Mint-Stained Shirt

Ming Shu stared at the slender scar as if his computer was down.

The scar was lighter in color than the surrounding skin, irregularly arched, more arched in the middle, flatter on the sides, and a little wrinkled around the scar, like an ugly worm.

His ears were buzzing, as if there were annoying bugs flying, but his mind seemed to have stopped again, unable to think about anything, just empty and stupid.

After a while, he raised his arm in a daze, and drew it with his hand in the air, and found that the scar was as long as the palm plus the middle finger.

When he withdrew his hand, he suddenly trembled, the soles of his feet felt cold, and the tears had already reacted in his brain.

He cried, right after that period of tinnitus and blankness.

Sitting under the bed, with legs folded, wearing a vest and shorts that he only wore to sleep, he cried silently, but his shoulders twitched, and after the tears fell across his face, they pattered on his knees and on the back of the hand.

He even forgot that he should wake up his brother, so he just cried himself.

Xiao Yu'an fell asleep after insomnia for a while at night. In the morning, when he was in a deep sleep, he vaguely sensed movement behind him. When he woke up, he turned around and saw that the remaining sleepiness disappeared immediately.

On the edge of the bed was a guy with a face full of tears. His eyes and nose were red, and the wings of his nose were retracted. Tears flowed out of his big eyes, and he was sobbing.

"What's the matter?" He quickly grabbed the man's arm, his voice was hoarse when he woke up early, but when he was gentle, he sank into his heart.

"Brother——!!!" Mingshu cried for a long time, the tears didn't stop, but he didn't vent his emotions at all. After being coaxed by his brother, all the heartache, sadness, and uneasiness came out all at once. Suddenly weeping.

He hadn't cried this much in a long time.

He didn't even remember crying like this when he was a child.

But now he just can't help it.

How long and ugly is that scar? How could his brother be injured?His older brother was fine when he came back last Spring Festival.Sister Jinlan took them to the hot springs, and he saw it all. Back then, my brother didn't have this scar on his waist!

Xiao Yu'an didn't know what was going on, so he got out of bed and knelt on the mat with Ming Shu, hugging him, "What's wrong? Tell brother, what's wrong?"

This happened when Mingshu was very young.It was also in the morning, and he vaguely heard someone crying. When he looked for it, he found that it was Mingshutuan crying at the end of the bed.After coaxing him for a long time, Mingshu said that he had a nightmare, that his parents didn't want him, and his brothers and sisters didn't want him either.

It stands to reason that Mingshu is about to be in the third year of junior high school, and has almost no relationship with Wen Yue and Ming Haofeng, so it is impossible to cry like this because of a dream.

Xiao Yu'an picked up the papers on the bedside table, and pulled a lot of papers to wipe Mingshu's tears, "Just tell me what's going on, what's the matter?"

It's not that Mingshu didn't want to say it, he definitely had to ask, because he didn't speak just now because he was crying out of breath, and he started to twitch when he made a sound.Now my brother is pulling him into his arms, and my brother's chest is firmer than before. As he leans there, he can hear his brother's steady and strong heartbeat.

Just counting his heartbeats like this, he gradually calmed down.

"Brother." Mingshu put his hands on his brother's legs, "Does it hurt?"

Xiao Yuan didn't understand.

What hurts?

Mingshu couldn't control his emotions, as soon as he asked, his nose became sore again, and the wings of his nose bulged. Looking at his brother, his voice trembled, "Brother, are you in pain?"

Xiao Yu'an frowned, suddenly knew what Mingshu was referring to, and subconsciously touched his lower back.

Only his father and Xiao Muting knew about his injury, and he didn't plan to tell his grandfather and Mingshu when he came back this trip.It was originally a minor injury, but the scar looked a bit serious, and it would take at least a year for the raised area to flatten out.

When sleeping, the vest was turned up, and he turned his back to Mingshu, so Mingshu saw him.

