Now that I'm finally done with everything at home, I grab my jacket and gloves again to head out to work. I work at a butcher shop owned by my Uncle Hanes, located on the other side of the city, which means a nearly hour-long walk to get there.
The cold brutally bites into my bones. My jacket is old and worn, so the wind seeps through with every step I take. I really envy the cultivators; they can easily handle these temperatures.
Two years ago, when my mother was still powerful and respected, I was part of the Awakening Ceremony. Every clan member has a companion spirit, a being that can physically manifest to help in daily life or in battle. Unfortunately, I didn't get any spirit, not even the slightest hint of talent for cultivation. Because of that, I was labeled "the clan's worst trash," "the clan's waste." They even questioned if I was my mother's son, since she was one of the clan's greatest experts, with a powerful spirit. As far as I know, her spirit is a bird, but it hasn't appeared since that day. My mother tried everything to help me: she traveled to many places, got doctors, they gave me powerful medicines, but nothing seemed to affect me. It was as if my whole body couldn't hold the energy of the heavens and earth.
As my mind wandered through those memories, I arrived at the butcher shop. When I walked in, an obese old man stood at the counter with a condescending look. Seeing me enter, he yelled, "You damn idiot! How many times do I have to tell you to use the back entrance? Don't dirty my shop with your stinking presence!"
I could only bow my head and go back outside to walk around the entire block and enter through the back. In that short time, the snow had reached thirty centimeters, making it hard to walk. The most solid path was on the street, right by the shop's main door, so I thought he might pity me a little and let me in that way this time… I guess I thought too much. My Uncle Hanes is still the same old bastard.
Arriving at the back door, I saw three of his workers: old Luck, fat Jef, and skinny Harold. Seeing me, all three smiled and approached, offering me a cup of hot tea. As I took it, my frozen hands felt a bit of warmth, so I chugged the whole tea, trying to warm my cold, tired body.
"Hey, kid, good thing you came! We thought you wouldn't come back after what happened yesterday," Luck said.
"Don't say that, Luck, you know the kid has guts. It's a shame you don't have any talent, otherwise, I'm sure you'd become someone impressive. I've never seen anyone with your tenacity," Jef added in a playful tone.
"Let's go inside fast or that pig will bother us again!" Harold interrupted, hurrying us into the back of the butcher shop.
You could say these three people are my only friends in the whole world. They're like me: they don't have any talent for martial arts either, but they're good at gutting animals. With so many years working here, they've developed great strength and technique, so their cuts are impeccable, making my uncle, that pig, a lot of money from them.
I still remember the day I arrived here. I had gone to every shop in the city begging for work, but no one wanted to hire me. Everyone closed their doors to me, and some even hit me and spat in my face. I had to endure the pain and humiliation again and again until I arrived at this butcher shop. Uncle Hanes was attending to a well-dressed lady. As soon as she saw me, her disgust was obvious; you didn't need to read minds to realize she found me disgusting. "I don't understand how someone so lowly and unpleasant can live in our respected clan. There's no doubt he's the son of that whore, how repulsive…!"
The lady's words made my blood boil. I could endure any insult or scorn, but I couldn't tolerate them offending my beloved mother. Without thinking, I lunged at her, but a powerful hand grabbed me by the neck, throwing me against the shelf. Uncle Hanes had stopped me, looking at the lady with a fawning expression: "Don't take children's games seriously; I'll make sure he learns the meaning of being a respectable member of the clan by force."
The lady just glanced at me before leaving with a pompous attitude, as if everything was beneath her.
"You stupid brat! If you want to die, there are easier ways than offending the clan leader's daughter-in-law." Her words surprised me, as I didn't expect to run into anyone from my Uncle Daren's family. I heard that after taking my sister and his brother's death at my mom's hands, he was decorated as the clan leader. That damn bastard…!
As my mind wandered on these thoughts, a blow snapped me out of my daze. My face burned intensely, and I could only see the world upside down. When I understood what was happening, my body had crashed against the shop wall.
The metallic taste in my mouth was intense, and I felt something hard inside it. Uncle Hanes's blow had knocked out several of my teeth. "Today, you'll work here to pay me back everything you owe me. Look at all the mess you've made in my shop!"
My heart wanted to retort, saying that he was the one who had thrown me around the shop, breaking things, but my mind forced me to calm down. At least I'd have some work and maybe I could get something to eat. The rations they gave us had decreased drastically, and I desperately needed a job to get food, or my mother and I would starve to death before I could get revenge.
Bowing my head and holding back my tears, I nodded. "Good, start cleaning. I want everything spotless before I come back."