Chen Qiao, as usual, held Xin Yu and watched his sister learn to cook.
He even tried to stir-fry with the spatula.
In a few days, he would be able to cook for his sister under her guidance.
Today, Dad came home earlier than Mom.
He went to take a shower first and would eat with Mom later.
When his sister went to evening study, Chen Qiao sent Xin Yu back to her hometown and gave her a few small toys and Magic Girl Sakura trading cards to pass the time.
These were treasures he found in a small shop that was going out of business.
As for Xin Yu’s studies, she was very smart and sensible.
Chen Qiao did a few push-ups and sit-ups, but without someone to press his legs, his sit-ups were not very standard.
He would ask his sister for help in the evening.
After taking a shower, Chen Qiao sat on the sofa to watch the news broadcast.
As he got older, he enjoyed watching the news to deepen his overall impression of the era.
A keyword mentioned in the news might trigger a chain reaction in his mind.
“Ah Qiao, check what the weather will be like tomorrow?”
At seven o’clock, Mom called out from downstairs on time.
She always watched the weather forecast at home.
If it rained, there would be no need to water the vegetable garden and so on.
“It’s still a sunny day.”
But soon, a long rainy season of about a month would come, the kind that makes people feel like they are going to mildew.
Mom and Dad usually didn’t interfere with Chen Qiao and his sister’s studies at home.
They didn’t urge them to study or do homework.
It was a free-range approach.
However, if it was past bedtime and they were still watching TV, they would be scolded.
Playing the Little game console was strictly forbidden.
Mom didn’t have to work tonight, and Dad didn’t go out for socializing.
After finishing their tasks, they went upstairs to sleep early.
Seeing Chen Qiao studying diligently, they quietly closed the door for him.
In fact, he was writing a novel.
Mom and Dad chatted in bed, talking about trivial matters like groceries and neighborhood gossip.
You two have time to chat, why don’t you give me a younger sister?
Otherwise, the age gap will keep growing.
Eventually, it won’t feel like raising a sister but more like raising a daughter.
I’ll have my own daughter someday.
After all, the walls in the house were thin, and every sound could be heard clearly.
It must be embarrassing for them with a child around, right?
It seems I really need to persuade Mom and Dad to have a younger sister and create a romantic environment for them.
Maybe I should suggest they go on a trip to make up for the honeymoon they never had due to financial constraints back then?
It’s not easy.
They are not the type to enjoy such luxuries.
They are still working hard to save money for his and his sister’s college tuition.
It looks like he and his sister will have to go on the trip instead.
If everything goes as planned, Chen Qiao will attend a one-week English summer camp for the transition from primary to middle school at the county town’s No. 6 Middle School this summer vacation.
There are also camps for Chinese and math, but the popular ones are not accessible to Chen Qiao.
It’s not just about grades; background also matters.
The English summer camp was not in high demand, which is why Chen Qiao got the chance.
With his role as a guidance team member, he was like a lucky find.
The camp covered all meals and accommodation.
The food was decent, especially the crispy fried chicken legs, which were delicious, though not available every day.
The living conditions were a bit poor, especially for the boys’ dormitory, which was next to the pigsty.
The smell was unbearable, but Chen Qiao had long been accustomed to it.
The dormitory lacked private bathrooms, with only a public restroom and washroom on each floor.
Showers were taken in the washroom, where everyone had to be honest with each other, just like the accommodation conditions at the town’s middle school.
It was said that the girls’ side had bathrooms and hot water, but Chen Qiao didn’t know if that was true.
However, a few of his dorm mates from the summer camp later met again at the county high school, which was somewhat touching.
Although they didn’t remember, for the children in the county, this summer camp was quite ordinary.
After all, some had to leave halfway through the camp to take music grade exams for instruments like the flute.
Children in the countryside were still playing in the mud, catching loaches, and going fishing.
Naturally, Chen Qiao was deeply impressed by this experience, especially since his family faced a crisis at the end of the year, plunging him into despair.
This summer camp experience became particularly unforgettable for him.
“I’m going downstairs to cook instant noodles,” Chen Qiao said loudly, as if to make sure his parents could hear him.
There were two packs of instant noodles at home, one Super Fumanduo and one Shuangmianbing, both cheap and cost-effective.
He would ask his sister if she wanted to eat when she came back.
After all, the actual ownership of these two packs of noodles belonged to his sister.
If he ate them without permission, he would have to compensate her with noodles or have his pocket money deducted.
But if they ate together, there would be no problem.
Chen Qiao continued to write his novel at the dining table, surrounded by the sound of frogs.
When he heard movement outside, he knew his sister had returned.
“Why aren’t you sleeping? What are you doing downstairs?”
“I’m writing a novel.”
“A novel?”
“Yes, I plan to submit it to magazines to earn, so I can buy delicious food for my sister and take her on a trip to see the famous Guilin landscape.”
Chen Qiao really had the idea of submitting to magazines like Dongman Society, and he could also try others like Zhizhi, Duozhe, and Story Collection.
