we are just monsters

Chapter 101 Zhou Muqing

In March 1995, Rushi was still very cold, and the winter chill still persisted. In the morning, people were so cold that they had to keep their hands in their pockets.

At dawn, a woman with her luggage was about to leave when she heard a faint cry in the rubbish dump by the side of the road. When she approached, she saw a dirty baby.

In 2001, late autumn and early winter.

Only a few withered and yellow leaves were left hanging on the tree. When the wind blew, another leaf swirled and fell, and fell silently on the ground.

The door of the audio-visual store on the street says lease, and a few CDs are placed in a conspicuous place.

People put on thick cotton-padded jackets early on, and walked in the cold wind with their sleeves in their hands.

"mom."

A little girl followed behind the woman, her mouth was filled with the wind when she opened her mouth, and she quickly pulled the scarf back.

"I'm not your mother."

"mom."

"Call Master."

"Master."

"correct."

The woman took her little hand and walked on the street, her steps were not fast.

"Why don't you be my mother?"

"Because I'm not your mother."

Regarding the question of why not be a mother, she has been asked all the way since she came out of school.

The little girl's two short legs were swinging quickly, trying to keep up with the footsteps of the person in front. Although the person in front was not walking fast, the difference in leg length was here. She took two steps to make up for one step.

"But everyone else has a mother."

"You don't, and neither do I."

"Why didn't I?"

"Because you don't want to, have you forgotten? I said I want you to be someone's daughter. If you don't go, you still cry. After crying for a few days, they send you back."

"You are my mother."

"Zhou Xiaotian! If you do this again, I'll send you to the orphanage."

"Oh... Master."

The two walked and talked all the way, turned a few streets, and entered a small courtyard. At this time, the houses were still low and dilapidated, with blue-gray brick walls, and there was no sound of horns on the road one after another.

Entering the room, there are two pairs of bowls and chopsticks on the table in the middle. The dishes are not so hot, and they are covered by a large basin.

"Have a meal!"

At the master's order, Zhou Xiaotian picked up his own bowl and put some rice on it, while sneaking eyes at her.

"Master, are you angry?"

"If I knew it earlier, I wouldn't have brought you back!"

"It's okay if I don't call you mom anymore..."

Zhou Xiaotian glanced here and there, and there were several clothes hanging in the room, including a Taoist robe, a coat, and her little trousers.

This dilapidated place is not as good as the family that Zhou Muqing sent her to. The family lived in a small two-story building with a clean yard and tiles inside.

Those two people are also very good, but she doesn't like it, she likes to follow Master, no, it's her mother, but she doesn't know why she insists on calling herself Master.

The meal was not very rich, some shredded potatoes were fried with some meat, and there was also a dry-stir-fried bean. She picked up the shredded potatoes to eat, but Zhou Muqing stared at her, and obediently put two pieces of meat into her mouth.

Potato shreds are more like potato sticks. They are wide and thick, and the dark soy sauce inside is very dark. They don't look good, but they are delicious.

The way of farming, cut it, throw it into the pot, put seasoning and water to cover the pot for a while, even if it is ready, she has been eating like this since she was a child.

"The meat you fried is not good."

"Eat it if it's not delicious!"

"..."

Zhou Xiaotian continued to lower his head...others say that they don't eat it if they don't taste good.

"Did you fight with anyone?"

"No, they don't dare to provoke me. I'll be scared when I stare." Zhou Xiaotian raised his eyebrows, and when he saw Zhou Muqing's expression, he obediently remained silent.

"study well."

A cold wind was blowing outside, and the windows covered by plastic sheets were whistling, as if some monster was staying outside. After eating, Zhou Xiaotian took a basin to wash his feet.

"No homework?"

"No."

Zhou Xiaotian was about to get the thermos pot, but Zhou Muqing picked up the pot, poured hot water into the basin for her, then added a scoop of cold water to it, tested the water temperature with his hand, and added a little more.

Zhou Xiaotian waited for her to finish, sat on the bench and rolled up his trouser legs, dipped his little feet in the water, then lifted them up quickly, and then dipped them again, hissing and inhaling.

"mom……"

Zhou Muqing stared.

"Master, it's very hot."

"Put it in and it won't be hot."

"It's hot, I can't put it in."

"I'll help you."

"..."

Zhou Xiaotian became cruel, stepped into the basin with both feet, lifted it up with a hiss, and then put it in again.

"When are we going to take a bath in the bathroom?"

"You want to go?"

"think."

"tomorrow."

"it is good!"

Zhou Xiaotian cheered, and stepped in with his feet again, gradually adapting to the water temperature, stepping on it and not wanting to come out.

Zhou Muqing went out to the yard and brought in some dried vegetables, locked the door, came back and poured a large teapot of water, and gave some to the cup next to him. After Zhou Xiaotian finished washing his feet, he drank some water and went to bed, while he read the newspaper by himself and searched carefully. After a while, I found the missing person notice I had published in the cracks.

"I fell asleep, master."

"Ah."

Zhou Muqing responded, turned over the newspaper, and continued to read it under the dim light. Zhou Xiaotian went back to her own room, took off her clothes, and got under the bed with only her long underwear on her body. With a tug, the room plunged into darkness.

After an unknown period of time, Zhou Muqing came in and tugged on the light cord again. Seeing Zhou Xiaotian's sleeping state, he helped her tuck the corners of the quilt, pushed aside the hair that was in her mouth, and then with a soft sound, the light was turned off again.

Back in her own room, she stared out of the window for a while in a daze. In the dark night, the windows were sealed by thermal film, so she couldn't see anything.

It was a long time before she took off her coat and went to bed.

After an unknown amount of time, the door of the room slammed lightly in the dark night, and a small figure came in from the outside, lying on Zhou Mu Qing's bed with a cold body, squeezed into the quilt.

Zhou Muqing opened his eyes and looked at the pitch-black roof, feeling the little people beside him arching around like maggots, and he even pulled the corners of the quilt back to make sure that the places where the air leaked were tightly pressed.

"Zhou Xiaotian!" Zhou Muqing lowered his voice.

"Master, it's not warm in my room." Zhou Xiaotian hugged her tightly and kept pushing into her arms.

"Go inside." Zhou Muqing said.

"it is good!"

Zhou Xiaotian crawled over her and lay on the bed, close to Master's warm body, because Master was afraid that she would fall off the bed.

The two of them, one big and one small, leaned together, neither spoke nor slept.

After a long time, Zhou Muqing turned sideways, took Zhou Xiaotian into his arms, and stroked her back.

"Mom, tell me again how you picked me up in the garbage dump?"

"Call me mom again, and I'll throw you out."

"Oh."

"go to bed!"

"I can not sleep."

Zhou Xiaotian whispered, "They said I don't have parents."

"Master doesn't have one, what's the matter, you ask them if they have a master?"

"they do not."

"That's it." Zhou Muqing said.

(End of this chapter)