"My brother was in the batch of people who took the exam, but maybe because there were too many people, or maybe because he didn't know the material, he didn't pass. He was so depressed when he got back."
He was my dad's first son, his precious treasure, so of course my dad couldn't bear to part with him. He went around asking if anyone was selling their job, and within a few days, he actually found one.
There was a sixteen-year-old boy who passed the exam. He lived with his father and was initially quite happy to have passed, thinking that he would work hard, bring honor to his ancestors, and that the two of them would have a bright future.
As a result, a few days later, someone approached the boy, expressing a desire to buy his job, which he refused on the spot.
This is something that should be done voluntarily; if someone doesn't want to, can you force them?
The next day, the father had his leg broken.
My dad was angry and wanted the boy to come begging to him. After all, treating legs costs a considerable amount, and he'd definitely sell his job willingly. Plus, he was in a hurry, so he could negotiate a lower price.
Jian Dan and Mingzhu also became nervous as they listened.
"And then? What happened?"
Tanya took a deep breath.
"Then, the boy didn't come to him. Instead, he discussed with his father about going to report for duty first and seeing if he could get an advance on his salary."
Actually, many factories are quite humane in this regard. Getting the job isn't easy, and once you've reported for duty, your organizational affiliation and personnel file are transferred to the factory; they'll just deduct it from your salary from there.
"Did he manage to borrow it?"
“During those days, my dad would go with them almost every day after get off work, and naturally he heard what they were saying. He was probably angry at the time, and when the boy came out, he knocked him unconscious with a stick. Later, he seemed to be still not satisfied and kicked him several more times. As a result, the father inside heard it and was worried, so he dragged his broken leg out to see what was going on. He saw him beating the child and was so anxious that he kept shouting.”
My beastly father, after his face was seen, cruelly beat that person again. Before anyone came over, he found the report form and hurriedly ran away.
Before leaving, fearing the person wasn't completely dead, he hit them on the head a few more times with a stick. At that moment, blood gushed out, like a flower blooming, spraying blood all over the yard.
"Because of the firelight that broke out behind us, you didn't see it, but that red color was both magnificent and tinged with sorrow."
Jian Dan and Mingzhu stared wide-eyed, completely stunned.
"This is... murder, isn't it?"
Tan Yajun casually wiped her face with her hand.
"Yes, it's murder!"
How old was I then, thirteen or fourteen? I was terrified and just hid obediently in that corner, waiting for the police to come. It was a noisy affair until half the night, and then everyone left. I was still dizzy, and no one noticed.
I wasn't awakened by the nightmare until the next morning, just before dawn.
For more than two months after that, every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was bright red, spurting blood everywhere. I would wake up in fright as soon as I fell asleep.
My mom blamed me, saying I was lazy and didn't do any work, and that this was karma.
My dad was probably scared too. He stayed at home for several days without saying a word. He just lay in the bedroom. Even my mom didn't dare to speak loudly.
On the last day of the reporting period, it was almost time to leave work when he finally took the reporting form to complete the formalities for my brother.
Later, the child woke up and didn't know who did it. He didn't see anyone, and no one suspected my father. After that, he was on tenterhooks for a while, and when he found that no one knew, he was completely relieved.
My brother's greatest achievement was getting into the factory; after that, he was only concerned with his son, getting promoted, and living a life of luxury. He's probably forgotten about this whole thing, hasn't he?
"you?"
The two girls didn't know what to say. She had endured this father without doing anything until now; her character was quite resilient.
"So, going to the countryside back then was something you wanted to do?"
"Yes, compared to working in the countryside, the days spent with them were even more like a hellhole."
After this matter is resolved, I will first publish a statement severing all ties in the newspaper, and then he will face his retribution.
The two men leaned on either side of her, offering her the most tangible support and warmth. Tanya sniffled.
"Don't worry, it's been almost ten years, I've made it through, and liberation is just around the corner."
Seeing that she had calmed down a bit, the two of them started asking about other things.
"Is that boy still alive?"
Tanya shook her head.
"He should be alive."
I was in a daze during that time. Later, I went to his hometown to ask around, and they all said that the child had disappeared, and the house was almost completely burned down.”
With a simple sigh, Su Ri'an realized that things were different now than in later generations. There was no way to check fingerprints, footprints, or blood, and there were no cameras. When the man committed the crime, Su Ri'an was somewhat panicked but also cautious. The fire almost destroyed everything, and by blending in with the onlookers, no one could really tell anything.
"Sister Yajun, have you thought this through? This letter might help you get out of this case, and if all goes well, you can also get rid of the Tan family's entanglement and sever ties smoothly. But are you sure you won't regret it?"
The Tan family must have had more than just a cold-blooded and ruthless father; there must have been other relatives as well.
We will naturally support whatever you do, but you need to think it through. After all, doing this will mean you're completely at odds with the Tan family.
"The Tan family, to be honest, there's really no one in the Tan family that I'm attached to."
A few years ago, an aunt was quite nice to me. Sometimes when she saw I was hungry, she would secretly give me a cornbread. Unfortunately, later, they couldn't stand it anymore and said I was embarrassing them, so they scolded her away.
Since then, no one has been kind to me.
Mingzhu's eyes were red, and she put her arm around his shoulder.
"Alright, alright, I don't want to think about it anymore. Do whatever you want. No matter what, we're here for you."
"Yes, they don't want you, but we do."
Do what you want to do. We only live once. It's already a great virtue not to harm others. If we can't rely on others, we should rely on ourselves. Without those people holding us back, maybe we'd be even happier, wouldn't we?
"Of course! We relied on our own hands and our own sweat. We are proud of our self-reliance and hard work!"
"glory!"
Tanya Jun's sadness was also dispelled. However, with two people by her side, her heart felt warm, like a ray of sunshine suddenly shining into an icy field—warmth and hope.
"Good, glorious, self-reliance!"
She simply brought over a basket of melon seeds, looking at the two of them with disdain.
"Hurry up and wipe your faces. When the child comes back, won't you be ashamed to see you like this?"
Mingzhu slapped her back.
"Get lost! You think you can laugh at us? We're all in the same boat."
A simple, ambiguous smile.
"Really? You're turning around?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
