"I'm all better now! Completely healed! Dongzi, I worried you all!" Lin Xia stared unblinkingly at Lin Dong, a slight but lean young boy wearing labor clothes and trousers that had been shortened for him.
His hair was cropped short, and he had delicate, handsome features. The ends of his brows were still intact, not yet marred by the scars from the willow switches his father would later use on him.
She held back the warm, acidic tears in her eyes, holding Lin Dong's hand and talking nonstop.
Lin Dong always felt that today his elder sister was a bit different than usual, but he didn't think too much about it.
At that moment, Lin Qiu called them to eat, looking at the steaming hot cabbage and potato stew on the kang table. Lin Dong sniffed hard, "It smells so good! Second sister! When did your cooking skills get this good?!"
"This wasn't my doing! It's all elder sister's skills! She didn't skimp on the oil at all!" Lin Qiu was a bit scared seeing how her elder sister had poured the oil before.
Lin Dong frowned, "Elder sister! When that old woman comes back she will surely..."
Lin Xia slapped him on the head, "Afraid of what? Does she dare to hit us? Tell me. If she dares to hit me, would you step in?"
Without hesitation, Lin Dong pounded his chest, "I'd definitely step in! No one is allowed to hit my sister!"
"That settles it. Why should they eat their fill every day and we starve? What right do they have? Besides, she's often been sneaking grain out to her parent's house!
From now on, remember, our rations are among those she is sending out! If she dares to curse us, we will go out and let the neighbors judge!"
Lin Xia was really laying it all on the line – what did reputation and face amount to compared to the happiness and life of her siblings?
Lin Chun and the others were silenced by Lin Xia's words, staring at her dumbfounded, speechless for a long time.
Lin Xia looked at them and smiled, "Look at you, all dumbfounded! Come on, eat! From now on, we're doing things my way!"
She knew that such a sudden change might make them uncomfortable, but she couldn't afford a slow transition!
Whenever she thought about their future, Lin Xia's heart burned with anguish.
The three people in front of her were the dearest to her in this world, the ones she most wanted to protect.
She had to speak her true thoughts and make them tough like her, no longer timid and enduring, but knowing how to resist.
Help from others is only temporary. To stand strong, they would have to empower themselves!
"Alright! Elder sister! We'll listen to you!" Lin Dong picked up his chopsticks and grabbed a big bite of cabbage, finding it exceptionally delicious.
Lin Chun and Lin Qiu also set aside their astonishment and began to eat, but their eyes were involuntarily drawn back to the confident and resolute Lin Xia.
When Lin Dong heard about the news brought by Aunt Jin, he also joined in urging him.
"Big brother! Aunt Jin's proposal sounds pretty good, think about it!"
"Dongzi! Eat! Let's not talk about that now!" Lin Chun lifted his head, looking at his brother and sisters all staring at him, "You don't need to persuade me, let me think about it on my own!"
"Alright then! Big brother! Take your time! We still have time!"
Lin Dong exchanged glances with his sisters, pursing his lips. He actually understood what his brother was thinking.
His brother might still be considering who would take over in the future, but in his view, with Lin Qiang around, neither of them might be able to take over.
Lin Xia knew this wasn't something to rush, so she dropped the topic, and the siblings chatted about other things.
Lin Chun quietly ate his meal, his mind in turmoil as he thought about the matter.
He had to consider many things, and first off, his father might not agree to him working out of town.
Furthermore, once he left, being far away, he wouldn't be able to come back often. What about his younger sister and brothers?
Especially since his stepmother's children had grown up, none of them were easy to deal with. Wouldn't their lives become even more difficult in the future?
He thought it would be better to work near home, and eventually take over and become a regular worker.
Compared to working in a large factory out of town, it was just a matter of a few more years.
After dinner, Lin Chun and Lin Dong took the opportunity before it got late to split firewood in the yard, while Lin Qiu and Lin Xia cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen.
Lin Qiu, leaning through the window to look at her brothers busy in the yard, whispered to Lin Xia, "Sis, do you think Xiaoqing can persuade our older brother? I doubt it! If brother becomes stubborn, no one can make him listen!"
Lin Xia continued washing dishes without pausing, "Xiaoqiu, we can't rush things. Whether our older brother wants to go or not is one thing, but don't forget about our parents..."
Lin Qiu sighed heavily as she scrubbed the pot, "That's true! Ah, sis, it would be great if we could just live on our own soon!"
She was truly fed up with living like this!
Lin Xia wiped her hands and comforted her, "In the future, our lives will definitely get better! By the way, Xiaoqiu, have you thought about what kind of job you want to do in the future?"
She felt that her older brother's situation could wait, but her younger sister's employment could not be delayed any longer.
"Sis! I can do anything as long as I can get a job! I really don't want to keep working at home!"
After graduating from junior high, Lin Qiu had still not found a suitable factory job; she always seemed to miss the opportunity, either because the positions were filled or hiring was temporarily halted.
"Okay! I'll see if I can find a job for you when I go to work tomorrow!" Lin Xia actually had a vague idea, but everything still depended on the situation.
The sisters chatted warmly about daily life, while outside, the brothers kept talking while they split the firewood.
Lin Dong wiped the sweat from his forehead, "Big brother! Why do I feel like our big sister is a bit different today?"
From the moment he came back today, it was as if his big sister had changed into someone else.
Although he liked this change, his heart couldn't help but feel uneasy.
While swinging the axe, Lin Chun didn't stop his motion and continued splitting the wood, "Why didn't I notice? I think our big sister might have gotten sick once and it changed her outlook."
He had no other thoughts, as long as his big sister was okay, that was all that mattered.
All these years, as an older brother, he hadn't really acted like one, and it was impossible for him to say he didn't feel guilty about it.
"That's true! She had such a high fever last night, it scared us all!" Lin Dong nodded silently. He sneakily glanced at Lin Chun's stern face, "Big brother! Tell me the truth, do you really want to go?"
Lin Chun straightened up, looked at Lin Dong, and pursed his lips, "Dongzi! To be honest, my heart is all over the place! I know that waiting to take over dad's position would mean a few more years, and who knows what might change during that time.
But if I really went, what would you guys do at home?"
He felt so conflicted inside, torn in both directions, unable to make a firm decision.
Lin Dong smiled lightly, his tone relaxed, "What would there be to manage? In the future, my big sister and second sister will work, and I'll focus on my studies! Big brother, I think you should give it a try, don't leave yourself any regrets.
If it doesn't work out, we're not afraid, we'll just honestly work in the factory and be the young workers..."