Chapter 1 — Twice Do Thanh Hoa

After my parents discovered that I had stolen five thousand yuan from the house, they did not hesitate and immediately called the police. “Why did I give birth to a girl like you!” “This time, I must teach you a lesson.” But when the police came to my house, they did not scold me but instead advised my parents to withdraw their application: "Your daughter has tried for so many years, but with great difficulty, she passed the entrance exam to Tsinghua University." “You should think again.” “She took the money to pay tuition, not to use it for other things.” My mother laughed coldly: "Isn't it summer vacation? Can't he go to work and make money?" "Besides, he's eighteen years old. I'm no longer responsible for raising him." “Comrade police, don't advise me.” “This time, I must pursue it to the end.” —— 1 Looking at the two people standing outside the door, my mother leaned aside, her voice surprisingly calm: "Come in, comrades." Two policemen entered the house one after another. My father sat on the sofa. In the ashtray in front of him were three or four cigarette heads. He did not stand up, just nodded to the police as a greeting. “Sit down.” My mother pointed to two chairs facing the tea table, then sat down next to my father, pointing at me: "He stole the money." I sat on a small stool in the corner of the wall, unconsciously tightening the hem of my old uniform. Two policemen sat down on opposite sides of the tea table. The policeman with a square face opened the black book in his hand and seriously asked according to procedure: "Little girl, what is your name?" “Lin Tri Ha.” “How old are you?” "Eighteen." While taking notes, he looked up at me, his eyes resting on his thin shoulders: "Just a teenager? Do you know what we came here for today?" I nodded. “I know.” “Because you stole money from the house.” "How much?" “Five thousand.” “Where is the money?” “In my schoolbag in my room.” I pointed towards the bedroom. “I haven't spent any money yet.” The remaining young policeman stood up and walked into my room. A few minutes later, he quickly walked out, holding a parchment envelope in his hand, then nodded to the square-faced policeman. The square-faced policeman took the envelope and conveniently estimated the weight: "What's the use of money?" I opened my mouth, but my throat felt like it was blocked by a cotton ball, I couldn't swallow it and couldn't spit it out. I could feel my mother staring at me. I am so familiar with those eyes. From childhood to adulthood, every time I disappointed her, she looked at me like that. "Paying tuition..." "My university tuition is still a little short. During the summer vacation I always work, but I really can't make enough..." "Paying tuition? Which school did you pass the exam for?" The square-faced policeman frowned slightly and interrupted me. “Thing Hoa.” As soon as he finished speaking, his hand that was writing the minutes suddenly stopped. He raised his head in surprise. At that moment, my mother suddenly stood up from the sofa, raised her voice and said: "Comrade police, good or bad achievements and stealing are two completely different things!" "If he steals, he still steals. This is a matter of principle!" “I absolutely cannot pretend that this never happened because he passed the entrance exam to a good university!” The square-faced police officer quickly raised his hand to signal her to calm down: "Just sit down first, don't get excited. We will follow the correct procedure." “I can't sit!” My mother's voice was so shrill that it made others uncomfortable. "Do you know what his behavior is? It's breaking into the house and stealing!" “He still dares to take money from his biological parents!” “Today he dares to steal five thousand from the house, tomorrow he will dare to steal fifty thousand when he goes out!” “If a mother like me cannot teach him, then let the law teach him!” I lowered my eyes, my heart felt like it was thrown into an ice cellar. In my mind, the scene of the day the admission notice was sent to my house suddenly appeared. That day, my parents made a whole table of delicious food, saying they wanted to celebrate. I also thought I had finally overcome those miserable days. But only halfway through the meal, my mother suddenly put down her chopsticks. She said I was eighteen years old and an adult. T

