New ink fragrance in old times

Lin Sixuan stood up and gently pulled Lin Sizhe aside. The two of them sat together on the bluestone that had been polished smooth by time.

"Silang, I want to ask you something. You have to tell me the truth, okay?" Lin Sixuan's voice was gentle and serious. He stared into Lin Sizhe's eyes, trying to find the answer from them.

"Okay, brother, what do you want to ask me?" Lin Sizhe nodded without hesitation, his face full of trust in his brother.

"Silang, have you been staying with Sanlang all this time?" There was a barely perceptible seriousness in Lin Sixuan's tone. He wanted to know how his brothers were getting along during this period.

"Yes, we go to the fields to help together every day. What's wrong?" Lin Sizhe answered with some confusion. He didn't expect his brother to ask this.

From Lin Sizhe's expression, Lin Sixuan could feel the deep friendship between them, which made him feel a little relieved.

"Then do you think there is something wrong with Sanlang recently?" Lin Sixuan frowned slightly, and there was a hint of concern and inquiry in his tone.

Lin Sizhe thought about it seriously, then shook his head and replied, "No, there's nothing wrong with Third Brother. He's still the same as before, very kind to me, and we do a lot of things together."

Hearing this, Lin Sixuan sighed softly. He understood that sometimes children might find it difficult to perceive subtle changes in the adult world.

So, he changed his approach and continued to persuade him: "Then Silang, think about it carefully. Do you think there is anything different about Sanlang these days compared to before? For example, has there been any change in his behavior, words, or mood?"

Hearing this, Lin Sizhe fell into deep thought again. He tried hard to recall every detail of his time with Sanlang, trying to find the difference his brother mentioned.

Lin Sizhe thought about it, a serious look appeared on his face, and he replied, "Yes, brother."

When Lin Sixuan heard this, a hint of shock flashed in his eyes. He quickly asked, "Silang, are you sure you remembered it correctly? Then tell me in detail what is different about Sanlang."

Lin Sizhe nodded and began to count on his fingers: "Recently, my third brother and I, as well as Wulang, Liulang, Sister Huaer, Sister Xinger, and Sister Heer, went to the fields to pick corn together. Last year, only Sister Xinger went alone, but this year we all went and it was great fun." When he said this, Lin Sizhe's face showed some excitement.

After hearing this, Lin Sixuan felt a little helpless, but he was also infected by his brother's innocence. He smiled and asked, "Anything else? Besides this, is there anything else that's different about Sanlang?"

Lin Sizhe thought for a moment and continued, "Third brother also helped me carry the small backpack. He was very strong and didn't think it was too heavy. Moreover, he cracked walnuts from the tree for me to eat. The walnuts were so fragrant that I couldn't bear to eat them all at once." When he said this, Lin Sizhe's eyes sparkled with happiness.

However, when Lin Sixuan was expecting more "differences", Lin Sizhe suddenly stopped. He looked up at Lin Sixuan's eyes and said hesitantly:

"Also... I feel like there's something a little weird about Third Brother, but I can't quite put my finger on what."

Lin Sizhe felt that what he had just said was what his brother wanted to hear, but he couldn't tell what was wrong with his third brother. The more Lin Sizhe thought about it, the more anxious he became, and the more he couldn't express it.

Lin Sizhe became more and more anxious as he spoke, his little face filled with worry.

Seeing this, Lin Sixuan quickly comforted him, "It's okay, Silang. Think about it slowly, maybe it's just a feeling you have. However, if there is really something wrong with Sanlang, you must tell your brother in time, okay?"

Lin Sizhe nodded and replied with a smile: "Okay, brother."

"Silang, what your brother said to you today, please promise him not to tell anyone, okay?" There was a hint of pleading in Lin Sixuan's tone. He looked down at Lin Sizhe, his eyes full of trust and expectation.

"Why?" Lin Sizhe's eyes flashed with doubt when he heard this. He didn't quite understand why these words couldn't be told to others.

Seeing this, Lin Sixuan smiled lightly and explained:

"Because this is a private conversation between my brother and Shiro, a little secret that only belongs to the two of us. Just like the treasure you keep in your heart, you don't want others to know, right?"

His words were gentle and seductive.

"secret!"

Lin Sizhe's eyes lit up instantly. He seemed to be deeply attracted by this word and quickly covered his mouth, fearing that he would accidentally leak the secret.

He nodded, indicating that he would keep his mouth shut.

Seeing Lin Sizhe being so well-behaved, Lin Sixuan felt warm in his heart. He continued to ask gently, "Since that's the case, Silang, can you do me another favor?"

"What help do you need?" Lin Sizhe shook his head, his eyes flashing with curiosity and anticipation. He seemed ready to go through fire and water for his brother.

Lin Sixuan's voice was serious. He looked at Lin Sizhe and continued:

"You quietly observe Sanlang and see what he does every day and who he plays with, but you must not let Sanlang find out. Can you do it?"

When Lin Sizhe heard this, he immediately became excited. He nodded quickly in agreement, then stretched out his little hand, blinked his big eyes, and said cunningly, "Then I want a reward!"

Lin Sixuan smiled and said, "Then what reward does Shilang want?"

"Sugar," Lin Sizhe said sweetly.

Lin Sixuan couldn't help but smile when he heard this. He shook his head gently and said, "Silang, eating too much sugar is bad for your teeth." He tried to convince him with reason, but he already had an idea in his mind.

"Why? Then I won't help my brother." Lin Sizhe pretended to be angry and turned his head away, but his eyes glanced at Lin Sixuan from time to time. The expectation and desire in his eyes were about to overflow, as if saying: Hurry up and agree, why not agree?

Lin Sixuan couldn't help laughing at Lin Sizhe's innocent look. He stood up and squatted beside Lin Sizhe, his tone filled with a bit of doting and seriousness: "Silang, I don't let you eat candy, it's really for your own good. Do you remember last year? You ate all the candy your uncle gave you in one go, and as a result, you had such a toothache that you couldn't even eat, and you had a bitter face for several days."

Lin Sixuan tapped the corner of Lin Sizhe's mouth and said, "Finally, my mother found out, but she strictly forbade you from eating sweets anymore. She said she was afraid you would suffer further."

Then, Lin Sixuan said to Lin Sizhe with grievance, "If mother knew that my brother secretly gave you candy, she would definitely punish my brother as well. Can you bear to see my brother get beaten?"

When Lin Sizhe heard this, he immediately became anxious, his little face full of worry, as if he had seen the scene of Lin Sixuan being beaten. He quickly shook his head: "No! Mom's beating hurts, I don't want my brother to be beaten!"

Looking at Lin Sizhe's anxious look, Lin Sixuan tried hard to suppress the smile on his lips, without any sense of guilt for lying to a child.