Chapter 17 — Winning 5.8 Million Yuan Lottery, I Just Told My Parents I Won 200,000 Yuan

15I stared at the text transferred from that voice message, my chest felt like someone was squeezing it. I didn't immediately ask my dad. The first thing I did was save a screenshot, then send it to the police officer and my lawyer friend. Then I called my dad. As soon as the phone connected, the other end was strangely quiet.

“Dad, what was Uncle Hai just talking about...?”

Dad was silent for a long time. It took so long that I thought the call had been disconnected. Only later did he hoarsely say:

“It's an old story about your mother when she was young.”

“There was a rumor in the village... that your mother stole money from the old house.”

My hand tightened around the phone.

“Steal money?”

Dad took a deep breath and slowly said:

“I was still young back then.”

"My grandfather had to be hospitalized, the whole family gathered money for treatment."

“Then three thousand two hundred yuan was missing from the locker.”

“My grandmother at that time insisted that my mother was the one who got married.”

“Because those days, only my mother and I went in and out of that room.”

In my mind, I see my mother's appearance when she was young. She always likes to dress neatly and cleanly. Every time I go to the market, I comb my hair neatly, not letting a single strand tangle. But in the mouth of her relatives in the countryside, she was never considered a person with face. Because she only gave birth to one daughter. Because she is not the type of person to endure and endure. Also because... she was so desperate for someone else to compliment her. I asked softly:

“What happens after that?”

“After that... the money was compensated in full.”

“But your mother never explained.”

“Everyone in the village said her hands and feet were not clean.”

“She cried many times.”

“Dad asked and she just said... it wasn't her.”

“But at that time... Dad had no proof.”

I asked again:

“So why did Uncle Hai threaten mother with this matter?”

Dad's voice suddenly turned cold.

“Because… your mother said just now.”

“The money that year... was not taken by her.”

“It's Uncle Hai.”

I immediately sat up straight. Outside the hotel window, the sky was overcast. A thin layer of steam clings to the glass surface. Dad continued:

"Your mother said... that year she saw with her own eyes Uncle Hai taking money from the locker."

“Uncle Hai knelt down and begged, saying he owed money from gambling outside.”

“If you don't pay... people will break your legs.”

“Your mother is soft-hearted.”

"I'm afraid that Grandma will kick Uncle Hai out of the house if she finds out."

“So... she helped hide it.”

“After that, I sold my gold ring and borrowed a little more money from my grandmother to make up for the shortfall.”

I didn't know what to say for a moment. Vanity is real. The map is also real. But soft hearted... It's also true. She always considered someone else's harsh words to be heavier than the sky. Always consider another person's tear as the whole sky collapsing. I asked softly:

“Why didn't mom tell dad that year?”

Dad smiled bitterly.

“She said... if I told Dad, he would definitely risk his life with Uncle Hai.”

“At that time, my grandfather was still lying in the hospital bed.”

“She was afraid her family would be torn apart.”

I closed my eyes. She was afraid that her family would be torn apart. For more than twenty years, she alone bore the blame. But now... The very person she once risked her life to protect is using that stain to threaten her daughter to withdraw her application.

“Dad, tell mom not to answer him.”

“Just leave everything to the police station and talk about it.”

Before Dad could respond, Mom's voice was heard on the other end of the line. Perhaps she took the phone from her father. The voice is very light. But calmer than the other two days ago.

"In the past, my mother always thought... no matter how bad a family member is, they are still family members."

“It's better to leave it at home than let outsiders laugh at you.”

“But now I understand.”

“They are not afraid of outsiders laughing.”

“They are just taking advantage of my mother's face... to block my path to life.”

My nose suddenly stings.

“Mom, don't argue with them.”

She replied softly:

“I don't argue.”

“I just want to make it clear.”

I was startled.

“What are you going to say?”

She did not answer. On the other end of the line, the sound of opening a group chat rang out. I heard my father stop in a low voice:

“Calm down.”

But mom just said:

“Lao Ha... don't stop me this time.”

The next second, my father forwarded me the recording that my mother had just sent to the village group. I click open. Mother's hoarse voice rang out from the phone.

“More than twenty years ago, three thousand two hundred yuan was lost from the old house... I didn't take it.”

“It was Ha Lao Nhi who took it to pay off his gambling debt.”

“That year, I was soft-hearted so I hid it.”

“I sold my gold ring to make up the money.”

“I still have the pawn certificate.”

“All these years, no matter who scolded me, I endured it.”

“But today... he dared to threaten my daughter with that matter.”

“I can't hold back anymore.”

I stared at the screen. Fingertips numb. In the group chat, there was first a dead silence. A few seconds later, Uncle Hai sent a recording. The recording has only one sentence:

“Sister-in-law... are you crazy?”

Right after that, my aunt also jumped in.

"Now because you want to save your daughter, you're blaming even this dirty thing on your younger brother?"

Mom doesn't send any more voice messages. She only posted one photo. In the photo is a yellowed pawn ticket. The date written on it is more than twenty years ago. In the mortgaged assets section, clearly state: A gold ring. Just exactly three thousand two hundred yuan. Before I could finish looking at it, my dad sent another photo. It's an old piece of paper. The paper edges were so brittle that they were about to rot. On it are scribbled words:

“Sister-in-law, I will return the money later.”

Below is Uncle Hai's name. Attached... A fingerprint that has darkened over the years. Looking at that piece of paper... A cold feeling suddenly spread throughout my body. Mom has never been without proof. She just put it away for more than twenty years. Saved until the day... The person she once protected pointed the knife at her. At that moment, my cousin sent a sentence to the group:

"With a torn piece of paper like that, who knows if it has just been written?"

Right after that, Uncle Hai also sent another recording:

“Everyone, don't let her fool you.”

“Now she just wants to drag our whole family into the water.”

Almost at the same time, my phone vibrated. It's a text message from an unknown number.

“Your mother once took the blame for someone else once before.”

“So guess what…”

"Does she dare admit this time that the fake commitment was also her own idea?"