branch plum blossom

Chapter 1 Promise
The night is already deep.

Under the light of the moon, the shadowy mountains stand quietly in the sky.

In a lonely small depression in the mountains, occasionally one or two withered dog barks echoed back and forth, which was particularly ear-piercing.

Baimei and her younger siblings huddled together on the small bed in the inner room, listening to the movement in the outer room.

Dad lay on the bed in the outer room, moaning softly.

With red eyes, mother pulled Baimei out of the bed.

Baimei felt an indescribable dullness in the frozen air.

She dressed quickly, followed her mother, and came to the outhouse.

There was an unpleasant smell of medicine in the room.

On the musty-smelling kerosene lamp, a soybean-sized flame faltered in the night wind.

Dad was lying sideways on the side of the bed, his deeply sunken face, under the flickering light, looked particularly creepy.

Baimei couldn't help but stop at the door.

Leaning his head on the door frame, he stared blankly at Dad.

My father, who was as strong as a cow not long ago, suddenly fell ill, couldn't eat anything, and became skinny all of a sudden.

"Baimei, come here, come here."

Dad stretched out his skinny hand like a zombie, and shook it weakly at Baimei.

The father who usually looks gentle and amiable, at this moment, makes Baimei feel very scared.

Baimei leaned tightly against the door frame, not moving.

Tears rolled in the eyes.

"Baimei, come, listen to Dad."

Dad shook his hand at her again.

This time, he used all his strength.

"Baimei, come on, come here."

Mom came over, took her little hand, and walked towards Dad's bed.

"Baimei."

Dad grabbed Baimei's hand and stroked it lightly, with tears in his eyes.

Baimei burst into tears with a "wow".

"Baimei, be good, don't cry."

Dad wiped her tears with fingers that had only bones and dry skin left.

Baimei pursed her lips, trying hard to hold back her crying.

"Baimei, come on, kneel down!"

Dad's gaze suddenly became severe.

Baimei was taken aback, and quickly knelt down to her father's bedside obediently.

"Baimei, father's illness will never recover."

Dad touched Baimei's head, paused, and continued.

"You mothers, the days to come will definitely be very difficult. Cough cough cough cough cough cough. I thought about it. How about giving away all my brothers and sisters, okay?"

After Dad finished speaking, he stared at her without blinking.

His eyes gradually changed from clear to cloudy.

"No, Dad, I don't want to give away my younger siblings!"

When Baimei heard that she was going to send her younger siblings away, she burst into tears.

"Baimei, you are the boss. If you don't send your younger siblings away, then you have to help your mother and take good care of your younger siblings. Can you do that?"

"Well, I can do it!"

Baimei wiped tears from her eyes with the back of her hand, and nodded firmly at her father.

"Well, that's fine."

Dad withdrew his hand, put it under the quilt, closed his eyes, and nodded with satisfaction.

"Baimei, go to sleep, remember, take good care of your mother and younger siblings in the future."

Baimei returned to the bed, and not long after lying down, she was pulled up by her mother again.

This time, the younger brothers and sisters were also pulled up and put on their clothes, and gathered around the father's bed together.

At this time, Dad was speechless, his mouth was open, his eyes were bulging, and he looked at them motionless.

"Go with peace of mind, I will take good care of them."

My mother was crying, her eyes were as swollen as the peaches picked from the peach tree in front of the house.

After that night, Dad was gone, gone for good.

He was packed in a large wooden box and buried in a pit on the back hill.

Baimei and her siblings became children without a father.

That year, Baimei was 7 years old.

The younger brother Bai Feng is 3 years old and the younger sister Bai Yue is 1 year old.

Mother Qin Yulan is 28 years old.

Within a few years of my father's death, matchmakers came to my door one after another to promise kisses.

Baimei doesn't like it from the bottom of her heart, but what can she do?

Mom, so young.

This family is so poor!

They are always going to live.

The sensible Baimei acquiesced to her mother's remarriage.

With my younger brothers and sisters, I followed my mother to a new home.

But who would have thought that the hat of the oil bottle would be unceremoniously put on their heads.

No matter how you shake it, you can't shake it off.

Mother's road to remarriage was full of bitterness.

Baimei's life also experienced a period of nightmare-like torture.

Fortunately, just like Mei in her name, she has tenacity and unyieldingness that cannot be ignored...

After many years, finally gritted his teeth and survived the bone-chilling cold.

Baimei fulfilled her promise to her father, took care of her younger siblings, and guarded the house.

but
Baimei sniffed the faintly fragrant plum blossoms vigorously, trying to smooth out the small bump in her heart.

In the breeze, the plum tree is still there, the branches are covered by snow, and the fragrance is blowing out.

(End of this chapter)