Chapter 5
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Chapter 5
After Christmas, neighbors and friends usually stop by each other’s homes.
My parents don’t really enjoy these superficial greetings, but for the sake of harmony, they force smiles and pretend to warmly invite people to stay for dinner.
My brother is different; he ignores everyone, lounging on the couch and shouting, “Bingo! Bingo!”
During a conversation, Aunt Wang suddenly
asked about me.
“Where’s Stella?”
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Seeing my parents‘ silence, she continued with a hint of implication.
“Stella is such a sensible girl. You’ve bought a house in the city now, so why do you send Stella to the countryside for the holidays?”
My parents forced a smile, looking a bit awkward as they said, “The countryside is great, much better air than all this ncrete in the
city.”
Initially, my parents were desperate to have my brother establish himself in the city.
Back then, they could only afford to rent a small two–bedroom apartment–one room for them, one for my brother. I was left in the countryside.
When New Year finally came and they returned
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home, I’d be so excited to hug them, but my mom would teasingly push me away, feigning
surprise.
“Oh, Stella, why are you so tanned!”
Then they’d both laugh heartily at Mom’s
cleverness.
In that moment, my self–est m plummeted.
The mountain sun was fierce, leaving children
dark–skinned.
Even when walking miles to the market, the clothes were often outdated and unsold styles.
Shampoo came in small packets without any glamorous celebrity endorsements.
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But this was the best my grandma could offer
- me.
I inevitably became that scruffy kid they spoke
- of.
But my brother, trailing behind our parents, was entirely different.
He wore a beautiful, warm down jacket, his skin fair and fragrant.
His hair was shiny black, and he sported little leather boots, looking just like a prince from a
TV show.
My parents always said they owed me for those years; they’d never let Sol suffer like that.
So they doubled their efforts to please him,
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giving him whatever he wanted.
He had a robot that blinked, walked, and even somersaulted.
When I asked for one, they said, “Next time, if there’s a chance. You need to understand, it’s tough for us.”
How distant was “next time“? Maybe they’d realize at my funeral.
