Qin Xiangnuan stood outside for a long time, her frail body seemingly blown awry by the wind.
"Ugly monster," Qin Xiangmei made a scary face at Qin Xiangnuan. The fair-skinned child was indeed adorable. Qin Xiangnuan’s gaze suddenly fell on Qin Xiangmei’s neck. Her mother’s necklace was still there, on Qin Xiangmei’s neck. She had to find a way to get it back. In this lifetime, all she wanted was to retrieve what belonged to them and not seek any revenge. She just wanted her brother to grow up and become an adult.
However, Qin Xiangnuan’s eyes instantly turned icy, making Qin Xiangmei feel a bit scared and she quickly ran into the kitchen. Children’s minds are very sensitive, they can somewhat sense the thoughts and preferences of adults.
Although Qin Xiangnuan now appears to have the face of a doll, inside, she had long been a middle-aged woman.
The wind picked up, adding a knife-like chill. Qin Xiangnuan’s cheeks were frozen blue. On her thin skin appeared some frostbite, unlike Qin Xiangmei’s fair and tender face. She was very dark, thin, and clearly malnourished. She turned around, walked into her own room, then picked up a half-mended piece of clothing and continued mending it. She stuffed the cotton showing outside the jacket back in and then picked up the needle to sew it again. When Qin Xiangyang came in holding a bowl, he saw his sister mending his clothes.
"Nuannuan has learned to mend clothes," he put the bowl on the table and leaned in closer, only to be surprised. The mending was really well-done.
"Nuannuan is really a good girl, mending clothes for her brother," he praised his sister, gently pinching her lean, meatless cheek.
"Come on, Nuannuan, time to eat."
He brought the bowl over, placing it in front of Qin Xiangnuan.
As expected, it was just a bowl of cornmeal, with no cakes.
"Eat," Qin Xiangyang put the chopsticks in his sister’s small hands. For many years, he had always ensured his sister ate first.
Qin Xiangnuan shook her head and pushed the chopsticks back into his hands.
"Brother, Nuannuan has already eaten," she touched her tiny belly, "I’m really not hungry."
"Eaten?" Qin Xiangyang was puzzled. Hu Li wouldn’t normally give Nuannuan food to eat, but his sister was the most obedient, well-behaved, and timid, she would never lie.
"I have eaten," Qin Xiangnuan repeated. She put her finger to her lips and whispered,
"Brother, Nuannuan was so hungry, she secretly ate. From now on, Nuannuan will secretly eat and not let mom see, so you don’t have to share your food."
Qin Xiangyang didn’t know what he felt in his heart; a sourness was spreading from the tip of his nose, and it was unbearable.
It was all his fault. He was useless, unable to ensure his sister could even eat to her fill, and she was always worried about her useless big brother.
He rubbed the top of his sister’s head again, "Be careful when you sneak food, don’t let them see." He didn’t oppose his sister stealing food because they were too young to get by otherwise. At just four years old, Qin Xiangmei was much taller than his Nuannuan. Despite being sisters, she was bigger due to getting more food. He knew it was because they weren’t getting enough food. Previously, Nuannuan was too timid to say anything, and equally afraid to act.
Now he felt that after his sister was deserted and then picked up again, her courage had grown a bit, and she had become more sensible.