But no. What weighed on me was endless chores and baseless scolding.
My mom was determined to keep me from going to school.
That day, after selling the fish I caught in the river at the village entrance, I returned home to find my mother sitting sternly in the living room.
She started with a forced smile. "Oh, you're back. How much did you make today?"
My heart tightened, gripping the money in my palm, too scared to respond.
It was my only hope.
My silence infuriated her.
She pulled out a stack of neatly folded bills from her pocket.
It was my money. I hid under my pillow!
"Oh, you've learned to steal, have you? After all we provide for you, and even sending you to school, and this is how you repay us!"
I couldn't understand why she was so furiously acting as if I really had stolen the money.
She grabbed a broom from the corner and started hitting my hands, cursing, "Wretched girl, a few days of education and you've become wild! You dare to steal my money!"
I tried my best to dodge, tears streaming down my face, still trying to reason with her to give me back my money, "Mom... that's my money, I earned it, I want to go to school."