Huo Jingrui delivered the things to Liu Chenglin. "Your brother asked me to bring this to you."
Liu Chenglin took them. "Is he doing all right?"
Huo Jingrui stared into his eyes. "Do you blame your brother?"
Liu Chenglin glanced at the items in his hand and shook his head. "No. Someone in the family always had to be sent to the countryside. It’s the same wherever you end up. Besides, we only plant once a year here and can loaf around in the winter. I should count myself lucky."
Huo Jingrui patted his shoulder. "It’s good that you can see it that way. Your brother asked me to tell you that your sister’s health has improved a lot. You don’t need to worry about her."
Liu Chenglin glanced next door. "Are you here to see Chu Zhiqing?"
Huo Jingrui nodded. "Yes, I have something to discuss with her."
Liu Chenglin gave a slight cough and said, seemingly offhandedly, "There are plenty of people wanting to chase after Chu Zhiqing."
Upon hearing this, Huo Jingrui’s face remained composed, but his heart tightened. "Did your brother tell you anything?"
Liu Chenglin’s lips curved into a triumphant smile. "No, I was just guessing."
Huo Jingrui cleared his throat. "If there’s nothing else, I’ll be on my way. Take care of yourself."
Liu Chenglin had said that only because he remembered what his elder brother mentioned before leaving and wanted to confirm his own suspicion. Judging by Big Brother Huo’s reaction, his guess was probably correct.
Thinking of home, he wasn’t devoid of resentment at first about being sent to the countryside. He had already secured a job; why did *he* have to be the one sent?
He had made a scene at home over it and had even frightened his sister into hospitalization.
Only when he calmed down did he realize that his sister had always been delicate and couldn’t withstand stress. His parents were worried about her health, which was why they had considered sending him to the countryside.
Yet he had fallen for slanderous talk and nearly turned against his own family. In the end, he even managed to get himself hospitalized.
Reflecting on it, it was an old childhood grievance that had resurfaced. He was four years younger than his elder brother. Because of a work transfer, their parents had left him, not even a year old at the time, in the care of their grandparents. Discover more novels at novel~fire~net
They were gone for seven years and had only returned home once during that time. The neighbors liked to tease him, saying, "Lin Zi, your parents don’t want you anymore. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have left you with your grandparents all these years without a word."
A child’s heart is delicate. After hearing this repeatedly, he took it to heart. He envied the other kids who could act spoiled and petulant with their parents.
Sometimes the neighbors would talk about his elder brother, Liu Cheng. They said his brother’s name was personally picked by their father, while his own was a random pick by a registry clerk when his grandfather went to register his birth.
There was a neighbor who fancied himself a cultured man and loved to pontificate. He said that the character ’Cheng’ communicated excellence, great achievements, and surefire success. It was supposed to embody their parents’ expectations and blessings for his brother.
He didn’t remember much else from his younger days apart from these words, which made him feel unloved by his parents and start to resent them.
Later, after his grandparents passed away, his parents took him to Beijing. But he couldn’t feel happy about it and always suspected their kindness was feigned. He enjoyed defying them at every opportunity.
When it was time to register his household in Beijing, he insisted on changing his name, making sure it included the character ’Cheng’. Eventually, his father relented, and his name changed from Liu Lin to Liu Chenglin.
Later on, someone in the family needed to go to the countryside. Even though he knew he was close to securing a job, it ended up being him who was sent.
Afterward, he hardly ever stayed home. He spent his days causing minor trouble and hanging out with street hoodlums, which eventually landed him straight in the hospital.
His elder brother came back for a visit and, upon learning the situation, reprimanded him harshly. Liu Chenglin was then informed that he was already signed up to go to the countryside. Once he recovered, he had to go—there was no room for discussion.