Candy: What Else Do You Want?

Even if Wang Cai came, it would only mean another beating; she couldn't help at all. The scattered punches and kicks left her body feeling like a punctured ball—nothing hurt specifically, but any movement sent pain shooting through her.

"You're an ungrateful wolf too! A good-for-nothing bitch who betrays her own family! You hid it from me and sent her to that teacher's house—what, trying to run? Can Jiang Xu really be relied on? You just want to escape! Tired of living, are you?!"

"..."

Jiang Daguo beat Wang Cai until she cried out in pain, and Jiang Xu's detached thoughts were instantly swallowed by fury.

"Ouch! Stop hitting! Stop hitting!!..."

When the target shifted to Wang Cai, Jiang Daguo seemed even more excited—teeth clenched, eyes blazing, face flushed red. Wang Cai clung to his leg, but he just kicked her harder: "I knew what you were up to back then! I should never have married you! Bringing that burden Jiang Xu along!..."

"Wuwuwu... stop... stop hitting..."

Wang Cai's voice gradually weakened. Jiang Xu's eyes reddened and brimmed with tears. She scrambled to her feet and threw herself at Jiang Daguo, but he shoved her aside.

"Stop! Stop!"

Jiang Xu thought she smelled blood. Her throat went hoarse, her whole body ached, and she crawled up to grab Jiang Daguo's other leg, tears streaming down her cheeks like they cost nothing.

She heard Jiang Daguo's heavy panting: "Dad! Dad!... Stop hitting!!"

Jiang Daguo froze for a moment, then kicked Jiang Xu several feet away. His anger seemed to have subsided; he huffed and panted as he headed downstairs, cursing under his breath: "Worthless bitch!"

Jiang Xu's body went limp, and she collapsed onto the ground. She gasped for air, whimpering like a wounded animal. She wiped her face, her hands trembling, her face soaked with tears.

"Drip, drip."

Something fell to the floor. Jiang Xu crawled over to the head of the bed, fumbled for the flashlight, and looked at her hand. There were a few drops of blood on the ground. She touched her damp forehead and came away with a hand full of red. Her hand shook; she grabbed some paper and wiped it off.

Those kicks aimed at Wang Cai had been vicious. Wang Cai couldn't get up for a long time. Once Jiang Xu recovered her strength, she went to help Wang Cai up; the flashlight's beam illuminated Wang Cai's battered face, bruised and swollen.

Blood was even trickling from her forehead.

"Mom!" Jiang Xu was startled. She used every ounce of her strength to move Wang Cai onto the bed.

Wang Cai felt the world spinning, her vision a blur of scarlet. Jiang Xu's hand trembled as she gently wiped the blood from Wang Cai's forehead, but it wouldn't stop—it kept seeping out endlessly.

"Mom! Let's go to the clinic now." Jiang Xu tried to pull Wang Cai up.

Wang Cai shook her head weakly: "...I don't have the strength..."

"Mom!" Jiang Xu burst into sobs, barely able to speak.

"It's okay..." Wang Cai grabbed Jiang Xu's hand. "...I'll be fine in a couple of days."

Jiang Xu had never felt much affection for Wang Cai. In the past, she'd bitterly thought that even if Jiang Daguo beat Wang Cai to death, it wasn't her business. Wang Cai couldn't leave Jiang Daguo; she said she was bound to him for life.

Every time Jiang Xu saw Wang Cai beaten half to death, she couldn't understand her.

The tears wouldn't stop no matter what. Jiang Xu knelt by the bed, burying her face in Wang Cai's body, sobbing with muffled, buzzing sounds. Wang Cai patted her head, but the movement pulled at her injuries, making her wince.

Her eyes welled up as she stared at the pitch-black ceiling: "As long as you behave, that's enough."

But Jiang Xu only cried harder. She didn't understand why behaving meant not being allowed to study.

Jiang Daguo might have felt he'd gone too far that day—he cursed and grumbled but didn't raise his hand again.

Wang Cai lay in bed for several days. The gash on her forehead, untreated, had swollen even worse.

Jiang Xu insisted that Wang Cai go down the mountain with her to the clinic. Jiang Daguo called her a spendthrift.

Wang Cai, afraid he'd hit her again, looked terrified and said she wouldn't waste the money.

But in the end, she couldn't resist Jiang Xu's insistence and went along with her. Jiang Daguo was furious but didn't stop them.

The doctor bandaged Wang Cai's forehead and prescribed some topical medicine for bruising. One look at her face, and he sighed repeatedly: "Is Jiang Daguo even human? Sister Wang, you need to fight back! He's beating you like he's trying to kill you! If you don't resist, what about Jiang Xu?"

Then he checked Jiang Xu as well.

There were other patients around. Shuiqing Town was small—whatever happened in one household, the whole town knew by the next day.

Wang Cai's face fell; she said little and just pulled Jiang Xu toward the door.

The aunties and grannies sitting nearby chattered away, not caring about the drama: "Wang Cai—who doesn't know she used to be the prettiest woman in our town? She could've married anyone but Jiang Daguo!"

"Look at that girl Jiang Xu, suffering so much with her..."

"Ah..."

"A couple days ago, my kid said Jiang Xu was staying at the teacher's house. I thought the couple had finally come to their senses! They already produced a college student; maybe they'd produce another!"

"If she weren't so fickle and two-faced, her life wouldn't have turned out like this!"

Someone sneered out of nowhere, and the room went quiet.

"Jiang Daguo..."

"Let's go!" Wang Cai grabbed Jiang Xu's arm and rushed out.

Behind them came a voice: "What's wrong with you, saying that in front of a child like Jiang Xu..."

