Chapter 4: Is Xiao Fu Bao Disliked? The Whole City Loves Me With Their Lives
Chapter 4: Brother Will Take You Down the Mountain
"Smell better?"
Hearing Feng Xuanrui's comment, Suisui, who was trying to comfort him, blinked and looked confused. After a moment, she realized that lying in the chicken coop all morning had left her smelling less than pleasant. She was used to it, but it seemed that her brother was not.
Feeling a rare sense of embarrassment, Suisui awkwardly pulled her head back from where it had been resting near Feng Xuanrui's foot.
Seeing the girl's actions, Feng Xuanrui felt regretful. "Why did I say that? Damn my mouth!"
Feng Xuanrui tried to salvage the situation, "Suisui, actually, you don't smell too bad."
This statement left both Feng Xuanrui and Suisui, along with the system, in an awkward silence.
After a long pause, Feng Xuanrui broke the silence, "Suisui, is your full name really Suisui? What is your family name?"
Realizing his mistake, Feng Xuanrui wanted to correct himself. Suisui had said she had no parents; why ask about her family name?
Before he could rectify it, Suisui responded with a puzzled nod, "Yes, it's Suisui. My aunt said it's better to be '碎' (shattered), so they call me Suisui. Sometimes they also call me Suixia."
Not "Suisui," but "Shattered"? Who gives a child such a name?
Feng Xuanrui had heard of the saying that "common names are easy to raise," but that usually related to names involving strong animals. In the capital, families avoided using characters like "瓶" (bottle) or "镜" (mirror) in names, fearing they might be fragile and the child might not thrive.
Feng Xuanrui grew even angrier, his delicate face puffed up in indignation. Suisui, puzzled, tilted her head and looked at him.
Seeing her clean eyes, Feng Xuanrui decided it was better not to burden her with such thoughts. He would let those people in the capital handle their own issues when he returned.
After a moment of contemplation, Feng Xuanrui cleared his throat and said solemnly, "Suisui, don't listen to your aunt's nonsense. She’s ignorant and only spouts rubbish. Your name means 'eternally youthful,' as in the years passing by happily without sorrow. Do you remember?"
Feng Xuanrui’s explanation was beyond Suisui’s understanding. She tried hard to process his words but still struggled. Nevertheless, she nodded obediently, though her confidence was lacking, "I... didn’t remember everything, brother. Please don’t think Suisui is dumb. I’ll try hard to remember."
The repeated “brother” made Feng Xuanrui feel emotionally overwhelmed. He raised his hand, his dislike evident, but he couldn’t help but gently pat Suisui’s dry, unevenly cut hair. "It’s alright. The days are long, and I’ll teach you slowly."
Looking at the weather, Feng Xuanrui sighed, "But Suisui, we need to figure out how to leave this place."
Suisui also realized the urgency and her face turned serious, "Yes, there are wolves in the back mountain. We’re too small and might not be enough to satisfy them."
Hearing this, Feng Xuanrui scoffed, "Wolves? What’s so scary about them? I even killed one last autumn; it's no big deal..."
Before he could finish, rustling sounds came from the nearby bushes, cutting off his words.
Suisui turned pale with fear. Her face was already covered in bloodstains and dirt, making her look pitiful and even more so when her face turned white.
Just as Feng Xuanrui was about to speak, Suisui suddenly moved in front of him, spreading her weak arms and saying in a low, trembling voice, "Brother, Suisui will protect you. You go first!"
Her voice was quivering, and her legs were so weak she could barely stand.
Feng Xuanrui, though scared himself, was touched and helpless seeing Suisui's tiny frame blocking him. At only ten years old, he knew that a gentleman should not let a girl protect him. When danger approached, it should be his duty to protect her!
Feng Xuanrui steeled himself, reminding himself that he had faced wolves before and had nothing to fear.
But his weak foot, which ached with every movement, made his expression worsen.
Not hearing any movement behind them, Suisui anxiously called out, "Brother?"
Her soft voice calmed Feng Xuanrui’s internal turmoil. He took a deep breath and responded, "I’m here."
Whether to comfort Suisui or encourage himself, Feng Xuanrui continued, "Suisui, I’m here."
Suisui felt reassured by his words, though her original intention was to block the danger so her brother could escape. Aside from Lele, who sang lullabies to her and gently called her "baby," Suisui had never met anyone as kind.
Such a gentle person… she needed to protect him!
Determined, Suisui’s resolve strengthened, and her voice steadied, "Brother, you go quickly. I can hold them off. I do a lot of work and have plenty of strength!"
Hearing this, Feng Xuanrui rolled his eyes, "With your small frame, you wouldn’t even be able to handle a wolf bite."
The system was infuriated, but Suisui considered his words and nodded, "So, brother, you need to run quickly!"
Feng Xuanrui, not willing to give up, gathered nearby stones and branches, preparing to defend himself despite his injured foot.
Suisui was still blocking the way!
Feng Xuanrui thought, what a good little sister. So why would her uncle’s family be so wicked as to not want such a child?
He grumbled, "When I get back to the capital, I’ll crush them together with the stones!"
His words were mumbled and unclear, and Suisui didn’t catch them.
After some rustling in the bushes, a wild chicken emerged. It looked at the two of them with disdain and then sauntered away.
The children: ...
The false alarm didn’t make them feel relieved but rather made them more aware of the dangers of the mountain.
You never know if the rustling bushes hide a wild chicken or a wolf.
Seeing the small branches around him were too inadequate, Feng Xuanrui asked Suisui to help collect more. Suisui, drenched in sweat and with her thin clothes now soaked, had no shoes and her delicate feet were marked with scars.
Watching her, Feng Xuanrui felt a pang of sadness. He took off his outer garment and draped it over Suisui. "Put this on, gather the branches, and I’ll take you down the mountain."
**To all the dear readers, if you like it, don’t forget to collect and show some love~**
**(End of Chapter)**
Comments
Post a Comment