Chapter 6 — You Raised Me, I'll Care for You When You Grow Old

For so many years, I had foolishly believed that it was long gone, buried beneath the dust of time and forgotten promises.

I brought my sister back to the modest rental home we shared, and it was precisely on that very day that I finally uncovered the grim truth behind her heartbreaking separation from Yan Zhou. Back then, Yan Zhou was the golden heir of a wealthy, prominent family, while my sister was nothing more than an impoverished young girl selling fried rice on the bustling streets to make ends meet. Yan Zhou felt that she possessed a raw authenticity unlike anyone else he had ever known, and that was what first drew his captivated gaze toward her. As their romance deepened, the tragic sequence of events followed a painfully familiar, well-worn script. Yan Zhou’s mother unceremoniously slammed a million yuan onto the table, demanding that my sister vanish from her son’s life forever. My sister steadfastly refused. The very next day, my head was brutally bashed open right on the school grounds. I can still vividly recall how my sister held me tightly in her arms that afternoon, whispering apologies through her tears over and over again. Yan Zhou’s mother had shamelessly used me as a living hostage to break my sister’s indomitable spirit. And so, with a shattered heart, my sister dragged me away from that wretched place to hide. In the end, Yan Zhou’s mother deemed my sister utterly contemptuous and cheap, dismissing her with a paltry fifty thousand yuan intended for medicinal herbs, accompanied by a venomous threat: “If I ever lay eyes on you near my son again, your little sister will suffer a fate far worse than a cracked skull.”

My sister sacrificed her entire life, her very soul, for my sake. Later on, when fate cruelly brought her face-to-face with the man she once loved so deeply, she could not help herself—she stumbled just once. Who among us has never made a mistake in this labyrinth of life? Besides, the true culprit was Yan Zhou. My sister merely fell into the universal trap that any woman in her position might have entered. A man utterly devoid of moral integrity, parading his allure right before her eyes, deliberately enticing her with calculated seduction—how could anyone reasonably expect her not to take the bait? Very well, let me put it simply. Every single fault of my sister’s has been thoroughly absolved and balanced out by this single decree of reconciliation.

On the day I brought my sister back to our homeland, I transferred every single cent of my savings into her care, letting her manage our finances completely. We purchased a tiny, cozy house and adopted a playful little puppy. I had quietly resolved never to marry, choosing instead to replicate our childhood—just the two of us, leaning on one another for warmth through the long years. As for Yan Zhou, I heard that he had tried to wire various sums of money to my sister, but every single transaction was stubbornly rejected and sent back to him. In less than two years, the mighty Yan family empire completely collapsed under the weight of crushing debts. Yan Zhou’s parents, utterly overwhelmed and disgraced, threw themselves into the churning river. Overnight, Yan Zhou plummeted from the lofty heights of a corporate executive to a lowly delivery worker on the streets.

By sheer coincidence, one of our food delivery orders was assigned to him. When he appeared at our doorstep, clad in the drab uniform of a delivery rider with his helmet clutched tightly under his arm, he had grown shockingly thin, his frame hollowed out by hardship. The vibrant spark that once danced in his eyes had been utterly extinguished. At first, he kept his head bowed, extending the food package toward me. But the moment he finally lifted his gaze, his eyes bypassed me entirely, sweeping past to take in the domestic warmth unfolding within our living room. A movie played softly on the television screen; a steaming hotpot sat upon the coffee table, surrounded by neatly sliced platters of fresh fruit, filling the indoor air with the sweet, rich aroma of durian. Our little puppy dozed peacefully right beside the sofa. Meanwhile, my sister reclined comfortably against the cushions, hugging a plush pillow to her chest, her complexion luminous and smooth, her eyes curved in a radiant smile that made her look five or six years younger than she truly was.

Yan Zhou’s lips parted slightly, trembling as if he wanted to speak, yet no words could force their way out of his throat. He pushed the food package forward by a fraction of an inch and croaked out in a dry, rasping voice, “Here is your order, miss.”

I took the bags from his hands, my tone icy as I murmured a curt “Thank you,” and moved to close the door in his face.

Instinctively, he threw his hand forward to block the closing gap. As the door froze in place, my sister popped her head out from the inner room, her voice as sweet and soft as a child’s: “Win, hurry up and come inside! The movie is about to start. If you don’t join me now, I’m going to eat everything and leave none for you~”

I turned my head and flashed a warm smile toward the interior. “I’m coming right now!”

When I swung my gaze back to the doorway, the polite smile had vanished from my face, replaced by a cold indifference. “Is there something else you need?”

Yan Zhou slowly lowered his arm, his eyelashes drooping as he stared at the floor. “I owe you an apology.”

“Keep it. You make me sick.” Dropping those venomous words, I slammed the heavy door shut.

After that day, I never crossed paths with Yan Zhou again. Under my care, my sister blossomed day by day. Her skin grew as smooth and translucent as melted jade, a brilliant light returned to her eyes, and she even began to learn the art of throwing spoiled tantrums with me. Cradling her chin on my shoulder while scrolling through her smartphone, she pointed at a dainty dress on the screen and cajoled, “So, when are you taking me out to play this month? I want to buy this expensive dress, please buy it for me, won’t you~”

At long last, she was learning to demand the things her heart desired. At long last, she was evolving into her truest, most authentic self, shedding the heavy burden of being merely a caretaker whose entire world revolved around me. My heart swelled with boundless joy. She had raised me through my darkest years, and now, I would gently shepherd her through her golden autumn.

“Sis, aren’t all the finances in your hands anyway? Buy whatever your heart desires,” I chuckled, turning around to face her. “As for our trip, let’s wait until the end of the month; I have several consecutive days off coming up.”

Her eyes lit up instantly, and she lunged forward, throwing her arms around my neck in a tight embrace. “Yay! We’re going on a trip again!”

Outside the window, the setting sun cast a golden, tender glow over the world. Our little puppy barked joyfully, bounding in circles around our feet. The hotpot bubbled merrily, sending up clouds of fragrant steam, while the movie reached its most lively, heartwarming climax on the screen. The days flowed onward at a leisurely, gentle pace—there was no need to rush, and no cause for panic.