Can a mother really ruin several generations?

On the first day of the college entrance examination, my mother brought several people to see me off.

As soon as I got on the bus, I broke out in a cold sweat because my brother was in the car, and I suddenly understood where they were taking me.

I grabbed my mother’s clothes tightly and spoke incoherently: “I will sign, I beg you, I will have the surgery after I finish the exam, can I wait until I finish the exam…”

She just looked at me calmly: “You are not going to walk out.”

1

On my eighteenth birthday, my mother handed me an informed consent form for a kidney transplant.

“I won’t sign it!”

I didn’t take the paper or even look at it, I just stared into my mother’s eyes.

When I had the physical examination that day, I anticipated that it was not a good thing, but I was still confused for a few seconds by my parents’ friendly attitude.

It was like they really cared about me as their daughter.

Now they are embarrassed, but it’s true, they have always only cared about their son.

“You must sign.”

My mother looked straight at me.

This might be the first time she looked me in the eye like this.

Behind her, my brother was lying on the sofa, looking at me timidly, as if he was a little happy.

But it wasn’t the kind of happiness that came from gloating, but rather the kind of happiness that came from seeing me again after a long time.

I frowned and he immediately looked away awkwardly.

“I’m going to take the college entrance exam soon.”

“You’re a girl, it doesn’t matter whether you take the exam or not. You should start working early to supplement your family income. Your brother finally found a suitable kidney donor…”

Mom chattered on and on.

I looked into her bloodshot eyes.

Her mental state has become increasingly unstable since her brother’s condition worsened.

Medical treatment requires money.

My dad is so busy that he is not at home every day, and my mom has to take care of my brother while working part-time.

I hardly ever see them.

But the funny thing is, this period of time is when I feel most at ease.

“If you sign it, I will take good care of you after the operation. You will be fine. Really, trust me…”

She became increasingly incoherent.

“I don’t–“

I interrupted her a little impatiently.

Seeing that I was stubborn, she suddenly raised her hand and slapped me.

“Chu Zhi – you’re a money-loser! What’s the point of me raising you? Is saving your brother harming you?! Do you know how much your brother has suffered?!”

I was hit so hard that my head tilted to one side, my mouth felt like it was torn, and my head was buzzing. I couldn’t hear clearly what my mother was yelling.

In a trance, I vaguely remembered that in the morning, the owner of the grocery store downstairs stuffed a bottle of milk into my hand. She said that I had grown up today and should grow taller.

Her voice gradually overlapped with the voice of my biological mother in front of me.

It’s ridiculous that the coming-of-age gift is a bottle of milk, a slap in the face, a piece of paper worth a kidney, and a completely disappointed heart.

I licked the blood oozing from the corner of my mouth.

“You support me? That sounds nice, but have you ever given me money? I’ve been working part-time since I was in junior high school to earn tuition fees.

“The first thing I did after school was to rush to the grocery store to unload goods, and my hands were covered with calluses.

“One time I worked very late, and when I came home you locked me in the door. I almost froze to death outside that day.

“The next day you called me a shameless bitch for hanging out with boys at night.”

The grievances that had not been expressed for many years poured out at this moment, and I suddenly couldn’t control my emotions.

“I am alive not because I have parents, but because I firmly believe that I can stay away from my parents if I live!

“Do you know how much I suffered for the college entrance examination?!”

I didn’t give her time to answer, I turned around and slammed the door, not wanting to hear anything she thought.

Because she doesn’t understand me, nor does she try to understand me, she only favors my brother.

2

At first I couldn’t understand why no one came to pick me up from the elementary school on the day my brother was born. In the end, I walked home late at night by myself based on my memory. I was soaking wet and stood breathlessly at the door, watching my relatives laughing and making noises in the house, and my parents smiling happily around a baby on the bed.

And I felt like an outsider.

That was the first time I felt a chill in my heart, just like the heavy snow outside.

From that point on, that baby completely replaced me.

I only saw him once from a distance, and after that, all I remembered of him was his silhouette in his parents’ arms.

I seemed to no longer be my parents’ child. I was kicked out of my room and slept on the sofa in the living room every night.

All I know is that my parents didn’t let me stay at home during the day because they were afraid that I would disturb my younger brother.

At the same time, my mother suddenly became forgetful.

She often forgets to save lunch for me.

Because my younger brother eats early and I am at school, when I get home, she is already in bed coaxing my younger brother to sleep.

At first, I would go to her and ask if she had any leftovers.

But she slapped me impatiently, fearing that I would disturb my brother.

I didn’t understand why this child, whose silhouette I could only see at each time, was protected like a treasure.

But there was no other way, so I had to cook for myself and stand on a stool to stir the vegetables in the wok.

But suddenly oil splashed on my hand, and I pulled my hand back quickly, knocking over the iron pan with a loud noise.

I was so scared that I stopped moving.

Two seconds later, a baby crying and a gentle female voice were heard in the room.

I quickly jumped off the bench and picked up the things on the ground.

Before I could pick up the iron pot, I was suddenly pulled up by someone and then slapped in the face.

What followed was a continuous stream of kicks and punches.

I curled up in pain, my wrist was pinched so hard that it hurt. I raised my eyes with great effort and looked at my mother, whose eyes were full of bloodshot.

“I finally managed to get your brother to sleep, can you please be quiet? What else can you do except cause trouble?!”

My stomach was aching, my wrists and face were burning, I gritted my teeth and nodded, and then she threw it aside like garbage.

I knelt on the ground, looked at my tattered skirt, and suddenly realized something.

I asked her.

“You wanted a boy from the beginning, didn’t you?”

Although I knew that she was tortured by the baby and couldn’t sleep day and night, at the same time, I also knew that she enjoyed it.

Because when I was a child, she would roll her eyes at me whenever I cried.

But no matter how much her brother made a fuss, she would always coax him patiently.

She only showed her gentlest side to her younger brother.

So, I could only look forward to the night like a thief, so that I could steal a nursery rhyme that she sang to put her brother to sleep, and say good night to myself.

I never actively seek her care because I hate the way she looks at me and I can’t understand why she becomes like this.

Now, I finally realized the problem, because, I am not a boy.

…

After hearing what I said, she suddenly stopped, leaned against the refrigerator as if she had lost her strength, and rubbed her temples.

“Everyone wanted a boy at first.”

As she spoke, she opened the refrigerator and took out an insulated box containing crumbed noodles.

A whole piece stuck together, no seasoning, white.

