Chapter 2 — Forgot Admission Notice

"Yeah! Dad is the best! I want to go to the duty-free store to buy that new bottle of perfume, everyone in my class has it, I want it too!" Mom also laughed until she couldn't close her mouth, picked up a large piece of braised pork and put it in her sister's bowl: "Think of it as an opening gift for Duong Duong. There's a lot of pressure at an important high school, so before going to school, go to the beach to enjoy the fresh air and relax a little." I sat next to him, quietly and put white rice in my mouth. When they were almost finished discussing, my mother seemed to have just discovered that I was also sitting at the dining table and turned her head to look at me. "Ran Ran, after we leave tomorrow, when you're home alone, remember to lock the windows and doors. The gas valve must be tightly closed when not in use, do you hear?" She paused, seemingly feeling that this arrangement was very reasonable, and added: "There are a few bags of frozen dumplings in the freezer, cook them yourself and eat them yourself. During the five days we go to Sanya, you should obediently stay at home and study, don't go anywhere. Next year is the university entrance exam, don't be absent-minded all the time. Remember to water the betel tree in the house every three days, don't let it die." If it were a year ago, I probably would have felt sorry for myself. But now, in my heart there is only a dead silence. "Yes." The next day at noon, the younger sister changed into a beautiful beach dress and stood in front of the full-body mirror, turning back and forth. I returned to my room, pulled out an old dusty suitcase from under the bed. This suitcase was a reward given to me by a third grade student when I graduated from middle school, and the wheels were no longer smooth. I opened the wardrobe and took out every item that belonged to me. I carefully put my admission notice, ID, and more than five thousand yuan in lucky money that I had saved over the past two years in the deepest locked drawer of my backpack. I applied for a student loan in my hometown online in advance. This amount of money was enough for me to buy a train ticket and cover my initial living expenses. Finished packing, an old suitcase, a backpack. This is the entire luggage of my eighteen years of life. "Ran Ran! Remember to take out the trash every day! Don't let the house stink waiting for us to return!" Mom pulled her suitcase to the door, turned around and gave me a stern warning. “I know.” I stood at the door of the room, calmly looking at them. Dad honked the car horn downstairs to urge him on. When my sister passed by me, she smiled and said, "Sister, stay home and study well. Try to get a good second-rate school next year. When I come back from Sanya, I'll bring you coconut candy to eat." I looked at her delicate makeup, the corner of her mouth curled up to a very faint curve: "Okay. Have fun, everyone." With a dull "bang" sound, the main door closed. The whole house immediately became quiet. I turned around and went back to the living room. I took out the main door key that belonged to me and placed it in the middle of the tea table. Right at the position that day I placed my acceptance notice. I put on my backpack, pulled the handle of my old suitcase, and pushed open the door I had lived inside for eighteen years. 4 The station is very crowded, the hot air in the waiting hall mixed with the smell of instant noodles, sweat and cheap perfume. I bought a hard seat ticket. The road is very long, you have to sit for twenty-four hours. But I didn't feel uncomfortable at all. Sitting in the window seat on the old green train, watching the buildings in the city outside the window begin to slowly recede, turning into fields and mountains. My heart rate finally gradually stabilized, followed by a feeling of freedom I had never felt before. I took out my phone and opened WeChat. In the group pinned to the top called "Happy Family", mom just posted a photo in the VIP lounge at the airport. In the photo, the three of them smile extremely brightly. Mom wrote below: "Taking my daughter to start her vacation trip to Sanya! New journey in high school, the whole family cheers for her!" Below are a series of likes and comments from relatives. Eldest aunt: "Duong Duong is really beautiful, Mr. To and his wife are so blessed!" Second girl: "Let's have fun. Once school starts, you have to calm down." I quietly looked at that photo, then clicked "leave the chat group". Next, I opened the contacts of my father, mother, and sister, putting them all on the blacklist. Do x

After all, I turned off the phone. The train roared south, taking me away from that "home" that would never have a place for me. …… Eight o'clock that evening. In the old apartment complex where the To family lived, the third-floor windows were dark. Mom stayed at a remote five-star hotel in Sanya and had just finished an expensive spa treatment overlooking the ocean. She conveniently picked up her phone and, out of habit, opened the smart surveillance camera app at home. The picture is dark, no lights are on. Mom frowned, looked at the time, and muttered to herself: "This damn girl, it's already eight o'clock and you still haven't turned on the light, aren't you running out to play?" She called me. "Sorry, the subscriber you called is now switched off..." She called three times in a row, all with the same tone. She switched to WeChat, opened my profile picture, and sent a voice message: "To Ran, where did you run off to? I don't even answer the phone!" A red exclamation mark appeared on the screen, with small text below: