The Wedding of Oni Festival

  When I rushed back from school, my mother was already lying on the board at the door of our house, wearing a mourning dress. On the altar, there was a photo of my mother, her face pale, her eyes slightly bulging. As I looked at that face, I didn't even let out a whimper, and tears fell down.

  I read books for the sake of graduating and finding a good job, having money to take my mother to a big city for medical treatment. However, it's only one year left before I graduate, but she couldn't wait that long!

  "Zhaodi ah, when your mom left, the one she was most worried about was you." My dad patted my back, a rare gesture, and his tone was unusually gentle.

  I guess he was speaking softly probably because my mom had passed away, and he would be somewhat sad too, but the next words were like a bolt from the blue.

  "I promised your mother that I would find a good family for you to marry into. This marriage has already been arranged, and your mother agreed to it when she was still alive. The family is wealthy, so if you marry into it, you'll be a young mistress with everything you could want!"

  I stared blankly at him, and after a long time, I suddenly realized that I had been sold by my dad without knowing it! Now I understand, when I was young, he often said that no matter how good the son is, he belongs to himself, but no matter how excellent the daughter is, she will eventually be raised for another family! So, he sold me...

  "I'm an adult now, my affairs, you can't control!" For the first time, I expressed my anger openly. Yes, I wanted him to know that this household isn't just his say, I'm still here and I'm also a person! Although I clearly knew that once these words came out, I would inevitably be beaten by him again.

  As expected! Those big hands slapped my face, it was scorching hot and painful. I covered my face, there were no tears in my eyes, I glared at him furiously until he started yelling again. The relatives in the courtyard gathered around, several uncles pulled my dad away.

  In fact, the villagers have seen this scene too many times. When he was young, he would often beat me up for no reason after getting drunk, until I grew up and understood that he disliked me for being a daughter!

  "Old Mo! Old Mo?"

  Someone shouted outside, my dad glared at me and left, several of my uncles shook their heads without saying anything, I leaned against the door and looked out.

  The person who called me "Dad" was Liu's wife, and everyone in the surrounding villages knew her because she was a matchmaker!

  Grandma Liu put down the cloth bag on the table, pulled my dad and smiled: "Look, this gift money is only more not less! Your family's good fortune is really good!" Grandma Liu's voice was famous for being loud, I think it's hard not to hear. I shifted my feet, looked over, and saw that my dad was tightly hugging the package, with a gleam in his eyes, thanking Grandma Liu repeatedly.

  "Old Mo, isn't this going too far?! At that time Lin Mei was ill and didn't know the situation, but you...!" The one speaking is my second uncle, who's considered to be fond of me, but that's just "considered"! After all, he's still my father, what they say doesn't count. But hearing this, somehow it feels wrong."

  Old Mrs. Liu said that was a gift of money, and also said I had good luck, no need to think about it, I knew earlier that the marriage my dad mentioned was settled through Old Mrs. Liu, but I didn't understand why Second Uncle spoke hesitantly, his face not looking very good either.

  My second uncle is a honest man, after being stared at by my dad, he shut his mouth. The others sitting at the same table as him started pointing and whispering to each other about Liu's wife and my dad, then they looked at me with pitiful eyes.

  This marriage, anyway I won't agree to it. After burying my mom, I'll go back to school! But thinking of school makes me worried again. When I came back, I went to ask for leave from the class teacher, and the class teacher said that my tuition fees have been owed for too long and should be paid off. But...I looked at my dad, will he give me money to pay the tuition?

  The answer is definitely no!

  "What makes you think I won't pay for your tuition?" I yelled at my dad.

  My dad, however, was sipping his wine slowly and didn't speak until much later: "What's the big deal? Didn't you say you're an adult now? I'm not your master! So of course I shouldn't be paying for your tuition!"

  I'm so stupid, I said this before, but it's a different story now! Looking at my dad's smug face, I can only hate him and glare at him in my heart, but I don't dare to do anything to him. But this book, I must finish reading it, otherwise my whole life will be ruined by him.

  "Speak up! What will it take for you to pay me back the tuition?"

  My dad smiled and pulled me to his side, pressing me onto the stool: "If you agree to get married, Dad will definitely support you until graduation, how about it?"

  I knew he had accepted the gift money and was thinking of ways to get me to agree to this marriage. Marriage, what's the big deal? If you can get married, you can also get divorced! At worst, I'll just divorce after graduation and that's it! Having made up my mind, all I could do was nod in agreement.

  "Great!" My dad laughed with his mouth wide open, and he drank all the wine in his cup at once. He said: "The time has been set, they will come to pick us up on the evening of the 13th of this month!"

  "Thirteen?" My eyes widened: "This month is just the seventh month of the lunar calendar, isn't thirteen a ghost festival? Which family would choose this kind of day to welcome their daughter-in-law!" My heart skipped a beat, and today was already the tenth, this matter...