Chapter Sixty-Four: Give Your Dear Sister a Kiss (Please Vote for Me)

“Little chicks, little chicks, come out and play with Xier. Xier has little strawberries for you, so sweet, so sweet…”

Inside the coop, little Xier lay flat on the ground, her small bottom sticking up, holding a tiny strawberry in her hand to tempt the chicks.

Suddenly, a fierce and adorable childish shout rang out.

“You silly kid! What are you doing?”

“Hehe… Xiaobai, there are little chicks!”

Xier scrambled up from the ground, looking at Xiaobai, who was running over with a mischievous air, and at Qiuer and Nianian. She burst out laughing.

“You fool! You… silly girl!”

Xiaobai had no way to deal with this little one who always laughed out loud.

Nianian said nothing, gripping Xier’s hand tightly, as if afraid she might disappear again if she let go.

“Xier, don’t run off anymore, you’ll get lost, and Sister Jin has cried herself into a panic,” Qiuer said sternly, her little face serious.

“Ah!”

Hearing that her sister had cried in worry, Xier’s laughter abruptly stopped. She lifted her small head and looked at the two standing outside the coop, and sure enough, her own sister’s eyes were red.

Meeting her sister’s reddened gaze, she shrank back her little neck in fear. After a moment, she released Nianian’s hand and darted over.

“Sister… I’m sorry. Please don’t cry anymore, okay? Xier… Xier won’t run off again.”

Xier’s tiny hand pulled at Tan Jin’s larger one, grinning sweetly in an attempt to please.

Tan Jin gently turned her head away; she was angry now, angry enough not to want to speak to her little sister.

“Sister… please talk to me, don’t ignore Xier. I’ll give you a little strawberry, okay? It’s so sweet, Xier saved the biggest one for you, sister…”

Tan Jin didn’t respond. Anxious, Xier hurriedly took a slightly larger strawberry from her pocket. It was bright red and fresh, but somehow it had split open.

“Wah!”

The strawberry broke, and the little one burst into tears.

Her sister wouldn’t talk to her, and the biggest strawberry she’d saved for her sister was ruined. Her tiny heart was filled with sorrow.

Tears welled up in her large eyes, blurring her vision, but she still stretched out her hand to her sister, offering the broken strawberry.

Her little sister’s grief melted all of Tan Jin’s anger into affection. She crouched down to wipe the child’s tears.

“Don’t cry, sweetheart, be good. You’re our happy little Xier, how can you cry? Don’t cry, okay?”

Tan Jin comforted her softly, taking the strawberry from Xier’s hand and eating it.

“Mmm, it’s very sweet. Be good, darling. Sister isn’t angry anymore, so you don’t need to cry either, okay?”

“Mmm… mmm, then… then sister… please don’t ignore Xier.”

The little one clung tightly to Tan Jin’s neck, sobbing and choking back tears.

“Of course, how could I ever ignore you? I’m just worried about you, that’s all. Sister will never ignore you.”

“Sister… I’m sorry. Xier… Xier will be good from now on.”

“Good girl.”

Xier stopped crying, Jin the little chef was no longer angry, and the Tan sisters made up. Qiuer and the other two little ones happily danced around them.

“Xier, let’s go pick strawberries. Qiuer wants to pick the biggest, sweetest one for brother.”

“Let’s go!”

“Xier, hold my hand!”

Xier was pulled away by her three little sisters, running off together.

“Sister Jin, I’ll keep an eye on Xier,” called Chun’er nearby, and then she, Xia’er, and Hao chased after the four little ones.

“Alright, wipe your tears,” said Li Wanxiao gently, holding Dong’er.

“Mmm.”

Tan Jin wiped her tears and glanced at Li Wanxiao, embarrassed. “Sister Wan, forgive me for making a scene.”

“Not at all,” Li Wanxiao shook her head. “You love Xier dearly, and Xier loves you just as much. That’s something many people envy.”

“Well… sometimes she’s so mischievous it gives me a headache.”

“Ha ha… that’s not mischief, it’s liveliness, the nature of children. Come along now.”

…

Lamb skewers, chicken wings, fresh fish…

By the time Li Wanxiao and Tan Jin returned with their little darlings, Yang Qing had finished preparing the barbecue ingredients and set up the grill.

“Brother!”

Qiuer cheered, running over, then opened her strawberry box and took out the biggest strawberry to feed Yang Qing.

“Brother, eat—so sweet, so sweet!”

“Thank you, darling.”

Yang Qing ate it in one bite, squinting with affection and planting a kiss on Qiuer, making her giggle merrily.

Nearby, Xier saw Brother Qing’s kiss make Qiuer laugh so happily, and her big eyes lit up.

“Whoosh!”

Xier ran excitedly to Yang Qing and shouted in her childish voice:

“Brother Qing! Your kisses are amazing! You should kiss my sister too, so she can laugh happily!”

“Ah!”

Yang Qing’s smile froze; he stared at the excited Xier, momentarily at a loss.

What a peculiar train of thought this little one has!

“Tan Xier! What nonsense are you saying?”

Not far away, Tan Jin’s face turned crimson as she shouted, frightening Xier who darted behind Yang Qing.

“Hehe… Sister, Xier just wants you to laugh. Let Brother Qing kiss you!”

Yang Qing: ⊙﹏⊙

Tan Jin: ◎_◎

“Haha…”

Li Wanxiao laughed heartily. The more she spent time here, the more she realized Yang Qing’s family never lacked for joy.

Amid laughter, playful scuffles, eating and drinking, time slipped by. By four in the afternoon, Dong’er had awakened from her nap, and it was time for everyone to head home.

“Brother…”

On the way back, Qiuer whispered to Yang Qing:

“Nianian said she’s going with her mom and Hao to see her dad. Brother, can we go see Nianian’s dad too, and then go visit grandma? Grandma must miss Qiuer, and Qiuer wants to tell grandma how happy she is now, and that she’ll be starting kindergarten soon with Xiaobai and Xier. Grandma will be so happy, won’t she?”

“Yes, grandma will definitely be happy. Seeing how thoughtful Qiuer is, grandma will be very proud.”

Yang Qing hugged her lovingly and spoke softly: “Let me ask Nianian’s mother. If she agrees, we’ll visit Nianian’s dad first, then go see grandma. How’s that?”

Qiuer nodded earnestly. “Mm!”

Li Wanxiao was moved to tears when Yang Qing made his request, and her gaze toward the little ones was full of warmth.

These children are the future of this era.

The car stopped at a flower shop. Yang Qing bought a carnation for Tan Jin and each child, while Li Wanxiao picked up a white rose and two forget-me-nots. Then they set off straight for the Martyrs’ Cemetery.

As they stepped out, a solemn atmosphere enveloped everyone present.

Even cheerful Xier was silent, her little face serious as she gripped Nianian’s hand.

Entering the cemetery, gazing at rows of black tombstones, Yang Qing felt a heavy weight in his heart.

There is no tranquil time—only because someone carries burdens for us.

Following Li Wanxiao up the path, suddenly she stopped, her gaze fixed ahead, her body trembling.

Yang Qing and the others halted, looking forward. Before them, a group of over a dozen “Blue Friends” stood in neat formation by a tombstone, and beside and behind them were mourners of varying ages, men and women clutching carnations.

Li Wanxiao stopped, tears streaming down her face. The mourners noticed her, and the “Blue Friends” turned in unison.

“Salute!”