Hello everyone, I’m Wen Sheng.

My full name is Cheng Ruzhou, but I’m called Wen Sheng as a nickname.

The villagers call me Junsheng, and my mother calls me Xiao Wen, Wenwen, Little Rascal, Bad Boy, or even Monkey, among others.

I originally lived in Shuihuai Village, where I had a happy family.

My grandparents were kind and benevolent, well-liked by everyone in and out of the village. They were gentle and charitable.

My father was gentle yet serious, a man of principles who did not tolerate anyone crossing his boundaries.

My mother was a gentle and capable housewife with a bit of a temper. She was beautiful and soft-spoken, but also stubborn. Despite the many men and children in the village, she always focused on me, making sure I ate noodles, vegetables, studied scripts, and avoided dangerous activities like swimming in the river or catching snakes.

What she wanted was always what I didn’t want, and what I wanted was always what she didn’t allow.

Oh, it’s really frustrating.

My father indulged her, saying that a man should treat his wife well; otherwise, he’s not a man, especially since my mother was quite delicate.

He also said that my mother was expecting a baby, maybe a little sister who would be smart, cute, and soft.

But I would prefer a younger sibling who, like me, could jump around and play. I could take them fishing, go hiking, catch rabbits, and shoot sparrows!

However, as long as it’s my own sister, I would like her, whether she’s delicate or a tomboy.

I am a good child, so I should treat my mother well and not make her angry. Eat noodles? Sure! Study scripts? Of course!

Do you believe I can memorize them for you?

I can recite scripts you’ve never seen before, believe it or not! If I can’t, I’ll make up something myself!

Oh, if I don’t indulge her, her nagging would drive me crazy.

When she nags, her voice isn’t loud, just a soft, gentle murmur.

Many people envy my father and me, saying that my mother is a rare and good woman.

You’ve never heard her nag!

It drives you mad!

Fortunately, Uncle Er and Aunt Er take some of the nagging off me.

Though Aunt Er can be a bit petty and difficult to get along with, Uncle Er is easygoing and never argues with Grandpa or my father.

He does what he can and doesn’t seek to take charge because he knows he can’t handle so many people.

If it weren’t for that incident, our family would have lived and died in that old, peaceful village. When I grew up, I would have married and taken over the family affairs.

Year after year, day after day, this would have been the cycle.

Damn it, it’s too monotonous and dull. The world is so big; I want to go out and explore.

When the enemies invaded our country, we fought back fiercely.

So many people joined the Red Army and the Eighth Route Army. Why should I stay at home seeking safety?

My upright and strong-willed grandfather and father wouldn’t allow the Cheng family to stay out of the fight.

When I was seven or eight, I tried to persuade Uncle Er to secretly join the army with me, but we were caught by my father and put under house arrest.

Later, I learned that the men in our family couldn’t join the army because the enemy had registered them.

If any of the men went missing, the entire village would be punished.

They kept their word, so my father didn’t dare take the risk.

But he didn’t do nothing. I later found out that he secretly sent food to anti-Japanese organizations and used our money to buy penicillin for them.

The caravan leader and the political commissar were people he knew.

They came to our house several times seeking help, and my father and grandfather did everything they could to assist.

Later, when the Japanese surrendered, the fight continued against the old enemies.

I participated in several rescue missions, hiding a few wanted underground party members in my family’s cellar.

With my help, even the party’s secret police couldn’t find them.

That was my secret base, filled with my toys—my mother called them junk.

If that incident hadn’t happened, I probably would have followed in my father’s footsteps and wouldn’t have encountered such strange things.

The land reform campaign came, and our home was targeted.

I couldn’t understand it, no matter how hard I tried.

We were secretly resisting the Japanese and supporting the resistance, so why were we labeled as counter-revolutionaries?

It must be that scoundrel Cheng Fuguai, who deceived everyone and manipulated the situation.

Cheng Fuguai bore a grudge and incited the entire village to criticize and attack my grandparents.

Using his privileges, he had my grandfather executed without proper judgment.

My grandmother, having lived a respected life, couldn’t bear the humiliation in her old age, so she chose to hang herself.

She said she was leaving with a clear mind, and since she feared my grandfather would be lonely on the road to the afterlife, she needed to accompany him.

Throughout her life, she bore children for my grandfather, and he always protected and respected her.

Although she was a woman with bound feet, uneducated and lacking in culture, she understood the principle of sharing both blessings and hardships with her spouse.

She was old and didn’t want to be a burden to her children, so she hung herself, asking everyone in the family not to stop her.

