Chapter 61: Reunion with Eldest Brother

“Comrade, these buns just came out of the steamer, still piping hot. Look, the skin is soft and fluffy.”
The train attendant handed over the buns wrapped in oiled paper, then took out two packets of soy milk.

Xie Zhi pulled out some money for her. The attendant, with sharp eyes, looked around the carriage to make sure no one else was buying before quickly heading to another car. Hot buns sold better—once they cooled and hardened, people would start picking and choosing.

Seeing how generously he spent, the surrounding passengers looked on with envy, especially the woman selling goods across from them.

“Jiaojiao, time for buns.”
Xie Zhi gently woke the sleeping girl. She had been completely exhausted.

Rubbing her eyes coquettishly, still not fully awake, a warm bun was pressed to her lips. She instinctively took a bite—the bun was soft and fluffy beyond words.

“Mmm… the bun is yummy.”

She accepted the rest of the bun and ate with Xie Zhi. A few bites of soy milk and bun went down, and the warmth instantly comforted her unsettled stomach.

Xu Jiaojiao could only manage one and a half buns before she was full, the rest devoured by Xie Zhi. She also only drank a few sips of soy milk before waving it off.

“Want some candy?”
The girl’s voice was soft and sweet. After wiping her hands and face with a tissue, she leaned against Xie Zhi and muttered, “No, I want to sleep. So sleepy…”

The man packed up their things from the table and checked the time. There was still an hour to go. Xu Jiaojiao would probably just have some water later. The woman opposite was about to speak again.

But the sharp gleam in Xie Zhi’s eyes swept across her, and she immediately shut her mouth awkwardly.

He had already called last night to let them know they were arriving. His elder brother insisted on picking them up. Thinking of the two heavy suitcases, Xie Zhi didn’t refuse.

Soon, the train arrived at the station. It was raining in Yuncheng, and the temperature had dropped. Xu Jiaojiao was wrapped tightly in Xie Zhi’s arms as they exited the station and immediately spotted Xu Shu across the street.

The man wore a military uniform, with sharp brows and starry eyes. He was very handsome, but also intimidating—likely due to his military background, his aura was colder and more intense.

Xu Jiaojiao stared blankly as Xu Shu walked over. She was deeply intimidated by her elder brother. Only when she was held in his arms did she feel slightly at ease.

Xu Shu noticed his sister barely recognized him and felt a lump in his throat. When he had left home, she only came up to his waist. Now she was a young lady.

“It must’ve been a tiring journey. Big Brother ordered some food. It’s cold outside, so let’s head home to eat.”

“Big Brother, it’s been so long since we’ve seen you.”

Xie Zhi and Xu Shu each carried a suitcase and got into a military vehicle. Xie Zhi wasn’t surprised at all. With his current position, arranging for a military car wasn’t unusual.

But Xu Jiaojiao was astonished. She finally understood why her father remained village chief for so many years thanks to the village vote. He wasn’t particularly outstanding—more steady and by-the-book.

Many in the village had coveted the position of village chief. Xujia Village had a large population, especially a lot of able-bodied young men. It was considered a prominent village, and naturally, the chief enjoyed better benefits.

However, every one of the Xu family’s sons was successful. Xu Father’s son and father had both been on the battlefield. No one dared to challenge them.

“Jiaojiao’s grown a lot. Do you remember how you cried when I left? You chased the car all the way down the road.” Xu Shu teased.

Xu Jiaojiao awkwardly smiled. She didn’t remember. But it was true that she had been raised mostly by Xu Shu. Their parents were too busy making a living. Among the three slightly older brothers, each took turns doting on their siblings. As the only girl, Xu Jiaojiao was especially spoiled.

“Big Brother, are you coming home for New Year? Mom told me to ask you,” Xie Zhi broke the awkward moment.

“Yes, Big Brother, we all miss you so much. Mom packed so many things because she was worried you weren’t eating well,” Xu Jiaojiao added.

“I’ll come back. The army has approved my entire leave for the New Year—fifteen days. I’ll definitely go home,” Xu Shu replied joyfully.

Instantly, the mood in the car lightened. Outside, the rain continued to fall, tracing streaks down the car windows, but inside, joy filled the space. Soon, they arrived at Xu Shu’s place.

The house was inside the military base and had been allocated by the unit. Xu Shu, along with a few others who had returned from the battlefield, had received the best units—a three-bedroom apartment. In an era when people used living rooms as bedrooms and several people squeezed into one room, a three-bedroom place was practically a mansion.

Knowing his sister was coming, Xu Shu had bought all kinds of things for her in advance. There were pink bed sheets and even a full-length mirror. Xu Jiaojiao couldn’t wait to stand in front of the mirror.

“Big Brother, you’re so good to me.”
Since arriving in this era, Xu Jiaojiao had often felt lonely. But every family member had shown her endless warmth.

Seeing her sparkling eyes, Xu Shu couldn’t help but pat her fluffy hair. “Your brother even bought gifts for you and Xie Zhi. Once you two get married, I’ll buy you something even better, something your second brother can’t top.”

“Geez, don’t say that. And when are you going to find me a sister-in-law?”

“That’s still far off,” he replied with a chuckle.

Xu Jiaojiao stayed alone in her room while Xie Zhi finished hanging clothes in the wardrobe, then joined Xu Shu to bring things from the suitcases into the kitchen.

There were cured meats and sausages made by Mother Xu, as well as various herbs perfect for making soup. Inside was also a pair of fluffy slippers.

They were handmade by Mother Xu, who had stayed up several nights to finish them. She had originally wanted to make cloth shoes but worried her son would be teased, so she made slippers instead—something he could wear all the time.

When Xu Shu saw the tiger-head slippers, the tough soldier couldn’t hold back. Tears welled up in his eyes. Ever since he left home, he had only returned once. His mother’s hair must have grayed a lot. Grandpa and Grandma were always worried about him. He felt truly unfilial.

“Big Brother, it’s always hard to balance family and country. But you’ve already done amazingly well. Just make sure to spend time with them during New Year,” Xie Zhi comforted him sincerely, equally moved.

But none of this could disturb the girl in the room. Xu Jiaojiao sat in a chair for a long time before casually opening a drawer. It was filled to the brim with books and accessories she loved.

There were butterfly clips, pearl hairpins, hair ties, and barrettes—all of them clearly expensive. Her fingers gently brushed over each item, and she felt that the original host had really failed to appreciate any of this. Some people would give anything for such things.

Opening the wardrobe casually, she saw various dresses—all with lace hems. They were obviously bought by a man. Xu Shu had asked Xie Zhi about her size beforehand. There were also matching shoes.

Though they hadn’t seen each other for years, he wanted to give her the best things in the world. Technically, his sister was more like his daughter—he was seven or eight years older than her and had carried her on his back when she was a baby. How could he not dote on her?

Xu Jiaojiao took out a yellow dress. The hem and sleeves were decorated with lace. The color was a soft yellow. There were other shades too. The chest had a V-shaped lace trim, giving it a Renaissance portrait feel.

She absolutely loved it and twirled in front of the mirror, her face glowing with joy. She couldn’t help but feel grateful—having a big brother was the best thing ever.