The little fish cried all night because it wasn't getting enough to eat, and its father used this as an excuse to file for divorce.

Xiaoyu's mother was shocked when she heard the reason for the divorce. She had made a scene, and even mentioned divorce in anger, but those were just words spoken in the heat of the moment. In this day and age, who dares to get a divorce? They'd be drowned in gossip.

Xiaoyu's father took out a divorce agreement, locked the door from the inside, and told her that no one would leave without signing it.

Little Fish's mom persevered for a whole day and night.

That was the most painful day and night of her life.

The child cries in her arms; the person who once vowed to love her for a lifetime has turned against her.

Just a month after the excruciating pain of childbirth, her body was as weak as a candle flickering in the wind. She didn't know what to do; one step forward meant an abyss, one step back meant a precipice.

She was only 22 years old that year.

She was originally the pampered daughter of the family. Although she was the eldest daughter, she enjoyed the love and pampering of her parents and four younger brothers.

Now she is nothing, her life has lost its value.

Xiaoyu's dad's workplace called him to a meeting, but he couldn't wait any longer, so he locked the door and left.

Grandma Xiaoyu was still alive then. She pried open the lock and said to Xiaoyu's mother, "Go back to your parents' home. Don't let anyone else die. I can't control this beast either, sigh!"

Little Fish's mother placed Little Fish on the kang (a heated brick bed), took a deep look at him, and then staggered out the door.

"Hey! Don't go! Take the child with you! What's wrong with you? You heartless woman, you don't even want your child!" Grandma Xiaoyu's curses chased after her. Xiaoyu's mother walked even faster. She didn't know where she found the strength, but she rushed to the train station and boarded the first train.

There were many people on the train at that time, and many people stole tickets. Her clothes and appearance did not resemble those of someone who had stolen a ticket, so she was overlooked.

The train started moving, swaying and rattling. Little Fish's mom heard a completely unfamiliar place name, but that didn't matter.

She wasn't heartless enough to abandon her daughter; she wanted to die. She couldn't take her daughter with her.

She didn't want her parents and brother to collect her body; in their hearts, it was enough that she was living well far away. That way, they would always have some hope and wouldn't be too heartbroken.

Those were all her loved ones whom she couldn't bear to leave behind.

Furthermore, since she didn't sign the divorce agreement, the scumbag has to wait. He can only marry that shameless woman after she's been missing for a long time. This is also a kind of silent revenge.

She was very weak and soon could no longer stand. The bus was crowded; five people were crammed into the four-seater seats. An ugly man sat opposite her, constantly stealing glances at her. Just as she closed her eyes and slumped down, he caught her in time.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself sitting in a seat with a greasy tea mug in her hand, containing some hot water.

"Drink it, it's sugar water," the ugly man said.

She gritted her teeth and took a sip.

So sweet.

She drank it all in one gulp and immediately felt much lighter. She broke out in a light sweat and her heart stopped beating so fast.

The ticket inspector came over, glaring fiercely at the person trying to evade the fare. A flicker of panic crossed Little Fish's mother's eyes. She had never done anything illegal in her life, but she really didn't have any money on her.

"This is my wife, give me a replacement ticket." The ugly man suddenly pulled out ten yuan and handed it to the ticket inspector first.

Little Fish's mother wanted to explain, but opened her mouth without daring to utter a sound.

"Thank you." Little Fish's mother whispered her thanks after the ticket inspector had passed by.

"Where are you going? The ticket I just got for you goes to my house. If you're going somewhere else, I'll get you another ticket." The ugly man wasn't so bad-hearted after all.

"No need, it's the same for me wherever I go." Little Fish's mother picked up the ticket and glanced at it. Jiugang, what kind of place is that? Judging from the name, there should be mountains in it.

Her plan was to find a big mountain, go inside, and never come out again.

Because they were all green-skinned trains, they were as slow as oxen, crawling along and stopping at every small station, which slowed down the travel time.

These people are used to long-distance travel, and everyone quietly accepts reality, making all the arrangements clearly.

A few people gathered in a circle to play cards. They weren't even from the same industry; a smile was enough for them to be acquainted. The talkative auntie quickly checked the household registrations of everyone around her, but she ran into a snag when she got to Little Fish's mom.

The woman was cold and aloof, pretending not to hear anything I asked. She would occasionally turn her face away to wipe away tears, looking preoccupied.

When it was mealtime, the smells in the carriage instantly became intense—the smells of humanity, a mixture of the aesthetics and unique culinary cultures of hundreds of families. Back then, fast food wasn't readily available, and incomes were generally low; only a minority could afford to bring sausages on the train. Many people brought their own food from home.

The ugly man took a cloth bag out of his bag, opened it, and inside were five crumpled tea eggs.

Little Fish's mother closed her eyes, trying not to look, but her stomach betrayed her, rumbling in waves until she could no longer control it.

"Have one," the ugly man said, handing over a tea egg.

Little Fish's mother wanted to refuse, but then she thought that she needed the strength to walk out of the train station. She obediently accepted the tea egg, which was probably the most delicious thing she had ever eaten in her life.

She choked while eating, her face turned red, and she started hiccuping.

The ugly man's large tea mug was placed in front of her again. This time, the water wasn't sugar water, but it was still delicious.

"Here." The ugly man handed over another tea egg, which Little Fish's mother declined. The people around them stopped chatting and stared intently at them. Little Fish's mother didn't dare meet their gazes, so she quickly took the egg and swallowed it in a few bites. Luckily, there was water to drink, or she would have choked to death.

After eating her fill, she closed her eyes and dozed off for a while. In her dream, she kept hearing the little fish crying. When she opened her eyes, she felt her face was cold and covered in tears.

The ugly man packed his luggage. Little Fish's mother knew they were almost at their destination. She didn't say anything, but stood up and followed behind him, like a well-behaved little wife.

But as soon as she stepped off the platform, she veered off course. She shaded her eyes with her hand and looked around, and sure enough, she saw a dark mountain. She strode towards the mountain.

She didn't know how long she had walked, but her feet were so painful that she could hardly walk. The mountain wasn't far away, it was still there, and she didn't know how much longer she would have to walk.

She plopped down on the ground, completely exhausted, thirsty, hungry, and feeling nauseous.

Is it so hard to even die in this world? A wave of despair washed over her. She covered her face and sobbed a few times. Her throat was terribly dry; even those few sobs couldn't bear the pain, which only intensified. She tried to get up, but her legs were weak. It was getting dark; what could she do?

"Oh my god, you walk so fast." The ugly man suddenly appeared out of nowhere, plopped down opposite her, pulled off his tattered hat, and started fanning himself in the wind.

"You?" Little Fish's mother had been focused on getting there, never expecting to be followed. What did he want? Did he want to kidnap her?

With a burst of strength, Little Fish's mother stood up from the ground, but everything went black before her eyes, and her chest felt heavy as if a stone was pressing down on it. She then collapsed to the ground.