Da Ge

Xiao Bao, at just eleven months old, was still a little meatball in split-crotch pants, barely managing to take a few steps with her hands braced against the ground when her dad was suddenly gone.RivOzEpqvPmDnEDyoEVShXqaRBtrwg

His death was brutally tragic, the result of a car accident-heading home in utter darkness after a night shift, he thought to take a shortcut while the streets were deserted. He had just cycled onto the motorway when a truck smashed into him, flinging him several meters away.gLpaaEwNoIYkiDodHGnjptIQdxRQOq

Both he and his bicycle were flattened, never to return to their original form.THvJwSAbfHVsYwAbhnQoHTIqLLYNef

Wei Qian’s family was once again reduced to a widow and an orphan.TuLTcRcDgEfDlDJoSIqqJEpGaGOGUn

But, in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t the end of the world. The planet is teeming with families of widows and orphans-like Mazzi’s, who sells dough twists every morning.beflmHcmEbvfKFjPiaVBrtHUTzCfwh

Others too dried their tears, stood tall, and went on living life as usual.pgOhelCchxyRwCprhOGMGcQqtZvjwf

But Wei Qian soon discovered, to his horror, that his lovely and kind “mom” had turned into a fucking nightmare of a shrew overnight.HoWOiDHBiwnyfcDCWsFFvaBwlXdryt

In her grief, she seemed convinced her life was doomed to be more bitter than bitter herbs and had lost the will to live. She intensified her efforts to make life hell, a task at which she was naturally talented and highly experienced, truly excelling at bringing death and despair.BBuBeGoEQbEUyEwePIpMGJTVPUECTG

Every day, Wei Qian lived on edge-he had to attend school, figure out ways to earn money, take care of his little sister who couldn’t even speak yet, and constantly guard against the ticking time bomb that was his mother.VQRihfjtddxOAtdztdhusNtFizRgBO

Eventually, Wei Qian didn’t dare leave Xiao Bao alone at home.TwFGbTjRDYHQfjHqnSVthivYcnZNeR

When he went to school, he’d drop Xiao Bao off at the third-floor apartment of the chubby neighbor or at Mazzi’s small eatery, entrusting their mothers to look after her for the day until he could pick her up after school.jfJFzpFNRIswNiMZqgAdVnkbvchstg

Wei Qian was utterly exhausted, the weight of life bearing down on him so heavily that he couldn’t lift his head. Adults could barely handle it, let alone a child.VALtyPWhfdHUuhHrWUjmQgrQSaaleU

For a while, Wei Qian even hid a small knife, clutching it every night as he slept, one hand on the knife and the other holding Xiao Bao. The sight of the knife filled him with the urge to rush out and slaughter his mother, but the sight of Xiao Bao would calm his mind, and he’d lie back down, gently patting her back, lulling the fussy little one back to sleep.IRDnPSABqLMxCMnjZXWpcTSQyOVwsY

He also had a little sister, a living being, a person, just as unfortunate as him, born into such a family. As the older brother, he had to at least raise her to adulthood.JEjzLqEuZPbyjvocCcXIRcrWzHBFFF

Hamlet agonized over the question “To be or not to be,” and Wei Qian, with his childhood, agonized over an even longer question-“To kill his mom, or not to kill.”IIQDEmrdIuoUQeyXmAHqnJtGoetbfS

Living like a dog, he still managed to ponder such philosophical questions; perhaps he was destined to be someone significant.lFtPzUINlRtHiBaYqCxYrgMXnxaVnu

During this time, the mothers of the chubby neighbor and Mazzi were a great help to him.WSNEzzSexZGhgDThpBCGgUTELIXJYN

Both were his childhood friends; the chubby neighbor’s family was worldly and crude, while Mazzi and his mother were weaklings-none of their neighbors were high-society folks. Yet, these worldly and crude neighbors had hearts of gold, and the silent, timid people around him were always willing to help when he asked.HehnZkVrSAaGuMrczUKZyYRSFcrjyP

The chubby neighbor’s mother, not one to hold her tongue like Mazzi’s mother, sometimes couldn’t bear to watch and would be filled with righteous indignation, almost wishing she could spit in the face of Wei Qian’s mother. But she never went through with it.kybhZSZIzgPVxYpZlWrIuKjCNWTzCv

That didn’t matter to Wei Qian; he knew she didn’t dare because, despite her brashness, she was still a decent woman, and decent folks don’t easily provoke whores, just as upright people don’t easily provoke thugs and hoodlums.oWkJaUKvDLlvSNWPmPSKJHYUPYpSPY

Eventually, Wei Qian’s mother lived up to everyone’s expectations and died.gGHOPJCbeoChZLXMebrmKSVVehNSNC

Wei Qian accepted this fact calmly; he knew she hadn’t wanted to live for a long time.DJFgTsgpmPJCrOqBkjozhRJnIRwdvl

Woken from the happiest time of her life with a brutal reality check, her inner turmoil was something no one else could understand. Unable to come to terms or adapt, she naturally fell back into her old ways, even more so-she started doing drugs.PlEaZNaGfGitKvcEblguAfBfgCklVs

