At the break of dawn, Jiang Cheng, accustomed to waking up early, recited vocabulary words while performing Wu Qin Xi.
After exercise, she held a book in her hands, stretching her long legs on the table.
An hour and a half later, Jiang Cheng opened the door right on time, just as Shen Xing stepped out holding an envelope.
"Writing a letter again?"
Shen Xing nodded, stuffing the thick envelope into his backpack.
"Big brother told me to write more letters. He always puts stamps in his replies. If I don't write a lot, he might think we don't miss him."
Jiang Cheng blinked. She thought Shen Xing's big brother wanted him to write more, but probably not this much.
Shen Xing's chatterbox nature seemed to manifest in his letters.
If Shen Que, far away, knew Jiang Cheng's thoughts, he'd wholeheartedly agree.
He really didn't expect Shen Xing could write so much!
At first, when their mother passed away, his status didn't allow him to return as he wished, so he used this way to console Shen Xing and Shen Yue.
Now, besides training, Shen Que had to rack his brain every day on what to write in his letters.
After three months, even Shen Que's superiors praised his improved report writing!
But he couldn't stop writing; Shen Que feared Shen Xing and Shen Yue would overthink.
"Your big brother is quite a good person."
"Of course he is!"
Shen Xing immediately praised his big brother, transforming into a little chatterbox as he followed behind Jiang Cheng.
"Sister Jiang Cheng, let me tell you, my big brother was awesome! When we were kids, he could pee the furthest in our compound!"
"Pfft," Jiang Cheng spat out her water, spraying it far away.
She really had never seen someone praised in such a way.
Shen Xing also realized it sounded a bit off, scratched his head, and continued, "And my big brother was the best fighter in our compound! Even Lin Chengyuan across the street couldn't match my brother's finger and often got pinned down and beaten by him when they were kids."
"Oh?"
Jiang Cheng's interest was piqued.
One big, one small, sitting at the Shen family's door.
Shen Xing chirpily recounted Shen Que's heroic tales from when he was younger.
Shen Que's image slowly became more vivid in Shen Xing's stories. Jiang Cheng thought: less talk, more action, a strong sense of revenge... peeing the furthest?
Hmm? What a confusing entry.
"Shen Xing, you and your big brother are more than ten years apart. How do you know this so well?"
"My big brother wrote it to me in a letter!"
Jiang Cheng: "???"
Underestimating Shen Xing's big brother's sense of revenge, who would've thought it could be passed on through letters?
Somewhere, Shen Que, in covert training, thought: Time to reply again. Fortunately, Lin Chengyuan deserved a beating when he was a kid; otherwise, he wouldn't know what to write back. Shen Xing's letters are just too long!
Shen Xing spoke with excitement, not even noticing someone had come out across the door.
"My big brother shot him a look that scared him shitless, he slipped, and whoops, slid right into the latrine!"
"Hahaha! Too bad it was winter."
Jiang Cheng commented, making Shen Xing nod repeatedly.
The big and the small perfectly ignored the two lovebirds flaunting across the door.
Lin Chengyuan's distant memories were awakened by Shen Xing's words, somehow feeling like they were talking about him, but he had no proof.
With a sour expression, he carried his lunchbox down the steps.
"Chengyuan!"
A misstep nearly made Lin Chengyuan fall.
Jiang Cheng and Shen Xing exchanged a glance and stood up one after the other, only to hear Jiang Cheng muttering, "Still not good with the legs."
"Sister, let's go, don't get dragged into this."
He Dan, not knowing the ins and outs, but smart enough, directly retorted for Lin Chengyuan, "Jiang Cheng, what's the point of throwing shade? You're nothing but a backstabber."
Jiang Cheng, with one foot already in, turned around.
"Xing Xing, did we name names?"
Shen Xing shook his head, firmly saying, "No."
Jiang Cheng, puzzled, looked at He Dan and said, "People who pick up money exist, those who pick up things are plenty, but it's my first time seeing someone pick up insults."
He Dan's face turned visibly unpleasant, hastily turning to Lin Chengyuan to explain. Lin Chengyuan, however, let go of He Dan's support and walked out of the courtyard with displeasure.
By the time He Dan looked back, Jiang Cheng and Shen Xing were nowhere to be seen.
"Sister-in-law, what are you doing? Everyone's done eating, it's your turn to wash the dishes."
Lin Jiaojiao came out, a bit displeased in her eyes.
Even if she goes to work, she's constantly sending and picking up. In her view, He Dan just doesn't want to do the chores.
Hearing this, He Dan felt even more uncomfortable. Why should she do the chores?
She had paid six hundred bucks! That was money from selling her job.
Her heart was full of resentment, but she turned around with a face full of agreement.
"Yeah, coming right up."
Half an hour later, Jiang Cheng, along with Shen Xing and Shen Yue, set off, heading to work and school.
As they parted, Jiang Cheng took out two boiled eggs from her bag, handing them to Shen Xing and Shen Yue.
"Eat when you're hungry."
"Study hard, day by day improve!"
After giving them, Jiang Cheng ran off, leaving Shen Yue bewilderedly looking at Shen Xing.
"Brother—"
"Take it, next time brother sends money back, we'll buy cloth to make new clothes for sister."
Shen Yue shook her head, pouting, "I don't deserve to eat eggs. I can't study well. Every time the teacher starts class, I get sleepy!"
Shen Xing's mouth twitched.
To be honest, his sister had quite a clear understanding of herself.
"Don't worry, Sister Jiang Cheng gives these to you because she likes you, not because she likes your studies."
"Really?"
Shen Xing nodded affirmatively.
He was very sure that Sister Jiang Cheng had definitely realized Shen Yue wasn't cut out for studying.
Shen Yue, unaware of Shen Xing's thoughts, immediately beamed with her signature stuffed bun smile.
"Sister Jiang Cheng is the best!"
Shen Xing smiled and patted his sister's head.
Indeed, it felt nice to touch, no wonder Sister Jiang Cheng always liked to ruffle their heads.
After the three parted ways, Jiang Cheng arrived smoothly at the recycling station.
To her surprise, Sister Wang was there too.
No need to ask, something must be up today.
"Sister Wang."
Jiang Cheng didn't ask or inquire, following Sister Wang closely.
"Xiao Jiang is here. We've been asked to compile a major statistic for the recent years. It's urgent, and the two of us will be quite busy the next few days."
"Okay, I'll follow Sister Wang's instructions. What should I start with?"
Sister Wang was very pleased with Jiang Cheng's attitude, wasting no time getting things organized.
Jiang Cheng immediately put down her backpack, following Sister Wang, carrying out box after box of record books.
Once busy, they truly got swept up in the workload.
At lunch, even Sister Kong's bruises on her arm couldn't spur Sister Wang to accompany her to react in anger.
By 4:30 in the afternoon, they'd only managed to organize a tenth of the materials.
Sister Wang stretched her back, watching Jiang Cheng continue working diligently, feeling no small amount of satisfaction.
This kid is really good!
"Xiao Jiang, do you have a partner?"
Reaching a certain age naturally awakens the matchmaking instincts, prompting Sister Wang to ask.
Jiang Cheng blushed slightly, shaking her head, "Sister Wang, my registration is still in the countryside."
Only then did Sister Wang remember that Jiang Cheng was working as Durant's replacement.
After some thought, the topic was dropped.
As soon as it was time to leave work, Jiang Cheng hurried back, feeling hungry.
For dinner, Grandma Shen made three-flour buns, cabbage stewed with vermicelli without meat, along with half of the sausage Jiang Cheng had given her in the morning.
Throughout the meal, Shen Xing was unusually quiet.
Jiang Cheng and Grandma Shen exchanged glances.
"What's going on?"
"No idea."
After dinner, Grandma Shen rushed to wash the dishes, taking Little Shen Yue with her.
Jiang Cheng sat beside Shen Xing, and in just a few words, understood the problem.
A homework problem.
Shen Xing had to write an essay.
The topic was My Dad.