“This is what your brother had left over from this morning. We don’t want to waste it, so you can eat this.” She handed me the thermos box but didn’t help me up.

“Your uncle will be staying with you next month, so don’t cause any trouble.”

I looked at the incubator in my hand.

After she walked into the room, I poured the noodles in the thermal box into the trash can.

I stepped on a stool, opened the refrigerator door, and took out another insulated box.

I saw the box when she opened the refrigerator, and it contained the stacked egg rolls.

She would give my brother a little bit of it every day.

I took the box, closed the refrigerator door, and jumped off the stool, eating one egg roll in one bite.

While using another insulated box in my hand to cool my face that had just been hit, I put on my schoolbag and prepared to run to the big tree in front of the school gate to take a nap, and then go straight to school when I got up.

Perhaps, it was at this time that I realized that no one had any expectations of me and no one would be nice to me.

But I can’t treat myself badly.

3

When I was standing outside my house bored as punishment, I saw my uncle walking towards me with a cigarette in his mouth.

My uncle often comes to stay at our house. I actually like him very much. In this family where everyone treats me as air, he is the only one who talks to me.

His name is Ji Chengjie, and he was highly expected at first sight.

My mother’s name was Ji Yu because it rained that day.

They are obviously siblings, but they don’t look alike at all.

My mother is very rigid and her eyebrows are always drooping. The only time I saw them raised was the day my brother was born.

But my uncle’s facial features were very flamboyant. He was always hanging around the streets with a few people with colorful hair, and there was always a cigarette hanging from the corners of his upturned mouth.

“Hey, my sister punished you again?”

He came over, pulled up his trouser legs and squatted in front of me.

I looked at him and said nothing.

“What was the reason this time? Stealing food? Or stealing money?”

I immediately glared at him.

“I never steal money… I got into a fight at school.”

“fight?”

He immediately became excited.

“Why are you fighting like a little girl?”

“He got beaten because he said something like that.” I glared at him again.

“He bullied girls and kept yelling at them until they started crying. I got annoyed by his yelling and kicked him.

“Who knew he would cry so hard that his parents came.”

I stood at the wall, thinking fiercely that I might as well kick it a few more times.

When Ji Chengjie heard this, he suddenly laughed and patted my shoulder while laughing.

“They say nephews take after their uncles, and you really do look like me. When I was a kid, your uncle was also a big shot in school, so your mom often came to clean up my mess.”

“Will she hit you?” I asked curiously.

“Hit me?” Ji Chengjie was stunned. “My sister never hits me. No one in my family even hits me.”

“She hit you?” Ji Chengjie looked at me.

I turned my head to show him the bruises on the other side of my face and leg.

I thought he would be surprised and then sympathize with me.

But he just looked at the bruises for a while, then smiled: “My sister was also beaten by my parents when she was a child…”

His voice was very low and I didn’t hear it clearly. I just saw that his expression was very strange, and then he stuffed a candy into my mouth.

“You definitely don’t like your brother, right? I don’t like your brother either. After your brother was born, my sister had no time to take care of me.”

I was busy eating the candy in my mouth and didn’t bother to speak, but I still rolled my eyes. What does my parents’ favoritism have to do with my brother? Why should I hate him?

Suddenly there was a loud bang on the street and a black shadow rushed over.

Ji Chengjie’s eyes lit up, he shook me and pointed at the black shadow flying past.

“See that motorcycle? Isn’t it cool?!”

He didn’t seem to even think about my response. He just kept saying, “I have to buy one. It’s so cool.”

“Didn’t you just get fired for absenteeism? Where did the money come from?” I poured cold water on him.

“I don’t have money, but my sister does.” Ji Chengjie smiled cunningly.

“Don’t even think about it. My mom doesn’t have any money either.” I licked the candy in my mouth. “She can’t even afford my tuition and fees. She told me to figure it out on my own.”

“…” Ji Chengjie glanced at me, and I didn’t like that look.

He stood up, stretched, and patted my shoulder.

“Trust me, she’ll buy it for me.”

I rolled my eyes at him, still thinking there was no hope for this.

But I didn’t expect that my mother compromised so calmly.

She was cooking in the kitchen as usual, listening to Ji Chengjie’s excited words. After Ji Chengjie finished speaking, she just asked how much money was still needed.

I stood at the door and looked at the brother and sister, clenching my hands which were sore from moving things.

Ji Chengjie didn’t forget to raise his eyebrows at me.

My mother turned around, took out a bank card from the compartment in the cabinet and handed it to Ji Chengjie.

“There are tens of thousands of dollars in there. I saved it myself. Your brother-in-law doesn’t know about it. Take it and use it.”

“Okay, sis!”

Ji Chengjie immediately took the card, came over, pulled me up and walked outside.

I actually remember that card. My mother was an elementary school English teacher. She had always wanted to go to other provinces to attend classes and broaden her horizons, so she prepared the funds for a long time.

I know she is not content with being just an elementary school teacher. She occasionally drinks at night and mutters something when she is drunk.

I pretended to fall asleep on the couch and acted as a qualified listener many times.

My mother was admitted to a very good university in another province.

But she gave up.

I can’t figure out why.

4

“I told you my sister would definitely give me money, but you didn’t believe me.”

I came to my senses.

“My sister didn’t even go to college because of me.”

I suddenly raised my head and looked at Ji Chengjie, who looked somewhat smug.

“How could you not give me money?”

He raised the card in his hand and stopped in front of the bank.

“Hey, how much do you want for tuition? I’ll give it to you.”

I was stunned for a moment, but still said, “Two hundred.”

“…You want money for my tuition?” I couldn’t help but ask another question.

Ji Chengjie inserted the bank card into the machine and said without looking back, “How is that possible? I’m just giving it to you by the way. I still need to buy a motorcycle.”

I didn’t say anything else, but silently took the two hundred yuan he handed me and put it in my pocket.

Then he went in a different direction.

“Where are you going?” Ji Chengjie pulled me over.

“Go help the boss lady with work. You’ll get paid today.” I rubbed my sore shoulders. These past few days, I wasn’t as tired as before. I was just counting the goods.

“What kind of work are you doing as a second-year junior high school kid? Who would dare to hire you? Didn’t I pay you?”

“This master, who knows nothing about the sufferings of the world, hired a child like me. The salary is low, but I work hard. All I have to do is say that I am the boss’s wife’s child.”

Ji Chengjie nodded as if he understood, then he reacted.

