Poor little girl. She had tried so hard to get close to her brother but just couldn't manage it.
It was so difficult!
Compared to him, Brother Nan was much better.
The last ti they t was in early sumr, and now it was early spring. For over half a year, she had been chatting with Brother Nan on and off and had learned many unique phrases from the Yi Province dialect.
Unlike her own brother, who was indifferent, Brother Nan was very enthusiastic toward her. He was cheerful and generous, seemingly speaking even more than she did. Whenever they talked, it was hard to stop. The reason their chats were intermittent was mainly because she was abroad and didn't use WeChat often, logging in only occasionally.
So the little girl moved closer to Brother Nan, smiling sweetly.
"Brother Nan, I'm so happy you're still here."
"What do you an, 'happy I'm still here'?"
"Because I really like you."
"What do you an, 'I'm still here'?"
"Because where I'm from, at this age, people usually go through several boyfriends or girlfriends in one year."
"I see." Brother Nan nodded in understanding and explained, "It's not like that around here, especially not for ."
"Brother Nan, you're a gem!"
"..."
Brother Nan's mouth twitched. Suffering the consequences of his own actions, he had to say, "Given our relationship, excessive flattery seems insincere. Besides, you don't know what I'm like in my daily life. I've always been a modest person; I can't stand being praised. So, you can use those flattering words I taught you on your brother. He likes hearing them."
"Oh, my brother is also a gem."
"HAHAHA, that's right!"
"Sister Baozi is also a gem," Ji Xuan said happily, "and Lord Dumpling too."
"..."
"Alright, alright." Brother Nan quickly cut in, adding, "Such sweet words should only be said to our own people—family or close friends."
"Oh."
"Is Chinese New Year fun?"
"It's fun! I've received a lot of red envelopes," Ji Xuan replied, though she sounded a bit regretful. "It's a pity I didn't grow up in China. I have so few elders; otherwise, I could have gotten even more."
"Did your brother give you a red envelope?" Baozi suddenly asked.
"He did!"
"..."
Baozi was clearly upset.
Stealing a glance at the person beside her, she caught Zhou Li suppressing a smile. How could she not know he was doing it on purpose, deliberately engaging in their usual tit-for-tat! But since he had her by her Achilles' heel, it was clear she had lost this round.
HMPH...
So Baozi turned her head and focused on watching Tuanzi lick his paws, no longer listening to the conversation around her.
「Until Ms. Ji ca out to call them for dinner.」
His aunt had prepared a table full of sumptuous dishes for them.
During the al, his aunt asked, "You're not going back tonight, right? Just stay here with us, and you can go out for a stroll tomorrow."
Upon hearing this, Ms. Ji paused her chopsticks. "My place over there is also tidied up, and it's very close to here. When I ca back, I bought new bedding. Zhou Li, you like soft beds, right? I don't know if this one will be to your liking, but it's latex and very soft. You can try it yourself; change it if you don't like it."
His aunt imdiately said, "That'd be great! It's a perfect chance to see your new place; I hear it's beautiful!"
Zhou Li lowered his head and said, "The flowers and plants I planted at my place have been unattended for over a month. I'm not sure if they've withered. I need to go back and check."
After a mont, he added, "I'll visit you in a few days."
Ms. Ji was a little disappointed but didn't show it. She smiled and said, "That's how it is. Once you've planted flowers and plants, you can't just leave them. You keep thinking about them. If you don't go back to see them soon, you can't rest easy; you probably wouldn't sleep well all night."
Zhou Li truly breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
His aunt, who also grew flowers, understood. She smiled and said, "If I'd known, you should have brought them over before your break. I would have taken care of them for you. If they died, I'd compensate you."
Brother Nan, having finally swallowed a mouthful of simred pork slices, chid in, "He's probably afraid that Auntie here would take *too* good care of his flowers and plants. She'd hand them back to him in full bloom, and in less than half a month, he'd have them looking scraggly again. The contrast would be too much for him to bear."
"HAHAHA!" His aunt laughed heartily. "But I do know a few tricks to prevent flowers from dying while you're away. I'm just not sure if you've heard of them."
"What are they?"
"Well, it's..."
