Chapter 116: Can’t Let Go

While watching TV, Zhao Ren kept stealing glances in Cheng Ming’s direction, her fingers curling nervously around her temples.

Zhao Ren lightly bit her lip, should she go take a shower first? It seems like there’s a bit of a smell on her body.

But it’s not good to leave Brother Cheng Ming here alone, is it?

After hesitating again and again, Zhao Ren gathered her courage and asked, “Cheng Ming brother …… can I sit on your lap?”

“Oh, of course.” Cheng Ming slapped his thigh and said.

Zhao Ren sat on Cheng Ming’s lap, her back pressed against his forehead, grabbing his hands and placing them on her lap, her small hands covering the backs of her big hands.

Cheng Ming’s heart was as quiet as water, and there was no reaction.

Good Lord, I really don’t have a problem with it myself.

Cheng Ming was happy for but a second, the little Rei in his eyes gradually phased into the big Rei, and his body had subtle sensations and changes.

She also liked sitting in Cheng Ming’s arms, but didn’t like having her back to him. Because that was insecure, preferring to face each other.

If Cheng Ming engaged in a sneak attack from behind, she would make a very bad noise.

“Rei, do you still have the red string that the kind boss gave you this morning?”

“It’s still there, I put it in the bag, something wrong?” Zhao Ren tilted her head, puzzled.

“Something’s up.”

“I’ll bring it right over.”

Zhao Ren leapt off Cheng Ming’s lap and bounced towards the bedroom, slowly walking out with the red rope in her hand, seemingly cherishing it.

Cheng Ming picked up the red rope and said, “Hold out your hand, I’ll help you put it on.”

“But it’s easy to get dirty when you wear it on your hand, isn’t it?”

“Just buy another one if it’s dirty, just remember to take it off first in the shower.”

“But ……”

“Ri wears them too, it’s proof that you’ve become good friends. If it gets dirty or broken, you’ll go buy two more together, with the same unusual meaning.” Cheng Ming said with coaxing.

Ah, brothers who use their sisters as an excuse are the worst.

“So ……”

Zhao Ren nodded with seeming understanding and let Cheng Ming manipulate her, putting on the hand rope.

Even if the two had already had the intimacy of lovers in their previous lives.

But not a couple, much less a marriage partner or anything.

There was no confession, just a stay together and lick each other’s wounds relationship.

Cheng Ming naturally can not eat clean wipe mouth, also thought about a good responsibility, get married, do not want children kind of.

“People like me don’t deserve Brother Cheng Ming, I won’t come back to you after you get married la, I won’t ruin your marital bliss.”

“I’ll solve it by myself with my hands, recently it seems to have come out with that kind of electric toy, haven’t used it ah, don’t know if it’s good or not, but it’s a bit of a waste of money, it’s better to use my hands. Of course, Cheng Ming brother’s is the best, just a bit costly set.”

Every time Cheng Ming brought it up, it would be evaded by Zhao Ren, and then it turned into her last frantic demand.

Until exhaustion leaves no room to think about such things.

In fact, Cheng Ming had bought the ring and wanted to put it on Zhao Ren, but never had the chance.

Then it went back home to meet Jing Jing on a blind date. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out for Jing Jing, either.

But if marriage requires cutting ties with Zhao Ren, I’m afraid Cheng Ming won’t be able to marry Jing Jing.

Can’t Let Go ……

Cheng Ming got up and said, “The food should be a bit cold, let’s go start the stove and build a fire to heat up the food, then boil a pot of water, you haven’t taken a bath yet, have you?”

“It’s summer, I’ll just take a cold shower, it’s too much trouble to boil hot water or anything.”

“Then you also take cold showers in the winter?” Cheng Ming asked rhetorically.

“In the winter, my brother does boil hot water for Grandpa and me.”

“Isn’t that right, a hot bath is good for the body, especially for girls, and there’s still firewood in the house, right?”

Although Zhao Ren was not yet at the age of menstruation, Ye Mei’s tragedy was still fresh in her mind, and it was always good to take precautions early.

“Yes, I went up to the mountains with Grandpa last week to collect firewood, but Grandpa said there’s less and less on the ground, and you can’t cut down the trees, you’ll get caught, but there should be dead branches in the fall.”

“That’s why the feet are scratched, I guess.”

Cheng Ming lovingly lifted Zhao Ren’s foot, his fingers reaching into the empty slit of the sandal and gently caressing the instep.

It feels like the stoves in Zhao Ren’s house need to be upgraded as well.

After building the fire, the front pot is used to heat the vegetables and the back pot to boil the water.

Cheng Ming hugged Zhao Ren and sat in front of the stove to watch the fire, his chin resting on her shoulder, already able to hug her rather naturally.

From time to time, Cheng Ming used a fire poker to adjust the gaps between the firewood to make the fire brighter.

