Chapter 6: Awakening
"From today on, she is your little sister."
"You are her brother, so you must take good care of her."
"Quickly come and say hello, you are both big children now, don't be shy."
… Why is she not speaking?
"Ah, this child is from Yingzhou and doesn't know how to speak the Ming Country's language very well yet."
"So I'm entrusting you with the difficult task of teaching her the language."
"You're three years older than her, which makes you perfectly capable of teaching her."
…So troublesome.
"You brat, if you have any complaints, don't say them to her face. She still understands to some extent."
"She can also share some of the household chores in the future and help you tidy up your dog-nest-like room."
"Also, be careful not to bully her, otherwise…"
Do you think I would bully such a fragile little girl?
"No, she practices martial arts, I'm afraid she might break your bones."
As for her? With her small physique, if she really dares to make a move…
"Hmm?"
…she had to kneel down and beg me not to die!
"Indeed."
"Judging by your appearance, you must be very pleased to have a younger sister."
"But you're happy too soon, from now on I'll deduct half of your allowance!"
There's not much difference between 100 and 50 anyway.
What is her name?
"Her name is…"
…
"You will live here from now on, and I will give you two hours of extra lessons every day."
"The room next door is mine, if you have any problems, just come to me. I'll make a list of the daily necessities for you, but you need to buy them yourself."
"After all, we're not a wealthy family, so there are not many rules. You can do as you please. Ah… why are you crying?"
"I wasn't scolding you."
…
"I learned some dialect of Yingzhou in my speech. Let's discuss it. If you don't speak up, you'll become mute."
"もしもし? すみません? 私のネオン口は本当に上手です?"
"…Did you just roll your eyes?"
…
"What happened to your face?"
"Did you get into a fight at school?"
"Is it bullying? Who did it?"
"Wait a moment…"
"Why are you holding me? Let me call the police!"
…
"On my face? I fell outside when I was walking."
"Legs? There's nothing wrong with my legs, they're perfectly fine. I can take a few steps for you."
"I can still run and jump, hey, look at me go!"
"Oh my God, I slipped!"
"It's just a minor injury to the skin. With my recommendation from the Ministry of Justice, I'll be a candidate for the Embroidered Uniform Guard's Inspection Agency. This little injury is nothing."
"You can resume going to school normally starting tomorrow. Everything has been taken care of."
"If you feel scared, just bring this wooden stick… Oh, it's called a bamboo sword, right? I'm not quite familiar with it, but if someone bullies you, you can use it to hit their head. But I don't think there would be that kind of bullies around here."
"…"
"Why are you crying again?"
…
"Huh? You want to learn Chinese?"
"Of course, it's no problem. I am quite proficient. Just wait a moment while I find the book I bought nearly half a year ago. I am not sure where I put it."
"Here it is. Please have a seat and allow me to explain everything to you slowly."
"First, let's begin with learning the 'Three Character Classic' for young children."
"Is it not a joy to have friends come from afar?"
"Instead of reading 'yue', read 'le'. Right now, I feel like Kennedy in a convertible, enjoying the ride."
…
"Aniki."
"Call me brother."
"Niisan."
"Call me brother."
"Brother."
"Call me Niisan… Hmm? Have you been secretly studying behind my back?"
"Hehe~"
…
"Brother."
"Huh?"
"Nothing, just calling for you."
…
"Sister, can I discuss something with you?"
"I'm afraid not."
"I haven't said what it is yet."
"It's not okay."
"My living expenses have been cut off, so I have to go out and work to earn money. The commute is a bit long and I won't be able to come back for meals in the morning and evening."
"My Ming Country's language is not very good… I don't understand what my brother is saying."
"I'm serious."
"The manager's daughter of that cake shop looks very pretty, she is still an old acquaintance of yours, right?"
"Surprise!"
…
"So, you've decided to graduate early, huh? Don't you plan on going to college here?"
"Hmm."
"Isn't it better to stay in Ming Country? We've been here for more than five years."
"I'm sorry, older brother."
