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墨書 Inktalez
Just before eight in the evening, Jia Jun dropped off the Wen siblings at their home. Wen Sheng looked at the dilapidated yard and the iron gate with peeling paint, and as he reflected on the years gone by, he felt a reluctance to step inside. But after all, this was his home!
“Uncle!” Jia Jun shouted as he pulled up to the entrance.
Wen Sheng's mother and grandmother rushed out.
Wen Xin ran over and hugged her grandmother, bursting into tears. Crying might just be the best way for a child to express their grievances!
Wen Xin cried heartbrokenly; after all, she had never been away from home before, and her grandmother felt equally sorrowful. The old woman gently examined Wen Xin's fingers, which were swollen and wrapped in tape. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears.
“My dear! What have you done? How did your hands end up like this?” her grandmother asked, filled with concern.
“I was just stitching flowers on fabric with a needle, and I accidentally pricked my finger. It got late, and they wouldn’t let me sleep,” Wen Xin murmured, feeling wronged.
“We're not going anywhere; don’t cry, sweetheart!” her grandmother comforted her.
“Jia Jun is here!” Wen Sheng's father walked out of the house, puffing on a cigarette.
“Uncle!” Jia Jun called out as he approached.
“Come inside! You can park outside!” Wen Sheng's father said with a smile.
“Okay!” Jia Jun replied.
“Mother! How are you feeling?” Jia Jun ran over to warmly greet Wen Sheng's grandmother.
“Alright! Still so sturdy, this child,” Wen Sheng's Grandmother affectionately patted Jia Jun's head.
“I miss my grandmother! I really want to see her!” Jia Jun said with a childlike tone.
“I miss you too! You were so small back then! Now you've grown into an adult!” Wen Sheng's Grandmother gestured with her hands.
“Hehe!” Jia Jun chuckled, leaning against his grandmother.
Once inside, Wen Xin helped Jia Jun sit on a stool. She dared not look at her father's expression and leaned closely against her mother, her head pressed tightly against her.
“Jia Jun, have some water!” Wen Sheng's Mother said as she poured.
“I’m not thirsty! How can you, as the elder, pour water for me?” Jia Jun hurriedly stood up in politeness.
Wen Xin felt tense the whole time; she was waiting for her father to say something about her.
After sitting for a while, the conversation finally turned to Wen Xin’s situation.
“Uncle! Wen Xin is still too young; it’s not suitable for her to go out and work. She should stay home and study!” Jia Jun said cautiously.
“You see how things are in this family? Wen Hao is like that, and Wen Sheng wants to go to school too! With the family in such urgent need, I can’t afford to send them all to school! What I mean is that they shouldn’t go to school; they should all go out and work to earn money. Look at other kids who aren’t going to school and can bring home over a thousand a year! What’s the use of schooling?” Wen Sheng's Father argued reasonably.
“But you can’t just look at the immediate situation! You need to think long-term!” Jia Jun stretched his voice out.
“Aren’t you two brothers also not going to school?” Wen Sheng's Father retorted.
"We can't learn! It's all just pointless! We don't even like going to school! We prefer working at home! Ha ha!" Jia Jun laughed.
"Look at your brother Jia Jun! And your brother Jia Ao! Jia Ao isn't even going to school anymore! Why are you still going? Do you think you can get into college?" Wen Sheng's Father pointed at Wen Sheng.
"Then I won't go! Let Wen Xin attend for two more years, that should be fine!" Wen Sheng turned his face away and spoke softly.
"Whether you go or not is up to me, not you! Don't try to negotiate with me. You have to obey my words unconditionally. I'm the one in charge of this family, leading you all. If you don't listen, then what?" Wen Sheng's Father asserted his authority as a parent.
"Look how well you're leading us!" Wen Sheng replied sarcastically.
"Stop!" Their mother tugged at Wen Sheng's clothes to stop him.
"What child doesn't listen to their father? Let me explain some logic to you!" Wen Sheng's Father pretended to be democratic.
"If what you're saying is right, then I will definitely listen!" Wen Sheng raised his head.
"But even if it's wrong, you still have to listen!" Wen Sheng's Father slammed his hand on the table.
"Then there's no logic in that!" Wen Sheng lowered his head.
"Logic? Right now, I am the logic!" Wen Sheng's Father stood up.
"I'm scared!" Wen Sheng took a step back. "In ten years, I'll be the logic!" He laughed coldly and turned to leave, knowing that a storm was about to come.
"Stop right there! What do you mean by that?" Wen Sheng's Father shouted angrily.
Ten years later, everything will be under my control, and by then, it will be unclear who will be crying! How ruthless! I am definitely ruthless enough! Don’t worry! By then, your obedient son will make you cry in perfect rhythm! Wen Sheng looked up at the dark sky, where the stars flickered faintly. The wind brushed past Wen Sheng's cold face as he let out a long sigh.
I will endure! I will bear it all! I will carve everything into my heart. Those who need to cry will cry, and the price to pay will not be lessened at all. I am just living, striving to live.
Wen Sheng ran far away, standing on a mound in the poplar grove behind the village, lost in his thoughts. He didn’t know when Wen Xin had also come to stand behind him, both gazing up at the moonless starry sky, seemingly sharing the same sentiment.
The truly hurtful things might just be like this hidden knife, always concealed until the moment it is needed, when everything becomes irretrievable.
“Brother!” Wen Xin said softly.
“Oh!” Wen Sheng’s body trembled slightly. “When did you arrive?”
“Why can’t Jia Jun communicate with Dad? He left in a huff. Mom asked me to come find you! So I came here. What are you looking at?” Wen Xin asked, half-curiously.
Indeed, Wen Sheng didn’t know what he was looking at; he didn’t even know himself. There was no pie falling from the sky; even if there were, it wouldn’t land on his head.
“I’m observing the signs; Emperor Star is in the east. There will surely be storms ten years from now!” Wen Sheng said mysteriously.
“Er Ge can read signs? I don’t remember you learning that before!” Wen Xin blinked.
“Er Ge is that star! I am that star!” Wen Xin said with an expectant look in her eyes.
“See? That big one is me, and that twinkling one is you!” Wen Sheng joked, pointing into the distance.
“Where? That one is Lin Sister!” Wen Xin burst into laughter.
"How can mere mortals aspire to the stars!" Wen Sheng exclaimed with a dramatic flair.
"Pfft! I don't believe it! Are you a celestial being or something?" Wen Xin scoffed, rolling her eyes.
"Indeed! I am Yuan Shi Zun!" Wen Sheng declared, growing more animated, as if caught up in his own enthusiasm.
"Thunder! Er Ge!" Wen Xin playfully covered her ears, feigning distress.
"What is it?" Wen Sheng chuckled, looking down at Wen Xin.
"If you're calling for thunder, it better be loud! If there are really gods up there, oh my!" Wen Xin murmured. "You shouldn't boast like that; it will bring misfortune!"
At that moment, a bright streak cut across the sky as a shooting star fell.
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