44: Chapter 44: Second Brother 44: Chapter 44: Second Brother Lin Chun gripped the handlebars tightly, his nose souring and heart aching.
He was still the eldest brother, but day by day, he amounted to nothing.
Yet his younger sister, a girl, was the one thinking about supporting the family.
What right did he have to criticize or educate?
How could he have the face to say anything?
“Xiaoxia!
Big brother is useless, can’t help you with anything!”
Lin Xia heard the bleakness in her big brother’s tone and laughed as she patted Lin Chun’s back, “Big brother!
How can you not be helping us?
Gathering this firewood, dealing with matters at ho, it’s all on you, isn’t it?”
Her big brother didn’t say it, but she could guess.
Lin Aiguo would definitely inquire about their affairs.
And her big brother, he certainly hadn’t revealed a single thing about them renting a place outside to Lin Aiguo; otherwise, could it be so peaceful?
Knowing Lin Aiguo’s temper, he would have stord over long ago!
In fact, since her return, her big brother had been constantly changing!
From many things, it was apparent that if it were the old big brother who hadn’t changed, faced with the current situation, he would have stubbornly dragged them back ho, not skipping work today to help them find a house.
In this era, so entrenched old notions are deep in the bones, and change doesn’t happen overnight.
Seeing such a big brother made Lin Xia feel very comforted.
Lin Chun felt a little better, “Xiaoxia!
Be careful out there on your own!
Don’t worry about ho, I am here!”
Lin Xia crisply acknowledged, “Mm!
Big brother!
I got it!”
She had wanted to talk to her big brother about working out of town, but with the current situation at ho as it was, she guessed he wouldn’t be in the mood to consider it, so she didn’t bring it up.
The siblings chatted all the way to the foot of South Mountain where branches and chopped logs were scattered everywhere.
Lin Xia thought the branches looked awkward and thin, not lasting long when burnt.
The logs were more substantial; the thicker ones produced plenty of good firewood that burned longer; however, after getting them ho, they would need to be sawed into sections and then split into smaller pieces.
Lin Xia helped Lin Chun load up a full rear carrier, securing it with hemp ropes and belts.
She told Lin Chun to shuttle back and forth to their ho with the wood while she stayed behind to pick up more.
Lin Xia checked to ensure no one was around before she started moving the logs into Jade’s room, stopping frequently.
Whatever area she went to, little remained but the scraps she didn’t want.
It felt satisfyingly swift.
Guessing that her big brother was about to return, Lin Xia went back to where they started, making it look like she’d been gathering the wood she had picked up.
She had a plan; letting her big brother make three or four trips would be enough due to the ti constraints.
Once back ho, they needed to divide tasks, with her big brother buying food while she sawed the logs at ho.
On Lin Chun’s last trip, he carried Lin Xia on the beam of his bicycle, with the wood stacked on the rear carrier, back ho.
Lin Chun ca inside, washed his hands, took a sip of water, and then took the money Lin Xia gave him to buy food.
Lin Xia, anwhile, borrowed a handsaw from Aunt Xu to start sawing the wood.
Aunt Xu’s house had a homade wooden stand, but it was a hassle to put the thicker logs on it.
Lin Qiu didn’t want to sit idle even though her right arm was injured.
Lin Xia had her sit on the logs to hold them steady, which also served as a way for her to chat.
“Sis, what shall we make for dinner tonight?
Big brother should be able to eat with us, right?” Now that she was running her own household, Lin Qiu acted with renewed vigor.
Lin Xia’s hands continued working as she smiled, “He should be able to eat.
Just eat a little less!
I saw big brother brought back those dried mushrooms, we can make a dish with a whole cabbage and so potatoes, and then cook more rice…”
“Okay!
Sis!” Lin Qiu then thought of Xu Haihua, whom she saw at noon, and she glanced towards the direction of the house, whispering to Lin Xia, “Sis, that person nad Haihua seems not so easy to approach!”
Lin Qiu hadn’t worked at the clothing factory for long, so she barely knew anyone and had no impression of Xu Haihua.
When she ca back at noon, Aunt Xu introduced them briefly.
Haihua looked at them coldly for a mont and then seed to say sothing quite reluctantly to Aunt Xu when she entered the house.
“It doesn’t matter!
We each live our lives; we are just renting a room from their family.
Once your arm is better and you go to work, even though it’s the sa company, you don’t need to care too much!”
Lin Xia never planned on settling down here permanently, as every change was temporary.
“Sis!
Can Dad let work at the quilt factory?” Xiaoqiu was still very timid around Lin Aiguo.
Lin Xia looked at her and laughed, “Does it matter if he lets you?
Xiaoqiu, rember this!
From now on, we make our own decisions!
No matter when, a person can only stand on their own two feet!”
“I understand, Sis!” Xiaoqiu said thoughtfully.
When Lin Chun ca back, Lin Xia saw he had bought rice, white flour, cornal, millet, and so other coarse grains.
Lin Xia instructed Xiaoqiu, “Xiaoqiu, when Big Brother returns, go inside, start soaking the rice…”
Lin Chun ca out of the house and smiled at his younger sister’s achievents, “Xiaoxia, not a bad haul!”
“I was waiting for you, Big Brother!
Get the big saw ready!” Lin Xia joked with him.
The siblings laughed and worked together, their efficiency increased when they did.
But Xu Da’s two handsaws weren’t very sharp, and there was no file to sharpen them with.
Lin Xia wiped the sweat from her forehead, “Big Brother!
I’ll go ask at Zhao Da’s house, see if they have a better handsaw to borrow!”
With inadequate tools, it was tiring work without much to show for it!
“That could work!
If her house has a file, borrow that too, I’ll sharpen it!” Lin Chun’s hands didn’t stop working.
Lin Xia brushed the sawdust off her body and headed to Zhao Da’s house.
When she reached Zhao Da’s house and entered, she saw it wasn’t just Zhao Da and her grandson at ho, but also a young man.
Lin Xia was a bit puzzled.
Wasn’t this the man from the train?
After a whole night on the train, facing him, she had a deep impression of his face.
How co he was here?
The man was also startled to see Lin Xia enter, but he quickly recovered, a knowing smile on his lips.
Zhao Da looked at her son and Lin Xia smiling, “Xiaolin is here!
Let introduce you, this is my second son, Jiang Mingyuan.
You can just call him Second Brother!”
Lin Xia called out “Second Brother” and then got straight to the point, “Zhao Da!
Do you have a handsaw I could borrow?”
In that era, young n and won were expected to maintain a certain distance from each other.
She didn’t want to bring up the fact that they had t before, to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.
Zhao Da was very hospitable, “Yes, of course!
It works well!
I’ll take you to get it!”
Lin Xia happily followed Zhao Da and managed to also borrow a file.
“Xiaolin, do you know how to file saws?
If not, should I send my second son to help?” Zhao Da asked.
Lin Xia quickly gestured with her hands, “Thank you, Zhao Da!
My big brother knows how!”
“Ah, well then!
If you need anything else, just co back to us!”
“Sure will!”
Zhao Da escorted Lin Xia to the gate before returning to her house.
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