"There's nothing to apologize for. It's just that you're not yet of legal age, and I'm a little worried about letting you go back alone."
"Hmm?"
"I've already talked to Uncle and Aunt about it. I will go with you to Yingzhou and serve as your temporary guardian for one or two years. During this time, I will also concentrate on preparing for the future civil service examination."
"Really?"
"Have I lied to you?"
"I like you the most, brother!"
…
"So this is Yingzhou, quite prosperous but also a bit old-fashioned."
"Was your house always this large? How much is the land worth… and it's freehold too."
"Wow, such a big house, but it's quite empty. The wooden structure has also aged too severely. It feels like it's been at least fifty years."
"Why are you handing me a broom and a bucket? Are you expecting me to clean up this large space all by myself?"
…
"It's been three months and I still haven't settled down. Hmm, everything feels unfamiliar, but the most uncomfortable thing is that group of gangsters. Don't the police around here do anything?"
"I do feel like going back a little bit, but I won't leave you here alone."
"Let's go back together…Although I know you don't want to go back. Take your time, I'll wait for you to figure it out."
…
"Oh, the school's camping trip. Please stay safe while you're on the road."
"Don't worry, as a grown man, what could possibly happen to me? It's actually you… Alright, I won't nag anymore. You are stronger than me now."
…
"Stop, you person from Ming Country over there!"
"Block him!"
Dammit, these gangsters are like mad dogs, I can run into three or four waves of them just by going out to buy a bag of salt!
…
"Will you sign or not!"
"Such a tough guy, I bet you've never seen gangsters before!"
"Hit me! Hit me hard!"
"I'll give you a few more minutes to think about it, otherwise I'll chop off your fingers and send them back!"
"Have you decided?"
Bah!
"How dare you spit on me, you are seeking death!"
"You still dare to bite me? Knife, give me the knife! I will chop off his fingers!"
"Hey hey hey, be careful, don't actually kill him, leave some energy."
Cough
Black leather shoes, suit, gold-rimmed glasses.
"Young man, these underlings of mine don't understand how to do business, and some don't follow the rules. Please bear with them."
"I suggest you still sign the contract, we will cover the medical expenses."
"I am just an accounting and finance employee, I won't lay a finger on you."
"But as you know, the members of the Sanada Group are all tough guys. If they get angry, I won't be able to stop them…"
"This price is not low, you should sign it, it's also good for your family. It's such a large piece of land, it's a waste to leave it unused, don't you agree?"
Ha ha, I don't understand your gibberish. Speak in human language!
"I think you're not clear-headed enough right now, you can't even articulate yourself."
"Alright then, I'll come back the day after tomorrow, hopefully you'll have a clearer mind by then."
"Here's the contract, just sign it now to avoid being shortchanged tomorrow."
The sound of footsteps in leather shoes faded away.
"This kid is really tough. Compared to those smooth-talking newcomers in the group, one slap and they spill everything."
"Looks like he's from Ming Country. He has identification papers here."
"Let me see… I can't read the characters. Something something 'bai'?"
"So what if he's from Ming Country? Anyone who comes here has to crouch even if you were a ferocious tiger."
"Opposing the Sanada group means you will be punished. Humph!"
"But what if he continues refusing to sign?"
"Let him starve, let's see how long he can last."
"Even if he manages to hold out, let's see how his family will react."
"Damn, this is just a waste of time!"
"Go buy some wine and come back. I've been staying around here for the past few nights, it's really inauspicious."
cough cough cough "I can't catch my breath, and the bleeding won't stop… Could it be that my organs were injured earlier?"
The ringing in my ears is getting worse, I can't hear what they're saying…
No, I can't sleep yet, I can't… sleep…
The pupils began to dilate.
The breathing gradually became faint.
The young man lowered his head, and at the moment of his death, he lowered his head and saw his own reflection through the broken glass on the ground.
Deep within the dilated pupils, like a torch igniting, emitting red sparks.
Silence.
After a long silence, the dying person lifted his face, as if waking up from a deep dream. He opened his lips and uttered a concise word.
"…fuck."
