Chapter 1 — I Give My Mother a Fever Reducing Drink During Pregnancy

In my previous life, out of love for my mother, I secretly gave her fever-reducing medicine when she was nine months pregnant with my younger brother and had a high fever that wouldn't go away. But then, due to prolonged high fever and too late treatment, my younger brother was born weak. Grandma insisted that it was because I gave her medicine that I harmed her. My mother did not object, leaving her and my father to beat and scold me as a way to atone for their beloved child's sins. Every time my brother got sick, they blamed me and scolded me without mercy. The worst was the time I was kicked and broke three ribs, and for two days and two nights I couldn't eat or drink anything. I begged my mother for help, but she just slapped me like crazy.

"It's because you gave me medicine at that time! Otherwise, would your brother be physically weak? Every few days he gets sick! You comet! Why don't you just die?!"

Being alive again, when I saw my mother's eyes asking for help due to difficulty breathing, I woke up and shouted loudly:

"Grandma! My mother wants medicine! She wants to harm my brother!"

1

"I know it! I know that a comet like you has a cruel heart! Are you planning on giving your mother medicine to harm my grandchild? You scoundrel! See if I don't beat you to death!"

The shrill scolding tore through the fog in my head. The strong smell of antiseptic disappeared, the feeling of suffocation disappeared, and the image of the body filled with tubes flashed by like a ghost. The familiar house, the harsh face in front of me, the woman lying on the bed moaning helplessly — all told me one thing: I had been reincarnated. Returned just in time when my mother was nine months pregnant with my younger brother and had a high fever. In my previous life, because I felt sorry for my mother, who had a fever that wouldn't go away for two days. After school, I used my savings to secretly run to the medical station to buy fever-reducing medicine. Unexpectedly, she caught me when I got home and was beaten to a pulp. But I still remember what Dr. Ly said: you must believe in medicine, a high fever for too long will affect both mother and child. I'm afraid of losing my mother, and I'm even more afraid that something will happen to the younger brother I've been waiting for for so long. So, while she wasn't paying attention, I still secretly gave my mother medicine. As a result, as soon as my mother's fever subsided, she turned around and told her about it. My grandmother beat me until my face was bruised. When my father came home from work, when he heard about it, he got mad and kicked me from the door all the way into the house. At that time I was only eight years old, had two teeth knocked out and three broken ribs. She cursed me for being jealous, cursing me for being so young that I had an evil mind and wanted to harm my younger brother. My father scolded me for being a comet. After going to school for a few days, I didn't know my identity. I was bedridden for half a month. What about mother? She leaned on the bed, leisurely accepting my grandmother's care, indifferently watching me being tortured. More than a month later, my younger brother was born, and my grandmother was pleased to hold her grandson. My parents started laughing again, I thought I would live a more peaceful life, but everything was completely opposite. Because my mother had a fever for too long during pregnancy, my younger brother was physically weak and pale. Dad and grandma blamed it all on me giving mom the medicine, while mom tacitly agreed, letting those two beat me over and over again. After finishing elementary school, I was forced to drop out of school and became a victim of my younger brother's upbringing. Every time he gets a cold or gets hurt, the only thing that's wrong is me beaten again. He caused trouble outside, after my parents apologized to others, they came back and vented their anger on me. He failed the exam, it was also my fault. It's still my fault that the girl I like rejected. He wants to have a good phone, wear branded clothes, and ride a motorbike. My parents immediately sold me to a cripple eight years older than me to get the bride price. I ran away many times, but every time I was caught and beaten to death. After that, I accepted my fate. Just when I thought my life would always be like this, my younger brother was diagnosed with end-stage kidney failure. My mother looked as if the sky was falling before her eyes, then turned to look for me, of course asking me to donate my kidney to her sister. I was forced onto the operating table, and eventually died of infection right there. Before I lost consciousness, I heard my mother say:

"Don't save me anymore, don't save me anymore, it's such a convenient life! Who told me that when I was pregnant with Kim Bao, he would give me medicine? If it weren't for him, how could my child have ended up like this? The comet's heart is rotten, death would be a light crime!"

