Brother! This is the adoption certificate. I don't want your sister-in-law!

The next morning, the rain stopped and the sky cleared.

When the first ray of sunlight shone through the gap in the curtains, Su Wan Ning groggily opened her eyes.

The sunlight fell on her pillow, warm and carrying the fresh scent unique to the area after the rain.

The little birds were chirping happily in the tree...

She stared at the ceiling for a while, then suddenly couldn't believe it.

Did the fever break on its own?

She propped herself up on the bed, touched her forehead, and then looked out the window.

The rain from last night has completely stopped, and the sky is so blue it looks like it's been washed clean. A few white clouds drift lazily by, as if nothing had happened.

So comfortable...

Su Wanning opened the door, her hair neatly tied up, and her complexion returned to its usual fair state.

When the door opened, Su Xiao was busy in the kitchen.

She stood at the door and glanced at Su Xiao. Her expression was the same, but she seemed a little more lively than she had been a couple of days ago.

Su Xiao turned and glanced at her: "Has the fever gone down?"

"Um."

"Please wait a moment, the noodles will be ready soon."

Su Wanning did not respond.

Su Xiao smiled and looked down at the bubbling water in the pot.

Su Wanning looked at him.

He clearly had a lot more to say.

She could tell that his eyes were practically overflowing with unspoken words.

But he held it in tightly, keeping his mouth shut, as if afraid that saying even one more word would annoy her.

She suddenly didn't know how to deal with this person.

Her previous brother had been separated from her by years of coldness and estrangement.

The two rarely even made eye contact, let alone ate breakfast together.

She was used to silence, used to a cold face, used to suppressing all her emotions and not letting anyone see them.

But this older brother now...

She hadn't figured out how to get along with him or how to communicate with him.

The sound of pots and pans clattering came from the kitchen.

The bubbling of boiling water, the clinking of the pot lid against the rim, and the clattering of chopsticks cracking eggs all blended together, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere in the quiet morning.

Su Wanning did not wait for him at the dining table.

She went to the balcony, picked up her toothbrush cup, and began brushing her teeth.

The balcony isn't big, and there's a row of succulents on the windowsill, which my mother raised when she was alive.

The plump leaves are crowded together in the small white flowerpot.

After last night's heavy rain, every leaf is so plump it looks like it's about to drip water.

It was a vibrant green, with raindrops still clinging to the tips of the leaves, glistening in the sunlight.

Su Wan Ning brushed her teeth while looking at the succulents.

She watched for a while, then picked up the toothbrush cup and gently poured the remaining water into the succulent's leaves.

Water droplets slid slowly down the curve of the leaves and seeped into the soil.

Her movements were light, slow, and gentle.

Just like her mother used to do, she would hum an off-key song while watering the flowers every morning, and tie the straps of her apron into a bow at her waist.

My mom always says that succulents don't need much water, but they like it when someone talks to them.

Su Wan Ning gently touched one of the leaves with her finger, then withdrew it.

Su Xiao carried a steaming bowl of noodles out of the kitchen, placed it on the table, and was about to call her to come eat when she looked up and saw this scene on the balcony.

The morning light streamed in through the window, illuminating Su Wan Ning's profile with a soft yet bright glow.

She lowered her head, gently fiddling with the succulent's leaves, a slight smile playing on her lips that she herself didn't even realize.

She poured out the last drop of water, then picked up the small rag on the windowsill and wiped the water stains off the edge of the flowerpot.

Su Xiao stood there, stunned.

My sister is this kind of person.

Gentle and meticulous, she waters succulents and keeps flower pots spotless.

How could such a gentle person later commit suicide due to depression?

……

Three days later, Su Xiao stood at the door of her uncle's house again.

He glanced at the old file folder in his hand, which contained a copy of the contract.

He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

My aunt opened the door.

This time when she saw Su Xiao, there was no smile on her face at all; it was as if she had seen an enemy.

