Chapter 2 — The Mother Who Stole Her Dream

Duong Duong was stunned.

“What's going on?”

I don't explain. Because there are debts that cannot be accounted for in a dorm room. Nor can we just count Dinh Mai alone.

02

The next day, I still went to the restaurant to buy a bowl of white rice for one yuan as usual. Duong Duong followed me. She didn't take the food, just stood next to her with the tray. The restaurant employee recognized me and the ladle stopped in mid-air.

“Still only get white rice?”

I nodded.

“Yes.”

She sighed.

“Honey, dancing is so tiring, you can't just eat this.”

The female students behind laughed softly.

“The main dancer only eats white rice?”

“What's the point of pretending to be poor?”

“Maybe her house is really like that.”

Duong Duong immediately turned around.

“Do you guys have too much free speech?”

The other female students immediately shut up, picked up the tray and left. I brought rice to find a place to sit. Duong Duong sat across from me, pushing his plate of braised meat over. I pushed back again. She slammed her hand on the table, holding the plate tightly.

“Don't refuse this time.”

I said:

“I don't want to owe you.”

“Who made you owe?”

She gritted her teeth.

“I just can't take it anymore.”

I bowed my head to eat. Rice is still pale white. The plate of meat next to it was steaming hot. I don't touch it. Duong Duong suddenly picked up his phone and took a photo of my rice tray. I raised my eyes.

“Delete it.”

She didn't delete it.

“I sent it to your mother.”

I reached out and grabbed it. She held the phone up high.

“If you feel she did the right thing, then what are you afraid of?”

I don't win anymore. Duong Duong's finger stopped on the screen. Actually, she was waiting for me to stop her. I looked at her.

“Send.”

She was stunned.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

She bowed her head and went to the group of parents. That group was created by the academic advisor at the beginning of school. Each student must have at least one parent in the group. Dinh Mai was also there. Normally she doesn't say anything, only when someone posts a scholarship list does she appear to ask a question. Does our Khuong Le have a name? If not, she will send a sentence: Girls, don't be too aggressive, your health is the most important thing. If so, she will call me privately. The scholarship is back in your account, right? Transfer three thousand in advance to your house, the house is in need. Duong Duong sent the photo. In the photo, my rice tray is dazzlingly clean. Only one bowl of white rice and one cup of hot water are available for free. She wrote a sentence: Teacher, your daughter eats like this every day at school. The group chat was silent for a while. Not long after, a parent sent a surprised emoji. Someone else asked: Is she losing weight? Can't dance students lose weight like this? Academic advisors also appear. Khuong Le's parents, can you send me a private message? I still sat in my seat, slowly eating each bite of rice. Duong Duong stared at the phone.

“She saw it.”

I asked:

“How do you know?”

“The line above is showing ‘entering message’.”

Duong Duong's voice became tense. It was like she finally knocked on that door for me. She thought that behind the door someone would pity me. Someone will ask me if I have enough money. Someone will immediately transfer money. I also looked at my phone. Three seconds. Five seconds. Ten seconds. Dinh Mai does not type. She sent a voice message. Sixty seconds. Everyone in the group can hear. The moment Duong Duong clicked open, I knew she would regret it. Dinh Mai's voice rang out, loudly as if arguing in the dormitory hallway.

“Who are you?”

“Is it the turn of an outsider like you to meddle in our family affairs?”

“What Khuong Le eats is his business!”

“Since childhood, he has eaten little, so what about eating a little frugally?”

"Girls these days take a picture and send it to the group at the slightest move. Do you have my consent?"

“You want teachers to think that our family mistreats our children, right?”

“I tell you, it was very difficult for our family to let him study at this school!”

“She's a girl and she studies such an expensive major, can't her family even complain about suffering?”

“If you have money, give it away!”

“It's really easy to talk from the outside!”

The recording has not ended yet. In the restaurant, someone turned to look. Duong Duong's face gradually turned pale. Her fingers trembled, wanting to turn it off, but she accidentally pressed the volume to the highest level. Dinh Mai's last sentence seemed to hit the table straight.

“Stop worrying about how much money you have!”

The voice message ends. The group of parents fell silent. Duong Duong threw the phone on the table.

“Is she sick?”

I swallowed the last bite of rice. Throat still dry. I picked up the cup of hot water and slowly took a sip. Then burst out laughing. Duong Duong was so angry that he almost cried.

“Can you still smile?”

I put the cup down.

“She scolds very well.”

Duong Duong glared at me. I looked at the photo in the group chat. Below the photo appears a small transition symbol. It's not that Duong Duong moved away. It's someone else in the group. My finger stopped at the edge of the screen. The rock that had been weighing heavily on my heart for many years finally lightened a bit. Because Dinh Mai didn't know that the last sixty seconds were not only sent for Duong Duong to listen to.