Chapter 39 Finally a Family of Three

Chapter 39: Finally a Family of Three

Shi Zai vigorously rubbed his eyes, a choked "Brother" caught in his throat. He leaped from the car, rushing over like a fledgling bird to its nest.

Before seeing him, he had intended to tell Yang Yun not to burden his eldest brother with this distressing matter. But the moment he saw him, his grievances poured out. Shi Zai knew there was someone to shoulder his sorrow, shame, and pain—not just his younger brother from moments ago, but now his eldest brother.

By the roadside, Shu Yangkuo embraced him with one arm, while with the other, he opened the trunk and placed Yang Yun's bicycle inside.

"Good boy, my treasure, what's wrong?"

"Wahh... why is the world so small... How dare he go to university... Why do they treat me like this..."

"We're moving. I've already chosen two cities."

"Wahh... I feel so awful, brother... Wait, what did you just say?!"

Suddenly lifting his tear-filled eyes, Shi Zai blinked. A large teardrop was gently wiped away by a rough, warm thumb. Shu Yangkuo scooped him up, holding him close, pressing his head against his chest, and patting him softly.

"We'll go check them out tomorrow."

"...Brother?!"

"Mhm, let's get in the car first."

After settling both youngsters in the back seat, Shu Yangkuo made a U-turn at the next intersection. His little pup had stopped crying, clinging to the seat and watching him with hopeful eyes. Shu Yangkuo's heart ached intensely. He simply said, "We'll talk about it later," and asked Yang Yun to explain what had just happened.

He must have run into Shi Zai's family at the university again. Shu Yangkuo drove at the speed limit, heading back toward the campus.

The last time, it was his parents—the parents Shi Zai had still held some faint hope for. There was little Shu Yangkuo could do then, except show through intimate hugs and carrying that his little pup already had a new pillar of support. What were they compared to that?

This time, whether they were his brothers or sisters, Shu Yangkuo wouldn't let it slide. Among his own brothers, some had committed fratricide. Had it not been for... he would have taken action long ago. When resources and benefits were scarce, brothers were no longer brothers.

The softer you were, the more you were exploited.

As soon as class was over, Shu Yangkuo had called. He dialed three times in a row with no answer. He knew they usually kept their phones on silent during class, but they typically turned them back on within five minutes after class. Shu Yangkuo didn't call again and headed straight for the campus. Sure enough.

Just as he was about to get out of the car, the little fool in the back started babbling:

"Big brother, are you going to do something? Are you finally going to do something?!"

"...Shut up."

Hearing this exchange, Shi Zai's eyes reddened again:

"Wahh... brother, no! Don't! We have rule of law... I can't lose you..."

Shu Yangkuo sighed lightly, got out of the car, opened the door, and pulled his trembling, barely-comforted little pup into his arms. He thought about scolding the talkative brat, but Yang Yun was also watching him with red, tearful eyes, so he paused. He turned Yang Yun's head away, leaned down, and kissed his treasure deeply, sucking away his tears, taking on his pain and grievances.

After soothing him with kisses, Shu Yangkuo squatted by the car, looking his treasure in the eye:

"Good boy, no more crying. I'm not going to do anything. Wait here quietly, trust me?"

"...You mustn't, mustn't..."

"Trust me?"

"Yes, yes! Brother, I'll wait for you to come back!"

Click. The moment Shu Yangkuo closed the car door, it locked. Shi Zai couldn't open it no matter what he did and could only watch through the window crack. Gradually calming down, soothed by the kiss and the cool air conditioning, he watched the tall figure walk farther away, his back growing smaller yet seeming increasingly towering—like a mountain, like the vast sky, like all the love in this world.

Even many years later, Shi Zai never learned what Shu Yangkuo said or did to Shi Haoyang. He only knew that Shi Haoyang never bothered him again.

From age twelve, Shi Zai had gone home every New Year and given money to his parents. The first year, they scorned him and refused. The second year, they accepted. Not until he returned home at eighteen did he learn why they took the money—it was for Shi Haoyang.

Shi Haoyang said that being an educated person, he didn't believe in superstitions but saw no reason to refuse money.

His disbelief in superstitions only went so far as Shi Zai's money.

They were close in age as children. At first, Shi Zai often followed this ninth brother around. When Shi Haoyang started school, Shi Zai tagged along. He was only five then, barely forming memories, but slowly he realized he was being bullied every day, and it only grew worse. Shi Haoyang once stripped him naked and threw him into a pond in late autumn, splashed him with basin after basin of cold water in the damp winter, claiming he was eliminating the family's misfortune. So Shi Zai stopped following him to school—out of fear and hatred. The village schoolteacher had actually liked him and let him attend for free for a year, but Xiao Shizai could do nothing against his two-years-older brother Shi Haoyang except stay far away.

From childhood till now, Shi Zai felt sorrow, pain, and resentment toward his family, but never hatred. His parents and siblings simply pretended not to see him, indifferent to whether he ate well or stayed warm. Apart from holding onto a faint hope regarding his parents—which always brought him pain—he could heal from everything else. But toward Shi Haoyang, he felt hatred.

Because Shi Haoyang genuinely wanted him dead, while also insulting him and using his money.

For six years, Shi Zai played the fool. At nineteen, he stopped giving money. In May, he ran into his parents and, in a moment of softheartedness, considered... but that encounter made him lose all hope in them completely. As for Shi Haoyang, he was the one small hatred in Shi Zai's heart.

A helpless hatred.

He thought never seeing him again would be enough, but by such a cruel coincidence, he was hurt and humiliated once more.

One reason Shi Zai moved to Fengwai Town late last year was because Shi Haoyang had cornered him for money.

Over the years, Shi Zai had relocated five or six times, always circling within the same province where his parents lived. Ultimately, it was a pitiful fantasy. After finding his brother and little brother, and after that encounter with his parents in May, Shi Zai stopped caring.

Knowing Shu Yangkuo wanted to move somewhere completely free of them for his sake, Shi Zai didn't refuse.

Let that family rot right where they are!

For the first time, Shi Zai rested his head on Yang Yun's small shoulder, nuzzling gently. The pink dumpling kept rubbing his hand comfortingly, alternating between, "Big brother is really good at fighting," and "I can be little brother's umbrella too..." Outside, one offered silent, tangible comfort and unwavering sense of security; inside, the other provided chatterbox companionship and joy. What more did Shi Zai have to cry about? His pain was real, but what his brother and little brother did for him was even more real. The self-pity in Shi Zai's heart vanished instantly.

Grabbing at the sunset light through the window, Shi Zai blinked:

"Yun Bao, I think I've become a ray of light too."

"No, you're not just light—you're a shining, brilliant sun."

"...Yun Bao, you're so good at compliments!"

"Hehe, big brother said it: 'Xiao Zai is my little sun.' Hahaha!"

Yang Yun imitated about sixty percent of Shu Yangkuo's tone. Shi Zai felt both shocked and warmed, his arms breaking out in goosebumps. He desperately wanted to know how Shu Yangkuo had said such a thing to Yang Yun, but the pink dumpling wouldn't tell him. The two tussled playfully.

Amid their laughter, the car door opened. Shi Zai immediately beamed an even brighter smile, hooking his arms around Shu Yangkuo's neck to pull him inside:

"Brother, I love you, I super love you!"

"...Good boy. My treasure won't have to see him again, and you won't have to return to that house either."

"Brother? You... you..."

Kissing his beloved's eyes, Shu Yangkuo turned his head slightly, hiding the intensity in his gaze, and played a phone recording for him.

Three minutes later, Shi Zai threw himself into Shu Yangkuo's arms and wept like a baby.

Shi Haoyang apologized, saying Shi Zai was a very, very good person, the most outstanding and successful child in the Shi family, the little brother they all secretly admired... They saw everything, but as rural people bound by superstition, they felt they had to guard against him due to the incident after his birth and some rumors. Still, each of them knew how hard his life had been—it was just that some were inherently malicious, greedy, and incompetent, only finding their sense of existence in controlling and humiliating their little brother. Shi Haoyang repeated every insult he'd ever hurled at Shi Zai, but directed them at himself, calling himself trash, worthless, promising to disappear far away...

—"If I fail to keep my word, you can deal with me as you see fit, and I'll... I'll endure everything he went through all over again."

The terrified, stammering promise slowly pulled Shi Zai out of the panic of his past. Feeling the warmth gradually return to the body in his arms, Shu Yangkuo closed his eyes. If not for fear of shackling his treasure with new pain, he could have spent a year making Shi Haoyang experience every humiliation Shi Zai had suffered, leaving him wishing for death before finally dying!

"Brother? Brother? Don't be like this..."

"...Hmm?"

Shu Yangkuo snapped back to attention, rubbed his eyes briefly, quickly dispelling the extreme emotions, and held the person in his arms, kissing him tenderly.

When would the cycle of revenge ever end? He had tasted this bitterness and had been redeemed by his beloved, pulled back from the brink. He couldn't go back to being his old self, couldn't drag his beloved back into that abyss—no, their future would only be filled with bright sunshine.

