Everyone said with pity that I was an unwanted child. Parents divorced since I was small, Dad didn't want me, Mom remarried, and the only Grandma who took care of me also passed away. The year Grandma died, she left me $20.50 and an old house. I walked out of the Appalachian Mountains relying on neighbors' charity meals, and completed my studies relying on financial aid. During internship, I relied on my own efforts to get a decent job, became permanent directly upon graduation, and survived until now. This year end, I finally paid off all debts, saved the first sum of money in my life. The sound of New Year's fireworks rang, a new year arrived. My terrible life should end, beautiful life I am coming! Chapter 1 The day Grandma was buried, everyone thought Mom would take me away. After all, I was only thirteen, in this world, besides her, I had no relatives. I thought so too, so I packed my schoolbag, standing at the door waiting for her. But she carried her suitcase, went straight onto the Greyhound bus. Until the bus disappeared at the end of the mountain road, she didn't look back at me once. It seemed Mom didn't mention a word about my arrangement from coming back to leaving. I went back into the house, subconsciously shouted. "Grandma, I feel a bit sad." Dead silence in the house. I then suddenly realized, Grandma was buried in the ground. From now on in this house, only me left. Fear surged up like tide. What should I do? I sat on the threshold all night. When dawn broke, I carried my schoolbag to school. The Teach For America volunteer said, reading is the only way out of the mountains. Mom doesn't take me, I walk myself. Classmates looked at me with strange eyes. "Why are you still here?" "You wouldn't really be an unwanted child right?" I didn't want to hear those pity words, even less want to see their mocking faces. I straightened my back, lied loudly. "Mom said transferring schools would affect grades, let me finish middle school in town then pick me up." This reason was decent, blocked their mouths. Life has to go on. I can cook on the stove myself, fetch water to water vegetables in the garden. Relying on the remaining rice at the bottom of Grandma's jar, and sweet potatoes in the field, I survived day after day. Until that night, sound of smashing bowls came from next door. Neighbor sister Sarah was crying, her dad was cursing. Turns out dispute arose for a hundred dollars book fee. I hid at the wall root listening, heart chilling waves after waves. In two years I will go to high school. High school is in county town, not free education, need pay tuition. If can't take out money, will I also have no books to read? Then what should I do? Neighbor sister gave me the answer. Next day before dawn, she left. She carried that backpack washed white. Before it held textbooks, today it held change of clothes. She was going to the south to work in factory, to earn money for family, earn money for brother's future. I watched her back disappear in morning mist, heart uncomfortable like pricked by needles. I can't be like her. I want to study. But where does money come from? The hundred something dollars Grandma left, seemed can't last long. Only Mom can give me money. I remembered during Christmas, brother hugged stepfather acting spoiled. "Dad Mom, I got 100 on test, I want remote control car." Mom smiled eyes curved, bought him most expensive toy next day. If I also get 100? If I rank first in whole school? Will Mom see my worthiness, give me a little tuition fee? Even if just for face in front of relatives. I seemed to grab a life-saving straw. This semester, I studied like crazy. Class during day, brush questions under candle light at night, pinch my own thigh when sleepy. Final exam, I really took first in whole school. Villagers were all stunned. "Wild girl no one cares, can still test first?" "Farming and studying, really smoke from ancestral grave." Neighbor aunt cracked sunflower seeds teasing me: "Take the certificate to show your mom, maybe buy you a set of new clothes for New Year." I looked down at myself. This is black cotton coat Grandma wore before death. Cuffs worn out, revealing black yellow cotton wadding. Couldn't help recalling, last time Mom bought me clothes, was seven years ago, when brother wasn't born, would bring me a set of big red coat for New Year. Pity, now too small to wear. These years, I always picked cousins' old clothes to wear. This year Grandma left, relatives cut off contact, no one sent old clothes anymore. I could only wrap in Grandma's clothes to pass winter. Year end approached. People working outside returned one after another. Neighbor sister also came back, dressed very beautifully. I guarded under the big locust tree at village entrance every day. On Christmas Eve, snow fell heavily. My hands and feet lost sensation from cold, eyelashes froze with ice. Finally, that familiar and strange figure appeared. She held that brother dressed fittingly, walking towards me deep one foot shallow one foot. Chapter 2 "Why not awake yet?" I opened eyes fiercely, biting cold wind poured into neck. No Mom in front, no brother, no new clothes either. Only neighbor sister Sarah's anxious face. Turns out was a dream. I squatted too long at village entrance, blew cold wind, got fever. What saw just now, just hallucination after burning confused. Sarah sighed, stuffed few white pills into my hand. "Eat it, for fever. Don't you alone, die on roadside no one knows." I swallowed bitter pills, looking at distant mountain range. "Sister, is outside world good?" Sarah eyes lit up an instant, then quickly dimmed. "Good looking for rich people, outside lights red wine green, very beautiful." "But for us ordinary people, just like that. Assembly line, two shifts, but better than digging food in soil." She looked at me, suddenly asked: "Mia, don't study. Come factory with me, factory needs people, cover eat cover live." I clenched hem of clothes tight, shook head. "I want to study." Sarah laughed, "What about your tuition? Can't study without money." I lowered head, I don't want go factory, which sister in village went factory, didn't marry have kids after two years? Neighbor sister same. The man brought back this time, will engage after New Year. Girl once married, trapped for life. I unwilling. I unwilling be like them, changing from one cage to another. Sarah seeing me not speak, sighed, turned back home. Christmas