Seeing the bright sparkle in Xiuzhu’s eyes, looking eager for praise, Xiuli grew even more worried.

With a serious and focused expression, she said, “It’s not just strangers you need to be wary of. Even those close to you, even your good friends, you must be cautious about what you say to them.”

“Because the ones who can truly hurt you are always the ones who know you best.”

Noticing the solemn expression on her cousin’s face, Xiuzhu quickly put away her smile, raised her hand, and promised, “Sister, don’t worry. I don’t have any friends, so I’ll definitely be extra, extra careful.”

Xiuli looked at the delicate girl beside her, her round eyes seeming a bit uneasy. Not wanting to scare her, she lifted her hand and gently patted the girl’s thin back as a way of reassurance.

Thinking about how Xiuzhu had been on the train for three days and had just been troubled by Bai Huifen, Xiuli thoughtfully suggested, “Rest in your room for a while. I’ll go check on Yaowen.”

“Okay.” Xiuzhu was indeed feeling a little tired.

Xiuli got up, took the remaining ointment, and walked out.

Since the Lin family had not split their household, even though Xiuzhu’s family of three rarely returned to Beijing, Grandfather Lin had set aside two rooms specifically for them. These rooms were always locked and only Aunt Zhang, the housekeeper, would enter periodically to clean them.

Sunlight filtered through the gap in the curtains, casting a warm glow over the girl lying on the bed, adding a touch of tranquility to the scene.

Having slept poorly on the train, Xiuzhu felt exhausted. Before long, she curled up and fell asleep.

Her body was gently curled, like a small cat in deep slumber.

Her hair spread loosely over the pillow as she lay on her side, one hand lightly resting on the blanket while the other naturally settled by her cheek.

Her sleeping posture was particularly graceful, resembling a beautiful painting.

The room remained quiet, with only the soft sound of her breathing blending with the occasional birdsong from outside, composing a gentle lullaby for her midday nap.

…

Meanwhile, downstairs, Xiuli searched the living room but couldn’t find her younger brother.

She finally went to his room. Seeing that he wasn’t inside, she was about to leave when Lin Yaowen suddenly pushed the door open, sweating profusely.

“Where have you been? Have you finished cleaning up the kitchen?” Xiuli asked.

Lin Yaowen, still excited, replied, “All done.”

“Dahu said he got a new battleship model, so I went with him to check it out.”

Xiuli was amused by the coincidence and chuckled. “Turn around and look at what’s on the table.”

Yaowen obediently turned his head and picked up the item on the table. His eyes widened, and his mouth slightly opened in disbelief.

His face was filled with surprise and shock. His gaze flickered with amazement, and he stood there, utterly stunned.

It took him a while before he finally managed to speak in his hoarse, adolescent voice. “This… this is for me?”

As expected, Xiuzhu had predicted correctly—this brat was so happy he was practically dumbfounded.

Xiuli shook her head helplessly and said, “This is a gift from Xiuzhu. She said she had to pester Uncle for a long time to get it.”

“The price? For the next month, you have to be her ‘beast of burden.’”

Lin Yaowen carefully stroked the battleship model. It was even more detailed than Dahu’s. The more he looked at it, the more he loved it.

At this moment, Lin Xiuzhu was like a deity in his eyes. Forget being a beast of burden—he’d gladly be a pig, a dog, or any non-human creature for her!

Overcome with excitement, he declared, “Tell her that for the next month, I am her loyal servant. No need to consider sibling ties!”

He quickly scanned the room for a safe place to store the item, making sure to hide it well so no one could damage it—otherwise, he’d cry his heart out in the middle of the street.

Xiuli was speechless at his “adaptability” and resilience.

She found him utterly ridiculous and couldn’t be bothered to look at him any longer, so she got up and left.

As she walked, she thought about how to tell her mother about the events of the afternoon. She couldn’t let her mother soften her heart again.

…

The last rays of the setting sun bathed the courtyard in golden light. People hurried by from time to time, most of them dressed in military uniforms, their faces carrying traces of exhaustion.

Children ran around playing in the courtyard, their crisp laughter adding a touch of liveliness to the peaceful evening.

A few elderly people sat on their small wooden stools, fanning themselves as they chatted about daily affairs.

Aunt Lin pushed her bicycle through the courtyard, heading toward her home. When she encountered acquaintances, she greeted them with a smile.

“Auntie Ma, are you out for a walk after dinner?”

The old lady was extremely nosy. Her eyes locked onto the vegetable basket hanging from the bicycle, and she reached out to take a peek.

“Oh dear, Madam Division Commander (Commander’s wife), what good stuff did you buy this time? The smell of your lunch alone made my grandson cry with hunger!”

Aunt Lin silently blocked her hand, brushing aside the vegetable leaves and making sure the contents were well covered.

“Oh, there’s no such thing as ‘Madam’ anymore—now we’re all just ordinary citizens,” she replied.

“My niece came all the way here, and I’ve been saving up meat coupons for a long time just to put together a decent meal for her.”

Seeing that she couldn’t peek inside, Auntie Ma withdrew her hand awkwardly.

She then pried further, “Your younger brother-in-law’s child, right? Did she come alone? Her parents didn’t come with her? They’re still in Yucheng? How long is she staying?”

“By the way, your sister came by this afternoon and made a fuss at your house. In the end, the guards had to drive her away.”

Aunt Lin’s face changed slightly upon hearing this. She gave a brief reply and quickly used the excuse of needing to cook dinner to hasten her steps home.

This Auntie Ma—nicknamed the “All-Knowing Gossip Queen of the Military Compound”—knew everything about everyone.

Today, the Li family was having meat; tomorrow, the Wang family’s mother-in-law would scold her daughter-in-law to tears—there was nothing she didn’t know, and she loved prying into everyone’s business.

Aunt Lin always dreaded running into her outside. Once she started asking about family matters, there was no stopping her. Today was just bad luck.

She locked up her bicycle, picked up the vegetable basket, and walked home, her face betraying a heavy heart.

…

“Auntie, you’re back!” Xiuzhu had taken a nap that afternoon and was now full of energy.

The three siblings were sitting on the couch, playing cards.

Hearing the door open and knowing their mother was home from work, Xiuli smiled brightly.

“Mom, I already cooked dinner. Just wash up, and we can eat!”

“I’m back, Xiuzhu.”

“Ah Li, good job.”

Aunt Lin greeted them one by one.

Then, remembering what Auntie Ma had said, she turned to her daughter.

“Did your second aunt come over? What kind of trouble did she cause?”

Xiuli carefully observed her mother’s expression before recounting everything that had happened that afternoon, not leaving out a single detail.

After finishing, she hesitated before adding, “Mom, can we tell the guards not to let them in?”

Aunt Lin’s face was full of barely restrained anger. She agreed with her daughter.

“Alright, tomorrow Ah Wen will go inform the guards.”

“Xiuzhu, you must be hungry. Come, let’s eat.”

Aunt Lin set aside her frustration and called everyone over for dinner.

Xiuzhu obediently sat at the dining table, not interfering in the conversation about the afternoon’s events.

After all, this was Aunt Lin’s family matter.