Mommy picked up her phone and tried calling her step-sister, Yakumbo, but the call didn't go through. It seemed her phone was switched off.
That morning, Mommy didn't cook anything for the household as breakfast. Instead, she prepared tea for Zhan and bought him some bread.
By eight o'clock, she went to her husband's part and informed him that she would be taking Zhan back to his relatives.
He counted out some money and handed it to her.
"Take this for transportation. When you return, we'll discuss his schooling and how much the fees are."
Mommy shook her head.
"No, thank you. We have enough for transport."
He nodded.
"Alright. Safe journey."
She stood up and left the room.
Using a small bag, Mommy packed a few of the clothes she had recently bought for Zhan.
They stepped into the sitting room.
After locking the door behind her, Zhan looked up at her and asked,
"Mommy, where are we going?"
She couldn't meet his eyes.
"We're just going on a trip," she replied quietly.
She took his hand, and together they walked out of the house.
Behind them, they could hear Shafah and Hasue laughing.
"Safe journey! Take him far away and don't bring him back," they mocked.
Mommy ignored them and kept walking.
They took a tricycle for part of the journey, then later boarded a bus heading to Beijing.
Not long after leaving Juren Village, Zhan fell asleep against Mommy.
He didn't wake up until they arrived at the bus terminal in Beijing.
Passengers began getting down, and Mommy gently woke him.
They stepped off the bus.
Zhan looked around curiously.
"Mommy, where is this?"
"Beijing," she replied.
His eyes widened.
"Wow, I've heard of Beijing in school!"
Mommy found a taxi, and they set off toward the poor neighborhood where Yakumbo lived.
It was a long ride.
Mommy only knew the name of the street, not the exact house, so she asked the driver to drop them at the entrance of the lane.
Holding Zhan's hand, she began checking each house carefully, hoping to recognize her sister's place since it had been a long time since her last visit.
They wandered for over thirty minutes.
Zhan kept asking questions.
"Mommy, where are we? Everywhere is so dirty… there are smelly gutters everywhere."
Mommy replied firmly,
"I don't want to hear another word."
Zhan fell silent.
Eventually, a woman noticed them wandering and asked which house they were looking for.
Mommy paused, trying to remember the name Yakumbo was commonly known by.
Then she said,
"Kulu....the one who sells rice cakes."
The woman's eyes widened.
"Oh! You've already passed her house."
Mommy turned as the woman pointed.
"That one there....the house with a bicycle in front."
Mommy smiled with relief.
"Now I recognize it. Thank you so much."
They turned back, with Zhan following behind.
They stepped over the gutter at the entrance and entered the compound.
The building was old and worn, its structure visibly deteriorating.
Zhan stared around, wide-eyed.
Yakumbo was sitting in the courtyard, blowing into a firewood stove, smoke filling the air.
Mommy called softly,
"Jie…"
Yakumbo looked up, her eyes widening in shock.
"Xixue?!"
Mommy walked up to her and embraced her tightly.
"It's really me."
Yakumbo beamed with joy.
"Welcome! Where are you coming from? How is your husband?"
"From Juren Village," Mommy replied. "He's fine. He sends his greetings."
Yakumbo looked her over.
"You've lost weight since your wedding. And who is that?"
She pointed at Zhan.
Mommy answered gently,
"He's my late husband's son… Zhan."
Yakumbo gasped.
"Oh my… he's almost a young man now. So they finally let you take him?"
Mommy nodded faintly.
"It's a long story, Jie. Let us rest first."
"That's true," Yakumbo said quickly. "Let me get you some water."
She spread a mat for them before going to fetch it.
Mommy sat down and gestured for Zhan to come closer.
He carefully stepped across the uneven ground scattered around the courtyard and sat beside her.
Mommy asked,
"Jie, where is everyone?"
Yakumbo replied,
"My grandchildren went out to play....I haven't seen them since morning. The neighbor's children have gone out to sell goods, and their parents are at work. Only Ladi is around; she went to the neighbor's house earlier. I'll be heading out soon myself to sell tofu and sweet potatoes by the roadside."
Mommy fell silent, a chill running through her.
Yakumbo continued,
"It's even a blessing I was home when you arrived. The landlord has already given us notice...he plans to demolish the house. Honestly, the place is already falling apart."
Mommy said nothing, her heart growing heavier as she took it all in.
Mommy looked at her quickly.
"Where will you move to, Jie?"
Yakumbo sighed.
"I honestly don't know yet. I'm still searching. Even renting a place requires money, and things are really hard everywhere. I actually went out earlier today to look for a house. The landlord only gave us one week...after that, he'll throw our things out."
"Goodness…" Mommy murmured.
Yakumbo shook her head.
