To her, Ye Xinyu who was four years younger was like a brother. If she had a brother, she thought, he would be exactly like Ye Xinyu—mischievous, and often beaten by the family that doted him. They beat him for they loved him so much, and could not bear the thought of him going on the wrong path. Still, he was pretty thick-skinned and the beatings and counseling hardly got through him.
She took out a pack of cup noodles and water from a bag beside her, walked over to Ye Xinyu, and squat down.
"Eat this."
"Thank you, cousin-in-law," said Ye Xinyu, taking the cup noodles from her hand. With every bite, he drank a mouthful of water, and soon he was about to finish both.
He had really been starving. Looking back, it has almost been a day and a night since the earthquake.
"Thanks so much, sister," said Ye Xinyu ingratiatingly. He was calling sister instead of cousin-in-law, and it seemed almost as if he had forgotten about his cousin.