“You just wanted my money?!”

I saw that he had reacted and ran away quickly, shouting as I ran: “You gave it to me! I’m not going to waste it!”

Later, I often thought that I shouldn’t have made him so angry that time. At least I shouldn’t have run away after shouting that sentence. I should have turned around and given him a smile.

I never imagined that when I saw him again, all that was left was a photo frame.

Ji Chengjie was involved in a traffic accident while speeding at an intersection and died on the spot.

My mother was dragged, beaten and scolded by my grandparents in front of the mourning hall.

Scolding her for giving money to Chengjie.

Scold her for not taking good care of Chengjie.

She cursed her and said that Cheng Jie’s death was all because of her.

Scolding her, if it weren’t for her, Cheng Jie would have a good future.

My mother just knelt on the ground with a numb look in her eyes, and she didn’t even cry.

Everyone surrounded them, some were grabbing my grandparents, and some were pointing fingers at my mom.

My mother was surrounded by scolding. She knelt there alone with her head buried in the dirt.

I stood at the door and looked at her.

I always felt that she was saying something at the top of her lungs, but in the end she was still dragged underground by hands.

She sank.

After that, my mother suddenly changed my brother’s name.

Changed to Fang Jie.

She became more silent.

My dad often stays out all night, and when he comes back he just plays with Fang Jie for a while and doesn’t talk to me.

I still work for the owner of the grocery store because I found that my mother no longer gives me money and sometimes even won’t let me into the house.

I even wondered if she was afraid that I would harm her son.

It was just before the high school entrance examination.

My mother suddenly signed me up as a school boarding student, and I had to live in school for a year for some unknown reason.

I was sent there just after the winter vacation.

I suddenly felt like I had been completely treated as trash and abandoned.

On the first night as a boarding student, I ran outside the dormitory building and cried for a long time.

I didn’t even cry at my uncle’s funeral.

Because when I looked at his smiling face in the photo frame, I also wanted to give him a smiling face.

But I couldn’t laugh, nor could I cry.

…

Finally, I curled up against the wall, secretly took out the bag of candies that my uncle had given me, and put one in my mouth. I had kept this bag of candies for a long time.

Actually, I miss him very much, but I won’t say it.

Because when my mother hears such words, she will break down and beat me severely.

I don’t want to see her eyes.

The kind of eyes that are numb to the bone, and filled with repression.

Actually, I think I understand her.

Because it was raining one night, I was locked outside again. When I was huddled at the door and shivering, my mother opened the door, reeking of alcohol.

She hugged me and cried all night.

So, I thought I understood her and stopped mentioning my uncle, using him as the only bond between her and me.

But now, I am free from all restraints, completely abandoned, and can finally cry in a place where my mother doesn’t exist.

5

From then on, I never cried again. I became a bad kid whose only decent grades were decent, and I fought in school all day long.

If someone points fingers at me and my tattered self-esteem is threatened in the slightest, I will rush up to fight.

When girls fight, the outcome is usually not good. I have new wounds every day.

During that time, I was very confused.

I used to be busy every day trying to live a better life, but now I have free time and I have no idea what I should do every day.

Sometimes I think my mother must be very glad that she made this decision.

She would no longer be forced to remember that there was a girl in the house.

Thinking of this, I continued to follow the crowd in a daze until I was suddenly called upon by the teacher to translate a text in the English class.

My mind was blank and I stood up and looked at the text in my hand.

Sink or Swim.

I paused and translated it literally.

“Sink or swim.”

I felt that it was illogical, but my classmates didn’t laugh and the teacher didn’t interrupt me, so I just kept on translating.

I am obsessed with my self-esteem, so my grades have always been in the upper middle level. Although I don’t know what the use of good grades is, at least they won’t make the teachers look down on me.

So actually my translation of this text is quite fluent.

The article basically tells the story of a girl who was subjected to long-term domestic violence by her parents. Through her own efforts, she was admitted to a good university in the college entrance examination and got a good job, thus completely breaking away from her original family.

When I reached the end of the translation, I slowed down my speech and read the article seriously.

The teacher praised me and asked me to sit down.

“The translation is good, but the title has a little flaw.”

“Sink or Swim.

“Ark-san directly translates to sink or swim.

“These two words do mean this, but after we read the entire text, we will understand the true meaning of the title.”

I watched the teacher turn around and write a few words on the blackboard.

“Sink or save yourself.”

I was stunned.

“If the protagonist in the text had given up on herself, she would never have gotten out of this situation. But she didn’t give up, and instead saved herself.

“Why do we have the college entrance examination? Because it is the only absolutely fair turning point in everyone’s life. If you seize it and jump out of it, you can live a different way.”

I know the teacher didn’t say this specifically to me, and no one in the school knew about my family situation, but she just happened to make me hear it all.

I didn’t listen to her voice when she started talking about the next lesson.

I propped my head up and circled the title of the text with a pen.

I remembered what my uncle said before, that my mother gave up the opportunity to go to college because of him.

He said that it was because he was always getting into trouble at that time and only my mom was free to clean up his mess, and my grandparents didn’t agree to spend money to let my mom go to school, so they let her stay to look after my uncle.

If my mother had gone to university in another province at that time, would there have been another future?

Away from her brother and her parents, she will have a good job, meet someone who treats her well, and she will truly love all her children.

But these assumptions are meaningless.

She had made her choice, she stayed here, trapped here.

But I haven’t yet.

I sat up straight and put a check mark on the word “swim”.

I won’t be stuck here.

6

I started studying like my life depended on it. I stopped worrying about how to improve the quality of my life and instead squeezed out all my time. My grades started to improve continuously.

In the senior high school entrance examination, I was admitted to a key high school with excellent results.

But at this time, my brother was diagnosed with diabetes, and my mother said she would not pay any tuition for me.

So I started working part-time while studying.

Sometimes I would hide from my parents and go visit my brother before going out to work.

I didn’t communicate with him because I felt he didn’t need my care, especially when I was busy with my own business.

My parents started to get busy considering my brother’s illness.

So I became even more ignored. Even if I worked until late at night and didn’t go home, no one would care.

Actually, I don’t care. Money is all I think about.

I can carry sacks and unload goods even after my skin peels off due to the sun, while mumbling the words I need to memorize. I can catch loaches in the muddy ground full of bugs and sell them for money.

I seized every opportunity I could get and worked my way up.

