I woke up to find myself as the villain's older sister.

The two women had lost their former youthful beauty and were often separated. When they occasionally met, they would feel a sense of disorientation and be met only with a feeling of unfamiliarity.

Later, as his children grew up, he became even more frugal. In order to raise enough money for Erfu to go to school to learn to read, he begged people everywhere, just to find a little more work to do.

But the more you live, the more injuries you suffer. To numb the pain of these wounds, men can only drink heavily. But while the physical wounds may be numbed, what about the pain in their hearts?

Looking at the dilapidated houses, he seemed unable to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Just as the man was deep in his own mental anguish, the foreman who had found him work smiled and grabbed his hand, saying mysteriously, "I've got a way to make money quickly, want to know?"

The man's eyes lit up, and he looked at the foreman ingratiatingly, "You... what method are you talking about?"

The foreman didn't answer immediately. He led him out of the village to a market where the villages met. After turning a few corners, they entered a small alley. Further in, there was a small door.

The man looked around nervously, a sense of unease rising within him. He couldn't help but ask, "Where...where is this?"

The foreman smiled mysteriously, "You'll see when you come inside with me."

The man didn't dare to speak again, watching as the foreman opened the door and he went inside with him.

Inside the door, there was a constant cacophony of shouting and yelling.

The room was dark and cramped. The man looked at the people gathered around the tables, their faces pale. Even the most foolish person would know where he was.

"What...why did you bring me to this gambling den?" The man was shocked. Although he was short of money, he knew he shouldn't come to a place like this. He took two steps back and tried to leave.

The foreman grabbed him, "Hey! Don't rush off." He patted him on the shoulder with his other hand, "It won't cost you any money."

Hearing this, the man was slightly taken aback. In that moment of hesitation, the foreman pulled him back to reality. "These first three rounds are on my treat. Winning or losing doesn't matter. After we're done, you can leave whenever you want. What do you say?"

Man: Really?

The foreman patted his chest and said, "Of course, don't you trust me, brother?"

The man pursed his lips: "Well... okay."

The foreman led him to a table where the previous group of people had just left, satisfied, carrying a cloth bag filled with pearls and coins.

The man had only glanced at it a few times when the foreman pushed him up.

"Eh... eh..." The man was somewhat flustered.

"What are you afraid of?" The foreman made the man stop. "Come on, I'll explain the rules to you slowly."

"Look, the guy in front of you is the dealer of this gambling den. But don't worry, quite a few people have won against him. Besides, you've always been lucky, haven't you?"

"This..." After hearing this, the man calmed down a little, but still hesitated: "Are you sure it won't cost me any money?"

The foreman immediately patted his chest and said, "Of course it's true. I've been your partner for so many years, would I lie to you?"

Hearing this, the man felt a little relieved, and then asked, "So... how do you play this?" Looking at the wooden signs on the stage, the man was somewhat confused.

The foreman pointed to the specially made wooden plaque on the table, "These are called chips. You need chips to play, and they can be exchanged one-to-one with our pearl coins."

"Here's what we'll do. I'll give you thirty chips first, ten per round, that'll be enough for three rounds." The foreman took out some pearl coins from his pocket, exchanged them for chips with the servants here, placed them in front of the man, and then told him the rules.

"Are you ready?"

“Ready?” the man replied cautiously.

All three rounds were about comparing the highest and lowest values. After playing two rounds, the man gradually became more skilled, and his dice-rolling movements became much smoother.

He won all three rounds, earning sixty pearl coins. The man's eyes gleamed as he looked at the coins. He had only needed to roll the dice to earn so much. Wasn't this easier than working hard every day? The man thought to himself.

The foreman took back his thirty pearl coins and smiled, "How about that? Thirty pearl coins for free, doesn't that feel good?"

The man didn't say anything, but he kept thinking about it afterward.

Finally, he returned to the casino. Although he lost some games, he won most of the time, which further solidified his belief in his mind.

But gradually, as he gambled more and more, he began to lose money. At first, he didn't care and thought he could win it back. It wasn't until he had squandered all the coins in his house that he finally realized his mistake.

His family was now destitute, and he regretted his actions. He lay on the wall outside the gambling den, unsure how to go home and face his woman.

Just then, he caught a glimpse of the foreman leading a worker he had previously worked with towards them. For some reason, the man instinctively hid until he saw the foreman lead the man into the gambling den.

At this moment, even the most foolish man would realize that he had been tricked. He was furious and wanted to argue, but he also knew that if he wanted to keep his job, he couldn't afford to mess with the foreman.

As the days went by, after a few days of carefree living, the man, unable to bear the sudden drop in fortune, gradually became irritable.

He angrily threw the woman's things out of the house, yelling, "Get out! Get out of this house! You can't even cook a meal properly, what use are you to me!"

The woman sobbed, clutching her bundle, "We have no more coins left at home, where would we get the spare money to buy the meat you need?"

Man: "No money? What about your dowry? You hid it from me when your father was sick, are you trying to keep your distance from me now?!"

The woman cried out that her dowry was for her son. Upon seeing this, the man felt a mix of bitterness and complex emotions, but he eventually stopped.

However, due to poverty and alcoholism, the man would sometimes beat the woman, but he would also apply medicine to her in the dead of night.

The two looked at each other in silence. Due to exhaustion, their faces aged rapidly, and they saw a stranger in each other's eyes.

How did life come to this? The man thought, and no matter how much he thought about it, his sorrow did not lessen in the slightest.

Years passed in the blink of an eye. Erfu grew up and wanted to leave to make a living. The man begged all over the village and finally managed to get some travel money.

Looking at Erfu's figure in the distance, the man and woman stood together in rare harmony.

Do you think Erfu will come back?

"Yes, he said he would come back."

But year after year passed, and there was never any news of that child again, not even a letter was ever sent home.

Men have also become increasingly irritable, and most of the time they are verbally abusing women.

That day, as usual, the man said a string of angry words, telling the woman to go and find their son.

The woman thought for a moment, then went out with her aged steps.

The man didn't take it seriously, assuming she was trying to hide from him again.

But when night fell and the woman still hadn't returned, the man panicked. He leaned on his cane and walked out, his steps faltering. He would ask each person he passed with a trembling voice.

But all I got in return were sarcastic remarks and disdainful looks.

He had endured these taunts and disdain for decades. From the repression and anger of the past to the numbness of the present, he no longer wanted to dwell on it. He just wanted to find a woman as soon as possible.

He knew that the nights were freezing cold and that elderly people like them wouldn't be able to get through them. Thinking of this, he felt even more anxious.

But in his haste, he didn't hold his crutch properly and tumbled into a dark, cold pond not far away, where the frigid water submerged his body.

The man's consciousness gradually dissipated, and his mind was racing, with scenes from his entire life flashing through his mind.

From his youth until now, he paused, using his remaining strength to clear the hazy fog in his mind, and memories that had been dormant for many years gradually became clear.

He saw a young man smiling at the girl beside him, expressing his love.

The scene was beautiful, but it felt very unfamiliar to the man.

Even that love... has been something he has never been able to reach all these years.

He couldn't even recognize that the boy in the photo was himself.

After all, it was too extravagant for him.