Looking at the crushed candy balls, Chen Xiaoshu's eyes reddened.
"Ma Xiaolan, what are you doing! This was made by my mother! My mother worked so hard to make it! You owe me money, you owe me money!"
"Pah! You traitorous dog! You think your mother has changed for the better? Let me tell you, you're dreaming! Your mother is just fooling you. Sooner or later, she'll beat you and scold you again! She'll beat your sister and your grandmother too!"
Ma Xiaolan spat on the ground, snorted coldly, and walked away.
From that day on, Ma Xiaolan and Chen Xiaoshu, these two good buddies, fell out.
Because of this, Ma Xiaolan has always disliked Chen Xiaoshu's mother, Su Yun'er.
And now, because of Su Yun'er, Ma Tiannian has another reason to punch and kick his mother.
Su Yun'er, Su Yun'er, why is Su Yun'er everywhere!
The cursing continued inside, but then the door opened, and Lin Moniang came out wiping away her tears, carrying a large pile of bowls and plates.
Upon seeing Ma Xiaolan under the window, Lin Moniang was first taken aback, then glanced in panic at the direction of the house before pulling Ma Xiaolan into the kitchen.
"Didn't I tell you to go out and play? Why are you back again?" Lin Moniang patted the dirt off Ma Xiaolan's body, her eyes full of worry.
Seeing Lin Moniang's red eyes, Ma Xiaolan suddenly said, "Mother, why don't I kill him?"
Lin Moniang was startled and quickly covered Ma Xiaolan's mouth. She looked around to make sure no one had heard before lowering her voice and urgently saying, "Are you crazy? How can you say such things?"
Pulling free from Lin Moniang's grasp, Ma Xiaolan said lazily, "Mother, I'm not making this up. That bastard beats and curses us every day. He'll beat you to death sooner or later!"
"Lazy boy! Don't scare your mother! You must never have such a thought again! He's your father!"
"So what if he's my father? He still beats my mother!"
"Lazybones!" Lin Moniang was almost crying with anxiety. "Murder is against the law! Don't do anything reckless! If you kill Ma Tiannian, you'll be branded as disobedient and patricide. That's a crime that will land you in jail, and even get you beheaded! How can I live without you!"
Seeing that Lin Moniang was crying again, Ma Xiaolan lowered his head and remained silent.
Under Lin Moniang's insistence, Ma Xiaolan swore that she would not kill Ma Tiannian.
Looking at Ma Xiaolan's resentful face, Lin Moniang patted his head, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
"Lazy boy, tell me, if your father changed for the better, would you forgive him?"
“No!” Ma Xiaolan said firmly. “The uncles and aunts in the village have said that a leopard can’t change its spots. My dad, no, Ma Tiannian, is a dog. He will never change for the better. Besides, even if he does change, I will never forgive him. I’m not as forgetful and spineless as Chen Xiaoshu.”
Ma Xiaolan scoffed dismissively.
Lin Moniang smiled helplessly, a self-deprecating laugh.
"Little Tree is luckier than us, mother and son." Lin Moniang hugged Ma Xiaolan tightly and patted Ma Xiaolan's back intermittently.
“No matter how bad his mother was before, she has changed for the better now. She can earn money, and she is filial to her mother-in-law and loves her children. My poor lazy son doesn’t have the same fate as Xiaoshu.”
Hearing Lin Moniang's words, which sounded like she was talking to herself, Ma Xiaolan felt even more dissatisfied with Chen Xiaoshu.
Why? Why can his mother become good?!
Why should I?!
***
"Mom, I'm full, I want to go out and play." Little Tree wiped his mouth after finishing his meal and said to Little Grass, "Today it's Little Sister's turn to wash the dishes."
Previously, the grass and the tree were together, but later the two children discussed it and decided to take turns each day so that everyone could have a full day of playtime.
"Be careful when you go out to play, and don't get into fights."
Xiao Shu agreed and ran off to the well at the west end of the village.
The village originally had several wells, but they all dried up one by one due to drought, leaving only the well at the west end of the village, which is the source of drinking water for the entire village.
To keep the well clean, the villagers built a hexagonal pavilion over it. The area around the well is quite open, with an abandoned earthen platform used for watching plays for many years, which is also a place where children like to run and play.
Little Tree came here today too; quite a few of the village kids are playing here.
The little tree that had joined in was having a great time when a dark shadow loomed over it.
When Xiaoshu looked up, he saw Ma Xiaolan.
"Ma Xiaolan, what are you doing? You're stepping on the lines we drew!" a child complained.
"Get out of my way, so what if I step on you?"
Ma Xiaolan was always the most troublesome child in the village, and few people dared to mess with him.
Now, Ma Xiaolan seemed even more difficult to deal with, and the child was scared. He forced himself to remain calm and said, "I won't bother with you," before quickly running away.
Only Ma Xiaolan, who was standing, and Chen Xiaoshu, who was squatting, remained in the same spot.
"Ma Xiaolan, what are you doing?" Chen Xiaoshu stood up and patted the dirt off his hands.
"Nothing."
"If you're not going to do anything, why won't you let us play?" Chen Xiaoshu was also unhappy.
He hasn't apologized to me yet for stepping on the candy ball his mother made for him last time.
My mother said that if you do something wrong, you should apologize, otherwise you are not a good child.
"I just don't like you and don't want to play with you."
Ma Xiaolan was clearly there to cause trouble.
"Chen Xiaoshu, you spineless coward, why are you glaring at me? Go ahead and hit me if you dare!"
Xiao Shu clenched and unclenched his fists: "I promised my mother I wouldn't fight with anyone."
After saying that, he turned to leave, not wanting to say anything more to Ma Xiaolan.
But Ma Xiaolan wouldn't let him leave. She pulled away from his arm and swung him back hard. Xiao Shu was caught off guard and fell flat on his backside!
"Ma Xiaolan, are you looking for trouble?" All the children near the well gathered around to watch the spectacle.
"I'm just going to cause trouble for Chen Xiaoshu, so what? Who told him to be a fatherless bastard!"
The phrase "a wild child without a father" really bothered Chen Xiaoshu, as he hated being called a wild child without a father.
He had asked his mother before why he didn't have a father, but his mother would get angry and hit him when she heard this question.
Although his mother no longer beats him, he still doesn't dare to ask.
The fact that he didn't have a father was like a spark, firmly etched in Chen Xiaoshu's mind. Anyone who touched it would act as a flint, igniting the spark into a raging fire.
Chen Xiaoshu got up and pounced on Ma Xiaolan, and the two immediately started wrestling.
"Oh! Oh! They're fighting! They're fighting!" The boys watching started to cheer, clapping their hands and shouting for more fighting.
The girls were almost crying with fear, and they were shouting from the sidelines, "Stop hitting them! Stop hitting them!"
Ma Xiaolan was clearly stronger than the other child. He gripped the ground and suddenly pushed Chen Xiaoshu to the ground!
Once again, he landed hard on his buttocks. The ground was frozen solid in the winter, and Chen Xiaoshu felt as if his buttocks were about to break.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com