Lu Yizhi was silent for a moment, then opened his arms and hugged young Lu Yang. "It's okay, from now on, Uncle Lu will be your dad, and Aunt Jiang Yu will be your mom. You have a family."
The moment Lu Yizhi finished speaking, young Lu Yang could no longer hold back and sobbed uncontrollably in his arms.
Lu Yizhi's eyes also welled up. He held the child tightly, unsure how to comfort him.
Lu Wanqing returned and stood at the doorway, catching a glimpse of the scene inside the room.
Third brother was crying.
So, third brother cried even as a child.
Lu Wanqing suddenly felt very sad. If only...
For a fleeting moment, she even wondered if, when setting the transmigration time in the interstellar era, pushing it back a little might have given them a chance to save third brother's biological parents.
That night, young Lu Yang did not eat with them. The house was quiet. Jiang Yu urged the other children to finish their meal quietly, not wanting to disturb young Lu Yang.
Lu Wanqing secretly saved two eggs. One was her own, and the other was prepared by their mother during dinner, intended for third brother.
When it was time for bed, Lu Wanqing quietly took out the eggs and offered them to young Lu Yang.
Young Lu Yang looked at her with his clear, bright eyes, a hint of nervousness in them.
"Eat some. You'll be healthy if you're full. If your parents were alive, they'd definitely want you to grow up healthy and happy," Lu Wanqing said earnestly.
Young Lu Yang's stomach rumbled twice. He hesitated for a moment, then finally extended his small hand and carefully took the egg.
"Thank you," young Lu Yang's voice was soft and a little muffled, but very sincere.
Lu Wanqing felt a pang of sympathy for him and couldn't help but say, "Third brother, don't be afraid. I'll be with you from now on. I'll always be with you."
Young Lu Yang didn't reply.
Lu Wanqing watched him finish the two eggs, then pulled him to sleep beside her.
That night, Lu Wanqing didn't sleep. She lay on her side, constantly watching young Lu Yang beside her.
Young Lu Yang cried again in the middle of the night, quietly hiding under the covers, his small body wracked with sobs.
Lu Wanqing heard him. She quietly reached out her small hand and took hold of her younger third brother's hand.
Young Lu Yang's crying abruptly stopped. He froze.
"Third brother, don't be scared," Lu Wanqing said.
For some reason, young Lu Yang gradually stopped crying.
That night, neither Lu Wanqing nor Lu Yang slept. They simply held each other's hands, enduring the night.
The next day, as the sky outside turned a pale, fish-belly white, young Lu Yang finally turned his head. The little boy looked at his little sister who had stayed with him all night and couldn't help but ask, "Why didn't you sleep?"
"Mom said that children who don't sleep well aren't good children," young Lu Yang said in a childish, yet serious tone.
Lu Wanqing turned to look at her third brother. However, the sadness and worry in her heart were things she didn't know how to explain to this third brother who was just a child.
She didn't know how to tell him that she missed him, missed him so much. She was also worried about him, afraid he wouldn't come back, afraid he... would be gone from her forever.
Thinking this, Lu Wanqing closed her eyes and said, "I slept well. I'll go to sleep now."
Young Lu Yang's pupils dilated slightly, seemingly surprised by such an answer.
But it was only for a moment. Young Lu Yang also closed his eyes and said seriously, "I'm going to sleep too. I'm a good baby, not a bad child. Mom won't be angry."
"Mm, third brother is very good. Aunt won't be angry if she knows," Lu Wanqing couldn't help but open her eyes, turning to look at the tiny third brother and coaxing him.
Young Lu Yang kept his eyes closed and agreed, "Mm."
Half an hour later, young Lu Yang finally fell asleep. Lu Wanqing also drifted off in a daze.
It wasn't until seven in the morning that their mother came into the room to call them to wake up.
Lu Wanqing opened her eyes groggily, still feeling very sleepy.
Beside her, young Lu Yang was in the same state. Both of them had fallen asleep only when it was almost dawn, meaning they had probably slept for just over an hour.
"Why do you both have dark circles? Didn't you sleep well last night?" Jiang Yu quickly noticed the anomaly in the two children and asked with concern.
"Mm," Lu Wanqing nodded.
Lu Wanqing glanced at young Lu Yang, then told her mother, "We slept very, very late. No, the sky outside was almost bright before we went to sleep."
"Mom, I want to sleep a little longer with Yangyang," Lu Wanqing said, reaching out her small hand to hold her mother's large hand and acting spoiled.
Actually, she didn't mind staying up, but Lu Wanqing was worried about her third brother. He had just lost his biological parents and come to their home. She couldn't help but want him to rest more.
Jiang Yu's heart melted. She quickly nodded, "Mm-hmm, okay."
"But you have to eat breakfast first, then come back to sleep," Jiang Yu said.
Humans are iron, food is steel. Not eating can lead to a weak stomach and be bad for health.
"Okay," Lu Wanqing agreed.
Eating was essential. Lu Wanqing understood that. They had to take care of their bodies.
Thinking this, Lu Wanqing turned to look at young Lu Yang and said, "Third brother, let's get up together. Let's go eat, and after we're full, we can come back to sleep."
Young Lu Yang looked at Lu Wanqing and felt that this little sister... was so clever.
"Okay," young Lu Yang agreed.
Jiang Yu reached out to pick up a small outfit, habitually wanting to help her daughter dress.
However, she soon realized that her daughter seemed to have grown up, no longer needing constant care. Could she... take care of herself?
Jiang Yu was naturally happy and proud that her child was smart and independent. She didn't stop her daughter from taking care of herself; on the contrary, she felt proud that her daughter could care for herself at such a young age.
Jiang Yu then went to get young Lu Yang's clothes. It was young Lu Yang's first time at their home, and she wasn't sure if he could take care of himself.
"I... I can do it myself," young Lu Yang said in a soft, slightly nervous voice when he saw Auntie reaching for his clothes.
Jiang Yu paused, then smiled and nodded, "Okay, then you and Qingqing can dress yourselves. If you need help, Auntie... I mean, Mom, will take care of you."
Young Lu Yang looked at Jiang Yu and nodded, "Mm."
As it turned out, young Lu Yang wasn't very skilled at dressing himself. He couldn't distinguish the front from the back of some clothes. After fumbling for a long time, he finally managed to put one on, only to realize it was inside out.
Jiang Yu saw this and chuckled, coming over to teach young Lu Yang how to differentiate the front and back of clothes, and how to wear different types of garments.
Young Lu Yang's ears turned red again. He stealthily glanced at Qingqing, who had already finished dressing, and suddenly felt like a fool. Qingqing could dress herself, but he couldn't.
However, he would learn diligently. In the future, he would also dress himself.