Six Years Earlier…
Zhan slowly finished the tea in his hand without touching the fried egg in front of him. He placed the cup down and stood up.
"Mommy… if Uncle takes me with him, does that mean I won't come back again?"
The woman he called Mommy was crouched down, cleaning his expensive shoes before placing them carefully into a bag. She turned to look at the young boy standing before her....he was barely thirteen.
"You will come back, Zhan. God willing."
Zhan didn't say anything else. He simply stood there.
He was wearing expensive ready-made clothes and a pair of polished covered shoes that shone brightly.
"Mommy… why aren't you coming with us?" he asked.
She didn't look at him.
"I'm going back to my own family's home, Zhan."
Zhan slowly knelt beside her.
"Mommy… I don't want to go to Uncle's house. Please take me with you instead."
She remained silent while finishing the bag and placing it on top of the large suitcase containing Zhan's belongings.
Seeing that she wasn't responding, Zhan picked up the remote control to turn on the television.
She shot him a sharp look.
"So you're starting already? I already told you not to behave like this in other people's homes, staring at the television like a fool. Turn it off immediately."
Zhan switched off the television and returned to sit quietly on the sofa.
Just then, Uncle Jincai...his father's elder brother....entered the living room.
His eyes immediately fell on the untouched fried egg Zhan had left on the plate. He picked it up, sat down, and began eating.
"What a waste," he muttered. "Look at what was done to a perfectly good egg. All this extravagance… it will end soon."
Mommy said nothing. She simply walked into the bedroom to collect the last of her belongings.
Uncle Jincai continued eating as though his life depended on it. When he finished, he looked at Zhan.
"Get up and go outside. There's a rickshaw waiting. Sit in it and wait for me by the gate."
Zhan's eyes widened.
"Uncle… aren't we going by car?"
Uncle Jincai glared at him.
"Get up and move."
Zhan stood and slowly walked toward the door, glancing back at him.
Uncle Jincai picked up the large suitcase and followed behind.
Mommy came out shortly after with her own bag. She took the plate and cup into the kitchen, washed them, and checked that everything in the house was turned off before following them outside.
Zhan was already standing beside the rickshaw when Mommy gently pulled him closer.
She looked directly into his eyes.
"Wherever you find yourself, be patient, Zhan. I know you… and whatever you are told to do, do it. And most importantly… please don't spend all your time watching television."
Zhan smiled, revealing the small beauty mark on his cheek.
"Mommy, I can't live without watching TV."
Her expression hardened.
"So you won't listen to what I'm saying?"
Zhan lowered his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Mommy."
She pinched his cheek gently and forced a small smile.
"That's my boy."
Then, her voice softened.
"And always pray for your father. Every day, pray that he rest in peace."
Zhan nodded.
"Alright, Mommy."
She helped him into the rickshaw.
"Have a safe trip, dear. I will always pray for you."
Zhan nodded again, struggling to control his tears.
Mommy had already turned away, walking toward the main road with her bag. She didn't even glance at Uncle Jincai, who was still complaining about the locking the house.
Zhan watched his stepmother leave, tears sliding down his face.
Uncle Jincai climbed into the rickshaw beside him and looked at him with irritation.
"Why are you crying in front of people?"
"My mommy…" Zhan said softly.
Uncle Jincai scoffed.
"She's not your real mother."
Zhan lowered his head.
The rickshaw driver drove them toward the transport park.
Zhan raised his hand to wave goodbye to his stepmother as they passed her. She waved back while wiping tears from her eyes.
The rickshaw dropped them off at the station.
Uncle Jincai unloaded Zhan's luggage and paid the driver before buying tickets for a bus to Hangzhou.
He had tried to pay for only one seat, intending to make Zhan sit on his lap, but the other passengers protested until he reluctantly paid for two seats.
About ten minutes later, the bus filled up and began the journey.
Zhan had never traveled in a public bus before.
The last time he had visited Beijing was when he was seven years old, with his father.
Now he sat stiffly, clearly restless.
A woman sitting beside him noticed his discomfort.
