Chapter 3 — When I was born, I wanted to give my mother another chance

She smiled brightly like a flower, greeting her eldest aunt as if she had known her for a long time.

“Wow, what is this?”

She smiled widely and patted her eldest aunt's hand.

“Sister, I'm here today to bring you good news!”

“This is engineer So, young and talented, with good manners.

He has noticed your daughter.” The eldest aunt was momentarily stunned. His face changed color in the blink of an eye.

“What did you say?”

“Isn't that my little girl Tieu Thu?”

Aunt Ly smiled wryly: "It's to pay attention to Uyen Uyen." 5. The eldest aunt immediately rolled up her sleeves: "Good for this Vu Uyen Uyen! You instigated my daughter to speak ill of the So family, just so that you could marry engineer So, right? It's true that I'm blind to harbor debt like you!" I quickly rushed over: "Mom! When you told me to go see Engineer So, Ms. Uyen Uyen hadn't even come here yet! How could she pull the strings?"

“Then tell me, who did you hear these words from?”

I don't know how to explain it. The eldest aunt quickly pushed me out first.

"Sister, maybe you misunderstood. Mr. So from the beginning has paid attention to little Uyen Uyen." Aunt Ly tried to dissuade her.

"Phi! What a fox spirit!"

The eldest aunt turned to So Thien Ha: "Engineer So, I have to clarify this matter. This girl is not someone who knows her way around!"

"It's not enough to just come to my house and sit idle, he also lies like always and steals my money. You have to think carefully, don't just look at your face when you get married!"

My mother is skinny and unsteady, as if she could fall at any moment. I angrily glared at my eldest aunt.

"Sister Uyen Uyen will not marry him! But you also don't want to slander her!"

The eldest aunt was angry and rushed towards me, trying to hit me. But dad was tall and stood in front of us.

“Auntie, I fell in love with Uyen Uyen as soon as I met her.”

This is the first time in my life that I saw my father stand up to protect my mother. For the past twenty years, even though he knew his mother had depression, he still rarely talked to her. Because he never loved his mother.

"No matter what my parents think, I will only marry Vu Uyen Uyen for the rest of my life. If you can't decide, I will wait for my uncle to come home and discuss further."

After Dad finished speaking, I saw Mom's eyes filled with tears. I shouted: "Don't be so sentimental! Ms. Uyen Uyen will not marry me! Say something!" Mom looked at me, then looked at my eldest aunt. Aunt Ly continued to advise: "Mr. So is a good guy, daughter, why are you hesitant?" Mother bowed her head: "I agree."

“I don't allow it!” I shouted.

But no one listens to me. They all thought I was jealous and acting childish. Not long after, the eldest uncle returned. He pulled his father into the room, and in less than a cup of tea, they had finalized the deal. Two hundred dong, including a TV. My mother was sold. No matter how much I cried and struggled, no one cared. I clung tightly to my mother's arm, screaming: "Didn't you say you didn't like him? Then why did you marry him?"

"Have you forgotten your dream of taking the university entrance exam, forgotten that you want to contribute to the country's scientific research? How can you endure this!"

Mom looked at me, smiling a smile that I couldn't understand.

“Tieu Thu, comrade So is a very good person.”

"He's not good! If you marry him, in the future you will only be able to hang around in the kitchen, doing laundry, cooking, and taking care of the children."

“He will join his parents in oppressing mother and child mother's daughter. His monthly salary was taken to buy a house for his brother."

“He won't remember our birthdays. Even if you and your daughter are sick, he won't bother taking you to the hospital."

I cried so much I couldn't breathe. “In his house, I won't have any dignity at all.” Mom stared at me, surprised: "How did you know I would have a daughter in the future?" 6. I froze. Forever sobbed and said: "I... I just know!" My voice was choked but unusually firm. Made my mother suddenly burst out laughing. She lifted her sleeve and gently wiped my tears. I rushed to hug her tightly, my voice trembling: "Mom, listen to me... If you marry him, one day you will be so desperate that you will jump into the river and commit suicide." Mother patted my head, her voice gentle: "Don't cry, Tieu Thu. Mom still has children, how can she think about it? You are the most important person to me. As long as I have children, I will definitely live well."

“Lies.” I shook my head vigorously, tears flowing non-stop.

But everything seems to be settled. So Thien Ha continuously came to take my mother out. He took his mother to choose wedding clothes. Mom kept telling me how brilliant he was. I suddenly didn't know what my purpose in coming here was. Dreamy, aimless... Until the day the postman brought the acceptance letter.

“Vu Uyen Uyen, there is a letter announcing your admission to Bac Thanh University for you.”

The postman's call caused the whole hospital to be in a commotion.

“What did you say?”

