Chapter 1 — Reclaiming the Future

I got 720 points in the university entrance exam, ranking third in the province. The day the results came out, my mother was so excited that her hands were shaking. Everyone she met boasted that her daughter had a future. However, her sister-in-law, who was on a six-month pregnancy, sat down on the sofa in the living room and coldly said: "What's the use of such a high score? Where will we get the money to send her to college?" Before I could even open my mouth, she held her stomach and cried: "If anything happens to my child, your whole family will be responsible! Either force her to work to make money, or I'll go to the hospital to have an abortion now!" My father immediately panicked, rubbed his hands and looked at my brother. My brother knelt down faster than anyone else, pulled my sleeve, and said in a low voice: "Sister, you should go to the factory to work two years ago. Wait until your sister-in-law gives birth and then think about it again." My father sighed, lit a cigarette: "Your brother is right. Our family's conditions are just that, your sister-in-law's health is more important." The living room was silent for three seconds. My mother slowly walked out of the kitchen, her apron still undone, and in her hand still holding a bunch of onions soaked in water. She looked at my brother kneeling on the ground, then looked at her sister-in-law who was crying loudly on the sofa, finally looked at my father and then suddenly burst into laughter. I will never forget that smile for the rest of my life, as cold as the December wind. "Old Ly, I see you've been staying at your father-in-law's house for so long that you've forgotten what your last name is." My father's face turned white, his cigarette almost fell to the ground. My mother slammed the bunch of onions on the table: "In this house, it is not yet an outsider's turn to decide my daughter's future." She turned to look at her sister-in-law. The voice wasn't loud, but each word was like nails being pounded down. 01 The day the results came out, the old fan in my house was creaking. I stared at the computer screen, saw a total score of 720, ranked third in the province, my palms were sweaty. My mother, Manh Ngoc Hoa, stood behind, speechless for a long time. She hugged me, her voice trembling. “Nam Chi, you really make me smile.” My father, Ly Hoai Nhan, also laughed. His smile was forced, as if this funny story had nothing to do with him. My brother, Ly Khai, came out of the room, still holding a cigarette in his mouth. “Very good, little sister.” As soon as he finished speaking, sister-in-law Ha Man propped her waist up and walked into the living room. She was pregnant for six months and had a very big belly, so normally the whole family tolerated her. She glanced at the screen, without a smile on her face. “What's the use of such high competition?” The living room immediately fell silent. My mother turned her head to look at her. Ha Man sat down on the sofa, placing her hand on her stomach. “Where will we get the money to send him to college?” "A girl studies so far away, how much money does it cost, but in the end, doesn't she still get married?" My chest is tight. I hadn't said anything yet, my father spoke first. “Today is a happy day, don't talk about this.” Ha Man smiled coldly. “I just had to say it today.” "In my belly is the grandson of the Ly family." "He's just my brother-in-law, is he more important than my son?" The smile on my mother's face slowly disappeared. His brother put out the cigarette and walked over to comfort him. “Man Man, don't be angry.” Ha Man suddenly hugged her stomach and her voice immediately rose. “How can I not be angry?” “Every day I can't eat well and sleep well, yet you guys still think about spending money for him to go to college.” “Either make her work to make money, or now I go to the hospital to have an abortion!” My father's face immediately turned white. He stood up, rubbing his hands on the seam of his pants. “Don't talk nonsense like that.” Ha Man cried even louder. “I'm not talking nonsense!” "My mother's family has already told me that I did not marry into your family to suffer resentment." “If you dare to let him go to school, I will not give birth to this child anymore.” My brother panicked and knelt down in front of the sofa with a thud. “Man Man, don't scare me.” He turned his head and pulled my sleeve. “Sister, you went to the factory to work two years ago.” "Wait until my sister-in-law gives birth, things will be better at home, I can take the exam again." I bowed my head and looked at his hand. Two days ago, that same hand still held the three thousand yuan her mother gave her, saying she wanted to buy imported powdered milk for Ha Man. I pulled out my sleeve. “Dude, do you know how many points I got on the exam?” Ly Khai

