Chapter 4 — Three Houses for My Cousin, I Took My Mother Abroad to Live a Worthy Life

"Dao Dao! It's Aunt Hai!"

Mr. Two's wife is from Mom's house. They met a few times during Tet, but never proactively contacted me privately.

“Aunt Hai, what's going on?”

"It's nothing, it's nothing. It's just that your Second Uncle read the news and saw that you were so successful, so the whole family is very happy! Oh right Dao Dao, your Second Uncle has something to discuss with you. He opened a small store in Hangzhou, wants to make an ordering system..."

I stopped right in front of the supermarket.

"Auntie Hai, I'm no longer working in that industry anymore. Would you mind telling me a word?"

“That's not true Dao Dao, listen to what I say first…”

"I went to the supermarket, the signal is not very good. Let's talk about it another day."

After speaking, I hung up the phone. Push the shopping cart inside. From February to April. Fully two months. No one has ever asked me this question:

“How are you these days?”

All phone calls. All messages. Every single one. It's all related to money. Auckland enters autumn. My life with my mother gradually went into orbit. In the morning, my mother went to the area's senior living center to learn English. I stay at home reading books and occasionally write a few blog posts about technology. Cook together at noon. Afternoon walk. Mom's facial expression is getting better day by day, you can see it with the naked eye. She was no longer the same as when she was in the water, sighing several times a day. No more tossing and turning in the middle of the night. One afternoon, after returning from a walk, my mother suddenly said:

“Dao Dao, I feel that the best decision in this life is to follow you abroad.”

I looked at her.

"Previously in Hangzhou, my grandmother would call my mother every time she moved a little. She would cook, wash clothes, and take her to the doctor."

"My Hoa has never left, it's always her mother."

"After my mother left, she still criticized the food she cooked for not being good, saying she didn't know how to behave like my eldest sister."

When she said those words, there was no resentment in her voice. Simply recounting the truth.

“The year my grandfather passed away, the family still had a savings of 80,000 yuan.”

“Grandma said she would divide it between us two.”

“As a result, my eldest sister got 60,000 yuan, my mother only got 20,000 yuan.”

“She said the eldest sister's family was having more difficulties, so she divided a little more.”

"Eldest aunt's family is in trouble?"

I laughed.

“At that time, my eldest uncle was still working as a construction contractor, earning 200,000 to 300,000 yuan a year.”

I said nothing.

“But mom doesn't fight.”

“Mom was originally like that.”

"It's very unsightly to feel like family members are fighting over money."

“That's why they always think that mom is easy to bully.”

Mom smiled lightly.

“Not anymore.”

“Because I already have children.”

I took her hand.

“Mom, from now on no one will be able to bully you anymore.”

That evening. Luc Dien sent a message again.

"Trieu Bang's real estate project is officially bankrupt. Creditors are coming to the door."

I replied:

“How much debt?”

“Both capital and profit are about 5,000,000 yuan.”

“What about those cleared houses?”

"He wants to mortgage it, but this type of resettlement house has a five-year transaction restriction period, which is not enough time so he cannot mortgage it."

Five years of trading restrictions. In other words. Those three houses are now just like three pieces of paper. Money cannot be exchanged. Can't sell either.

“So what does he do now?”

"I heard they were asking for help everywhere. My eldest aunt gave it to me he part of his savings, about 300,000 yuan.”

“But it's like salt in the ocean.”

I turned off the phone. Outside the window, autumn rain fell all night.

“Dao Dao, your grandmother is hospitalized.”

One afternoon in late May. Mom held the phone and walked in front of me. Her hands are shaking.

“What's going on?”

“Old heart disease comes back.”

"Eldest aunt said this time it's quite serious and may require surgery."

I looked at the phone. It was a message sent by my eldest aunt. Attached is a photo of my grandmother lying in a hospital bed.

“How much does surgery cost?”

“They said about 150,000 yuan.”

150,000 yuan. I said nothing. Mom looked at my face and cautiously said:

“Dao Dao, if you don't want to worry about this... I understand.”

I raised my head to look at her.

“Do you know who paid for your grandmother's two previous heart surgeries?”

Mom was stunned.

“Twice ago?”

"Isn't insurance paying for most of it, and the rest is paid for by the eldest aunt?"

“Insurance pays sixty percent.”

“The remaining forty percent, the first time is 42,000 yuan, the second time is 58,000 yuan.”

“It's all yours to pay.”

Mom stood frozen in place.

“But the eldest aunt said that…”

“She told her grandmother that she paid.”