These were thods one could find online, but his aunt had made so modifications based on her own gardening experience. Hearing them from her was much easier to grasp than reading descriptions online. Zhou Li pretended to listen with great interest, but in reality, he didn't rember a thing.
What fancy watering device could possibly compare to an old monster, anyway?
「After dinner.」
Ms. Ji suggested going out for a walk and received unanimous agreent from her brother's family, including Baozi. Brother Nan and Ji Xuan also agreed.
Her uncle's house was near Cui Lake, with plenty to explore just downstairs.
The night was livelier than the day. More stalls and pushcarts had appeared in every alley and crowded spot, selling various trinkets and snacks popular with young girls. They had to pass a milk tea shop and an ice cream store on the way, which were favorites of both Ms. Ji and Baozi. Baozi absolutely adored going for walks with Ms. Ji.
Milk tea, ice cream, cotton candy, candied haws, glowing deer-antler headbands, and bamboo dragonfly toys adorned the night.
Ms. Ji's brother and his wife walked ahead, still holding hands in their forties and fifties, an enviable sight.
Ji Xuan approached Zhou Li. "Why didn't Huai Xu co?"
"I threw him in the trash can."
"Ah?"
"What's wrong?"
"Does Huai Xu want to find a girlfriend this year?"
"..." Zhou Li turned to Ms. Ji. "Can you rein her in?"
"I can't manage her." Ms. Ji shook her head helplessly. "Don't be fooled by how obedient your little sister seems. No matter how you teach or punish her, she just won't listen."
"Sounds like Baozi," Zhou Li muttered.
Just then, Brother Nan's voice ca from behind them. "Do you want Huai Xu's QQ?"
Ji Xuan imdiately turned her head. She looked conflicted, wringing her small hands. "I don't have QQ, but I could sign up for one..."
"I'll give it to you!"
"Oh, yes please!"
Ji Xuan imdiately ran to join them.
Zhou Li could hear their conversation. Sure enough, Brother Nan gave Ji Xuan Huai Xu's QQ number and then started teaching her step-by-step how to sign up for an account.
Baozi was beside them, with Brother Nan's arm playfully around her neck, unable to escape as he pinched her cheeks.
"Brother Nan..."
Baozi, still expressionless, hesitated before saying, "If you just think a handful of flesh is fun to squeeze, you have plenty on your own body too."
But Brother Nan was not one to feel embarrassed.
"Mine's not as chubby as your face."
"..."
Even I feel a bit embarrassed for her, and I'm her boyfriend, Zhou Li thought, quickly glancing at Ms. Ji. He was sure she must have heard it too.
However, Ms. Ji seed not to have heard, or perhaps chose to ignore it. She just asked him quietly, "How's your father doing recently?"
"Pretty good."
"Hasn't he been affected by the pandemic?"
"There was so impact at the beginning, but it was quickly brought under control. Afterward, the dostic impact of the pandemic wasn't as big as we expected." Zhou Li paused. "Besides, he has a good attitude. Even if there had been a significant impact, he wouldn't care much. I'm not very clear on the exact details, as he doesn't discuss these things with ."
"You don't ask?" Ms. Ji glanced at him sideways.
"No." Zhou Li wasn't interested, nor was he particularly concerned.
"Oh, I almost forgot. Our Zhou Li is quite capable, able to get into university all on his own," Ms. Ji said with a teasing smile. "Whether Old Zhou's business is doing well or not isn't important anymore."
Zhou Li blushed.
"I feel like Old Zhou has beco more settled now," Ms. Ji mused.
"He has," Zhou Li agreed.
"Really?"
"Yes, really. He's beco very settled."
TSK, TSK.
"What is it?" Zhou Li asked.
"It's hard to describe..."
Ms. Ji paused for a mont, then continued with a laugh. Her way of thinking wasn't traditional. She didn't shy away from any topic with her children, nor did she put on airs as a parent in front of them; open communication was key for her. So, after a brief pause, she smiled and said, "It feels like I spent a great deal of effort to finally whip soone into shape, only for soone else to reap the benefits... It's a bit galling, and it leaves a sour taste when I think about it."
Zhou Li couldn't help but smile at her words. He instinctively wanted to suppress his smile, but then he rembered what Brother Nan had said earlier and let it be.
"That's only human," he comnted.
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