Chapter 1

When he was young, his mind was a mess. Back then, he did not study well and spent every day mingling with a group of small-time delinquents, drunkenly wandering outside in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, he caught the attention of an old convict and became a confused victim. Later, he even became more confused and got pregnant, giving birth to Wei Qian.

On several occasions, Wei Qian had already purchased rat poison, preparing to mix it into the food and perish together with her. However, in the end, he could not bring himself to do it, because at times when that woman attempted to be a mother, she would wrap her soft arms around him and watch television for a while, and when she was happy, she would gently whisper a few words in his ear

Crying with a smile, living alongside death - Yu Hua, "To Live"

Wang Yang sang loudly: "Little lamb, little lamb, round and plump, a single gulp and down it goes, not a single one can escape!" The smallest boy rubbed his eyes and discovered that his companions were being chased by a monster as large as a mountain. However, they were too fat to run quickly, and before they could reach the water's edge, they were caught and eaten one by one. They all fell into the most dangerous trap, and only the smallest boy managed to escape, passing this story down through the generations.

At five thirty in the morning, the sky has not yet fully brightened

He dreamed that he was still very young, about five or six years old, sitting at the head of the bed, with a warm radiator on one side and leaning against a woman on the other side

Women always lurk during the day and emerge at night. The work she relies on for her livelihood is ancient and traditional, with a history of thousands of years in our country that has remained in the shadows. This is a job that has brought Wei Qian countless "glories"—his mother is a "chicken". To put it in the shameless words of this woman, the benefit of this job is that she can take advantage of men without cost, while still having men give her money

Her melodious yet vulgar voice was interrupted by a sharp ringing sound, and Wei Qian, as if startled, suddenly opened her eyes and sprang up from the bed

However, he would secretly hope that she could offer him a bit of warmth. Occasionally, when she truly did, Wei Qian would feel an immense happiness. Therefore, he also hated himself, believing that he had poor genes and was inherently flawed.

As an "egg", Wei Qian's childhood was a prolonged torment

Wei Qian has never known who his father is, nor does he know how many noses and eyes he has. The only concept he has of this person is that he is a scoundrel and a bastard—this notion stems from his mother incessantly repeating it in his ear for ten years.

The boys and girls jumped over the stream one after another to enjoy the delicious meal on the opposite side. A day passed, and the man-eating monster did not appear. A month passed, and the man-eating monster still did not show up. They laughed loudly at the rushing stream, and then together they settled on that side of the stream, freely wandering in the beautiful forest every day, enjoying exquisite food and countless candies. Only the youngest boy remained in place, no matter how much his increasingly plump companions shouted from the opposite bank, he steadfastly refused to take a step closer. "They laughed loudly at the rushing stream, and then together they settled on that side of the stream, freely wandering in the beautiful forest every day, enjoying exquisite food and countless candies. Only the youngest boy remained in place, no matter how much his increasingly plump companions shouted from the opposite bank, he steadfastly refused to take a step closer."

Wei Qian referred to him as uncle

This day marks the date when Wei Qian participates in the high school entrance examination

Wei Qian finds joy in this and does not feel any pain, for he has learned at school that he is also a bud among the flowers of his motherland; he lives this life with complete satisfaction

However, Wei Qian hardly ever called her by that unfortunate name "Sister"; he referred to her as "Little Treasure" until she reached adulthood

If she earns a considerable income at night, she will still buy two sets of jianbing guozi for Wei Qian on her way home in the morning

The yellowed pages turned over, and the story without beginning or end came to an end. The woman seemed to have completed a significant project, sighed, and casually said to Wei Qian, who was leaning against her: "So, one should not live too comfortably. When you become well-fed and lazy, eating to your heart's content every day until dusk, you will be close to meeting your demise..."

That winter, she even took the initiative to knit a sweater for Wei Qian. He only wore that sweater for one winter, and due to his rapid growth, he could no longer wear it the following year. However, it was always treasured and carefully kept in the cabinet by Wei Qian, as it was almost the only gift he received during his childhood

At the very beginning, the children were all stunned and did not dare to take a step forward. They lived on this side of the creek, subsisting on wild mushrooms and wild strawberries. The wild mushrooms were tasteless and bland, while the wild strawberries were sour and unripe. Finally, one day, the oldest boy said to himself: 'I can no longer endure this. How wonderful it would be if I could eat the pastries and roasted chicken from the other side, not to mention the countless candies.'

