Chapter 147

An An couldn’t bear to see either Grandpa or Big Brother upset, so he simply covered his eyes and refused to look at anything. From time to time, he’d sit there and call out.

“Is it over yet?”

“Grandpa, did you finish scolding Big Brother~?”

“If you’re done, I’m gonna turn around now, okay?”

Zhou Shizhe walked over, grabbed the back of An An’s shirt, and carried him back toward the house.

An An was already used to being carried like this. Other than his short little legs swinging in the air, he didn’t bother to struggle at all. Just like that, he was carried back to the dining room to eat breakfast.

After breakfast, a tutor came in the morning to teach An An a foreign language. The lessons took place in a dedicated room upstairs, and unless there was something urgent, no one in the household would disturb them.

Zhou Shizhe hadn’t planned to go to the company today and stayed home the whole time.

Grandpa Zhou, who knew his eldest grandson’s personality very well, could more or less guess why he had come home so late the previous night.

He placed a cup of tea in front of him, sat down beside him, and asked,

“That little brother of yours, is he alright?”

“Yeah.”

It would’ve been better not to bring it up at all. The moment the topic came up, Zhou Shizhe couldn’t hold back his anger.

They all knew that with Grandpa’s current health, he absolutely couldn’t be subjected to emotional stress.

During the last check-up, the doctor had warned them that if they weren’t careful, an emergency might come so fast there wouldn’t even be time to save him.

Everyone around was being extremely cautious, as if they were protecting a fragile porcelain vase.

Only his parents acted recklessly, treating Grandpa’s health like it didn’t matter.

Zhou Shizhe knew very well that no matter how firm Grandpa’s words sounded, the reason he rejected the existence of that younger brother was because Zhou Shi had shown open hostility toward An An.

If it really came down to choosing one or the other, no one could compare to An An.

But still, Zhou Shi was his biological grandson. For someone of the older generation, even if it was just because of blood ties, it would be impossible to completely turn a blind eye.

His parents had lied about Zhou Shi’s health, which had crossed Grandpa’s bottom line.

Even when he was a child, Zhou Shizhe could sense that Grandpa felt deeply guilty for failing to raise his father properly.

In the beginning, no matter what mistakes his father made, Grandpa would always take the blame himself, believing it was a failure in his own parenting.

“I knew it. If there really had been something wrong, they would’ve rushed him to a psychologist right away. There’d be no need for me to remind them.”

“The only reason they’re not in a hurry is because there’s nothing wrong.”

After saying this, Grandpa Zhou sighed and leaned back in his chair. He had been wise his entire life, and he would rather believe he had simply misjudged the situation than accept that his own son was using a child to achieve his goals.

How did that child end up being raised like this?

“Grandpa, I think there’s something off about that younger brother.”

“Mm.”

If Zhou Shizhe could see something was wrong with that child, of course Grandpa Zhou could too.

But he had never mentioned it before. He knew his son and daughter-in-law felt deeply guilty about that child, so they were trying hard to make up for it in every possible way.

In this kind of situation, if anyone said anything negative about the child, they would automatically assume it was malicious slander. They might even hold a grudge because of it.

Grandpa Zhou had never been one to set himself on fire just to prove a point, and Zhou Shizhe, who had grown up under his guidance, naturally wouldn’t either.

“You just focus on building your career. As for your parents… don’t get involved right now.”

Back when his health was better, Grandpa Zhou might have still tried to plan a future path for his son.

But now that he was older and his health was failing, the doctors had repeatedly warned him not to overthink things. Excessive worry and emotional stress would only worsen his condition.

In order to live a little longer, Grandpa Zhou had decided to completely let go.

“Alright.”

Zhou Shizhe understood that if he stepped in now, it would be the same as willingly taking on the responsibility for his younger brother.

He was more than willing to support his parents, but when it came to his brother, he had no intention of being the sucker.

“Try not to go back there anymore. That place isn’t suitable for staying in right now.”

Given how well Grandpa Zhou knew his son and daughter-in-law, if Zhou Shizhe went home now, he’d be bombarded with all kinds of manipulative talk.

