Chapter 3: Finally meeting all the siblings

Bai Yi Fang who is really taking her time searching for comb and hair tie came back to the West house with colourful hair ties around her small wrist.

She skips happily towards Bai Yi Yang who is chatting with Bai Yi Ling about things in their house and village.

These things are not included in her Level 1 knowledge about the geography of this country, so she can only ask.

"Slow down, you may tripped."

Bai Yi Yang remind her when she saw the oversized slipper. She bet it is passed down from the older siblings.

Bai Yi Fang chuckle and hand over the comb and hair ties to Bai Yi Yang then climb onto a chair next to Bai Yi Yang, she obediently sat with her back against her sister, waiting for her to help comb her hair.

Bai Yi Yang just smiled and proceed to comb the messy hair.

When she is sick these days, Bai Yi Ling is too busy with houseworks to take care of the little one, as a result, the younger ones look like a messy cat.

"Is now a school holiday?" Bai Yi Yang guess, if not why else are they at home, and also the eldest brother is working in town now.

"Yes, the holiday started about a week and a half ago. Jiejie, your illness started after getting rained on while going back from school before the holiday" Bai Yi Ling comment as she put the finished stir fried vegetables with ham under the mesh food cover on the dining table.

There is only this dish and a big bowl of white rice under it, this is their lunch.

Bai Yi Fang who is still forced to sit still because of her still tangled hair glance to the cooked food once in a while as she swallow her saliva.

"How long until the holiday ends?" Bai Yi Yang patiently untangle her sister hair while chatting casually. Bai Yi Ling also took a seat opposite to them.

"Another two week and a half." Bai Yi Ling answer, she guess her older sister must be a bit confuse after getting sick that long. It's natural that she don't know which day it is now.

So it's a 1 month holiday for the first semester of school, Bai Yi Yang thought.

"Perfect." Bai Yi Yang said in a happy tone.

This means that she still have time to dedicate herself in earning money and points.

To be honest, if can, she doesn't want to attend school anymore, she is tired of studying. But how can she just dropped out of school, that will become a point for people to let them enter orphanage. She really doesn't want to enter the orphanage again, just thinking about it is making her sick.

"I am back!" A loud voice coming from the entrance attract their attention.

Bai Yi Ling stood up and walk towards the West house entrance.

"Xiao Mo, here. Jiejie is well already." Bai Yi Ling called in a happy tone.

"Really?" There is a running sound at the central courtyard heading towards the main house.

"Jiejie is not in the room, she is sitting here in the kitchen." Bai Yi Ling laugh.

Bai Yi Fang who is still sitting also giggle.

"Xiao gege is a fool" The little Bai Yi Fang said in a teasing tone.

Bai Yi Ying was a bit touched. These children really loves and care about her. In the last life, she never feels this kind of familial love.

"Jiejie.." An immature voice of a boy called out from the entrance.

Bai Yi Yang turn around, she is a bit curious about this child that she never know exist in the Bai family. What happened to him in the other world that she never even heard about this little brother. He looks to be quite small, if not because of him being a bit taller, then his body build is almost similar to Fang Fang. His face looks just like the rest of Bai siblings, which means he is not adopted, he is a real blood of the Bai.

"You are back?" Bai Yi Yang said with a small smile.

Compared to the two girls, she really don't have bad impression of him from the other world, so she immediately accept the fact that this is her younger brother in this world.

"You look like a dirty cat. Go take a bath." Bai Yi Ling said, almost scolding. She is really the fierce one amongst the two older sister.

"Ah…that..me and Shitou try to catch an eel but it got away.." Bai Yi Mo scratch his head.

"Er jie..take this.." Bai Yi Mo hand over a bunch of water spinach in his hand to his second sister.

He is a bit embarrassed that he didn't manage to get anything good to eat.

"No fish again today? Fang Fang want to eat fish." Bai Yi Fang sigh, disappointed.

The little guy feeling more guilty. He went out today so that he can bring more food to the table like elder brother, but he return with dirty clothes and only brought back a bunch of water spinach.

"I like eating water spinach. Why don't I cook it as an extra dish." Bai Yi Yang saw the little guy dilemma and speak out.

"Jiejie, I will cook it." Bai Yi Ling said.

"No need, you help Xiao Mo clean up. Fang Fang is here with me, she will help me." She said, not awkward at all when she called the boy with his nickname for the first time.

Even talking kindly to the siblings feels natural.

Fang Fang at the side who was a bit sad because of the fish, cheer up again.

She was never allowed in the kitchen while her sister cook, but now she became an assistant.

"Alright." Bai Yi Ling nod and pull Bai Yi Mo to the bath house.

Bai Yi Yang scan the ingredients in the kitchen and decide to make stir fry water spinach with dried small shrimp, garlic and dried chilli.

She let Fang Fang busy around by peeling the garlic.

Rather than letting the child run here and there, she better give her easy works that need her to concentrate.

Even after peeling enough portion for the dish, Bai Yi Yang let her peel more for future use.

Her method indeed work, only when the fragrant smell came from the wok then the little girl become distracted from her work.

The second dish is complete just like that without much disturbance.

Just when the two sisters are actively talking, one ask question the other answers, one scooping out the dish and the other drooling over it, a cool voice came from the kitchen door.

"Why are you cooking? Where is Xiao Ling?"

The person is no other than Bai Yi Chen.

He looks just like when they first meet at a competition during high school. He looks a bit shabby but still have the calm and intelligent aura.

"Gege!" Bai Yi Fang ran over and jump onto Bai Yi Chen embrace.

Even after preparing herself, Bai Yi Yang is still quite shocked.

This is indeed the carbon copy of the cold and arrogant Bai Yi Chen, her twin brother.

Its just that the way he is looking at her is not the usual cold glare but a frown full of worries.

