In the main room, the two younger children were shivering in the corner of the kang.
Because it had just rained, the room was stifling and hot, and water was leaking in from many places. The basins and jars used to catch the drips were already full of rainwater.
In his past life, Xiao Weiguo had beaten and cursed the two younger ones constantly. If he wasn't well-fed, the little ones rarely got anything to eat.
Had it not been for Xiao Shanshan's care, it was hard to imagine whether these two younger siblings would have survived until now.
Looking at Xiao Jiang and Xiao Yue, neither of whom had a decent set of clothes to wear, Xiao Weiguo felt a surge of even deeper guilt.
He wanted nothing more than to slap himself hard across the face a few times.
In his past life, had he ever done a single human thing?
"Xiao Jiang, Xiao Yue, come here to your older brother. Look what Brother bought for you!"
Xiao Weiguo's voice trembled slightly. This was his first formal interaction with the two little ones, and he finally spoke the words he had longed to say later in his past life.
From the large plastic bag, he took out the children's clothes and sandals he had bought for the two little ones, piece by piece.
Of course, the items he bought for Xiao Shanshan were not left out either.
The brightly colored clothes covered half the kang mat, each piece still radiating the unique scent of new clothing.
Xiao Jiang and Xiao Yue looked at each other in blank bewilderment, their bodies frozen in place. Two pairs of dark, glossy eyes turned simultaneously toward Xiao Shanshan.
In this household, the only person they trusted was this second older sister.
Seeing them remain indifferent, Xiao Weiguo felt even more ashamed and unworthy. Even with young children who didn't know better, once they were left with psychological scars, a few casual words could never simply erase them.
He had no choice but to cast a pleading look at Xiao Shanshan, hoping his younger sister could help him out at this moment.
Xiao Shanshan's gaze toward him was somewhat icy, as if silently condemning all that he had done in the past, but she still stepped forward and reached out her hands.
"Be good, come here. Sister will take you to wash up and put on new clothes, alright?"
This seventeen-year-old rural girl possessed a kind heart. Her greatest wish was for family harmony—for the family to hold hands and weather the storms together. If they could do that, no matter how difficult things were, she believed life would be happy.
Even if there was only a sliver of hope, she wanted to give her older brother a chance, a miraculous opportunity to turn over a new leaf.
What if he really changed? They were, after all, her entire hope.
Hearing their sister's call, the two little ones flew into her embrace. As their sister carried them outside, the corners of their eyes still lingered anxiously on their eldest brother.
Watching his sister carry the two little ones out of the room, Xiao Weiguo brought his hand down hard in a vicious slap across his own face.
"You beast! Xiao Weiguo, you are nothing but a beast."
At that moment, tears finally broke free and streamed down his cheeks.
Although he had been despicable in his past life, he had undeniably been very strong. After all, an orphan without a resilient soul could hardly survive in this world.
For the first time in his life—across both his past and present lives—this was the first time Xiao Weiguo wept, the first time he cried.
He cried for his own remorse, and for the chance to make amends.
Shanshan, Xiao Jiang, Xiao Yue, and Xiao Jian—his second younger brother who had hated him all his life—Brother will never let you suffer again in this lifetime. I will spend the rest of my life making up for the hardships I caused you in the last.
I swear I will make you the happiest people in the world.
Xiao Weiguo quietly wiped away his tears with the corner of his sleeve, making a silent vow in his heart.
When Xiao Jiang and Xiao Yue had changed into their new clothes, with Shanshan holding each of them by the hand as they walked before Xiao Weiguo, he was struck dumb with astonishment once more.
He had never imagined that his twin younger brother and sister would turn out to be so breathtakingly striking.
Yes, at that moment, Xiao Weiguo could only use the word "stunning" to describe this pair of golden children.
