648 words

It is 2003 and the family - Shan Wang, Shan's mother and little sister - are living in Henan. Shan's father is working outside and sends money for them to live.

One day, Mother told Shan bad news that someone is coming for money because your little sister is illegally born in our country.?

'What can I do for you.' Shan said.

'Help me protect her.' Mother looked at Shan with surprise. 'Why do you not ask more questions about your sister?'

'You have said I must take care of my sister before, did not you? ' explained Shan.

'Yes, and then?' Mother asked.

'So, asking questions is not my business' Shan said at will and did not see Mother was smiling.?

'Good, let us cook some noodles for lunch, shall we?' Mother opened the kitchen door and worked as usual.

Shan played with some stone outside because Mother wanted Shan to watch the road in case someone from the government suddenly came.?

Shan does know why Mother sends his eyes on, it gives Mother some time to hide sister, so Shan watched the path carefully while playing with stones.?

After some wrong person passed by, two men came to their house with a red sign on their arm. Shan thought they must be the bad guys who I am watching. He quickly went into the house and told Mother

'Mom, this time you should believe me because the men are taking a red sign.' said Shan.

Mother understood at once, so quickly took sister in a box of bedroom.

'Come with me, we must fight together.' Mother strongly said.

They went to the front of the house door and talked to the men. Unfortunately, the men did not believe Shan was the only child of the family.?

There is an argument beginning in this quiet village and no one comes out even some neighbors living three steps away.?

The air of the house was filled with smoking, two men cannot do anything because Shan's family is very poor.

One man said, 'If you do not have money we must take away your door of the house for my boss.'

'You cannot do it because the house is not welcome to a lot of thieves and will be destroyed by them.' Mother said angrily.

'What your family will be is not my business, I am only an employee for child tax.' answered a man.

'But you are human. you must understand the LAW is worked for people not for money or your boss.' Mother said.

'It is easy to say hard to do.' Another man said. 'We work for the government to live so we are just doing a job.'

Shan wanted to fight with the men because he saw Mother was going to cry. He thought the men would not really hit him but he still had a fear of being seven-years-old.?

No matter what is going on Shan must say something. It is a good time to protect Mother. If he escaped once, all of his life in the future will be regretful.

'I will pay for it.' Shan said strongly.

Two men looked surprisedly at Shan, and said, 'How do you pay for your tax of the family.'

'I will do anything If this country really needs that money' Shan said.

'Well, well say. I will leave for today' A man said. But another man did not want to leave, said, 'We have not done our job, sir.'

'Yes, this job is hard to do and our boss really understands it so we cannot do more for this poor family.' A man said. They left.

Two men went away for a while, Shan's Mother quickly went back to the bedroom and found sister getting out and packing their luggage. They left this quiet village the next day and went to some place where Shan's Father lived in.

--?Franz Kafka