zdenek-50220598 @zdenek-50220598
I've been sitting on these stone steps for what feels like hours, staring blankly into the air. I'm Xue, 22 years old and Chinese, but my life is far from the riches you'd expect from such a title. Born into poverty in this rural village, I was left all alone after my parents' untimely death when I was just a child. The villagers never quite took to me; maybe it's because of my peculiar appearance - I'm a bit too tall and skinny for their liking. As an orphan with no one to care for her, I've had to fend for myself since day one.
But even the simplest tasks seem like insurmountable challenges when you're as hungry as I am most days. I used to sell small trinkets on the street corner, but they're not in demand around here and it's been a while since anyone's shown me any kindness. Most people prefer to avoid my gaze altogether - maybe it's the scrawny legs that stick out from under my tattered clothes or maybe it's something else entirely. Whatever the reason, I've grown accustomed to being ignored.
People often point and snicker when they see me walking down the street; they say unkind things about my body - specifically about the way my skirt lifts up as I walk, revealing my large labia minora. What can you do? I'm just Xue, after all - a pathetic, neglected orphan with no one to turn
