Helplessness forces one to grow up quickly.

Translation based on raw version. I am also reading as I translate. Please do not post spoilers in the comments section.

Chapter 8: In the Name of the Moon We Swear: We Will Learn to be Stronger

The old man at the clinic held a torchlight and looked for a long time. By midnight, he still had not managed to do anything. Eventually, he sighed at He Manhou, “I’m afraid we’ll have to leave the teeth in your flesh?”

At that moment, I really felt like murdering that old man. The teeth sacrificed here will Jiang Sheng’s, mine! Not that He Manhou’s. But the moment I think about losing two precious front tooth, and the sniggering expression Bei Xiaowu had, I opened my mouth wide and started to cry. Screams from He Manhou travelled throughout the Wei Village in the night, my teeth actually were separated from He Manhou’s buttock.

I gargled my mouth like crazy in the clinic. Even the old man at the clinic was annoyed. Of course, at his level, he will never understand that this is the dirtiest memory in my whole life. When we left, He Manhou’s buttocks were fully wrapped with bandage. And I jogged home under the moonlight.

The yard was quiet, there was only Liang Sheng and his shadow, facing each other. He sat on the stone chair, back facing me. His legs were swaying. The depressing water-like moonlight shone on him and flowers filled with sadness bloomed on him. His back was trembling non stop. I lightly walked in front of him and opened my arms. Liang Sheng lifted his head up, a tear dropped on my palm. It hurts. I lowered my head and looked at the teardrop on my palm. I called out softly, “Brother,” just like a child who had done a wrong thing.

Liang Sheng was startled, “Jiang Sheng, didn’t I say I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning? Why did you come back alone in the middle of the night? Are you crazy?:

I didn’t say anything, lifted my arm and used the sleeves of the shirt to wipe the tears on his face. Liang Sheng suddenly thought of something, “Jiang Sheng, are you teeth okay?” I smiled, revealing my little clean and white gleaming teeth.

Liang Sheng said, “Jiang Sheng, you haven’t ate right?” After saying that, he jumped up and went back to the house. I stood quietly under the moonlight.

Liang Sheng brought me a bowl of piping hot noodles in no time, he seems to be guilty, “Jiang Sheng, there are no eggs at home. You can only eat noodles.”

I didn’t say anything and started eating the noodles Liang Sheng made. Liang Sheng looked at me with his brows knitted. His throat tightened and he started crying. Just like when he was six, when he first came to the Wei Village and was frightened by the ghost face I pulled. He used his arms to cover his face and cried loudly, “Jiang Sheng, Jiang Sheng ah, Brother… Brother will make you get to see sunny side ups everyday in the future.”

I pulled his arms away and used my index finger to lightly smoothe the burrows between his brows. I carefully traced his pretty eyebrows, “Brother, promise Jiang Sheng, do not be sorrowful in the future, alright?”

Liang Sheng looked at me, his gaze was depressed but strong. I held the big bowl of soup noodle, tiptoed and leaned on his side.

Under the moonlight, Liang Sheng and I learnt how to grow up and how to be strong.

As dawn broke, I snuggled beside Mother. Her thin back transmitted heat, warming my stomach. I listened to her seriously — her even breathing and the sighs which seemed to come from her dreamland.

She turned her body slightly and I pretended to be deep in sleep. Mother felt my presence beside her and got up to tuck me in under the blankets. She looked at me for a long time. Her tears were water-like, drowning my dreamland.

In my dream, I brought her along to leave the Wei Village. She could raise so many hens and collect so many eggs. She did not have to fear He Manhou stealing like that anymore. Most importantly, she did not have to endure the bullying from others anymore.

Volume 1 of 2
Chapter 3 of 83
Click on the tag 凉生，我们可不可以不忧伤1 to look through all translations in this volume.

This story is indeed depressing. I didn’t really like this chapter initially because the paragraphs were really long and hard to translate. I feel like I ruined the beautiful picture painted by the writer. Hence, my attitude in translating this chapter was not very good. Despite that, I still managed to be touched and was drove close to tears at the moment when Liang Sheng and promised to give Jiang Sheng a better life.

Such bitterness.

Anyway, I would just like to add that I am as sorrowful as Liang Sheng right now because I stupidly read spoilers about the plot of this story and I am face palming myself now. Why, oh, why? Why did I choose to torture myself with such a heartwrenching story? Reading the spoilers did allow me to better appreciate all the details I’m reading now though… so not all is too bad.

Cheers.