Yilin was not considered, although Chen Qiao knew that writing slightly biased content could easily get published in Yilin, but he didn’t need that kind of money.
Magazine are usually paid within two months after publication, sent by remittance to the submission address.
Using email to submit and earn some extra money, why not use the knowledge in his head now?
Should he save it for writing public accounts and marketing accounts in the future?
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
It’s true that writing a popular online novel can potentially support you for life, but copyright monetization is something for many years later.
Moreover, what Chen Qiao wrote was a bit on the edge, which was his nature.
Isn’t that what novels are for?
Aren’t there many examples in some classics?
It’s probably not suitable for highbrow literature, not like those top-tier fantasy novels that are adapted.
At this stage, it still relies on subscriptions to survive.
It’s not even possible to expect rich patrons’ rewards, and the reality of rampant piracy is a basic fact.
The website didn’t do any anti-piracy measures.
It was as simple as using a basic web crawler to grab the content.
Even on Tieba, it would be updated in sync with the author.
Many authors would beg everyone to read the original version, otherwise, they would starve.
Without income, they couldn’t continue writing.
After all, they still had to live.
If they couldn’t write books, they would have to work honestly in a factory.
But in this era, those who truly have the ability to pay are still a minority.
Some student readers might make up for it in the future if they could.
Chen Qiao has a lot to do.
Entrepreneurship is a bottomless pit.
No matter how much money you invest, it’s never enough.
He also needs to improve life and save some money in case of In short, the more money, the better.
“Didn’t you say you wanted to do well in your exams so Mom would have a younger sister for you? Why are you writing novels now?”
“I can do both studying and writing novels. Writing novels can also exercise my writing skills and make my compositions better.”
“Then go for it, but remember to pay me back the money you owe me first.”
Chen Feifei giggled and didn’t take Chen Qiao’s words seriously.
She was sure he was writing stories about robot battles or ninjas.
She had heard her brother talk many times about wanting to be Ultraman or a chosen child.
Although writing novels was a bit more realistic, she still treated it as childish talk.
Chen Feifei picked up the nightgown and underwear on the stool, preparing to draw hot water for a bath.
She felt that her brother had become more sensible since yesterday.
He even helped her bring the clothes to change into, saving her a trip.
“Would you like to have some instant noodles, sis?”Chen Qiao asked.
He had eaten a lot the night before but now really wanted to taste the twins’ flavor.
Chen Feifei touched her flat stomach, feeling torn between wanting to eat and not wanting to.
She knew it wasn’t good to have a late-night snack, but she was a bit hungry.
“If you really want to eat, I’ll cook them for you, with two eggs and water spinach.”
If her sister really didn’t want to eat, she would have refused outright.
“Then go ahead and cook. Put more water in and don’t make it too salty, or you’ll be thirsty when you sleep at night.”
“Okay.”
Cooking instant noodles was Chen Qiao’s forte.
With the ready-made seasoning packets, there was no need to season, and they were easy to cook.
There was no risk of them being undercooked, which was why Chen Feifei dared to leave it to him.
Chen Feifei, who had just entered the bathroom, poked her head out and questioned, “Chen Qiao, did you wash your clothes again? What did I tell you last night?”
“Mom washed them.”
Chen Qiao didn’t even have the chance to wash by himself.
When Mom was at home, she would say there was no need even if he wanted to wash a bowl.
“That’s more like it.”
Chen Qiao had done everything for cooking the instant noodles, even boiling the hot water.
He would start cooking when his sister was almost done with her bath, so the noodles wouldn’t become mushy and unappetizing.
As for how Chen Qiao knew when his sister was almost done, he could tell by the sound.
When there was a lot of water noise, it meant his sister was rinsing off the soap from her body, using up all the water at once.
“This is the moment.”
“Ah!”
Just as Chen Qiao was about to set up the pot, a high-pitched, shrill scream suddenly came from the bathroom.
His usually calm and composed sister’s reaction like this clearly indicated she had encountered some danger.
“Sis, what’s wrong? Is there a snake?”
These days, it was not uncommon to hear about snakes crawling into chimneys, bathrooms, staircases, and even beds.
It was not strange to catch a snake while fishing.
Chen Qiao put down the pot in his hand and ran towards the bathroom, pushing the bathroom door forward and opening a small gap.
A beam of light shone through, and a hemp rope, like a door chain, hung on the hook inside.
Chen Qiao didn’t care about much at the moment and reached in with his small hand to take down the hemp rope.
An adult’s hand wouldn’t fit, but his was just the right size.
As soon as Chen Qiao pushed the door open, Chen Feifei rushed out and tightly embraced him.
Chen Feifei wrapped one arm around Chen Qiao’s back, buried her chin in his shoulder, and pointed behind her with the other hand, exclaiming, “There’s a millipede, so disgusting, with so many legs.”
It turned out to be this.
His sister indeed couldn’t deal with bugs and snakes.
Ordinary flying insects were okay, but arthropods like millipedes and centipedes were the worst.
Besides the disgust, there was also a bit of trypophobia.