Thinking of this, Grandpa Zhou sighed again, helplessly.

Even now, he still couldn’t understand it. If his son and daughter-in-law truly felt guilty toward that child, why couldn’t they find their own way to make it up to him?

Why did they always try to achieve their goals by pressuring the other children?

First, they wanted him to send An An away. Now they wanted Zhou Shizhe to become a “supportive sibling” who sacrifices everything.

The two little ones that Grandpa Zhou cherished deeply seemed to be nothing more than tools in their eyes.

When he thought of this, the guilt in Grandpa Zhou’s heart actually lessened a bit.

Five fingers aren’t all the same length. If he had to choose between two children he doted on and one he had barely met, Grandpa Zhou would definitely choose the former.

“Grandpa, I’m thinking of picking a time when they’re not home to pack up and move in here.”

Zhou Shizhe had considered staying at the apartment he bought earlier, but after thinking it through, he realized it wasn’t the best idea. After all, no matter what, they were still his parents.

If they came knocking, no matter what they’d done in the past, outsiders would still think he was in the wrong for making them come find him.

Zhou Shizhe could ignore that kind of judgment, but his company—founded entirely on his own—was already preparing to go public.

If any scandal affected his reputation now, the company would definitely suffer.

He had poured so much effort into the company. There was no way he’d let it all fall apart over something so trivial when he was this close to success.

After weighing all the options, staying at Grandpa’s house was clearly the safest choice.

“Good. That’ll also save An An from constantly missing you when you’re not home.”

At the mention of An An, both their expressions relaxed.

Usually, An An was a very well-behaved child. But today, when the tutor came downstairs after class, Grandpa Zhou noticed the teacher didn’t look too pleased. He quickly went over and asked,

“Was An An being too naughty?”

“No, it’s just…”

The teacher looked troubled, clearly unsure how to explain the situation to An An’s family. In the end, all he could say was,

“You should go see for yourselves.”

An An had been quite serious during the lesson and very respectful to the teacher. But the things he did afterward were enough to make someone dizzy with frustration—and yet also a little amused.

Grandpa Zhou gave Zhou Shizhe a look, signaling him to follow upstairs and take a look.

They pushed the study door open just a crack. An An was still sitting at the desk.

He had one hand on his book, pretending to stuff the contents into his head. As he did, he muttered softly,

“Mama, mama, coax me. I love reading, reading loves me, all the words go into my little brain!”

The large study was very quiet, so his soft, childish voice came through loud and clear.

Grandpa Zhou and Zhou Shizhe exchanged a glance, both momentarily speechless.

This little rascal must be itching for a spanking.

Maybe it was because the two of them had been standing there for too long, but An An, who had been completely absorbed in casting spells in the study, finally noticed their presence.

The moment he realized that Grandpa and Big Brother had been secretly watching him from outside, An An froze on the spot.

After a long pause, he snapped out of it, jumped down from the stool, walked to the door, and greeted them cheerfully.

“Hehe, Grandpa, Big Brother, did you come to play with me~?”

The moment Grandpa Zhou saw his innocent little face, he rolled up his sleeves, clearly preparing to scoop the child up and give his backside a good spanking.

But just as he rolled up his sleeves, An An quietly helped him roll them back down again, his little hands nimble and quick.

When Grandpa Zhou looked over, An An quickly hid his hands behind his back and put on an adorably innocent expression, trying to soften his heart.

“What’s going on with you? I told you to study properly. What were you doing in there?”

An An could tell that Grandpa’s tone had already softened compared to before, so he scooted over and hugged Grandpa’s leg, looking pitiful as he said:

“Grandpa, the knowledge just won’t go into my head.”

He really did want to study hard, but no matter how much he tried, the knowledge just refused to behave and enter his brain. That’s why he had resorted to such an unorthodox method.

“So you decided to cast spells instead? What, are you going to chant incantations during your exams in the future too?”

An An didn’t quite understand what Grandpa meant by that, but he knew Grandpa was mocking his earlier behavior. He hugged Grandpa’s leg even tighter and continued to pout:

“Grandpa, it’s ‘māmì māmì hōng’.”