She transformed into a normal woman and a normal mother

He wiped his hands on his apron, remained silent, and cheerfully waved to the two gentlemen upstairs, indicating that he had heard them—oh, Mazi is a stutterer, and he usually does not engage in grandiloquent discussions in public.

The two of them lived on in this way, harboring mutual animosity yet relying on each other for survival

This ominous name will accompany the little girl throughout her life, seemingly foreshadowing that separations and farewells will persistently weave through her fragile existence

Wei Qianchong whistled a long whistle downstairs, showing no concern for waking the neighbors, and shouted downstairs: "Mazi, bring me three fried dough sticks!"

Then Wei Qian rode his old bicycle to school

One of the victims created by the old labor reform offenders is Wei Qian's mother... Oh, by the way, there is also Wei Qian, this indirect victim

That woman is truly beautiful, comparable to those prominent stars on television, with an oval face, fair complexion, and well-defined features

Nevertheless, Wei Qian still harbored a deep-seated hatred for her.

His uncle's surname is Song, and the "Li Li" in "Li Li Yuan Shang Cao" refers to the "Li Li". His nickname is Xiao Bao

The one shouting is the chubby fellow upstairs, who has already become as round as a ball, yet still stubbornly takes pride in being a "food bucket," with a level of thought that is simply extraordinary.

When Wei Qian was seven and a half years old, just before he turned eight, his mother gave birth to a girl.

Wei Qian remained immersed in the dream he had just experienced, a dream that was both beautiful and nightmarish

Later, perhaps finding him a nuisance at home, when Wei Qian had just turned six years old, his stepfather took the initiative to send him to elementary school, riding a large two-eighth bicycle to take him to report to school

During this process, he befriended many young delinquents who were much older than him. The boss found it amusing to see him, being so young, running around picking up balls and serving dishes. Additionally, he had a keen sense of observation and was very adept at reading people's expressions, which led the boss to keep him around as a peculiar mascot for entertainment.

Therefore, he is always afraid that his uncle will be unhappy, fearing that his uncle and his mother will divorce, which would force him to return to a life worse than that of pigs and dogs

Wei Qian thought that it would be best if that old scoundrel were to be killed by other inmates in prison before his sentence was completed

Hate every day, as if clocking in at a specific time and place, wishing to devour her flesh and drink her blood

San Pang was foaming at the mouth and could not be bothered to pay attention to him, so he had no choice but to extend a pig's paw amidst his busy schedule and gave Wei Qian the middle finger.

Wei Qian felt that compared to three and six, it was quite lacking in heroic spirit, so he looked up at San Pang and said: "Pig, you are really proactive in going out to pasture, showing a sense of ideological awareness"

The children who spent their days by the stream called out to their little friends: "Hey, come over here, the stream is lying, there are no man-eating monsters here, life is like being in paradise!" However, the youngest boy remained unmoved; he continued to survive by foraging for mushrooms and wild strawberries. He remembered his grandmother's words when he set out: there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world, and unwarranted ease is the most terrifying trap in the jungle.

Wei Qian is strong | The father of the perpetrator ended her entire adolescence, leaving her completely dark both inside and out, and increasingly shameless.

One night, suddenly, the youngest boy heard a sharp roar. He was startled awake, opened his eyes, and found that the creek had swelled, splitting the earth in two and transforming it into a vast ocean

He struggled to get up like a dead dog, his forehead weighed down by the low pressure of sleep deprivation. He picked up his slippers and swatted a cockroach that was swaggering across his bedside. Then, hopping on one leg to the water pipe, he rinsed the soles of his shoes, and with the sound of "pat pat" from his footsteps, he washed his hands and rinsed the rice, using a deformed small pot to cook porridge.

The children walked together to the other side of the mountain and discovered a small stream. The water joyfully flowed from the east to the west, chattering, "Foolish children, here are fragrant pastries, golden roasted chickens, countless candies hanging on the trees, colorful like the stars in the sky, never to be picked clean. There are also man-eating monsters waiting to raise you into plump little lambs, ready to swallow you whole."

