A Cold Memory

But in the end, Mother gave birth to a girl! Everyone was overjoyed at the arrival of this little sister. Father did not impose the same strict demands on her as he did on me; in fact, he doted on her excessively! Every interesting toy or gadget was brought home for her, while I was left to face those dreadful official documents. Why? Did Father not love me? The injustice weighed heavily in my heart! That was why I didn’t like her. Yet she clung to me with an unusual attachment, especially fond of following me everywhere! This constant attention from her was truly vexing.

No matter what she did, Mother and Father always found joy in it. Even Father’s face, usually so stern, revealed a smile I had never seen before. In my small heart, a sorrow I couldn’t express took root.

But I had no one with whom I could share these feelings. It was truly a pitiable state; even at school, I rarely played with other children. There were endless documents to process, so many problems to solve! I simply had no time to waste on play.

This was another reason I grew to resent Xiao even more. One day, when she was two, both Mother and Father went out, having been invited by friends. It was an adult gathering—children couldn’t go. So I was left to look after Xiao at home, much to my dismay! But there was no choice; I was her older brother, after all.

As usual, I took Xiao to play by the lake in our courtyard. The natural lake, encircled by verdant woods, lay at the foot of the rear mountain. In summer, it was a place to escape the heat; in winter, to admire the snow. In spring, we could climb the hills and watch the water flow, and in autumn, we could fly kites. The Shangguan family had cultivated this land for generations, its history spanning tens of thousands of years.

I set Xiao down to play by herself. It was autumn—cool and refreshing by the lake. Even without anyone to play with, she was perfectly content, hugging her ball and laughing with a sound like ringing bells as she played by the shore.

After settling her, I sat down with my book. But after a short while, I suddenly heard a splash, followed by Xiao’s cries! I dropped my book and ran over—Xiao was struggling in the water! I shouted for the servants and watched her floundering. For the first time in my life, I was afraid!

Yes, I was afraid Xiao would vanish from my world. Only then did I realize that I did not truly dislike her—I was simply jealous of her! When the servants pulled her from the water and rushed her to the hospital, Mother and Father were notified and hurried back.

I stood off to the side, wracked with guilt. I thought my parents would scold me fiercely, perhaps even beat me. But nothing of the sort happened.

That night, Mother’s sobs and Father’s consoling murmurs echoed in my ears for a long time. After emergency treatment, Xiao survived.

It was as if Heaven had granted me a chance to make amends! In my small heart, I swore to myself that from then on, I would never let Xiao come to harm again. I would devote my life to protecting her.

I had always been more mature than most children, but after that night, I seemed to become a completely different person—my demeanor grew sharper, more resolute.

Although Xiao survived, her health was now frail. I thought she would never want anything to do with me again. Yet during this period, she continued to cling to me as always.

This made me realize how selfish I had been before! From that moment on, I obeyed Xiao’s every wish without question. No one knew when I began to care for her so deeply.

---- Author’s Note ----

Sob! Writing is hard work, and I need your support! (Tears falling…) Please move your fingers and click the “Add to Bookshelf” button below the cover. Once added, you can continue reading! Thank you!