2

My whole body trembled, trying to suppress the hatred down to my bones. I tremblingly touched the thin fabric at my waist - my kidneys were still there.

"Grandma, I know it's wrong, I don't dare anymore! Uncle Ly at the clinic said that you can take medicine at the end of pregnancy. I just, I just love my mother, I'm afraid the high fever will affect the baby in my stomach, so I was deceived."

She snorted coldly, her finger stabbing hard at my forehead.

"You shallow brat, if you don't listen to people's words, you'll listen to the devil! Remember, you're just a comet, from now on everything in the house will belong to your younger brother, if you know your destiny, don't listen to nonsense like 'If you have a younger brother, you don't need a sister'!"

I nodded vigorously.

“I know, I know, grandma, I will definitely treat you well from now on.”

Of course I clearly understand my status. With or without my younger brother, I was not taken seriously. That's why my name is Vuong Thu De. She sent me to boil water for my mother to bathe in, while she took the medicine I brought home, cursing as I walked. His mouth kept scolding him for "worrying about so many things", looking at his demeanor, he was probably planning to go to the medical station in the village to cause trouble. She always adheres to her belief: pregnant women should not take medicine, otherwise the baby will be born stupid. She said she had experienced it, and at that time she endured any discomfort on her own. She would rather believe that burnt apples cooked with raw ginger can reduce fever, than give my mother medicine. I wrung out the towel to dry my mother's body, wiped it several times before placing the wet towel on her forehead with a cold face. From mild fever to high fever of 39 degrees, today is the fourth day. My mother's whole body felt hot and she was in a coma. Under the cold towel, her eyes were a bit alert, she weakly held my hand, pleading:

"Thu, Thu De... I can't stand it anymore... do you... do you still have medicine?... I feel like I'm about to die..."

I'm just waiting for her to open her mouth. In my previous life, I was stupid and afraid of losing my mother. Even if I was beaten to death, I had to secretly give her medicine. In the end, she resented me all my life and tortured me like an enemy. This life… ha. I pretended to be frightened and took a step back, frantically shaking my hands and feet, bursting into tears.

"Mom, don't die, you still have a younger brother in your belly! I still have to cook water to bathe mom, after bathing you'll be cured! Mom, listen to what she said, for my younger brother's sake, can we stop taking medicine? I'll go cook water right away!"

In my mother's eyes, a little panicked, her mouth opened before she could say anything, she screamed and rushed into the house. His originally rosy face now became distorted and ferocious. Looking at it, I knew she wanted to hit her, but because of the baby in her womb, she tried to hold back, then scolded her without mercy.

"You bastard has lost all conscience, you want to take medicine? Are you planning to harm my grandchild? Are you so rotten in your heart? I serve you well, eat well, drink well, if you have a fever you can die? Even your own child wants to harm you, are you still human?!"

I blushed and mumbled as if I were the one at fault.

"Grandma, you must be so upset that that's why. Don't worry, I know you did it because of mom and little brother. I won't listen to you anymore."

"I know, I know! How can a brat like you suddenly know how to buy medicine? Great, Chu Thuc Phuong! I really underestimate you!"

She couldn't hold back anymore and slapped my mother fiercely.

"Don't hit my mother, she still has a younger brother in her belly..."

I cry. I pretended to cry. The pregnancy is stable now, in fact it's okay to fight. She rolled her eyes at me, and my mother fainted because she couldn't breathe after that slap. Since she was pregnant with her second child, she has not been beaten for a long time. But my grandmother was even more cruel. When she saw her mother fainting, she refused to let her be taken to the medical station. She forced her family members to use their hands to press the central point to force her to wake up. Old people's old thoughts, once formed, cannot be changed for the rest of their lives, such as favoring men over women. My grandmother was also a woman, but when he was alive, she lived like a slave. Yet he can still think of all kinds of ways to torture me and my mother.