Living In Shelters

Li Jing sat nearby, her patience worn thin. "Do you think you're the only one suffering here?"

Zhang Mei didn't even flinch. Her vacant eyes stared ahead, unfocused, as though she hadn't heard a word. But she had. The slight tremor in her hands betrayed her.

Li Jing's chest tightened, but she refused to let herself feel pity. It was easier to stay angry. "Do you think I wanted this?" she said, her voice rising. "Do you think I enjoy sitting in this... this box of a room, playing nurse while my life falls apart? But guess what? Here we are."

Li Jing sighed heavily, picking up her phone, her irritation bubbling over like water in a boiling pot. Her mother's incessant muttering grated on her nerves. It was unbearable. Surely someone in their family could offer a hand.