Chapter 3 — After a 100-Yuan Humiliation, I Became a Wealthy Heiress

I shook my head and used my sleeve to wipe her tears.

“Mom, you're not wrong.”

“It's them that's wrong.”

"I'm so stupid, I thought they were really kind to me before."

“It's the useless child... who can't protect his mother.”

Mother's tears fell even more. She hugged me tightly, burying her face in my shoulder.

“No… Mom's Tinh Tinh is the best child in the world.”

"It's because you're too weak... for all these years, I've had to suffer with you."

I hugged her thin shoulders, clearly feeling every tremble. After a long time, the crying gradually subsided. Mom left my arms, her eyes suddenly became unusually determined. She looked at me and slowly asked:

“Tinh Tinh, have you always wondered… why I must expose you in front of everyone today?”

I nodded. With her mother's personality of always being patient and avoiding problems... today's actions are truly too unusual. In her mother's eyes, a trace of bitter hatred flashed.

“Because… this isn't the first time she's done this.”

I was stunned. Mom took a deep breath, as if about to open an old wound that had been buried for a long time.

“Do you remember your birthday when you were ten years old?”

“My aunt said she would give me a piano and even hire someone to move it back home.”

Remember very clearly. That was the happiest day of my childhood. It's also the shortest day.

“I remember… but the next day she said she gave it to me by mistake, then sent someone to take it away.”

That was once a small regret in my heart. At that time, my father and grandmother both said that her people made a mistake and took the wrong sample, and told me not to pay attention. I believed. But now that I think about it— Wrong “model”… how could it be so wrong? Mom laughed coldly, in her laughter was a sadness.

“Give it wrong?”

“There was no mistake.”

“That guitar… she brought it on purpose, then she also took it away on purpose.”

“She wants you to taste the feeling of falling from the top to the bottom.”

“She wanted to show me…what we have is just alms that she can take back at any time.”

“What she wanted to see… was the disappointed and embarrassed faces of the two of us.”

I felt like I was struck by lightning. Whole body cold. Ten years ago, the same humiliation as today... happened. It's just that I was too young at that time and didn't understand the cruelty of adults. As for dad and grandma— They know everything. But he chose to cover it up and even lie to me with her.

"Why…?" My voice trembled, “Why does she treat us like that?”

Mother's tears fell, like blood.

“Because she hates her mother.”

“I hate my mother for marrying my father.”

“She thinks that someone with no family background like her mother… is not worthy of the Tu family.”

"She still hates my grandparents... in the past, when she started her business, it was the most difficult, and she didn't sell her last house to help her."

"But she doesn't think... if we sell the house, where will our whole family be? When my mother and grandmother are sick, how will we survive?"

“She only remembers enemies…”

"But I forgot how my grandparents raised her - an orphan - in the past."

At that moment— My phone vibrated rapidly. On the screen appeared two words: "Dad". I looked at my mother. She nodded slightly. I picked up the phone. Immediately, on the other end of the line, my father's roaring voice rang out:

"Tu Tinh! Where are you taking your mother?!"

"Isn't it embarrassing enough? Get out of here! Kneel down and apologize!"

Kneel down… sorry? I trembled with anger. Before I could say anything— Mom grabbed the phone. She spoke into the phone, her voice so cold that I had never heard it before:

“Tu Kien Quan.”

“We won't go back anymore.”

"From today, Tinh Tinh and I... completely cut off from you and from the Tu family."

She stopped for a moment. Then each word, with chilling clarity:

“Get a divorce.”

After speaking, she immediately hung up the phone. Then definitely block the number, take out the SIM, break it, and throw it straight into the roadside sewer. Having done everything— She seemed to have used up all her strength. But it's like being reborn. She looked at me, a relieved smile on her face.

“Jing Jing, don't be afraid.”

“Leaving them… we can still live.”

“Even… will live better.”

The neon lights of the city flashed across the bottom of my mother's eyes. Her decisive appearance made me feel both strange and at the same time strangely reassured. The two words "divorce" she said as lightly as if she had rehearsed them in her heart hundreds or thousands of times. Only then did I realize— Mom is not weak. Just for me, she endured for eighteen years. Now I have passed the university entrance exam, have grown up... She has finally removed all the shackles.

