章)In the heat of summer, the cicadas buzzed incessantly, creating a symphony of sound that filled the air.
Emma Chen raised her arm to wipe the sweat from her forehead, quickly jogging into the clinic with her student Leo in tow.
Just half an hour earlier, Emma had received a frantic call for help; her well-behaved student Leo had been injured by his younger brother. The nine-year-old had dialed her number in a panic.
Without even changing her shoes, Emma rushed to Leos home.
After delivering him to the clinic, Emma finally took a deep breath. In her two years of teaching, she had encountered her fair share of chaotic situations.
As she turned on the faucet to wash the blood from her hands, she asked, "Dr. Smith, hows the student? Does he need to go to the county hospital?"
Dr. Smith glanced at her while preparing his tools, teasing, "I advised you to get a check-up at the county hospital before, but now that Leos hurt, youre all in a hurry."
Emma rubbed her nose, not responding.
"Dont worry, just a couple of stitches and an IV, and he鈥檒l be fine in a few days."
"Im not afraid of pain," Leo piped up from the side, trying to be brave.
Emma looked at her student, who was trying to endure the pain, and felt a pang of sympathy. She smiled gently, but as she turned her head, she noticed the culprit standing at the door with a defiant expression.
"Ryan, come here," Emma called, taking a few steps forward, hoping to diffuse the tension between the brothers.
With a stern expression, she transformed into the authoritative teacher she was, demanding, "Now tell me why you hit your brother."
Ryan met her fierce gaze, flinching slightly. Before Emma could approach, he suddenly raised his arm, a large rock clutched in his hand, and hurled it at Leo like a cannonball.
In a split second, Emma turned to shield Leo, feeling the rock hit her back with a dull thud. The childs strength, though not great, was enough to cause pain, and Emma felt a sharp sting radiate from the impact site.
"Emma!"
"Miss Chen!"
She heard their urgent calls, and as she straightened up, Ryan had already bolted away.
"This kid," Dr. Smith said, shaking his head. "Dont worry, when his dad gets back, Ill make sure he gets a good talking to."
Emma gritted her teeth, not saying anything further. Everyone in the village knew that Dr. Smith and Leos father were childhood friends, and while his words sounded comforting, they were more like empty promises.
Who raised such a troublesome child? Emma vowed that she had never faced such humiliation in her life. Back in school, she had stood up to bullies, never backing down. Now, as a teacher, she was expected to be patient and kind.
Dr. Smith quickly finished treating Leos wound and walked over to Emma, "Let me see."
Emma, her face pale from the pain, waved her hand dismissively, "Its nothing, Im fine."
Dr. Smith didnt press further, sighing as he muttered, "Little brats."
After administering two bags of antibiotics to Leo, the sky began to darken.
After paying the bill, Dr. Smith handed Emma a bottle of ointment, instructing her to apply it to her back. He didnt charge her extra, and Emma gratefully accepted it with a smile.
Once she had seen Leo home and dealt with the situation, Emma finally headed back.
The village was still hot in the evening, with dogs barking in the distance and smoke rising from chimneys. The blooming lilac trees lined the path, their lush green leaves vibrant against the setting sun.
As Emma walked beneath the trees, she looked up at the sunset stretching across the sky, contemplating what to eat for dinner as a reward for herself.
Her thoughts drifted back to her rebellious college days when her parents divorced and no one was around to guide her. On a whim, she had come to Silver Creek to teach, and two years had flown by. After graduation, she hadn鈥檛 thought much about her future, using the money her father had given her to buy a house outright and settle down.
Lost in her thoughts, she suddenly remembered an ancient saying: "Father gives me life, mother nurtures me, raises me, and cares for me."
Look at that, people have been reciting it for centuries, singing praises of familial love that is great and untainted. Yet here she was, feeling abandoned and unwanted.
Emma comforted herself, thinking, "Maybe good fortune comes late, and sweet dates come in time."
In her rush that morning, she had forgotten to close the gate in her yard. Now, returning home, she found the broom that had been left outside was missing. It was clear that Mrs. Johnson from next door had borrowed it again.
Emma sighed, not wanting to deal with it. She pulled out her keys and opened the door, the dim light and lively sounds spilling out. It seemed she had forgotten to turn off the television.
The kids channel was playing a cartoon, and Emma sat down on the sofa, watching for a moment until she heard movement in the yard. Thinking it might be Mrs. Johnson returning the broom, she got up to head to the door.
Before Emma could open it, the solid wood door was suddenly pushed open with a bang, slamming against the wall and bouncing back with a jolt. A tall, disheveled woman stepped in, her hair a mess, dark circles under her eyes, and her complexion poor, yet her features still hinted at the beauty she once had.
Emma froze, realizing that dinner would not be pleasant tonight.
"What are you doing here?" Emma questioned the intruder.
The woman surveyed the room before fixing her piercing gaze on Emma. "Your father treats you well, letting you buy such a big house. If I hadnt asked, I wouldnt have known you were living it up here, you little brat. You know who has money and who to stick with."
Emma felt a surge of anger. "Mom, werent you the one who abandoned me? Now Im the one choosing who to associate with? Have you lost your mind after all these years?"
The womans face changed, her pride wounded, and she raised her voice, "Im still your mother! How dare you speak to me like that? No wonder your father doesnt care about you; who would want you?"
Emmas patience wore thin. "If you cant take care of your own life, why bring me into it? You think I want to deal with this? Wheres your new boyfriend? I bet he doesnt even know you have a kid."
The woman scoffed, "Hes not around right now, but that doesnt mean I cant take care of you."
Emma rolled her eyes, "You think I need you? I can take care of myself."
Suddenly, the door swung open again, and a boy of about seven or eight was dragged in by the woman.
Emmas heart sank as she recognized the boy. He looked just like her, with pale skin and single eyelids, his face round and cherubic. He was dressed in brand-name clothes, clearly well taken care of.
"Who is he?" Emma asked, her voice steady.
"Hes your brother!" the woman declared proudly.
Emma was taken aback, her mind racing. "I dont have a brother. Who is he from?"
The woman smirked, "Hes from the same mother. You have to take care of him now. Im busy, and I cant handle him right now. You鈥檝e lived alone for so long; you can manage a child, right?"
So now it was clear that a child born from the same womb could still be treated differently.
"Take him away, I dont want him," Emma said firmly. "If you had another child, why did you gamble? Destroy one family and now ruin another? Wheres his father? He wouldnt be gambling with you, would he? You can send him wherever you want, just not here. I cant take care of him."
The woman, furious, shouted, "His father owes money and has disappeared!"
She suddenly shoved the boy towards Emma, who stumbled back, instinctively catching him as they both fell toward the glass table.
With a loud crash, the single-pane glass shattered, and Emma braced herself for impact, feeling the sharp shards cut into her skin as she fell.
"Emma!"
The boy, now in her arms, looked up at her with wide eyes, confusion and fear etched on his face.
Emma lay on the ground, the moonlight streaming through the broken glass, illuminating the chaos around her. She thought about how this was a sudden disaster, surreal and unreal.
If only she had checked the calendar before getting out of bed this morning.
The boy, triggered by the chaos, began to cry