Chapter 4 — Do I Give Myself a Home?

9 After completing the admission procedures, I received my room key and went back to the dormitory. The dormitory was very bustling, except for me, there were two other people who arrived first. Most people had their parents with them. The parents were busy spreading bed sheets, changing duvet covers, and occasionally bending down to give their children a few words of advice. I quietly arranged my luggage, then stretched. At this time, the girl in the bed next to me leaned closer and took out her phone: "Roommate, let's become WeChat friends." The girl in the upper bunk also poked her head down and smiled brightly: "Add me too, remember to take care of each other a lot in the future!" I quickly took out my phone, opened the QR code, smiled and said: "My name is Lam An." The girl in the next bed shook her phone: "Got it." I smiled slightly and was about to ask my friends if they wanted to go eat together, when the door was suddenly pushed open, making a bang - Lo Vi Vi's voice rang out before I even saw her: "Mom, it's okay... I'm not your biological child anyway, there's no need to ask too much, staying in the dorm can be considered as training yourself." Having finished speaking, Mother Lo covered her nose and walked in, looking around the room, frowning tightly: "But... how can I live in this dormitory?" “This small, it's not even as big as the toilet at my house.” “The beds are all old beds…” I slightly raised my head, just in time to meet her eyes. She was slightly stunned and opened her mouth first: "Why... are you here?" Right after that, Lo Vi Vi peeked her head out from behind her mother, her voice full of surprise, but her eyes showed a hint of teasing: "Oh my, is that you? You and I... live in the same dormitory?" Before I could even open my mouth, my brother had already barged into the room. When he saw me, he immediately shouted angrily: "You're really stubborn like a leech, your soul cannot be dispersed!" Having finished speaking, he pulled Lo Vi Vi's hand tightly, turned to her mother, and said decisively: "Vi Vi, we don't live in this dorm anymore." “If you share a room with him, you will definitely be bullied.” I stood next to the bed, coldly looking at the three of them blocking the door. Lo mother turned to look at me, her eyes evaluating from top to bottom. Finally, her eyes stopped on my newly spread bed sheets, her eyebrows furrowed even tighter: "Are you... here too?" I raised my eyebrows and replied simply: "What else?" She was a little stunned, her tone was unbelievable, even carrying a bit of sarcasm: "Did you even get into college?" Hearing her doubtful tone, I stood up straight, my voice lowered, unable to hide my frustration: "Why don't you believe I can get into college?" “Just because my circumstances are poor, will I definitely be incompetent?” “Obviously this isn't my fault.” “Lam An, what do you mean?” — his brother immediately fluffed his feathers like a hedgehog, his voice grumpy: "Vi Vi is my sister! She's innocent! It wasn't her fault that she was given the wrong child!" I clenched my fist, looked straight into his eyes, every word clearly: "I'm not jealous of her." “I just want you guys to stop meddling in my life.” “I have my own life.” The air in the room immediately froze. The girl in the next bed glanced at her mother, and the two exchanged awkward looks. The girl in the upper bunk quietly took out her phone and started recording a video. 10 Lo Vi Vi's eyes were red, her voice was choked, and she seemed resentful: "Brother, I think it's okay to live in the dormitory... I believe you're not a bad person." “Even though she used to hang out with the group before factory worker, we should not discriminate against her.” “If I go out and rent a house, she'll be jealous…” “After all… she's my mother's child.” After speaking, she secretly glanced at me, her eyes could not hide the smug smile. Lo's mother quickly hugged her daughter's hand, her eyes full of love and her gentle tone that she had never given to me: "No, you idiot... If you live with this type of person, what will happen if something happens?" She pulled out a bank card from her bag and put it in Vi Vi's hand: "Take it, go across the street and rent an apartment near the school." This afternoon I will call Ms. Vuong to bring your things over there." Lo Vi Vi bit her lip slightly, acting awkward, her voice soft: "Mom, I don't want to bother you... I'm fine, anyway... I'm here." Mother Lo immediately interrupted, her voice was firm and refused to refuse: "Be good, listen to me." “Since childhood, my mother has always treated me like a treasure, pampered me like a princess... How can I stand this kind of environment?” “No need to rent anymore.” She looked at her daughter with love and said decisively: "I will buy a house near the school for you." His brother also stood next to him and followed suit, his voice pampering: "Vi Vi, listen to mom, accept it."