His biological mother is more beautiful than any woman he has ever seen in his life, yet it has brought him not the slightest bit of honor

Then he leaned his head out of the window and saw that the breakfast stall of the Ma family downstairs had already been set up and was heating the oil in the pan

Not to mention gathering, but rather to emphasize "parting"; I have never heard of anyone naming their child with such a grand name. It truly is as auspicious as it can be

Every night, she would curse and leave the house, only to return the next morning. She would wake him up by pinching him awake with her long nails. If she was in a good mood, she would scold him along with his parents and uncles. If she was in a bad mood, she would slap him twice and then, reeking of alcohol, order the little Wei Qian, who was still shorter than the kitchen counter, to get her something to eat

The girl looks just like her uncle, which means she is quite ugly, yet the whole family dotes on her excessively

His biological mother and stepfather are both illiterate and only care about the "moisture" aspect, naming the child something like this is purely a reckless act for no reason

When Wei Qian was five years old, his mother remarried. His stepfather was an honest man, earning little and lacking in skills. He was not particularly warm towards this stepson, but he never abused him either

He was the first to jump over the stream, and he had a hearty meal in the beautiful forest. In the evening, he jumped back to this side of the stream and told everyone that there were no man-eating monsters in the forest. The next day, the oldest girl said to herself, 'How wonderful it would be if I could eat the pastries and roasted chicken from the other side, along with countless candies.' That day, she followed the first boy and jumped over the stream, enjoying a hearty meal in the beautiful forest. In the evening, the two returned together, claiming that they still had not encountered any man-eating monsters.

After all, there is only one person in the world who is his biological mother; if she is killed, she will be gone forever, and he cannot bear to do that

After Uncle arrived, his mother overnight "put down the butcher's knife and became a Buddha," no longer going out to indulge in debauchery. It was almost an immediate transformation; she washed away her past excesses, wore her hair up high, abstained from alcohol completely, and her temper improved significantly

She was born in spring, but her parents found names like "Chun" (Spring) and "Liu" (Willow) too rustic and unworthy of their precious daughter. It was a challenge for her mother and uncle, as their combined education did not even amount to nine years. They deliberated for over a week, and in the end, after exhausting their brains, they gave the girl a name they believed to be poetic: "Song Lili".

The woman appears to have a low level of education, with very limited reading ability. She stumbles over simple fairy tales, often producing confusing pauses in her speech. However, she seems quite pleased with herself, holding the book in one hand and resting the other on her belly, her voice sweet and clear, her expression calm and beautiful

It is often said that children around the age of six or seven are unruly and even dogs would dislike them, yet when Wei Qian was six or seven, he was as obedient as a dog. He did not utter a single unnecessary word, nor did he make any requests. If the adults did not take the initiative to give, he would never ask them for money. Sometimes, when the school required a fee for something, Wei Qian would first borrow from others, and then he would go to the billiard hall or game hall to do odd jobs, earning a few dollars to pay it back.

Having secured breakfast, Wei Qian hurriedly turned to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face, commencing his busy yet arduous day

The woman, with her large belly, made him hesitant to come too close; he merely leaned his tilted head lightly against her arm, creating an illusion of intimacy and dependence.

Mazi's father had long since passed away; he was an orphan living with his widowed mother. His mother made a living by selling breakfast items, and every morning, Mazi had to get up to help his mother fry dough sticks. He was also quite accustomed to hearing his friends barking at each other early in the morning.

Although this situation is extremely precious and hard to come by, it always leaves the young Wei Qian astonished. Whenever this happens, he no longer wishes to kill this woman, for he is reminded that this woman is his own mother

Moreover, it goes without saying that she barely managed to raise him.

He let the cooked porridge cool down while tidying himself up, then he dashed downstairs with some change to buy fried dough sticks. After returning, he woke up his younger sister, Xiaobao, and watched her finish her breakfast. He then carried her upstairs and handed her over to Sanpang's mother for care. Before leaving, he even swatted away Xiaobao's hand as she tried to put more food into her mouth.

She held a tattered old book in her hands, carefully reading the story written within it

Therefore, rationally speaking, Wei Qian understands why his mother has never favored him since childhood. He feels that the fact she did not directly strangle him to death at the moment of his birth was already a result of hormonal influence... Hormones are the true miracle of human life

It is said that the shameless old man is still serving time in prison, bearing the glorious title of "Violent Criminal," which is as imposing as it is fragrant, though one wonders when it will be officially conferred—of course, Wei Qian does not expect him to be released either, as he is nothing but a useless old reform-through-labor convict, and his release would only be a burden to society

He had just finished calling out when the window upstairs creaked open, and a chubby man with a toothbrush in his mouth mumbled, "I want six, pick the thickest and biggest for me"