She began by joining her clients in snorting cocaine, then engaging in drug-fueled romps. The clients, pleased, would stuff tips into her bra and panties. These fleeting moments allowed her to escape the unbearable reality.NDxUIRJqaCOdNObVtvwWskmSDqLRdY

Her addiction spiraled out of control, leading her to shakily inject herself with drugs.HcURHopPqnXdHhOwUOYcuBqYgSigEx

During that time, Wei Qian’s home was littered with syringes, which he feared Xiao Bao might try to put in her mouth. He had to clean the house three or four times a day, collecting and disposing of the needles whenever he found them.ElBSnoTpldamyVuVxHjvdoylxUCLKd

After his mother died, Wei Qian burned all her belongings-she had ultimately succumbed to AIDS, contracted through shared needles.dnfJvQbtVHBNvmaIfOamZCHUPfWnwm

In the end, you pay for your deeds.yivlziJzWilKTqQKZVpPsebfASauMD

This phrase, often flaunted by small-time thugs to sound tough, was the last piece of wisdom his mother left for Wei Qian and his sister.dHLfYSvLSHpWQdoejYZSiVcGgDspzO

On her deathbed, looking nothing short of a monster with her skeletal frame, nearly bald head, severely distorted face, bulging eyes, and skin festering with sores, she bore no trace of her once youthful beauty, resembling a filthy, diseased toad more than anything.PeoDqndOxLLFkHNaNpHOZXMQXcwQEt

As death neared, she softened, casting a nearly tender glance at her two children, and resignedly said, “Ah, you always pay for what you do, I’ve known this day would come.”gNHmOKVaewwkksBpsKIeCGQdpZehHk

Wei Qian scoffed, thinking she was full of shit. If she really knew this day would come, she wouldn’t have fucked around in the first place, wouldn’t have gotten into drugs, and definitely wouldn’t have, for a few bucks and some thrills, dressed up like a demonic creature to sit in nightclubs.FHbDRXNDuUSSCVOezUKiikAfgsXMZe

She could have been like countless other girls, perhaps not in perfectly fitting uniforms, with silly straight-across bangs, sitting up straight in class listening to geometry lectures, then going to college, working, getting married, or staying single… Living a decent life, no matter what.ioQCpttYmnxIjjjEyidDoFtutTCdqW

Even if she was incredibly dumb, failing at everything, she could have still been a nanny, done odd jobs, sold breakfast…AQKHXpnpygtXLkYALAjmXMuJZxSmza

She might have lived to see her grandchildren marry had she chosen a decent life. But no, she chose to be a lazy, mad bitch, wasting her beauty.XVjiaKvRWdoSNlWkiYLpbdbNLLPimY

Realizing he was finally free from this madwoman, that he’d never have to see her again, Wei Qian couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sadness as if witnessing the swift passage of life, unable to even catch a whiff of its tailwind before everything vanished.IgUhIBJnxNINDNzeOiDOHfDAkoPwSR

Yet, he didn’t want to show any emotion; he thought he should hate this woman, that any sentiment towards her was weakness and despicable. So, Wei Qian forced himself to think-she got what she deserved.ADmtQLuoNEiSWZewBxSVUPeNOTzBzN

He reminded himself of the hellish past five years, coldly asking her, “Bitch, why the fuck did you have us in the first place?”csHnUNwMnvVmASxegjwWMYXofyxPoj

The woman pondered in confusion for a while before answering, “Who knows?”gTCFGodgzILMmmNTeMNCYxStTFNzsy

Wei Qian was furious. If not for her “who knows,” he might have been reborn into a wealthy or powerful family, maybe living a decent life by now!qSTeAXFwUwpkAzBfdGDyfGkDlfYJLr

So, he pushed her shoulder lightly, cursing, “Fuck you.”FjwSmsirYozhEmCGYKrFyvOVPAvsKv

It was just a gentle push-but the next second, she was gone.bORQmrpwXRyDEHmGTJqwSXFJmBogBx

She convulsed all over, her eyes bulging like ping-pong balls, then gasped for air for a solid five minutes, her breathing becoming a dry wheeze, suffering a blood debt before finally kicking the bucket.nDWXNVUqPwucLxkJrzYfaprqYEdkXZ

That year, Wei Qian wasn’t even thirteen, a green youth just starting junior high, with a little sister, Xiao Bao, five years old, clueless and only able to blankly watch her brother and mother.lhkeNKxWPDkKBjImoqScAoWJwdVZdN

Wei Qian let the woman’s body lie in their home for two days, decaying to the point of stench, unsure how to dispose of her.ILmNjLqGnCQzIbvCppsspNRFtlHivb

Burial plots cost more than the living can afford-selling him and his sister wouldn’t cover a grave, let alone Wei Qian’s refusal to pay for cremation. She was dead; the dead could make do, but he had to live, pay school fees, and support his sister.WmHuRrrKuNAJOTFcajesfJuiUttRBK

In the end, Wei Qian decided on a good day to wrap the body in a worn mat and dump it in the trash, letting her decompose back into nature.sgpxmvClkrrJmiUYnCfZzNVoxerIUK

But before he could act, his mother’s few friends showed up, proving that even a person like Qin Hui had some well-wishers.fSiIzufWsWpHgVJFFFRxisMGxlxiRm

Together, they pooled money for her funeral, giving her a proper send-off. One woman told Wei Qian, “She might not have lived with dignity, but she shouldn’t die without it.”TJBWytltoEBkQURJLbeimUbckyWzGW

The leftover money and some jewelry his mother left behind, once more precious to her than life itself, were sold by Wei Qian. She had barely closed her eyes before he got rid of them.avnVNNbyDhpUMRqUXACmEAzXFhfzbR

With this modest sum, Wei Qian struggled through more than a year, barely making ends meet until he graduated from junior high.TWsNkNryAXFTQAUrnHuNkXJZPJVKEL

After the final day of the middle school exams, Wei Qian rode home, his academic performance barely affected by his odd jobs and thuggish lifestyle, because school was his only link to “the future,” “hope,” and “a decent life.” He was desperate to cling to it.ZQMHhqhFqPuKXnhRjvZvFAFEBFXlLP

On his way, he bought some steamed buns and parked his bike in a makeshift shed among a cluster of dilapidated buildings, heading home with his purchase when he spotted a little kid.qbgptfvtlDdJkiPmCmPlzDUaLcyZwc

This kid was frail, with disproportionately large head making him look all the more skeletal, slightly taller than Xiao Bao but not by much, possibly around the same age. He was dressed in an oversized adult vest, known colloquially as a “double-barrel,” bare below with no shoes, and the vest was smeared with all sorts of filth, painting a vibrant yet grim tableau of our motherland’s diverse landscapes. He was rummaging through a trash heap by a narrow alley, scavenging for food.paaMIklsyZmPCpGJVYFkNbkGLpAwDY

It was a mystery how such a small creature managed to survive, with even stray dogs bullying him. As Wei Qian passed by, the kid was locked in a standoff with a dog over a discarded can of beef in the alley.XdbgttZFVdeEFaQtPQWcchlHZAfWiG

The stray dog, lean yet large, eyes glinting with a dangerous red, possibly rabid, had managed to survive the city’s rigorous dog culling campaigns, marking it as no ordinary survivor.XEtSPBsOihZbQXIKFnBTstDuMemWmy

Wei Qian had no intention of intervening. Kids like this were a dime a dozen, popping up every other month. Born by accident, living by chance, without the luxury of having both parents, they often didn’t last long. But just as Wei Qian glanced their way, the kid, locked in his struggle, happened to look up at Wei Qian too.ANKAxMkjwPjIJtgopwVVleBSdUUPhE

In that brief moment of distraction, the dog seized its chance and lunged. The kid, perhaps seasoned by countless chases, dodged swiftly, avoiding the attack. But the stray, in its frenzy, ended up charging straight at Wei Qian instead.OrvmLrauVAzVZqUACbgLwLucSYgtQA

The beast, eyes bloodshot, snorted aggressively as if blinded by rage, not distinguishing friend from foe, barking madly with its yellow teeth bared at Wei Qian, an innocent bystander.seZgOBXkEHImjLoLYoVpxwGvkvywhX

Caught up in his own troubles, pondering how he’d manage the high school fees if he passed the exams, Wei Qian tried to ignore the dog and move on. But the damned animal, in a fit of inexplicable fury, snapped at his ankle.zzzWGlWxXaHzLmngiRzfifOpkZEqyZ

Wei Qian dodged just in time.QzrSBpUKCzUyMFFphShLZFkIvnPZlW

At thirteen or fourteen, having lost both parents and burdened with a snot-nosed sister, Wei Qian’s situation was dire. Despite acing his exams, the possibility of attending high school hung by a thread. Kids raised in such harsh realities often harbored a deep-seated cynicism-if not, it suggested an alarming capacity for deceit, hinting at a potential future as a high-functioning sociopath.uJIfrKOiMzcVNaORcEIpRdhWJvNzUK

So, bogged down by life’s cruelties, the adolescent’s patience snapped. He kicked the dog, his upbringing among street toughs lending strength to the blow, sending the animal crashing against a wall. Yet, the dog, undeterred, bit down on Wei Qian’s shoe-a lucky break it was a sturdy plastic pair, picked up from somewhere, tough and unyielding, preventing the teeth from piercing through.qUlWUxqjDdVosJMgGBqlemJOaKIjgg

Shaking his foot free proved futile; the dog clung on. Wei Qian then stomped down hard on the dog’s belly and, grabbing a nearby brick, dealt a ruthless blow to the animal’s head. One hit loosened its grip; another left it bloodied and defeated, a ghost of its former self.CcwdKeGtcnbCvIiWWEEeEhsbPshBIv

In this world, at this time, humans and dogs alike-some dressed to the nines, living in luxury, others scrabbling in the dirt for a meager existence-are driven by the same basic instincts. Their lives intertwine on these trash-strewn paths, each fighting tooth and nail for pitiful, tragic reasons, shedding blood and tears alike.LGsxJJhZFsglwZoYLSmaWmPuzQoiDW