Chapter 5 — How Much Does Love Cost?

Equal to 708 yuan per month?

“It's my business, I decide for myself.”

“In the future... I also hope that dad will stop trying to arrange my life.”

Having finished speaking, I proactively hung up the phone for the first time. Then drag your number to the block list. Life after work is even busier than college. But for the first time, I felt secure in taking control of my life. Receiving my first salary, I rented a clean, bright one-room apartment. I bought myself a lot of new clothes, throwing away all the old clothes that were discolored because they were washed too many times. I started to learn how to enjoy life. On weekends, I will go to concerts with colleagues and see art exhibitions. I signed up for a yoga class. Also has a cat. That cat was very attached to people, I named it "Man Thau". Because in my hungriest days... It was Mantou that saved my life. I used to think that the bond between me and that house would end here. Until the second year after working. A strange phone number called. I picked up the phone, it was my uncle's voice. His tone was filled with impatience, and also carried a rare hint of flattery.

“Vy Vy, you are the eldest uncle.”

“Are you living well these days?”

“If you have something to say, say it directly.”

My voice was cold. The eldest uncle smiled wryly a few times.

“It's like this… my younger brother, To Loi…”

"It's doing business, losing some money."

“Not much, about 500,000 yuan.”

"Let's see... now that I work in a big city and have a high income, can I... help him pay the down payment?"

I picked up the phone and walked to the window. Below is an endless stream of busy traffic.

“Eldest uncle, you remember To Loi is driving a BMW Series 5, right?”

“Huh? Ah… that's right.”

“Selling that car would probably cost more than 500,000 yuan.”

“How can that be!”

The eldest uncle's voice immediately became high-pitched.

"That's his face! After selling the car, what face will he have to go out and meet other people in the future?"

I laughed.

“It turns out a car is more important than a 500,000 yuan debt.”

"To Vy! What are you talking about? That's your younger brother!"

“I don't have a younger brother.”

Uncle was so angry that his throat choked. The phone was snatched by another person.

"To Vy! Uncle is talking kindly to you, what's with that attitude?"

“Now that you have some future, you look down on these poor relatives, right?”

"I tell you, To Loi's business is the To family's business! You must take care of it!"

“If he understood things half as well as you, he wouldn't have ended up like this!”

Hearing those obvious commands, I suddenly discovered that I was no longer angry. Just find it so funny.

“Dad, what did you teach me in the past?”

I slowly spoke up.

"Dad said jade without polishing doesn't become jade."

“Dad said you have to train your character, don't let money corrupt you.”

"Dad also said that fainting was just because he wasn't strong enough."

“Now I see that those words… are very suitable for To Loi.”

“This 500,000 yuan debt is the best training for him.”

“Dad, please pass on the message.”

"Our To family doesn't raise trash, even this bit of suffering is unbearable."

Every sentence and every word you said to me that year... Today, I return it to you intact. The other end of the line was dead silent. I heard his heavy breathing. A long time later, he gritted his teeth and blurted out a few words:

“Okay… very good.”

Then the phone was hung up forcefully. I hold it phone, watching the sunset outside the window dye the whole city yellow. The real war has only just begun.