Actually, It's About My Brother...

4. Chapter Four

Nian Zhen had started playing the piano again. For his Qing Shan, he would play for hours upon hours. Their laughters would bounce on the walls and escape the room, spreading through the entire house and the all of the Sisters hearts.
Nian Zhen's eyes were no longer empty, his face no longer cold. Wherever he went, Qing Shan would follow right behind him.
From the outside, it could seem as if Qing Shan was codependent on Nian Zhen but the Sisters could tell that the two were dependent on eachother on equal terms. When Qing Shan was not around, Nian Zhen would retort back to his previous behaviour and when Nian Zhen was occupied by other things, Qing Shan would become quiet and sulking. Like a puppy who had lost it's favourite toy, he would walk about alone until his friend returned.
When they were together, they were the epitome of happiness. Everyone who saw them thought they were brothers by birth since they were identical in appearance. The children had even started calling the boys by one single name. They called them Zhīyīn*. Since the two were simply inseparable.
Ah, all the adventures they had were enough to fill several libraries with books.
The most extreme adventures had always, without fail caused the boys injuries.
Once, they were climbing the Katsura trees that surrounded the grounds. They happily jumped from branch to branch, despite the Sisters scorning them each time they would get caught, warning them that one day, a branch might break and they would fall and break their necks.
The boys did not heed their warnings, however. Of course they didn't. So one day in early fall, one of the branches broke and Qing Shan would have fallen, had Nian Zhen not grabbed him by his belt until he managed to get ahold of another branch.
However, the combined weight of the both became too much for Nian Zhen's branch and it also boke, causing him to fall without making even a single sound. He didn't cry, didn't scream. He just sat quietly on the ground, holding his right arm in a protective grip.
Qing Shan had helped him back to the Sisters. The high pitched scream that dominated the kitchen when Nian Zhen finally showed his arm, revealing bleeding flesh, where his soft skin had been broken through by hard bone. Yet the boy still did not cry or say a word. Nian Zhen had to spend three weeks in the hospital. And Qing Shan had to write verses on the black board for 8 hours, for every day Nian Zhen was gone. But he did not complain once during this.
When Nian Zhen came back, he proudly showed off his cast and the two spent many hours decorating it. He had to wear it for almost three whole months. The itching was the worst part, he would tell Qing Shan and they would bet on how many small objects they could use to reach inside the cast and scratch the itches away.
Once the cast was finally off, Nian Zhen would pout over the ugly scar he would keep for the rest of his life.
However, not even three days had passed before they went out on yet another dangerous adventure.
By the riverbank, they would jump on the biggest rocks, trying to get as close to the water as possible without getting wet.
They were not allowed this far from the Sisters grounds without adult supervision. Yet this fact only made the adventure all the more exciting.
Until it wasn't anymore.
Nian Zhen suddenly slipped on the rock he had just jumped onto and he fell right into the river.

"Xiǎo Nian!"

Without hesitation, Qing Shan dove in after him. Their small bodies didn't stand a chance against the strong current, but they fiercly worked together to keep their heads above water. Nian Zhen yelled something that was simply stolen by the roaring water surrounding them. He gestured instead. A warning.
Qing Shan looked around and saw what was about to happen. The current would lead them right up against the sharpest rocks, heaving many big waves into them several times before continuing downstream. He looked at Nian Zhen and called over the roars.

"Don't worry, Xiǎo Nian! I'll protect you!"

And then he wrapped his little arms tightly around Nian Zhen. One arm around his back and the other one around his head. His brother, best friend and soulmate pressed his head closer to Qing Shan's chest and closed his eyes.
Amazingly enough, even though they were repeatedly slammed up against the rocks, each time they missed the sharp edges completely. Qing Shan would be badly bruised later, though.
Once they continued downstream, the current calmed enough for them to get back on land. This was when Nian Zhen shouted from chock.

"Da Shan! Your arm!"

Qing Shan looked down, his clothes were dripping wet and his shirt was almost completely ripped apart by his left arm. The fabric quickly got darker from the blood gushing from it, he had broken his left arm on the same spot Nian Zhen had. The skin had been penetrated from the inside by his broken bone. The sight made Qing Shan grin with distaste.
Now, it was his turn to stay at the hospital and get his own cast decorated.
He would get his own scar, the same as Nian Zhen's, only on his left arm instead of his right one.

"Now we really don't look identical anymore. I will have a scar on my left arm while you have yours on your right." Qing Shan complained.

Nian Zhen had giggled where he sat, drawing on Qing Shan's cast.

"You will be my reflection, then. We still look the same, but as if we are in front of a mirror."

Qing Shan was calmed by this and allowed his little brother to continue drawing.
The Sisters had seriously considered whipping them both for their dangerous game that time. But they didn't. All of their hearts softened when they saw the amount of tenderness Nian Zhen doted on his friend with. And they all smiled when he told them how Qing Shan had protected him in at the risk of his own safety. Those two were good, genuinely good, the Sisters would think.
Then the incident with the lightning happened.
The boys had decided to go stargazing at the very top of one of the towers. They wanted to see the stars mix with the thunderstorm. Where they even got the idea that a thunderstorm could pull the stars into itself, they'd never know. Once the boys had managed to climb up into the highest tower, the view had been truly magnificent. The sky looked as if the stars swirled with the thunderclouds.
They had been standing close, holding hands when the lightning hit the tower.
Everything became so bright, they momentarily turned completely blind before passing out. They had been found the very next morning.
By God's grace, they both seemed to be unharmed. The doctors confirmed this.
They could not possibly have known that the result of the bright light had caused what is called night blindness for the two boys. Something they would have to live with for the rest of their lives.
That night, both boys were to be whipped thoroughly. It was the first and last time any of the Sisters had diciplined any child this way.
Neither of the boys had made a sound as they were whipped. They held eachothers hands firmly and looked straight ahead while taking their punishments without any complaining.
The Sister who had been assigned to whip them had only managed to give them four each, then her heart simply could not take any more.
She turned the boys around to face her.

"Do you not realize how dangerous your actions were this time, Zhīyīn?! You could have both been killed!"

Even the Sisters had the habit of using this one word as a name for them both. They never once said they were not alright with it. Now, they both just looked at her, their eyes devoid of regret or shame. Or even anger at having been whipped.
Qing Shan tilted his head slightly. His voice was soft when he spoke.

"So to teach us a lesson for us to avoid getting hurt again - you choose to hurt us? Is that what your God has told you is right, Sister?"

The old Sister was taken aback by this question. There was no mockery behind it. The boy was not making fun of her. He seemed to sincerely want to know the answer to this. And the more the Sister thought of his question, the more regret she felt in her heart. She fell to her knees and pulled the boys into a warm embrace.

"Forgive me, Zhīyīn.. you are right, beating someone will never teach anyone anything. I am so very sorry. It will never happen again, I promise."

She held them away from herself for a moment.

"But Zhīyīn, please listen to me. You both have to be more careful. Even if something seems fun, it does not mean it is safe. You are fantastic at protecting eachother, so do it better. Keep eachother out of trouble."

The boys nodded.

"Yes, Sister."

She embraced them once more.

"May you always have eachother." She whispered.

However, after one whole year together, one fateful day came when one of the boys would finally be adopted. But it would not be a day filled with joy.

It would be the most heartshattering experience in their entire lives.

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*Zhīyīn = Soulmates

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