Yuan Fang nodded and helped the two pack up.
“Little Fang, you can keep the food I have, but you have to finish it soon otherwise it’ll go bad,” Liu Ran said, giving the boy the few eggs and snacks he had brought with him.
Yuan Fang accepted those graciously and placed them in his cabinet. “Thanks, got it.”
“Don’t have to thank me, you’re my best buddy!”
“Of course.”
The two glanced at each other, each bearing a silly grin.
Ye Ling was both pleased and envious that the two had a great relationship.
Because he was born with a weak body, he did not have other companions besides his three brothers and Li Wazi.
He let them have a moment together, before gently reminding Liu Ran, “Ran Er, we should go now.”
“Alright.” Liu Ran turned to him and nodded. Later, the three left the building.
Yuan Fang stood at the school entrance and saw them off before returning to the classroom.
Within the little grove, Ye Xuan got beaten up so badly he had bruises all over as he griped in pain.
“B-Brother Yang, stop it! Hit me some more and I’ll die!” Ye Xuan protested feebly.
Ye Yang finally stopped punching him. He stood upright next to Ye Xuan and looked at him condescendingly. “Talk!”
Talk?
Ye Xuan looked up blankly at Ye Yang. “Brother Yang, what do you want me to talk about? I don’t even know why you’re doing this, how should I know what you want me to say?”
In his mind, he already knew why Ye Yang had come for him, but he swore to seal his mouth shut and never admit it. Otherwise, the consequences would be incorrigible!
“Talk, or else!” Ye Yang repeated patiently, one word at a time.
His face still bore its usual coldness, but a careful observation would reveal that his eyebrows were slightly furrowed. An angry flame burned within.
“Brother Yang, can we stop with the guessing games?”
Ye Yang glared at Ye Xuan. He’d had enough of his cousin’s denial. He hardly ever spoke, so he decided to let his fists do the talking again!
And the force he used this time was a lot greater than the first!
“Owwwww… B-Brother Yang, d-do you intend to k-kill me?” Ye Xuan was in so much pain his speech had become unclear. He had no chance to fight back or dodge.
As time passed by, Ye Ling eventually returned home with Liu Ran. He mentioned his idea to Liu Duo, who agreed with what he had done. She also agreed with the idea to enroll Liu Ran in the school in town.
Very soon it was noon. Ye Liu and the men were going home on their bullock-cart when they chanced upon Ye Yang heading in the same direction, but Lao Liu was not with him.
“Yang, why are you alone? And coming from this way?” Ye Liu asked, giggling. He had halted the cart so that his eldest brother could climb up, and they would go home together.
Ye Mo and Li Wazi had set their sights on Ye Yang from the moment they saw him. They wondered why Ye Yang was there in the first place.
Ye Yang got up the cart and, in a calm and steady manner, answered, “Got into a fight.”
A fight?
Ye Liu burst out laughing, as though he had just heard about an extraordinary event. “Pffft…Yang, even you would do that? Who did you fight?”
In his mind, his brother Yang was not one to resort to physical means easily just to resolve an issue.
Ye Mo and Li Wazi exchanged glances, looking as though they must have imagined what they had just heard.