"Child, what's wrong?"
Zhan looked as if he might cry.
"I feel like vomiting."
Uncle Jincai glared at him.
"What?"
"Vomiting…"
Uncle Jincai nudged him harshly.
"You're a boy and you're telling people you want to vomit in the bus?"
The woman frowned.
"Please, sir. Children get motion sickness when traveling."
Uncle Jincai snapped at her.
"You....learn to mind your business in public. Is he your son?"
"No," she replied calmly. "But if he were your son, you wouldn't treat him like this."
Uncle Jincai exploded in anger, arguing loudly in the bus like a quarrelsome woman.
Meanwhile, Zhan covered his mouth as the nausea rose.
The woman ignored Uncle Jincai and asked the driver to stop the bus.
She helped Zhan outside, where he vomited repeatedly.
She stood beside him, supporting him while Uncle Jincai continued shouting angrily inside the bus.
None of the passengers defended him.
Another passenger handed the woman some water. She gave it to Zhan so he could rinse his mouth and wash his face.
When they returned to the bus, several passengers comforted him.
Another woman handed him a plastic bag in case he felt sick again.
By the time they reached Hangzhou, Zhan had vomited five times.
Uncle Jincai had also shoved him several times during the journey, even though Zhan was not seated near him.
No one on the bus told him to stop.
They arrived at Uncle Jincai's house around 2:30 p.m.
It was a beautiful bungalow.
Zhan's father, Xiao Yu, had bought the house for his older brother while he was still alive.
But now it barely looked like the same place.
The building had aged badly, and the entire house was terribly dirty....even though it hadn't been six years since it was given to Uncle Jincai.
When they entered, both of Uncle Jincai's wives came out to welcome him home.
Uncle Jincai sat down in the living room and began opening Zhan's suitcase.
"Well, here he is," he said casually. "The house where he lived has been closed and rented out. Changen and I handled that already. Now decide among yourselves where he will stay."
His first wife, Shi, spoke.
"I already have too many children in my room. Maybe Ming can take him."
The woman called Ming immediately replied,
"And you think I don't have enough children already?"
Uncle Jincai waved his hand impatiently.
"No arguments. He will sleep in Ming's room. His clothes will be kept in Shi's room. That's final."
Then he began pulling out Zhan's expensive clothing.
Both he and his wives stared in disbelief at the quality of the items.
He set aside nearly eight outfits.
"These will be sold," he declared. "He won't come here and keep wearing expensive clothes like some rich child. People might start thinking I'm wealthy too."
He also separated about five pairs of Zhan's shoes.
As for Zhan's gold wristwatches and jewelry...they were already in his pocket.
Zhan stood quietly beside the sofa, glancing around the living room.
He was searching for a remote control so he could turn on the television....but he couldn't find one.
When he saw Uncle Jincai putting the separated clothes into another bag, Zhan hurried forward.
"Uncle… I need those shoes. I wear them to school."
Uncle Jincai shoved him harshly and cursed.
Zhan stumbled backward in fear.
"Watch yourself," Uncle Jincai growled. "Or I swear I'll beat you."
As Zhan tried to step away, Uncle Jincai grabbed his arm and removed the watch from his wrist.
Ming spoke from the side.
"If you weren't careful, he'll start telling you what you should do next."
Uncle Jincai stood up and picked up the bag.
"Take the rest inside. I'm going to the market before it gets too late," he said before walking out of the house.
After he left, Shi reopened Zhan's suitcase and removed two sets of clothes, along with some underwear and sleepwear.
Ming also pulled the suitcase toward her and took a few caps, one outfit, a long jacket, and some gloves and socks.
When Shi tried to reach into the suitcase again, Ming grabbed the bag.
"Are you planning to empty the whole suitcase?"
Shi gave her a sharp look.
"You're saying that because you want the bag for yourself. If we take things now, what exactly will Zhan wear?"
Ming closed the suitcase and pushed it aside before looking at Zhan, who was still standing there silently watching them.
