After finishing his bath, Xu Tongdao returned to the bedroom. The moment he stepped inside, he saw that his younger brother, Xu Tonglu, was already lying in bed.
Their house was small. Including the main hall, there were only three earthen rooms in total. The eastern room was his parents' bedroom. This western room was divided down the middle with bamboo slats and dried leaves, forming a makeshift "wall" that split the space in two.
His younger sister, Ge Yuzhu, slept in the inner section. He and Xu Tonglu slept in the outer section. Ever since they were little, the two brothers had always shared the same bed.
Xu Tonglu slept on the inside, while Xu Tongdao slept on the outside.
The light in the room was still on. When Xu Tongdao entered, he saw Xu Tonglu lying motionless on the inner side of the bed.
"Already asleep?"
Xu Tongdao asked calmly.
Xu Tonglu didn't respond, as if he were truly asleep.
But Xu Tongdao knew better. That kid was definitely still awake. After all, he had just grabbed him by the throat earlier. Xu Tonglu was clearly sulking now.
Xu Tongdao casually closed the door. Instinctively, he patted both pockets of his pants.
Before his rebirth, he had smoked for many years. Whenever something happened, he would subconsciously light up a cigarette. It was a psychological dependence. But now, naturally, he felt nothing—he didn't have any cigarettes on him.
He smiled faintly and sighed, then walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed, looking at his brother—who was pretending to sleep—with complicated emotions.
The two brothers were only a year apart in age and had grown up sleeping in the same bed. Their bond was naturally deep.
But the experiences from his previous life…
They had left Xu Tongdao with very complicated feelings toward his younger brother.
He knew Xu Tonglu wasn't bad by nature. In the original timeline, the main reason his brother had gone down the wrong path and eventually ended up in prison for three years was their father.
Their father running off with their aunt… not only showed a complete lack of responsibility, but also made their entire family unable to hold their heads up in the village.
Not just in Xu Family Village, but in front of all their relatives, and in front of classmates and friends who knew about it—they couldn't hold their heads up anywhere.
That sense of humiliation was something Xu Tonglu, who had always been proud and arrogant since childhood, simply couldn't endure. From elementary school onward, Xu Tonglu had won awards every year and had always been confident. But after their father ran off, everyone's gaze toward him became mocking. People pointed and whispered behind his back, and some even mocked him outright to his face.
Xu Tongdao himself had suffered through plenty of that as well.
The difference was that Xu Tongdao wasn't as proud by nature and was more inwardly reserved, so he could endure it. But Xu Tonglu clearly couldn't.
So in the original timeline, Xu Tonglu's personality changed drastically. He listened to no one, snapped at anyone who spoke to him, lost all interest in studying, and fell rapidly into ruin.
Xu Tongdao hated his father to the core, but he had always felt deep pain and disappointment toward his younger brother—disappointment born of caring too much.
Tonight, his sister was sleeping in the eastern room with their mother, so the western room held only him and Xu Tonglu.
Xu Tongdao felt that tonight was a good opportunity for a heart-to-heart talk with his brother.
Although he had no confidence that a single conversation could truly change Xu Tonglu, he still wanted to try.
He truly hoped his brother could mature sooner and continue striving upward.
"Xiao Lu, I know you're not asleep. Let's talk."
Xu Tongdao opened the conversation while watching his brother lie there motionless.
But after he spoke, Xu Tonglu still showed no reaction, as if he were sleeping soundly.
Xu Tongdao wasn't surprised. This was exactly Xu Tonglu's style.
So he began talking to himself.
"Our dad has no sense of responsibility. He ran away—that's already a fact…"
"Xiao Lu, there are many things in this world we can choose. But what kind of parents we're born to… that's not something we can choose. That's fate. All we can do is accept it."
Xu Tonglu remained motionless.
Xu Tongdao sighed softly, leaned back against the bed frame, half-closed his eyes, and continued.
"I know having a father like that makes you angry. It makes you feel ashamed… I feel the same. But what choice do we have? No matter how humiliating or difficult it is, we still have to face it.
It's like someone accidentally falling into a cesspit. Yes—falling into a cesspit is humiliating. But Xiao Lu… if someone refuses to climb out because it's embarrassing, and ends up drowning in it, don't you think that's even more humiliating?"
He glanced at his brother again. Still no reaction.
Even the "cesspit" metaphor hadn't stirred him. That was a bit unexpected.
So he was really determined to keep pretending to sleep.
Xu Tongdao smiled faintly, stared up at the dried leaves on the ceiling, and continued.
"Xiao Lu, we're brothers. Blood brothers, born of the same mother. Tell me—have I ever hit you growing up?
No, right?
Have you ever thought about why I laid hands on you tonight?
I know you're still angry at me right now. You might even be thinking of suddenly jumping up and pinning me down to beat me up. I know that's what you're thinking.
If you really want to hit me, then get up and do it. I promise I won't fight back.
But… as your older brother, I hope you can calm down and continue studying properly. I know it's hard, but this isn't a reason for us to give up on ourselves. Because… because now, the two of us are the pillars of this family."
Still, there was no response from Xu Tonglu.
Perhaps he really had fallen asleep.
But having said this much, Xu Tongdao didn't want to stop.
After a brief pause, he continued.
"Our dad is a useless coward with no responsibility. We can't become like him. The two of us have to make something of ourselves. Even if not for ourselves, then for Mom, for Yuzhu.
Xiao Lu, you have to listen to your brother. Don't fight me over earning money. I'm older than you. Even if it's only by one year—no, even by one day—I'm still older. As long as I haven't collapsed yet, you don't need to worry about making money. Your task is to study hard, to get into university if possible.
We have to stand back up. We can't let people look down on us for the rest of our lives."
Xu Tongdao finished speaking, but Xu Tonglu still didn't move.
Xu Tongdao glanced at him, disappointment flashing across his face.
He truly wanted to persuade his brother.
But…
If he had leaned over at that moment and looked at Xu Tonglu's face, he would have seen that the boy who lay so still already had tears streaming down his cheeks, his lips clenched tightly.
…
At dawn the next day, Xu Tongdao got up early. He went to the kitchen, grabbed a shrimp rake and a fish basket, rolled up his pant legs, went barefoot, and headed out to catch fish.
Life at home was hard now. Since there were fish in the fields, he didn't want to waste the opportunity. Catching some fish would add another dish to the table.
If he caught more than enough, he could even sell some and help support the family.
TL: If you want to read ahead by at least ten chapters, patreon.com/EdibleMapleSyrup