“Mom, my sister has promised to give us this house, so please don’t interfere, okay?” Her brother’s brow furrowed, and he slammed his fist against the wall, causing paint to peel off.
“No, I’ve said it: as long as I’m alive, a house must be given to my daughter.” The mother’s gaze settled on the father’s memorial photo.
“Fine, fine!”
What a touching mother-daughter relationship!
“Sister-in-law, it’s not that I’m not giving you a chance. We’ll get a divorce tomorrow. You’re useless, and I can’t live with you another day.” With these words, she wiped her tears and ran upstairs.
“Mom, I really don’t want this house. I can earn money and buy my own after I start working. Just give it to my brother.” Jing Xin hugged her frail mother, wishing to lessen her suffering.
A muffled sound came from behind. Jing Xin and her mother turned to see Jing Rong kneeling among the broken bowls, crying: “Mom, please agree. I don’t want to divorce Ai Ping. Mom, I’m sorry!” He slapped himself repeatedly, each sound striking Jing Xin’s heart.
Jing Xin rushed over, grabbing his hand: “Brother, don’t do this. Don’t.” The family cried together.
Finally, the mother coldly declared: “Demon!” and went to her room, closing the door.
Her brother also retreated to his room, leaving Jing Xin alone in the empty hall.
The old wall clock ticked loudly as she cleaned up the mess and suddenly let out a low laugh, tears flowing, wondering what kind of family this was.
Chapter Six: Strange Person
On Monday morning, she took the bus to school early, waking before her mother and brother. At the village entrance, Jing Xin kept stopping to look back.
The small village in the early morning was hidden in mist, peaceful and serene. The river flowed gently, as clear as Jing Xin remembered. The wind rustled the leaves of the white birch trees lining the road. This beauty would soon cease to exist.
Jing Xin sometimes felt that life was mysterious and complex—longing for change yet constantly reminiscing about the past. Wasn’t the past also old and unbearable? Perhaps people miss just a tiny bit of emotion.
