By the time I was ten, most of the farm work at home needed me to do it.

The most tiring work was fertilizing the corn in the field.

I had to uncover the pit in the backyard outhouse, scoop the dung water into a shoulder pole with a horse spoon, and then carry the pole to fertilize the field.

When I first started carrying the dung water, I only scooped half a bucket into each of the two barrels.

But even so, I staggered as I walked.

The dung buckets swayed back and forth, causing my steps to sway back and forth too.

I was pressed by the shoulder pole, my strength failing, my body swinging back and forth with the swaying buckets, and finally, I fell on my butt.

The dung water in the pole gushed out with a splash, splashing onto me.

An instant stench spread from me.

I dared not be careless, not even having time to clean myself up, I quickly picked up the pole, went back to the backyard, picked up some dirt debris, and quickly filled and compacted the dung-soaked area.

After doing all this, most of the dung water on my body had dried.

With the first experience, I put even less dung water in the pole.

This time I could finally bear it, although I still staggered, at least I could persevere to walk to the field.

Neighbor Aunt Pan saw me carrying the pole over, smiling teasingly at my mom.

"Big Niece's mom, look at how capable our Big Niece is, such a small body can carry a pole that only men can carry, you must have taught her well."

My mom heard this, visibly pleased, with a hint of a smile in her eyes.

Aunt Pan's gaze turned to me, "Oh my, our Big Niece is so virtuous, who knows who will benefit in the future."

She shook her head as she spoke, as if no matter how well I did, as long as I was a woman, I was destined to be a burden for life.

Sure enough, when my mom heard this, the slight smile on her face instantly disappeared.

As soon as I put down the pole, she came forward and kicked me, complaining that I was too late.

"You, useless thing, I asked you to carry manure, you dawdled, were you secretly lazy at home?!"

I lay on the ground protecting my head, motionless, waiting for my mom to finish hitting me.

I was used to being beaten.

In my mom's eyes, I was no different from the dung water on the ground.

Aunt Pan, having seen enough excitement, pretended to kindly hold my mom back.

"Big Niece's mom, forget it, forget it, Big Niece is still young, why bother with the child."

After my mom finished hitting me, she pulled Aunt Pan aside and started complaining.

She wiped her nose and tears, crying about her hard life, raising me, this jinx, not only did she kill her man, but also a useless one.

"Raised her with so much effort, but in the future, she will belong to someone else's family, my life is so bitter..."

Aunt Pan patted my mom's back, but I clearly saw her smiling as if she was about to burst into laughter.