"You little bastard, always slacking off, not doing any work, yet you eat plenty—I'll let you eat, I'll let you eat, a rotten good-for-nothing born without a mother to raise you..." Accompanied by the woman's full-throated scolding, a frail little boy shrank into a corner, his hands over his head, defending against the rain of punches and kicks.
Under his drooping eyelids, a trace of ferocity was concealed, like a prowling cheetah.
No matter how vile the scolding or how vicious the beating, the little boy still didn't resist at all, as if he were resigned to his fate.
When the woman got tired of cursing, she stood with her hands on her hips, panting heavily, and glared fiercely at the little boy.
"Go pick up every single bean on the ground outside and put them in the basket. You're not allowed to sleep until you're done."
The little boy silently got up and hobbled outside. Under the moonlight, his thin silhouette seemed like it could be blown away by a simple breeze.
