Chapter 15: The red and white faces

　　Pascal Lee had only been back in school for three months.

Already, he had learned to play games on his playing card during class.

In the office, Cherry Adams angrily slammed the pile of colorful little cards confiscated by the teacher on the desk: "Pascal Lee! Come here!"

Pascal Lee walked dejectedly from the door and approached.

He whispered, "Sister..."

"Get out! Cherry Adams kicked him to the ground with one foot.

　　This startled the teachers.

"Pascal Lee's sister, don't be impulsive,"

The homeroom teacher hurriedly stepped forward to stop her.

"Teacher, just leave it alone, I have to teach him a lesson today!" Cherry Adams rolled up her sleeves and took a big step forward to slap Pascal Lee.

"Who told you to play with that? Who told you to buy it?"

　　He didn't buy it, another student secretly brought it from home. However, in order not to betray his classmates, Pascal Lee had to admit it.

The more Cherry Adams thought about it, the angrier she became: "Your brother and I work hard outside all day long, like two big victims! You don't study hard, and you spend my money on nonsense?"

"Sister, I'm sorry... I won't dare to do it again..."

Pascal Lee's nose and tears were running down.

　　Of course he was scared, but he was even more ashamed.

If it weren't for the presence of the education officials, Cherry Adams would have let her foul language loose. She sighed heavily, waved her hand, and signaled to the teacher to stop.

"Teacher, you see, this is the way my child is. His roots are rotten," she scolded angrily, "Just quit school! What's the point of going to school?"

　　Pascal Lee trembled with fear. He had been taught to be submissive by Chinese-style education, and he was too afraid to speak up with tears in his eyes.

Even the other teachers felt sorry for him. They could see the tears in his eyes, like little pearls, and the little nose that was always running.

They tried to calm him down: "Pascal Lee is usually a very good boy. It's probably just the pressure of studying."

　　Cherry Adams followed suit, "If the teachers hadn't pleaded with you today, I would have pulled you out of school right now!"

Pascal Lee quickly threw his arms around his sister's thighs and burst into tears again.

As they walked home, Cherry Adams told Pascal Lee to kneel down.

Pascal Lee sniffled and obediently knelt.

　　"Think carefully if you want to continue studying. If not, don't waste your brother's money." Cherry Adams gave him a cold look and went back out to continue her nightly rounds.

Cherry Adams' thinking was very simple. This is the way of Chinese education. Even though Xie Xue didn't treat her that way - the mother didn't care how her child studied or made friends, and never asked a single question - Cherry Adams believed that was why she hadn't been cultivated into a talent.

　　If you don't study, you will only suffer in society.

Cherry Adams wants Pascal Lee to understand that.

But she obviously thinks too simply.

When Cherry Adams comes home from work, Pascal Lee is already gone, leaving behind a crumpled note:

"Sorry, sister, I'm leaving."

Cherry Adams curses under her breath.

This Pascal Lee!

　　Leaving? Go where? Where can an 11-year-old go? She just couldn't understand it. Is the psychological tolerance of children today really so low? Can't they take a little spanking or a little scolding?

Cherry Adams was so puzzled that she put on her coat and walked out.

Half an hour later, the owner of the Copper Pot Restaurant sent a message:

"Your brother is here with me. He says he wants to follow in his brother's footsteps and work elsewhere. What kind of conflict do you have?

　　Thank God! Cherry Adams breathed a sigh of relief and drove to the restaurant, where she caught her runaway brother, Pascal Lee, in the act.

When the little guy was caught, he cried and argued as if he had suffered all the hardships in the world.

"Sister... I'm not going to study! I'm not made for studying! I want to go out and work!"

"You'll end up working as a coolie!"

　　Cherry Adams' veins bulged with anger, and she picked up a ladle used to serve food to customers and smashed it at him.

The customers in the restaurant were shocked. They didn't expect such a young woman to be so fierce. For a moment, they all avoided her and gave way.

The more Cherry Adams looked at this guy named Pascal Lee, the more she didn't like him. She rolled up her sleeves and wanted to hit him.

　　The boss reacted quickly and went up to stop her. Pascal Lee was also very smart and quickly hid behind him.

The three of them were like eagles catching chickens.

They caught him from the shop to the outside.

"Chen Ge, don't protect him!" Cherry Adams panted, "I'm going to break his leg today!"

"Sister, sister, calm down," the boss said with a helpless smile, whispering to Pascal Lee to go find his brother.

　　"My brother...my brother is not here..."

"Call him quickly," the boss took out his cell phone.

That was the whole story.

"Sister! Sister! My brother wants you to pick up the phone!"

Cherry Adams was furious, "I'm not answering shit!"

Pascal Lee had no choice but to put on the speakerphone.

Jasper Lee's voice came out of the phone.

"Sister, don't be angry, I'll be back in Wuhan tomorrow. Let's talk about this when I get back, okay?"

　　Cherry Adams froze.

But it was because of the syllables.

It was the first time Jasper Lee had called her sister.

Cherry Adams' clenched fist loosened.

She coughed lightly and reached for the phone.

"Are you coming back tomorrow? What time?"

"The ten o'clock train."

"Which station?"

"Hankou Station."

"Okay."

　　Cherry Adams hung up after saying, "I'll pick you up," and when she looked at Pascal Lee again, she had already regained her composure.

Pascal Lee and his boss exchanged glances. The former was still in shock, while the latter was even more astonished and gave him a thumbs up:

"Your brother is really something!"

"Go home," Cherry Adams said, picking up her younger brother. "This isn't over. When your brother comes back, you'll see.

Pascal Lee thought to himself, "My brother isn't going to show me anything.

