Rebirth: My Mother is a Virgin Mary

At four o'clock in the afternoon, the summer heat had not completely dissipated, and stalls had been set up on both sides of the street. This is the main road of the county, with a large flow of people and a very prosperous night market economy. Our county is far away from the city, with a general geographical location, a small area, and no industry or agriculture. It is not surrounded by mountains or water, and there are no tourist resources. It is the type that is not loved by parents. However, the catering industry is surprisingly developed, with a wide variety of snacks and diverse flavors. Both local varieties and foreign dishes can be well integrated. At night, this is the most lively place in the county. Catering has driven the street stall economy. The street stalls on this street almost cover everything, including food, clothing, housing, transportation, and entertainment. The city we belong to is a famous tourist city, and this night market street has also attracted many tourists. The county also strongly supports this. In order to facilitate management and for beauty, stall grids are drawn on both sides of the road. It is only stipulated that stalls can be set up after four o'clock in the afternoon, and there is no stipulated end time, so even if you want to have a midnight snack in the early morning, you can find what you want to eat. In a few years, our county may even be known as the "catering capital"...

I looked at the scattered stalls and suddenly wanted to eat fried stinky tofu. If I remember correctly, the stall should be across an intersection. The main road is very long, connecting the north and the south. The night market street is only a small part of the main road, across an intersection. It takes at least half an hour to walk from beginning to end without stopping at any stall.

Walk a little further, and when you get there, you’ll see the stinky tofu stall.

For a long time, when I was in junior high school, I took Cheng Xinyuan to eat all over the streets and alleys of the county. At that time, the price was cheap. You could buy a big bowl of wontons for three yuan, and spend another yuan to buy a fried cake. Cheng Xinyuan and I could eat until we were full. No matter how delicious the food you buy outside is, you will get bored after a long time. At that time, the catering industry in the county was not so developed. There were only a few dishes back and forth, and after all, you couldn’t afford the expensive ones. Cheng Xinyuan protested more than once, but I had no choice. The rest time was short and there was no time to cook.

Ms. Lin had just entered the clothing retail business and was very busy. She thought she had a lot to learn, so she went to all kinds of order fairs and trade shows. The longest time she stayed in the provincial capital was a full ten days. She left a hundred yuan for me and Cheng Xinyuan, and she didn't even call us during that time. Cheng Xinyuan really missed her mother, so she called her with the worn-out Nokia she left me, but she still said "I don't know how to manage my brother."

Ms. Lin has a good vision and unique style. Unlike other clothing stores that purchase similar styles in bulk, Ms. Lin has long understood "hunger marketing" and focuses on free and easy temperament. Each style is limited in quantity and first come first served. Not long after opening, she attracted many customers. The word "limited" has a fatal attraction to people no matter when and where... In addition, Ms. Lin has a good figure and a living signboard. She treats people sincerely and treats every customer as a friend, so her business is very good.

Good business means that Ms. Lin is busier and has to buy more frequently. She has no time to take care of Cheng Xinyuan and me. I always attend Cheng Xinyuan's parent-teacher conferences. Sometimes my neighbor's aunt or uncle attends my parent-teacher conferences, but Ms. Lin never attends.

Ms. Lin likes her current job very much. Although it is sometimes more tiring than working in a hotel, she is happy. She loves beauty and has learned tailoring. She has almost never left the clothing industry. She always says that it is a blessing in disguise. Maybe, she cares more about her customers than her children...

We couldn't live in the house we rented before, so we moved to the store. At that time, the store only had a storefront, and a small room was separated. The front was the store, and the inside was the residence. It was less than 10 square meters, and could only fit a bed and a wardrobe. The kitchen was next to the sink. It was called a kitchen, but it was just a table with pots and pans on it and a gas tank. The family lived in this small house. There was no toilet. If we needed to go to the bathroom, we could only go to a small hospital about 200 to 300 meters away from the store, where there was a public toilet. At that time, I often wondered why other people's houses were getting bigger and bigger, but ours were getting smaller and smaller...