Until the boss lady couldn’t stand it anymore, she arranged for me to collect money at the counter and help her son with extra tutoring.

I worked hard to climb the ladder and save money for the college I wanted to go to.

As for that double first-class university in other provinces, as long as I maintain my current grades, I will almost certainly get admitted.

I steal time every day, afraid of wasting any opportunity that could take me away from here.

As the college entrance examination got closer, I was not nervous. Instead, I felt more and more at ease. I even gave myself a day off on the Hundred-Day Oath-taking Day. I stopped burying myself in the sea of ​​questions and instead raised my head to take a good look at the campus and my classmates.

This happy mood continued until I saw my parents.

After they dragged me to the hospital for a physical examination, they treated me to a big dinner.

I was almost fooled by their attitude, and even when I saw a smile on my brother’s face, which was pale due to dialysis, I wanted to have a home like this.

But as expected, it was all an illusion.

A few days later, I was called over and asked to donate a kidney to my brother, whose diabetes had worsened into diabetic nephropathy.

As expected, there was another quarrel.

When I went to the grocery store with a slapped face, the owner was surprised.

“Hit you again? What kind of parents are you? I want to support my child who is about to take the college entrance examination.

“Xiao Zhou, are you still taking pictures this time?”

I touched the side of my face that was hit and asked, “Is it badly swollen?”

The lady boss came over and took a look: “It’s not serious, just a little red.”

“Then don’t take a photo.” I shook my head and smiled at her.

“Aunt, please give me the document I asked you to keep.”

“Okay, I’ll get it for you later.”

I sat down at the counter, pulled out a pencil from the side and turned it in my hand, briefly recalling the false image of a happy family that day. Except for my brother, everyone tried their best to maintain harmony.

So that day became one of the few beautiful scenes that I can recall.

I use it to remind me.

As long as I can get out of the college entrance examination, I will really have such a scene, a scene where everyone laughs sincerely.

I opened a set of test papers.

I can’t stop yet.

7

But I didn’t expect her to come and take the money I saved.

I can’t apply for a bank card, so I hide all my money in an iron box under the sofa. I’ll keep the money there after I get it.

And I planned to go home for the last time before the college entrance examination to take the money away.

I saw my mother holding the iron box in her hand.

My pupils shrank, and I rushed forward, grabbed the iron box, opened it and took a look.

The money inside was at least half gone.

“Where’s the money?”

I looked up at her, my voice trembling a little.

“Your brother’s condition has worsened and he needs a kidney transplant. If you don’t sign, what else can you do with him besides taking your money?”

She looked me straight in the face, even with condemnation in her eyes.

“Worsened?” I just thought that this was how his disease would be treated in the later stages, but I didn’t expect it to have worsened.

My mother frowned and rubbed her temples, and didn’t respond to my words: “I’ve used all your money. There will be many places to spend money in the future. Don’t take the college entrance examination. Find a job as soon as possible.”

Her tone was so matter-of-fact that I was dazed for a moment and thought I had already agreed.

“I didn’t agree.”

“What?” My mother was stunned for a moment and looked up at me.

“I don’t plan to look for a job. I can give you all the money I earn except for tuition. I will definitely finish the exam and then leave.”

My mother had a strange expression on her face.

But I seemed to understand what she meant somehow. She thought that no matter what I said, I would compromise in the end.

Just like she did before.

“I’m different from you.”

She was stunned.

I didn’t know how to tell her, but she had nothing to threaten me with in this matter, or in other words, she couldn’t threaten me with anything.

I had been financially independent for a long time, so even if she didn’t let me into the house, I could sleep in the grocery store, and in fact I often did so.

My brother and I are not so close that I would give up my future for him, even though my mother gave up her future for her brother.

I couldn’t understand why she had the audacity to ask me to do these things.

“…Are you just going to abandon your brother like this?”

She was a little unresponsive, as if this was something that could never happen.

“I said I would give you the money, and I really won’t care about anything else.”

My tone was firm.

“You…are you still human?” My mother suddenly became excited, but her words were a little incoherent. “…He is your biological brother…If you have any conscience, you will not treat your brother like this!”

Her hands were tightly gripping the table behind her, and I saw that her fingers were stretched purple. After shouting this, she suddenly seemed to grasp some thoughts, and she cursed out the rest of the words fluently.

It’s like repeating it in my mind a thousand times.

“I knew you were a money-loser! You’re just someone else’s wife! What can you achieve? In the end, you’ll just be someone else’s boiler!

“How can you continue studying when your brother is like this?

“You only have yourself in your mind! What about your brother?!”

Her tone was harsh and her face flushed, but I saw redness in the corners of her eyes. I couldn’t tell whether it was because of anger or something else.

But when I heard these words, I didn’t get angry.

“mom.”

I looked at this woman who finally started yelling hysterically with some calmness.

“Is that how they kept you back then?”

She suddenly froze.

The tears in my eyes suddenly fell.

She turned away suddenly and stopped looking at me, without saying anything more.

I stood there looking at her trembling back, waited for a while, and planned to turn around and leave because I still needed to do a set of tests.

“…If you still want to take the exam, then don’t stay at home anymore.”

I stopped.

Her voice still trembled a little when she listened carefully, but her tone was completely calm.

“good.”

I answered her seriously.

Then we both fell into a long silence.

Just when I was really about to leave, she suddenly smiled.

“Who do you think you look like?

“From the first time I saw you, I couldn’t muster the energy to like you. Even now, your personality is nothing like mine. You are heartless and selfish.”

I paused and clenched my hands.

My mind is full of another person’s face.

I turned around suddenly so that she could see my face clearly.

“I heard someone say, ‘A nephew takes after his uncle.

“It was only later that I discovered that I looked a lot like my uncle.

“He has a personality similar to his. If anyone else lived here, they would be depressed hundreds of times.”

My mother’s expression gradually faded.

She could tell I was being sarcastic.

“I won’t come back before the college entrance examination, and I will leave after the college entrance examination.

“I can send money every month, but I won’t give much and it won’t come back.”

After saying this, I walked out, leaving my mother alone in the darkness.

My parents never came to see me again after that.

But thanks to them, I lived a peaceful life in the last few days before the college entrance examination.

I prepared everything I needed, carried my backpack and went to the examination room to find my seat.

I went there in the afternoon. The sun was about to set at that time, and the sky in the distance was dyed red. I leaned on the railing and looked at the sky.

The clouds secretly drank the wine brewed by the wind, their faces turned red and they merged into one, teasing half the sky.

