Zhao ii stood next to Shi Yang, tiptoeing to get a whiff of the rich aroma wafting from the pot, smacking her lips, eagerly watching as her Brother Yangyang cooked instant noodles.
While eating, Shi Yang picked out a piece of sausage as thick as a pinky and placed it in Zhao ii's bowl: "Eat."
Zhao ii took a delighted bite, the heat made her gasp, the hotter it was, the tastier it beca.
She never knew sausages could be cooked with noodles. At ho, whenever she wanted so, she would peel them directly, nibbling small bites carefully, afraid that a thin stick might vanish in just two bites.
Seeing Zhao ii enjoying herself, Shi Yang split his sausage in half and gave another piece to Zhao ii.
Zhao ii drank the hot noodle soup, her little face flushed with warmth, without breaking a sweat, but her chest was damp. She wiped herself a couple of tis with her sweater and kept eating, unable to stop.
Zhao ii had just finished a small box of cookies and a big cup of juice, and was about to empty a big bowl of noodles. Shi Yang worried she might overeat, and tapped her bowl with his chopsticks: "Stop if you're full. Otherwise, your stomach will ache from overeating."
Zhao ii couldn't really eat more and rubbed her stomach, reluctant to put down her bowl. She licked her chopsticks: "So delicious, so tasty."
Shi Yang smiled: "If you like it, co over next ti and I'll cook for you again."
Only then did Zhao ii put down her chopsticks, belching, and feeling a bit stuffed indeed.
With her stomach full, Shi Yang went to the kitchen to wash the dishes while Zhao ii sat on the sofa with Qu Chaozong watching TV.
Qu Chaozong liked her quite a bit, found Zhao ii tough and fun. To this group of teenagers, a little girl's looks weren't sothing to worry about.
Qu Chaozong took so candies from his pocket, from the Chinese New Year's Eve, and teased Zhao ii: "ii, why don't you be my little sister too? Call brother, and you can have these candies."
With a stomach full of cookies, juice, and hot three-flavor noodles given by Shi Yang, Zhao ii stood firm against Qu Chaozong's persuasion.
Zhao ii's eyelids drooped slightly, squinting at Qu Chaozong: "I only like Brother Yangyang, I recognize only him as brother."
Shi Yang ca in after doing the dishes just in ti to hear this, and laughed out loud, the pitch of his voice cheerful and triumphant, savoring the mont in front of his companions.
Shi Yang raised his chin slightly at Qu Chaozong: "What's up? Trying to dig my corner while I'm not around?"
Qu Chaozong crinkled the candy wrappers in his hand and asked Zhao ii: "Why can't I be your brother?"
Zhao ii, with an earnest look, a funny yet adorable expression on her wrinkly little face.
Zhao ii: "Because you're not as good-looking as Brother Yangyang."
"Pfft! Haha!" Qu Chaozong laughed, leaning back on the sofa, almost crushing Zhao ii. He pointed at Shi Yang playfully: "Pretty face Yang, all you've got is a face to bluff with!"
Qu Chaozong revealed Shi Yang's secret to Zhao ii: "You think your Brother Yangyang is a good kid, all obedient? Let tell you, your Brother Yangyang at school is like this!"
Qu Chaozong waved his thumb at Zhao ii: "The boss! Get it?"
Zhao ii looked at him blankly and shook her head.
Qu Chaozong smirked and explained to Zhao ii: "It ans your Brother Yangyang is the top dog at school, no one can beat him, he's the toughest."
Shi Yang kicked Qu Chaozong: "Get lost!"
Zhao ii looked at her Brother Yangyang in surprise, staring without blinking, her eyes almost hurting. Among the astonishnt in her eyes, there was a hint of excitent—a child's innate admiration for soone stronger than them.
At that ti, in Zhao ii's naive heart, Shi Yang's image beca extraordinarily brilliant and towering. Kids don't have strong discernnt, prone to believe others easily, and she believed what Qu Chaozong said.
Shi Yang pulled Qu Chaozong off the sofa with a casual gesture and sat down with Zhao ii: "Don't listen to his nonsense, ii, watch cartoons instead."
Qu Chaozong stayed until past four in the afternoon before riding his bike ho.
Zhao ii lay on the second-floor window, stretching her head out to watch eagerly. Her family didn't own a bicycle; her father walked to and from the factory.
After seeing off Qu Chaozong, Shi Yang looked up from the courtyard and saw Zhao ii in a thin sweater by the window. He quickly called out: "ii, close the window and co inside, be careful not to catch a cold."
Zhao ii pulled her head back.
As soon as Shi Yang ca in, Zhao ii sidled over to ask him: "Brother Yangyang, do you have a bicycle at ho?"
Shi Yang sat with her on the sofa: "Yes, why?"
Zhao ii's eyes lit up: "Can you ride it?"
Shi Yang had a hunch, asked: "Want to ride it?"
Zhao ii's little eyes sparkled, expressing her deep longing for bicycles: "Yes, my family doesn't have a bicycle, and my dad can't ride one."
"That's no problem. Once spring cos, I'll take you for a ride soday," Shi Yang chuckled, ruffling Zhao ii's hair, genuinely fond of this sturdy little girl.
Zhao ii held up her pinky: "Pinky swear."
Shi Yang reached out his pinky and hooked it with Zhao ii's, the two of them swung their hands back and forth twice, Zhao ii muttering her rhy: "Pinky swear, hang a hundred years, no change allowed, change and eat dog poop, drink dog pee."
Shi Yang imdiately turned his lips in disdain: "Zhao ii, where did you learn all that?"
Seeing Shi Yang's face change, Zhao ii hurried to bla it on others: "Everyone says it that way."
Shi Yang furrowed his brow displeased: "You're a girl, you shouldn't mix with those mischievous boys every day."
Zhao ii, believing Shi Yang, was eager to listen to him and rembered riding Shi Yang's bicycle. She quickly nodded in agreent, then paused to ask: "Is it okay if I play with Da Bao and the others? They don't say those things, they listen to ."
Shi Yang burst into laughter: "I didn't notice, so you're also tough among your friends?"
Zhoa ii learned on the spot, raised her thumb, and wagged it at Shi Yang: "I'm also the boss." Not forgetting to flatter her Brother Yangyang: "You're the big boss, and I'm the little boss."
Pfft... Hahaha...
Shi Yang laughed out loud, replying: "I didn't realize you're so tough?"
Zhao ii fawned: "Not as tough as you, Brother Yangyang is the toughest."
Shi Yang joked along with her: "Really, okay then, I'll look out for you in the future. If anyone bullies you, just ntion my na."
Zhao ii's little eyes whirled around: "Will it work?"
Shi Yang's smile broadened with a sense of man's pride: "Of course, you think your brother's title as the boss is just for show?"
Zhao ii nodded earnestly, fully convinced.
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