The business gradually stabilized, and Ms. Lin was able to focus on me and Cheng Xinyuan. I didn't have to worry too much, as his grades were always good. Cheng Xinyuan was in a period where he needed someone to discipline him. Although I took care of him, I was powerless. He played with the children around him and learned some things he shouldn't have learned. He was only seven or eight years old, but he actually learned to steal money to go to the Internet cafe. It was only when the neighbors talked to Ms. Lin that she realized that her son had become like this in just a few months. She knew that sometimes her money would be five or ten yuan less, but she always thought that I stole it, and always questioned me without knowing the truth. Ms. Lin grabbed Cheng Xinyuan's ears and came out of the Internet cafe. A beating was inevitable. He told Ms. Lin that he would pick me up from school, but told me that he would stay at home. He lied to both sides and ended up going to the Internet cafe. I couldn't bear it, but I knew he deserved to be beaten.

But that time, I was the one who was beaten half to death...

She said I didn't take good care of Cheng Xinyuan, she said I betrayed her trust, she said I was selfish and only cared about myself and not my brother, she asked why other children could share the burden of the family but I couldn't, she said Cheng Xinyuan became like this because of me... She beat and scolded Cheng Xinyuan with a clothes rod that was more than one meter long. Cheng Xinyuan cried beside him and said he didn't dare to do it anymore. He begged his mother not to beat him anymore, but she didn't stop. I resisted for the first time and quarreled with her with a roar. The pain in my body was not as bad as the grievance in my heart. I don't know when I became incontinent to tears. When we quarreled, I couldn't stop crying. I used all the vocabulary I knew at that time to quarrel with her, but in return I got a heavier beating, and the clothes rod was replaced with a rolling pin. Ms. Lin felt that her dignity as a mother was trampled on. She beat me like crazy. I stopped quarreling and crying. Blood oozed from the corners of my mouth. Cheng Xinyuan's voice was hoarse from crying. The rolling pin was thrown aside, but she didn't stop. The store was closed. The whole house could only hear the sound of her slapping my mouth...

I bit into the stinky tofu that I bought after waiting in line for ten minutes, and it burst with juice in my mouth. There were so many people when they just opened, and I couldn't imagine it at night. It must be because their business is so good. The chili is spicy and the portion is large, especially the sauce, which is warm and rich with a long aftertaste. There are so many places selling stinky tofu, but I only like this one!

The beating happened in the second semester of junior high school, when summer had just begun. It wasn’t as hot as it is now, but we were wearing thin clothes. Ms. Lin used a clothes rod and a rolling pin, and finally she just beat me with her hands. You can imagine how many bruises I had on my body… When she got tired of beating me, she hugged me and cried. I really thought she was crazy. She didn’t think I would forgive her just because she hugged me and cried. One year later, Ms. Lin recalled the past and smiled and said that she didn’t know how the family survived in that room at that time. When I mentioned the beating, her face changed immediately: “Who would remember something that happened so far ago? You are really petty!”

Cheng Xinyuan never went to the Internet cafe again after that incident. He seemed to have grown up overnight and became extremely well-behaved. Later, I asked him why he suddenly became so honest, and he said, "I know that no matter what I do, they won't do anything to me, but they will beat you. Sister, if I'm better, you won't be beaten, so I would rather pretend to be good all my life." It was very windy that day, and it made my eyes blurry.

Maybe it was because I was in the rebellious period of adolescence. After being beaten, I felt that Ms. Lin was extremely hypocritical. Her sincerity and kindness were all fake. She only pretended to be decent in front of outsiders. She and Cheng Xingmin were really a perfect match. I also pretended to be a good daughter in front of her. I still did everything, such as washing clothes, cooking, and tidying up the shelves. Ms. Lin boasted to outsiders that her daughter could do everything and was equivalent to a nanny and a salesperson. I cursed her thousands of times in my heart: Whose nanny and salesperson only get 50 yuan a week!

Cheng Xingmin was a stickler for convention, spoke with sarcastic words, and loved to take advantage of others. His business was ruined. After a few years of working away from home, he could no longer bear it. He missed the days of stable work and returned home in disgrace. The house was small to begin with, barely enough for one adult and two children. With him in it, it seemed crowded, but he didn't care and said it would help deepen family affection. Bah, what a deep family affection!