Opening his eyes after the scorching kiss, Shi Zai laughed:

"Brother, I feel super happy, super relieved! Every time I faced him, it wasn't sadness, just anger—feeling so choked up I couldn't even speak. Today was really satisfying! Brother, please don't do anything to him again. This recording alone is enough for me to let go! If I remember them for the rest of my life, it would be unfair to myself and to you. My heart is only this big—it has to hold you and myself. Why should they take up space?! I only have you all. From now on, there's no them, no more pain!"

"Baby, baby, from now on, I'll be your parent and your elder brother..."

"Great! I can also be the child for you and little brother, hahaha!"

"..."

The two of them turned their heads away from each other at the same time, and Shi Zai burst into laughter.

Shu Yangkuo smiled along, suppressing the ache in his heart, and kissed the person in his arms again and again. Shi Zai had truly let go. Especially over the past week, every night Shu Yangkuo would wake up somehow startled, then hold him so tightly he could barely breathe. Shi Zai would wake up immediately and press his warm lips against him in embrace... They shared silent kisses deep into the night, until only love and desire remained.

They spent two consecutive weekends visiting cities that Shu Yangkuo had selected, all related to ceramic culture, and finally settled on Zhen'an. They would move completely after Shi Zai finished his classes at the end of August—a move to settle down in a new home!

On a Friday at the end of July, Shu Yangkuo took time off work for the second time on a weekday.

The two younger ones thought he was on a day trip for business, just not joining them for lunch, so they didn't think much of it.

Who knew he would bring back two things that night, both related to Shi Zai? When Shi Zai took them, he was still dazed. Yang Yun exclaimed first:

"Big brother, you... you used the household register to... wipe them out?! Even dug up the graves?!"

Only Shi Zai's name remained in the household register.

Yang Yun, the silly bird, cried out.

Shi Zai, the little pup, was stunned.

Shu Yangkuo said helplessly, pointing to the word "Head of Household" on the first page of the register. Shi Zai recognized it and swallowed hard:

"Wh-what about them?"

"...Wherever it's cool, they can stay there."

"!!"

Given that his reputation had been damaged by his own doing, and not knowing what the two younger ones whispered about every day, his image hadn't improved one bit. Or perhaps, the little pup was too overjoyed and stunned to process it. Shu Yangkuo explained the whole story.

He had moved out independently and registered a separate household.

They had seen a place in Zhen'an that Shi Zai really liked but found too expensive. Shu Yangkuo had taken leave the previous week to first go to Zhen'an to secure the home, then to Shi Zai's hometown to handle the residence registration and household transfer. It was all done today. From now on, Shi Zai was Shi Zai, his own person. Those people would no longer have anything to do with him.

Shi Zai wiped his eyes. The moment he was embraced, he lifted his face to show Shu Yangkuo he wasn't crying:

"Brother, I thought you really went to the graveyard... In summer, graveyards are really cool, hehe."

"...Baby, why didn't you say so earlier?"

"Say what earlier... Brother, don't go crazy, hahaha! Let's not talk about them anymore. I, Shi Zai, am reborn today!!"

"Congratulations, Baby."

As he spoke, Shu Yangkuo lifted the boy high into the air, making him "fly" repeatedly under the bright moon and stars outside the window. The past details were too painful to dwell on—he had step-by-step walked out of the mud, gradually broken free from the shackles, to arrive at today.

From now on, his Baby would shine even brighter.

From now on, his Baby would only have his brother and little brother.

Finally, it was a new beginning—finally, a family of three.

Shi Zai looked down from above into a pair of gentle, profound eyes and suddenly thought:

"Brother, can the three of us be on the same household registration?"

"...Yes, but only as brothers."

"Oh," Shi Zai let out an "ah," blinking his eyes:

"That would be so exciting!!"

"..."

"Hahahaha, brother, I'm sorry, I won't listen to those nonsensical stories anymore."

After making the little puppy "fly" one more time, Shu Yangkuo settled him in the crook of his arm and gently tapped his nose:

"Stepbrothers. Once we move to Zhen'an, Yang Yun and I will cancel our household registrations and re-register under yours."

"Wow, really?! Then I'll be the head of the household!"

"You've always been, Baby."

The family of three climbed into the car and went out to eat—not just to celebrate Shi Zai, but to celebrate all three of them.

They were no longer afraid of the pain of the past. Every time they encountered that pain again, they could shatter it with powerful love and gain a hundred times more happiness and joy. Without this journey, they would never have thought of a way to completely free the little puppy and give themselves a fresh start.

Shu Yangkuo glanced in the rearview mirror and couldn't help but smile. His little puppy was so resilient and optimistic.

In no time, the two youngsters were climbing over the seats, staring at him eagerly, insisting that he explain exactly how he had "dug up the grave." Shu Yangkuo glanced at the ceramic shard in his Baby's hand, and a thousand needle-like wheels once again crushed his heart, the pain making him feel his methods hadn't been harsh enough.

But in an instant, his obsession faded as he saw his Baby's smiling face. Whatever was missing, he would make up for it. From now on, he would love even more.

When Xiao Shizai was first born, he was exceptionally beautiful, the tenth child in the family. The couple hadn't planned to have more children, but his birth symbolized perfection. Moreover, when Xiao Shizai came into the world, a broken ceramic shard with a small dragon painted on it fell from the dilapidated roof. Not only the couple but the entire village was overjoyed, setting up ten banquet tables for his hundred-day celebration. They believed the tenth child of the Shi family would bring good fortune to the village and adored him immensely.

Back then, he hadn't been named yet and was simply called "Zai Zai" every day because no name seemed worthy of Xiao Shizai's "dragon" luck.

But the joy was short-lived. Within a week of the hundred-day celebration, five elderly villagers passed away one after another. One of them was just twenty days shy of turning a hundred, and the youngest was seventy-five. The village, once praised by neighboring areas as a "longevity village," was now overwhelmed with grief and anger.

The villagers demanded that the couple bury Xiao Shizai. Shockingly, the couple began to consider it. Fortunately, a doctor from the town soon arrived, going door to door to educate people about a severe flu outbreak and urging them not to panic. Only then did everyone realize that Xiao Shizai's birth hadn't caused the deaths.

Yet, they still saw him as a curse—why did such a severe flu outbreak happen right after his birth?

Though he was spared death, suffering was inevitable.

The ceramic shard that had once symbolized good fortune was torn from Xiao Shizai's neck and buried in the grave of the centenarian's family, labeled as a "grave offering." The couple didn't dare say a word and thereafter acted as if the child didn't exist, never even giving him a name.

Shu Yangkuo dug the ceramic shard out from the small grave nearby. If not for the times they lived in, he would have dug up an enormous grave... Earlier, when the little puppy joked about the graveyard being cool, it was no wonder... How many nights had his Baby been driven to the graveyard?

Under the moonlight, a small figure staggered unsteadily, stumbling and curling up there, cluelessly counting stars… tormenting himself with imagined scenarios, then desperately telling himself not to think. Shu Yangkuo's knuckles turned white as he gritted his teeth, repeatedly talking himself down.

His heart aching unbearably, Shu Yangkuo instantly slowed the car upon hearing the exclamation behind him, massaging his temples.

After parking, he opened the car door and let the two younger ones step out one after the other. As he lifted the child from the back seat, he took the dirt-caked porcelain fragment from his hand. Shi Zai, taken by surprise, couldn't snatch it back:

"Brother, toss it out—it's so dirty…"

"Who says my treasure is dirty?!"

"…Brother, brother, don't do this—I'm scared…"

Almost instantly, Shu Yangkuo closed his eyes, then reopened them; the darkness and madness in his gaze faded significantly. He only clutched his treasure's legs tightly with his forearm and wrist, his empty hand trembling slightly—revealing his inner turmoil.

Lowering his head, Shu Yangkuo pressed his face against Shi Zai's hair, fighting to compose himself:

"Treasure—my ultimate treasure."

"Brother, I'm here—don't be afraid. The incredibly strong, incredibly brave Xiao Shizai has grown up!"

"…Mm."

At the sound, Shi Zai turned his face—and froze in shock:

"Brother, don't be like this—don't cry. I'm fine. It's all behind us now…"

As he spoke, Shi Zai's own eyes reddened, tears spilling over. He held Shu Yangkuo's head with both hands but couldn't make him lift his face. The tall man leaned against a tree, burying his face in Shi Zai's shoulder and neck; his suppressed voice sounded like a trapped beast's ragged cry carried on the wind.

He often joked about "crybaby" or "big crybaby," but this was the first time Shi Zai had ever seen him cry like this. Shi Zai was held so tightly his legs grew numb and painful—yet he didn't dare struggle, couldn't move an inch. The man's trembling hands were like golden threads binding shattered porcelain—tight enough to never part again.

Yang Yun, standing nearby holding his elder brother's hand, also wept softly. Having lived two lifetimes, he'd never seen his eldest brother shed a single tear. The nearly two-meter-tall man seemed like a mountain teetering on the edge—roaring and trembling through past storms—fortunate to have a tiny treasure in his arms to keep him from falling or breaking completely.

