Chapter 2

Chapter 2

My parents died when I was very young, and I was deceived into a brothel. At that time, I was just a child, so they made me work as a server. I would greet guests and run errands, buying makeup and ointments for the girls in the house.

When I turned ten, the madam made me a dancing girl. It was a highly profitable job, and without much thought, I agreed. I danced for four years and grew more beautiful with time. Because of my good figure and looks, the madam tried several times to force me to entertain clients.

Some girls who grew up with me had softer personalities and were coerced into selling their bodies. Within two years, they were found dead in the river. Their bodies floated downstream, bloated and stinking. They died silently, with no one caring or paying attention. This world is like that; human lives are treated with little value.

I didn't want to sell my body, so I ran away. While running, I encountered Andrew. He was a poor scholar, living in poverty with his blind mother. The two of them depended on each other for survival.

I accidentally stumbled into Andrew's home while escaping from the brothel's guards. I hid in a haystack in his yard, peeking through a small gap to watch the mother and son. It had rained all night, and his mother's leg ailment had flared up. Andrew was massaging her legs in the courtyard. It was late autumn, and the cold was biting, yet Andrew was sweating profusely.

His mother, unable to see, awkwardly wiped his sweat with a cloth. Andrew carefully leaned his face closer to her. As she wiped, tears began to fall from her eyes. She beat her chest in regret and self-blame.

"It's all because of me, your mother, that you're suffering. If it weren't for me, my son would be living a better life."

She cried her heart out, as if letting out years of built-up sorrow.

"The neighbors told me that the mayor's daughter has taken a liking to you. If it weren't for me, your blind mother, my son would be much better off."

Andrew shook his head firmly, his fair skin flushing red. He was more beautiful than most girls, with rosy lips and white teeth. Holding his mother's frail hand, he solemnly said, "Mother, I don't need to rely on anyone else. I can make a future for myself. When I become the top scholar, I'll take you to get treated and cure your eyes."

His mother's blindness was a sore spot for Andrew. Their house had caught fire when he was young, and his father died in the blaze. His mother had saved him but lost her sight due to the thick smoke.

She touched Andrew's face, as if trying to imprint his features in her mind. Her eyes had been blind for ten years, and she could no longer imagine what her son looked like.

"I believe in you, my son. I believe you will become the top scholar and make our family proud."

The mother and son hugged each other tightly. Watching them, I couldn't help but cry. Having a mother is such a blessing, but I didn't have one.

Andrew heard my sobbing and quickly shielded his mother. I wiped my tears and crawled out of the haystack. When he saw me, he called my name accurately.

"Laura?" His face suddenly turned red, looking at me with embarrassment.

I found this scholar amusing, as he was shyer than a girl. His mother anxiously asked, "Who is it? Who's there?"

I squatted down, holding her hand, and said sweetly, "I'm your son's friend."

His mother didn't understand but was very happy, constantly patting my hand with a smile on her face. "Andrew has a friend? That's good. The more friends you have, the more chances you get."

Andrew pulled me aside, incredulous, and whispered, "Since when are you my friend? You don't even know my name."

I smiled and said, "Your name is Andrew."

He was at a loss for words, seeing me smile so freely, and started smiling too.

Later, I found out that he knew me because he had once received two bowls of rice soup from a porridge stall I had set up. I only remembered that I was born on the sixth day of the sixth month. Every year on my birthday, I would set up a stall in front of the refugee camp, cooking porridge and distributing it to passersby, beggars, or anyone who was short on money.

There were so many refugees in this world. I did this without expecting anything in return, just to tell myself that if no one celebrated my birthday, I would celebrate with the people. But knowing that someone remembered me because of this made me very happy.

From then on, I often visited Andrew, bringing my good friend Martha to treat his mother's illness. Martha's ancestors were doctors, but she was born a woman in the wrong era. The world was biased against women, and despite her medical skills, she couldn't practice. She had to sell herself into a brothel and became a dancing girl with me.

I knew she was better than those so-called doctors in the clinics. With Martha's medical skills, Andrew's mother's eye condition improved significantly. She could at least see people clearly.

The moment she removed the cloth from her eyes, she saw her son, whom she had longed to see, standing in the light. Andrew was the most filial son in Spring Town, a well-known prodigy and a very handsome young man.

After ten years of darkness, she finally saw the light again. The mother and son hugged each other, crying their eyes out. She thanked me over and over, and Andrew looked at me with red eyes, melting my heart.

Many girls in this town wanted to marry him. But he kissed my forehead on a deserted street at night, and the softness in my heart began to sprout and bloom.

He said, "Laura, when I become the top scholar, I'll marry you with all the proper ceremonies."

I was overjoyed, smiling happily, "Alright, I'll remember that."