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uncle
lady
girl
youth
loli
sister
In the evening, the women of the Red Leaf Production Team finished their work and returned home in small groups.
Only one woman, holding a seven- or eight-year-old girl, had no company. The other women in the team avoided her as if she were a plague.
They even gave this woman a nickname—"Rotten Belly." The reason was that she had given birth to a child with mental disabilities, and anyone who touched her or spoke to her would be "infected," giving birth to a child who would also be a "fool."
Tian Lanxiang had long grown accustomed to this. Initially, she felt wronged and angry, but over time, she came to terms with it, just as her husband said, "Forget about these peoples nonsense."
No matter how "foolish" her daughter was, she was a hundred, a thousand times more beautiful than any other child!
Tian Lanxiang pinched her daughters face, which was as soft as flour, and made a smacking sound to make her daughter laugh. The little girl giggled, and Tian Lanxiang felt all her fatigue melt away.
Feeling energized, she picked up her daughter and hurried home.
"Look at her, look at her, what a sight, rushing like shes being chased by ghosts. That Rotten Belly woman is probably going crazy!" the women around Tian Lanxiang pointed and whispered.
Tian Lanxiang stopped abruptly, pointed at them, and shouted, "Its none of your damn business! If you dare say that again, Ill tear your mouths apart!"
The curses her husband taught her always worked. Those people dared not approach her, nor did they dare to argue back, fearing they would be "infected" with a "rotten belly."
Leaving those infuriated women behind, the mother and daughter giggled as they ran home.
Upon arriving home, her youngest son, who had been doing his homework at the doorstep, rushed up excitedly, "Moms back! Was little sister well-behaved today?"
Tian Lanxiang put down her daughter and patted her sons head, "Shes better behaved than you, wheres your third brother? Hasnt he finished school yet?"
Without receiving praise, Tang Panmei huffed and returned to his seat, dejectedly replying, "Third brother was detained after school, he probably wont be back until its dark."
"This brat, always getting detained, Ill have to tell his father to give him a good scolding!" Tian Lanxiang grumbled as she went inside, "Panmei, watch your sister, Im going to cook."
"Got it."
Tang Panmei led his sister to sit next to him, "Little sister, fourth brother has just a little homework left, once Im done, Ill play with you, okay?"
The little girl nodded blankly after a while.
Tang Panmei carefully wiped his sisters mouth with a bib and continued with his homework.
When he finished his homework and stretched, he suddenly noticed his sister was gone!
The familys threshold was high, and his little sister couldnt have entered alone, nor had any adult come out to take her away.
He searched the house first but didnt find her, so he went outside to look around.
Just as he was about to cry from worry, he saw a small figure on a stone bridge a few houses away.
He quickly ran over and carried her off the bridge. Although there was no water under the bridge, there was a pit more than a persons height deep, and falling into it would have been disastrous. Fortunately, he arrived in time.
"Little sister, why did you run here? You scared fourth brother half to death, you know? Dont run around like that anymore, okay?" Tang Panmei held his sisters hand as they walked home, admonishing her. Although he couldnt figure out how his sister could have run so far alone.
"Are you... my brother?"
A voice as sweet and soft as glutinous rice.
Tang Panmei froze, looking around, there was no one else.
Could it be?
He looked down at his little sister, her eyes no longer vacant, but like two black pearls, gazing at him just like a normal persons, no, a hundred times, a thousand times more beautiful!
Tang Panmei sniffed, tears streaming down his face. He picked up Tang Xiaoan and ran home, crying as he ran, "Mom! Little sister has woken up! Little sister has woken up!"