The firelight hit the two men in the face, slightly hot.

It was getting dark when the sound of a tricycle came from outside the courtyard.

“Grandpa, you’re back.”

Zhao Ren rushed out to greet them, and Cheng Ming followed with a smile.

Zhao Si revealed an amiable smile and said, “Cheng Ming came to play too.”

“Well, it’s getting late, so I’ll leave first.” Cheng Ming saw the farewell.

“Won’t you do it for a little while longer? Have a cup of tea before you go.”

“No no no, I’m going to get yelled at by my mom if I don’t go home.”

“Is this going back?”

Instead, it was Zhao Ren who was a bit enamored.

Cheng Ming tenderly rubbed Zhao Ren’s hair and said, “Well, I’ll wait for your brother to come back and play again, it should be in the next few days, remember to take a hot bath.”

Want to see a picture of a different Rei hot out of the shower before you go?

啊，不行不行，这样下去会没完没了的。

It was time to go home. There was his sister waiting for him.

Cheng Ming led the motorcycle down the country lane, bathed in the night breeze and moonlight, his shadow stretched out.

The chickens and dogs barked and the cicadas and frogs chirped, and it was obviously noisy, but there was an indescribable sense of peace of mind.

It was indeed a bit of a pity not to be able to meet the Xiao Ren, or Da Ren, that Cheng Ming knew so well.

Because her life had already been messed up by Cheng Ming’s intervention, there was no way it would turn out to be what it would be several years later.

There’s no need for that kind of monstrous relationship to exist, right?

While they are still them, they are no longer them, which sounds a bit philosophical and argumentative.

From the point of view of dna, fingerprints and even ID numbers, they are unique people in this world.

Because Cheng Ming’s rebirth changed many things and destroyed the original cause and effect relationship.

The improved living conditions, no longer suffering from those traumas on a psychological and psychic level, as well as the fact that he is no longer the same person, changing and affecting them with every word and action, he is the biggest variable.

All of this would lead to the fact that they would not become what Cheng Ming knew them to be, but rather the most familiar of strangers.

Stranger might be a bit of an exaggeration, maybe it’s like a branching evolution of a digimon.

With Cheng Ming’s familiar side, but also has a side he does not know, so think about it is not still a little fresh?

But still, there’s something about it that’s hard to describe.

The loneliness of being born again?

Hiding shocking secrets, there will always be a wall at the bottom of your heart that you can’t open up to others, even your closest relatives.

Still really picking and choosing ah, obviously what a rebirth, and what grievances ah.

Even if the future wasn’t exactly what he wanted, at least it was better than the future he knew, wasn’t it?

Woof woof–

Big Yellow didn’t know when he came to Cheng Ming’s side and rubbed against his feet.

Cheng Ming stopped the car and rubbed Big Yellow’s dog’s head and said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t bring any food over today, I’ll come back next time and bring you something delicious, you go to Xiao Ren’s house and see if you can dabble in some food.”

The rather spiritual rhubarb ran towards Zhao Ren’s house in a searching manner.

Cheng Ming got on his bike and rode away.

Dad arrived home one step ahead of Cheng Ming, mom was giving him noodles to eat, did not quarrel, it seems to be Cheng Ming is too worried.

Cheng Ming quietly went back to the bedroom, and did not go to eavesdrop on the parents chatting idea, their things, Cheng Ming is not wanting to interfere again, but instead make a mistake.

His sister was indeed cleaned up and waiting for him on the bed, her body upside down on the head of the bed, her little feet on the wall, the back of her head cushioned by the quilt.

Cheng Li was wearing a nightgown, and the hem of the skirt lifted outward and sagged due to gravity, completely revealing ah, little sharks.

“Finally shed come back ah, I’m dying of boredom.” Cheng Li said as she puffed up her cheeks.

“Go to bed when you’re bored.”

“Now that I’m asleep, I’m sure I’ll wake up in the middle of the night.”

“Then go watch TV, the summer cartoons should be starting.”

Cheng Li hugged his shoulders and said, “No way, mom and dad are in the living room, it’s not comfortable to watch TV.”

“Indeed. ……”

“Brother has been gone for a whole hour and a half, more than that, an hour and forty-eight minutes, that’s almost two hours, what the hell have you been doing there!”

Cheng Ming sat on the edge of the bed, crying and laughing, “How come it’s almost two hours, it’s going to be an hour round trip, right?”

“What about the rest of the hour?”

In an hour, you could make a baby.

Cheng Ming lay on the bed and replied, “Accompanying Xiao Ren to watch TV, waiting for her grandfather to come home, and then taking a walk around the village like this.”

“That’s it?”

Cheng Li no longer leaned against the wall, and his entire body collapsed onto Cheng Ming, one lying horizontally and the other vertically, coincidentally drawing a cross.

