Chapter 2
The next day, I took my sister to school.
Mom burst into my classroom with a bruised, swollen face and slapped me.
“Fine. Fine! I gave birth to you, and this is how you treat me? Then you can forget about school in the city! I’ll buy you a ticket back to the countryside right now. Don’t ever think you’re coming back!”
She didn’t care about the people pointing and whispering, or the classmates filming her on their phones. She was like a lioness that had been betrayed, ready to tear me apart even if it destroyed her too.
In my previous life, I’d died so absurdly from eating a dead crab that I’d never had a chance to tell my parents the good news: I’d been offered a guaranteed university place.
Fortunately, I hadn’t told them.
Because now my homeroom teacher rushed in with the principal to stop her. “Zhao Zixuan is one of the students our school has secured direct admission for! You’re her mother. Why would you make her transfer?”
The whole class erupted.
“Wait, Zhao Zixuan really got in without the entrance exam?”
“No surprise. Her grades are incredible, and she’s a track athlete too!”
“It’s not the guaranteed place I’m jealous of. I just want to stop grinding through practice questions for the college entrance exam every day!”
Mom forced down her anger. “You got a guaranteed place? Where?”
The principal looked at me proudly. “She works hard, and she’s talented. She’s earned her place at Zhejiang University.”
“So she’s going to study sports at Zhejiang University?”
“Why didn’t the teachers tell us?”
“How did she keep quiet about that? I’d have been over the moon!”
“God… I’m jealous.”
Surrounded by admiration and praise, Mom began to look pleased with herself. “Well, of course. She gets her good genes from me! Let me put it this way: if you can’t get in, it isn’t your fault. Blame your parents for not having the genes!”
The classroom fell silent.
She seemed not to notice. Beaming, she went straight home.
That evening.
Mom selected several family group chats and sent the same messages to all of them.
[My Zhao Zixuan got into Zhejiang University!]
[All my hard work finally paid off! I kept her fed and cared for every single day, and guess what? I’ve raised a brilliant young scholar!]
In every group, my uncle tagged me on Mom’s behalf.
[Xuanxuan, when you start earning money, make sure you look after your mother!]
My aunt joined in.
[Exactly! The eldest sister is like a mother, as they used to say. Once you’re making money, help your brother buy a home and get established!]
Then—
All the other relatives began piling on the guilt.
[That’s right! We’re all watching. If you make something of yourself and dare neglect your mother, we’ll stand up for her!]
[Have a conscience. Learn from your mother. Even after getting married, she’s never forgotten her own family!]
[Exactly! Even if you become rich and get married, you must always think of your brother!]
Messages kept flooding the screen.
Mom sent me a smug private message. [See? Never mind Zhejiang University. Even if you rise as high as a phoenix, you’ll still owe me respect and support!]
But she soon discovered that her message couldn’t be delivered. A red exclamation mark appeared beside it.
Meanwhile.
I added Dad’s WeChat account to Mom’s family group.
The stream of messages quickly buried the notification that he’d joined.
He saw my uncle tag Mom with his own eyes.
[Sis, the money you gave me last time wasn’t enough. Can you help me out again?]
Grandma followed with another barrage.
[Of course you should help. You’re his big sister. Don’t tell me your husband won’t let you. I only agreed to let you marry him because you said he was a good man who’d help you take care of your brother!]
My aunt jumped in to cry to Mom.
[If I’d known, I’d never have married him. He can’t even earn enough for the baby’s formula! I might as well die!]
Mom immediately began sending voice messages.
[Oh, money’s hardly a problem!]
[You and my brother just get on with your lives. I’ll send it over!]
[Now that Xuanxuan’s going to university, her father will have to give her tuition money. I’ll make her hand it over then!]
My aunt sent me an embarrassed emoji.
[You won’t blame me, will you, Xuanxuan?]
Into this harmonious family conversation came an abrupt, jarring curse.
[Well, Wang Xiaofen! So this is how you talk about me and the children to your family?]
[Fine! You’ve got some nerve! If you love your brother that much, go live with him. Don’t come back!]
The group went silent.
Mom frantically sent me friend requests. [Zhao Zixuan! Would it kill you to stop making trouble for me?]