Surfing The Internet (Arc 2)

The laptop was switched on, and Yin Longshen took a look at the contents. There were already a few games installed, but Yin Longshen did not touch them. Instead, he turned and covered Feng Yongrui's eyes.

"You shouldn't look at these," Yin Longshen said.

Feng Yongrui: ???

"I'm afraid you'll become addicted to these games," Yin Longshen explained. "Also, don't forget that you're still young. What if you ruin your eyes because of this?"

Feng Yongrui was speechless. Why did his older brother sound like a nagging mother? What kind of protagonist was this??

Feng Yongrui removed his older brother's hands and saw what his older brother was doing. Yin Longshen was browsing through the internet and searching for... "how to protect my younger brother from bad luck".

Feng Yongrui: "..."

"Gege, what are you doing?" Feng Yongrui asked, pretending to be ignorant. After all, he was a three year old. He could read already, but he had to pretend that he couldn't.

"Oh?" Yin Longshen seemed a bit embarrassed, but he acted as if it was okay.

"I'm searching for games to play with you," Yin Longshen replied.

Feng Yongrui's lips twitched.

Lies. His older brother was clearly looking for ways to "protect" him. Feng Yongrui wondered if this was all because of the Taoist Monk's words...

Feng Yongrui looked at the laptop and watched incredulously as Yin Longshen clicked on an article. The title was "5 best items to keep bad luck away -- guaranteed not to be a scam!"

Gege, the title doesn't look too good. If people say it's not a scam, it definitely is!

Sure enough, when the article was opened, Feng Yongrui scanned the contents and found out that it was trying to sell several "good luck charms" at an exorbitant price.

Feng Yongrui looked at his older brother. This person was the protagonist! Surely the protagonist would see that this was just a scam, right?

"Hmm..." Yin Longshen's brows furrowed.

Feng Yongrui breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully his brother was smart. Otherwise, he would probably be cheated!

"This one costs $50 dollars. I think it's pretty cheap. This price is excluding the discount... If we calculate the discount as well, add the shipping fees... Then the price will be... $48.99..." Yin Longshen was mumbling.

Yin Longshen's eyes brightened and he clapped his hands. "This is a bargain!"

Feng Yongrui: "..."

No... Older brother, this script is wrong...

"Tsk... Unfortunately, I've got no money... Mother won't let me use her money, of course... and Father is too scary..."

Feng Yongrui found a chance and butted in.

"Brother, do you need money?" Feng Yongrui blinked his eyes innocently.

"Huh? Well, yes... Oh, I'm not saying I'm poor or anything. Don't worry, little brother, I definitely have enough money to raise you. When we get older, I'll become super rich and take care of you," Yin Longshen said.

"I see... Then... you have looots of money, right?" Feng Yongrui asked.

"Uhm, well, yes..."

"Then... you don't need to work...?" Feng Yongrui tilted his head the side.

"Work... I don't think so... I have school, you know..."

"Wait! Work?" Yin Longshen cried out loud.

"That's right! I can work and earn money!" he was ecstatic and grabbed Feng Yongrui's hand excitedly.

"I'm going to work hard. Just you wait and see, little brother!" Yin Longshen said, eyes gleaming like a fox.

Feng Yongrui heaved a sigh of relief. He was momentarily afraid that his older brother would go off track. Thankfully, everything seemed okay now.

With his older brother deciding to work, surely his older brother would stumble upon the coding class and make his way to becoming an IT professional!

The next few days would be smooth sailing!

...Or so he thought.

Several days later, Feng Yongrui was eating some snacks when Yin Longshen arrived home from school. Yin Longshen ran towards him and clenched his fists.

"Didi, guess what's inside!" Yin Longshen said as he smiled from ear to ear.

Feng Yongrui raised an eyebrow. What made his older brother so excited?

"Uhm... is it candy?" Feng Yongrui guessed.

Yin Longshen shook his head.

"Then... marbles?"

It was still a no.

Feng Yongrui squinted his eyes and finally guessed.

"Is it a toy?"

"Nope~"

Seeing that his younger brother couldn't answer, Yin Longshen opened his hands with a "Tada~".

Feng Yongrui saw several coins in Yin Longshen's hands.

Feng Yongrui: ???

"What's this, Gege?"

"Hehe~ This is the money that I earned through working~" Yin Longshen said proudly.

Feng Yongrui was sure that if his older brother had a tail, he would be wagging it ferociously at the moment.

"Work?" Feng Yongrui wondered out loud.

"What work?" he asked.

Yin Longshen scratched his cheeks awkwardly and averted his eyes. "Don't worry, I have a proper job now. It may not look like much, but soon, I'll have lots and lots of coins, and I will be able to buy you a house," he said.

Feng Yongrui pursed his lips. Well, he was touched, but... just what was his older brother doing??

The next day, Feng Yongrui secretly followed Yin Longshen. He watched as his older brother got up early in the morning and head to the kitchen.

When Yin Longshen arrived in the kitchen, he sneakily took out a small stool, climbed up, and opened a cupboard. He took out a glass jar and opened it.

Inside the jar there were rabbit milk candies. After taking about 10 of them, Yin Longshen stuffed them into his pocket and ran away from the kitchen.

Feng Yongrui was thoroughly puzzled by his brother's behavior, because he knew that Yin Longshen wasn't that fond of sweets. He didn't mind having candies from time to time, but he wasn't the type of person who would steal just to get some candies.

Yin Longshen didn't eat the candies at all. He kept them inside his school bag. When Yin Longshen returned from school, Feng Yongrui checked his brother's bag. Instead of finding the rabbit candies, he found several coins.

...Feng Yongrui finally understood.

If he didn't guess wrongly, then Yin Longshen was secretly selling the rabbit candies in school. Was this the so-called 'work' he had mentioned?

Feng Yongrui wanted to laugh at his older brother. How cute...

That night, Feng Yongrui and Yin Longshen decided to sleep on the normal beds (not the bunk beds), so Feng Yongrui decided to take this opportunity and talk to his brother about his 'work'.

"Gege," he whispered. "Are you sleeping already?"

"Yes, I'm asleep right now, so don't disturb me. You have to sleep early and grow taller," Yin Longshen replied.

"...If you're asleep, how can you talk to me?"

"I'm sleep-talking," came the reply.

Feng Yongrui: "..."

"Ge, since you're awake, why don't you talk with me?"

Yin Longshen was silent, but Feng Yongrui knew he was listening, so he continued.

"Well... Ge, you're working, right? Are you selling rabbit candies to your friends at school?"

Yin Longshen was stunned as nearly jumped out of bed.

"How do you know that?" he said with wide eyes.

"I guessed," Feng Yongrui told him.

"Sigh... I know my little brother is smart and you would've found out about it...."

"Ge, I know you want to make money, but I don't think that's a good idea," Feng Yongrui said.

"Ah? Why not?" Yin Longshen asked. "Am I earning too little?"

Feng Yongrui didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so he was silent for a few seconds.

"Ge, it isn't about how much you earn... Actually, I don't think selling candies isn't a good idea because you can't do it forever. Also... one of these days, the servants might find out that the rabbit candies are missing..."

Yin Longshen nodded his head in agreement. "Well... You're right..."

"What if the teachers find out that you're selling stuff in school? Will they be okay with it?" Feng Yongrui added. He didn't know how strict Yin Longshen's school was and whether they allowed children to sell and buy things, but he was worried that Yin Longshen might get into trouble.

"Rather than doing that... why don't you do something else? Something that can earn more money and something that you can do long-term?" Feng Yongrui suggested.

"Hmm...." Yin Longshen squinted his eyes and furrowed his brows as he pondered over his younger brother's words.

Actually, Yin Longshen knew that selling candies wasn't really the best way to earn money. He understood everything that Feng Yongrui was saying, but...

Yin Longshen sighed and turned over in bed, mulling over his younger brother's words. Sometimes, he felt that his younger brother was too mature.

He was obviously the older brother, but he sometimes felt like his Didi was smarter and more knowledgeable than him.

Well, he was glad that his younger brother was smart. There were times when he wondered if other 3-year-old kids were as sensible as his younger brother.

But, he never had a younger sibling before, so he couldn't compare him to anyone...

In any case, Yin Longshen really wanted to be a good older brother. He had to be the stronger one, the richer one, the more mature one, so that he could protect his Didi!

So... he had to do whatever it takes!

"I! Will! Learn to do origami and sell them at school!" Yin Longshen finally declared.

Feng Yongrui watched his older brother with a blank stare.

***

Q: What kind of protagonist are you?

Yin Longshen: I am a 'nagging mother' kind of protagonist. :)

***

When you were young, what was the first thing you ever did/sold to earn money? E.g., selling lemonades, or mowing lawns, etc.

Comment below~