{Read the full story at Van Ha Tuong's page} "Otherwise... my brother will die of heartache." "I'll also send you another two hundred thousand, spend it comfortably, don't regret it!" Lo Vi Vi's eyes flashed with joy, her lips curved: "Yes... thank you, thank you mom." She pretended to hesitate again and asked softly: "But... what about you, won't you be angry?" My brother glanced at me, the corner of his lips curled up sarcastically: "Vi Vi, what are you worried about?" “Some people… have never seen a six-figure balance in their entire life.” “Even if she gave her money, she wouldn't dare spend it.” 11 The parent in the bed next to him couldn't help but ask: "Are you children... a family?" I calmly replied, my voice cold: "No." Then I glanced at the three people standing in front of the door and smiled softly: "They just like to pretend, no need to care." “What did you say!?” — my brother immediately became angry, his face turned red. I just smiled faintly, my voice was calm but cold: "Can you guys go yet?" “I make my own money and support myself.” “Don't you know any manners?” “Standing and screaming at the dormitory door, arbitrarily judging others.” “Or… are you guys here to show off your wealth?” “Really good. Can I go now?” My brother was so angry that his whole body was shaking. He pointed at me but couldn't say a word. Lo Vi Vi bit her lip, her eyes opened wide, looking at me in disbelief. Mother Lo laughed contemptuously, her voice sharp as a knife: "Do you think we want to come to this place?" “If it weren't for Vi Vi, who would want to step foot into this ruined den!” Hearing that, the parents in the room were immediately upset: "This girl... is telling the truth, right?" “Even though you dress so elegantly, you have such a sharp mouth?” “So in the end, do you despise this school, despise the dormitory or despise the students?” “If you think this place is not worthy of your child, don't let him study here!” "You want to rely on the school while also criticizing the environment... during the exam, why don't you tell your child to earn a few extra points?" One uncle even snorted coldly, looked at me and smiled: "This girl looks very obedient, but fortunately she wasn't raised by you." Parents, one sentence for you, one sentence for me. The words are gentle but full of sarcasm. Lo's mother's face was sometimes blue, sometimes white, she couldn't say a word, she just pulled Lo Vi Vi's hand and quickly left. My brother walked behind, and before leaving the door, he tried to leave a threatening sentence: "You wait!" The dormitory door slammed shut, and the atmosphere was finally quiet. My roommates immediately surrounded me, curiously asking what had just happened. I'll just tell you a few sentences, avoiding going into too much detail. After listening, they looked at me with sympathetic eyes. One parent even took out all kinds of specialties from his pocket and gave them to me. Soon, I was holding a pile of food as high as a small mountain in my arms, the fragrant aroma spreading throughout the room. Smelling the food, my eyes suddenly felt stinging, my eyelids felt hot... But I swallowed all the bitterness and just smiled softly to thank them. 12 In the following days, thanks to my roommates' concern, my life seemed to be much more favorable. The counselor knew my situation and helped me apply for support for students in need. Under the guidance of my roommates, I also learned about many part-time jobs: Not only can I work at a milk tea shop or cake shop, but I can also tutor, write novels, and even create self-media content. The lady in the upper bunk also used the previously recorded video to help me set up my own account to start trying. The specialized subjects are easier than I thought. As long as you study hard, it's not too difficult. Because I was busy studying and working part-time all day, I hardly had any contact with Lo Vi Vi. At first, she often brought all kinds of things to show off in front of me. But after seeing my indifferent reaction a few times, she no longer cared. The next time I heard about her, it was on Lo Wei Wei's birthday. My roommate held an invitation and gave it to me: "An An, have you seen the message Lo Vi Vi posted in the group?" "I heard she booked the best restaurant near the school and planned to hold a birthday party." “Are you going?” I shook my head and smiled: "No, I went with Son Thach that day."