Shen Xing's father passed away when he was three and Shen Yue was one.
Jiang Cheng sat next to Shen Xing, not speaking, just quietly accompanying him.
Their silhouettes, one tall and one short, yet their souls, separated by decades, shared the same solitude.
"Sister, I can't remember anymore."
Shen Xing lowered his head, his tears forming a continuous line.
He couldn't remember his father's appearance, his father's voice.
"I'm not a good son."
Jiang Cheng felt a pang in her heart, as she empathized with everything Shen Xing was experiencing.
He wasn't afraid of being laughed at or criticized; he was just in a panic.
Panic that he would forget the family member who gave him life.
"Shen Xing, I also lost my parents, but I never worry about forgetting them. Do you know why?"
Shen Xing sniffled hard, his nose red, and his eyes hopeful, seeking help.
"Because I'm still alive."
Jiang Cheng said firmly, "As long as I'm alive, they, who are connected by my blood, live on too, in my heart! When I become the most remarkable person someday, they will live on in others' books."
"You want others to mention Shen Xing, and they will bring up Shen Xing's parents, and by then, there will be thousands of people remembering them."
Jiang Cheng's words opened a new door for Shen Xing.
A small seed began to take root and sprout in his heart.
"But you must remember that parental love is the simplest. They only want us to grow up safely, healthy, and live a smooth life, and their souls will be at peace back home."
"Hmm."
Shen Xing nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed after the outburst and wiped his tears.
As a little man, how could he shed cat tears?
That was so unnecessary.
Wouldn't Sister Jiang Cheng think he's weak?
Jiang Cheng understood Shen Xing's embarrassment and changed the topic: "I have to say, your perspective is still too narrow."
Shen Xing: ??? What do you mean?
Jiang Cheng pointed at Shen Xing's handwritten assignment: "With 'My Father' as the topic, write an essay of no less than a hundred words."
"Shen Xing, after spending so many days with sister, have you learned nothing?"
Shen Xing tentatively asked, "Does being modest while not being modest count?"
Modest but not modest? Isn't that just being thick-skinned?
Jiang Cheng laughed; this kid was quite tactful.
But...
"Of course it counts! Let me tell you, a tree without bark is doomed to die, a person without embarrassment is invincible."
"You're still young and can't fully understand, but it's okay, stay around your sister and you'll slowly cultivate some of sister's skills."
"Now, let's talk about the essay. I want to say how could you forget Fatherland?"
Shen Xing was dumbfounded.
He underestimated Sister Jiang Cheng's... modesty.
"Fatherland?"
Jiang Cheng nodded, full of confidence, and said, "Exactly! Broaden your horizons, open your mind; in such a vast world, don't get bogged down by trivialities."
Shen Xing wasn't stupid; his eyes brightened instantly.
When Grandma Shen brought Shen Yue back, she saw Shen Xing turning around excitedly.
Grandma Shen quietly pulled Jiang Cheng aside.
"Did you give him some kind of drug?"
"How could I?" Jiang Cheng denied, "Drugs are expensive."
Grandma Shen: So if it weren't expensive, you'd use it?
Jiang Cheng soothingly reassured Grandma Shen, "Rest assured with my help."
Grandma Shen: This sounds like there might be one less person, doesn't it?
Grandma Shen shook her head, urging:
"Run along quickly... go on, or you'll be late."
"Okay, I'm going now!"
Jiang Cheng, carrying a green canvas bag, headed to night school and spotted He Dan as soon as she stepped out.
He Dan turned her head, quickened her pace, and didn't want to walk with Jiang Cheng.
About sneering... after a few encounters, He Dan hadn't gained any advantage; she's not a fool.
Without absolute confidence, she wouldn't easily provoke Jiang Cheng.
But thinking about Jiang Cheng, who hadn't graduated from elementary school, competing with Sun Jiandong in academics, He Dan felt she'd soon have some entertainment to watch.
Exams aren't just about recognizing a few words.
He Dan entered the classroom in a pretty good mood.
As she stepped in, she noticed that her usually chattering classmates were as quiet as chickens today.
She went to her seat and nudged her deskmate, Zhou Xiaohong.
"Xiao Hong, why is everyone so quiet today?"
Zhou Xiaohong didn't even lift her head, paused her mumbling answer, and responded, "There's a Russian class soon!"
Russian?
He Dan straightened her back a little more.
She could understand a little Russian.
When He Dan was about to ask more, Zhang Cuijuan in the front row glared at her.
"Quiet!"
He Dan's just-formed smugness was instantly suppressed.
But thinking about her soon shining moment of receiving the teacher's praise, He Dan happily opened her Russian book.
The sound of unhurried footsteps approached, and Jiang Cheng arrived.
Sitting in her unique seat, she took out her Russian textbook.
Jiang Cheng's emotions were still a bit unsettled.
In the upcoming class, how much of her skills should she show?
Be amazing, or exceedingly amazing?
Being too excellent is indeed a bit of a worry.
The quick, urgent footsteps approached from afar, and Jiang Cheng immediately decided she would be exceedingly excellent.
From the footsteps alone, she could tell it was a straightforward personality.
As expected, an old lady with silver hair tied in a bun, with a book clamped under her arm, walked in expressionlessly, got onto the podium, and put down her book.
"Li Jianguo."
With a whoosh, Comrade Li Jianguo stood up, a man over six feet tall with a sweat-drenched forehead, clenching his fists.
The old lady on the podium, as if not seeing him, directly began questioning about the vocabulary required from the previous class.
The hardest thing about Russian is the trill, or the pronunciation issue.
As Li Jianguo answered, the old lady's expressionless face became inscrutable.
"Next time, put your hand in your mouth; maybe you'll speak better."
After the biting remark, the old lady immediately looked at the name list and called the next person.
"Don't say you learned it from me; I can't afford to lose face like this."
"Go work on a farm; your stiff tongue could plow two acres."
"Did you forget your brain? You got three words wrong out of four!"
...
Sitting steadily, Jiang Cheng finally understood why the classroom was so quiet.
"He Dan?"
The once-confident He Dan felt somewhat apprehensive at this moment, but she still stood up.
The old lady questioned, and He Dan, with her little bit of foundation, answered relatively decently, stronger than the previous few people by more than a bit.
"Studied before?"
The old lady finally looked up, and with a touch of arrogance, He Dan nodded: "A little."
"Hmm… better not study next time."
He Dan's face turned bright red, and Jiang Cheng tried hard not to laugh.
She unilaterally proclaimed this teacher as her favorite!
He Dan sat down, and the old lady was ready to finish the check-up and start the lesson.
Feeling like she'd lost face, He Dan was torn with inner conflict; at the moment when she saw Jiang Cheng's sneaky smile, she raised her hand.
"Report!"
The old lady, already opening her textbook, glanced over; He Dan nervously stood up, pointing in Jiang Cheng's direction: "Teacher, I have acknowledged my stupidity, but our class has someone smart."
The old lady's gaze fell toward Jiang Cheng, slightly surprised, as she was the first student who dared to meet her gaze without nerves.
Being pointed at, Jiang Cheng raised her hand and stood up when the old lady nodded.
"Reporting to the teacher, He Dan didn't explain fully. I'm not just smart; I'm a genius!"