“Mom, where are we going now?” I asked softly.

We left too quickly. Besides our phones and keys, we had nothing on us. Mom held my hand, her palm warm and firm.

“Follow mom.”

“Mommy took me back to… our house.”

Our home? I was a bit stunned. Besides the house occupied by dad and grandma... do we have anywhere else? Mom didn't explain. She just quietly pulled me through a few alleys, then boarded a night bus. The car was very empty. The car swayed and slowly drove towards the old neighborhood at the edge of the city. Outside the window, the scenery gradually changed— From high-rise buildings, to old low-rise buildings. Finally, we got off the bus in front of an old apartment complex. This place… I'm a little impressed. Looks like it's where my grandparents used to live. My grandparents passed away when I was very young. Since then, I have never looked back. My mother led me down the road, stopping in front of a row of faded apartment buildings. She took from her pocket a bunch of keys tied with a red string. The key was slightly rusted, carrying traces of time. She went to the second floor, stopping in front of an old door. An old smell mixed with dust and camphor rushed out. Mom turned on the light. The small house with one living room and one bedroom is bright. The furniture is all covered with white fabric. Even though it was covered in dust, everything was still neat and tidy. On the wall, black and white photos of my grandparents hang. They smiled kindly, as if quietly looking at us.

"This is…?" I almost couldn't believe it.

Mom gently touched the photo frame, her eyes were red.

“It's the only thing my grandparents left me.”

“That year, your father and they always forced my mother to sell this house to raise money for her to start a business.”

“Even if my mother died, she wouldn't agree.”

“After that, they took it as if their mother had tacitly agreed to give it to them. They tried to mortgage it several times but were stopped by their mother.”

“To keep this house, I argued with them countless times.”

"After that, seeing that their mother was so determined and thinking that this old, run-down house wasn't worth much, they gave up the idea."

“They thought Mom had lost the key, thought Mom had forgotten this place…”

“But they don't know…”

“This is my mother's true roots.”

I looked around the small but warm house. This is "our home" that mom said. A place that completely belongs to us. No one can bully. No one can insult. My nose stung and tears almost fell.

“Mom… thank you.”

Thank you, mother, in the midst of the most difficult years... Still giving us a way out. Mom patted my head and smiled.

"You're so stupid, why be polite to your mother?"

“Come here, clean up a bit, we'll sleep here tonight.”

Mother and daughter started cleaning up. Pull down the cover, wipe the tables and chairs, sweep the floor, mop the floor. Tired, but my heart is extremely peaceful. At that moment— My phone rang shrilly. It's a strange number. I hesitated a bit, then picked up the phone. On the other end of the phone, Ms. Tu Le's bitter voice rang out:

"Tu Tinh, very good, you dare to take your mother away."

“I tell you, hiding is useless.”

"Your mother threw away the card I gave her, what's the deal with this?"

I laughed coldly.

“Auntie, there is 100 yuan in that card, which is proof that you humiliated me in front of everyone.”

"What? Do you want me to take it to the police and accuse you of deception and slander?"

The other end of the line was silent for a beat. Obviously she didn't expect me to speak so sharply. Immediately after that, she changed her tone and began to pretend to be affectionate:

“Tinh Tinh, I'm just doing it for your own good.”

"I'm a girl, so what if I pass Bac Dai? I have to get married later."

"Today you have embarrassed your father and grandmother like that. What face will you have with your relatives in the future?"

"Listen to me, quickly take your mother home, kneel down and apologize to your father, this matter will be over."

“I will still take care of the money for college.”

I smirked.

"No need."

"You don't need me to worry about your school fees."

“I would also like you to tell your father and grandmother.”

“That house… we won't go back anymore.”

“My mother… won't let you shape her however you want.”

After speaking, I hung up and blocked the number. Right after that— Grandma's phone, then dad's unknown number, then calls from relatives kept pouring in. I don't listen anymore. I switched my phone to silent mode.