Chapter 27: Wei Xiaofan’s Inferiority Returns

Wei Xiaoping’s home was in a residential complex for civil servants’ families. The building had been constructed through pooled funds by the unit where Wei Xiaoping’s mother worked, and at the time, it was assigned to them thanks to Wei Niping’s allocation.

Wei Xiaoping and Wei Xiaofan arrived at the entrance to the complex at around eight in the morning.

From a distance, Wei Xiaofan noticed a couple and two children of equal height standing at the gate, seemingly waiting for someone.

Wei Xiaofan recalled that Wei Xiaoping had once mentioned having both a younger sister and a younger brother, twins, who were eleven years old that year. He thought to himself, that middle-aged couple must be Wei Xiaoping’s parents, and those two children must be his twin siblings!

He pointed to the entrance and asked, “Wei Xiaoping, are those four people your parents and your twin brother and sister?”

“Yes!—Hey, Wei Xiaofan, you’re impressive. You’ve never met my family, but you can recognize them from afar!”

“I was just guessing. Didn’t you tell me about your family before?”

“Even so, it’s not so easy to guess right away, haha!”

Wei Xiaofan thought to himself, isn’t it because you said your parents like me, and your brother and sister are eager to meet me? Isn’t it because your parents want us to become lifelong friends? Isn’t it because you told me your parents hope I’ll come home with you, so they can see how much we resemble each other? And didn’t you call your family yesterday and today to tell them when we’d arrive? Plus, today’s Saturday. After a week of work, city folks typically sleep in, yet here’s a family of four waiting at the gate early in the morning. So I guessed it was your family waiting for us!

As these thoughts drifted through his mind, they had already reached the gate.

“Xiaoping, this must be your classmate Wei Xiaofan, whom you talk about so often!” Wei Xiaoping’s mother, Wei Niping, said with a smile.

“Yes, Mom, look, don’t Xiaoping and I look alike? Our height, build, and faces—aren’t we practically identical?” Wei Xiaoping replied, grinning.

“If I hadn’t seen you in a few months, and then saw you two together, I wouldn’t be able to tell which one is really Xiaoping!” Wei Xiaoping’s father, Wei Yongqiang, laughed heartily.

Wei Xiaoping pulled Wei Xiaofan forward, introducing him to his parents. “Wei Xiaofan, this is my dad, and this is my mom. Hey, you two little ones, come here! Haven’t you always wanted to meet Brother Fan? Now that he’s here, you’re silent!”

“Hello, Uncle. Hello, Auntie,” Wei Xiaofan greeted them a little shyly.

Wei Yongqiang reached out and patted him on the shoulder. “Young man, you look spirited! Even more handsome than my son—though not as dashing as I was when I was young! So, Xiaoping, do you ever mention me to him?”

Wei Niping, seeing her husband boasting in front of others, laughed and scolded, “Wei Yongqiang, I’ve seen shameless people before, but never anyone as shameless as you, bragging about yourself like that!”

Wei Yongqiang guffawed. “A little shamelessness is good! If I hadn’t been so shameless back then, how would I have won over such a beautiful cadre as you? If not for that, we wouldn’t have our fine son Xiaoping, and through him, we wouldn’t have met the dashing Wei Xiaofan, would we?”

Wei Niping smiled, pushing her husband aside, then stepped forward and took the bag of fruit from Wei Xiaofan’s hand. “Wei Xiaofan, don’t mind your uncle. He’s always been a smooth talker. Why are we all just standing here? Let’s go home! Xiaoping, invite your classmate in!”

So, Wei Niping and Wei Yongqiang led the way, with Wei Xiaoping, Wei Xiaofan, and the twins, Wei Xiaoxiang and Wei Xiaofang, following behind.

As they walked, the twins clung to their older brother’s hand, stealing curious and delighted glances at Wei Xiaofan.

Wei Xiaofan noticed Wei Xiaoxiang looking his way, so he reached out as if to take his hand. To his surprise, Wei Xiaoxiang immediately reached out, letting Wei Xiaofan hold his hand.

Wei Xiaoping’s family lived on the fourth floor in a three-bedroom apartment with a living room, bathroom, and kitchen.

Wei Xiaofan had been studying at Liangzhi Middle School for two years. Although the school was in the city, it was somewhat remote, and because of his introverted nature, he hadn’t made many friends or often gone out. So, despite two years in the city, he had little understanding of the living conditions of most urban families.

Upon entering the living room and standing beside a stool, Wei Xiaofan looked around in awe.

He was stunned by the apartment’s layout and furnishings. The space was about a hundred square meters, its walls freshly plastered and dazzlingly white. There were electric fans mounted on the walls, a grand chandelier with five lotus-like bulbs hanging from the ceiling, a color TV, solid wood sofas, a telephone on the table, a refrigerator and exhaust fan in the kitchen, and many other things Wei Xiaofan was seeing for the first time. Some items he had only read about in books, which had seemed remote and unremarkable then, but now, seeing them in person, he couldn’t help but be amazed—and acutely aware of the vast gulf between his own home and Wei Xiaoping’s.

A sense of inferiority quietly crept over him.

As this feeling rose, Wei Niping approached and said warmly, “Wei Xiaofan, have a seat! You and Xiaoping are good friends—he often talks about you. We already consider you part of the family. Make yourself at home. Have some water—Xiaoping, pour a glass for your friend and keep him company! We’ll go prepare lunch.” She placed a plate of washed fruit in front of him. “Have some fruit, and lunch will be ready soon.”

“Thank you, Auntie,” Wei Xiaofan replied shyly.

At that moment, Wei Xiaofang and Wei Xiaoxiang also came over and sat across from him, gazing at him with bright, curious eyes.

“Brother, have some fruit!” Wei Xiaofang said, handing him a bunch of grapes.

“Thank you, little sister.” Wei Xiaofan accepted the fruit and, looking at the twins, said, “Let me guess your names, shall I?”

“Okay! If you guess right, we’ll snap your fingers, but if you’re wrong, we get to snap yours!” Wei Xiaoxiang giggled.

“All right, let’s start with you. You’re Wei Xiaoxiang, right? In fourth grade, in the same class as your sister?”

“You’re right!” Wei Xiaoxiang laughed, extending his fist. “Snap right here!”

“Alright, here I go!” Wei Xiaofan said, lightly flicking his finger against Wei Xiaoxiang’s fist.

“Brother, you’re like a girl—so gentle! That was so soft!” Wei Xiaoxiang laughed.

Wei Xiaofan made a funny face. “Is that so? Now it’s your turn,” he said, turning to Wei Xiaofang.

“Guess my name, and if you’re right, I’ll give you an apple!” Wei Xiaofang grinned, revealing a newly grown tooth and a little gap.

“Hearing that you’ll only give me an apple if I guess your name right makes me sad!” Wei Xiaofan feigned a tearful face.

“That’s not true, I was just joking!” Wei Xiaofang quickly explained.

“Haha! I was joking too!” Wei Xiaofan laughed along.

“Then guess! What’s my name? Hurry up!” Wei Xiaofang urged.

“I already said it, didn’t I?”

“No, you haven’t guessed yet!” she protested, pouting.

“Silly! Didn’t you hear Brother say, ‘Hearing that Wei Xiaofang will only give me an apple if I guess right, I’m sad’—wasn’t your name in that sentence?”

Only then did Wei Xiaofang realize and burst out laughing. “You’re so sneaky, Brother!”

In the kitchen, hearing the laughter from the living room, Wei Niping poked her head out, then turned back to say to Wei Yongqiang, “Look how quickly Xiaofang and Xiaoxiang have warmed up to Wei Xiaofan.”

Wei Yongqiang smiled. “That’s even better. Xiaofan is from the countryside, and Xiaoping already told us about his family. Kids like him, honest and from a rural background, are often shy when they first come to a city home.”

“Isn’t that the truth! I don’t know why, but I just feel a deep, inexplicable tenderness for this child,” Wei Niping replied with feeling.