I felt calmer than ever before, with a sense of satisfaction that everything was settled.

I’m leaving here soon.

Until I fall asleep at night, all I see when I close my eyes is my future life.

Until I heard a loud “bang” at the door in a daze.

I stood up, opened my eyes and checked my watch.

Six o’clock sharp.

The first exam is at nine o’clock.

There was hardly anyone outside at this time.

I wanted to get up and have breakfast, but when I opened the shop door, I saw my mother standing at the door.

She looked calm.

8

I looked at her eyes, which were as numb as before, and instantly broke out in a cold sweat.

I wanted to run into the store almost immediately, but the door was blocked. Then I realized that there was not only my mother at the door, but also several men, and my father was talking to one of them.

A wave of panic crept through me.

I wanted to scream, but someone suddenly covered my mouth, and they grabbed me and dragged me into a car.

I struggled desperately, but when I saw my brother in the car, I suddenly understood where they were taking me.

I was a little bit in disbelief, and my hands and feet were cold.

But I didn’t care about anything else. After that person let me go, I immediately said to my mother, “I’ll sign and change it for him. You let me go first. I’ll have the surgery after I finish the exam. Can you wait until I finish the exam? I will definitely have the surgery after I finish the exam…”

My mother didn’t say anything, she just looked at me.

I was so anxious that I was incoherent and I pulled at the corner of her clothes.

“I beg you, please let me take the exam, and I will definitely change after the exam. I will sign now…

“I beg you, please let me take the exam…

“mom……”

I begged until the end with uncontrollable tears in my voice.

I had been looking forward to this opportunity for so long, and I went to this date with my future self with great joy, but my mother shattered it in an instant.

“Mom…you can’t do this…I beg you…please give me a chance to live…”

The emotions that I had suppressed for more than ten years burst out all at once, my face was full of tears, and I held on to my mother’s clothes tightly.

My brother seemed frightened; he had never seen me like this before.

“You’re not going to get out.”

My mother looked at me and said this.

I was stunned.

“You’ve never fought for it, so why don’t you allow me to fight for it!”

I suddenly didn’t want to care about her feelings anymore, and I yelled out of control.

“What does your hatred for your brother have to do with me? Why should I pay for your failed life?

“Is it my fault that you can’t get out of here?! Is it my fault that you gave up your future because of other people’s prejudices?!

“What have I done wrong?! Did I ask you to give birth to me?!

“Is it me?!”

She suddenly raised her hand and slapped me.

My head tilted to one side, I gritted my teeth, turned my head and stared at her.

I knew she wanted to completely cut off my escape route, so she didn’t choose the nearest hospital, but drove a long way to another place.

She was fully prepared to trap me.

“You are not only pathetic, but also hateful.”

I didn’t stop and continued to stare at her and speak word by word.

Another slap came over.

“You deceive yourself into doing things that move yourself.”

Another slap.

“Is there anyone who is grateful to you? Didn’t you kill my only brother?!”

I raised my voice, but also got ringing in my ears from a random slap.

My mother was shaking all over.

After several years, this person who was once a taboo in our family was mentioned by me again in a rude manner.

My mother still couldn’t let it go.

But I don’t know whether she was unable to let go of her brother, to whom she had such deep affection, or she was unable to let go of everything she had given up for her brother.

How sad.

I turned my head and started laughing. From the corner of my eye I saw my brother’s face turned pale because he was scared by the two of us.

He seemed to notice that I was looking at him, and when he met my eyes, his whole body froze.

Blood was oozing from the corner of my mouth and I couldn’t even feel my face. I saw my brother’s hand on the car door move.

My eyes lit up and I calmly put my other hand on my brother’s leg.

I saw his mouth moving.

three.

two.

one.

He yanked the lock open and pulled the door open.

The wind rushed in instantly, and I used the force to jump out.

The second I stayed in the air, all I could think about was that I would crawl to take the exam even if I had to.

The next second, I fell to the ground violently, and then rolled on the ground. My whole body was in great pain, and my eyes were red, and I couldn’t see clearly what was around me.

I lay on the ground for a while and tried to stand up but couldn’t do it until a policeman came up to me.

“Kid, what’s wrong with you?”

When I heard such gentle words in my ears, I felt a little dazed, but I still used my last bit of strength to pull at his clothes.

“…Please… send me to the college entrance examination, please…”

He seemed frightened by the wound on my face and didn’t react.

Then I heard a car horn in the distance and realized my mom had stepped back again.

I struggled violently, but before I could stand up, my mother, who got out of the car, grabbed my wrist.

Her voice was still trembling: “Come back with me.”

“This lady.”

The policeman grabbed her hand.

I quickly said, “I am a senior high school student. I am going to take the college entrance examination. They wanted to kidnap me. The scars on my face were caused by her.”

“Please.” I looked up and looked the policeman in the eye. “You must send me to take the college entrance examination. Please.”

9

I didn’t pay attention to any of my injuries. The police took me to get my admission ticket and went directly to the examination room.

But I still missed the first exam.

I stood at the door in silence for a long time, my whole body aching.

I gave myself only a few seconds to grieve over missing my first exam, and then I started planning for the future.

Nothing can stop me from leaving here.

Blood relatives are not allowed.

Even if you are covered with scars, it is not acceptable.

I calculated my scores frantically and rearranged all my previous plans for the future.

After a simple treatment of the wound, I took all the remaining exams as scheduled.

After the results came out, I narrowly got into a key university in another province.

From the time I finished the college entrance examination to the time I left here to go to school.

I never saw my mother again.

I admit that I always had sympathy for her, but this sympathy was wiped out when I jumped out of the car on the day of the college entrance examination.

I felt sorry for her before.

Now I despise her.

After I took away the money I had saved and the documents I had prepared, I never went to that store again.

I deliberately avoided any place where she might guess I was.

But I went to find my brother.

I said I would give you a kidney. Thank you so much for that last time.

He said it was okay and that he had found another suitable kidney donor.

He said that he actually always wanted to have a good relationship with me, but I was rarely at home so we couldn’t meet.

He said he admired me and envied me for being able to live freely.

He said.

Sister, take care of yourself.

I looked at his face which turned pale due to illness and my nose felt sore.

I never hated him.

In my impression, he is just a naughty little boy who is completely restrained by his parents and occasionally has some rebellious thoughts.

I remember when he was still a little shorty, my mother punished me by making me stand at the door for stealing food, and I didn’t get any food for the whole day.