avoid my eyes. “I know.” “But scores cannot be used as food.” My father sighed, lit a cigarette. As soon as he finished lighting it, he looked at me. “What your brother said is not without reason.” “My home's conditions are just that.” “Your sister-in-law's health is more important.” I looked at him, suddenly feeling extremely strange. For eighteen years, he rarely cared about my studies. Mom took me to school, she stayed up late with me, she bought me materials. Yet today, with just one unconditional sentence, he wanted to cut off my path. The living room was silent for three seconds. The kitchen door opens. My mother slowly walked out, her apron undone, still holding a bunch of onions in her hand. The water on the onion dripped onto the tile floor. She looked at Ly Khai who was kneeling. Look at Ha Man again crying on the sofa. Finally, she stared at my father and suddenly burst out laughing. That smile sent chills down my spine. “Old Ly.” "I see you've been staying at your father-in-law's house for so long that you've forgotten what your last name is." My father's hands shook, ashes fell onto his pants. “Ngoc Hoa, what nonsense are you talking about?” My mother smashed the bunch of onions on the tea table. Water splashed. “Am I talking nonsense?” “That year when I stepped into this house, there wasn't even a bed.” “The house you are standing in was left to me by my parents.” "From the time Ly Khai was in elementary school until he got married, was there any money I didn't earn?" She turned to Ha Man. “And you.” “The day you entered the house, I gave you a bride price of eighty-eight thousand yuan, bought a gold bracelet, and renovated the wedding room.” “Now you sit on my sofa, using your belly to threaten my daughter not to go to college.” Ha Man's crying stopped for a moment. My mother's voice is not loud. “In this house, it is not yet the turn of an outsider to decide my daughter's future.” My father's face was very unsightly. "She's pregnant, please stop saying a few words." My mother looked at him. “The child is hers, not the dagger in her hand.” “She wants to go to the hospital, I won't stop her.” "But today she dares to step out of this door, I will account for every amount of money Ly Khai has taken from me over the years." Ly Khai suddenly raised his head. "Mom!" My mother didn't pay attention to him. She wiped her hands, went to the TV cabinet, and pulled out the bottom drawer. Inside is an old iron box. I've seen that box before. Mom never let me touch her. She carried the box to the tea table and opened it with a "click". Inside is not a savings book. It's a stack of notebooks. There is also a black tape recorder. As soon as my father saw the tape recorder, his expression immediately changed. Mom picked up the recorder and looked at Ha Man. “What did you say just now?” “Either force Nam Chi to work, or you get an abortion?” Ha Man's lips moved. My mother pressed the play button. In the living room, Ha Man's high-pitched cry echoed. “Either make her work to make money, or now I go to the hospital to have an abortion!” My brother's face slowly turned white. Mom put the recorder back on the table. "Okay." “So now let's talk clearly.” She opened the first notebook, her finger placed on page one. “Calculated from the year Ly Khai entered university.” “Whoever took my money must give back every penny.” 02 The brother stared at the notebook, as if looking at a piece of hot iron burning his hand. He was still kneeling on the ground, one hand still holding the edge of the sofa. “Mom, why is a family planning these things?” My mother turned the page. The paper was yellowed, with each date and each amount clearly written on it. “Just now you forced my daughter to work in a factory for two years.” “At that time, why didn't you say that you were one family?” Ly Khai opened his mouth. Ha Man panicked first. She supported her stomach and sat up straight. “Aunt Manh, what do you mean?” “Do you want to force the entire family of three of us to die?” My mother raised her eyes to look at her. “Don't call me aunt.” "The day you get married here, change the way you call me mother and receive ten thousand yuan in change of address." “It's written in the book.” Ha Man's face stiffened. I almost burst out laughing. Normally my mother doesn't like to say harsh words. But once she actually spoke, every sentence hit a painful spot. My father put out his cigarette in the ashtray. “Ngoc Hoa, stop causing trouble.” "Nam Chi did well in the exam today, it's a happy thing." "If you drag out these old debts, what will happen?" Mom

I didn't even look at him. “Fun story?” “My daughter got 720 points in the exam, the three of you discussed sending her to the factory.” “Is that called fun?” My father choked. Mom turned the notebook and pushed it in front of him. “Ly Hoai Nhan, please watch too.” “Li Kai's first-year college tuition is six thousand two hundred yuan.” “Living expenses are one thousand five hundred yuan each month.” “After graduating, he said he wanted to start a business, so I gave him fifty thousand yuan.” "I failed to start a business. I said I wanted to discuss marriage, but I took out one hundred and twenty thousand yuan." “Wedding gift eighty-eight thousand yuan, three pieces of gold twenty-six thousand yuan, wedding room renovation one hundred thirty-four thousand yuan.” “After Ha Man became pregnant, she had to pay three thousand yuan each month in support money.” She read each clause one by one. In the living room, only her voice remained. My brother's head bowed lower and lower. The momentum on Ha Man's face gradually subsided, but he still refused to surrender. “These funds were originally meant to be spent on our sons.” “Ly Khai is my mother's son.” “In my belly, you are also my grandson.” My mother finally looked at her. “So what?” Ha Man was stunned. My mother closed the book. “I spend money on my son because I volunteer.” “But I don't owe my daughter-in-law.” "I don't owe anything to someone who used a child to threaten my daughter." Ha Man's eyes turned red and she was about to cry again. My mother raised her hand to interrupt. “Crying is useless.” “Tears are not recorded in the debt book.” My father banged the table. “Manh Ngoc Hoa!” “Don't be too harsh!” "She's pregnant, what if something really happens?" My mother slowly turned her head. “You feel sorry for the child in her womb.” “So have you ever felt sorry for Nam Chi?” “From elementary school to high school, are there any parent-teacher conferences that you go to?” "He has a forty-degree fever, and you're still sitting on the card table." "She won the competition, he said girls studying too much is useless." “Today it ranks third in the province, you still want to push it into the factory.” My father is still speechless. “I also just think about this family.” My mother smiled coldly. “This family?” She stood up, went to the wall, and took down the keys. On the key chain there is a small piece of copper hanging. I knew it was the key to the closet in the bedroom. Mom opened the cabinet and took out a file bag. She placed the file bag on the tea table. “Then tell me whose house this is.” She pulled out the first piece of paper. “Certificate of home ownership.” “Person named: Manh Ngoc Hoa.” She pulled out the second sheet. “Store lease contract.” “Leasing party: Manh Ngoc Hoa.” Third sheet. “Certificate of Deposit.” “Account owner: Manh Ngoc Hoa.” My father's face was gray. Ha Man rolled her eyes. “Didn't you say there's no money at home?” This sentence is said to my brother. He didn't dare look at her. My mother looked at her brother. “Of course he said he had no money.” “He said the money is all in my hands.” “But he didn't tell you that, while giving you his entire monthly salary, he still came to me to ask for benefits.” Ha Man suddenly turned his head. “Ly Khai!”