Chapter 2 — Twice Do Thanh Hoa

“What do you think?” Auntie Hai stood up, walked to the kitchen door and leaned against the doorframe. Her voice trembled because she couldn't hold back: "She is your biological daughter! Are you really so heartless as to see her being recorded?" “After graduating, looking for a job or taking the civil service exam will all be canceled, did you know?!” The bowl in my mother's hand hit the sink, making a clinking sound. Her voice also became cold: "When he stole money, why didn't he think about these things?" Second Aunt impatiently patted her thigh, her voice immediately rising: "He took the money to go to school! It's to go to school, do you understand?" "If you two really don't have five thousand yuan, just say it and I'll pay it for him. Do you have to call the police?" My mother turned off the faucet, turned around, her eyes were stubborn: "It's not a matter of money, it's a matter of principle." "Today he dares to steal money inside the house, tomorrow he will dare to steal money outside." “If I don't correct his bad habit now, it will really harm him later!” On the third day, my high school homeroom teacher called. The living room is very quiet. I could clearly hear Ms. Chu's impatient and urgent voice on the other end of the line: "Tri Ha's mother, I've heard your family's story." "Tri Ha is the best student I have ever taught. She is the only one in the whole school who passed the Thanh Hoa exam." "Listen to my advice, go to the police station and withdraw the complaint. Absolutely don't ruin her future!" My mother held the phone and stood next to the window. Her voice was polite but did not allow for refusal: "Miss Chu, you are a teacher so you must best understand the importance of education." "Children make mistakes and must be held responsible. I cannot cover up." Ms. Chu on the other end of the line was so impatient that she lost her voice: "This is not a cover-up issue! Do you know what it means to have a criminal record?" "In the future, she won't be able to pass the background check, and many good agencies won't be able to get in. As a mother, are you cruel enough to ruin her whole life?" My mother was silent for a few seconds then coldly replied: "It's also her own choice." “Miss Chu, thank you for your concern, but I have my own decision on this matter.” Having finished speaking, she hung up the phone without hesitation. The receiver was placed on the desk, making a heavy sound. I retreated to my room and gently closed the door. With my back against the door, I slowly squatted down, biting my lower lip. I heard Ms. Chu calling again outside. The phone rang for a long time. But from beginning to end, my mother still did not pick up the phone. The procedure for making a case is carried out very quickly. Early in the morning, my parents took me to the police station. The square-faced policeman held the document, sat behind the desk, looked at them one last time, his tone was extremely serious: "Are you sure you want to file a case?" "You have to think carefully. Once a case is made and the case is entered into the system, the case cannot be withdrawn." My father stood next to me, not saying a word. My mother took a step forward and firmly said: "Sure. We won't withdraw, absolutely won't withdraw." The square-faced police officer looked at her, then looked at me and sighed heavily. The pen was placed on the paper and quickly signed. After completing the procedure, an assistant police officer came and led me to the rear detention room. As I passed my mother, she suddenly reached out and grabbed my arm. She leaned closer, lowering her voice. There was even a bit of self-touching in the words: "Ha Ha, don't hate me." "I did this because I wanted to be good for you. After you get out, please correct your mistakes. Our family will still live as well as before." I looked at her face, didn't struggle, just gently nodded as she said. “Yes, I don't hate it.” I said softly. Indeed, I don't hate anymore. Because from this moment, in my heart, she is no different than a stranger. After I was taken away, my parents turned and left the police station. It was a beautiful sunny day, the sunlight shining down on the steps in front of the station's door. My mother stood in front of the sign with a blue background and white letters, took her phone out of her pocket and took a photo and immediately posted it on her personal page. The accompanying content is: "As a parent, no matter how painful it is, you must be cruel. Today

Now I have given her a lesson. When he grows up, he will definitely thank me." After posting, she held her phone in her hand and refreshed the list of likes every few seconds, full of expectation that someone would stand up and praise her. But all afternoon, the eldest aunt didn't click like, the second aunt didn't click like, the cousin didn't click like, and the younger cousin didn't click like either. She opened the family chat group pinned to the top. Inside, it was as silent as death. The last message was still the recording of my grandmother screaming that day. My mother angrily turned off the screen, muttering to my father who was silently smoking a cigarette next to him: "No one understands how to educate children, I'm too lazy to tell them." During those days, she lived more steadfastly than ever. She always showed the appearance of a great mother to everyone she met, even though it was heartbreaking, she still had to sacrifice her feelings to educate her children. Until that morning, her phone suddenly rang. The screen shows an incoming call from Beijing.