Chapter Forty-Four: Warm and Fuzzy

  Xiao Yu's mind went blank, and he was almost confused. Wasn't the one playing with the child his mother Xiao Jianying? Xiao Yu widened his eyes and walked forward, asking in a daze: "Mom?"

  Xiao Jianying was taken aback, looked up and stared blankly for a moment before excitedly shouting towards the kitchen: "Yuer, hurry out, your brother is back!"

  Xiao Yu stared at his mother carefully, his mother's face was rosy and her words were full of energy, where did she look like a sick person?

  Then his mother taught him in her arms: "Hanghai, you call 'Uncle'"

  That little boy looked at Xiao Yu and didn't cry, but called out in a soft voice: "Doudou!"

  "Haha!" Mother laughed happily: "Yu'er, did you hear that our Hanghai can call 'Uncle' now?"

  "Yes, our Hanghai is the smartest!" At this time, a woman in her 24 or 25 years old walked out of the house, with an apron tied around her waist, wiping her hands with a towel while speaking.

  Xiao Yu and his sister Xiao Yu are twins, with his sister being born five minutes earlier. Due to not having a father, Xiao Yu was often bullied and ridiculed by his classmates when he was young. Every time Xiao Yu was bullied at school, it was always his sister who helped him out and fought with the boys in class. Although they were only five minutes apart in age, his sister had always acted like an adult since childhood, and most of his childhood memories were spent following behind her.

  Xiao Yu looked at the woman who just walked out of the kitchen, "If it's not my sister, then who is it?" Looking at his sister, Xiao Yu anxiously asked, "Sister, you didn't say... that mom... got sick...?"

  Xiao Yu brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled, saying: "Little brother! This isn't my fault, it's mom's. Whatever mom says, I'll say!"

  At this time, Xiao Yu's mother took over and said: "If I didn't let your sister say so, could you come back? You haven't even come back for Mid-Autumn Festival!"

  Xiao Yu knew that his mother was fine, and his heart suddenly calmed down. He smiled awkwardly: "Mom, look, I'm busy!"

  "Busy? You're so busy you can't even take care of your own home, right?" Xiao Jianying said with a bad tone.

  Xiao Yu touched his head and secretly raised his eyes to look at his mother, silly smiled.

  Xiao Jianying looked at her son in front of her, whose face was 50% similar to his father's, and felt a pang in her heart. Irritated, she said to Xiao Yu, "Go take a bath quickly, you're covered in dirt! Don't dress so sloppily, how will you find a wife like this?" Then she turned to her daughter Xiao Yu and said, "Yu'er, tomorrow go with your brother to buy some clothes, he only has those few sets!"

  "Alright, mom! I'll take him to buy it first thing tomorrow morning!" Xiao Yu moved a small stool to sit beside her mother and took the child from her hand.

  Xiao Yu turned around to see Xiao Ran, who was about to take a bath, and asked: "Younger brother, why did you come back so quickly? From the time I called until now is only four hours! Mom and I were just saying that you wouldn't be able to arrive home until tomorrow morning!"

  "I was in Beijing when you called! I didn't dare delay after answering the phone, so I rushed back immediately!" Xiao Ye said, stopping in his tracks.

  "Beijing? What are you going to Beijing for?" Xiao Yu's mother stood up from her chair with a gloomy face and said.

  Xiao Yu and his sister looked at their mother with a surprised expression. What's going on? Isn't it just a trip to Beijing? Why such a big reaction?

  But Xiao Ye didn't dare ask, usually her mother was very good to her and her sister, but whenever her mother got angry, never argue with her, because when she was a kid, this meant that the feather duster and buttocks would have an intimate contact.

  So, Xiao Yu saw his mother's gloomy face and quickly explained: "Mom, one of my classmates, Zhuo Siwei, isn't from Beijing? He invited me to play! I just arrived in Beijing this afternoon and was scared by your call, so I rushed back!"

  Xiao Jianying's expression softened upon hearing Xiao Yu's words, and she sat back down in the recliner, waving her hand at him.

  Xiao Yu saw his mother wave goodbye and quickly ran into the house. After entering the house, he patted his chest with one hand and let out a long sigh of relief before heading to the bathroom to take a bath.

  Xiao Yu came out of the bath, and his mother was fine, chatting with his sister. Xiao Yu walked up to them, took the child from his sister's arms and teased: "Hang Hang, call uncle, uncle will buy you sweets!"

  The little boy was not shy at all, jumping up and down in Xiao Yu's arms, hearing Xiao Yu speak, looking at him and calling out: "Doudou! Doudou!"

  "Ah..." Just now, Xiao You was worried about his mother and didn't even notice when his little nephew called out. Now that he heard his little nephew call him "Doudou", Xiao You was overjoyed and happily responded.

  "Yu'er, go buy some good dishes and also get some pork ribs! Your brother is coming back, let's make something delicious tonight!" Xiao Jianying said to Xiao Yu as she saw Xiao Yun teasing the kids. Seeing Xiao Yu getting up to buy groceries, she continued: "Call Xianghong and tell him to come over tonight too!"

  "Okay, mom, I'll call him in a bit!" Xiao Yu said and quickly went out to buy vegetables.

  Xiao Yu's brother-in-law is called Lu Jianhong, also from the same city as his sister and high school classmates. During their studies, they were deskmates, possibly with a hidden crush! His sister attended nursing school, while Lu Jianhong, who had good grades and was expected to attend a top university, unexpectedly enrolled in a junior college in the same city as his sister. Through several years of attending university together, he often spent time with his sister during breaks, and they gradually developed a romantic relationship.

  Her brother-in-law's family background is not bad, her brother-in-law's father is the vice mayor of this city. Although he is only a deputy department-level cadre because the city is at the county level, he still belongs to the kind of person who stands at the top in this city. In contrast, his own family has an ordinary background. At first, Lu Jianhong's parents said they disagreed, but Lu Jianhong insisted and even went on a hunger strike. His parents were forced to agree reluctantly.

  Although Lu Jianhong's parents agreed, after his sister got married and went over there, his parents often picked on her, disliking this and that about her. However, his sister and brother-in-law had a good relationship, so he couldn't say anything to his mother. His brother-in-law wanted to help his sister find work at the hospital, but she didn't agree, instead coming to his mother's clinic to help with dispensing medicine. As his sister said, "If it were my brother-in-law's connections, I would have gone, but because of his parents' stubborn refusal, I won't go."

  Things only got better when her older sister gave birth to a nephew, Lu Yu Hang. Although she still didn't give her a good face, she no longer coldly ridiculed and mocked her.

  In the evening, my mother and sister prepared a table of delicious dishes. My brother-in-law, Lu Jianhong, also came. The whole family sat around the dinner table, chatting and laughing. Seeing this scene, Xiao You's heart felt warm and fuzzy, with a feeling of wanting to cry.

  "Son, come and eat a piece of pork ribs!" Xiao Jianying saw that Xiao Yu was eating very quickly, worried that her son couldn't get enough meat outside, so she added another piece of pork ribs to Xiao Yu's bowl, with tears in her eyes as she watched him gobble it down.

  "Mom……, okay! You also favor boys over girls, why do you only give the son a piece of pork rib and not the daughter?" Xiao Yu saw her mother giving Xiao Ye another piece of pork rib and pouted with a long tone.

  "Go! What can't you eat at home? Your brother has been away from home for years, who knows if he can even afford to eat meat outside!" Xiao Jianying patted Xiao Yu with her hand and tears began to flow.

  Xiao Yu's tears also fell when she heard her mother's words.

  "Yes, Xiaoyu, why don't you go back! I'll find my dad and ask him to make a call to the president of the municipal hospital!" said Xiao Yu's brother-in-law, Lu Jianhong, seeing the two women wiping away tears.

  Usually, when Lu Jianhong mentioned asking his father for help, Xiao Yu would strongly object. However, this time when Lu Jianhong brought it up, not only did Xiao Yu not oppose it, but there was also a hint of expectation in her eyes. For the sake of her brother's suffering, she could endure even more grievances.

  "No way!" "Don't bother, brother-in-law!" said Xiao Jianying and Xiao Yu simultaneously.