Wu Guihua made too many mistakes and was fired from the factory.
Her eldest son, considered the pillar of the family, was arrested, and her beloved fourth daughter was so traumatized that she became withdrawn.
This caused her already poor health to worsen, and her work always fell behind schedule.
Her supervisor was kind enough to pay her 20 yuan for the half-month she was absent due to mistakes.
The Zhao family were already living paycheck to paycheck. With rent and utilities to pay and no food left in the house, things were dire.
Wu Guihua announced at the family meeting that if she didn't find work by the end of the month, the family would have to move back to the countryside.
These days, everyone in the family, except for Jun Jiuli, was tightening their belts. They were all so hungry they felt dizzy.
To conserve energy, they were encouraged to sleep and stay quiet. Only Wu Guihua, who had to go out every day, could eat a decent meal.
Wu Guihua returned home sighing each day, and the tension in the household grew.
Zhao Erming had returned home. He had been staying at a classmate's house for the past few days. In those times, no one was running a charity. To avoid straining friendships, he stayed one day at each house, rotating among them.
After a round of visits to his closest friends, he couldn't bring himself to ask less familiar ones. He couldn't earn money while attending school, and he couldn't just keep rotating through the same houses.
Pride demanded respect, and he finally chose to return home and humble himself before Wu Guihua. Wu Guihua embraced him, tears of joy streaming down her face.
Fortunately, school was already on break. Otherwise, they would have to go to class hungry every day, and after a few more days, they would collapse.
Zhao Siming was still worried about finding work. He feared that if the family couldn't afford his tuition when high school started, he would have to drop out.
There was already a rift between him and Wu Guihua. He always prepared for the worst, so he secretly went out to look for work several times.
He walked the streets until he felt dizzy, only returning home wobbling when he could no longer persevere.
There weren't many job opportunities in the small city, especially for a minor who could only work for about a month. Few employers were willing to hire him.
Jun Jiuli and Zhao Erming were accustomed to his failed returns. His eyes were vacant, as if life held no hope for him.
"Third Brother, aren't you scared? Mom might really make us drop out. Second Brother and we are different."
"We'll take it one step at a time."
Zhao Siming shook his head. "Education is our only way out. I don't want to give up."
He had gotten much darker from the sun, his skin peeling on his forehead and around his nose. The childish innocence was gone from his face, replaced by despair and indifference.
"Third Brother, do you have a solution? Please tell me."
"What solution could I possibly have? I'm just like you, even less eloquent than you are. What are you thinking? Why would you believe I could give you hope?"
Zhao Erming said, "Stop bothering Third Brother. You'd be better off begging Mom. Mom is soft-hearted and wouldn't bear to see you suffer."
Zhao Siming looked at Zhao Erming with red eyes. "Mom is so smart, how could she not know what I've been doing these days?
I thought she would soften, but it was just wishful thinking. I used to think Mom was the best mother in the world, but now I realize her favoritism is boundless."
He chuckled self-deprecatingly. "When there are conflicts of interest in the family, I should be the second to last to be abandoned." He then glanced sympathetically at Jun Jiuli.
Zhao Erming looked at his fourth brother like this and felt inexplicably guilty. He muttered, "I don't think it's like that. You're overthinking it."
"Hahaha, you're the one who's favored, so of course you wouldn't notice."
"Fourth Brother, watch your tone. I am your second brother, and I haven't done anything wrong to you."
"Yes, giving birth to me, raising me, and sending me to school is more than enough. No one in this family has wronged me. But I don't want to accept this kind of life at all."
After saying this, he lay down on the bed, closed his eyes, and turned to face the wall. The only sounds in the room were a few people breathing.
Shui Wa said, "I feel something is wrong. Either we die in silence, or we erupt in silence."
Jun Jiuli commented, "It's really hard to find work here. If we can't earn money, we can't break the cycle. Even heroes are stumped by a single penny. If I don't want to drop out, I'll have to."
...
In the dark of night, Zhao Daming lay in bed, deeply missing his family. The prison was somewhat cold and damp at night, and the thin blanket offered no warmth.
He felt alternately hot and cold throughout the night. When he was drowsy, he heard the assembly whistle and quickly got up to put on his clothes.
He had a cold and his nose was running profusely. However, he didn't have much tissue paper, and his sleeves were wiped "sparkling."
During the morning run, he stumbled and fell due to dizziness, and several inmates behind him stepped on him. The person looked formidable, and he dared not express his anger.
After the run, they were briefed on the day's tasks and then lined up orderly to eat.
"Oh, a new arrival. You look honest and unassuming. What crime did you commit?"
The man sat opposite him and asked with interest.
Zhao Daming stammered, "I killed someone, but I didn't do it on purpose. I just pushed him lightly, and I didn't expect him to die."
He gestured with his hands as he spoke, and his demeanor amused the person opposite him.
"You idiot, you're already in here, so why are you trying to act like a good person? You'll be bullied if you're not fierce, understand?"
The man tilted his chin up and looked at Zhao Daming proudly. Zhao Daming nodded foolishly.
"I understand, I understand."
Seeing how weak and easily bullied he was, the man took the last coarse-grain bun from his food tray and left the spot with a chuckle.
Zhao Daming was assigned to the lumber mill for his labor reform today. He carried a plank weighing over 100 pounds. He could manage at first.
After half an hour, he was already panting. He didn't dare slack off, even with someone watching him. The person who handed him the plank on the vehicle deliberately placed it high on his back to make it difficult for him.
Zhao Daming fell several times from the weight, staggering a few steps before regaining his balance. When the man returned, he provocatively smiled at him.
He glanced at the prison guard standing nearby but never mustered the courage to report him. He could only adjust his stance and grit his teeth to persevere.
Sweat dripped into his eyes, and he wiped them away to continue working. By the end of the day, he walked unsteadily, his back covered in bruises that ached and made him gasp.
After eating and washing up, he lay back in bed. His thoughts were no longer of missing his family but were filled with resentment and regret.
He couldn't bear this life. He mentally listed all his family members' flaws and regretted not being more ruthless himself, forcing them to turn themselves in.
Of course, his greatest hatred was for Zhao Erhua. He cursed her 300 times a day and still felt it wasn't enough.