Chapter Twenty-Four: Soon to Swear Brotherhood (Please Support with Monthly and Recommendation Votes)

"Xiaofan Wei, are you going back to your hometown this weekend? If not, would you like to come to my house? My parents keep talking about you!" Xiaoping Wei lay on his dorm bed, eyes fixed on his book, asking without turning his head.

"There's a competition next week, so I won't be going home for now. I need to make good use of my time to study, hoping my results won't be too bad," Xiaofan replied, also reading his book without turning.

"Then come to my house! My mom and dad are always thinking about you, and my younger brother and sister are curious to meet you too! My place is just ten minutes from downtown, so it won't take time away from your studying."

"Why would they want to see me? They've never even met me—why would they care about a stranger? And you use the word 'thinking of'?"

"I told them you were pretty much another me, haha! So they're curious!"

"Is that all you told them? I don't believe it!"

"The main thing is, my parents had my fortune read. They were told I need to find a sworn brother, or my life won't go smoothly and my future will be uncertain!"

"I knew it! There's no such thing as love or hate without reason."

"Hey! Are you calling me calculating? Am I that kind of person? We've been desk-mates for two years—don't you know me yet?" Xiaoping finally turned, book in hand, and gave Xiaofan a playful smack on the head.

"Haha, just kidding! Actually, my parents like you a lot, too," Xiaofan tilted his head to dodge and replied.

"Really? So you’ve talked about me to your parents? Come on, tell me—what do they praise me for?"

"I'm not like you, bragging about someone else to my own parents! I just said you and I look very much alike, and they thought it was quite a coincidence."

"So your parents don’t like me as much as mine like you?"

"Perhaps. My parents never had my fortune told, so they don’t even know if I need a sworn brother. Your parents are looking for one for you, that’s why they like me so much."

"That’s not all—mainly, we look alike, and we were born almost on the same year, month, and day."

"I told my parents that, too, and they said it’s amazing how the world works—two people who not only look alike, but were almost born on the same day! Just one day apart!"

"Is that all your parents said?"

"Yes," Xiaofan replied, eyes on his book again.

"You never praised me to your parents, not even once?"

"Come on! What’s there for a guy to praise another guy to his parents for?"

"Sigh, Xiaofan, can’t you say something nice? When I talk about you at home, I almost forget myself—I praise you so much!"

"That’s a bit much, don’t you think? Are you okay? Praising your desk-mate so much you forget yourself? Maybe save that for your future girlfriend!"

"Hey now! That’s enough about girlfriends. No talk of that before college graduation!" Xiaoping declared.

Hearing him mention college, Xiaofan went quiet for a moment. He reached back to scratch an itch and his fingers brushed a small hole in his shirt. Suddenly, his gaze drifted to his faded clothes hanging at the bedside and the threadbare towel. He closed his eyes, and scenes from his rural home rose in his mind: a mud-brick house of just over a hundred square meters stood by the village road in a remote mountain area. Though the walls were whitewashed, many patches had flaked off, leaving mottled colors that showed the house’s age. The floor was cemented earlier this year by his father. Inside, his forty-something father, his stepmother, and a younger brother and sister lived with him—a family of five.

"Your brother and sister are growing—they need more to eat! Xiaofan, help yourself to the dishes," his father always said at meals and family gatherings, as he served his siblings and comforted Xiaofan.

"Xiaofan needs it even more—middle school is when you grow fastest! He needs good nutrition," his stepmother would say, putting food in his bowl.

So, although his mother was a stepmother and his siblings half-siblings, the family was harmonious. Yet his parents, with nothing but a few acres of farmland, could barely afford to send him to school.

Given this situation, going to college was a dream—a dream as distant as the stars, Xiaofan thought.

"Hey, Xiaofan, what are you thinking about? Have you decided yet?" Xiaoping asked.

"Decided what?"

"About coming to my house this weekend!"

"I don’t want to. There’s nothing important to do there."

"Come on! My mom wants us to become sworn brothers—isn’t that important?"

"Really? But things like that require both families’ approval. Me going alone won’t help, especially since our family backgrounds are so different."

"Different backgrounds?"

"Isn’t it obvious? You’re from the city; I’m from the countryside—"

"Come on, Xiaofan, after all this time, don’t you know me? It’s just sworn brotherhood, not dating! Besides, my parents aren’t like that. If you don’t come, you’ll embarrass me!"

"I’ll think about it," Xiaofan said, pulling his blanket over his head.

"What’s there to think about?" Xiaoping laughed, nudging him. "My mom says my destiny depends on finding a boy who looks like me, born at least the same year and month, as my sworn brother. That’s the only way life will go smoothly! If you don’t come, it means you’re not willing to help me, not really my friend!"

Xiaofan threw off his blanket and looked at Xiaoping for a long moment before replying, "All right, since you’ve put it that way, I’ll go. Otherwise, I’ll be branded a bad friend!"

"Really?" Xiaoping leapt up in joy.

"Of course. But I wonder what your parents like, and what your brother and sister would want as gifts."

Hearing this, Xiaoping knew Xiaofan truly meant to come. He threw an arm around Xiaofan’s shoulders and said happily, "I knew you’d say yes. You don’t need to bring anything—just come. My parents will be thrilled just to see you!"

"That won’t do. It’s my first time visiting someone’s house, and yours is in the city. I have to bring something—it’s good manners. I don’t want to be called an uncultured country boy."

"Xiaofan, why say it’s ‘someone else’s house’? We’ve known each other for over two years, been desk-mates all that time, and are good friends. If you keep saying it’s someone else’s house, you make us strangers."

"You’re you, your parents are your parents, got it? Besides, I only agreed to visit, not to become your so-called superstitious sworn brother."

"Fine, I’ll handle the gifts. When the time comes, you just carry them in."

"If you keep talking like that, I won’t go!" Xiaofan said, a little annoyed.

Xiaoping realized he’d hurt Xiaofan’s pride.

"All right, just a small token will do—don’t spend too much, or my mom will scold me! After you visit my house, next time you’ll bring me to your home."