Extra 3.2

Seeing that Xiao Tangyuan ignored him but looked so cute with her ponytails combed by the dog, Haoran got scared but couldn’t resist planning to quietly pull her ponytails from behind, just for a little while, thinking no one would see it anyway.

Who knew that Xiao Tangyuan’s brother would suddenly appear? The fear of being dominated by Xiao Tangyuan’s brothers over the years suddenly surged into Haoran’s heart, and he quickly raised his hands to surrender: “No, I didn’t do anything, and I didn’t plan to pull Xiao Tangyuan’s pigtails!”

Good grief, he confessed without even being asked.

Xiao Zhuzi loosened his grip and slapped him on the butt: “How dare you pull our sister’s braid? Huh?”

Stinky Haoran quacked, “No, no. I was just thinking about it. I haven’t pulled it yet. How dare I…”

Xiao Zhuzi: “Don’t even think about it!”

Stinky Haoran waved his hands repeatedly, running towards the door. “I won’t think about it, I won’t…” As he ran, whether out of excitement or not, he let out a loud fart.

Xiao Tangyuan exclaimed, “Ah!” and quickly covered her nose, rushing into Brother Zhuzi’s arms. “Brother, Choupi Haoran farted again!”

Xiao Zhuzi, both amused and exasperated, thought that Choupi Haoran had some kind of problem. His habit of farting from kindergarten to now, in the third grade, was still uncorrected.

“You should eat fewer sweet potatoes and taro and more fruits and vegetables,” Zhuzi suggested, thinking that too much coarse grain and poor digestive function might be the causes.

Now, rice and fine grains aren’t as scarce as in the 1970s; there is enough supply. Coarse grains should be eaten but in moderation.

Zhuzi patted his sister’s head. “Now that Haoran has left, the stinky farts are gone.” He then carried his sister inside while Cotton Candy followed behind with a happy bounce.

Regular customers at “Three Meals Four Seasons” couldn’t help but joke, “Xiao Yu, Xiao Tangyuan will grow up if you keep holding her. You were just a little boy when I first came here to eat. Now, look, you’ve grown into a young man.”

Zhuzi smiled gently. “But Uncle Xu, you haven’t changed since we first met.”

Uncle Xu laughed heartily. “Xiao Yu knows how to talk. I love hearing that.”

Seventeen-year-old Zhang Xiuyuan had already become a dashing young man, refined and polite with a gentle demeanor that balanced his deep-set features. He looked handsome and strong when he wasn’t smiling; when he smiled, he was as warm as jade. He was particularly gentle with Xiao Tangyuan. What parent wouldn’t want such a son? What young girl wouldn’t want such a brother? Even Tiantian liked Brother Zhuzi a lot.

Zhuzi placed his sister on a chair, checked her pigtails, and ensured her clothes were clean, even removing dog hair before feeling satisfied.

Zhuzi looked at his sister, who was even more beautiful than the dolls in store windows, feeling both proud and worried. “Xiao Tangyuan, tell your brother honestly—has anyone ever pulled your pigtails or bullied you?”

Xiao Tangyuan blinked her large, grape-like eyes, tilted her head, and then shook her head: “No, I have my brothers to protect me. They don’t dare to bully me. But they do bully others, which is also annoying. Tiantian’s braids have been pulled by someone.”

Zhuzi frowned: “Will that senior boy bully Tiantian again?”

The first time Xiao Tangyuan hit someone was when a senior boy pulled Tiantian’s braid too hard, causing her to fall and scrape her knee.

Xiao Tangyuan was furious and confronted him, demanding an apology for Tiantian. The boy just laughed and dismissed her, saying girls’ braids were meant to be pulled and that she was meddling. He claimed that she would have had her braids pulled even more without her brothers. Angrily, Xiao Tangyuan kicked him. Luckily, her four brothers arrived in time to teach the boy a lesson, making him apologize to Tiantian and promise not to bully girls again before letting him go.

The most upset was Xiao Roubao. He hadn’t expected that after leaving for just a short while, his two younger sisters would be bullied. Their three older brothers had repeatedly warned Xiao Roubao to keep a close watch on his sisters, so Xiao Roubao had rarely let his sisters out of his sight since then. Xiao Zhuzi had to confirm every day that his sister was well before he could relax.

Xiao Tangyuan shook her head with her eyes curved into crescent shapes. “No, I don’t even remember what he looked like. I only remember that he bullied Tiantian.”

Xiao Zhuzi patted his sister’s head. “Xiao Tangyuan, remember, if anyone bullies you, you must tell your brother right away, okay?”

Xiao Tangyuan replied, “Brother, you’ve said this so many times already. I’m tired of hearing it.”

Uncle Yang happened to “witness” the siblings’ conversation. He didn’t know how many times he had “seen” such dialogues and couldn’t help but smile. “Zhuzi, relax a bit. How could anyone dare to bully such a good girl as Xiao Tangyuan?”

Xiao Zhuzi only smiled without speaking. It was precisely because she was so good that she might be easily bullied. Uncle Yang didn’t have a sister and, therefore, didn’t understand the sweetness and troubles of having a younger sister at home. Xiao Tangyuan was so beautiful and delicate, not even ten years old yet. In a few years, when she was at the age of budding romance, who knew how many mischievous boys would try to approach her?

Time, in a sense, is both long and short. Looking back, ten years had passed in the blink of an eye. From the first time he carried a small basket filled with stone snails into Aunt Su’s yard to now, ten years had gone by. Life was truly magical. The little girl who used to be only a bit larger than a kitten had grown into a beautiful big girl. Looking at the smiling, dimpled little girl in front of him, Xiao Zhuzi felt a deep sense of calm and softness. These ten years had been especially gentle.

