(The narration in this chapter is from the sister's perspective.)
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I accidentally shattered a bowl, and Mom yanked my ear as if pulling a raggedy sack.
She pointed at my nose and loudly scolded so that the entire village could hear, "You little bitch, you should just go out and sell yourself when you grow up. That way, at least you could earn so money for your damned parents. Feeding you is just a waste of money!"
I didn’t cry, I just kept smiling.
My brother once told , that as long as you keep smiling, all the pain will disappear.
Mom continued hitting until my nose bled. She said she despised the way I looked when I smiled, saying I looked just like a cunning vixen.
...
Dad ca ho, and he was going to make lamb for us again.
I despise the strong sll of lamb, but Dad always insists on making it. While Mom and Dad enjoyed it, I’d chew a little and then secretly spit it into my sleeve.
This ti, Dad caught spitting out the lamb.
He took a rattan whip and whipped with it until it broke.
He called an ungrateful child who didn't cherish food and only knew nothing but lies. Just like Mom said, raising was a waste of money.
I saw my brother, standing in the corner, looking at with pained eyes. He wanted to help, but he was too frail and couldn’t stand up to Dad.
...
I envied the other children because they could go to the zoo or amusent parks with their parents.
What I looked forward to the most every month was visiting Grandma's house.
Grandma was very kind to . She even took to a circus.
At the circus, I t an uncle nad Dark Moon, who was almost my height.
During a mini-ga, I won the first prize. Uncle Dark Moon told he could grant a wish. I wished for my brother to always be with .
Uncle Dark Moon said he couldn't do that; he couldn't make sothing nonexistent beco real.
I didn't understand what he ant.
Uncle Dark Moon gave a potted plant, saying that even if the Dark Moon Circus couldn’t grant my wish, they wouldn't let leave empty-handed.
...
When I got ho, I found Mom and Dad berating Grandma, blaming her for losing .
I approached them, showing off the potted plant, and told them about my trip to the circus.
Dad: Are you daydreaming again?
Mom: What potted plant? What circus? You only know how to lie!
Dad: If you run around again, I'll kill you!
Enraged, Mom and Dad began to violently lash out at , with one wielding a cane and the other a stool.
Grandma shielded with her body and tragically, Dad accidentally dealt a fatal blow to her head.
...
Later, Grandma was admitted to the hospital. Mom and Dad wouldn't let visit her. But secretly, my brother and I sneaked in to see her.
I told Grandma about my experience at the circus.
After seeing my brother and , Grandma was delighted. Perhaps due to her old age, she could never spot my brother unless I held her hand to show her where he was.
...
One day after school, I saw an older sister running out, chased by a group of adults.
So rode motorcycles, so drove cars, and so were on foot.
They surrounded the older sister, lashing her with whips. She cried terribly but continued to try to escape.
The man from across the street grabbed her hair, cursing loudly, "You wretch, when I invited you to my ho, it wasn’t for free als. If you don’t bear a son, you're not leaving."
All the older sister could do was cry, just cry.
The harder she cried, the more they beat her.
Finally, the older sister lay motionless on the ground.
The adults dragged her to a small grove behind the school. I watched as they dug a hole under a poplar tree and buried her.
She had been beaten to death by them.
I held my brother and cried for a long ti.
...
I fell ill.
My head ached severely, and I felt as though soone was drilling into my brain.
My parents didn’t want hospitalized, saying they would take to two doctors instead.
These two doctors were a man and a woman.
The man looked like a rat, and the woman looked like a cat.
They took away and said I might never return.
I asked, "Why?"
They replied, "To get better, this is what must be done."
Suddenly, I felt a mix of happiness and reluctance.
Happy because I wouldn't have to live with my parents anymore, but reluctant because I might never see Grandma again.
I asked, "Can I bring my brother with ?"
They responded, "You don't have a brother."
I was perplexed. My brother was clearly by my side. How could they not see him?
...
The two doctors took to live in the city, asking to call them Mom and Dad.
I refused.
They didn’t push further but still fed and let live in their house. However, they always subjected to weird "training", which caused my health to deteriorate even further.
My head is hurting more and more.
I spoke to the potted plant, telling it that I wanted to drink almond water.
When I turned around, indeed, a bottle of almond water appeared on my bedside table.
I realized that this potted plant possessed the power to grant wishes.
The plant told that to relieve my headache, there would be a price to pay. If you didn't want to pay the price, then your mother would.
I hesitated.
My brother erged to stop , saying that this was all the devil's trickery.
I nodded in agreent.
Behind my brother's back, I still made a wish to the plant.
Sure enough, my headache was gone.
...
On this day, my new mom found .
She told that my old mom had a terminal illness and would soon die.
I couldn't understand why.
She said, "You are a special person, the most powerful in this world. You can create a world of your own."
I still didn't understand.
She added, "Don't you want your brother to always be with you? Alright, let's make a deal. You grant your father and power beyond human capabilities, and I'll ensure that you and your brother are together forever."
...
Did I fall asleep?
I'm asleep again!
I can't wake up...
...
Is this a dream?
Yes, this is a dream, the most real dream.
...
It's been nearly a year since our family of three moved to the new house.
We settled in a high-end residential area.
Though it's not as fun as the countryside, I finally live in an apartnt building.
Mom and Dad still love to cook lamb for , but even if I don't eat the lamb now, they no longer scold or hit . They've beco much gentler.
Lately, I've been having dreams.
I dreamt that I was lying in a pool of blood, with the cries of children constantly echoing in my ears.
I was so scared.
I wanted my brother to save .
I opened my eyes and found myself standing in the middle of the road.
A large truck was rushing towards .
My brother appeared just in ti, pushing to the side of the road, but his head was tragically crushed by the truck.
...
My brother was gone.
...
My brother appeared again!
...
My brother was gone.
...
Brother...
...
It seems... I never had a brother to begin with?
...
Hello there.
I am a happy girl from a family of three.
My dream is to have a brother who will always protect . I hope he can always be with .
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