I begged her not to die, but she smiled and told me to live on.

“Child, you still have several decades ahead to live to the age of Grandma and Grandpa.”

Seeing Grandma’s lifeless body, I couldn’t express my feelings.

I wanted to cry but couldn’t.

My heart felt like it was wrapped in a heavy, muddy bundle, suffocating me and making my whole body heavy.

My father and second uncle were arrested, beaten, and reportedly sentenced to be shot.

My mother and second aunt, along with other women, were detained together.

They looted and ransacked our home.

They also imprisoned me and Ye Shengxianglan.

I couldn’t let them keep me locked up! I escaped, determined to find my parents and save them.

Now that the Japanese had surrendered and no one could stop us from resisting, I was ready to fight!

I sneaked into the ancestral home, only to find someone there. I saw that scoundrel Cheng Fuguai—he was trying to force my mother to be with him, claiming he had always liked her.

Of course, my mother refused!

He wasn’t even worth a single hair from my father.

Why would my mother be with him?

He started to beat her, tearing her clothes and threatening her, saying he would kill my father, me, my second uncle, and our whole family if she didn’t comply…

Unable to fight back, my mother cursed him.

Enraged, I was about to explode.

How dare he bully my mother? I grabbed a knife from the cellar, intending to kill him.

Unfortunately, I lacked the strength and was beaten by him instead.

He stepped on me and threatened her. I shouted loudly, “Mom, our family isn’t afraid of cowards. I’m not afraid of him! I’m not afraid of death!”

But my mother couldn’t stand it.

That beast gave me a severe beating.

He hit me hard, but I wasn’t afraid of the pain and didn’t beg for mercy.

I even got the chance to bite Cheng Fuguai, and he left, threatening to kill our whole family.

I told my mother not to be sad. I wasn’t afraid of death, and neither was my father.

She just looked at me quietly, her eyes filled with reluctance and pity.

I tried to cheer her up, singing for her and reciting scripts.

“Look, actually, I know a lot.”

Finally, she cried, holding me and sobbing quietly.

My sister was gone.

I felt so much pain, seeing my mother in pain made me feel even worse.

I thought I was going to die from the pain.

My mother said the same thing as my grandmother.

She didn’t want to drag us down.

If she lived, neither my father nor Uncle Er could survive.

She didn’t want to bring shame to the Cheng family.

She said, “We can be wronged, but we cannot be humiliated.”

I didn’t understand.

I hated myself for not understanding. I’m a man.

Why couldn’t I understand what they said?

Grandfather said that it was dawn, the Japanese had surrendered, and we were liberated.

But Cheng Fuguai raided our home, and he was dead, and so was Grandma.

My mother said that if she lived, we wouldn’t. I didn’t understand.

Was it Cheng Fuguai’s fault? I would kill him.

If I couldn’t do it today, I’d do it tomorrow or the day after. I would kill him!

But my mother still died. She, like Grandma, was hanged.

My mother died.

It hurt so much.

I really felt like I was going to die from the pain.

Everything around me looked blood-red, and my head was like thunder, making it impossible to calm down.

I only had one thought: kill that bastard!

So I ran out, found another knife, and went to kill Cheng Fuguai.

But he wasn’t there, so I attacked his eldest son, and they fought back.

Was I afraid of pain?

Actually, I was afraid.

The pain of being beaten with sticks and fists on my own flesh and blood is indescribable, but I didn’t shout out.

Compared to my grandmother and mother, I wasn’t in pain.

My grandfather was dead, my grandmother was dead, and my mother was dead.

I wasn’t in pain.

I heard my ribs break, heard my blood splatter, and heard…

I wasn’t in pain.

I want to avenge my mother!

I want to kill their entire family!

I want them to pay blood for blood, sparing no one—old people, children, cats, dogs, pigs, or chickens!!!

At that moment, I suddenly had a mysterious friend.

I had the desire to kill Cheng Fuguai, but lacked the strength.

My friend had the power, and he made my body as strong as an adult’s.

I fought them back fiercely, breaking Cheng Fuguai’s ribs, breaking his son’s ribs, beating them… until I passed out.

When I woke up, it was several days later.

My second uncle said I had been on the brink of death, with a high fever and unconscious for many days.

Fortunately, the caravan leader and the political commissar arrived just in time and saved us.

But I didn’t understand why they couldn’t have come earlier, why they couldn’t have saved Grandpa, Grandma, and Mother, why Cheng Fuguai could do whatever he wanted with support from others?

I didn’t understand.

I couldn’t figure it out.

I was just so resentful.

Then they said I was crazy, that I had a mental problem.