"Come in, your eldest and second uncles are inside."

Su Xiao didn't say anything and went inside.

There were three stacks of money on the coffee table in the living room, with red banknotes neatly stacked and a contract underneath.

My eldest and second uncles sat on the sofa, the ashtray in front of them piled high with cigarette butts, the room filled with smoke, as if they had just finished a long meeting.

Su Xiao sat down opposite them.

He glanced at the three stacks of money on the coffee table.

The uncle coughed, cleared his throat, moved the water glass away, and pushed the money towards Su Xiao.

"Fifteen thousand, count it."

Su Xiao reached out and picked up the stacks one by one, counting them one by one in front of the two people.

My uncle didn't look too good.

My second uncle was smoking next to me. His face was obscured by the smoke, but judging from the force with which he stubbed out his cigarette, he wasn't happy.

Su Xiao counted very slowly.

It wasn't that he couldn't count them all; it was that he wanted these two people to remember this moment.

Remember how that 15,000 yuan went out, and remember how this contract ended.

One hundred, two hundred, three hundred...

The only sounds in the living room were the rustling of money being counted and the ticking of the wall clock.

He paused when he counted the last stack.

Fifteen thousand exactly.

He neatly stacked the money, took the contract out of his pocket, unfolded it, and laid it on the coffee table.

The paper was a little wrinkled, but the writing on it was still clear.

The eldest and second uncles' eyes fell on the paper at the same time. Both of them looked rather unnatural, as if they were being forced to look at their own self-criticisms.

"This is the voluntary gift agreement you requested."

My uncle pushed the contract towards me, gritting his teeth.

Su Xiao glanced at it; the contract was very simple.

1. Out of kinship, Party A (elder uncle and second uncle) voluntarily and gratuitously donates RMB 15,000 to Party B. The money is specifically for the daily expenses of Su Xiao and Su Wan Ning's schooling, food, clothing, and medical care.

2. This payment is a voluntary donation, and once the payment has been made, Party A has no right to demand its return for any reason.

Su Xiao glanced at it and, finding no problems, took out a pen, signed the contract, and then put it away.

"Where is the original?" Second Uncle asked in a deep voice.

Su Xiao didn't look at them.

He picked up the contract, held it by both sides with his hands, and started tearing it from the middle.

"hiss."

The sound of paper tearing was particularly jarring in the quiet living room.

Tear the first page in half, stack them together, and then tear it again.

The same action is repeated on the second page.

Page 3, Page 4.

Su Xiao tore it up quickly, not giving her uncles a chance to check if it was the original.

The eldest and second uncles watched him tear it apart, and neither of them said a word.

My aunt peeked out from the kitchen, then quickly withdrew.

Su Xiao placed the last piece of paper on the coffee table, then stood up, put the three stacks of money into a file bag, and zipped it up.

He paused for a moment as he reached the door and placed his hand on the doorknob.

"You never helped my parents a single day when they were alive, so don't come back in the future."

His voice was soft and flat, but it carried a distinct sense of detachment.

"Wan Ning is my sister, and she has nothing to do with you."

He opened the door and went outside.

As the door closed behind him, he heard his second uncle's voice coming from inside, very low, but each word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

"Fifteen thousand... just like that, gone."

Then came the uncle's voice: "Forget it, forget it. It's better to lose money than to suffer any more trouble. Just don't have anything to do with each other in the future."

Su Xiao stood in the hallway, tucking the file bag under her arm and putting her hands in her pockets.

When he reached the first floor, he suddenly stopped and took something out of his pocket.

A folded piece of paper.

It is the original of that contract.

When he came to talk three days ago, he made two copies.

He had just torn up a copy, but he still kept the original.

The original document also bears the handprints and signatures of my eldest and second uncles.

He unfolded the original document, examined it, folded it again, and stuffed it into the deepest part of his pocket.

This card may never be used.

But if his uncles cause trouble again one day, he wouldn't mind beating them up again.