　　The next day at noon, Jasper Lee came home.

Pascal Lee rushed up to him, acting spoiled and unhappy.

"Brother! She hit me! In front of all the teachers in the office! I really don't want to go to school anymore!"

Pascal Lee cried and cried, accusing Cherry Adams of many crimes, from school to the Copper Pot Restaurant. In short, everyone had heard the same words too many times.

"As an elder brother, what are you going to do about it?"

　　Cherry Adams sat up straight and watched.

Jasper Lee paused for a moment before speaking: "Yes."

Jasper Lee's face lit up with joy and he looked at Cherry Adams triumphantly as he heard his brother's next words.

"Then you can go back to Beijing and be an orphan."

Pascal Lee had calculated everything, but not this outcome. "Brother!" His tears flowed like a tap, like a flood, rushing down, "How could you...how could you say that..."

"Lifting you up is like not lifting you up at all! Jasper Lee's eyebrows were cold and collected, "Sister ran outside in the wind and rain, earning your tuition fee kilometer by kilometer, and I taught class after class in a foreign place, preparing lessons until the middle of the night every day, and this is how you repay us?"

　　Jasper Lee watched Cherry Adams' expression carefully.

Sure enough, when the family was satisfied, they signaled for him to continue.

"And you, all you do is study, you don't have to worry about anything, why do you want to come out and work like us when you have such a good life?"

Pascal Lee tugged at Jasper Lee's sleeve and muttered, "I just... I don't think studying will help you... I don't want to add to your burden..."

　　"We know what you're thinking," said Jasper Lee. It's just that none of us need you to work now. What can you do at such a young age? And like us, you're only going to earn hard-earned money. You must study hard so that you can make a lot of money in the future.

Jasper Lee paused and looked at Cherry Adams again, "My sister says the same thing. Don't think she's too radical. She's doing it for your own good.

　　So the three family members had their red and white roles. Pascal Lee was very grateful.

"Sister! Brother! I'm going to study now!"

He went back to his bedroom with his school bag on his back like the wind.

Cherry Adams breathed a sigh of relief from head to toe, pointed in the direction of the bedroom again, and shook her head with a wry smile.

"Pascal Lee is like that, he needs to be supervised before he studies!" Jasper Lee spoke her mind.

　　Cherry Adams nodded frequently, pleased that he had understood her.

"If only your brother were as sensible as you," she said.

she said, and for the next few days that was the most she said.

Jasper Lee smiled only subtly: "Pascal is just good at expressing his feelings."

Cherry Adams looked at him carefully and motioned for him to come closer: "Have you grown taller lately?"

"Have I? I haven't really paid attention."

　　Jasper Lee had been drinking a lot of milk.

"Really. At least two centimeters," she asked again. Your fringe has grown too. Should you cut them again?"

"...I think so," Jasper Lee said.

It's really comforting to know it's growing.

"Let's go," Cherry Adams got up, "and get a haircut."

"Leaving Pascal home alone..."

"What do you care what he does?" Cherry Adams glared at him.

　　Jasper Lee followed Cherry Adams out of the apartment building.

"How long has it been?" Cherry Adams asked.

"Four months, from the end of January until now."

"Have you been all right? No problems?" Cherry Adams rarely showed such concern.

"No," Jasper Lee said, "classes end at the end of next month, I'll wire you the rest of the money then."

"I told you, you can pay me back slowly, I'm in no hurry."

　　"Hmm." Jasper Lee caught a glimpse of her smile.

He asked, "What are you smiling at?"

"At your honesty. It's not that honest."

Jasper Lee lowered his eyebrows, not sure if she was praising or criticizing.

　　"I'm saying you're polite when you don't have to be."

Cherry Adams: "Let's say you're polite. When you suddenly came to Wuhan and left your brother with me, I've never seen anyone so bold. Let's say you're not polite. You don't want to take money from me, and you want to pay back everything, including medical expenses and school fees. You're so formal.

Jasper Lee didn't know what to say.

When they arrived at the barbershop, he went in for a haircut.

　　Cherry Adams stood nearby and talked to the barber, asking him to make Jasper Lee's hair look better and not to cut the sideburns too short.

The barber said, "Here, here are the scissors. Do you want to cut it or should I? Don't tell me what to do." He gave Cherry Adams one more hair treatment before he got rid of her.

After Jasper Lee had his hair cut, Cherry Adams had finished washing her hair.

　　She narrowed her bright eyes at his new look.

Jasper Lee was suddenly a little nervous for no reason.

"It's not bad," she said, leaning closer, her eyebrows still slightly furrowed as usual. It's just that there's always hair on the bridge of your nose."

The barber said, "I cleaned it, but his nose is too high. I've never seen a nose that high.

"Close your eyes," said Cherry Adams, and she took the paper towel and wiped him down.

Gently.

　　It tickles.

It could be the hair or the tissue.

Or her sister's fingertips.

"Okay," Jasper Lee opens his eyes slowly.

"Oh, you look so good!" The barber pulls out his phone, "Handsome, let me take a picture for the publicity."

　　"It's my brother's face that's straight, what's that got to do with you? You faggot!" Cherry Adams scolded with a smile.

She put her arm around Jasper Lee's shoulder: "Don't let him take your picture."

"Eh! I'm not charging you! Just a picture!"

　　Cherry Adams laughed, her smile so bright that Jasper Lee had to keep up with her. She was not tall, but her strides were long, as if she were walking on the wind.

"You're back for a rare visit, so stay home for a few more days," Cherry Adams said. Your brother is quite a handful, but ever since he went away to boarding school, I feel like the house is empty, with no one to talk to.

Jasper Lee agreed, "Yes.