Chapter 9

In the night, Qu'an City was aglow with neon lights, bustling with traffic and people. The lively scenes on the streets held a special charm for Wang Wuyin.

Whether it was the most ordinary street-side snack shops, bars, and cafes, supermarkets, or the pedestrians out for a stroll, children playing on the streets, couples walking hand in hand, or office workers just finishing their day, everything Wang Wuyin saw was beautiful, like a painting. He looked at everything with an appreciative and greedy gaze, walking and observing for over an hour before finally returning to the Qu'an Jiayuan residential complex where he lived.

Wang Wuyin's classmates either rode electric scooters, bicycles, or took the bus to school. Only Wang Wuyin, regardless of the weather, always walked the two to three kilometers to school. He never had any pocket money, and any form of transportation, even the most ordinary bicycle, was a luxury he could not afford.

The Qu'an Jiayuan residential complex was considered a mid-range neighborhood in Qu'an City, having been built about five years ago. Strictly speaking, this was not Wang Wuyin's home but his uncle's. After his parents passed away, he moved in with his uncle. The two-bedroom apartment that was once his home had been sold by his uncle a few years ago. Only after selling the house left by Wang Wuyin's parents did his uncle buy the apartment in Qu'an Jiayuan and move here.

During the hour-long walk home, Wang Wuyin had enough time to think through what he needed to do next.

Returning to the complex, he went to Building 2, Unit 3, and took the elevator to the 6th floor. Apartment 602 was his uncle's home. The shoe cabinet was placed outside the door, and a large "Fu" character was pasted on the dark red security door.

Wang Wuyin changed into slippers, took a deep breath, and then took out the key to open the heavy and oppressive security door.

The people inside had already heard the sound of the door, so as soon as Wang Wuyin entered, his aunt, wearing slippers, walked over. Her face was cold, and her fat fingers almost poked Wang Wuyin's forehead.

"Wang Wuyin, what's wrong with you? You're so late coming back, and you didn't even come back early to cook dinner. We didn't eat well tonight. Are you getting too big for your britches? Do you know who's supporting you? Who's feeding you and providing for you, huh?"

While his aunt was scolding him, his uncle sat on the sofa in the living room, legs crossed, holding a remote control, without even turning his head.

Wang Wuyin looked at the sharp-tongued middle-aged woman in front of him, his heart calm. After his parents died in an accident, he moved in with his uncle, and his mother had entrusted his guardianship to his uncle before she passed away.

After living with this family, the initial warmth and affection from his uncle's family quickly faded. As his parents' inheritance was depleted, Wang Wuyin's position in the family became increasingly difficult, worse than that of a servant. He used to be beaten frequently, but as he grew older, the beatings became less frequent, though the verbal abuse and humiliation continued daily.

Two years ago, if it weren't for his aunt's intervention and the commotion she caused at his uncle's house, Wang Wuyin wouldn't have been able to attend high school, as it required money. His tuition was paid by his aunt. Asking for money from his uncle's family was like asking for their lives.

"Today, something happened at school, so I came back late!" After deciding what to do, Wang Wuyin's heart was calm as he faced his aunt.

"You didn't come back to cook, and you didn't even call to let us know? Your uncle and I had to cook when we got back, and your cousin didn't eat well. Do you know your cousin is preparing for the college entrance exam next year? He needs proper nutrition and can't afford to be delayed..." Wang Wuyin's aunt continued to scold him, finding fault with everything he did. No one cared about what had happened at school.

"I don't have a phone, so I couldn't call!" His classmates all had phones, and Wang Wuyin wanted one too, but in this family, even a few hundred yuan was an unattainable sum for him.

"You don't have a phone, but you can't borrow one from a classmate?" His aunt's spittle almost hit Wang Wuyin's face.

"Schools don't allow students to bring phones, and I don't have money to use a public phone!"

"Huh, you're getting sassy now..." The middle-aged woman, in the throes of menopause, reached out to grab Wang Wuyin's ear.

Wang Wuyin quickly pushed her hand away and gave her a cold look.

Seeing Wang Wuyin resist, the middle-aged woman instinctively wanted to scream, but something in Wang Wuyin's cold gaze made her hesitate. She swallowed her words and then angrily said, "You're getting more and more out of line. What are you standing there like a block of wood for? Go wash the dishes in the kitchen, mop the floor, and wash the grapes I bought. Be quiet; your cousin is doing his homework..."

After scolding Wang Wuyin and assigning him a pile of chores, the sharp-tongued middle-aged woman waddled into the living room, sat on the sofa, and said to her husband, "You should do something about him. He's getting more and more out of line. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have an extra mouth to feed. He's already eighteen. I said from the beginning that he shouldn't go to high school and should work instead. Men should support themselves. Now he's even talking back to me. After he finishes high school next year, kick him out. We don't have many rooms, and we can't let him eat and live for free..."

These words were said in front of Wang Wuyin, meant for him to hear.

"Hmm!" His uncle turned and gave Wang Wuyin a cold look.

Throughout the entire time, no one in the family asked about what had happened at school or if he had eaten dinner.

Wang Wuyin, used to the atmosphere in this home, said nothing. He went to the storage room where he lived, put down his backpack, and calmly walked to the kitchen.

The kitchen was still full of unwashed dinner dishes. There was never any food left for Wang Wuyin. If he came home earlier, he would have to cook dinner. However, his aunt never let him buy groceries because it required money, and she was afraid he would hide some. This was the only chore he didn't have to do. Since moving in, Wang Wuyin had taken on all the household chores, such as sweeping, cooking, and washing clothes, making him little more than a child laborer.

Sometimes, when his uncle's family went out to eat or travel, they never took Wang Wuyin. Even when they cooked something like pork ribs or chicken soup at home, if Wang Wuyin dared to take an extra piece, his aunt would immediately hit his chopsticks and glare at him with a sharp look.

Wang Wuyin's thin and weak body was not without reason.

Wang Wuyin silently washed the dishes and then saw a plastic bag of grapes in the kitchen. He took them out and washed them. His aunt came to the kitchen door, eyes wide, watching him to make sure he didn't eat any.

"These are for your cousin. They cost over twenty yuan per pound, so they're very expensive. Wash them well, and don't eat any. By the way, there were nine apples in the fridge yesterday, but today there are only eight. One is missing. Did you eat it?"

"I didn't eat any. Maybe your cousin did. You can ask him!" Wang Wuyin said, his voice low. The grapes were large and juicy, and the purple fruit smelled sweet. As he washed them, his mouth watered, but he resisted the temptation, knowing the consequences if he dared to eat even one.

"I asked him, and he said he didn't eat it. So it must have been you!" The woman at the kitchen door interrogated him like a criminal.

Wang Wuyin had never eaten the apples, and even in difficult times, he would never steal. This was the upbringing his parents had given him.

"I didn't eat them. You can check the trash can in your cousin's room; there should be an apple core. Do you want me to help you find it now?"

His aunt was momentarily speechless, then became angry and shouted, "If I find out you've been stealing, I'll tear your mouth apart. You have no manners. What's the point of going to school if no one teaches you?"

Wang Wuyin stopped, turned his head, and stared at the woman with a gaze like a wolf's, his voice cold and clear, "You can scold me, but don't mention my parents!"

The woman was startled by Wang Wuyin's gaze. She felt that today's Wang Wuyin was different, less submissive. She wanted to say more but, seeing his cold gaze and the knives hanging in the kitchen, she held back her sharp words.

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