CH 98

(The narration in this chapter is from the sister's perspective.)

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I accidentally shattered a bowl, and Mom yanked my ear as if pulling a raggedy sack.

She pointed at my nose and loudly scolded so that the entire village could hear, "You little bitch, you should just go out and sell yourself when you grow up. That way, at least you could earn some money for your damned parents. Feeding you is just a waste of money!"

I didn’t cry, I just kept smiling.

My brother once told me, that as long as you keep smiling, all the pain will disappear.

Mom continued hitting me until my nose bled. She said she despised the way I looked when I smiled, saying I looked just like a cunning vixen.

...

Dad came home, and he was going to make lamb for us again.

I despise the strong smell of lamb, but Dad always insists on making it. While Mom and Dad enjoyed it, I’d chew a little and then secretly spit it into my sleeve.

This time, Dad caught me spitting out the lamb.

He took a rattan whip and whipped me with it until it broke.

He called me an ungrateful child who didn't cherish food and only knew nothing but lies. Just like Mom said, raising me was a waste of money.

I saw my brother, standing in the corner, looking at me with pained eyes. He wanted to help, but he was too frail and couldn’t stand up to Dad.

...

I envied the other children because they could go to the zoo or amusement parks with their parents.

What I looked forward to the most every month was visiting Grandma's house.

Grandma was very kind to me. She even took me to a circus.

At the circus, I met an uncle named Dark Moon, who was almost my height.

During a mini-game, I won the first prize. Uncle Dark Moon told me he could grant me a wish. I wished for my brother to always be with me.

Uncle Dark Moon said he couldn't do that; he couldn't make something nonexistent become real.

I didn't understand what he meant.

Uncle Dark Moon gave me a potted plant, saying that even if the Dark Moon Circus couldn’t grant my wish, they wouldn't let me leave empty-handed.

...

When I got home, I found Mom and Dad berating Grandma, blaming her for losing me.

I approached them, showing off the potted plant, and told them about my trip to the circus.

Dad: Are you daydreaming again?

Mom: What potted plant? What circus? You only know how to lie!

Dad: If you run around again, I'll kill you!

Enraged, Mom and Dad began to violently lash out at me, with one wielding a cane and the other a stool.

Grandma shielded me with her body and tragically, Dad accidentally dealt a fatal blow to her head.

...

Later, Grandma was admitted to the hospital. Mom and Dad wouldn't let me visit her. But secretly, my brother and I sneaked in to see her.

I told Grandma about my experience at the circus.

After seeing my brother and me, Grandma was delighted. Perhaps due to her old age, she could never spot my brother unless I held her hand to show her where he was.

...

One day after school, I saw an older sister running out, chased by a group of adults.

Some rode motorcycles, some drove cars, and some were on foot.

They surrounded the older sister, lashing her with whips. She cried terribly but continued to try to escape.

The man from across the street grabbed her hair, cursing loudly, "You wretch, when I invited you to my home, it wasn’t for free meals. If you don’t bear me a son, you're not leaving."

All the older sister could do was cry, just cry.

The harder she cried, the more they beat her.

Finally, the older sister lay motionless on the ground.

The adults dragged her to a small grove behind the school. I watched as they dug a hole under a poplar tree and buried her.

She had been beaten to death by them.

I held my brother and cried for a long time.

...

I fell ill.

My head ached severely, and I felt as though someone was drilling into my brain.

My parents didn’t want me hospitalized, saying they would take me to two doctors instead.

These two doctors were a man and a woman.

The man looked like a rat, and the woman looked like a cat.

They took me away and said I might never return.

I asked, "Why?"

They replied, "To get better, this is what must be done."

Suddenly, I felt a mix of happiness and reluctance.

Happy because I wouldn't have to live with my parents anymore, but reluctant because I might never see Grandma again.

I asked, "Can I bring my brother with me?"

They responded, "You don't have a brother."

I was perplexed. My brother was clearly by my side. How could they not see him?

...

The two doctors took me to live in the city, asking me to call them Mom and Dad.

I refused.

They didn’t push further but still fed me and let me live in their house. However, they always subjected me to weird "training", which caused my health to deteriorate even further.

My head is hurting more and more.

I spoke to the potted plant, telling it that I wanted to drink almond water.

When I turned around, indeed, a bottle of almond water appeared on my bedside table.

I realized that this potted plant possessed the power to grant wishes.

The plant told me that to relieve my headache, there would be a price to pay. If you didn't want to pay the price, then your mother would.

I hesitated.

My brother emerged to stop me, saying that this was all the devil's trickery.

I nodded in agreement.

Behind my brother's back, I still made a wish to the plant.

Sure enough, my headache was gone.

...

On this day, my new mom found me.

She told me that my old mom had a terminal illness and would soon die.

I couldn't understand why.

She said, "You are a special person, the most powerful in this world. You can create a world of your own."

I still didn't understand.

She added, "Don't you want your brother to always be with you? Alright, let's make a deal. You grant your father and me power beyond human capabilities, and I'll ensure that you and your brother are together forever."

...

Did I fall asleep?

I'm asleep again!

I can't wake up...

...

Is this a dream?

Yes, this is a dream, the most real dream.

...

It's been nearly a year since our family of three moved to the new house.

We settled in a high-end residential area.

Though it's not as fun as the countryside, I finally live in an apartment building.

Mom and Dad still love to cook lamb for me, but even if I don't eat the lamb now, they no longer scold or hit me. They've become much gentler.

Lately, I've been having dreams.

I dreamt that I was lying in a pool of blood, with the cries of children constantly echoing in my ears.

I was so scared.

I wanted my brother to save me.

I opened my eyes and found myself standing in the middle of the road.

A large truck was rushing towards me.

My brother appeared just in time, pushing me to the side of the road, but his head was tragically crushed by the truck.

...

My brother was gone.

...

My brother appeared again!

...

My brother was gone.

...

Brother...

...

It seems... I never had a brother to begin with?

...

Hello there.

I am a happy girl from a family of three.

My dream is to have a brother who will always protect me. I hope he can always be with me.