Cheng Ming, who was hit hard in the abdomen, said, “Pfft, so heavy.”

“Say that again, brother.”

“So heavy.”

“One last chance.”

“So heavy.”

“Then I’m going to kill you hard today, mmmmmm ……”

Cheng Li’s body exerted itself, clenched her small fists, and pressed Cheng Ming with deadly force, but to no avail, instead she tired herself first.

Cheng Li turned ninety degrees to his right and was head to head and foot to foot with Cheng Ming, resting on his arm and pinning his body.

“I smell I smell.”

Cheng Li sniffled and unleashed his adultery catching skills.

“Stop sniffing, I stink.”

There was no vixen stench, no internet cafe smoke, but rather the smell of fuel, the smell of burning wood emanating from its annual rings.

Cheng Li covered her nose and said in disgust, “What a heavy smell of firewood, you gave your friend’s sister an extra meal? It’s all been one meal at our house, do you have a problem with mom’s handiwork, or do you want to raise her into a little fat pig?”

“I’m just warming up a meal for her grandfather.”

“I see, this smell is a cover-up made to hide other smells, right? Brother, have you done something wrong to me?”

“I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong to you except steal your candy.”

“Oh yeah? Never mind, let’s call it what it is, get in the shower, I don’t want to go to bed with firewood in my arms.”

“Then get up off of me first.”

“You pushed me away.”

If you really do what you’re told, something will definitely happen, right?

“It’s all because of my brother’s fault, I smell like firewood and I stink.”

“You’re the one who leaned over.”

“Had to take another shower.”

“Boil hot water one more time and mommy will hit someone.”

“Then you’ll boil hot water for me.”

“Don’t, it’s a pain in the ass.”

“Is it okay for your lovely sister to have a cold?”

Cheng Ming rolled over and pressed his arm against Cheng Li’s shoulder and laughed, “Then you’ll become stinky with me.”

“Brother, how long has it been since we showered together?”

“Not since we moved over here, I guess.”

“Let’s take a shower together!”

“Cold already? Started talking nonsense?”

Cheng Ming lowered his head and pressed his forehead against Cheng Li’s, room temperature, but there was no fever.

“No, are you an elementary school student? How grown up are you still taking a bath with your brother, and you’re not shy about it.”

“I would have been a schoolboy!”

“Already graduated from elementary school, I think, and will be a middle schooler in two months.”

“Elementary school graduates are also elementary school students… Brother, there’s a water heater installed in the new house, right?”

“This one definitely has.”

The biggest trouble with trying to install a water heater in this house is that the bathroom is not pre-wired for a water heater, so if you want to install a water heater, you have to punch and drill holes.

“Will there be a bathtub?”

“I’m not sure about that.”

After all, Cheng Ming had never seen the so-called new home, it should be quite big that is.

If the style is sold as a standard suite it’s basically gone, shower at best.

However, it is difficult to say whether Dad will add some private goods into it, I feel that it will not, not so romantic and will enjoy, and waste of water ah, and there is no water recycling supporting system.

“I’ll just have Dad install one, I’m sure he’ll add it for his lovely daughter.”

“Be forewarned, even if there’s a bathtub, we can’t bathe together.”

“Why not? There’s obviously a bathtub.”

“No means no.”

“Isn’t it weird that we can’t take a shower together when we’ve obviously all slept together?”

“One thing leads to another, don’t you wear clothes when you sleep?”

“It’s not impossible …… not to wear it,” Cheng Li muttered in a small voice.

However, Cheng Ming was able to hear it clearly.

“No. Are you ready to wet the bed? If a three year old who wets the bed would be fine with me in the shower.”

“Do you want to be woken up by pee, brother?”

“Uh, what do you mean?”

Cheng Ming suddenly sensed that something was wrong.

“It’s okay for me to pee on the bed right now oh, it’s my brother who gets yelled at anyway.”

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. You’re still wetting the bed at your age, didn’t you get beaten up enough in second grade?”

“I’ll just say my brother made me pee on the bed.”

It’s even weirder. Well, there’s no such thing as a brother.

“It’s not really going to piss, is it?”

Cheng Ming was a bit flustered.

“I lied to you, how can I really pee, stupid brother.”

But others say otherwise.

“Scared me.” Cheng Ming said with a sigh of relief.

“So ……,” Cheng Li asked, drawing circles in front of Cheng Ming’s chest, “can we take a bath together?”

“It’s fine on my end, but whether or not Mom will let you in is another matter.”

Cheng Ming rubbed his sister’s hair and got up, rummaging for a change of clothes and heading towards the bathroom.

Cheng Li rolled over and lay on his back where Cheng Ming had been lying, feeling his slightly hot afterglow.

It’s true, my brother and I have to be separated to be together.