Ma Tiannian's legs were injured in the snow, so he was still limping a bit, but this did not stop him from being drunk, his face flushed, and his eyes lewd and evil.

Ma Xiaolan nervously pursed her lips as she watched Ma Tiannian stagger towards her.

From the time he could remember, Ma Tiannian frequently beat and verbally abused him and his mother.

Lin Moniang was equally nervous; she gripped the child's wrist, unconsciously tightening her grip.

Ma Tiannian was her husband, but also her nightmare.

She was a child bride, having come to the Ma family at a young age. When her parents-in-law were still alive, things were alright; she wasn't afraid of being tired, suffering, or poor. But after her parents-in-law passed away, her life completely changed after Ma Tiannian started to get into drinking and gambling.

Ma Tiannian would resort to physical violence at the slightest provocation.

The food is too hot, so I'll beat you; there are no clean clothes, so I'll beat you; it's raining and I can't go out, so I'll beat you; I've been mistreated outside, so I'll beat you.

Ma Tiannian's existence was like a nightmare from which she could not wake up, looming over Lin Moniang and her son day and night.

There was only one period when Lin Moniang and Ma Xiaolan had a relatively easy time, because Ma Tiannian drank without paying and even smashed the shopkeeper's property, resulting in him being arrested by the government and imprisoned for several months.

Those months were wonderful. There was no cursing in my ears, and I didn't have to worry about being beaten for no reason. I could sleep soundly at night and wake up with a smile in the morning. I could cook every meal as I pleased, and even when I wasn't busy, I could take my son to the back of the village to enjoy the scenery and pick some wildflowers to grow.

But beautiful things are like a dream. Suddenly one year, Ma Tiannian was released and his life became gloomy and uncertain again.

Lin Moniang bit her lower lip, watching in fear as Ma Tiannian approached, until she was enveloped by his shadow.

Ma Tiannian had a sinister look in his eyes, with a dark stubble around his lips and chin, and his hair was very messy and greasy.

"What are you two doing, sneaking around like that? Hmm?" Ma Tiannian pinched Lin Moniang's chin, forcing her to look up at him.

When Ma Xiaolan saw Ma Tiannian lay a hand on his mother, he tried to pull Ma Tiannian's hand away, but Lin Moniang held his hand tightly, making it impossible for him to move.

"I...I just went out to fetch water. Lazy'er is helping me." Lin Moniang swallowed hard.

"Fetch water? I'm waiting for you to cook, you know! Does fetching water mean you don't have to cook for me? Huh!" Ma Tiannian shoved her forcefully, and Lin Moniang was thrown to the side by his strength.

Fortunately, she was mentally prepared and managed to regain her footing after a few stumbles.

"Mother!" Ma Xiaolan cried out worriedly.

"What are you yelling for!" Ma Tiannian kicked Ma Xiaolan to the ground.

"Neither the big nor the small can make me happy. Damn it, how could I have married such a jinx and given birth to such a good-for-nothing!" Ma Tiannian swayed unsteadily, cursing under his breath, "Look at you, so lifeless, so utterly boring, just a block of wood!"

Lin Moniang's eyes were red, her neck was stiff and her head was lowered. She was unwilling, but she could not resist.

Getting carried away, Ma Tiannian tried to kick Lin Moniang again, but the alcohol made him unsteady on his feet, and he only stumbled, earning him another "Damn it."

"Cry, cry, cry! You're going to cry again!" Seeing Lin Moniang's red eyes, Ma Tiannian's anger flared even more. "What else can you do besides cry! Look at that young widow from the Chen family! How come she's so good at making money! All you do is cry! You're a jinx!"

Taking advantage of Ma Tiannian's drunken stupor and unsteady stance, Ma Xiaolan darted to Lin Moniang's side, supporting her arm.

Ma Tiannian was still acting out drunk.

"...You son of a bitch, I must say, that young widow from the Chen family, her waist, hey, it's really damn good. That waist, that butt, I really want, hiccup, I really want to touch it." Ma Tiannian said with a lewd chuckle.

After laughing twice, Ma Tiannian saw Ma Xiaolan's resentful gaze.

"What are you looking at! You got a problem with that? You! Go cook for me! Seeing you two makes me angry!"

Ma Tiannian cursed under his breath as he turned and walked into the house.

Having escaped a calamity for the time being, Lin Moniang sighed.

Seeing the worried look in her son's eyes, she smiled and patted his head.

“Mother…” Ma Xiaolan called out, but choked up and couldn’t say what she wanted to say.

Before the meal was even ready, Ma Tiannian started cursing again in the room, shouting that he was hungry and wanted to eat, and cursing Lin Moniang for being useless.

Lin Moniang sent Ma Xiaolan out to play, not wanting her son to always see these unpleasant things.

But what she didn't know was that Ma Xiaolan hadn't actually left to play. Instead, he hid outside the door and waited for Lin Moniang to bring the food into the house before tiptoeing back and crouching under the window.

Inside the house, Ma Tiannian excitedly told Lin Monian how beautiful the young widow of the Chen family was and how much he wanted to do things with her.

Then she started cursing again, cursing the young widow of the Chen family for being shameless, daring to tease her, and even causing her to get hurt.

Outside the window, Ma Xiaolan was so angry that her face turned pale, and her little fists were clenched.

He knew who the young widow of the Chen family was; she was Chen Xiaoshu's mother.

Chen Xiaoshu had told her before that his mother often beat and scolded him. Ma Xiaolan once thought that Chen Xiaoshu was the same as her and that they were on the same side.

But one day, when Chen Xiaoshu was playing with them, he said that his mother had cooked him wheat porridge and that she would never hit him again.

Ma Xiaolan snorted coldly: "These people's words are like farts. My dad once cried and said he wouldn't beat me and my mom anymore, but he turned around and was still the same. Your mom and my dad are the same, they are all the same."

But unexpectedly, things really changed later. Chen Xiaoshu's mother actually went to the city to sell candied hawthorns, and one day Chen Xiaoshu even secretly brought himself a snowflake candy ball.

"My mom told us not to tell anyone, but you're my buddy, so I brought you one. Eat it quickly, it's super sweet and delicious. My mom made it herself. Pretty amazing, right?"

When Ma Xiaolan heard this and saw Chen Xiaoshu's smiling face, he found it both grating and offensive. He threw the candy ball on the ground and, still not satisfied, stomped on it for a long time. Chen Xiaoshu was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly came up to push him away, but it was too late. The white and red snowflake candy ball had already been crushed.

"Pah! Chen Xiaoshu, you're a traitor!"