Every gain came with a loss.
The money could give Bai Fang and her son a leisurely life for a while, but secrets did not stay hidden in a small city. Rumors spread everywhere, as vicious as could be.
In other people's mouths, Bai Fang went from "that poor woman" to "that woman," someone they would rather avoid.
Bai Fang herself did not mind. She simply made sure to ask very carefully whenever she picked Bai Congming up from school.
"Is anyone bullying you at school?"
The answer was always the same. "No."
Bai Congming could not lie. If he said no, he meant no. Bai Fang felt somewhat reassured and told him not to fight anymore. Even if he found himself in a situation where he had to fight, he must never use a weapon.
"No wooden sticks, knives, or sharp things. Do you understand?"
A parent loved her child, and Bai Fang was truly afraid that her fool of a son would turn into a madman.
"Little Bai doesn't fight."
"But you can't let people bully you either," Bai Fang added. "If someone makes you really angry, you can hit back. Use your fists, or headbutt them... Hehe, maybe knocking your head against someone will even make you a little smarter..."
Bai Congming remembered every word, but for a long time afterward, he never had a chance to fight.
School life was easy and simple. Bai Congming had chased off a bad man at the school gates, and after a few classmates embellished the story and spread it around, the fool became the school's little hero.
The little hero just did not get very good grades.
"Oh, my Little Bai," Bai Fang said, looking at the report card in her hands. "What have you got in that head