Suddenly, a dark red fruit was stuffed into his hand. Little Fatty was startled and looked up to see his most adorable little sister saying, "I saved it specially for you."
"Really?" Little Fatty's eyes widened, his little round face remarkably cheerful.
Ruan Jiaojiao nodded obligingly.
Little Fatty was overjoyed. He bit into it, and it was so sour that his eyes squinted into slits, yet he still happily exclaimed, "Delicious, especially sweet!"
"..." Ruan Jiaojiao.
This Little Fatty must be silly.
Little Fatty genuinely liked this plum. In the countryside, there weren't many snacks available, so this fruit was a rare delicacy for them, but usually, the first batch of red plums was never their boys' business.
The Ruanlin family also said that this fruit tree was planted for Ruan Jiaojiao, and none of them could covet it.
Of course, it wasn't just the fruit. Everything else in the house was for their sister to pick first before it came to them. It had been like this since they were small, and they never felt anything was amiss with this arrangement.
Now his sister had secretly given him one.
What did this mean?
Naturally, it meant that his sister liked him best!
Was this not sweeter than having eaten the fruit?
Little Fatty quickly finished the fruit. Seeing that Ruan Jiaojiao was still holding an egg and hadn't peeled it, he asked, "Aren't you eating, Sister? It won't taste as good when it's cold. Shall Big Brother peel it for you?"
Ruan Jiaojiao declined. She had just eaten a fruit that was truly sour enough to make her teeth hurt, and she didn't want to eat the egg. She glanced at Little Fatty, and after a few seconds of consideration, ultimately handed over the egg to him.
This time Little Fatty was genuinely astonished but didn't accept it. Instead, he stuffed it into Ruan Jiaojiao's pocket.
He coaxed her softly, "Big Brother won't eat it. It's for my sister to improve her health. If you don't want to eat it now, keep it for later." Though he was merely eight years old and was also greedy for food, he spoke as if he were quite the adult, like a little grown-up.
Ruan Jiaojiao didn't insist and let him slip the egg into her pocket.
After ensuring Ruan Jiaojiao's egg was securely in her pocket, Little Fatty thought about the plans he had made with his brothers for the afternoon. He glanced warily in the direction of the main house, then leaned close to Ruan Jiaojiao's ear, and quietly asked, "Once we finish our homework, we're going to play on the back mountain, catch sparrow eggs and roast them to eat. They're delicious. Do you want to go, Sister?"
The Ruan family wasn't wealthy, but in the Ruan household, Ruan Jiaojiao was indeed pampered. She had been raised plump and fair without suffering any hardships, and the Ruanlin family protected her like the apple of their eye, never allowing her to go places like the back mountain. They feared her delicate skin would suffer an allergic reaction to poisonous insects or the like.
Her brothers were also sensible and never took her running around recklessly.
Sparrows? Bird eggs?
Ruan Jiaojiao smacked her lips at the thought, remembering how delicious those sparrow eggs tasted when she was still a kitten.
She nodded eagerly, "Yes, let's go!"
"Okay, then follow me out later. If Grandma asks, tell her that you're going to Tingting's house to play. Got it?"
Ruan Jiaojiao nodded obediently.
Watching such a docile and cute sister, Little Fatty felt extremely content. He playfully tugged at her chubby little cheek like an adult before turning to enter his own house.
The six boys each finished their homework and agreed to meet in the courtyard.
Little Fatty had already informed them in advance that Ruan Jiaojiao would be joining them. Ruan Jie even wore an extra jacket just in case. Before they left the house, Ruanlin's family asked about their whereabouts, and Little Fatty answered on their behalf.