Chapter 5 — The end of filial piety is learning to let go

Mom still hesitated.

“Just call an ambulance for something like that…”

“The boys will scold me to death.”

I looked straight at her.

“Their face is important…”

“Or is grandma's life important?”

My mother was questioned until she became speechless. In the end... She still didn't come. Just call my aunt again. Tell them to immediately call an ambulance. The other end of the line. The second aunt cursed loudly. Scolded my mother and I in cold blood. Seeing death does not save. That night. The lights in the Trieu family's house stayed on all night. I later found out... In the end, they still didn't call an ambulance. The eldest son didn't know where he learned these folk tricks. Sometimes patting on the back. Sometimes he hooked his throat. Finally got my grandmother breathing normally again. No one can sleep peacefully. The next morning. The conflict in the Trieu family completely exploded. The reason... It's my grandmother's pension savings book. In there... Only the last 20,000 yuan left. The eldest boy wants to withdraw this money. To hire a maid is cheaper. The second boy objected again. He said he had to keep that money for his mother's medical treatment later. Two brothers quarreled in the middle of the living room. More and more intense. Finally... Get into a fight. The eldest aunt and the second aunt were also not far behind. Two people grabbed their hair. Beating until the whole house was in chaos. A mess. The funniest thing is... Six cousins have just been divided into a house. No one stepped forward to intervene. Everyone just stood there watching. Cold eyes. It's just a drama that has nothing to do with me. That noisy drama... Finally ended with the second boy stealing the savings book. He was so angry that he broke the purple tea pot that his grandmother loved the most. The whole house immediately fell silent. A dead silence. No one cooks rice. No one cleaned up. Grandma just lay quietly on the bed, listening to the sounds of arguing and fighting coming from the living room. Want to say something... But can't say anything. Her eyes... From the initial obviousness. Gradually turned into panic. Those stories... My mother later told me little by little. She secretly visited once. Stayed less than ten minutes. Came back crying.

“The house is as messy as a landfill.”

“Mom has become noticeably thinner.”

“Just lying there, no one bothers to look.”

“Tieu Tinh.”

“I beg you.”

“Or... let's skip it.”

“I invite Miss Ly to come back.”

“Money... mom will find a way.”

“Mom can work part-time too…”

I interrupted her.

“This is not about money.”

“It's because of people's hearts.”

“Their hearts…”

“It's been rotten for a long time.”

I won't give in again. They still think... Just keep it going. Sooner or later I will soften. Because in their eyes. It's the best hostage to force me. They calculated wrongly. One week later. My phone rings. It's a strange number. I picked up the phone. The other end of the line. There was only the sound of heavy, suppressed breathing. A moment later. An old, trembling voice rang out.

“Is... is it Tieu Tinh?”

It's a grandmother. But... In my heart. Not even the slightest ripple of emotion.

“Tieu Tinh ah…”

Her voice was choked, mixed with tears.

“Grandma knows she was wrong…”

“Boys…”

“They are nothing…”

“You shouldn't…”

“Don't listen to them…”

“Tell them to pay me back the whole house.”

“Give me everything back.”

“Tell Ms. Ly to come back.”

“Grandma, please…”

She started to cry. Cry heart-breaking. Just like a helpless child. I just listened quietly. Wait for her crying to subside. I slowly spoke up. The voice was very quiet. But also very cold.

“Grandma is not wrong.”

“Absolutely not wrong.”

The other end of the line. The crying suddenly stopped. She was waiting for my next words.

“Grandma has six biological grandchildren.”

“All of them have received their grandmother's house.”

“Each person has an apartment.”

“How glorious.”

“The property has been received...”

“The matter of taking care of old age and worrying about future affairs…”

“How could it be the turn of an outsider like me?”

I said every word. I hung up. Then drag that phone number to the block list. The world... Finally completely quiet. I leaned back in the chair. Looking up at the sky outside the window. A clear blue color. Infinitely far away. The bond of love has bound me for three years. In the end... I cut it off myself. No heartache. No attachment. Only left... An unprecedented feeling of relief. That afternoon, after hanging up on my grandmother... My mother locked herself in her room. I didn't hear any crying. But that silence... More suffocating than sobbing. Mom opened the door and walked out. His eyes were as puffy as peaches. She didn't look at me. Just quietly go straight to the kitchen and cook a bowl of noodles.