Mornings in Qing Shan Ao always carried the earthy scent of damp soil. Beneath the ancient pagoda tree at the village entrance, a few women gathered as usual, cracking open sunflower seeds grown in their own yards. Their gossip spilled faster than the shells they spat out.
Li Jinhua held her three-year-old nephew, her spit flying with excitement. "Have you heard? Some rich folks from the city want to buy our land to build a resort!" she whispered like it was a state secret. "Just the other day, I saw men in suits around the village. The clothes they wear—tsk tsk…"
Wang Cuihua, while holding her three-year-old son, Xiaohu, lit up at the news. Her rough fingers unconsciously squeezed her son's arm, making the boy wail instantly.
"There, there, my little baby, don't cry now," she patted his back absentmindedly, her eyes fixed on Li Jinhua. "Jinhua, do you know where those people are staying?"
Li Jinhua curled her lip, spitting a shell to the ground. "How would I know that?" she lowered her voice, "But yesterday I saw a group carrying an injured man down from the mountain."
Wang Cuihua's eyes sparkled with calculation. "From the mountain? That's where—" She stopped herself, her expression twisting with greed and malice.
"You mean that blind brat, Nuan Nuan?" Li Jinhua caught on quickly, waving her hand dismissively. "That girl sure is tough. Still can be alive up there by herself despite being blind. If you ask me, it's her whore of a mother who—"
But Wang Cuihua wasn't listening. She clutched Xiaohu and lumbered up the mountain path, her bulk swaying like a starving bear on the prowl.
Inside the wooden hut, sunlight slanted through a crack in the window, painting a golden stripe across the dirt floor. Nuan Nuan sat cross-legged by the bed, tracing the lines of the watch with her fingers. The Patek Philippe was larger than her entire palm, its cool metal surface reminding her of the chilling aura that man carried.
"Tick-tock." The second hand echoed in the silence. Nuan Nuan pressed the watch to her ear, imagining she could still hear the heartbeat of the man who'd left three days ago. His scent—an intoxicating blend of cologne and herbs—still lingered in the room.
Tuan Tuan curled beside her feet, golden eyes half-closed. Suddenly, its ears pricked up, fur standing on end. "Meow~ Nuan Nuan, someone's coming," it said cautiously. "It's that wicked woman."
Nuan Nuan tensed. She hadn't had time to hide the watch when the wooden door slammed open. Rusted hinges screeched as the door bounced off the wall. Harsh sunlight flooded the dim room, making dust dance like mad spirits.
"You little wretch!" Wang Cuihua's shrill voice split the quiet. "Did any stranger came here?!"
Nuan Nuan froze. She knew that voice too well—her stepmother's. Instinctively, she hid the watch behind her and tried to stand.
"I'm talking to you!" Wang Cuihua grabbed her by the hair and slapped her across the face.
"Smack!" The sharp sound echoed. Wang Cuihua's rough palm left five vivid prints on Nuan Nuan's cheek. The girl's small body hit the floor hard, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth. Her world was always dark, but now her ears rang, her face blazed with pain.
"Meow!" Tuan Tuan leapt forward, biting Wang Cuihua's wrist.
"You filthy beast!" the woman screeched, hurling the cat onto the table. The old wood creaked, and Tuan Tuan slid to the floor, stained with dust and blood, barely moving.
Xiaohu laughed in her arms, clapping. "Mama hit it! Hit the kitty!"
Just as Wang Cuihua moved toward Nuan Nuan again, her eyes caught the glint of the watch on the bed. She snatched it up, holding it to the light. "Where'd this come from? Must've been left by those rich people!" Her grimy fingers smeared the delicate surface.
"Give it back…" Nuan Nuan whispered, struggling to rise.
"Spit!" Wang Cuihua spat in her face. "You think a brat like you deserves this?" She shoved the watch into Xiaohu's hands. "Here, darling, it's yours to play with."
Xiaohu stuffed it into his mouth, drooling all over it.
Nuan Nuan lunged toward the sound but was kicked in the stomach. She curled like a shrimp, gasping.
"What else are you hiding?" Wang Cuihua snarled, tearing through Nuan Nuan's belongings. Her few ragged clothes were tossed, the water jar overturned, muddying the floor.
With no answer, the woman kicked her again, then again, growling, "Playing dumb now? I'll teach you!"
Nuan Nuan curled up on the ground like a wounded little animal. She was already used to beatings like this—no resistance, no pleading for mercy. She knew that once her stepmother got tired, she would eventually stop. All she could do was instinctively shield her head, her small body tightly huddled into a ball.
Suddenly, Wang Cuihua reached under the mattress and pulled out a small cloth bundle. She hurriedly tore it open, and, inside, a white jade pendant tied with a red string gleamed in the sunlight.
"This—" she breathed heavily. Even she could tell it was worth a fortune. The smooth white jade glowed softly under the sunlight, and the cloud patterns carved into it were exquisitely detailed.
She hung it around Xiaohu's neck. "Something like this? Total waste on you. Looks much better on my boy!"
Hearing the pendant had been taken, Nuan Nuan jerked upright. Though she couldn't see, she turned unerringly toward Xiaohu's voice. That pendant was her mother's last gift—her only source of comfort through endless and conntless dark nights.
Summoning strength from who knows where, Nuan Nuan suddenly stood up and stumbled toward the direction of Xiaohu's voice. She reached out and grabbed the pendant with uncanny accuracy, yanking it hard. The force was so strong that Xiaohu fell backward onto the ground and burst into loud wails.
"Mama! I want the jade! She's bad! Give it back to Hu Hu!" Xiaohu's shrill cries echoed through the room.
"You little brat!" Wang Cuihua was caught off guard as the pendant was snatched back by Nuan Nuan. She quickly scooped Xiaohu into her arms to comfort him. "There, there, don't cry—Mama will get it back for you right now."
"You ungrateful thing!" Wang Cuihua snapped, grabbing Nuan Nuan's hair again. "Give me the watch and the pendant!"
Nuan Nuan clutched the watch and the jade pendant tightly to her chest, her voice barely audible: "It's… mama's…"
"Your mama ran off with some man long ago!" Wang Cuihua slapped her hard across the face. "Still dreaming about her? Pathetic!"
Enraged, Wang Cuihua grabbed a broom from the corner and began lashing out at her. Snap! Snap! The sound of the bamboo slicing through the air was chilling. Nuan Nuan shielded the pendant and watch with her whole body, her thin back bearing the brunt of the violent blows. The rough bamboo tore through her tattered clothes, leaving swollen, angry welts across her fragile back.Just as Wang Cuihua raised her arm again, a dark blur darted in through the door—it was Blackie, back at last! Without hesitation, he sank his teeth into Wang Cuihua's ankle.
"Ah! You filthy beasts again!" Wang Cuihua screamed in pain, grabbing a stool and slamming it down on the black dog. The stool leg struck Blackie's back with a sickening crack, making anyone nearby wince. Blackie let out a pained yelp and loosened his grip—only to lunge forward again, baring his teeth in another fierce attack.
Off to the side, Xiaohu clapped his hands and laughed gleefully. "Mama, hit them! Hit them!"
Tuan Tuan struggled to her feet, limping but determined, and joined the fray.
In an instant, the cramped wooden hut was thrown into chaos—filled with barking, hissing, a woman's curses, and a child's shrieking laughter.
Wang Cuihua swung the stool like a madwoman, smashing it down again and again onto Blackie and Tuan Tuan. The pitiful whimpers of her companions tore at Nuan Nuan's heart like knives. Trembling, she crawled forward through the chaos, shielding them with her own small, frail body.
"I'll beat you to death! All of you!" Wang Cuihua panted heavily, sweat streaming down her greasy face. At last, the battered stool gave out with a loud crack, collapsing into pieces. Without hesitation, she grabbed an iron ladle from the stove and continued her assault, now aiming it at Nuan Nuan.
Thud! The ladle struck bone with a dull, sickening sound. Nuan Nuan clenched her teeth, but the sharp pain still forced a faint whimper from her throat. Her back, her arms, her legs—every inch of her skin screamed in agony. Warm liquid trickled down her forehead, further blurring her already sightless world.
And yet, she held on—still clutching the watch and the jade pendant in her hands, as if gripping the last thread of hope.
No one knew how much time had passed before Wang Cuihua finally grew tired of beating them. Panting, she stopped, glaring at the wrecked room and the barely breathing Nuan Nuan. With a vicious spit on the floor, she snarled, "What a cursed little wretch!" Then, without a backward glance, she scooped up the bawling Xiaohu and stormed out.
The door slammed shut behind her, rattling the fragile walls and sending clumps of dried mud crumbling down.
Silence fell, sudden and suffocating. Only the faint sounds of ragged breathing and the slow, steady dripping of water echoed in the hut.
With great effort, Nuan Nuan rolled onto her side and fumbled across the floor until her fingers found Blackie and Tuan Tuan. Her hand touched something wet and warm—it was Blackie's blood. The dog's breathing was shallow, but he still managed to weakly lick her hand, stubbornly clinging to life.
Tuan Tuan lay curled up beside him, her snow-white fur stained with blood.
"Sorry…" Nuan Nuan whispered, her voice barely audible. At last, her tears fell, dripping onto their wounded bodies, mixing with blood and dirt. Still, her hands clutched the watch and the jade pendant as tightly as ever. They were the only things left in this world she could protect.
Blackie weakly licked her hand, while Tuan Tuan gently rubbed against her cheek, as if saying, "It's okay." Nuan Nuan buried her face in their warm fur and cried silently. In this harsh world, only these two little lives truly cared about her survival.
Outside, the sun was setting in the west. The last rays of sunlight streamed through the broken window, casting a golden glow over this heartbreaking scene.