Truly, he was a brilliant sun—bringing immense beauty to the world and endless renewal to them.

Cradled in the tall man's arms was a small sun, stretching out its arms to repeatedly kiss the chilled mountain—until, at last, the sun and moon sang together.

Yang Yun thought: if little brother is the sun, then big brother is the reserved, serene, yet boundless moon of the deep night.

Their love originated from destiny.

Feeling it hadn't been too long, Shu Yangkuo swiped at his eyes, lifted his face, and quickly turned into the shadow of a tree:

"Be good—don't look at me."

"Please."

Those two words from the person in his arms made Shu Yangkuo's heart clench again. He immediately suppressed the rising emotions and turned his face:

"Do I look ugly?"

"Brother—if you keep tempting me, I… my little birdie is going to raise its head…"

The last part was breathed. Shi Zai blinked, believing the man understood.

A second later, Shu Yangkuo's eyes weren't just red—they burned crimson, his ears flushing scarlet:

"…You little rascal."

"Hehe—next time brother cries, it can *only* be in my bed!"

Shi Zai declared loudly, raising his hand. Yang Yun beside him was stunned:

"…Cough, cough—little brother, have some decency, will you?!"

"Hahaha—from now on, cover your ears voluntarily!"

"How was I supposed to know you could lose it anytime, anywhere?!"

"Hahaha—you cheeky brat—no respect for your elders? Just you wait…"

With one in his arms and one at his side, the two younger ones began tussling playfully. Shu Yangkuo let out a soft sigh. After venting his hatred and pain, his heart was now filled anew—with love and happiness drawn from his treasure's smiling face—feeling utterly at peace.

After a while of fooling around, Shi Zai—seeing the man's mood had improved—burrowed deeper into his embrace and played with his damp eyelashes:

"Brother, from now on, let's not let them drain our emotions anymore. We just want to be happy. Only by living better and better will we have the best revenge! I want brother's eyes only on me—his heart and mind full of me too!"

"…I'll remember that, treasure."

"Hehe—I'm covered in brother's scent too."

His eyelashes trembling under his treasure's touch, Shu Yangkuo lowered his gaze slightly—and didn't respond to that.

When a small hand pried open his palm and took the porcelain shard, Shu Yangkuo didn't resist—only saying, "This is mine." Shi Zai snorted:

"Stingy… Brother, your hand is bleeding…"

As he spoke, Shi Zai held the shard in one hand and raised the man's palm with the other. The shard was a small rectangle without sharp edges—yet Shu Yangkuo's palm bore a deep imprint, beads of blood welling up.

Almost without thinking, Shi Zai darted his tongue out to lick it.

Shu Yangkuo froze mid-breath—feeling as if it weren't blood, but fire seeping out… He swallowed thickly and clenched his fist:

"Come on—let's go eat."

"…Oh—I thought you'd rather eat *me*."

As soon as he finished, Yang Yun beside them roared, "You shameless Shi Zai!"

Shi Zai laughed heartily. His stomach truly hungry, he stopped fooling around and obediently let the elder and younger brothers carry and lead him into the restaurant.

Under the bright lights, Shi Zai took the porcelain shard again, examining it carefully. The edges indeed had fine cracks. Suddenly, an idea struck him:

"Brother—I can wrap the edges, repair it with tin… fix it up like new!"

"It's mine."

"…Yours, yours! I'll repair it—and give the *completely renewed me* to you, okay?"

"Okay—very happy."

Yang Yun secretly curled his lip nearby. Tsk—the cloying scent of an old man in love is really strong, hehe. And quite the master of wheedling. He shook his head and mimicked, "I'm very happy too," successfully earning a cold glare—and quieting down, haha.

Still, Yang Yun leaned over Shi Zai's shoulder to look:

"Little brother—let me redraw the little dragon on it!"

"Great, great! Then it'll become a priceless treasure—authenticated and collected by big brother! Hehe—the three of us are truly destined by heaven!"

Around the steaming table, the three exchanged smiles—warmth in their hearts richer even than the lively atmosphere.

In the blazing midsummer, they walked together beneath dappled light and breeze—each one a summer unto themselves—and together, a reborn midsummer.

Shi Zai's birthday fell at the beginning of early summer, while Shu Yangkuo's and Yang Yun's came before late summer. Though millennia apart and full of differences, they were like the start and end of summer—a single red sun piercing countless shaded paths—ultimately bringing them together.

These days, aside from preparing for the elder and younger brothers' birthdays, Shi Zai hadn't forgotten to attend classes properly.

Yet, on the last evening of July, this "good student" was actually criticized.