Chapter 10
Words:1894Update:22/06/17 19:21:17
Dinner was porridge, two steamed buns, and a plate of pickled cabbage.
Yu Shu had been out for the whole afternoon, so she was really hungry. She finished the meal and put down the chopsticks. Yu Xiaoxiu began to clean the table.
"I went to Changmenpu Street in the afternoon."
Yu Xiaoxiu ignored her and sent the empty bowls and plates out. After a while, he came back with a wet rag, folded it into a square, and began to wipe the table.
"An old man gave me a book, which is specialized in teaching people how to read. Can you help me take a look later?"
Yu Shu boldly asked Yu Xiaoxiu for help. Before dinner, she had already asked Aunt Liu. The ignorant and incompetent girl in the previous life was as illiterate as her. Otherwise, she wouldn't have sold all the good textbooks.
"I don't care." Yu Xiaoxiu dropped these two words and turned to wash the rag.
Yu Shu had expected this reaction. She was not discouraged by his refusal. Instead, she stood up from the table, followed him out, and shamelessly pulled the back of his clothes.
"Help me take a look. It's just a few poems. You just need to read them for me. How about three times, three times."
"I don't care."
"Then two times."
"I don't care."
"Once!" Yu Shu rested her head on his thin shoulder, just like how she used to play with Yu Lei a long time ago. She persistently bargained with him. "Once should be enough. I can't go any lower."
It was the first time that he was being clung to like this. Yu Xiaoxiu felt uncomfortable. In order to cover it up, he impatiently threw the rag into the basin and said loudly,
"I said I don't care!"
"Oh."
The weight on his shoulder left him. Hearing Yu Shu's dragging footsteps, Yu Xiaoxiu couldn't help but turn his head. He only glanced at the lonely and lost figure, and then he forced himself to turn his head again. He picked up the rag in the water and scrubbed hard.
On the other side, Yu Shu "dejectedly" walked into the room. She didn't hear Yu Xiaoxiu calling her, so she had to give up the idea of winning his sympathy.
Yu Shu sat down at the table and fiddled with the oil lamp's pitifully short wick. She looked at the teapot and suddenly had an idea. She poured a bowl of water and took out the book that she had been holding in her bosom all night. She opened it and dipped her finger in the water from the first page and started writing on the table stroke by stroke.
The book that the old shopkeeper gave her was indeed a good guide. The printing was neat, and the strokes were neat. What was rare were the poems at the end. Half of them were written in simplified characters that she could recognize. As for the other half, she had to guess the meaning of the whole thing.
Yu Xiaoxiu cleaned the room, washed the shoes, and made the bed. He turned his head and saw Yu Shu still sitting at the table and reading the book. He walked over and reached for the oil lamp.
"There's not much lamp oil left at home. The government will only distribute it at the end of the month."
He meant that Yu Shu should quickly turn off the light and go to sleep. She didn't want to waste the lamp oil.
"Okay, I'm going to wash my face." Yu Shu rubbed her eyes and closed the book with a yawn. She went to the door to get the basin and went out to wash.
Yu Xiaoxiu followed her to the door. Seeing that she walked to the well, he turned back to the table and picked up the book. He saw that it was indeed teaching horizontal and vertical strokes. He couldn't help but whisper,
"Does she really want to learn it well?"
As soon as this thought came to his mind, he suppressed it. Too many past experiences told him that if he wanted to live a peaceful life, he must not believe her nonsense.
Yu Xiaoxiu curled his lips, blew out the oil lamp, and climbed into bed to sleep.
"Achoo!"
Yu Shu sneezed by the well and rubbed her nose with a handkerchief. She thought that she must cover herself with the quilt when she slept. She didn't want to get sick again. Her family didn't have the money to buy medicine for her.
***
The spring morning was still a little cold. Yu Shu wiped her face with the cold well water and trotted into the room. Yu Xiaoxiu had already made his bed and was folding the quilt for her.
It was not the first time that Yu Shu saw Yu Xiaoxiu making her bed. She also knew that he didn't want to make up with her. He just couldn't stand the mess in the room. But the more it was like this, the more upset she felt.
A twelve-year-old boy should still be at the age of elementary school. He should be addicted to comic books and video games. He should be sitting on the sofa with snacks and watching cartoons. He shouldn't be forced to be mature and sensible just because he had an "older sister" who didn't want to grow up.
"I'll do it myself. You go and see if breakfast is ready."
Yu Shu walked over and took the quilt from Yu Xiaoxiu's hands. She wanted to fold it herself. She enjoyed watching her brother clean up after dinner. She could talk to him while he was working, not to order him around like a servant.
Yu Xiaoxiu looked at Yu Shu strangely. He was about to say something when he heard Aunt Liu call out to him from the yard. He hurriedly responded and ran out. When the food was served, he forgot what he was about to say.
After dinner, the siblings went to school together under Aunt Liu's gaze.
On the way today, Yu Shu didn't take the initiative to talk because she was thinking about something else. Yu Xiaoxiu also seemed to have something on his mind. The two didn't say a word.
When they arrived at the school gate, Yu Shu still heard the three words' Mouse Yu 'from their discussions. She was speechless at this hilarious nickname. There was no one around to watch them today, but Yu Shu could still hear the three words' Mouse Yu 'from their discussions.
As soon as they entered the private school, Yu Shu felt two fiery gazes. She was thinking about something else, so she only looked up at the fair and clean youth from yesterday and Ji Zhu. Then she followed behind Yu Xiaoxiu and sat down.
It wasn't until she saw Mister Liu that Yu Shu remembered something.
"Hand in all your homework first."
She didn't do her homework!
Yu Shu watched as the students took out papers from their bags and handed them to Mister Liu. Then she turned to look at the motionless Yu Xiaoxiu.
Why didn't he write anything?!
"There are two more people. Who didn't hand in their homework?" Mister Liu asked. His eyes were looking at the siblings, Yu Shu and Yu Xiaoxiu, who were sitting in the last row.
She left it at home. No, it was better to say she lost it on the road. Otherwise, Mister Liu would ask her to go home to get it.
While Yu Shu was trying to come up with all sorts of excuses in her head, Yu Xiaoxiu had already stood up.
"I didn't write anything."
Yu Shu stood up and threw all her excuses aside.
"Mister Liu, I didn't write anything either."
Mister Liu, who was known for his rigorous teaching, had never seen a child who didn't do homework act so confidently. He was so angry that he blew at his beard and pointed at the incense burner placed at the door with a trembling hand.
"Go out and stand with the incense burner on your head until the sun rises to noon!"
The private school was extremely quiet. The gazes that came from all directions were full of undisguised ridicule and contempt. Yu Shu followed behind Yu Xiaoxiu, whose back was stiff. She carried a heavy incense burner and walked with him into the courtyard.
Yu Shu placed the incense burner on top of her head. Being laughed at by so many people in the private school, she felt quite embarrassed for a moment.
"Hey, I forgot my homework. Why didn't you do it either?"
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