of you. It was the eldest brother's fault before, and he only cared about himself. In the future, you three will study with peace of mind and tell me any difficulties." Xiaoshi in his arms tightly, Xue Xiang said.

"Brother, will you hold me like this in the future? I'm so afraid that you will change back to the same way you used to and ignore others." Xiaoshi grabbed Xue Xiang's collar tightly with his small hands and stared at Xue Xiang with wide eyes.

"Don't worry, little baby, I promise to hold you every day." Xue Xiang kissed the little guy's cheek, took out his wallet, took out a five-yuan bill and handed it to Xiaowan and said, "You can take this money, and you will keep pocket money after paying Xiaoshi's book fee. You are all in middle school. You are a big girl. How can you not have any money on you? Besides, if you have money, it is convenient for you to buy some snacks for the third and Xiaosi." Although the three siblings were in kindergarten, elementary school, and middle school respectively, they were on the same campus, and they were all from the Yuying Department.
Chapter completed!