Chapter 5: Midnight Fright

I hastened my pace, aware that my aunt''s house was nearby. If I could reach it, I would be safe. With all my strength, I pounded on my aunt''s door.

我用了最快的速度往前赶着，姑姑，前面不远处就是姑姑的家，只要我能撑着走到姑姑家我就安全了。

"Bang, bang, bang!" I knocked on my aunt''s door with all my strength.

“咚咚咚！咚咚咚！咚咚咚！”我使劲地敲着姑姑家的大门。

"Who is it?" I heard my aunt''s voice from inside.

“谁呀？”远远地听到是姑姑的声音。

"Auntie, it''s me, Lotus!"

“姑姑，是我，是我，莲儿呀。”

"Child, why are you out so late?" Recognizing my voice, my aunt quickly opened the door to let me in.

“孩子，你怎么这么晚了还在外面呀？”姑姑听到是我的声音赶紧把门打开让我进去。

My trembling body finally found refuge.

我抖擞的身子终于找到了安全的港湾。

Once my aunt closed the door, I couldn''t hold back my tears and told her everything that had happened.

待姑姑把门关好后，我再也无法克制住，哭着把事情的经过告诉了姑姑。

The barking of dogs outside continued nonstop. The man was still out there. The barking continued for a long time before ceasing. Only then was I sure the man had left and I was finally safe.

门外的狗叫声一直不停地响着，那个男人还在外面，狗叫声持续了好久才停，等狗叫声停了，我才确定了那个男人离开了，而我也终于真正地安全了。

Later, my aunt told my father about the incident and blamed him for allowing me, a young girl, to do business alone so late at night. It was far too dangerous.

后来姑姑找到了我的父亲和他说了这件事情，并且责怪父亲让我一个女儿家这么晚一个人在外面做买卖，太不安全了。

However, my aunt''s reprimand had no impact. My father remained that selfish and self-centered man. He never showed any fatherly affection. All he ever cared about was how to benefit from me. What advantages could I bring him? How could I help our family?

可是姑姑的责怪并没有起作用，父亲永远都是那个自私自利的父亲，他对我从来没有父爱，有的从来就是怎么从我身上获取利益，我能为他带来什么好处？我能帮助这个家庭什么？

Children without mothers are truly pitiful, especially girls.

没娘的孩子真的很可怜，特别是针对女孩子。

Perhaps other motherless children aren''t as unfortunate as my sisters and I because they still have their fathers or grandparents. However, we don''t have grandparents, and our father i