Chapter One

  On the second day, Xiaoxiao picked up a broom for the first time to learn how to sweep the floor. Unfortunately, her stepmother was cooking breakfast and complained that she wasn't sprinkling water while sweeping, causing dust to fly everywhere.

  The words were somewhat heavy, and Xiao's temper came up.

  "This is my home, I'll clean it however I want, mind your own business!"

  As soon as these words came out, they didn't sound right to her stepmother. She put her hands on her hips, and the two of them started arguing!

  Is it hard being a stepmother?

  For a child like this, whether you scold or not, it's not right. Whether you hit or not, it's also not right! What's even more frightening is when the child says: "This is my home, and you're not my mother, so you can't control me!"

  The method of stepmother's education may also have some problems, making Xiao Xiao unacceptable.

  This quarrel has been going on from last year to this year, until Xiao went to school, and the two are still in a cold war. The two do not speak when they see each other.

  Xiao Xiao looked at the woman with yellow hair and then glanced at her own father. Her mouth was as if filled with bitter melon, and her heart felt even more stifled.

  The day before school started, Sun Lei, Lin Qi and Xiao Xiao, a total of five people went out for dinner together.

  The guest was invited by Sun Lei, who said it was his own birthday and asked everyone to go out and have some fun. Xiao Xiao owed Sun Lei a favor for helping her fight in the past, and later she became classmates with Sun Lei again. Sun Lei's relationship with Lin Qi was also good.

  Xiao Xiao had no reason to refuse.

  So fourteen-year-old Xiao had her first taste of wine.

  Bitter, with a spicy kick. Xiao Xiao, who had never drunk before, also silently downed a cup of wine. She didn't know why others liked to use this stuff to drown their sorrows. Bitter, astringent, pungent, and hard to swallow - these were all the feelings Xiao Xiao would express afterwards.

  At that time, for the sake of so-called face, for the sake of being cool, and even on the second day after drinking, Xiao went to get a so-called "fashionable" haircut, dyed red, and fluttering in the wind. If you look closely, you will also find that there are several earrings on her ears, five. Two on the left and three on the right.

  Don't ask me why Xiao Xiao did this, I don't know either. Her change is connected to my inner self after knowing Xiao Xiao, and I had some thoughts about her first drink.

  After all, is this right or wrong?

  After drinking too much, Xiao's heart felt a little uncomfortable. She thought of her own home, her own mother, and her own father... then she thought of that woman in her family.

  The woman with yellow hair, standing with her hands on her hips, lecturing herself. The woman lives in her own home, and may one day bring her "brothers and sisters".

  She hated the woman who slept in the same bed with him and his father day and night.

  Why does her father always listen to what women say?

  She hates...

  In short, she is annoying.

  I'm fed up with this school's class division, and I'm also fed up with that household having one more woman. XiaoXiao, who can't drink, got a bit drunk. Isn't it said that after drinking, one speaks the truth? Who should XiaoXiao express her dissatisfaction to?

  He Lin Qi, will he despise himself?

  And Sun Lei? It seems that their relationship is not as close as bosom friends either.

  Speaking from the heart is also a difficult thing, you need to have someone who is willing and patient to listen to your words. This person will not mock or despise you. Two people share their inner thoughts with each other.

  I always thought Xiaoxiao was someone who didn't lack people to confide in, she seemed to have more friends on the surface than I did.

  It wasn't until later that I realized the truth in what others had said: being understood by one person is better than being flattered by many. My friends are very few, and most of them are just acquaintances; in fact, I'm not even sure if they can be considered friends at all.

  There are only one or two who are close to me, inseparable. We can talk about our innermost thoughts together without being disgusted with each other. Give comfort to each other and make each other happy.

  At some point, I even thought Xiao's friend was Lin Qi, but what Xiao said was different from what Lin Qi said.

  Those who don't speak their minds are those who don't gossip, but Xiaoxiao's new style has brought her countless "girly" and "weirdo" labels. Even teachers have talked to her about it - this unconventional style that sets her apart from the crowd (what does unconventional even mean? Is it just being different from everyone else?) has probably gotten her into a lot of trouble.

  When the teacher gave a counterexample, she was the one who spoke up.

  The best way to calm down rumors or absurd talk is for the person involved to ignore them. At first, they might care, but after hearing it many times, they become numb and treat it as if they don't see or hear anything.

  It's been a long time since the incident, and people have buried their words in their mouths and hidden them in their hearts. It's not that the matter has passed, but rather that it's become tedious to talk about. The parties involved don't care anymore and won't speak up, so your insults and exclusion are pointless now, aren't they?

  Actually, who knows if Xiaoxiao is concerned or not? She kept all her words to herself, buried in her belly, rotting in her heart. Who knows what she's thinking? Lin Qi? How old was Lin Qi back then, and how much could he understand? And how much could he bring to Xiaoxiao?

  There was another thing, on a certain day, which Xiao forgot, it was her first time to have her period. Her pants were stained red all over. She didn't know what was happening and felt panicked, tears streaming down like a broken thread. Such things Xiao was too embarrassed to tell her classmates about.

  Her stomach hurts and she stays in the bathroom crying.

  This is something every girl should know about her period.

  But who told Xiao Xiao? Her deceased mother?

  Is it her father who is still only responsible for giving her money or her stepmother with yellow hair staring at her?

  I've been thinking, everyone should have at least one reliable existence to rely on. Xiaoxiao's reliance can't be managed by so many people, after all, men who can be both fathers and mothers are rare. Moreover, this is a kind-hearted rural man. He is worried about his own life, worried about the life of his only precious daughter. No matter how capable he is, there is still a limit.

  Some people always think that money can solve all problems. Those who cannot provide spiritual support try to satisfy their partners materially, but they don't know that no matter how much material wealth is given, it cannot make up for the lack of spiritual connection.

  And... Xiao's spiritual world was missing a large piece.

  Of course, this is what I think.

  When I took her out of the toilet, she still had tears in the corners of her eyes, and there was still confusion in her eyes about what I told her.

  Until Lin Qi gave her a bag of sugar to make hot water, she didn't know that these could stop the pain in her stomach. This was Lin Qi's kindness. Lin Qi understood even more than Xiao Xiao did. However, no matter how good you are, you can't guarantee the changes that will happen in someone's life, just like Lin Qi couldn't stop Xiao Xiao from dropping out and leaving school, couldn't change her fate after she left, and couldn't change her leaving him.