When Xiao Nianhe was placed on the bluestone steps, he was not wrapped too thickly, and his cry was weak, like a little kitten. It happened to be heard by Old Man Zhou who got up early to grab medicine.
The Zhou family didn't have so many twists and turns, so they took her into the house as soon as her heart softened.
No one thought about raising her to be very valuable. At first, they just couldn't bear to leave her outside to freeze.
Later, as life went by, things changed.
Halfway through boiling the medicine, Mr. Zhou would take out the candied hawthorn that had been in his pocket for a long time, blow it to cool down before stuffing it into her mouth;
The adoptive father usually disliked the child for being noisy, but he always put her on his neck to read medical books when she was crying while she was digging into the medicine cabinet;
My adoptive mother would always steam an extra bowl of sweet-scented osmanthus cake and keep it when it was cold, just waiting for her to eat when she came back from school;
My brother who used to run around all day long would always have candy hidden in his pocket. He would not give it to anyone who asked for it, but would only give it to this little girl who picked it up.
The hospital has the fragrance of bitter medicine all year round, but the place where Xiao Nianhe stays is always sweet.
No one always talked about "picked up". Neighbors occasionally joked about it, and the Zhou family just pretended not to hear it.
But in ordinary days, there is an extra little one to hurt, and the life is soft, but it is more enjoyable than before.