He ran over mysteriously and stuffed a bun into my hand.

He also asked in a low voice whether it was enough.

I stood there and watched his back as he left, as if I could see his small figure at that time.

I can pretend to like him a little more, but it is undeniable that I like myself the most.

Now I suddenly understand my mother’s complicated feelings towards my uncle.

For people who have lived together since childhood, there is always a warm moment that makes you soften your heart and give in.

My mother gave in to me for the rest of her life.

I can understand her, but I will never forgive her.

I didn’t plan to say anything to her.

In fact, I could have gone to her in a swaggering and high-spirited manner and told her that I had left here.

And I did think so.

But I feel it’s meaningless.

She is still trapped here.

She wouldn’t think it would be a big deal if I walked out.

It was like she had never been out and didn’t know how beautiful the outside world was. At most, she just regarded the opportunity she had given up as a thorn, which was painful but not fatal.

It’s so boring.

10

I ended up going to a completely new place on my own, majoring in law and minoring in psychology.

I feel like dying from carrying so much stuff, but when I think about the money I can earn in the future, I can still grit my teeth and hold on.

I still work part-time. What’s interesting is that I came to this university due to external forces. My actual grades are much higher than other students, and I almost got all the high-paying tutoring jobs.

Moreover, I am not as tired as before, but still feel fulfilled.

But my love life has not been smooth.

Every time a boy confesses to me, I only say one sentence.

“You can get married, but if you don’t have children, are you still a couple?”

The result is predictable.

“If a woman can’t give birth to a child, what’s the point of marrying you?”

I smiled at this person who was expressing his love one second and saying such bullshit the next.

“I also want to know what’s the point of living for someone of your spiritual level?”

In the end, I still watched him leave with a smile.

“It has to be you.”

Jiang Yang came out from the other side and patted my shoulder.

I looked at this senior who had been trying to get close to me since the first day of school.

I thought he was a veteran in the love field, but he turned out to be a fool.

Really, he is a fool who is happy all day long.

“Hey, why don’t you want children?”

“It will delay my work.” I turned around with the book in my arms and planned to go to the library to do my homework.

“Why are you looking so sullen again?” Jiang Yang obviously wasn’t listening to what I said.

He slowly walked in front of me, blocking my way, and then pulled a flower out of his sleeve.

“Beauty, do you want to be with me? I don’t want kids either.”

His expression was very deep, and his eyes, which were already deep in the eye sockets, looked even more profound.

I stepped on his foot and revealed his true form.

“Ah!”

“Get out of the way.”

“Why?! This is the eighth time I’ve confessed this week!”

Without waiting for my answer, he started laughing to himself.

“Hey, I broke the record…”

I thought I was heartless, but I ended up meeting someone even more heartless, so I stopped, turned around and said to him, “Why don’t you want a child?

“It’s to rebel against your family, right?

“As a second-generation rich kid, I wouldn’t be with someone like that unless I made something of myself.

“Someone like this… is bound by his family.”

I looked at him and he was still smiling.

Actually, I like him very much.

Ever since I entered the school and he came to help me carry my luggage, he has been pestering me and trying to make me happy.

I enjoyed it during my college years.

The whole person exudes a warm light.

His family is very strong, and at the same time, he has always been rebelling against them.

But it’s still not enough, at least not in my opinion.

So, there is nothing that makes me love him.

I may like this person because he is nice to me, and I may like this person because he has a sweet smile, but it is just liking.

On the day Jiang Yang graduated, we still weren’t together.

He said goodbye to me in a particularly optimistic manner and gave me a smiley face brooch.

After that, we had no contact for a year.

I’m still crazy busy.

I thought I would forget Jiang Yang, but in fact, I think of him very often.

This is probably due to the fact that he would stick with me to go to the library every day.

When I first subconsciously thought that Jiang Yang should be walking next to me, I found it a little funny.

Developing a habit is that simple.

So I decided to keep myself busier and see how long it takes to break a habit.

I just unconsciously wore that smiley face brooch every day.

Whenever I look at it when I feel tired, the corners of my mouth will unconsciously rise.

After I laughed more and more, my class monitor forced me to sign up for a volunteer activity.

I was feeling extremely gloomy. I leaned against the car window, watching the scene flashing by rapidly, and thinking about what to do.

The activity this time is to go to the countryside to distribute the donated items to poor families.

Go in the morning and come back in the evening.

Although it didn’t delay my classes, I still felt angry.

I am disgusted by any behavior that one thinks is good for the other person.

11

When I got off the bus, the children gathered at the entrance of the village kept their distance from me.

I looked at the little girls who were clinging to the fence and looking at me timidly. My expression improved a little. I smiled at them and turned around to help the monitor get something.

“Relax, it will be fun.” The squad leader said to me while moving things.

“I’ll help you put together the volunteer activities, and you pay for my meals for three days.” I walked over and took the things.

“Okay, then you have to split into a few more households. Go to the ones at the southernmost end. The road is difficult to walk on, so be careful.”

I answered him, picked up my things and walked in the direction he pointed.

This place is even more dilapidated than I imagined. The houses are all made of mud. It rained yesterday, so the ground is full of potholes and the children’s clothes are covered in mud.

Along the way, I also saw many girls carrying large backpacks to chop firewood.

I almost frowned as I entered the first house.

“Hey, new face, come here quickly!”

A woman saw me, put down the corn she was picking, and welcomed me in warmly. She also asked a girl to boil some water for me.

I was greeted and sat on the bench a little awkwardly, and handed her the things in my hand.

Some clothes and books.

The woman was so enthusiastic that I was a little overwhelmed.

She is about the same age as my mother.

It was the first time I was taken care of like this. Although it was a little awkward, I felt warm inside.

But the next second, I saw the woman pull the girl away from the boiler and throw the book I had just brought into the fire as firewood.

I frowned.

“You don’t want to read that book?”

“ah?”

The woman smiled and turned her head: “I don’t understand it, and I don’t know what’s on it, but it burns well and works!”

I looked at the girl who was shrinking away from me and waved her over.

She had two pigtails, was a little dark, had red cheeks, but bright eyes.

“Have you ever been to school?”

She nodded hesitantly, then shook her head, with some confusion in her eyes.

The girl is at least in junior high school, but doesn’t she know what going to school means?

I frowned and asked, “Aunt, has the child ever been to school?”