From now on, they will no longer be obliged to support me in going to school. Tuition fees must be earned by me working during the summer vacation. I was stunned on the spot. Although our family's conditions are not very wealthy, the university tuition fee for our parents is definitely not a big problem. I thought so in my heart, but the next day, I still went to a restaurant looking for a job as a waiter. Two months have passed, and my palms have developed a thick layer of calluses. His left wrist was also cut by a rusty steel wire, leaving a bloody wound. Having no money to buy medicine, I just endured it until the wound scabbed over and left a scar. But even so, by the deadline to pay tuition, I was still five thousand yuan short. I humbly begged them. He even wrote a loan note, promising to repay both capital and interest after graduating from college. But they just coldly said one sentence: "Sorry, we don't have that obligation." In desperation, I gritted my teeth and took the five thousand yuan from the house. The flashback was brought back by her mother's shrill voice. Finally, I couldn't bear it anymore and said: "Mom..." "Don't call me!" My mother suddenly turned, her eyes filled with disgust. “Why did I give birth to a girl like you!” "Your father and I wake up early and stay up late, feed you, clothe you. Is there any request of yours that we have never met?" “You're good, stealing right in your own house!” “But the tuition payment deadline is almost over…” I tightened my shirt, my knuckles turned white. "Other people's children can work as busboys, they can distribute leaflets to earn tuition, why can't you?" "What? Passing the Thanh Hoa exam is so terrible. After passing the exam, can you be a thief?" My father sat next to her and took a puff of tobacco and then reached out to pull her: "That's enough, stop saying a few words..." "If I don't say it, who will? You only know how to smoke tobacco, you don't even dare to say a word!" My mother forcefully pushed my father's hand away. She turned to look at the two policemen, her tone was firm, leaving no room for retreat: "Comrade police, today I speak frankly here. This time I must pursue the matter to the end, anyone's advice is useless!" “If you don't take it away today, I will go to the inspection room to complain about your cover-up!” 2 I followed two policemen into the police station lobby. They told me to wait a while because there were still some procedures that needed to be resolved. I obediently sat down on the bench in the hallway. When police officer Tran handed over the parchment envelope to the registration counter, he lowered his voice and said to the older police officer on duty: "This kid got 708 points on the college entrance exam and passed Thanh Hoa." "But his parents refused to pay the tuition. He took five thousand yuan from the house, and his biological mother reported it to the police." The old policeman's hand typing on the keyboard suddenly stopped. He turned his head to look at me, and after a while he uttered one sentence: "What is in the minds of these two parents?" People in the police station lobby were constantly coming in and out. My story quickly spread throughout the station. Almost every police officer passing by the bench couldn't help but look at me a few more times. A female police officer passed by holding a thermos. She stopped, looked at my pale face and softly asked: "Little girl, have you had dinner yet?" I shook my head: "I'm not hungry, thank you." She sighed and didn't say anything more. As I turned to walk away, I heard her whisper to her colleague next to her: "708 points, passed Thanh Hoa!" "Just for five thousand yuan, I called the police to arrest my biological daughter. If this child was born into my house, I would cherish it like an ancestor!" Not long after, I was taken into the testimony room. Faced with questions according to police procedures, I did not struggle nor did I refute a word. Whatever they ask, I answer. From beginning to end, I just calmly repeated one sentence: "I took it, I admit it." Minutes were quickly completed. Officer Tran sighed and pushed a cup of warm water in front of me. “Lin Tri Ha, don't be afraid.” "Today is just a preliminary investigation. There are still a few days left before the official case is filed." “After you get home, please admit your mistakes to your parents and be a little softer.” “These past few days I've been trying to beg my parents

greedy. As long as they agree to withdraw the application, this will be considered a family dispute and the child will not be recorded." “Understood?” “Withdrawal is the best result.” I nodded obediently. But in my heart I understand better than anyone that they absolutely cannot be soft-hearted. When I once again pushed open the door and entered the house, it was already dark. The living room does not turn on large lights. My mother sat on a single sofa. On the tea table is a bowl of white porridge that has long cooled. Hearing me enter the house, she didn't even raise her eyes, just coldly threw back two words: "Eat." Having finished speaking, she stood up, without looking back, went into the main bedroom. The door closed with a "bang" and was locked. I picked up the bowl of white porridge and drank it sip by sip until it was all gone. That night, the family chat group was in chaos. My grandmother is over eighty years old. Normally, even unlocking the phone is difficult, but tonight she tried to send several voice messages at once. I turned it on and listened. Her voice trembled, carrying a cry: "Ha Ha's mother, please quickly say something in the group for me!" “What have you done to my niece? Did you really put it in there?” "That's my niece, the grandchild of our Lam family who passed the Thanh Hoa exam!" “This is something that makes our ancestors proud, how can you be so cruel?” As soon as the recording finished playing, the eldest aunt immediately sent a series of messages in succession: "Sister! Go to the police station quickly and withdraw the complaint, don't let your mother get angry and get sick!” “Don't you know that mother's blood pressure is already high?” “Answer quickly!” Less than two minutes later, grandmother also sent a voice message. She had a loud and powerful voice. In the sound behind, I could hear my grandfather impatiently stopping: "Oh my god, why are you talking so much to him? It's crazy! Even his own daughter was captured! Grandmother pushed grandfather away and shouted loudly into the phone: "Truong Que Cam, listen clearly!" “Let me pay Ha Ha's tuition! The retirement money I saved my whole life is enough for her to finish college!” “Now, immediately go to the police station and cancel the case for me!” “If you don't cancel, I'll take the car to the city as soon as it gets light tomorrow!” “Let me see who dares to touch my grandchild!” Messages in the group continue to appear. At that moment, my mother who had always pretended to be dead finally spoke up: “It's true that he stole money. If I don't educate him, who will educate him in the future? Everyone, don't worry about nothing anymore." After that, she even deliberately mentioned my grandmother's name: "Mom, this is not a matter of who pays. This is a matter of principle.” “I know mom loves Ha Ha, but she has grown up. If you do something wrong, you must be responsible.” "I'm his mother, I absolutely cannot cover it up." 3 The next day at noon, Auntie Hai specially ran from the east of the city. First, my aunt sadly patted my head. Then, my aunt turned to my mother: "Tell me the truth, what are you thinking?" My mother was washing dishes in the kitchen, without turning around, her tone was calm: