本來的安排是堂親兩口住在母親家照顧母親。但他們不久移居新加坡，把母親送到了外村 “大媽" 的外婆家。“大媽”是外祖父已逝原配妻子的娘家。雖然血緣上沒有關係，卻也算是母親的親人。那邊還有其他“舅舅”們等一家大小，還算容她。隻是每天吃飯加菜常遭表姐打手，一舉一動都遭白眼。後來，因不甘忍受寄人籬下的委屈，在村人幫出的主意下，母親跑回了自己家，開始了那無人管，無約束的生活。也在村人的主意下，她把家裏的地要回來，租給人種，收成5/5分成。一個才幾歲小孩子，哪裏知道地該收多少，隻求有飯吃就行。空蕩蕩的院子她住著害怕，每晚就蜷睡在廳裏祖母的大畫像下，尋求保護。也許是什麽保護吧，母親一生雖苦，卻總是大難不死。一次不小心落入河中，被鄉丁看見救起，送回大畫像下。
The original plan was to have a couple from Grandpa's clan take care of Mom, living in Mom's mansion. However, it wasn't long before the plan fell apart when the couple moved to Singapore. Mom was sent to another village to live with the maiden clan of her "first mom," who was Grandpa's late first wife and somewhat related to Mom despite the lack of blood relationship. Mom's new family, which included the households of several "uncles," received her reasonably well, except she was constantly censured under reproachful eyes and would have her hand slapped by a cousin if helping herself to the meal. When the misery was too much to bear, Mom eventually ran away back to her mansion on the villagers' advice, starting a life with no supervision. Again following the villagers' advice, she reclaimed the land she was entitled to and leased it out to collect half of the harvest as the rent; however, since the amount of harvest was way beyond the knowledge of a little girl of her age, she ended up barely collecting enough to stay alive. The empty mansion gave her fear at night, so she sought comfort by sleeping in the living room under the big portrait of Grandma. Although living in hardship for her whole life, Mom was able to survive a number of grave dangers, possibly having been blessed by some protection. She once fell into a river by accident, but was rescued by the village patrol and sent back to the big portrait.