Really?

Maybe so.

I knew my new friend wasn’t right.

He had immense strength, was cold and ruthless, dark and violent, believing in blood for blood.

As long as I wanted to beat or kill someone, he would help me.

On the farm, there were people who protected us, but there were also those who bullied us, always wanting to harm my father and second uncle.

When I couldn’t stand it anymore, I let my friend deal with them so they wouldn’t dare to bully my father and my second uncle.

Of course, they said I had completely lost my mind.

They called me Big Fool Zhou, Big Idiot.

That’s fine. Anyway, my name is for my family to use.

They can call me whatever they want.

Father told me that I couldn’t continue to go mad, killing and beating people, or I would end up being locked away or shot.

He didn’t want me to die.

So I understood that my murderous friend couldn’t come out all the time, because if he did, I’d be beaten to death, and if I died, he couldn’t protect Father and Second Uncle.

I gave him the name Cheng Ruzhou because he protected us like an adult.

I thought of my mother, and then I began to sing opera.

I had a friend who could sing opera.

He was like a true performer, skilled in singing, acting, and all the aspects of performance, shifting from gentle to sharp-tongued, very good at cursing people.

For those who dared not beat or scold us but still wanted to bully and ostracize us, my friend would help me curse them.

He cursed them thoroughly!

I gave him the nickname Junsheng because he was handsome, with the ability to enchant people—this was said by the farm’s officials, who were cultured people.

Besides my father and Uncle Er, I don’t want to see anyone else.

Junsheng will help me deal with them.

Oh, my second aunt didn’t want my second uncle and left.

Maybe that’s what Grandma and my mother meant by not wanting to drag others down.

Later, my second uncle married a better wife.

She was beautiful and gentle, a bit timid, and from a family of similar social standing.

My new second aunt is a good woman. I think she’s a bit silly, too.

She had wanted to hang herself like my mother, but my second uncle saved her and talked her into marrying him.

Despite some difficulties, they ended up together.

After marrying, she wasn’t afraid or suicidal anymore and was happy every day.

She treated Ye Sheng and Xiang Lan well, but they always talked badly about her.

She was a bit silly but endearingly so.

If my mother were here, she would definitely like her.

Even when criticized and doing a lot of work, she never cried or seemed sad.

She always smiled as if there were no worries in the world.

Her happiness spread to everyone around her.

People began decorating the dark, dilapidated house with wildflowers.

Except for those two troublesome kids.

Junsheng liked her too.

He would sing for her, and she enjoyed listening to him.

They would find other performers to watch together.

With her around, Junsheng improved a lot, but his sharp nature was ingrained and unchangeable.

He attracted some undesirable people who were always trying to take advantage of him.

Men can be so base! It made me uncomfortable, and I didn’t want to deal with those annoying, disgusting people.

So, I got another little companion and named him Wen Sheng.

He’s pure and silly, always smiling and very popular.

He seemed to be only four or five years old. I think that’s the happiest age—no one forces you to study, and even if you’re mischievous, no one scolds you.

For a boy, once he turns six, his happy days are over!

So Wen Sheng is just right—so happy, content with food and enjoying listening to and singing opera.

But he’s too foolish. Besides opera, he’s not good at anything else.

I have to help him; otherwise, he’ll get bullied.

Although I can’t control Cheng Ruzhou and Junsheng’s tempers, I can look out for Wen Sheng.

He’s too naive and doesn’t know about our existence, but Cheng Ruzhou and Junsheng do.

Although I can’t change him directly, I can influence him gradually by talking to him. Over time, he might change.

This little fool is so happy, eating and drinking, and they say I’m not so crazy anymore, not killing people, and don’t need to be locked up.

Oh, right. My second uncle and new second aunt also had a new baby brother named Dongsheng.

I didn’t like the previous second aunt’s two children and didn’t enjoy seeing them.

I like Dongsheng a lot.

He’s very handsome, thin and small when he was young, with black, bright eyes that make people nervous when he looks at them.

It’s really strange.

I don’t know if he can see me.

I try to find food for him to keep him healthy so he doesn’t starve to death.

That would be such a shame.

Others don’t trust me to stay with Dongsheng, fearing I might harm him.

Only Second Aunt isn’t afraid and even asks me to help take care of Dongsheng.

Second Aunt says I’m not crazy or foolish, but a good child.

She feeds Dongsheng and goes off to work, leaving me to watch over him.

The two ungrateful kids from the previous Second Aunt’s family always make trouble for her, never helping out and only knowing how to eat.

Selfish brats.

I hate them!