Chapter 4 (2/2)
Xu Ping wasn’t missing that burning pa.s.sion, but he had to take care of that troublesome brother of his every day. What he was missing was the free time to play with friends and hope for a brighter tomorrow with that red flag in hand.
He entered the Informatics Centre. The China rose in the planter box had long dried out from a lack of care, leaving only dead, brown stems still standing.
There was broken gla.s.s everywhere, and every window he could see had a huge hole in it, from which the evening wind howled.
He heard Xu Zheng’s cry coming from one of the rooms, followed by boys’ snickering and talking.
“Hey, hurry up. The idiot keeps movin’. I can barely hold him down.”
“Shut up! I took this Seagull from my dad. He’d skin me alive if anything happened to it!”
“Just hurry up and take it.”
Xu Ping sped after the sound.
“Okay. Do a pose.”
“Make me look cool, eh.” Then he added, “I want it to look like The Heroes of Sui and Tang.”
“Alright, I got it. Don’t just stand there.”
The green paint was peeling off from the half-opened door. Xu Ping saw Xu Zheng being totally subdued by Lu Jia from behind. The light was behind them and he couldn’t see their faces well.
What the h.e.l.l do they want? Xu Ping wondered. They want me to watch them take pictures of Xu Zheng?
Xu Ping was a bit confused.
He wanted to call out.
“Xiao-Zheng, big brother’s here.
“I told you not to run off with strangers!
“Xiao-Zheng, time to go home for supper!”
From a place he couldn’t see, a boy jumped out and kicked Xu Zheng in the face.
Time seemed to have stopped.
He saw his brother’s tiny body fly out like a kite that was cut loose. The red tank top and pale blue shorts. The hands and feet as white and soft as snow.
Xu Zheng, the most annoying, most hated brother in the world.
Xu Zheng fell to the ground.
Xu Zheng was the reason why he couldn’t partic.i.p.ate in extracurricular activities, why he had lied to his teacher and cla.s.smates, ruining the fieldtrips every year.
Xu Zheng’s body jerked a little in efforts to get up, but he failed to do so.
“Yo, how was that? Just like Li Yuanba, right? ‘Cept for the two clubs.”
Xu Zheng would only bother him. He needed to be fed his food, accompanied to sleep and even scrubbed in the shower.
Xu Zheng moved again, propping his elbows up in efforts to get up, but he fell right back down again.
“Did you get it?”
“I think so.”
He was eight years old but was still so stupid that he couldn’t learn anything. He had been sent home by the elementary school teacher not even half a term in. “We can’t teach a child like this.” Then, everybody knew – the teachers, the students – the news spread quicker than the wind! “Hey, did you hear? Xu Ping’s brother is a r.e.t.a.r.d.”
Xu Zheng finally managed to sit up. His face was swollen and still had the dirt from the bottom of the boy’s shoe.
“What do you mean, you think?”
“You did it so fast. I don’t know if the camera caught it or not.”
“Then, let’s do it again. You’d better get it this time.”
“Got it.”
This r.e.t.a.r.d had a temper tantrum because Xu Ping was late but would only stand there like a dummy when he was truly being bullied. He was clearly in pain. Why didn’t he cry? Why did he not cry?!
Xu Zheng sat on the ground, still, as blood oozed out from a cut on his calf. He faced the window, listening for a while, before suddenly speaking. “Seven o’clock. I have to go home.”
Lu Jia dragged him up from the ground.
“Zhao Bo, you hold him down real good.”
“But my photo….”
“It’s my turn now.”
Xu Zheng was the most annoying, most hated brother in the world.
Xu Ping thought as he picked up a broken table leg from the ground, eyes red, teeth clenched.
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