"All we can do is pray. The world has become something else."
She then turned to Zhan, who was sitting quietly in a corner.
"You, boy....get up and go to the shop outside and buy something for me."
Mommy quickly intervened.
"But he doesn't know the area."
Yakumbo waved her hand dismissively.
"There are shops everywhere here. As long as he steps outside, he'll find one."
She pulled out some crumpled money and tossed it toward Zhan.
Zhan stood up, picked it up, and looked at her.
"How much is it?"
Yakumbo blinked in confusion.
"Huh?"
Mommy answered calmly,
"Twenty yuan."
Zhan nodded and stepped outside.
Yakumbo frowned slightly.
"That sounded like another language."
Mommy smiled faintly.
"He spoke English."
Yakumbo raised her brows.
"Oh… so it's something for educated people."
(Remember, the character's was spoking Chinese...General Mandarin, but since i can't write it and you guy's can't read it😂😂😂 that's why i wrote in English too.)
Mommy said nothing.
After a moment of silence, Mommy followed Zhan outside.
They almost bumped into each other at the entrance.
"Where is what you were sent to buy?" she asked. "Why did you take so long?"
Zhan looked embarrassed.
"Mommy… I forgot what she said."
Mommy frowned.
"Give me the money."
He handed it over.
Mommy took some extra cash from her pouse, went out, bought the items herself, and returned.
Yakumbo had already started cooking plain rice. Soon, she served the food onto plates.
Mommy ate quietly, her appetite gone as she watched Zhan picking through the rice.
Yakumbo, meanwhile, was cutting tofu she planned to fry later at her roadside stall, chatting casually with Mommy.
Around four o'clock, Yakumbo called a young boy to carry her things to her selling spot by the roadside.
As she tied her worn apron, she said,
"Xixue, I'm heading out. If you get hungry, serve yourselves more food. And please help me sweep the room and bring out the dishes...leave it by the gutter. Or you can ask your boy to do it."
Mommy nodded.
"Alright, Jie. But the children still haven't come back."
Yakumbo waved it off.
"Leave them. They're probably at the neighbors'. Once hunger catches them, they'll come back one by one."
With that, she left, carrying a bowl of soaked sweet potatoes.
Mommy watched her go.
Zhan frowned slightly.
"Mommy… the food tastes strange and testless."
Mommy gave him a firm look.
"You will eat it like this. Didn't you see me eating it too?"
Zhan said nothing more.
Mommy stood up and entered Yakumbo's small room.
A strong odor filled the space. There was barely any ventilation, just a tiny window. Clothes were scattered everywhere, and the walls were cracked and peeling.
Her heart sank.
She lifted the thin, worn-out mattress and began cleaning...removing dirty bowls and cups, then sweeping the entire room.
By the time she finished and stepped outside, Zhan had fallen asleep, leaving his food untouched.
She gently woke him and handed him some money.
"Go back to the shop you visited earlier. Buy milk and biscuits and come back to eat."
Zhan took the money and left.
:
:
Around five o'clock, Yakumbo's three grandchildren returned.
They were dirty and exhausted from playing.
Mommy bathed them using laundry soap she found, then served them food.
Zhan sat quietly, watching them with a strange expression.
Mommy even went out to buy roasted or grilled pork meat from the neighborhood and added it to their meal, hoping Zhan would eat.
Instead, he picked out the meat and left the rice, claiming he was full.
It was nearly eight o'clock when Yakumbo returned, accompanied by the young boy carrying her fried goods.
She greeted them warmly.
Mommy stood up to help her unload everything.
Later that night, after Zhan had fallen asleep, Mommy explained everything to Yakumbo...why she had come and what had happened.
Yakumbo listened carefully, then shook her head.
"This world is full of cruelty now."
Mommy remained silent.
Yakumbo clicked her tongue.
"Well, this isn't a problem. Taking care of an orphan is nothing."
Mommy counted out one thousand and handed it to Yakumbo.
"Use this to buy food and noodles, Jie. And enroll him in a public school for now. When things get better, I'll move him to a better one."
She gave her another one thousand.
"This is for his school supplies."
Yakumbo was overwhelmed with gratitude, thanking her repeatedly as though she herself had given the money.
It was almost one in the morning before they finally went to bed...after Yakumbo had spent a long time cursing Mommy's co-wives and Uncle Jincai.
⏭ ⏭ ⏭
The next morning, Mommy prepared to return to Juren Village.
She wrote down her phone number for Yakumbo, asking her to call if they ever moved so she could come check on Zhan.
Then, using a small trick, they sent Zhan on an errand.
While he was away, Mommy quietly left the house.
Her heart felt unbearably heavy.
When Zhan returned and didn't see Mommy, his eyes widened in panic.
He began crying loudly, shouting that he wanted to go to her.
Yakumbo quickly grabbed a small stick and snapped,
"Do you see this? I swear I'll hit you if you keep making noise and exposing me to the neighbors! Useless boy. Go with Faxi and buy firewood....I need it for frying tofu later."
Zhan, trembling, followed reluctantly.
The women in the compound, who had been watching everything, began to talk among themselves.
"Kulu, you're waiting for Faxi to grow older before sending her to work and earn some money....so why not send this boy instead? Just look at him, he can do all kinds of work, even washing."
Yakumbo said nothing.
She simply stood there, watching them in silence.
When they returned home, Zhan held only two small bundles of firewood in his hands, while Faxi carried nearly six. The women in the house, including Yakumbo, stared in disbelief as Zhan dropped his load, panting heavily.
Yakumbo frowned. "What is this you brought?"
Struggling to catch his breath, Zhan replied softly jn his fluent English, "Firewood… it's too heavy, and it keeps pricking me."
Yakumbo's face hardened instantly. "Speak that nonsense English to your mother, Xixue....not to me! Go back and carry the rest. Faxi won't go with you. You're useless anyway."
She shoved him away.
Zhan stumbled out, wiping the tears that streamed down his face.
The firewood seller noticed his condition...anyone could tell he wasn't used to carry such weight. With a sigh, the seller added the firewood into the container and placed it carefully on Zhan's head.
"Take it home and bring my container back," the seller said gently.
Zhan nodded faintly. "Thank you…"
When he arrived home, he stood there silently with the heavy load still balanced on his head.
Yakumbo had ordered that no one should help him. Eventually, Ladi clicked her tongue in annoyance and removed it for him.
"If you can't handle work, then toughen yourself. Stop acting like you're made of nothing," she scolded.
Zhan said nothing.
After emptying the firewood, he quietly told Yakumbo he would return the container. She didn't even spare him a glance.
☀☀☀
Three days later, Yakumbo stood in the middle of the compound, shouting endlessly. For over thirty minutes, she ranted without pause, foam gathering at the corners of her mouth. The other women sat around, not calming her down but instead encouraging her anger.
Zhan stood by the doorway, thin and exhausted. His face had darkened, his body frail. His eyes were swollen from crying, and faint marks of whipping were visible on his skin.
Ladi scoffed.
"If you knew he'd turn out like this, you shouldn't have taken him in. What's the use of a teenager you can't benefit from? He's stubborn and useless. You didn't even beat him enough....you should've broken that pride of his, especially that annoying English he uses in this house."
Yakumbo hissed angrily.
"Xixue deceived me… She knew what kind of child he was and still sent him to me. He can't do anything properly! When he washes, he soaks his own clothes and wastes hours by the stream. When he sweeps, he barely moves. Even a five-year-old like Faxi does better. Send him on errands, and you must repeat it three times! He can't even light firewood properly. Cooking? Don't even mention it! When I ask him to bathe the little ones, he gets soap into their eyes or noses!"
She paused, breathing heavily before continuing.
"I only took him in because I thought I could benefit from him. Otherwise, why would I burden myself? Soon we'll be thrown out of this house, and I haven't secured another place yet. If I knew where Xixue lives, I would've sent him back and demanded my money. I can't deal with this useless child!"
Mei spoke calmly,
"Children like him should be sent out to hard work. That's the only way they learn discipline."
Yakumbo snapped immediately,
"A child who can't even sweep properly? If I send him out, we'll both be thrown out!"
Ladi shook her head.
"No, you'll tell them he can do everything. Once he gets there, they'll force him to learn. People who don't value kindness will be push hard...he'll suffer, but he'll improve. Even the little food you give him now...he still goes hungry. Over there, it'll be worse. That hardship will discipline him."
Yakumbo slowly sat down, thinking deeply.
"That… actually makes sense. But…"
She paused and glanced at Zhan, who stood quietly watching them.
Suddenly, she barked,
"Get out! Go to the shop and collect the fifty coins I'm owed...bring me pepper!"
Zhan immediately ran off.
Yakumbo turned back to Ladi.
"What about Xixue? She won't agree to this."
Ladi laughed.
"Then don't tell her. Leave this neighborhood quietly. Say you haven't found a place yet and moved to stay with a relative. Rent a small room somewhere...no one needs to know. You don't even have a phone. By the time you've made enough money from the boy, you can decide whether to return him and warne him not to say anything to her ."
Yakumbo smiled slowly.
"You always give the best advice. I'll even use part of the money to enroll him in a public school. I'll rent a small room and continue my business. If he earns even a little from work… I won't suffer anymore."
Ladi smirked.