Grandpa Zhou was so exasperated by the way An An corrected his words that he lost all his anger. He bent down, picked An An up, and carried him back into the study, planning to personally teach him and see what exactly was going on with this little rascal.

Zhou Shizhe came downstairs on his own at this point. He wasn’t worried that Grandpa would actually lay a hand on An An just because he got angry.

Based on his understanding of Grandpa and years of experience, raising his hand to scare An An a little was about as far as it ever went.

Inside the room, An An sat on Grandpa’s lap and was much more well-behaved than before. He didn’t fidget like he did in front of his teacher, nor did he let his curiosity run wild, looking around everywhere.

“Next time, study properly like this, understand? No more spellcasting!”

“Oh…”

An An glanced at the book with a hint of regret in his eyes. He had actually thought his method was pretty effective.

From that day on, no matter what class An An was taking, as long as he was at home, Grandpa Zhou would sit nearby and keep a close watch on him, holding a teaching stick he used to discipline his eldest grandson when he was little. It was enough to scare An An into putting on an obedient and well-behaved act.

As autumn passed and winter arrived, Grandpa Zhou decided to take An An back to his hometown this year.

Back when his old comrade’s son was still alive, things were better. No matter how hard life got, his son never forgot to burn some offerings during holidays and festivals.

But after his son and daughter-in-law passed away, the younger brother never went again. Just a few days ago, Grandpa Zhou even dreamed of his old comrade coming to him, saying he had no money to spend.

All these years, Grandpa Zhou had never had the chance to bring An An to visit.

This year, his health was in good shape, and An An was no longer too young to travel long distances. So before the snow fell, he brought An An along to pay their respects.

That old comrade’s younger brother had been sent to prison by Grandpa Zhou on charges of child abuse. It was precisely because of this that adopting An An afterward went much more smoothly.

On the road, An An sat quietly beside Grandpa, bundled in a small black cotton jacket. When he got sleepy, he would snuggle into Big Brother’s arms and fall asleep.

He was very well-behaved next to Grandpa, but once in Big Brother’s arms, he sprawled out in all directions. Zhou Shizhe would press down his hands, and then his feet would start kicking again. There was never a moment of stillness.

They finally reached their destination and rested for the night. The next day, Grandpa Zhou held An An’s little hand and brought him to the cemetery in the small County Town.

He had to let An An see his biological parents. Otherwise, the boy might mistakenly think those other two people were his real mom and dad.

If unfamiliar uncle and aunt were the ones favoring the younger brother, An An might feel indignant on his brother’s behalf.

But if it was his real parents who favored the younger brother, then the hurt would be real and deep.

An An was still very young. Holding a bouquet of flowers so large it nearly covered his entire body, he stumbled along the cemetery path, nearly falling over.

Grandpa Zhou carried the paper offerings in his hand. Though modern customs encouraged more civilized memorials, people of his generation still held onto traditional practices.

He still remembered how he and his comrade, drunk and boasting, once said they’d have endless money to spend in this lifetime.

At the time, Grandpa Zhou thought no matter what happened to his comrade, if he ever made something of himself, he would definitely bring his comrade along to share the good times and the bad.

Many promises from back then had gone unfulfilled. This was the only way he could make up for the guilt in his heart.

An An knelt in front of the grave and burned the paper offerings just as Grandpa had taught him.

From his paternal grandfather’s grave to his biological parents’, there were three gravestones in total. When An An moved from the second to the third, he stumbled and fell heavily to his knees, his face turning pale from the pain.

Grandpa Zhou instinctively reached out to help him.

But before his hand could reach, An An had already gotten up on his own and continued burning the paper offerings.

Grandpa Zhou’s assistant held some cleaning supplies for the gravestones. An An took a cloth and gently wiped the dust from the surface.

The photo on his paternal grandfather’s gravestone was taken when he enlisted in the army. After all these years, it had faded and blurred, making it hard to see what he once looked like.

Once it was clean, An An reached out his small hand and touched the photo, then turned curiously to look at Grandpa—only to catch sight of Grandpa’s reddened eyes.

Grandpa Zhou knew it was embarrassing to cry in front of a child, but he couldn’t control his emotions. He turned his head away, sniffled, and forced a smile.

“The wind today is just too strong.”

“Mm.”

An An didn’t expose Grandpa’s lie. Perhaps it was the somber atmosphere of the cemetery, but he wasn’t his usual lively self. It was as if he had suddenly grown up a little.

On the way back, An An reached out to his brother.

His knees still hurt from the fall earlier and hadn’t fully recovered.

Zhou Shizhe picked him up, feeling the chubby little body in his arms, and gently rubbed his soft hair.

It was the first time he’d seen An An, who had always been a little ball of sunshine, look like this. Zhou Shizhe felt a pang in his heart.

On the way back, it started to drizzle. Zhou Shizhe held an umbrella in one hand and supported An An’s bottom with the other.

Afraid of falling, An An clung tightly to his brother’s neck.

Just before they exited the cemetery, An An turned back for a glance. His grandpa’s and parents’ gravestones were hidden among so many others, he couldn’t even tell which ones they were.

The atmosphere in the car was especially quiet on the way home. An An, for once, didn’t fall asleep. He just sat there, watching the scenery outside the window fade into the distance.

He was still too young to understand the pain of life and death. Maybe he just thought the vibrant green leaves in the roadside greenery looked especially pretty against the gray, overcast sky.

Even though many years had passed, Grandpa Zhou still often thought about the moment he first brought An An home—just skin and bones, barely more than a skeleton.

He had seriously suspected back then that if they had arrived even a little later, they might not have found the little guy alive at all.

At the entrance of the hotel, Zhou Shizhe handed An An over to their grandparents, then went to a nearby pharmacy to buy some medicine.

Back in the hotel room, he helped An An take off his pants. Seeing the bruises and swelling on his knees, he frowned and asked, “Does it hurt?”

An An, wearing only a pair of little underwear, looked up at his big brother, then down at his own knees. Instinctively, he pulled the blanket over himself and furrowed his little brows, seriously warning:

“Even if I’m just a kid, Big Brother, this still counts as being a pervert!!!”

Zhou Shizhe, who had been genuinely concerned, was left speechless by that line. Irritated, he reached out and yanked the blanket aside, giving An An a light smack on the shoulder.

“Stop squirming. Can’t you see how bad this is?”

An An’s skin was pale and tender, which made the bruises look even more frightening. But in truth, he didn’t feel much pain at all.

“It doesn’t hurt. Not even a little.”

An An looked up into his brother’s eyes and said it with complete seriousness. He really didn’t think it hurt.

If it weren’t his own leg, he might have suspected someone had deliberately painted it to look this terrifying.

“Really doesn’t hurt at all?”

“Mm-hmm. Doesn’t hurt.”

Zhou Shizhe heated some water and placed a warm towel on the bruises. An An, completely relaxed, swung his little legs and, with practiced ease, fished out the phone from his brother’s pocket and unlocked it with facial recognition.

“Big Brother, I want to watch cartoons.”

“Find them yourself.”

“Okay.”

After a while, Zhou Shizhe figured it was time. He removed the towel and took out the safflower oil he had bought earlier.

He poured some into his palm, rubbed it to warm it up, then gently pressed his hand over An An’s knee.

Feeling someone touching his leg, An An reluctantly tore his eyes from the cartoon and glanced down—only to quickly look away again, afraid to miss even a few seconds of the show.

But the moment Zhou Shizhe started massaging the bruised area, An An let out a dramatic wail.

“Ow!!! Waaaah!!!”

“Hold on, it won’t hurt once the bruises are worked out.”

“It hurts, it hurts, waah Big Brother, it didn’t even hurt before! Stop massaging!”

Tears welled up in An An’s eyes as he struggled to free his leg from his brother’s lap.

Zhou Shizhe, who had always doted on An An and rarely went against his wishes, now ignored the teary, pitiful look on his face. With a stern expression, he continued massaging the bruises, determined to help them heal.

Finally, when he was done, Zhou Shizhe had just let go when An An immediately dove under the blanket.

He pulled the covers over his head, clearly sulking and refusing to talk to his brother.

Zhou Shizhe tried to pull him out like uprooting a radish, but the moment he tugged him out a little, An An wriggled right back in.

“Waaah, Big Brother is mean! I don’t want to play with you anymore!”

Grandpa Zhou walked in just in time to hear that and thought Zhou Shizhe must have done something to upset him.

After hearing the full story and looking at An An’s back—his posture alone radiating indignation—he walked over and gently patted his back.

“An An, it’s Grandpa.”

“Grandpa, waaah, Big Brother bullied me.”

An An crawled out from under the blanket and reached out to Grandpa. As soon as Grandpa picked him up, he buried his face in Grandpa’s chest.

All the earlier fuss had left his hair a wild mess, and even the strands of his hair seemed to carry a trace of grievance.

He didn’t know his brother was applying medicine. All he knew was that his leg, which hadn’t hurt at all before, now throbbed with pain.

Even if they had the kind of bond where they snuck out in the middle of the night to eat fried chicken together, it still couldn’t excuse his brother’s shameless behavior this time!

“Alright, Grandpa will deal with him.”

Grandpa Zhou gave Zhou Shizhe a meaningful look. The little guy was clearly upset, so coaxing him came first.

“Watch Grandpa go beat him up, okay?”

Grandpa Zhou set An An down on a small stool, stood up, and raised his hand as if to hit Zhou Shizhe.

In the past, the moment Grandpa stood up, An An would’ve leapt up and clung to his waist to stop him.

But today, he just sat there, clearly genuinely angry.

Grandpa Zhou gave Zhou Shizhe a couple of light pats on the back. An An jumped down from the stool.

The three adults in the room thought the little guy was feeling sorry for his brother and didn’t want Grandpa to actually hit him.

But to their surprise, An An toddled over to the balcony with his short legs, rummaged in the corner, and returned holding the hotel’s clothes-drying rod.

“Grandpa, use this to hit him. This one hurts!”

Seeing the stick—almost as thick as An An’s wrist—both Grandpa Zhou and Zhou Shizhe fell silent for a few seconds in perfect sync.

Grandpa Zhou gripped the stick in his palm, glanced at his eldest grandson whom he had raised, then at the little grandson he now doted on, and frowned.

“Really want me to hit him?”

He raised the stick and pretended to go after Zhou Shizhe.

An An, who had been so confident just moments ago, began to hesitate when he saw this. After a few seconds of thought, he mumbled:

“Grandpa, just scare him.”

“Okay, Grandpa will scare him.”

Grandpa Zhou held back his laughter as he waved the stick at Zhou Shizhe, asking if he dared bully An An again.

Once Zhou Shizhe begged for mercy and promised never to bully An An again on purpose, An An finally crossed his arms and gave a little huff, looking like he’d just won a great victory.

In the hotel room, there was no way they’d let someone as young as An An stay alone, so he shared the room with Zhou Shizhe every night.

Before bed, Zhou Shizhe told him that they planned to leave the next morning.

This city was just too cold—especially in winter. Their whole family was from the south, and even with central heating, they still weren’t used to it.

They planned to head home before the coldest days arrived, so they could spend a warm, familiar New Year in their hometown.

That night, after coaxing An An to sleep, Zhou Shizhe pulled up the blanket, turned off the light, and got ready to sleep as well.

He hadn’t fallen asleep yet when he felt An An scooting over toward him.

Whenever An An got cold, he would snuggle into his brother’s arms. Sometimes, he’d even sneak his icy little feet against Zhou Shizhe’s stomach to warm them up.

Zhou Shizhe would push him away, and An An, unable to warm his feet, would start crying in frustration.

He thought this was just another one of those times, so he closed his eyes and ignored it.

But a few seconds later, he felt An An hugging his arm tightly, like a little koala clinging to a tree.

Even then, Zhou Shizhe didn’t realize anything was wrong.

“Hiss…”

He suddenly felt a sharp pain—An An had taken a bite out of his arm. Zhou Shizhe instinctively sucked in a breath and quickly turned on the bedside lamp.