“Go to school? No one in my family has ever been to school for three generations. It’s good for me to stay at home and take care of my farm. I can afford it.

“You big city kids, we can’t compare, girl, hurry up and get a bowl.”

The girl blinked at me, said nothing, then turned and walked into the house.

My chest suddenly felt a little compressed and I couldn’t breathe.

The people here are also trapped, covered by an inexplicable frame, and then live safely in this small space.

I accepted that my life was just like this and didn’t make any changes.

It’s like…

Same with my mom.

Suddenly, a baby crying was heard in the room.

Suddenly, the voice overlapped with my brother’s voice in my memory.

I looked up.

The woman quickly threw the pot to the girl and went into the house to coax the child.

“I’m going to see your brother. You take care of the guests.”

After saying this, the woman smiled at me apologetically and hurried into the house.

I watched the girl struggling to lift the huge pot.

She carefully poured the scalding water into the bowl.

I stood up suddenly, helped her pour the water, then said loudly, “I’m leaving”, picked up the remaining things and walked to the next house, my mind full of childhood scenes.

At this moment, I once again felt a deep hatred towards my mother, to the point that if I saw that woman again, I would feel a deep disgust.

I walked step by step on the muddy road.

He looked at his muddy shoes to divert his attention.

But it didn’t work.

What on earth am I disgusted by?

Are you disgusted by what my mother did to me?

Do you hate her as a person?

What did she do wrong?

Is it because she didn’t treat me, her biological daughter, well, or is it because she is jealous of me, her biological daughter?

Or was she just applying exactly what she had experienced to me?

In my eyes she did everything wrong.

But in her eyes?

She seemed to be just numbly doing what she thought were normal, ordinary things.

Whether it is the lack of attention given to girls or the sacrifices girls should make for boys, it all seems normal in her eyes.

I couldn’t help but think of the scene when she trapped me in the car on the day of the college entrance examination.

Was the despair she felt at that time the same as when she was told by everyone that she was not allowed to go to college?

It should be different.

She was used to it.

I stopped, leaned against the wall, and looked up at the sun.

After the malice faded away, I felt powerless.

What I hate is the people, or this disgusting idea that some people take for granted.

In fact, I just noticed that most of the people here are women, and there are very few boys.

I asked the family where the boys had gone.

They said.

Going to school.

What will happen to a boy if he doesn’t go to school?

I paused.

It’s not that there are no schools here, it’s just that there are no schools for girls to go to.

What will be the future of a boy if he doesn’t go to school?

What will be the future of a boy if he doesn’t go to school?

This sentence shouldn’t be like this.

It should not have a restrictive subject.

But they don’t understand, they have never seen it, and they don’t understand that girls should also be beautiful, that girls also have what they want, and have their own careers. Girls should also have a chance to realize their dreams, and girls also have the courage and determination to face everything.

Girls…

You should also see all the beauty in this world and have your own life.

Instead of being framed by others and living your life in a daze for others.

Not being completely tied up by some people and living like a puppet.

I sighed and looked at the children playing together in the yard.

I found out.

I don’t hate my mother as much anymore.

That sympathy I had as a child came back.

Now I feel sorry for her.

Pity everything she has given up, pity her current numb life.

…

I put away the books that were about to be distributed, sat under a big tree at the entrance of the village, called a few girls, and started telling them stories from the books, trying to use a vivid tone and describe the wonderful passages in a vivid way.

More and more children gathered around me.

I had to raise my voice and use words to create another world for these children.

After distributing the items, the other students returned to the village entrance and saw us. They also took a few books each and started talking.

We try our best to build a spiritual world for these children.

Build a spiritual world that is powerful enough to break through reality.

Finally, I finished talking about three books, my throat was very dry, and it was time for us to go back.

At the beginning, no children were willing to be around me, but now many children are around me and are reluctant to leave.

I saw the girl with bright eyes standing at the front and smiling at me.

I smiled too.

“Do you like reading?”

“like!”

“Then go to school. Do whatever it takes to get there. Don’t rot here.”

After saying these two sentences, I got in the car.

I didn’t do anything else, give them money or anything.

I want them to fight for it themselves.

How far you can achieve depends on your own ability.

I have already shown them the benefits of studying, but I don’t know how long this benefit can sustain them.

But it’s better than sinking into numbness like my mother who has never seen any of this.

After returning to school, I started to work frantically on my homework and also took the three days’ meal money that the class monitor gave me.

I didn’t return to the dormitory until the library closed.

I put the computer on the table and stared at it for a long time.

Eventually I started searching for English exams that adults could take and certificates that could be obtained.

She should have seen this.

I thought so after I saw these certificates and environment.

12

On the day of graduation, the principal invited outstanding seniors to give us speeches.

I listened absentmindedly, thinking about my plans after graduate school.

Suddenly, he was interrupted by an extremely familiar voice.

I looked up at the podium in disbelief.

Jiang Yang smiled at me in the light.

He has changed a little, but he can’t tell what.

The content of his speech was basically about confronting his family after graduation and using his own team to improve a game he created during college.

After the game was launched, it was a huge success.

After everything was going in a good direction, he started playing with self-media again.

He now manages his own self-media account with millions of followers and has achieved complete financial independence.

I couldn’t take my eyes off Jiang Yang as he joked about his difficult experiences in a relaxed tone on the stage.

He said: “I have always liked to be a person who brings happiness to others.

“I was doing it successfully until the new semester started, and I saw a girl with her face on the ground.

“I immediately went over to talk to her, but found that she was not depressed, but was very optimistic and strong. Later, I asked her why she frowned that day.

“She thought about it and said that she must be thinking about what to eat for lunch. She always has that expression when she is thinking about something.

“At that time, I suddenly thought she was very cute.

“So I confessed immediately.

“Then I was rejected harshly. I confessed my feelings countless times during my four years in college, but was rejected every time. I wondered why, since I was so handsome.”

There was laughter from the audience.

“Don’t laugh, anyone with a discerning eye knows that I’m handsome.

“Later I figured it out. She climbed out of the mud step by step on her own. She looked down on a ‘softie’ like me who never worked hard.

“So I took advantage of this impulse to confront my family, and they immediately threw me out of the house.

“Then I started my life of working myself to death.”

He kept looking at me while he said this.

I looked at him, and he suddenly lowered his eyes a little and then smiled.

“Today is a good day, everyone.

“I originally thought I was here to confess my feelings, but that may have changed now.

“I’m here to celebrate my cessation of being single.”