"Take this and put it in the room next to that door," she ordered. "Why are you just standing there like a statue?"
Zhan hurried forward, picked up the suitcase, and carried it to the room Ming had pointed out.
Before he returned, they had already taken another pair of shoes from the pile. He carried the shoe bag into the room as well.
Soon after, Shi pointed toward a large pile of dirty dishes beside the water pump outside.
"Go and wash those."
Zhan spoke softly.
"I'm hungry."
Shi replied coldly,
"Didn't you eat before you came here? Go to the pump. There's a pot of leftover noodles there. Eat first, then wash the dishes."
Zhan walked toward the pump.
He stood there for almost a minute staring at the noodles while flies buzzed all over the food.
He pouted and folded his arms.
Then he returned to the living room looking as if he might cry.
"Flies are all over the food. I can't eat that."
Both women stared at him.
Then they burst into laughter.
Ming laughed loudly.
"Oh, look at this delicate child…"
Shi scoffed.
"Are you trying to cause trouble? What do flies have to do with anything? If you don't want the food, then leave it. Now go wash those dishes immediately."
Zhan turned and walked away quietly.
Ming muttered under her breath,
"If Jincai didn't fear God, would he really agree to raise Xiao Yu's son? What did that man ever did to Jincai while he was alive?"
Zhan returned to the washing area holding the bar soap he had found.
He stared helplessly at the mountain of dishes, unsure where to begin.
Finally, he found a large basin and filled it with water until it was nearly full before adding a little soap.
Just then, a woman's voice spoke from behind him.
"What are you doing? Are you planning to create foam with that much water?"
Zhan turned toward her, looking close to tears.
"I… I didn't know how to do it."
The woman walked over, surprised.
She poured out most of the water, added more soap, and said,
"That's enough."
Then she walked into the living room where the women were sitting.
"Where did you find that pampered child?" she asked them.
:
:
Around 4:30 in the afternoon, Shi returned outside after her visitor had left.
She stared in shock.
Zhan was still kneeling beside the pump.
Dirty plates were scattered everywhere.
His clothes were soaked with water, and he looked completely exhausted.
Anyone could tell he had never done such work before.
Shi called Ming loudly.
Ming rushed outside and stared in disbelief.
"What is this? Two hours and you're still washing dishes?"
Zhan looked at them as if he might cry.
"The plates dried… and the stains won't come off."
Ming placed her hand on her head dramatically.
"Well, this is going to be a lot of work. A boy your age....fourteen years old...and you don't know how to wash dishes?"
Shi looked at Ming and said,
"Well, you're the one who will deal with it. He wasn't brought here for me. A person should stay with their own children. Even Jincai… honestly, he shouldn't have left him with the his stepmother."
Ming sighed.
"Well, may God help us."
She turned and walked inside.
Shi shouted angrily at Zhan.
"Get up from there, you useless boy! And stop wasting soap. Go sweep the entire house right now. If you don't even know how to do that, we'll see."
Zhan looked like he might cry, but he silently picked up the broom she pointed at and began sweeping.
Shi grew even more irritated watching him.
Honestly, it might have been better if he had stayed kneeling by the pump instead of sweeping the way he was doing it.
She shook her head and walked away.
"You'll learn where you are now, boy," she muttered.
That night, Zhan curled up on the sofa.
His entire mind and attention were fixed on the cartoon playing on the television. Uncle Jincai's younger children were watching it.
They called him several times, but he didn't respond.
Finally, San, Uncle Jincai's second daughter, walked over and said loudly,
"Look at him. Someone is talking to him and he doesn't even notice because of that television."
Zhan jumped in surprise, though his eyes were still glued to the screen.
From the kitchen doorway, Ming had been watching them. She had been calling Zhan to come and collect his food.
She stormed over angrily and punched him on the shoulder.
Startled, Zhan turned around.
Ming grabbed his ear and twisted it.
"Will that television feed you? Come here, you stubborn child!"
Zhan lowered his head, close to tears.
Ming pushed him toward the kitchen.
"There's your food. Take it and eat in the kitchen. Such troublesome behavior."
Zhan walked toward the kitchen but kept glancing back at the television.
He picked up the food placed in a small plastic bowl.
It was a boil sweet patato with a dark green soup.
Zhan stared at the soup as if his eyes might pop out.
He returned to the living room and sat among the children who were eating.
Shi walked into the living room at that moment.
"So this is what happens when someone is not raised properly," she said. "He's so busy watching television he's about to spill his food."
Zhan quickly looked down and realized he had placed the bowl carelessly.
Shi grabbed him roughly and turned him toward the kitchen.
"If you turn around again to look at that television, I'll kill you."
Zhan said nothing.
Slowly, he dipped his fingers into the food and took a small bite.
He frowned immediately and struggled to swallow.
Then he looked at Uncle Jincai's third daughter, Rue, and asked quietly,
"Is there any noodles?"
The girl burst into laughter and told her mother.
Shi replied sarcastically,
"Yes, of course. Your father brought some from the grave for us."
Zhan said nothing.
He stared at the food but couldn't bring himself to eat it.
Eventually, he stood up and carried the bowl to the kitchen like everyone else.
Ming called Shi and showed her the untouched food.
"You see this?" Ming said. "If he doesn't eat what we cook, then let hunger deal with him. I'm not cooking again just for that boy."
✴✴✴
The next morning, Tuesday, Zhan had been sweeping the courtyard since dawn. Even after hours, he still had not finished.
Just then, Uncle came out of the house dressed elegantly, wearing one of Zhan's late father's expensive outfits. His wives followed him to the balcony, wishing him a safe trip.
When he noticed Zhan sweeping, he turned to his wives.
"Tomorrow morning, make sure the boy is prepared. He will be taken to school."
Ming asked, "The same school Sui attends?"
Uncle gave her a sharp look.
"You will pay for it. Where do you expect me to find money for an expensive school? He will attend the same school as Bala's children. I heard he's in Grade 11… or is it Grade 10?"
Zhan quickly stood up and said politely,
"I'm in Grade 11, Uncle."
Uncle glared at him.
"Do you see how poorly mannered he is? Who asked you to speak? I also heard that you were given food last night but refused to eat it because you are used to the meals you had in brother Yu's house. Well, you and hunger will work hand in hand here if you refuse to eat what is available. You will not come into my house and start behaving arrogantly."
With that, he walked toward one of the cars in the compound.
Zhan silently continued sweeping in his clumsy, inexperienced way.
Throughout the day, he was given chores he had never done before in his life. He was completely exhausted, but he never complained. The most he did was pout quietly.
San punched him several times during the day...at least five times...until she eventually grew tired of hitting him and left him alone.
Ming, on the other hand, insulted him constantly.
Through it all, Zhan simply pouted or frowned, then returned to his work without saying anything.
Later, he was given a cup of porridge. He drank it reluctantly because he was not used to it.
After everyone had taken their afternoon nap, he quietly sneaked into the living room, turned on the television at a very low volume, and watched happily.
When the electricity suddenly went out, he pouted in disappointment.
Soon after, he lay down on the living room floor, and because he had been awake since dawn, sleep quickly overtook him.
He wasn't given lunch either. They said he would eat only after the children returned from school.
The children didn't return until five in the evening.
When they arrived, Ming served everyone rice with oil and spicy seasoning.
San told Sui to serve Zhan some rice because Ming had sworn she would not give him any.
Zhan stared at the rice sprinkled with chili peppers.
Carefully, he began picking the peppers out one by one and placing them beside him.
Ming had been watching him.
Suddenly she stood up, grabbed his bowl, and took it back to the kitchen, locking it away.
That meant Zhan did not eat at all.
⏭ ⏭
Later that night, everyone was served rice with soup Ming had cooked...everyone except Zhan.
He quietly walked over to San, who was busy on her phone, and gently tapped her arm.
"San Jie… I wasn't given any rice."
She glanced at him casually.
"Then go ask them yourself."
Zhan walked slowly to Shi's room. She was sitting with her children while they worked on their assignments.
She looked up at him.
"What is it?"
Zhan shook his head slightly and said softly,
"I wasn't given food. I'm hungry."
She shouted at him immediately.
"Get out of my sight! Are you expecting tea and fried eggs too? Hunger will teach you a lesson in this house!"
Zhan quietly turned and walked away.
He returned to where he slept, curled up, closed his eyes, and thought about his mother.
****
The next morning was the same as the previous day.
He was woken up before dawn and told to start sweeping again.
Even after daylight came, he was still sweeping.
Only after all the children had left for school did Ming finally say he could go take a bath and prepare himself.
Zhan stood inside the bathroom between the women's rooms.
The sponge his father had bought for him overseas had become something everyone in the house used, along with his expensive soap.
He pouted slightly and picked up only the soap before taking a quick bath.
When he came out, he still felt uncomfortable because the bathroom smelled unpleasant.
As soon as he entered the living room, Shi began staring at the clothes he was wearing.
Zhan knelt beside her and said softly,
"I'm finished."
She clicked her tongue and pointed to a cup on the table.
"There. Take that."
Zhan quickly looked into the cup, thinking it might be tea.
When he realized it wasn't, he slowly stood up and picked up the cup of fermented millet drink.
Shi said mockingly,
"So you won't drink it today either?"
Zhan didn't reply.
He slowly drank the sour liquid, his face twisting slightly at the taste.
Shi kept glaring at him while muttering under her breath.
Eventually, he drank only a little and set the cup down.
"I'm full," he said quietly, even though his stomach was painfully empty.
She replied coldly,
"Then rest if you want. After that, pour water into the basin and wash all dishes. And do it properly this time...if you repeat yesterday's nonsense, I'll break your body with the electric cable."
Zhan didn't say anything. He simply stood up and went to do exactly as he had been told.
One of Uncle's helpers escorted him to the school. The distance was extremely far, and the boy...whose name was Mu....told Zhan that he would have to walk there every day.
Because of that, he advised him to pay close attention to the road so he would remember the way.
As soon as they entered the school, Zhan looked around curiously. To him, it hardly resembled a school at all. The building was unfinished, with no proper plaster on the walls, and there were only a few students around.
Mu walked over to speak with a man who appeared to be the head teacher while Zhan waited outside.
Zhan overheard the man explaining that the class was meant for students who struggled academically. It was a one-year preparatory program before they could enter a proper school.
Mu asked about the fee.
"One thousand five hundred," the man replied.
Mu immediately paid the money.
Afterward, a female student was called to escort Zhan to the last classroom before Mu left.
There were about ten students in the class.
From the moment he entered, Zhan quietly watched the teacher who was explaining sentence construction.
"The boy was tall…"
The teacher kept repeating the sentence while the students repeated it after him.
Zhan, who had been observing carefully, finally spoke.
"Excuse me, but you said present tense, sir, right?"
The teacher replied, "Yes."
Zhan rested his chin on his hand and said politely,
"Sorry, but that is past tense, class master."
The teacher quickly glanced at the board and then looked at Zhan, but he ignored the comment and continued teaching.
Not long after, Zhan corrected him again.
This time the teacher frowned at him.
He gave the students some classwork and sat down. About fifteen minutes later he collected their work and began teaching multiplication on the board.
When he finished, Zhan walked up and showed him several corrections he had written in his notebook.
The teacher immediately left the classroom and went to speak with the school head.
Soon after, Zhan was called to the office.
He stood there quietly.
The man looked at him and said coldly,
"Since you have no respect, you should not return to this school starting today. If you already know everything we teach here, then stay at home...or go back to the kind of school your money belongs to."
Zhan simply replied, "Alright. Should I leave now?"
"Yes. Go."
Zhan turned and walked out of the unfinished building.
Finding his way home was not difficult for him because he had a very sharp memory.
When he returned, Shi and Ming were sitting in the living room chatting.
They both stared at him in surprise.
"What are you doing back already?" they asked.