"I..I…" Bai Yi Ying feels so awkward that she ended up dropping the spatula onto the floor near her feet.

Bai Yi Chen put down his little sister onto one of the chair and walk over.

He pick up the spatula and put it into the sink, the he pull Bai Yi Yang to the dining table and push her to sit down.

He didn't say anything anymore and went to wash the spatula before resuming her unfinished work of scooping the dish onto the plate.

Bai Yi Yang only come to her sense after the dish is put under the food cover.

Only then she calm herself, this is not the same world, this is not the same world, she remind herself. The Bai Yi Chen here won't threaten her or stare at her like she is a parasite. In here, he really cares about her, so does the other siblings.

They are not the same, they only look similar.

"After lunch you return to your room to rest." Bai Yi Chen said in a serious tone as she sat down at the seat at the head of the table. This is him bearing all the family burden onto his shoulder.

Bai Yi Yang lowered her head, Bai Yi Chen is a really strong person. Even at this young age he still can shoulder the responsibility of the whole family, taking care of 4 younger siblings.

"I am fine already. When Doctor Huang come after this, let him check me again." Bai Yi Yang said.

Bai Yi Chen frown deepened.

Right, Doctor Huang will come this afternoon, he need to give him and answer.

Yesterday, he actually already made up his mind, he will agree to going to the orphanage. He only need two years until being free again, by that time he will work hard and bring her siblings out of the orphanage.

That is better than starving and getting sick but cannot seek for treatment.

He really cannot afford losing any of his siblings like they lose their parents.

"En.." He weakly agree.

"And I wanted to discuss regarding Doctor Huang proposal. Please don't agree with it. I will also help with the family finance, as long as we all don't have to go to the orphanage." Bai Yi Yang said in a determined voice.

Bai Yi Chen is shocked, the current Bai Yi Yang doesn't seems like the usually timid girl, instead she have strong determination in her eyes.

Is it because she nearly died? Or is it because they are going to be sent to the orphanage?

However, he also cannot agree to her. What can a 16 years old girl do to help with the family finances, even him can only do the hard job because nobody will give him proper job because of his age.

What more Bai Yi Yang who is sheltered from the outside world, how can he let her roam around, she may get cheated by bad people.

"Yang Yang, Doctor Huang already explain it to me, the orphanage he choose is a good place. They won't be mistreating children. We can also get free school, enough foods, warm beds and medication. You see, gege also doesn't want to if there is other choice." Bai Yi Chen sigh.

With his mere salary per day after working his bone, he really cannot afford raising his siblings until they become adult without external help.

What he worried the most is this current period where he is still and underage and cannot get proper job, how can they survive these two years with the mere money left from their parents insurance that can only buy food for a few more months at most?

He and Bai Yi Yang is quite good in studying so they got scholarships, but next year not only Bai Yi Ling tuition fee, Bai Yi Mo also need to start school.

There are no such things as completely free education, when you send a child to school, there are a lot of other fees that need to be pay, books, schools activities, food and so on.

Since Doctor Huang agree to become a guarantee and look after his siblings at the orphanage, then he is really tempted to agree.

"If you don't want then just don't agree. No matter how good an orphanage is from the outside, there are always dirt that outsider cannot see, the two of us will be let go in two years but how about the other. I will never agree to let our brother and sisters live in the orphanage." She said in a desperate tone.

Bai Yi Chen is the head of the family now, if he agree then they all have to agree.

Bai Yi Chen is stunned.

Bai Yi Fang who noticed her older sister emotional fluctuation also scoot over and hug her to give comfort.

"How..do you know all these…?" Bai Yi Chen said.

"I just know. Just ask around, children from the orphanage are treated like a low life no matter where, how do you think they are treated in the orphanage? No freedom, living under people mercy." Bai Yi Yang said.

She is talking from experience, the community will give her a look when they know about her identity, then in the orphanage there are all kinds of people, all kinds of teachers. Living there is simply a torture.

Of course she cannot generalised all orphanage like that, she may just be some of the unlucky people, but there is always that possibility. Even in her orphanage before, there are some good people but that also mean there are the bad ones.

"Gege, Fang Fang also don't want to enter orphanage.." Listening to her elder sister words, Bai Yi Fang also feels scared.

She actually don't mind it, they all will go at the same orphanage anyway, what more Doctor Huang said that there are a lot of other children there that she can play with.

Bai Yi Chen smile bitterly.

"How much money do we have left? How about we hold on until the end of this year. By that time if we still cannot provide for ourself, then I will not say anything about entering the orphanage." Bai Yi Yang said.

Bai Yi Chen thought deeply. If it is only this year, then his part time work can still support their daily necessities as long as they maintain their frugalness.

But if someone get badly sick like Bai Yi Yang a few days ago, then he will not hesitate to seek help anymore.

"Alright." Bai Yi Chen reluctantly agree. Even for another half a year, if they siblings can still stay together for that long, he will be happy.

"Yay!! We won't go to the orphanage!" There are cheering voice of Bai Yi Mo at the kitchen door, behind him is the smiling Bai Yi Ling.

The two children walk in and properly sat down.

"We won't.." Bai Yi Chen said.

He watch the happy look in his siblings face, even the little Fang Fang who doesn't understand a lot also cheering with her older siblings. Seems like he need to search for a better job and work harder, it would be better if he can afford the Xiao Ling and Xiao Mo tuition next year.

They ate lunch happily, well..except the full of worries Bai Yi Chen.

Bai Yi Fang ate a lot of water spinach while continuously bragging about the garlic she peels.

Bai Yi Mo also ate a lot of water spinach, he instead brags about the vegetables that he collected himself.

All in all, the lunch ended well and the discussion with Bai Yi Chen is also successful.