I pushed open the hospital gate, grabbed the envelope, turned it over and over to check, and confirmed several times that it was indeed my mother's name. As I laughed, tears rolled down my eyes. I carefully kept the acceptance letter, rounded the corner of the hospital, and ran like crazy to the cooperative. Mom is standing and talking to dad. I rushed forward, pushing dad aside.

“Miss Uyen Uyen, you passed! I passed the exam at Bac Thanh University!”

I screamed loudly, wishing I could scream for the whole world to know.

“What… what? Tieu Thu, are you telling the truth?”

My mother was stunned. I nodded repeatedly, smiling from ear to ear: "Here's the hot newspaper. Come see it and you'll know right away!" Mom looked at dad with apologetic eyes, then pulled me quickly home. The door opened, the room in front of us was a chaotic mess. Mom paused: "Why is the house so messy?" A bad feeling came over me, I quickly ran into the room.

“It was like this when I went somewhere... I left the notice in my room, Ms. Uyen Uyen, let me get it for you!”

I clearly remember hiding it under the blanket. But when turned over, the inside was empty. I panicked, afraid I remembered wrong, quickly searched from the pillow, to the closet, but couldn't find anything.

"Probably on the table, I was in such a rush that I didn't notice."

I thought to myself. But when I walked out, I saw my mother kneeling on the floor. Her hands trembled uncontrollably. Pieces of paper fell everywhere. They were pieced together to form four large words: Admission notice. Mother's tears fell to the ground. Her whole body felt as if her strength had been drained from her.

“Why is this?”

I hate being able to slap myself a few times.

"You obviously hid it well in your room..."

I don't dare look at my mother. The eldest aunt walked in proudly: "Damn brat, are you crying? If you don't hurry up and cook, are you going to let me starve to death?" I raised my head: "You did it, right?"

“Huh, you rotten brat, dare to talk to your mother like that?”

Uncle both cheerful and sarcastic in tone.

“I'm about to have your eardrums punctured by your screaming.”

“Why did you tear up Uyen Uyen's admission notice?”

I screamed, wishing I could rush forward and scratch that disgusting face.

“Do you know you just ruined a whole life?”

The eldest aunt was indifferent: "Who told him to send it to my house? I can tear it if I want. I am his eldest uncle, what can he do to me?" My mother burst into tears. My heart felt like it was being torn apart, I rushed over and grabbed my eldest aunt's hand tightly.

“You are truly a cruel woman!

What did Ms. Uyen Uyen do wrong to you? Why do you treat her like that?” The eldest aunt slapped me hard. My ears are ringing. I was so angry that I pushed her hard and fell to the ground. 7. The eldest aunt was stunned, her eyes widened: "Vu Thu, have you rebelled? Dare to push me?" I glared at her with hatred. I don't know if it was because my eyes were too scary or not, she suddenly stiffened. But in less than a second, she jumped up and rushed towards my mother. Her black canvas shoe crushed the pieces of admission notice she had just put together. Her voice was cruel to the core.

“You've already agreed to get married but still want to run away?

I knew it right away! You are no different from your mother, the same kind of promiscuous, shameless woman!”

“Since childhood, I have acted righteously, so what happens in the end?

Just a slut like your dead mother!” I looked at her in shock: "What are you talking about?" The eldest aunt snorted coldly: "It was that fox spirit that made your father miss him for thirty years. Tell me, is it worth dying for?"

"In the past, I intended to marry a good country girl for my younger brother, but he refused and kept asking to marry that flirtatious woman. So what? People denounced him to a humiliating death!"

My head felt like it was exploding. A piece of memory suddenly rushed back. Since childhood, I have heard a few family stories. My grandparents loved each other freely. Before leaving the countryside for the city, they came here to stay for a few days. After that, the eldest uncle suddenly made a fuss and demanded a divorce from the eldest uncle. At that time, no one understood why. But one thing is certain— My eldest uncle used to secretly love my mother. And the eldest aunt blamed all the blame on her. I suddenly woke up: "It turns out that thirty years ago, it was you... it was you who made my mother depressed! You are truly a cruel woman!"

"This damn brat, are you crazy? Okay, if you don't want to live in this house anymore, then get out with that scumbag Vu Uyen Uyen! I want to see how you guys live! If there's a starving or freezing death out there, I'll pretend I've never given birth to a cruel creature like you!"

This is an era where even renting a room requires a referral. Mother suddenly raised her head, her face full of tears: "Uncle, it's all my fault, it has nothing to do with Tieu Thu." The eldest aunt gritted her teeth: "You were never destined to go to school! You should have stayed in the countryside, married a farmer, and buried your face in the fields all your life!" The argument only ended when the eldest uncle returned. I hoped he would understand the value of a college degree, or at least, out of respect for my grandmother, give my mother justice.