Mom pointed with a bamboo stick and asked me why, even though school ends at half past three in the afternoon and the neighbor's daughter Le Niu has already returned, I only get home close to five o'clock every day.

The strong fear made me speak hesitantly, "I was doing homework at school, that's why I come back so late."

Mom hit me with the bamboo stick while scolding, "At such a young age, you already know how to be lazy and lie!"

"I really don't know what's the use of giving birth to you, you're lazy and deceitful even when asked to do a little work. Why wasn't it you who was suffocated to death back then!"

The bamboo stick kept hitting me, and I clenched my teeth, afraid to make a sound, fearing that my mom would be even harsher.

On the side, my little brother clapped and chanted, "Mom is hitting sister, Mom is hitting sister."

Grandpa walked past me, picked up a sickle, threw a remark, "It's necessary to discipline severely," and went into the house.

It wasn't until grandma called for dinner inside that mom stopped.

She threw the bamboo stick on the ground, her chest heaving violently, hands on her hips, she said to me, "Kneel here and reflect on yourself properly, from now on, you must be home before four o'clock to help your grandpa harvest rice!"

I knelt outside the gate, neighbors on both sides looking over, gossiping incessantly.

"Oh my, Yan Chun really doesn't hold back, hitting so hard, one wouldn't know she's not adopted."

"This girl is tough too, her mom has been hitting her for so long and she hasn't made a sound."

The sun dipped below the horizon, the last trace of twilight swallowed by the night.

The village echoed with barking dogs.

Laughter and chatter filled the house, yet not a single person mentioned me. I couldn't kneel any longer, sitting on the ground, forcibly holding back the tears swirling in my eyes.

It wasn't until they were about to sleep and came to close the door that they seemed to remember my existence, letting me into the house to wash up.