My mother was clearly stunned when she heard this, but she didn't answer my question. Instead, she pulled me to the man.
"Shen Ling, this is Instructor Liu. I'm busy with work and don't have the ability to support you. In the future, you will follow Instructor Liu. Instructor Liu will bring you home. He will also feed you and take you to school."
I didn't answer. I just looked at my mother pleadingly. I didn't want to go with this man. I was afraid that this man would treat me like how my father treated me. I just wanted to stay with my mother. I thought that my mother still loved me.
But I didn't notice my mother wiping her hand with the tissue on the coffee table after pulling me over.
"Shen Ling, right? Follow me. I'm a language teacher. I will teach you how to read and write. Your mother's life is very difficult at this moment and she can't support you. However, I can. Do you know that?"
Seeing that I was unwilling, Instructor Liu explained softly. He was very gentle. It was a gentleness I had never seen before.
However, I still felt that his aura was very gloomy and did not want to go with him.
"Do you know what the way out for the poor is? It's to go to school and get into a good university and find a decent job. Don't you want to take care of your hardworking mother in the future?"
Instructor Liu guided patiently.
At this moment, I was swayed. This was how children were. As long as they were consoled, they would become very obedient. By giving them some beautiful goals, one would be able to plant a seed in a child's heart and arouse their desire.
I was no exception. I was only an eight-year-old child. At this moment, I thought that my mom loved me very much. After all, she took me over and gave me the chance to go to school. Hearing that I could take good care of my mother in the future, I no longer had those worries.
I nodded, indicating that I was willing to leave with this Instructor Liu.
Instructor Liu seemed very happy. He said to me, "Don't worry, I'm a man of my word. I'll support you and let you go to school. In the future, you just have to listen to me well."
His voice was still very gentle. I had once thought that if Instructor Liu became a life coach, he would have a better future than if he kept his job as a teacher.
I also began to think that Instructor Liu was a good person and wouldn't hurt me.
Instructor Liu bade my mother farewell and took my hand.
Instructor Liu was the second person who was willing to hold my dirty hand. After all, my own mother was not willing to hold my hand and would only grab me by the elbow. The first person was my aunt, which also made me feel a little warm.
Instructor Liu brought me to his car and let me sit in the front passenger seat. After seeing me sit properly, he stretched out his hand and touched my thigh. I instinctively wanted to dodge.
My father would also treat me like this. It was precisely because I resisted him that I was beaten up mercilessly by my father.
"Seat belt," Instructor Liu said with a smile.
I sighed with relief.
Just like that, Instructor Liu brought me home.
Instructor Liu's house was clearly much better than my mother's. It was spacious, bright, clean, and even more exquisite.
"Who is she?!"
As soon as we entered the room, a boy who was slightly taller than me pointed at me and asked.
"Her name is Shen Ling, a poor child I'm going to sponsor. She's going to live in our house. Shen Ling, this is Liu Tao. He could also be considered my student. He's a little older than you. You should call him brother."
Instructor Liu introduced us to each other.
I politely called out, "Brother Liu Tao."
Liu Tao was very hostile towards me. He said coldly, "Don't try to get close to me. I don't want a dirty and smelly sister like you."
"Alright, Liu Tao, quickly go and do your homework. I'll bring your sister to shower."
Instructor Liu didn't care about Liu Tao's evil words and only urged him to quickly do his homework.
Liu Tao walked into his room angrily. I could sense Liu Tao's anger, but I didn't understand why he was angry.
"What are you waiting for? Follow me. I'll take you to shower."
Instructor Liu urged me.
After following him into the washroom, I was somewhat curious about the equipment inside. After all, I didn't know how to use them. These were all things I had never seen in the countryside.
"Instructor… Instructor Liu, I don't know how to use this," I said awkwardly.
"It's fine, I'll wash your body for you. Take off your clothes," Instructor Liu said gently.
I was somewhat hesitant, not knowing what to do. I wanted to refuse his offer.
"Didn't you promise to listen to me? Do you want me to send you back to the countryside?" Instructor Liu still had a smile on his face, and his tone was so gentle.
At the thought of being beaten by my father again if I returned to the countryside, I gritted my teeth and took off my clothes.
Instructor Liu opened the shower and let me shower for a while. Then, he took a towel and rubbed my entire body bit by bit.
I instinctively wanted to resist. I didn't know why, but I felt a little disgusted even though Instructor Liu was clearly taking care of me.
After that, he smeared something called shower gel and hair spray on my face and washed it off bit by bit.
Finally, after showering, I dried my body. Instructor Liu handed me a brand new set of clothes. It was the perfect size for me as if he knew I was coming and was prepared.
When I went out, Liu Tao was standing at the door.
Seeing me come out, Liu Tao still had the same cold attitude. "You don't even know how to take a shower. What a country bumpkin."
Although he was lecturing me, I felt better with him than with Instructor Liu. At the very least, he hated me and wouldn't touch me.
In this way, I stayed at Instructor Liu's house. Instructor Liu also arranged for me to study at the secondary school where he worked.
Fortunately, in the next few years, Instructor Liu only touched me when I was showering. Other times, he didn't press down on me like my drunk father did.
Out of self-protection, I always tried my best to avoid Instructor Liu at home. Instead, I tried to get closer to Liu Tao. I would also follow behind him and call him brother.
The peaceful days lasted until I was about to enter junior high in sixth grade.
That day, as we were signing up for junior high, a girl in my class looked at my chest and suddenly laughed.
"Hahaha, look. Shen Ling is not wearing anything under her uniform."
Then, everyone began to look at me. For some reason, I also chuckled.
Then, the entire class began to mock me for being a bumpkin and not knowing anything.
I was curious about what I was supposed to wear inside, but I didn't dare to ask my classmates.
I could only run to the junior department to find Liu Tao.
At the entrance of their class, I found a person and told him that I was looking for Liu Tao. That person shouted at the entrance of the class, "Liu Tao, your sister is looking for you."
Seeing that it was me, Liu Tao stopped laughing and walked out with a gloomy face.
"Brother Liu Tao, can you do me a favor?"
I looked at him pleadingly.