Xiao Doubao also returned after finishing his class. He entered the room and saw Xiao Zhuzi looking at his sister with a gentle expression. “Brother Zhuzi, what’s wrong?”

Xiao Zhuzi snapped out of his thoughts and shook his head, looking at Xiao Doubao with the same gentle expression. “I suddenly felt that time flies so quickly. Our little sister has grown up so much, and you,” Xiao Zhuzi gestured, “when I first met you, you were just a little bean, not very talkative, always carrying a small blackboard to draw and write, following Aunt Su like a little tail. You’ve grown into a capable young man in the blink of an eye.”

Xiao Doubao grinned, curved his beautiful eyebrows, shook his head, and said, “No, I’m still the little tail behind my mother, and I want to be my mother’s little tail for the rest of my life.”

A gentle voice came in: “Who wants to be mother’s little tail?”

Su Xiaoxiao entered from outside, her bright eyes, white teeth, and beautiful smile unchanged from ten years ago. Following her were Fantuan and Xiao Roubao, each carrying various pots and pans.

Fantuan teased, “Xiao Doubao, you’re so old and still cling to Mom. Xiao Tangyuan is embarrassed to call herself Mom’s little tail, so you should be the big tail.”

The children surrounded Su Xiaoxiao. Xiao Doubao hugged Su Xiaoxiao’s arm and declared, “Then none of you stick to Mom, and I’ll have her all to myself.”

Fantuan put down the things he was carrying and wrapped his arm around Su Xiaoxiao’s shoulder. “That won’t do. Mom belongs to all of us.”

Xiao Roubao and Xiao Tangyuan also came over to hug Su Xiaoxiao. Xiao Tangyuan said, “Big brother, don’t think about monopolizing Mom. I’m Mom’s little sweetheart.”

Xiao Doubao bent down to hug his sister, who was becoming more and more like their mother, and said, “You are the little sweetheart of our entire family.”

Zhuzi looked at the beautiful little girl, who was being treated like the family jewel, and smiled along. The beautiful little girl was the apple of everyone’s eye.

Su Xiaoxiao’s eyes curved into little crescents, and the older children could no longer reach her hair and could only pat Xiao Roubao’s head. “Aren’t you all feeling hot? No matter how old you get, you’re still Mommy’s treasure. Stop causing trouble, and come have some brown sugar water to cool off. Tiantian, come in and have some brown sugar water.”

Tiantian stood outside the door, her face full of envy and her eyes downcast. Not everyone was Mommy’s treasure. She longed so much for a mother like Su Aunty. But her own mother had abandoned her and didn’t even want to look at her. Tiantian truly envied Xiao Tangyuan, who had the love of both parents and so many older brothers. Although everyone treated her well, she had a grandmother and father who cared for her; she still felt a deep envy.

“What’s wrong with Tiantian?” Su Xiaoxiao touched Tiantian’s head and asked.

Children from single-parent families often have some emotional gaps, and Tiantian, such a well-behaved child, was sadly a victim of Ma Xiaoli’s cruelty.

“Aunt Su, can you be my mother?” Tiantian couldn’t help asking.

Su Xiaoxiao was taken aback for a moment. Before she could respond, Xiao Roubao had already answered for her. “Of course not. My mom is already very busy taking care of us four. How could she have time to look after you? Even Brother Zhuzi can’t call my mom ‘Mom,’ so how could you?”

Tiantian’s eyes immediately turned red. She didn’t even know why she asked; she just envied Xiao Tangyuan too much.

“Alright, Xiao Roubao, go have some brown sugar water,” Su Xiaoxiao said to Tiantian. “Tiantian, are you missing your mom?”

Tiantian shook her head, wiped her eyes, and stubbornly said, “No, she doesn’t want me, so I don’t want her either.”

Su Xiaoxiao sighed inwardly. She knew Tiantian was still just a child, but Su Xiaoxiao didn’t want to tell her a lie like, “Actually, your mother misses you very much but has no choice.”

So, she said: “Tiantian, relationships between children and parents also involve fate. Maybe you and your mother’s fate isn’t as strong. But look, your grandmother and father love you very much, and we all like you, too. You’re not lacking in love at all. If anyone bullies you, your brothers will help you, so please don’t be unhappy, okay?”

Tiantian understood. She knew that Su Xiaoxiao’s family had greatly helped her and her grandmother. They were very good to them. Her brothers often taught her to do her homework, helped her when someone bullied her and shared good things with her. Grandma often said that Aunt Su was their family’s benefactor. She wanted her to study hard and become a useful person when she grew up so she could repay those who had helped them.

Tiantian remembered everything. She was very well-behaved, and her grades were among the best.

She just couldn’t help it. “Aunt Su, I know everyone is very good to us. Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

Su Xiaoxiao gently patted the child’s head, “Go in and have some brown sugar water.” Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t give her the missing maternal love. She could only take care of them a little more in life and materially and try to guide Tiantian to take the right path. The rest depended on their luck.

Zhuzi looked at Tiantian and thought about his own past. He also had a grandmother who loved him dearly. In fact, Tiantian was much better off than he had been at that age. She had a responsible father who cared for her, and although she lacked maternal love, her life was still better than many people’s.

However, Xiao Roubao’s casual remark made Zhuzi realize that despite their close bond, they were not blood-related. Aunt Su was not his mother, and there was a possibility that he might one day drift far from their lives.

Thinking about this, Zhuzi felt an unexpected pang of anxiety. Aunt Su’s family was like blood relatives to him, and no matter how many years passed, he didn’t want to be too far away from them.

Zhuzi decided that he needed to focus on passing the Peking University entrance exam first. Since Fantuan and Xiao Doubao were also planning to take the exam, it would help him stay close to home. As for what to do after graduating from college, he could only take it one step at a time and deal with it when the time came.