From the mont Si Nier was born, she was raised single-handedly by Dani. The bond between the two sisters couldn’t have been deeper. Four years ago, when Mo Hong’s family cold-heartedly sold off Si Nier, it was the first ti the ever enduring Dani fought back against Mo Hong’s family, trying to snatch Si Nier back, only to be brutally beaten by Mo Niu’s and Mo Erni, on the orders of Mo Hong’s family.
Back then, they were starving, with not even water to drink. Dani fainted on the spot from the beating. When she woke up, Si Nier had already been sold. At that ti, her agony was second to none compared to Mrs. Wu’s.
"Big sister, put down the stone quickly, let’s go together to Sister Yan’s house to bring Si Nier back." San Ni couldn’t wait, dropping her needlework and rushing to grab her big sister’s hand.
"Right, right, right, let’s go together. Let’s all go together." Dani put down the stone, wiped her face in a hurry, and, taking San Ni’s hand, rushed out.
Seeing the elder sisters leave, Shitou, with his short little legs, followed behind. Liu Qingqing also hurriedly set down her needlework, swiftly locked the door of the house, and, taking her little nephew by the hand, headed for the Mo Family’s place.
Liu Qingqing had never seen Si Nier. After marrying into the Wu family, it was only through Tie Tou’s private ntions that she knew of her little sister-in-law she had never t. The uncertainty around Si Nier’s whereabouts since her sale had beco a constant worry for her mother-in-law.
Although she had never interacted with Si Nier and could not speak of any emotional connection, as the eldest sister-in-law, Liu Qingqing would do her duty. She silently decided that, once they brought this unfortunate little sister-in-law back, she would treat her well and make up for her husband’s failure.
Shitou, being little and with short legs, walked slowly, so Liu Qingqing slowed her pace too. As they approached the courtyard of the Mo Family and before they even got through the main hall, they heard from the backyard that the mother-in-law had already burst into tears, and Liu Qingqing’s expression subtly changed.
"Si Nier, I am your mother, I truly am—your mother," Mrs. Wu looked sorrowfully at Si Nier, who was hiding behind Lixiu not far away, her face indifferent as she watched her, the pain in her heart almost unbearable.
Even though she was her daughter, even though she recognized her, why didn’t she want to go ho with her and why was she looking at her with such eyes? Was she resenting her mother for not being able to stop Mrs. Hong, for not being able to protect her?
"Si Nier, what’s wrong with you? How could you not recognize your own mother? I’m your big sister, do you not even rember ?" Dani, lagging a step behind, looked at Si Nier with a face full of sadness, unable to accept that her once well-behaved and sensible little sister was refusing to acknowledge them.
Compared to Mrs. Wu’s and Dani’s heartache, San Ni’s anger overshadowed the joy of seeing her sister. She glared at the indifferent Si Nier, utterly bewildered by Si Nier’s denial of their family ties: "Si Nier, how could you be like this? It’s fine if you don’t recognize as your third sister, but how can you deny your own mother who gave birth to you and your eldest sister who raised you? Has your conscience been eaten by wild dogs?"
Faced with San Ni’s sharp criticism, Si Nier clung tightly to Lixiu’s clothes, stubbornly remaining silent, as if she hadn’t heard a word, let alone giving San Ni a proper look.
Mo Yan, standing to one side, had never anticipated that things would turn out this way. She had considered that Si Nier might not recognize her own mother and sisters, that she might be shy and not want to go ho with them, but she never imagined that upon seeing Mrs. Wu and Dani, Si Nier would recognize them imdiately but show no joy in acknowledging her family. Instead, she was completely indifferent, claiming she was a child found by the Mo Family, that she had no mother, and that they shouldn’t co looking for her ever again.
How could Mrs. Wu and Dani, who had been so eager for a family reunion, possibly accept this?
Mo Yan could almost guess why Si Nier was behaving like this, but with so uncertainty she asked Xue tuanzi in her consciousness, "Little... Since Si Nier can rember Aunt Wu and the others, does that an she also rembers the abuse she suffered before?"
"Yes, she couldn’t rember before, not because of a severe head injury, but because she herself didn’t want to rember those painful experiences," Xue tuanzi said with a heavy tone, then slowly revealed everything she knew to Mo Yan.
In those days, Mo Hong’s family sold Si Nier for just a few pancakes. The Trafficker acquired around twenty to thirty children of different ages using the sa thod. Pretty little girls would be sold for a high price to the Land of Fireworks to be cultivated as future famous courtesans. Those of plain appearance would be sold to wealthy households, or be sent to places like textile or dyeing workshops, doing heavy labor day after day. Aside from barely getting three als a day, they wouldn’t earn a single coin in wages.
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