However, his sister wasn’t afraid of silkworms, which was quite puzzling.
Did it have something to do with the fact that silkworms looked more harmless?
Or was it because she knew silkworms would evolve into armored pupae and large moths?
The corner of the bathroom was covered with moss, and millipedes liked dark and damp environments.
Chen Qiao’s face was pressed against Chen Feifei’s chest, which was still wet with water droplets.
It was slippery, cool yet slightly warm, and had a faint soap scent.
“It’s okay, sis, I’ll take care of it. Let go of me first………………” Chen Qiao patted Chen Feifei’s back, actually patting the area just above her buttocks. He almost touched the wrong place.
That was close.
As the saying goes, the young are fearless and the ignorant are without fear.
It’s precisely because of their naivety and fearlessness that they grow up to be more cautious.
As for moths and stinkbugs that flew into the room, Chen Qiao would simply wrap his hand in a plastic bag, catch them, and throw them outside.
“Okay.”
Chen Feifei finally released Chen Qiao, allowing him to catch his breath.
But then she hugged him from behind again, her hands around his neck, her slightly protruding chest pressed against his back, and her chin resting on the top of his head.
She followed his every step.
Her damp hair was scattered over her shoulders, dripping water that gathered into beads and slid down from her collarbones and inner thighs, finally falling to the ground.
Chen Qiao was also splashed with a lot of water, and his clothes were soaked by his sister.
Chen Qiao picked up a pair of chopsticks and walked into the bathroom, asking, “Where is the millipede?”
“It’s on the wall next to the mirror. It suddenly appeared when I was looking in the mirror, scaring me to death.”
Chen Qiao could distinctly feel his sister’s body trembling with fear.
“If you’re scared, don’t look.”
“I’m afraid something will happen to you.”
“Millipedes are not centipedes; they are not poisonous.”
Although it was still a bit risky to touch them directly, millipedes release a chemical substance when threatened, which might cause an allergic reaction with red spots.
Chen Qiao poked it with the chopsticks, and it immediately curled up.
It was definitely a millipede.
Centipedes would run very fast.
Chen Qiao picked up the millipede with the chopsticks and threw it outside.
He didn’t kill it.
Millipedes are considered beneficial insects.
When he was young, he would just stomp on or hit any bug he saw with the sole of his shoe.
As he grew up, he became less inclined to take lives.
All beings have a spirit, except for cockroaches, mosquitoes, and flies.
But Chen Feifei was unwilling to enter the bathroom again.
She asked Chen Qiao to take out the clothes for changing, the dirty clothes, and the dry towel.
She dried her body with her back to him, put on her underwear and nightgown.
While cooking the noodles, Chen Qiao watched Chen Feifei’s back, which already had some graceful body curves.
Her legs were slender, and the snowy skin on her back looked more sacred under the dim yellow light.
Her shadow completely revealed her movements.
It almost caused Chen Qiao to overcook the noodles, and the water spinach also turned a bit yellow.
“Is it done?”
Chen Feifei asked, draping the towel over her shoulder and sniffing, “It smells so good, I’m getting hungry just from the aroma.”
He ladled the noodles into bowls, one egg for each of them, while Chen Feifei picked up the fire tongs to change the coal briquettes.
After eating and drinking their fill, Chen Feifei went to do the laundry and reminded Chen Qiao to brush his teeth, and to stay with her so she wouldn’t be scared by the millipede again.
They talked about things at school.
Her sister’s day was ordinary, while Chen Qiao shared the good news of becoming the English class representative.
“Your current English teacher is the one who came last year, right? I don’t know her.”
“Yes, she’s a very young college student who hasn’t graduated yet.”
“How’s her English level? Standard, I suppose. She was originally a music teacher.”
“Oh, since you’re the class representative, do a good job. Your English grades can’t be too bad. If you don’t understand something, just ask me. Or should I wake you up to study with me in the morning?”
“Sure.”
Chen Qiao agreed without hesitation.
Although there weren’t many English words to memorize at the elementary school stage, Chen Qiao planned to do a comprehensive English rehabilitation to quickly return to the level where he had passed the College English Test Band 4.
Chen Qiao shone a flashlight to light the way, while Chen Feifei held a basin filled with the washed school uniform
The rooftop didn’t have electric lighting.
When Chen Qiao was young, he loved to wave his flashlight around, shining it into the distance and shouting the names of special moves, as if he were holding a lightsaber.
It was quite a middle-school boy’s fantasy.
After waiting for his sister to finish hanging the clothes, they would go downstairs together.
Chen Qiao was going to put away the flashlight and take care of his business, while his sister needed to return the basin to the bathroom on the first floor.
“Sis, give me the basin. I’m going down anyway.”
“No need, I have to go downstairs too.”
As Chen Qiao stood by the urinal, a familiar figure quietly approached.
She lifted her skirt, took off her panties, and sat down to do her business in one smooth motion.
“Sis, are you addicted to going to the bathroom with friends? Even with your brother?”
The sound of water at night was especially clear.