I was stunned for a moment, then looked down following his gaze, and saw the brooch smiling brightly.

Just like Jiang Yang on the stage.

After Jiang Yang stepped down from the stage, his former graduate school classmates greeted him one by one. Then, when it was my turn, he hugged me with a giggle and I punched him.

He wailed and complained about my violence, but his eyes were full of stars.

“You came back just to give a speech?”

I looked at him and asked this question.

He was stunned for a moment, then started laughing again.

“It’s mainly to find a girlfriend.”

13

After finishing my studies, I became a lawyer and also took the psychological counselor certification exam.

Every day is busy.

When I’m almost dying of exhaustion, I’ll just look at my balance and then continue working contentedly.

After a few more years, I got a stable job.

Jiang Yang runs his own media and likes to travel around the world to share his life. I also work hard for my money-making career.

But we both tacitly agreed to set aside a few days in a month to spend time together.

Sometimes Jiang Yang organizes them to travel, and sometimes the two of them just stay at home for a few days.

Therefore, he often shares his daily life with me online.

The next year, I plan to buy a small apartment and decorate it the way I like.

This is a space that belongs only to me.

He responded, “Have I lost your heart so quickly, Your Majesty?”

The ending tone has seven or eight accents.

I smiled and looked at the house that I finally decided on.

I really like the way I feel now, but I forgot that there is a time bomb.

The Internet is something that anyone can access.

Including my mom.

I received her call when I was looking at a house.

She found my contact information and asked for four hundred thousand.

The house I want to buy is exactly four hundred thousand.

I asked her out for a date and bought my house for $400,000 while I was on the phone with her.

A few days later, we met in a coffee shop.

Several years later, I saw her again. She still had the same expression as always, with her eyebrows drooping.

“Four hundred thousand.”

She didn’t look at me, but just lowered her head and stared at the coffee cup in front of her, as if she didn’t want to bother with me any more.

“What do you want money for?”

“Your father owes money outside and comes to me for it, but I can’t give it to him.”

“Aren’t you two divorced?”

My tone was calm.

But my mother raised her head and looked at me in disbelief.

“I have been in contact with my brother.

“Didn’t he move out two years ago? I sponsored him.”

In fact, I had been mentally prepared for the fact that she would ask me for money, and even thought that I could give her money in certain situations, but it would never be the case when my father owed gambling debts.

“Ji Yu.”

I called out this name that no one had called out for a long time.

She was startled and looked up at me.

“Do you remember what your name is?

“You are Ji Chengjie’s sister, Fang Jie’s mother, and Fang Jianguo’s wife.

“For yourself, do you still remember who you are?”

I took the documents out of my bag and handed them to her.

There are many photos of me after being beaten, from childhood to adulthood.

“I studied law and became a lawyer.

“Don’t even think about threatening me to give you money or anything like that. If I want, I can sue you for domestic violence.”

I placed the documents in front of her and showed them to her one by one. Her expression remained calm the whole time.

I started preparing as soon as I wanted to get away from this family. Every time I was beaten, I would go to the grocery store and ask the owner to take a picture of me and print it out as a document.

I flipped through the pictures one by one, and Ji Yu’s expression suddenly changed from calm.

I looked at her and she looked at the documents I prepared for her.

The front of the document had pictures of my scars, and the back had information about various universities and careers.

Ji Yu was very good at liberal arts in high school, especially English, and she was admitted to a foreign language college.

Later she taught English in primary school, and I often saw her flipping through some English teaching materials at home.

I found her a lot of adult classes, various certifications to take, many translation jobs, and even summer camps abroad.

I saw Ji Yu’s head lowering lower and lower, and I could even hear her sobbing.

I wrote only a few words on the last page of the document.

Sink or Swim.

I believe she can understand.

I will only give money to Ji Yu who works hard for herself, but not to her who gives in for others.

I wanted her to see that the opportunity she gave up was not just a thorn, but also a seed. Once planted in her heart, it would soon grow into a towering tree and crush her.

She should look at those.

Look at what she gave up, look at what she wanted me to give up.

“Xiao Jie has gone to college, and you have nothing to do with my dad anymore.

“If you still refuse now, then let’s break up. Call me when you’ve made up your mind.”

After saying this, I walked out of the coffee shop, but I didn’t walk far. Instead, I leaned against the corner and watched Ji Yu lying on the table holding the documents, his shoulders shaking violently.

I looked up at the sky.

The sun was shining brightly, with no clouds blocking it, and it illuminated everything perfectly.

In fact, if she knew a little about law, she would know that my documents were not enough to serve as evidence, especially since I was always getting into fights in junior high school.

But I just realized that she doesn’t care about it at all.

The look on her face when she asked for money was almost numb.

Since when did her expression start to change…

I turned sideways and looked at Ji Yu who was crying like a baby.

It started with the first college photo.

I suddenly felt that maybe she understood me.

Because she had experienced the pain of being told that she couldn’t go to school on the day she received her acceptance letter, she knew that trapping me on the day of the college entrance examination would be the biggest blow to me.

Sometimes I think about the way she looks at me, which is full of impatience, disgust, and infinite numbness.

There is also hidden jealousy.

We both had the same environment, but our endings were very different.

I don’t know if she’s ever been proud of me, but I want her to be proud of herself now. I want her to know what a great person she could become if she took those opportunities.

She had been dragged down by countless hands in the first half of her life, but now finally no one was dragging her down anymore.

I hope she can swim out on her own.

I lowered my eyes, my thoughts suddenly interrupted, and picked up the phone.

“I just did something big.”

“explain.”

“I funded the expansion of a country school.”

His tone seemed to be seeking credit, and I frowned.

“You have money to burn?”

“Hey, that’s wrong, just listen to me and I’ll explain it to you slowly.

“It’s a girls’ school.”

Jiang Yang’s tone became a little more serious, and I was stunned.

“When I saw those little girls, I thought, was our little Ark also so pitiful when he was little? By the time I realized what was happening, the contract had already been signed.”

I cursed with a smile.

“I don’t need your pity, I’m fine.”

Jiang Yang also laughed.

“To be honest, many people here can’t go to school. There are more girls than girls and the school is limited in size. I don’t want them to be trapped…”

I didn’t listen to what he said and interrupted him.

“Is the money enough? If not, I can transfer it to you.”

I took one last look at Ji Yu in the store and turned away.

We all have the opportunity to save ourselves.

We must all seize the opportunity to save ourselves.