"Then you owe us for this brilliant idea."
Yakumbo's expression darkened slightly.
"I'll give you something small."
The plan was set.
By the next morning, Bibalo arrived with her friend Lanfen, who had connections to wealthy households.
"There's a house looking for a young servant," Bibalo explained. "Cleaning, washing… basic work. There's already a cook there. We tried before, but the gate was never opened. Today, we'll try again. If they accept him, good. If not, we'll wait for another opportunity."
Yakumbo nodded eagerly.
"Let's go. We must try."
Zhan shook his head slowly.
Yakumbo forced a smile.
"It's the house you would be working and paid you alot of money, i will save it for you to enroll you in a good school and even save some for your married someday"
Zhan remained silent, his expression unreadable.
Yakumbo lowered her voice, almost pleading now.
"So when we get there, you must say you can do everything. Work hard...very hard. Move quickly whenever you're told to do something. And listen…" she leaned closer, her tone sharpening, "…don't speak that strange language of yours in that house. Just speak normal dialect. If you don't know what to say, then keep quiet. Don't embarrass me."
Zhan gave a faint nod.
"Now go and change your clothes," she continued. "I'll pack the rest for you. They're not even washed, but when you get there, just soak them in water, add soap, and hang them. Even if you don't know how to wash properly, just pretend."
She quickly stuffed his few belongings into a small, worn travel bag...the only one she had left after selling the better one.
By half past nine, Yakumbo and Lanfen left the house together with Zhan. After brief farewells from the others...who wished them luck more out of curiosity than kindness...Yakumbo tightly held Zhan's hand as they walked to the roadside.
Lanfen glanced at her.
"You do know you'll pay for the transport, right?"
Yakumbo frowned immediately.
"Why should I?"
Lanfen gave her a sharp look.
"Because I didn't bring you here for free. If you know the place, go on your own."
Yakumbo quickly grabbed her arm.
"Alright, alright. Let's go together."
Lanfen said nothing more and flagged down a small vehicle. They both climbed in, with Zhan sitting quietly on Yakumbo's lap.
The journey was long....longer than Zhan had ever traveled before.
From the moment they left, Yakumbo silently prayed, her fingers gripping her gown tightly. She hoped desperately that Zhan would be accepted into the household. If not… everything she had planned would collapse.
As they entered a different part of the city, Yakumbo's eyes widened in awe. Luxurious houses stretched endlessly on both sides of the road...tall buildings and gates, polished walls, quiet streets lined with greenery.
Her mouth fell open slightly.
Lanfen directed the driver until they reached a particularly quiet and elegant street. Every gate was surrounded by carefully trimmed plants, and the road was smooth and spotless.
Finally, they stopped in front of a grand, imposing mansion gate.
Yakumbo froze.
The house beyond it was unlike anything she had ever seen. Vast. Silent. Almost intimidating.
For a moment, she felt like running away.
They stepped out.
Her expression tightened when she remembered she had to pay. Reluctantly, she handed the money to the driver, shooting Lanfen an annoyed glance. Lanfen ignored her completely.
"Let's hope for luck," Lanfen muttered. "The last time I came here, I waited for hours and still didn't get in."
Yakumbo snapped immediately,
"Speak good things...or don't speak at all. Of course we'll get in."
She approached the gate cautiously, as if it might shatter at the slightest touch. Gently, she knocked.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Four.
Finally, the gate creaked open slightly, revealing a guard who looked at them with suspicion.
Yakumbo quickly lowered herself in a respectful greeting.
"Who are you looking for?" he asked.
She stood up, forcing a smile.
"We're here to see the madam of the house. She asked us to bring a young worker, and by good fortune, we've found a capable one."
She pushed Zhan slightly forward. "Please, let us in so we can present him properly."
The guard shook his head.
"There's already a worker in this house. I don't think another one is needed."
Yakumbo's lips trembled.
"They will need him," she insisted quickly. "Just look at him...he can do anything. And the mistress herself told us to come. We even spoke before coming. Please… we came from very far."
The guard crossed his arms.
"Then call her. If she says you can enter, you may enter."
Silence fell.
Yakumbo and Lanfen both swallowed hard.
Neither of them had a phone.
Yakumbo forced a laugh, her voice shaky.
"Oh… I must have forgotten my phone at home. I swear it."
Lanfen turned sharply, staring at her in disbelief.
She clearly remembered Bibalo saying Yakumbo didn't even own a phone.
The guard narrowed his eyes.
And Zhan… stood quietly between them, his small fingers tightening around the edge of his worn sleeve.
For the first time, something unfamiliar flickered in his eyes...
Not fear.
But the quiet awareness that his fate… was being decided right at that gate.
💚💙❤🖤