Chapter 007: Brother, You Are So Kind

In the past, many people in the village had been bitten by grass snakes, and without a doctor to treat them, they died. So, to everyone here, grass snakes are nothing short of a nightmare. Whether adults or children, the mere mention of their name sends chills down their spines.

Yang Xueling, though only seven years old, understood well enough the danger of grass snakes. Now, with one wriggling beneath her, she was utterly terrified. Her bare legs, clad only in shorts, began to tremble, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

Yang Tian had already called out to her, but in this moment, his words of comfort seemed powerless. Yang Xueling continued to sob, perhaps aware that grass snakes tend to bite when they hear a voice; she dared only to stifle her cries, never raising her voice.

It was the first time since his rebirth that Yang Tian had seen his little sister cry so desperately. The sight made his heart ache. Without thinking, he lunged at the snake, grasped its tail, and gave it a fierce yank.

Despite being only a nine-year-old boy, nearly half a year of physical training and two months of martial arts practice over the summer had given him some strength.

Yet the grass snake, over a meter long, was a true king among its kind—strong and cunning. The moment Yang Tian grabbed its tail, the snake recoiled sharply, its head whipping around to strike at him.

Startled, Yang Tian reacted quickly. His right hand clung tightly to the slippery tail, while his left fist swung down, striking the snake’s head.

Though his left was weaker than his right, his aim was true, landing squarely on the snake’s forehead. The wily serpent had not expected this.

Seeing its head drop, Yang Tian seized the opportunity. With a swift motion, he flung the meter-long snake into the reeds.

Originally, Yang Tian meant to grab Xueling and run, but she remained frozen, crying loudly, her legs too weak to move. Frustrated, Yang Tian snatched three reed stalks from the ground, rushed into the thicket, and began furiously whipping the dazed snake.

Reed stalks are brittle and snapped after only a few strikes. But surrounded by reeds, Yang Tian—though lacking in sheer strength and with the reeds not very tough—remained mature in spirit. No longer the child who, faced with a grass snake, could only flee or cry helplessly.

He struck swiftly and ruthlessly, not stopping until the snake’s skin was torn and it lay motionless. Only then did he pause, sweat dripping from his brow, his limbs exhausted and weak.

He used a reed stalk to lift the snake and walked slowly to his sister’s side, tossing the now lifeless creature at her feet. “With your brother here, no one will ever hurt you. Whoever tries will end up like this!” he declared.

Hearing this, Xueling cried even harder, but a smile immediately blossomed on her face—a smile of happiness, feeling protected.

“Come, let your brother carry you home!” Seeing that Xueling was too frightened to walk, Yang Tian caught his breath, then knelt before her and resolutely carried her on his back. In his previous life, over more than twenty years, he’d never once carried his sister. Now, after rebirth, he felt he should always carry her.

“Fish!” Xueling obediently clung to his back, her crying stopped. She nervously pointed to the basket not far away, which held the fruits of their labor, the pure happiness of her summer.

Yang Tian smiled, then turned, carrying her, one hand steadying her, the other grabbing the basket, and walked slowly home.

“Brother, you’re so wonderful!” As they left the reeds and the weather cleared, sunlight broke through, warming the siblings. Xueling lay on Yang Tian’s back, smiling.

“Hm?” Yang Tian was taken aback. It was the first time since his rebirth that Xueling had praised him like this—a moment he’d never experienced before. His heart felt warm.

“It’s nothing… Brother, let me carry the basket! Don’t worry, I can do it! Do you think Mom and Dad will be happy when they see how many fish we caught?” Thinking Yang Tian hadn’t heard, Xueling quickly began to chatter.

“They’ll be very happy. We’ll have fish for lunch!” Yang Tian replied cheerfully, carrying her steadily.

At home, their parents were surprised by the abundance of fish the siblings brought back, but their faces lit up with happiness. Seeing the two covered in mud, Li Xiuying scolded them, but her smile betrayed her joy.

Yang Bao boasted to the neighbors, gifting fish to the family next door, then to another, and when the neighbors praised Yang Tian and Xueling's industriousness, he laughed heartily.

When the village chief asked about the loud explosion, Yang Tian said it was probably thunder. The chief believed him, for it was hard to imagine a nine-year-old making explosives. Besides, Yang Tian had always been known as timid in Daliushu Village, and with Yang Bao’s good reputation, no one pursued the matter further—at most, they gossiped in private for a while.

Xueling never mentioned her encounter with the grass snake. She seemed to treat it as a secret between her and Yang Tian—a sign that her brother had become brave, and she felt safe.

Summer flew by, and Red Star Primary School welcomed a new term. The children of Daliushu Village donned their backpacks and went to collect their new books.

Yang Tian skipped directly from kindergarten to third grade, sparking much discussion among the village children and becoming a hot topic at Red Star Primary.

When Yang Tian entered the third-grade classroom and sat beside Huang Juan, the other students stared in surprise. Naturally, competitive children doubted his abilities—could Yang Tian really be so talented, jumping from kindergarten to third grade?

Some mischievous students mocked him, believing his family had bribed Director Wang Xianqiang with a meal. Especially Chen Xiaogui, who used to sit with Huang Juan. Due to Huang Juan’s request, the third-grade teacher had separated her from the naughty Chen Xiaogui and paired her with Yang Tian, the new transfer. Upset, Chen Xiaogui decided to rally his “best friends” to teach Yang Tian a lesson, so he began to ridicule him as soon as he entered.

The only friendly face was Huang Juan. All summer, Yang Tian had trained with her father at her house, and she had trained alongside him. They got along splendidly, and Huang Juan had even prepared a welcome gift for Yang Tian—the last jujube blossom from her family’s tree, pale yellow, dried and pressed between the pages of a book.

Though it was just a single flower, Yang Tian resolved to cherish it for a lifetime!

PS: Today, “A Life Rekindled—Fulfilling Dreams” received two little red flowers. Xiao Mo is very happy—finally, readers are beginning to recognize this book. Thank you all!