Zhan replied calmly,
"They don't know anything there. They are just teaching nonsense. I want a proper school. I'm in Grade 11."
Ming frowned.
"So that's why you came back?"
Zhan nodded and handed her the money that had been returned.
Then he walked to the sofa and curled up quietly.
Both women stared at him, completely speechless.
Zhan was extremely hungry, but he said nothing.
Around 10:30, Uncle came out dressed to leave the house.
When he saw Zhan, he asked,
"Didn't Mu take this boy to school?"
Shi replied,
"He did. But he came back. Apparently they 'don't know anything there.' Maybe he wants an expensive school."
Uncle turned sharply toward Zhan.
"What brought you back?"
Zhan answered honestly.
"Uncle, they were teaching nonsense. I kept correcting the teacher. I don't know if he reported me, but they called me and told me not to come back. They even returned the money."
Uncle adjusted his posture and nodded slowly.
"Oh, so that's what happened. Well, that's your problem. Thank God brother Yu cannot accuse me of wrongdoing...I took you to school, but you ran away. From now on, you will stay at home."
With that, he left.
Zhan remained silent.
Ming spoke angrily.
"So you think you're better than the school? You went there and embarrassed the teacher? Who do you think has the money to send you to the kind of school your father once paid for?"
Zhan simply looked at her without replying.
Shi then said thoughtfully,
"I was planning to start selling tofu. If Jincai agrees, we can make him take the goods to the market for me. He would just sit there and sell...it's not even hard work."
Ming nodded.
"If Jincai agrees, I'll make him sell detergent for me too."
Shi shrugged.
"Well, let's wait until he comes back and see what he says."
After their conversation ended, both women went to their rooms to rest, leaving Zhan alone in the living room.
By afternoon he was starving.
That day they cooked pasta and beans.
Zhan had never eaten beans since he was a child.
Shi placed a small portion in a bowl and handed it to him.
Zhan looked like he might cry.
"I can't eat beans."
Shi laughed slightly, took the bowl back, and poured the food back into the pot before leaving the kitchen.
Only then did Zhan's tears begin to fall.
He had never felt hunger like this before in his life. What he wanted was proper meal's.
He walked into the courtyard and sat down, wiping his eyes.
His body even trembled slightly from hunger.
Finally, he stood up and quietly left the house.
He entered the neighboring compound.
The house looked similar to his uncle's.
In the courtyard he saw a boy eating rice with that green soup.
Zhan immediately turned and hurried away, almost stumbling.
He tried the next house, but the gate was locked.
The third house was locked as well.
When he reached the fourth house, he stopped.
It was the largest house in the neighborhood.
He pushed the gate and realized it was open.
As he entered, the security guard asked,
"Who are you looking for?"
Zhan simply pointed toward the house and walked past him.
He reached the balcony, briefly glancing at a dog inside a cage, before quietly opening the door and stepping into the living room.
At the entrance, he stopped.
A young man...no older than twenty-six....was sitting in the living room holding a plate of food while watching television.
The young man looked at him with mild surprise.
"Who are you looking for?"
Zhan stared at the food in his hand, his eyes filling with tears.
Softly, he replied,
"Nobody… I'm just hungry."
The young man widened his eyes, clearly shocked by the answer.
Zhan added quietly,
"Please."
The young man set the plate down.
"Take it."
Zhan hurried inside and sat on the floor, staring at the rice, the piece of chicken, and the salad on the side.
In a soft voice he said,
"Thank you."
He picked up the spoon and began eating quickly.
The young man watched him with astonishment.
Just then, an elderly woman's voice came from behind them.
"Who is this?"
The young man turned to look at her.
Before he could speak, Zhan said politely,
"Good afternoon, ma'am. My name is Zhan."
The woman was momentarily speechless.
She looked at her son, who was staring at Zhan just as strangely.
Meanwhile, Zhan calmly picked up the chicken from the plate and continued eating while looking at her.
NB
Happy Eid to my Muslims readers 🕋🕌🎆
Double update today.
💚💙❤🖤