Yu Heng pulled his brother home in silence.
Yu Yu looked at his brother's face that was as black as the bottom of a pot and didn't dare to breathe loudly. He wiped his tears quietly, afraid that he would be beaten up. Even when he entered the house, he still looked at Yu Heng timidly and didn't dare to speak.
"Big Brother, Second Brother? Why did you come back together?" Before Yu Xiang could make lunch, she saw her big brother holding her second brother's hand and returning home. Her gaze stopped on Yu Heng's feet. She took a pair of sandals and handed them over. "Big Brother, where are your shoes? Why did you come back barefoot?"
Yu Heng first went to get a basin of well water to wash his muddy feet before putting on his shoes. Then, he stood in the small garden and sized up the home he had lived in for 18 years.
The red bricks were covered in moss, and there were holes in the roof. Apart from a common dining room, there were only three rooms—one for his parents, one for him and his brother, and one for his sister.
Yu Heng was a little worried. That young lady from the city even despised the village chief's two-story house. He didn't know how much she would despise this if she stayed here.
"Brother, I'm sorry." Yu Yu carefully moved to Yu Heng's side and tugged at the hem of his clothes. He knew that he had caused trouble and wanted to remedy it, but he didn't know what to do.
"Brother, why don't you hit me?" Yu Yu looked at Yu Heng's expression and felt even more uncertain.
"At this point, it's useless to hit you." Yu Heng lowered his eyes and shook his head.
He looked at his younger brother in front of him. A twelve-year-old boy was not even as tall as an onion that had good growth. He could not help but feel heartache. He was just a child. It was not intentional for him to get into trouble. Instead of blaming him, it was better to think about how to solve the problem of that young lady's accommodation.
"You and Yu Xiang clean up the courtyard. She'll probably be here in the afternoon." With that, Yu Heng entered the house.
Of the three rooms, Father and Mother's were the largest. However, the smell of Chinese medicine had already seeped into every brick and tile of the room. There was also a wardrobe, a small casserole, and a pile of miscellaneous things in the room. Not to mention whether that young lady was willing to stay, Father and Mother's movement was also a big problem.
His sister's room was pitifully small. Although it was called a room, it was actually a small space separated by a curtain. Yu Heng felt that his sister had grown up and should have a gender awareness that she couldn't sleep with the two brothers, so he used bricks and cloth to give her a three-square-meter space.
Yu Heng thought about it and decided to give up his room with his brother. He would let his sister sleep with his parents while his brother slept in his sister's room. He would sleep on the floor in the living room.
After making up his mind, he began to tidy up. Usually, he would tidy up the room. Now, there wasn't much to move. Yu Heng repaired the broken window and took out an old cloth to wash it clean. He planned to use it as a curtain for that Eldest Miss. Yu Xiang watched her brother work in the room and also took a broom to start cleaning inside and out.
The three children were busy at home, and the commotion was not small. Mrs. Yu was so shocked that she sat up straight and leaned over to ask what had happened.
"Mother, someone might come to our house in the afternoon. We're tidying up the house." Yu Xiang ran over and wheedled with her parents. She had already heard the reason for the incident from Yu Yu. Now, she only thought of a reason to comfort her parents. She couldn't let her parents be agitated again and worsen their condition.
Mrs. Yu looked very happy. Very few people were willing to visit. As time passed, a lifeless smell permeated the room. Now that someone was willing to come and the house was cleaned up, Mrs. Yu looked a little better.
Yu Yu knew that he was the cause of today's incident, so he worked extra hard. He chased all the chickens back to the pen and washed the chicken poop on the ground clean with water. He wished he could rebuild the room.
By the time the three of them were done, the sun was about to set.
"Brother, what do we cook for Missy tonight?" Yu Xiang looked at the rice jar and asked.
Usually, they would eat potatoes or sweet potatoes at night. They would save the rice for the holidays. However, if guests came at night and they could not take out anything good, they would probably neglect them.
Yu Heng walked forward to see how much rice was left in the rice jar. He thought for a moment and said, "Make rice. At least there are people here. We can't lack etiquette. Also, stir-fry shredded potatoes and cabbage."
"What about the eggs? There are still eggs today." Yu Xiang took out the basket that usually stored eggs. The hens at home were all raised. Usually, the eggs were left for her parents to nourish their bodies. Sometimes, when there were too many chickens, she and Yu Yu could eat one.
"No need." Yu Heng shook his head. He didn't think that the young lady would take a fancy to his family's food. It was better not to waste it and leave it for his parents to eat.