He didn't want to tell Mingshu, that's why.Mingshu is the closest to him. He used to get a little bit injured in a fight. Mingshu would be so sad that he would lose a golden bean. Seeing this scar?

But in the end it was still visible.

"It's healed." He had no choice but to comfort Mingshu as much as possible, "It hurt a little when I was hurt, but I don't feel it now."

Mingshu sniffed and wiped his tears with the back of his hand. After wiping, he crawled behind his brother, looked at the injury carefully, and felt so distressed, "How did you get this injury?"

Now that it has been discovered, Xiao Yu'an can't continue to cover up, but it is impossible to tell Mingshu the truth. Mingshu is the easiest to think about it at this age, and he is already sensitive. Let Mingshu know that this injury was suffered in actual combat. The situation was extremely critical at that time, and Mingshu might not be able to sleep well if he worried about this matter in the future.

"I didn't pay attention during the exercise." Xiao Yuan coaxed: "I was criticized by the instructor."

When Mingshu heard it, he was angry and aggrieved, "You are hurt, why are you still criticizing you!"

The child really thinks about him, and protects him straightforwardly and domineeringly.Xiao Yu'an's heart felt sore, and he put down the vest, "I should be criticized, because I didn't do a good job."

Mingshu shook his head vigorously and disagreed, "My brother is good at everything, there is nothing my brother can't do well!"

Xiao Yu'an sighed inwardly, wanting to let this matter go quickly, and then heard Ming Shu say: "Brother, can I touch it?"

It's all like this, can you not touch it?Xiao Yu'an nodded, and then pulled back the hem, "Touch it."

Mingshu was careful, and just as he stuck his finger on it, he withdrew it as if being scalded.

He was afraid of hurting his brother.

Xiao Yu'an turned his head to look, "Have you touched it?"

"I'll touch it again." Mingshu said, and stretched out his hand again, still very careful, but at least he didn't flinch at the touch.

The arched scar was next to the fingertips, like a stretched tendon, a little hard and uneven.

Mingshu touched it, and the corners of his lips curled down.

My brother said that it doesn't hurt now, but it must have hurt when I was injured, such a long scar.He had fought so many times and suffered a lot of injuries, but he had never left such a long scar.

My brother never had such a long scar.

It hurts.

The itching spread in the lower back.In fact, the perception on the scar is duller than other places, but it is probably because Mingshu touched it too carefully and focused, and the trembling of his fingers conveyed to Xiao Yuan along with his heartache.

It's not a real numbness, nor a real itch, it's a chemical reaction in the heart after feeling someone's unconditional care.

Xiao Yu'an finally put his clothes back, and patted Mingshu's hand, "Okay, enough seeing and touching, go wash your face, don't be sad."

Mingshu is not over yet, if you don't touch the scar, then don't touch it, but he has to chat with his brother.

"elder brother."

When Xiao Yuan heard this, his tone changed.Just now it was the tone of a child who was too wronged, but now it has the calmness of a young boy.

But how stable can a teenager be?Most of the boy's stability is pretended.

"Huh?" Xiao Yuan responded.

"Then you can't get hurt again in the future." Ming Shu showed Brother Ming's book, "You are studying outside alone, and I can't take care of you, watch you, only you take care of yourself."

Xiao Yu'an almost laughed, thinking that I still need your little one to take care of me?

"Are you still laughing?" Mingshu saw that his brother was smiling, and grabbed his knee, "I'm serious!"

"I'll listen." Xiao Yu'an pretended to listen attentively, "Brother Ming, do you have any orders?"

If you really want to talk like this, Mingshu can't order anything, "Brother, you are hurt, just stay at home and enjoy the blessings these few days."

Xiao Yuan couldn't help laughing, and rushed Mingshu to wash up.

Mingshu asked about the injury clearly, and the anxiety that made him cry finally disappeared. When he took a bath, he remembered that he completely forgot to observe his brother's developmental state.

The boys in his class were very curious about this matter. He heard that some of them lived on campus and compared them every morning.

In fact, he also wanted to compare himself with others, but the boys called him Brother Ming, so he felt that it was not easy for him to participate.And it's boring to compare with classmates, aren't they all still developing?He wanted to see what a boy a few years older than him—no, that should be called a man—was up in the morning.

Brother is the best candidate.

If it was delayed this morning, it would have to wait until tomorrow.If tomorrow is not enough, there is the day after tomorrow.

Anyway, I have to stay at home for more than a week.

Xiao Yu'an really didn't know what Mingshu had planned.He came back this time to be with his family, and he planned to stay at home without notifying his former classmates.

As a result, he was very "tired" from morning to night.

It's not that he's physically tired, Mingshu regards him as a wounded person who needs to be taken care of, rushing to do everything, wishing he could go to the toilet for him.

He wanted to go to the kitchen to get a bottle of ice water, but Mingshu rushed over to help him open the refrigerator door, and the bottle cap had to be unscrewed for him by himself, as if he was too disabled to open the bottle.

He stepped on his slippers to go to the vegetable market to buy vegetables. Mingshu sometimes stood on his left and sometimes ran to his right, for fear that others would bump into him.The food should also be carried for him.

But he couldn't let a thin monkey carry such a heavy thing.

Mingshu also talked to him earnestly, "I'm all for your own good".

When he returned to the house, he wanted to cook something by himself, and Mingshu wanted to help him, so he put on his apron.

He asked, "Would you?"

Mingshu: "..."

I can learn!

He poured cold water on Mingshu's diligent study: "It's too troublesome to teach you, why don't I do it myself."

In the afternoon, he sat in the living room, ready to check his phone, when Mingshu came over with a fruit plate, "Brother, I'll peel you a peach, bro, do you eat bananas, bro, do you eat cantaloupe?"

Noisy, dizzy from the noise.

He didn't even want to look at his cell phone, so he simply teased Mingshu with what had happened for a long time, "Do you often open bottles for girls at school?"

Ming Shu was stunned for a long time, "No."

No girl asked him to open the bottle, but Du Hao bought a bottle of Coke last time. For some reason, his face turned red and he didn't open it. He asked him for help, but he opened it with a slight twist.

He laughed at Du Hao for a few days because of this, thinking it was hypocritical.

Xiao Yu'an said: "Then you screwed the bottle cap so well for me?"

Mingshu felt that there was no need to explain this matter, "Aren't you my brother?"

It's only natural for me to twist the bottle cap for you.

Seeing Mingshu's expression, Xiao Yu'an wanted to laugh.The child used to be delicate, like a girl, but now his facial features are gradually growing, and he is more and more handsome. You can imagine the kind of school girl with a very temperament when he was cold-faced in school.

But at home, there are no such things as temperament.

In front of him, Mingshu was just an annoying thing that didn't grow up.Trouble is really troublesome, and caring is also really caring.

This has to go back to when Mingshu was 5 years old. If you ask him if he still picks it up, he may still have to pick it up.

Two days later, Ming Shu followed Xiao Yu'an wherever he went, but Ming Shu never found a chance when he got up to observe his elder brother in the morning.Because when he woke up these two days, his brother had already woken up.

It's not good to keep doing this, my brother's vacation is limited, and he can't afford to waste time.

That night, Mingshu went to bed before 10 o'clock, and Xiao Yu'an wondered why the children didn't play games anymore.

Going to bed early is still good. Before 6 o'clock in the morning, Mingshu woke up, ran lightly to the bathroom to finish the work, and came back with an excited heart.

It was still dark at this time, and my brother was lying on his back with a towel quilt around his waist.

He pretended to be asleep and observed secretly.

The sun came up and light streamed through the open windows.

Mingshu just stared at it without blinking, for a while, but turned back with a blushing heart.

Don't look!

No more!