Chapter 1 — The Aunt Who Likes to Worry About Things

Tet is coming, go and wish New Year to relatives. As soon as I entered the door, I heard the bossy aunt's voice preaching to others:

"Why don't you have a boyfriend yet? How old are you?"

"When will you get married? You're not young anymore, get married quickly!"

"How many people have changed? When it's time for the wedding, be careful people say it's not clean!"

A group of young men could only smile wryly and nod to let the matter go. No one dared to argue back, because they were all children and grandchildren and did not want to make a big deal out of it. As if that wasn't enough, my aunt saw me walking in and immediately spoke up:

"You've been married for more than a year, you should have had a child a long time ago! Haven't you yet? Aren't you embarrassed?"

1

After listening, my anger immediately flared up. But thinking about the Tet atmosphere, I still tried to stay calm, smiled politely and replied:

“Does it have anything to do with you?”

The words were not loud, but loud enough for all relatives in the room to hear. Suddenly, the whole room fell silent. The person playing the game stopped. The person talking also remained silent. The person playing cards also turned to look. My aunt was so angry that her face turned red and she pointed her finger straight at me, as if she wanted to devour me on the spot. The people present probably never thought that I, who was silent, could dare to say such an "irreverent" sentence. I knew, as soon as I said that sentence, there was probably no way back from now on with my aunt's family. But I don't care. I've really had enough. Before, I was forced to find a lover. Once someone falls in love, they urge them to get married. After getting married, they are forced to have children. After forcing me, he turned around and forced others. The whole room was full of relatives, but she was alone. Every year, I like to pick up other people's wounds, but I don't let anyone argue with me. Anyone who says anything against their will makes a fuss. In front of them, they are relatives, but behind their backs, they are really no different from enemies. She still refused to put her hand down, but she didn't expect me to dare to argue right in front of her. Her voice was full of sarcasm:

"What do you mean? Is it wrong that I care about you? Do you know anything? What's wrong with what I said? At your age, shouldn't you have children?"

"If you don't have children, does your in-laws value you? It's been more than a year since you got married and you still don't have one, don't you feel embarrassed?"

To be honest, in the past I used to like going to wish relatives New Year. But because of my aunt, I really hate this. Especially going to my aunt's house. Tet is supposed to be a time for everyone to have fun, eat, drink, and chat. But every year she relied on herself to have a little money and to be a superior. Targeting the children and grandchildren, leaving no one behind. No lover? "How old are you and you're still single? Don't you feel embarrassed?" Betrothed? "How many people have you changed before? Be careful or your husband will find out and say it's not clean!" Married? "You still don't have children at this age? I already have two children the same age as you!" We, young people, many of us over thirty, are no longer young. But she always thought that we were children and grandchildren, relatives. We won't dare argue with you. Whatever she says, we have to listen. Whatever she says, we have to bear it. Every year, she doesn't come to wish New Year, but to teach us - her children and grandchildren. I know my words don't have much weight, nor are they convincing. She was probably cursing me silently in her heart. I immediately called my husband over, he immediately understood what I meant. Without waiting for me to speak, he did replied bluntly:

"Having children or not is my wife's decision. Even if I don't have children, as long as my wife is happy, I agree."

I never thought that in front of so many people, my husband would stand up to protect me like that. I turned around, looked straight at my aunt, and said:

“Can you hear me now?”

2

I couldn't believe that my husband would completely defend me. I didn't expect that I would dare to refute right in front of her. After hearing that, her face immediately became ugly. She seemed like an experienced person, her voice full of disdain:

"It's not me who says it, your husband is just saying it for the sake of it. Do you think he really doesn't want children? Which family doesn't need children? Not only must they give birth, but they must also give birth to a son!"

I smiled faintly and replied:

“Is that so?”

Seeing that I only said two words, she seemed guilty. She gained momentum again and continued:

“If you don't have a son, who will take care of you in the future?”

I calmly replied:

"That's not something you need to worry about. I can't support myself, right? And then again, you have a son, but he doesn't support you either?"

Immediately, her face turned pale and then turned red. She couldn't believe I dared to speak so frankly and expose her story right in the middle of the crowd. My aunt's family has five children, four girls and one youngest boy. Last year, I heard that my youngest son kept asking to compete with others. Make your aunt buy you a Rolls-Royce Phantom. Perhaps at that time she had not gathered enough money, so she told her son to wait a little longer. Who would have thought? The angry son destroyed the whole house and announced that he wanted to cut off relations with his mother. Yet now, my aunt still boldly preaches morality, telling me to give birth to a son. Unexpectedly, as soon as I let out the sentence: "You have a son, but he doesn't take care of you." The atmosphere immediately became quiet. Everyone held their breath, afraid that in just a second there would be a big explosion. All eyes turned to her. She tilted her head back, closed her eyes, and took a few deep breaths, as if in deep shock. Then she sneered, her eyes full of venom. As if thinking that if I dared to expose her, she would make me lose face. She smiled coldly:

"Do you think you're so pure? How many guys did you know before you got married? Other people don't know, but I know very well."

As soon as the sentence ended, all eyes immediately turned towards me. Even my husband suddenly turned to look. Uncle quickly ran to pull his aunt's hand and advised in a low voice:

“Stop it, it's Tet, don't pick on each other anymore.”

But she shook her uncle's hand away, gritted her teeth and said:

"What do you know? It exposed me first! If I don't counterattack, I can't swallow it, I can't live!"

Should I expose her first? In front of so many people, you still dare to change white for black, be the bad guy first and then denounce him first? If she doesn't say I won't give birth, I'll lose face. If she didn't say I didn't give birth to a son, it would be humiliating. If she hadn't said I wouldn't give birth to a son, no one would have raised me in the future. Did I say that? Why now does it turn out she was right? I know, she thinks that if she says that, I won't dare to argue back. She let out her anger, but I had to swallow it and endure it. Sure enough, in the next second, she proudly said:

“See, he doesn't dare to argue anymore, because I'm right! He used to love many people like that, certainly before The wedding is no longer pure!”

On the outside he shook his head, but inside he was probably gloating. He separated from the crowd, sat down in a corner, lit a cigarette. I clenched my palms and calmly asked again:

“So what?”

The aunt laughed, her eyes full of contempt:

“So what? To put it bluntly, you're not a virgin, right?"

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