Before I Went to School

: Her Name Is Baozhu

4

Once my mom started to focus on me, she inevitably paid less attention to my aunt and grandmother.

In my eyes, she was still just as attentive.

It was just that her focus had shifted from them to me.

My grandmother, Mrs. Young, treated my mom like a workhorse, but my mom would just grit her teeth and bear it.

But Mrs. Young couldn't stand the idea of my mom also having to pay for my education.

"Jodie, what's the point of a girl studying so much? She's going to get married someday anyway."

Sylvia chimed in, cracking melon seeds as she lay tucked in bed.

"Exactly, Sister. It's enough that we have Wyatt in school. Sending a girl is just a waste of money."

"If you have that kind of spare cash, you'd be better off using it to support Mom and Dad."

My mom had been obedient her whole life.

She could endure being mistreated herself, but she couldn't bear to see her own daughter suffer the same.

She immediately straightened her spine.

"Mom, Sylvia, that's where you're both mistaken."

"Since I never had a proper education, I want my Treasure Bead to study more so she won't be at a disadvantage later on."

"Besides, the government mandates that children must go to school now. It's… what's it called… an 'obligation'!"

"It's free. It doesn't cost any money."

Seeing they couldn't win the argument against my mom, the two of them clicked their tongues in contempt.

"Been to Crestwood a few times and now you think you're some kind of intellectual?"

"I don't care what nonsense you're spewing. In any case, don't even think about taking a single penny from this family for it."

"And another thing, Scrap is living here, after all. There's no shortage of chores for her to do!"

Mrs. Young had made herself so clear that my mom, no matter how slow she might be, finally got the message.

They wanted another source of free labor.

My mom was on the verge of throwing down her work.

"No!"

"Treasure Bead isn't well. She can't do hard labor."

"Besides, she has to study. This kind of work isn't for her."

Sylvia patted Mrs. Young's shoulder in a show of comfort, her voice dripping with perfectly-pitched sarcasm.

"Oh, Mom, don't be so hard on Sister."

"Scrap is Sister's precious little treasure, you know. She's going to get official household registration and everything. It's not our place to say anything, is it?"

"Sister's really changed since she got married. Got a real sharp tongue on her now. All this talk about 'the country' and 'the world'... And Scrap is just so precious and delicate, isn't she?"

Hearing this, Mrs. Young got so angry she threw down the melon seeds she was holding.

"Jodie Shaw, are you an idiot?! Why would you get household registration for a burden?"

"You could just find someone to give her away to. You might even get a few hundred bucks for her."

"And getting her registered, you think that's free?!"

"It is free!"

My mom was so furious she slammed the clothes she was washing back into the basin.

"I'll say it again! My daughter's name is Treasure Bead, Pearl Shaw! And I am absolutely getting her registered!"

"I don't care whether you agree or not! My daughter is not only getting her registration, she's going to college and she's going to make a fortune!"

The two of them were so stunned by my mom's sudden ferocity that they fell silent.

Seething with anger, my mom headed to the elementary school to pick me up.