Because of their family situation, Xiao Jiang and Xiao Yue rarely went outside, so their skin had not been tanned by the sun. Coupled with a lack of nutrition, their complexions carried a somewhat sickly, translucent pallor.The youngest brother, Xiao Jiang, had very refined features, with large, dark, sparkling eyes full of cleverness. The only flaw was his choppy, dog-chewed short hair, which had been hacked out by his younger sister Xiao Shanshan using a pair of scissors.
He kept shifting his body, seemingly still unaccustomed to wearing a brand-new set of clothes.
As for Xiao Yue, her thick, dark hair was styled by her older sister into two little buns on top of her head. With her white teeth and rosy lips, she immediately made Xiao Weiguo think of the little Nezha from television shows in later generations, so endearing and pitiful.
"Xiao Jiang, Xiao Yue, can big brother give you a hug?"
He carefully stretched out both hands, trying his best to make his expression and gaze as gentle as possible, terrified of startling the two children.
Xiao Jiang and Xiao Yue looked up at their older sister, their eyes filled with hesitation.
Xiao Shanshan held their hands and pushed them slightly forward, guiding the two children right in front of Xiao Weiguo.
Xiao Weiguo crouched down and pulled both little ones into his embrace all at once.
"I'm sorry. Big brother wasn't acting like a human being before. Big brother was wrong. Trust big brother, it will never happen again from now on."As he spoke, he lost control of his tears once again and broke down sobbing.
People are not afraid of doing things they later regret; what they fear most is never having the chance to make amends. Some mistakes, once made, last a lifetime.
In his previous life, he had been just like this, repenting for his faults until the moment he died.
He never expected to be reborn. Now, holding his younger brother and sister tightly in his arms, one can only imagine how overwhelmingly emotional he felt.
"Don't cry, Brother!"
Xiao Yue reached out with her small, fair hand, very carefully wiping the tears from his face.
Xiao Weiguo nodded fiercely, a smile breaking through his tear-blurred face.
He stood up, took the two little ones by the hand, and led them over to the kang.
On the kang lay a package of peanut brittle candies that he had specially bought. This kind of candy crumbled the moment you bit into it and was incomparably rich and crispy; compared to creamy milk candies, it was much more loved by children of this era."Come on, have some candy. Big Brother bought these specially for you."
He grabbed a huge handful with one hand and stuffed them into the pockets of the two younger children.
"Shanshan, you have some too."
He grabbed another handful and handed it to Xiao Shanshan.
Taking the candy into her hands, Xiao Shanshan's eyes lit up with an unusual radiance.
Big Brother really seemed different from before.
She obediently peeled off the wrapper and popped a peanut candy into her mouth.
So fragrant, so sweet. Was this—was this what happiness tasted like?
Xiao Shanshan seemed to see a ray of dawn shining into her miserable life.
Seeing their older sister eating the candy, the two younger ones couldn't wait any longer and dug in.
"Wow, so good."
In that moment, they finally forgot their fear of their eldest brother. The rich, crumbly sweetness made them happily squint their eyes.
"We're about to have dinner, don't eat too much. Save some for tomorrow."
Xiao Shanshan reminded them just in time.
"Shanshan, and here are your new clothes!"
Xiao Weiguo handed Xiao Shanshan's clothes and shoes over to his younger sister.
Xiao Shanshan took them but didn't change into them right away; she simply clipped the dragonfly-shaped hairpin into her hair.
"Does it look good?"
Xiao Shanshan was actually quite pretty, but years of heavy labor and worry had made her look much older.
Xiao Weiguo gave a silly chuckle.
"Hehe, looks great. When has my sister ever not looked good?"
"Oh right, and this too."
Xiao Weiguo handed a jar of vanishing cream to his sister.
"Put some on after you wash your face, it's good for your skin."
Xiao Shanshan didn't refuse. She took it and placed it alongside the new clothes in the dilapidated cabinet nearby.
Tonight's dinner was the most lavish meal their family had ever had.
Not only were there four large pork trotters, but also a plump, juicy roast chicken.
"Dinner is ready!"
At Xiao Shanshan's call, the aroma filled the dilapidated rural courtyard.