“...... The woman who gave birth to a girl was even more coldly regarded in the village, and everyone looked at her as if she had done something unseemly, not only men, but also women.

Those who haven't given birth to a child yet, and those who are pregnant, even walked around her, as if they were afraid of getting bad luck, so that she also gave birth to a girl......"

“...... You say, is it so important to have a boy or a girl, is it really that important?"

In the hall, the incandescent lamp shook gently, and the middle-aged man spoke, his voice echoing in the hall,

“...... That night, the dogs barked so badly that they barked all the way along the road through the village. My daughter...... After it was gone, I slept in the room next to her, against the side of the road."

After a pause, the middle-aged man turned his head, looked at the closed door, and continued to speak,

“...... At that time, I had not fallen asleep, and when I heard the dog barking so hard, I went to the window and pushed it open to look out...... Just then, I saw the daughter-in-law of the Chen family, from the front of the courtyard, with her head down, walking towards the mountain behind the village.

I looked behind her again, but no one caught up, and along the way, there was not even a single person shouting at her, as if only the sound of a dog barking. ”

“...... I watched her walk step by step from the front of the courtyard, and then along the road of the village, in the direction of the hill, farther and farther away......

The daughter-in-law of the Chen family is not very old, and she has only been married to the youngest son of the Chen family for three or four years...... It's the third round......

I turned my head from the window, and sat on the edge of the bed for a long time, and my mind seemed empty...... After sitting for an unknown amount of time, I opened the bedroom door and went to the backyard to look at Rui Rui...... After putting an apple on Rui Rui, he didn't take anything, but opened the door of the hall and walked out......

Along the village road, I walked very slowly, and the dogs barked harder, but none of the villagers along the way shouted or came out to see......

My pace is slower and slower,

At that time, I thought, if I walk so slowly, I shouldn't be able to catch up with the daughter-in-law of the Chen family......

When I got out of the village, I followed the path on the hillside to the top of the mountain...... I saw the daughter-in-law of the Chen family, she was standing on the edge of the mountain, looking at the bottom of the ravine, trembling and crying so much that she seemed to want to jump down......"

The middle-aged man said, silent again,

The house is becoming quieter,

At the same time, outside the house, in the distance, from the hills surrounding the village, there were shouts,

“...... The daughter-in-law of the Chen family, the daughter-in-law of the Chen family......"

"Hye Jin, Hsu Hye Jin...... If you hear it, answer it, and we'll come to you...... Chen's daughter-in-law ......"

Several voices followed, one of them the voice of the old woman from before.

Listening to this voice, Lian Ge turned his gaze, glanced at the middle-aged man, and then looked at the dark backyard through the door leading to the backyard,

The middle-aged man, on the other hand, became more and more silent, not knowing if he heard the shouts in the distance, but his eyes were in a trance, and he looked at the backyard.

......

After a long time, the cry was gone,

The hall was quiet again.

The middle-aged man turned his gaze back from the backyard, lowered his head, and looked at the apple in his hand.

“...... After that, I ...... Those who have made up the third round are left with only the first round, and there is still a fourth round. ”

The middle-aged man's eyes were a little dazed, and he didn't know if he was saying to himself, or to Lian Ge,

“...... At this time, in the next house, Yunyun's mother was found to be pregnant. Yunyun's father often rides a motorcycle and takes Yunyun's mother to the county for prenatal checkups...... But more than that, I wanted the doctor to tell them if they were pregnant with a boy or a girl......

At this time, Yunyun will be left at home alone...... Yun Yun's father said that he was afraid that Yun Yun would turn around at home, so before going out, he would lock the door of the hall and shut Yun Yun out.

Her parents had been in the county for hours, and sometimes, when they didn't come back at noon, she would either crouch at the door with her legs crossed, or sometimes when it was windy in the mountains, she would go under the mixing bucket......

She said that she liked it very much, it was small, it was very comfortable, and as long as she got under the mixing bucket, no one could see her and no one could touch her......

Her father was an alcoholic, and as soon as he drank it, he would lose his temper and beat Yunyun, and he also beat Yunyun's mother. Yun Yun's mother will not protect Yun Yun, and after she is beaten, she will beat Yun Yun, because she feels that Yun Yun is harmed, if she is born a boy, not Yun Yun, she will not be able to lift her waist, and she feels that Yun Yun is a scourge, a mourning star......

At the beginning, I looked at her as if I saw Rui Rui, just as sensible and distressing...... When her parents shut her out, I would let her into the hall, at least to shelter her...... Then I found out that she also liked to eat apples so much, just like Rui Rui......

...... At that time, looking at her, I felt like I was looking at Rui Rui, accompanying her, and also like accompanying Rui Rui......

Until a few days ago, when her parents were not at home, I led her again and asked her to sit in the hall for a while and watch TV for a while......

On that day, Apple was a little too ...... I especially like to watch her eat apples as if she were looking at Ruirui...... I washed it more, peeled her, and put it next to her.

After she finished eating one. I asked her if she still eats, and if she does, I peel the rest of the skin......

She told me...... She smiled happily and looked up at me and said......"

As he spoke, the middle-aged man was silent and paused,

"He told me, 'Yunyun is only seven years old, she can't eat so many apples, so uncle, let's eat them'...... At that time, I felt like I froze......

She was only seven years old, not thirteen years old like Ruirui...... She's seven, she's seven ......"

The middle-aged man looked at the apple in his hand, repeating it over and over again, reading,

Raised his hand, took a bite of the apple, and chewed it one by one,

“...... Seven years old, exactly at the age of the first round, after this round...... All of them are all in order. ”

The middle-aged man raised his head and looked into the dark backyard,

“...... Today is the last day, and after getting it together, Rui Rui, Rui Rui will be able to come back to life......"

"In the fourth round, you're going to fill it in yourself?"

Lian Ge turned his gaze and asked in a calm tone after glancing at the middle-aged man.

Hearing this, the middle-aged man paused, and just said,

"I just ...... I was just right, right in the fourth round. ”

"In that case, why didn't you do it just now. ”

“...... I can't do it, I can't do it......"

The middle-aged man spoke, trembling slightly,

"I looked at Yun Yun, it was like seeing Rui Rui, I can't help it, I can't kill Rui Rui twice...... I'm sorry, Daddy is useless, Ruirui, Daddy is sorry for you...... It's all my fault, it's all my ......."

The middle-aged man said, silent again,

Raising his hand, he took one last bite of the apple, chewing it in his mouth, tears welling up from his eyes.

......

Looking at the middle-aged man, Lian Ge paused,

Turning his gaze back, Lian Ge looked at the backyard,

"Mind showing me your 'secret art'?"

Hearing this, the middle-aged man paused, and then stretched out his hand and groped in his pocket, as if he had been putting the book on his body.

From his pocket, he took out a wrinkled and yellow, somewhat thin thread-bound book, the middle-aged man held it in his hand, lowered his head again, looked at it, and after a pause, he stretched out his hand and handed it to Lian Ge.

。