My mother liked quiet. She said noise was a sign of low-class people, so she installed a decibel meter at home.
Speak above 40 decibels, and you were fined ten yuan. Laugh above 60 decibels, and the fine was fifty.
Crying or throwing a tantrum was a serious offense: one hundred yuan per second.
When I broke my arm at four, I didn't make a sound. I even bit through two teeth, saving Mom thousands in "noise fees."
Mom praised me for being so sensible and called me a "high-value" child.
I treasured that praise and carefully maintained the dead silence at home.
Until one stormy night, a thief broke in.
The thief had a knife and was closing in on Dad, who was asleep.
I was hiding in a crack in the wardrobe, and I could see everything clearly.
I wanted to shout, to scream, to wake Mom.
But I glanced at the decibel meter on the wall, then felt my empty pockets.
I didn't have enough pocket money. One scream would cost several hundred yuan, and I really couldn't afford it.
