For the first time in his life, he realized that children living in happy families are truly fortunate! He had countless times secretly watched through the fence into the Gu Family’s yard. Watching that pretty little girl, learning calligraphy from her grandpa, learning sculpture... She also had a pair of twin younger brothers and sisters. They always liked to surround her, calling her "sister" this and "sister" that. The Members of the Gu Family were unlike anyone he had ever seen before. Different from country folks. Gentle and polite, dressed neatly and decently, their house was also the best in Stone Town. Grandma Gu spoke softly, and Grandpa Gu was stern yet caring. Uncle Gu was a teacher, Aunt Gu did household chores, and you never heard any quarrels from their home, the only loud sounds ever came when the boy was being naughty. And that little girl lived like a little princess from a story. Reading, practicing calligraphy, drawing, sculpting... His family was also very poor. Google seaʀᴄh novel⸺fire.net The children at home dressed in tattered and filthy clothes. Whether it was where they lived, what they wore, or their living environment, it could not be compared with the Gu Family. Perhaps out of inferiority, his sloppy and lazy stepmother and his cowardly father never associated with the Gu Family. Of course, they also didn’t allow them to play with the Gu family’s kids. After moving to a new place, his stepmother became more abusive towards him. Because the life of the neighboring Gu Family made her jealous and resentful, she took out her anger on him. Calling him a jinx, a curse, blaming him for the family’s misfortune. But she never considered why they lived such a squalid life even in poverty. She didn’t even bother to see how diligent and capable Aunt Gu from next door was. And the children brought by his stepmother either beat him or verbally abused him. His father pretended not to see any of it. Thinking that if he didn’t see it, then nothing happened. In the contrast of light and darkness, his young yet already numb heart suddenly felt something different. It turned out, children could live like the Gu family’s children. They could have enough to eat. Could avoid beatings. Most importantly, they could study. He hated his father, hated that malicious stepmother, hated the stepmother’s children who always bullied him. He was only ten years old now. Trying to wait until he grew up to fight back against his stepmother was years away, he couldn’t wait that long. He thought, if he waited till then, the stepmother would have tortured him to death. He had been thinking of a plan these days, constantly improving it. And he was waiting for an opportunity. A ten-year-old boy, naturally intelligent, combined with the unfair treatment he had received, made him understand a lot early on. He didn’t like to talk. But, he liked to think in his heart. Although he hadn’t attended school, he had a photographic memory, and on the way to collect firewood, he always liked to stand in front of the village chief’s wall. There were newspapers pasted there, he didn’t know how to read, but the literate village chief liked to boastfully read the news to the villagers. He had a good memory, and whenever the village chief read, he would remember it word for word without missing anything. Then, he would compare it with the memory in his mind. In this way, he recognized many words, even though he had never attended a day of school. There were broadcasts in the village, and he remembered everything broadcasted clearly. So, he knew more than the other kids his age. He had been pondering some things for a long time. He also knew in his heart, doing this would ruin him. In this world, even those who pitied him would no longer exist. Everyone would scold him, despise him, even fear him. But he felt, this was his only way out... It was winter, and the weather was very cold. He didn’t have the right to sleep in the main house, even though the so-called main house was just three mud-walled rooms. Without red tiles, the roof was made of straw. But, there was a heated kang inside. And he could only sleep in the drafty woodshed, a side shack facing west. Fortunately, the room had thick straw, which made him feel somewhat warm. But for some reason, his stepmother and father got into an argument. His honest yet cowardly father couldn’t win an argument against his stepmother, and squatted in a corner smoking a cigarette. And he was beaten by his angry stepmother.