Jiang Xu glanced at Wang Cai but didn't quite understand.

Wang Cai turned around and wrapped an arm around Jiang Xu's shoulder. The two walked on in silence.

They passed Qing Middle on the way. School was on break, so no one was around.

Jiang Xu turned her head to look. It was the same few buildings, yet she felt a strange sense of unreality.

Soon, Qing Middle was far behind them.

Jiang Xu's mind began to stir with restless thoughts again, but then she remembered Jiang Daguo's vicious beatings.

She shuddered and pushed the thought away.

Jiang Xu remembered there was a shorter path home—walk to the end, cross Shuiqing Bridge, and climb up the mountain. That would take them home. The route past the school was the long way around.

Up ahead was a small shop. It wasn't big, but it had just about everything, like a treasure chest. Wang Cai led her over: "Jiang Xu, is there anything you want to eat? Mom will buy it for you."

In Jiang Xu's memory, Wang Cai rarely bought her anything, so she didn't know what to make of it: "I don't want anything."

If Jiang Daguo saw it, he might just beat her again.

"Mom has money. Take whatever you want to eat."

They reached the shop, and Wang Cai picked up a bottle of soy sauce and some vinegar. Jiang Xu looked at her, pursed her lips, and grabbed a lollipop.

When she'd been at Liang Xiaoqing's place, Liang Xiaoqing was always buying her treats.

Sometimes she'd bring back a big bag of snacks when she went to town for supplies. Sometimes after evening study, she'd come to the shop and tell Jiang Xu to pick whatever she liked.

What Jiang Xu picked most was candy. Because it was cheap.

Holiday time was always nice. Aside from the school playground, this little shop was where the most kids gathered—laughing and shouting as they played hide-and-seek.

In the narrow aisle, goods piled up on shelves on both sides. A little girl hugged Jiang Xu's leg, looked up with big round eyes, and said in a small voice: "Sister, can you get me a bubble gum? I can't reach it."

Jiang Xu took a bubble gum and handed it to her.

"What else do you want?"

But it wasn't her who said that.

Jiang Xu followed the voice to its source. Her eyes widened, then brightened, and she quickly looked away, hurriedly calling out, "Sister Qing."

She never expected to see Liang Xiaoqing here.

"Xiao Xu." Liang Xiaoqing's eyes lit up too, and she smiled a little awkwardly. But soon she noticed the bruises on Jiang Xu's face: "Xiao Xu. What happened to your face?..."

Jiang Xu didn't know why she wanted to hide. Her heart pounded, threatening to leap out of her chest.

"It's nothing..."

Wang Cai was paying the shopkeeper at the door. Jiang Xu quickly walked out, grabbed her, and pulled her away.

"What did you take? I'll pay for it together."

"I didn't take anything."

Jiang Xu shook her head.

"Xiao Xu..." By the time Liang Xiaoqing chased after her, they'd already walked far. She stood at the door, staring blankly at the two blurry figures in the distance.

The shopkeeper watched too and shook his head with a sigh: "What a hard life. Mother and daughter, both tortured beyond recognition by that Jiang Daguo..."

Liang Xiaoqing wanted to chase after them for answers, but the little girl suddenly popped out and grabbed her hand, giggling: "Sister, I want one more bubble gum. Get it for me."

Liang Xiaoqing had no choice but to get the girl another bubble gum. When she came out, Jiang Xu and Wang Cai's figures were already gone.

The gray sky threatened rain, but thankfully it didn't come.

She looked at the empty road, and worry crept back into her heart...

Meanwhile, Jiang Xu's emotions wouldn't settle. It had only been a short while since they'd parted, yet it felt like a wall had formed between them.

It wasn't until she got home that her heartbeat gradually steadied. Jiang Daguo told her to go to the fields and cut grass to feed the pigs. His tone wasn't as harsh as usual, and a faint smile flickered across his face—strange, because you'd never expect a man like him to smile.

Jiang Xu got goosebumps. She hurriedly slung the basket on her back, grabbed the sickle, and headed out. A little yellow mongrel ran up and wagged its tail at her. In this house, only the dog gave her a kind look. Jiang Xu patted its head.

At the door, she heard Jiang Daguo speak: "Jiang Lun called. He's coming home for winter break. Tomorrow, go to town and buy some chicken, duck, fish—get things ready..."

At the mention of "Jiang Lun," cold sweat broke out all over Jiang Xu. She heard Wang Cai reply with an "okay." Jiang Xu squeezed her eyes shut and ran all the way to the fields, Xiao Huang following at her heels. Face pale, she absently stroked Xiao Huang's head. She worked until it got dark, then headed back.

Her hands were numb from the cold. The moment she reached the door, Jiang Daguo laid into her again: "You take forever to do one little job!"

Jiang Xu waited, numb and resigned, for the slap to land on her face. But after a moment, nothing came. Wang Cai called her to dinner.

Jiang Daguo's phone rang, and he hurried to answer it, his tone softening considerably, his face all pleasant and cheerful.

Wang Cai made Jiang Xu a bowl of noodles. As Jiang Xu ate, Wang Cai said, "Your brother's coming back tomorrow. He's happy about it." She looked at Jiang Xu, then leaned in close: "When Jiang Lun comes back, call him 'brother' and don't make him angry."

Jiang Xu nodded silently. After dinner, she went to the firewood shed next door, picked out a thick, long wooden stick, and returned to her room, propping it against the door. She locked the door securely.

Her heart still wouldn't settle. The thought of seeing Jiang Lun again sent a wave of revulsion through her, so strong she felt like she might throw up.