Eve, firecrackers sound in village shook sky. I guarded empty house, waited till sky completely dark, Mom still didn't come back. Last grain of rice at home also eaten up. Stomach hungry hurt like fire burning. Smell of stewed meat floated from next door in air, that smell like hook hooking my soul. I pushed door, swayed walked out. In alley, a big yellow dog lying on ground gnawing bone. Bone still had meat connected to tendon. I stared at that bone, throat tight, saliva uncontrollably flowed. Reason told me that's dog food. But instinct drove me, while no one around, fiercely pounced over, snatched that bone from dog mouth. "Mia? What are you doing!" Neighbor came out with swill, just bumped into this scene. I froze on spot, hand still grabbing that bone stained with saliva. Face burning hot, I flustered threw bone back on ground, wished to find a crack in ground to drill in. Neighbor stunned half day, sighed. Turned back room, brought a bowl of heaped white rice, covered with a big piece of braised pork oily fat. "Eat." I ignored dignity, took bowl wolfed down. Finished eating, neighbor led me to Mr. Henderson's (Village Head) house. "This child lived alone for almost half year right? I looked today, her family rice jar empty, how to live later? You think of a way." Mr. Henderson looked me up and down, finally said: "I call her mom pick up." My heart tightened, couldn't help standing straight. Wonder what Mom reaction receiving call? Chapter 3 Mr. Henderson dialed the number, but next second, heard speaker sound: "Sorry, the number you dialed is not in service..." I couldn't help stay blank. Mom changed number. She cut off the last thread of connection with here. Completely didn't want me anymore. Mr. Henderson put down phone, face showed difficulty. "Mia, village subsidy quota is limited." "Those lonely old people are harder than you, will really starve to death without subsidy." "Although you live here, you are outsider (different surname), this money... hard to give." Room fell into dead silence. Finally Mr. Henderson's wife spoke: "How about this, as long as this kid willing, come to my house add a bowl every meal later, then go to each family beg a mouthful of food." "Dozens of households in village, can't really let person starve to death." I plopped kneeling on ground, heavily kowtowed. "Thank you Auntie, I willing." As long as can live, can study, begging I also accept. Following days, I held bowl, walked through every stove in village. Also learned to read faces, when others unwilling give, I just ate plain rice. Second year's New Year, I already learned not to expect anymore. Days passed day by day in books and begging. Day high school entrance exam results released, I held Acceptance Letter, hand trembling. Best Magnet High School in county. But I couldn't smile. Tuition plus accommodation, more than two thousand a year. For me living on hundred-family meals, this is an astronomical figure. I sat on threshold, staring at that letter dazed. Give up? I unwilling. Just when I had no way out, Mom came back. Chapter 4 Mom put down luggage, looked me up and down. "Unknowingly, grew so big." Even if built high wall in heart, hearing this sentence, instantly collapsed. Tears couldn't stop falling down. I rushed over hugged her waist, as if want to cry out grievances of these two years. "Mom, I missed you so much." She stiffened a bit, didn't push me away, didn't hug me either. Cried enough, I wiped dry tears. Trembling hand took out that warmed Acceptance Letter from bosom. "Mom, I tested into Magnet High School." "Can you lend me some tuition? Later I work, definitely pay you back double." Mom took letter looked once, face changed slightly. "Girl read what book? Read too much heart wild, finally still have to marry." I cold all over, looked at her in disbelief. She lit a cigarette, took a puff. "Coming back this time, I want to sell your Grandma's old house. Your brother needs school district house for school, still lack a down payment." "Family expenses big, since you grew up, should also share some." "Pack up, go with me. My factory boss just lacks people, seeing I'm there, agreed leave a spot for you." Turns out not coming to pick me study. Is coming to sell house for brother, then sell me into factory as coolie. I collapsed shouting: "I don't want! I want to study!" Mom frowned dead tight, slapped on table. "Not go factory? You want go heaven? Where family has idle money for you to waste?" I froze on spot, at a loss. At this time, yard gate pushed open. Mrs. Henderson strode in, pointed at my mom's nose started scolding. "Linda, do you still want face?" "This child grew up in village like wild dog, you didn't care one day. How come now feel can earn money, remembered you have daughter?" Mom snorted coldly, flicked ash. "Aren't village girls all came over like this?" Mrs. Henderson sneered. "Other family girls didn't eat my family's rice!" "Others go out work, send some money home a year more or less. You? Old lady died, you not even a shadow." "Just waiting child grow up herself, so be money tree for you?" Mrs. Henderson protected in front of me. "Want take away also can. Pay meal money for these two years. I don't ask much, give two thousand." Mom extinguished cigarette, brows locked tight. "I no money now." Mrs. Henderson pointed at door. "No money then roll!" Neighbors watching fun around also gathered up, pointing and talking all at once. Mom face turned pig liver color. She fiercely glared at me, picked up luggage, left dejectedly. Watching her distant back, I cried out loud again. Mrs. Henderson squatted down, patted my back. "Mia, don't blame Auntie driving your mom away." I shook head, wiped face. "Not blame. She didn't want me first." That moment, I completely accepted fact I am unwanted child. Mrs. Henderson sighed, looking at letter in my hand, face full of worry. "But Mia, Auntie also can't help your tuition." "Our village rely on sky eating, whole year just six thousand harvest. Your uncle soft hearted, most subsidized to harder families." I stopped crying, heart a piece of blank. Yes, what about tuition? Two thousand plus, can crush an adult, more crush thirteen year old me. Just then, neighbor walked out. She leaned on door frame, deep voice said: "I have a way, just see if you willing cooperate."
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "390515", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel