Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The side room had no lights on.

Thin moonlight filtered through the window, like blades, stabbing densely into me.

I was the second child, and a girl.

It seemed like an original sin carved into my bones.

That night, Mom’s face was swollen, and she limped.

I cried and said sorry to her.

Sorry, I’m not a boy.

Sorry, for making you give birth to me.

Mom stroked my head, sighed deeply: “If only I had lots of money…”

What if she had lots of money?

She didn’t say.

Dad and Mom’s relationship reached an impasse, and my older sister became increasingly hostile toward me.

I lived in constant remorse all day, and could only become more obedient and sensible, silently taking on almost all the housework.

Over a month later, a turning point came.

Mom suddenly vomited during a meal.

She was pregnant.

Dad’s spirit immediately returned. Every day he would touch Mom’s belly and call out: “Good son.”

Mom was also full of hope: “This time, we must give you a little brother.”

At that time, the family planning policy was strict. The women’s director’s eyes were closely watching the bellies of every woman of childbearing age in the village.

Mom said that earlier, Sixth Aunt was over eight months pregnant. After being discovered, she was dragged away and given an injection.

When the baby was born, it was still moving, but the people from the Family Planning Office stuffed it into a plastic bag and threw it into the river overnight.

Dad and Mom warned my sister and me to keep it strictly secret, and not to let a word slip.

This time, Dad learned his lesson. When the time came, he couldn’t wait to find an illegal clinic for a scan.

It was a boy!

That day when he came back, he drank half a catty of liquor and excitedly shouted: “Heaven has eyes! I, Hu Liang, am going to have a son too!”

“Let’s see who dares say my line will end!”

Mom, terrified, quickly covered his mouth: “Keep your voice down, don’t let others hear.”

Yes.

In the countryside, there were plenty of people brimming with a sense of justice and eager to report.

I longed for my little brother to come out more than anyone.

A few days later, my sister was playing games with her friends. A boy who lost said angrily: “What’s the use of you winning? You don’t have a little brother, your family has no son.”

“Sooner or later, you’ll marry out.”

My sister couldn’t stand it and shouted: “Who said that? I have a little brother, in Mom’s belly.”

Not long after, the women’s director caught wind of it and brought people to our home, wanting to take Mom for a “checkup.”

Dad stood at the door with a hoe: “Yang Baiqiang, if you dare take my wife away today, tomorrow I’ll use this hoe to dig your two children to death.”

“You have your own son and daughter, but you want to cut off others’ lineage. You’ve done so many wicked things. Aren’t you afraid of retribution?”

The women’s director stiffened her neck: “I’m carrying out national policy.”

“Your refusal to cooperate is against the law. I can send you to jail.”

Both sides were deadlocked, neither willing to back down.

Seeing that the other party had superior numbers and were about to take Mom away, Dad suddenly pointed at me and roared: “Who says I violated the policy? Second Sister isn’t my daughter!”