Chapter 1
In the north, it gets dark very early in winter. By 5:30 p.m., the small county town was already shrouded in a gray-blue twilight.
Six-year-old Xu Nianlei squatted in the yard, using a dry twig to draw crooked little flowers on the frozen, hard earth. From inside the house came the jarring sound of dishes shattering, followed by a woman's shrill cries and a man's rude roars.
"Where's the money? You've squandered all the money I earned, you jinx!"
"You're a piece of trash! Your meager salary isn't even enough for you to drink horse piss or gamble! How did I end up with a piece of trash like you..."
Xu Nianlei hunched her shoulders, tucking her already red and frostbitten hands further into her sleeves, and quickened her movements as she drew the flower. It was as if as long as she finished drawing this flower, and drew it beautifully, the noise in the room would stop.
"Xu Nianlei! Are you frozen stiff outside? Get back here for dinner!" The mother's angry roar pierced through the thin door panel.
Xu Nianlei's hand trembled, and the branch broke. She silently stood up, patted the dirt off her knees, and walked into the door that seemed to swallow up all the light.
The atmosphere at the dinner table was colder than the biting wind outside. Father Xu Jianguo, his face grim, chugdled one glass of cheap, bulk liquor after another. Mother Wang Xiuqin slammed a bowl of bland cabbage and vermicelli stew down in front of her, the broth splashing out.
"What are you looking at? Eat!" Wang Xiuqin glared at her.
Xu Nianlei picked up her chopsticks and ate her rice in small bites, not daring to make a sound.
Suddenly, Xu Jianguo slammed his wine glass down, his bloodshot eyes fixed on his daughter: "Little brat, I heard the kindergarten gave out little red flowers today? What about yours?"
Xu Nianlei's heart tightened, and she whispered, "...I gave it to another child."
"Useless!" Xu Jianguo spat as he spoke. "Just like your mother, you can't get anything good out of you! I've raised you for nothing!"
Wang Xiuqin immediately snapped like a firecracker: "Why are you scolding the child? If you're so capable, go out and make big money! What are you doing acting so arrogantly at home!"
The argument escalated again. Xu Nianlei buried her head even lower, almost burying it in her bowl. The cabbage in the bowl tasted bitter and salty. Listening to the foul language around her, only one thought occupied her mind: if only she could become that painted flower in the yard. Even if no one was watching, at least it would be quiet.
Under the same twilight, in a neat government compound on the other side of the county town, five-year-old Lu Baiyan was already sitting at his desk.
His room was spotless, with books arranged by size and color, stacked like soldiers awaiting inspection. On the wall were phonetic charts and number charts, as well as a map of China circled with many stars in red pen.
"Baiyan, copy each of today's fifty new characters ten times. Mom will check them when I get back." Zhao Mei's voice came from the living room, gentle yet carrying an undeniable authority. She was an official in the county education bureau, and her approach to her son's education was always "high standards and strict requirements."
Lu Baiyan hummed in agreement, gripped the pencil, which was still a bit thick for him, and began to write carefully on the grid paper. His posture was extremely upright, his back ramrod straight, a habit he had been taught since childhood.
The father, Lu Zhenhua, was reading the newspaper in the living room. Occasionally, he would glance up at his son's small, earnest back, a hint of heartache flickering in his eyes, but he ultimately said nothing. In this family, the wife held the reins of education.
Dinner was served promptly at 6:30. Four dishes and a soup, a balanced meal. The table was quiet, with only the soft sounds of chewing and the clinking of bowls and chopsticks.
"Baiyan, what new nursery rhymes did you learn at kindergarten today?" Zhao Mei asked.
Lu Baiyan swallowed the food in his mouth before raising his head and answering clearly and concisely: "Little Swallow."
Sing it to your mother.
Lu Baiyan put down his chopsticks, sat upright, and sang the entire song in a monotone tone without making a single mistake.
Zhao Mei nodded in satisfaction: "Very good. After dinner, Mom will give you a dictation of the new words you learned today, and then you'll do ten addition and subtraction problems within one hundred."
Lu Baiyan hummed in agreement again and continued eating with his head down. He didn't show any reluctance; it seemed that since he could remember, life had been like this, methodical and filled with all sorts of "tasks." Toys were few, picture books were many; cartoons were short, study time was long. He was used to it.
Monday morning, the entrance to the county government kindergarten was bustling with activity.
Xu Nianlei was dragged to the door by Wang Xiuqin's arm. Her clothes were a bit old, but they were washed fairly clean, and her hair was tied up in a messy knot.
"Listen to your teacher! Don't run around with those naughty boys, it'll lower your standards! Understand?" Wang Xiuqin said impatiently before turning around and hurrying off to work.
Xu Nianlei stood there, watching her mother's departing figure, rubbing her arm that had been pulled sore, before lowering her head and silently walking through the kindergarten gate. She habitually walked to the most inconspicuous corner by the slide, watching the other children chase and play.
Just then, she saw Lu Baiyan.
He was led in by his mother, Zhao Mei. He was wearing a well-fitting blue jacket and carrying a new backpack with cartoon patterns. His face was fair and clean, and his hair was neatly combed. Zhao Mei knelt down, straightened his already tidy collar, whispered a few words of advice, and then gently patted his back.
Lu Baiyan nodded and walked towards the activity room. He didn't play with the toys, but instead took out a picture book from his schoolbag and sat quietly on a small chair to read it.
Xu Nianlei looked at him and his mother, a strange feeling welling up inside her. She realized that there were mothers and children like this in the world. They seemed to live in another world, a world that was clean, bright, and quiet.
All morning, the two parallel lines did not intersect. Xu Nianlei sculpted a lump of clay into an unrecognizable shape during art class; Lu Boyan, on the other hand, strictly followed the teacher's instructions and sculpted a lifelike little rabbit, earning praise.
When the snacks were being distributed, Xu Nianlei, distracted, accidentally spilled milk on the table. The teacher frowned and came over to wipe it up. Although she didn't say anything, the sigh made Xu Nianlei's face burn. She subconsciously looked in Lu Baiyan's direction; he was eating cookies, not even glancing up at the mess.
Xu Nianlei quickly lowered her head, her vague curiosity about another world replaced by deep embarrassment.
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