Chapter 2 — Took my mother to buy a gold bracelet, the whole family wanted me to pay 76,500 yuan

I didn't move. The phone lens was still pointed straight at her, the frame strangely stable.

"Turn away! Just turn away!"

The eldest girl got up from the ground, pointed straight at me and cursed:

"Film it and post it online! Let the whole world see how an ungrateful girl like you treats her relatives!"

"Okay."

I nodded.

“Just for netizens to see, how unsightly an aunt taking her son and daughter-in-law to a shopping center to ask her niece for money looks.”

The eldest girl immediately choked. There were more and more people around. Someone raised their phone to film. Some people gathered in groups of three and three, whispering. The eldest girl's face began to burn from losing face, but her mouth still tried to argue:

“Who asked you for money?”

"I just asked you to help me buy a set of three needles. Do I need to go overboard like that?"

I replied coldly.

“Your son gets married, not my son gets married.”

"His three needles, you buy with your own money."

"Get out of the way! Everyone get out of the way!"

The crowd was separated. A woman wearing a black vest walked quickly forward. The nameplate on the chest clearly states: Store manager: Ly Binh. She kept a professional smile, rolled her eyes at me and then looked at her. Finally his eyes stopped on me.

“Sir, is there anything you need our help with?”

The eldest girl immediately spoke first:

“The manager came at the right time!”

"This is my biological niece. Initially she agreed to buy my son's three-metal wedding set, but now she turned around and refused to accept it!"

I almost burst out laughing because I was angry. Ly Binh was in no hurry to speak up. She turned to the clerk. The employee leaned close to the manager's ear and whispered a few words, then pointed at me and then at the eldest lady. The smile on Ly Binh's face gradually changed. Not disappear. It's from the kind of warmly serving customers that turns into the kind of being smart, looking at people and behaving. She glanced at the pile of gold jewelry on her eldest aunt's body. Then I looked at the old T-shirt my mother had worn for five years. His eyes were immediately different. Immediately after that, she picked up the computer and clicked repeatedly. Split split split. Once finished, he pushed the bill in front of me.

"Sister, the three-metal set your relative chose costs 68,300 yuan. Plus your mother's gold bracelet is 8,200 yuan."

“Total 76,500 yuan.”

“Please help pay.”

I never reached out to receive it.

“I just bought this bracelet for my mother.”

“I never agreed to pay for the remaining items.”

The smile on the manager's face was still intact. But the tone was completely stiff.

“Your relatives said you will pay.”

“I really asked.”

I looked straight at her.

“Do you believe whatever she says?”

“So if you say you won't buy it, do I have to believe it?”

Ly Binh pushed the bill a little more towards me.

“Say it like this.”

“The goods have all been taken out.”

“Just pay in advance.”

"Things between relatives can be resolved later, okay?"

"Impossible."

I refused straight away. The smile on Ly Binh's face immediately disappeared. She took a half step back, crossing her arms over her chest. His voice was low but each sentence carried a sense of coercion.

“I'll tell you straight.”

“Today my relatives told me to pay, but I said I wouldn't pay.”

“I don't care what relationship you guys have.”

“Once the goods are taken out, someone must pay for them.”

"Are not concerns me.”

“I didn't ask for the goods to be taken out.”

“It was chosen by my relatives.”

She tilted her chin toward the eldest girl.

“You are one family.”

“Of course she owes it to me.”

I stared at her.

“This is forced buying and forced selling.”

Ly Binh burst into laughter. Very light laughter. But his eyes were cold.

“Forced buying and forced selling?”

“Please clarify one thing.”

“This is a shopping mall, not your house.”

“You guys have been rioting in my store for nearly half an hour.”

“It affects business and disturbs other customers.”

“It's already too polite of me to ask you for compensation.”

Having finished speaking, she took a step forward. Directly blocking the entrance.

“Today this amount of 76,500 yuan, either you pay, or your relatives pay.”

“Anyone can pay.”

“But if you haven't paid yet…”

“Then none of you can step foot out of this store.”

My mother was so scared that she squeezed my arm, her fingers shaking non-stop. The eldest girl seemed to have been injected with chicken blood. She immediately jumped up from the floor and ran to stand next to the store manager to help:

“Yes, yes, yes! It has to be like that!”

"If he refuses to pay, absolutely don't let him go!"

Having finished speaking, she turned to me and shouted:

“Look at yourself!”

“Since childhood, I have not known how to obey, and now I even make my manager angry!”

"There are so many things, just spend money and it's over!"

"Your cousin gets married, once in a lifetime. How about making me spend some money?"

“What's more…”

Her volume increased another notch. She turned to the crowd gathered around and shouted:

“Everyone, come and judge!”

“This girl won't regret buying her mother a bracelet worth more than 8,000 yuan!”

"Tell me to buy a three-metal set for my cousin, but I find every reason to refuse!"

“His father was raised by me alone!”

“I have suffered all my life because of this house!”

“Is this what you call filial piety?”

“If this story spreads out, will you lose face?”

In the crowd, there were people talking in low voices. Some people kept shaking their heads. My mother's face turned red. She pulled me back.

“Forget it, child...”

“Don't make such a big deal out of it…”

“Or... Mom, advance the money...”

I held her hand tightly. The voice was extremely determined.

“Mom, you don't need to say anything today.”

“There are children here.”

The eldest girl standing next to her smiled complacently:

“Oh my, you still have such a strong mouth, don't you?”

“Manager has already spoken.”

"If I don't spend money today, let's see if I can walk out of here?"

I don't bother paying attention to her. Just look directly at the store manager.

“I'm asking you one last time.”

“I must pay this 76,500 yuan?”

The manager smiled coldly:

“You must pay.”

“What if I don't pay?”

She stepped forward to block the door. Arms folded across chest.

“Then just stay here and argue.”

“I have a lot of time.”