Liu Shi and her husband froze.
A breath later, Liu Laoshi let out a heart-rending cry and rushed out of the house.
"Mother..."
Liu Laoshi braced himself against the edge of the well and looked down. His mother lay faceup, her eyes closed and her expression peaceful, sinking into the water.
"Mother!"
Liu Laoshi leaped into the well.
Splash!
Liu Shi's mind went blank. Then she rushed frantically toward the well, intending to lower the bucket and rope to rescue them. But her foot slipped. The bucket and rope never entered the well; she herself fell in instead.
Splash!
All three members of the family had fallen into the water.
Liu Laoshi gripped the wall of the well with one hand and held his dead mother with the other, while Liu Shi clung desperately to the wall.
"Help!" Liu Shi screamed toward the mouth of the well, cursing between cries. "This is all that old hag's fault! If she wanted to die, she should have just died-why drag me into it? You useless fool! She's dead, so let her be dead! Why are you dying with her? I..."
Liu Shi abruptly fell silent. She had noticed the darkness in her husband's eyes, as though they harbored boundless fury, sorrow, and resentment, along with disappointment and despair he could no longer conceal.
Liu Shi's heart trembled. She felt she had done something wrong, but her stubborn nature would not let her bow her head to her husband.
"I'm leaving."
Liu Laoshi spoke slowly, then sank into the water with his dead mother in his arms.
Liu Shi burst into tears and seized her husband, trying to pull him up as she sobbed, "I was wrong! I was wrong! Don't die, don't die! I'll never send all our money to my family