Under the light, he saw that An An still hadn’t let go. His little white teeth were firmly sunk into Zhou Shizhe’s arm.

“Chicken leg! Waaah~ Big chicken leg~”

An An’s muffled sounds made it easy for Zhou Shizhe to guess that the little guy was probably dreaming about eating a chicken leg—and had mistaken his arm for one, gnawing away at it.

A vein throbbed on his forehead in frustration. He picked An An up and moved him to the side. As he turned off the light, he couldn’t help but think that this was probably karma for sneaking chicken legs with An An behind Grandpa’s back.

On the way home, An An was in high spirits. Sitting in the car, he kept wriggling in his seat.

Children recover quickly. Although there were still marks on his leg, he didn’t feel any pain anymore and had returned to his usual lively self.

Grandpa Zhou hadn’t been able to visit in person before due to health reasons. This year, he finally made the trip, bringing An An along, fulfilling a long-held wish of his.

After returning home, Zhou Shizhe set aside his work for a few days and focused entirely on doing crafts with An An.

Many of the doors in the villa were now decorated with handmade paper rabbits that An An and Zhou Shizhe had made together. The festive atmosphere was strong, and the house was filled with the spirit of the New Year.

When Grandma Zhou and Grandpa Zhou sat together, it was inevitable that they would talk about their son.

They couldn’t help but wonder if this was retribution for the lies they had told in the past to achieve their goals. Their once perfectly healthy son, Zhou Shi, had now been diagnosed with a mental illness.

Even during the New Year, they weren’t in the country. Instead, they were abroad seeking medical treatment with their child in tow.

When Grandpa and Grandma Zhou heard the news, their feelings were complicated.

No matter how much they claimed to resent him, he was still their biological son. Seeing a child so young already suffering from mental issues—how could they not feel heartache?

Grandpa Zhou had even reached out to old friends and connections overseas to help them find medical resources for the child’s treatment.

Grandma Zhou placed a flower into a vase, then picked up a pair of scissors to trim it. As she carefully examined her arrangement, a hesitant expression crossed her face.

“What’s wrong? Is something bothering you?”

After so many years of living together, Grandpa Zhou could tell at a glance that something was on her mind. He asked directly.

“Mm… Last night, our son called me.”

The moment Grandpa Zhou heard that, he immediately sat up straight and leaned in instinctively.

“What happened? Is something wrong with the child? Or are they short on money for treatment? I’ll transfer some over right away.”

Grandma Zhou gently pressed down the hand he was about to use to call his assistant and shook her head.

Seeing her like this, Grandpa Zhou immediately calmed down. If it were really a financial issue, she wouldn’t have that kind of expression.

“Is it about An An again?”

“…Yes.”

“Our daughter-in-law said the reason Zhou Shi developed a mental illness is because he’s always been jealous of An An. If it weren’t for An An, he wouldn’t have ended up like this.”

As Grandma Zhou repeated those words, her heart was pounding.

“They’re full of nonsense!”

Grandpa Zhou cursed, then took a sip of water and took a deep breath to steady his emotions.

What had An An done?

He stayed at home every day, quietly making paper rabbits!

Even if the children had been switched at birth, and even if their son and daughter-in-law had grown attached to the wrong child and didn’t want to give him up, Grandpa Zhou would have stepped in without hesitation. He would never have allowed the real grandson to suffer while the one who wasn’t biologically theirs stayed.

But that wasn’t the case at all. Whether or not Zhou Shi had been kidnapped back then didn’t change the fact that they had adopted An An.

And it was never a matter of diverting resources meant for Zhou Shi to An An. He never cared about the meager assets his son’s family had to begin with.

“I’ll have my assistant send them some money later. As for everything else, we won’t get involved anymore.”

If Zhou Shi had developed such a serious mental illness just because he was jealous of how much they loved An An, then Grandpa Zhou could only advise him to get proper treatment.

Right now, his world only had An An in it. But what would happen when he grew up and met more people, and realized there were so many others better than him? Would he just die of rage?

“I feel the same way…”

Grandma Zhou leaned over and gently soothed Grandpa Zhou. She hadn’t hidden this from him because she knew he would find out eventually.

Better to tell him now and prepare him, rather than risk a bigger emotional reaction when he got a call from their son later.

“We’re getting old. No matter how much we try to deny it, we can’t escape it.”

…

Winter in this city was always mild. Even with the New Year approaching, the weather remained the same.

There had been a snowfall, but the flakes only drifted in the air. As soon as they touched the ground, they melted away.

An An sat on the carpet by the floor-to-ceiling windows, propping up his chin and gazing up at the snowflakes drifting from the sky.

Grandpa Zhou came over with a freshly prepared baby bottle and placed it in his arms, then sat down beside him.

An An took a sip from the bottle. Recognizing it was his grandpa, he leaned against him without hesitation.

This position was even more comfortable than before. An An looked completely content.

“An An, this snow is really something, isn’t it?”

“Mm, it’s kind of nice.”

Last night, An An had seen videos on Big Brother’s phone of other places where thick snow was falling like goose feathers, quickly piling up in thick layers on the ground.

“When your real grandpa and I were in the military, we were stationed somewhere that got heavy snow every year. The river would freeze over completely.”

“The river would freeze?”

That caught An An’s interest. He no longer lounged lazily against his grandpa but sat up, eyes sparkling, eager to hear more.

Old people tend to reminisce. No matter what they see or experience, they can always find traces of the past in it.

They can repeat the same stories over and over without getting tired of them.

“Of course it would. And it froze solid—so thick you couldn’t even break it.”

“It was so cold there that even thick padded jackets didn’t help. Still freezing.”

Hearing that, An An instinctively pulled his clothes tighter around himself. His attentive little expression made Grandpa Zhou even more eager to share.

“Every morning, we had to go break the ice to fetch water to drink.”

“I was young and playful back then. Growing up in the south, I had never seen such thick ice. Every time we were told to break the ice, I wanted to stand on it and play.”

“You wouldn’t believe it—the ice was so sturdy, even when Grandpa stood on it, it didn’t crack.”

An An, who was already fascinated just by the light snowfall outside, couldn’t even begin to imagine what such cold would feel like.

“Really? It didn’t crack?”

Grandpa Zhou reached out and gently tapped An An’s nose with a smile.

“Just kidding. It did. Sometimes the ice wasn’t solid enough, and when Grandpa stood on it, it broke.”

“Then what did you do?”

An An tilted his head curiously. Grandpa Zhou looked out at the snowy sky, lost in his memories.

“Yeah, what could we do? The water beneath that sheet of ice was freezing cold. We were all wearing thick cotton jackets, and once they got soaked, they became unbearably heavy.”

“Later on, it was your grandpa who pulled me out from under the ice.”

Back then, he was younger and recovered quickly, but An An’s grandpa wasn’t as lucky. Because of that incident, he was left with a lingering cough.

They were all severely scolded and had to write self-reflections.

In the end, part of the reason An An’s biological grandpa passed away so early in the hospital, according to the doctors, was also because of that incident.

His son and daughter-in-law always felt that it was just a single act of saving someone’s life—not something worth sacrificing so much over. But in truth, An An’s grandpa had saved him more than once. He had always looked after him like an older brother.

“My grandpa was amazing~”

“Yes, he was the most outstanding soldier among us.”

Grandpa Zhou reached out and gently ruffled An An’s soft, fluffy little head, feeling the way the boy nuzzled into his palm, seeking affection.

“If he hadn’t passed away so early, he would’ve accomplished even more.”

If that had been the case, his son and daughter-in-law would never have given up on treatment and chosen death just because of a hundred thousand or so in medical expenses. An An wouldn’t have had to suffer so much in the beginning either.

An An didn’t understand what Grandpa meant by that. He only knew that the milk in his baby bottle was starting to get cold.

He scooted closer into Grandpa’s arms, tugged Grandpa’s hand to rest on his shoulder, and urged him to pull him into a cuddle. The sound of him gulping down milk echoed softly.

–Translator Notes–

• “māmì māmì hōng” is a childish, made-up chant that mimics “Mama, coax me.”

It’s baby-talk, said in a magical, spell-like rhythm