I have known since I was a child that everything comes at a price. Getting something for nothing or being happy from the sky can only be found in fairy tales or beautiful legends.
Today is New Year's Eve, and many people gradually gathered in the streets that were not very lively at first in the evening. The shouts of people selling things and the sound of firecrackers in front of every house made it extremely lively. I sat in front of the door of a dilapidated house facing the street, looking hard to the east of the street. Although I was only 8 years old, I knew clearly that whether I could have a good New Year today would depend on when my father would come back.
"Jingyun, where did the dead girl go?" A scolding woke me up, and then a pain came from my left ear. I turned my head slightly and saw Er Niang looking at me fiercely, "You are deaf. I call you so many times. You don't care if your brother is crying in the yard. Why are you here to get yourself in trouble?"
I endured the pain and said, "I'm sorry, Er Niang, I'll go right away." Then I stood up, looked at the East Street with nostalgia, and then turned around and picked up my younger brother who was shaking in the yard. For a child, it is so difficult to hold another child. I moved in the yard with difficulty, and Er Niang's curses could be heard from time to time in my ears.
I have known since I was a child that I am not welcome in this family. Except for my father's occasional concern, in the eyes of my second mother, I am a redundant person. My father was often away from home, so I was used to being beaten and scolded, and gradually learned to remain silent, because resistance often resulted in a day of hunger.
"Sister-in-law Tong, Sister-in-law Tong, it's not good!"