The pot of congee was empty. Mr. Ma burped contentedly and went back to his room to sleep.
He was the pillar of the family and had more important things to do. Wiping his mouth, Ma's father left with a clear conscience, without thinking at all about what Ma's mother and Ma Facai would eat after finishing the pot of porridge.
Ma's mother's eyes flickered, as if she was thinking about something, but upon closer inspection, it seemed she wasn't thinking about anything at all, still displaying the same cowardly and bullying demeanor as before.
Ma's father left, and only then did Ma Facai realize what had happened.
Caught off guard by the slap, Ma Facai was completely taken aback. He was used to being hit and could easily ignore the blow, but having never been hit before, this sudden slap ignited a deep hatred within him.
He was a selfish person to begin with, so how could he not harbor resentment after his father's attitude towards him changed?
"My son...my son!"
Holding a clean pot, Ma's mother looked helplessly at Ma Facai, wanting to cook something more to eat, but there wasn't a single grain of rice left in the house; the rice she used to cook the porridge was picked up from the ground.
Ma Facai gave his mother a deep look, his eyes filled with piercing hatred. He hated his father for hitting him, and naturally, he also resented his mother for standing by without helping him.
Mother Horse stared wide-eyed, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Ma Facai didn't look away, his gaze meeting his mother's eyes. Ma's mother couldn't lie to herself anymore; it was true. The son she had raised with her own hands hated her.
Not knowing what to think, Ma's mother felt a sharp pang of heartache, yet also a sense that this was how it should be. Before Ma Mei was born, wasn't this the kind of life she had lived?
Unable to tell if it was reality or a dream, Ma's mother, in a daze, carried the pot to the kitchen, seemingly forgetting about Ma's father and Ma Facai.
The next morning, the family finally had some food. It was the little money that Ma's mother had earned from working for others before dawn, which she used to buy some coarse grains and rice.
Having eaten nothing last night and working this morning, Ma's mother was feeling unbearably hungry. As she leaned against the wall to return, something flickered in her eyes.
The mother horse cooked both coarse and fine grains together, but the father horse, Ma Facai, was given the fine grains, as they could only eat the fine grains.
The coarse grains were too pungent for them to eat.
As before, Ma's father ate all the fine grains by himself, while Ma Facai didn't touch a single bite.
"Dad, I'm hungry."
Ma Facai dared not speak out against his anger. One night was enough for him to see his place clearly. He knew that in his father's heart, he was no longer unique.
His eyes flashed, filled with a mixture of hatred and malice. Ma Facai stole a glance at his father, who was eating, his mouth began to water, but he still pretended to be nonchalant.
Mr. Ma paused, glanced at Ma Facai, and then thought about the valuables in his pocket.
There's only one good thing, and he carries a heavy responsibility, so naturally he needs to eat well and be in good spirits so as not to harm the precious treasure.
When asked about his son, Mr. Ma shook his head and decisively shifted the blame.
"If you're hungry, go find your mother. You weren't born from me."
After saying that, Mr. Ma continued to enjoy his breakfast as if no one else was around. He ate quickly because he was about to take out his precious treasure.
Ma Facai's eyes widened, seemingly surprised by his father's ruthlessness. He turned to look at his mother, lowered his head, and said in a low voice...
"Mom, I'm so hungry!"
I'm so hungry!
Ma's mother remained silent as she watched Ma Facai. In the past, she would give Ma Facai everything she had, even if he didn't cry out for food. But now…
Ultimately, years of subservience prevailed, and Ma's mother said with a hint of ingratiation,
“Son, I still have some coarse grains. You eat them first. Don’t fight with your father. Your father has to do the most important things at home. How can he not eat his fill? Son, you’ve grown up now. You need to learn to be sensible.”
The coarse grains from the kitchen were finally brought out, but this time Ma's mother saved two bites for herself; the feeling of hunger was just too unbearable.
"Mother, I understand."
Is it okay to eat the whole grains in your rice bowl?
Ma Facai knew the answer in his heart: he couldn't eat it. He was certain there was still food at home, but his parents were refusing to give it to him.
Because he was a genius, his parents were afraid that they wouldn't be able to control him once he grew up, so they fed him coarse grains in order to tame him.
Shamefully swallowing Kasangzi's coarse grains, Ma Facai had to pretend it was delicious as he ate.
"Mom, this meal tastes especially good today, thank you."
Hearing the word "thank you" from Ma Facai's mouth for the first time, Ma's mother was even more dazed.
After breakfast, Mr. Ma continued to use the axe to wear down the black ball. After a whole day of effort yesterday, the seam on the black ball was already about one or two centimeters deep.
If it weren't for what Ma's mother said—that there might be jade inside—Ma's father would have already lost his temper and chopped it open.
However, this was just wishful thinking. The black ball had a crack, and the axe was quite worn, with the sharp edge already showing some damage. Father Ma was very unhappy using it.
He wanted to throw away the axe in his hand, but after looking around the house, he held back. He couldn't even afford to eat, let alone have the money to buy a new axe.
Inside the courtyard stood Ma's father's familiar figure. Ma Facai stood not too far behind him, silent, simply gazing intently.
My previous affection for him was probably just a pretense, a ploy to make him willingly support them in their old age.
Now that he's become a genius, they've changed tactics, deliberately having Ma Mei act out a story of a traitor within the family. Do they really think he's a fool?
How could someone as timid and cowardly as Ma Mei have dared to do something so audacious without the support and permission of her parents, let alone leave no trace behind?
The facts show that Ma's parents are trying to control him.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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