My Parents Said Raise Children Poor

My mother said to raise sons poor and daughters rich, but in our family, both children were raised poor. She said it was to temper us—only those who endure the bitterest hardships can become superior people.

So from childhood to adulthood, besides not starving to death, my brother and I lived worse than the dog my mother raised.

In my second year of middle school, I was so hungry that I was almost molested by an old bachelor over a bowl of instant noodles. My brother discovered this, beat up the old bachelor, and dropped out of school to support my education.

When we became adults and needed our parents' help, not only did they not help, they worried we would sponge off them, lending the house and money to relatives, saying children couldn't be trusted. But later, when one became paralyzed and the other bedridden, not a single relative would care for them.

My brother cared for them for barely two years before being tortured to death by cancer. I was so enraged by them that I became mentally disoriented, fell down the stairs, and lost my life.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back in my second year of middle school.

Chapter 1

The moment I opened my eyes, a wave of dizziness washed over my head. I staggered against the wall to keep from falling to the ground.

Looking around, I was surprised to find this was the middle school playground.

I was bewildered—hadn't I died falling down the stairs? How did I end up here?

"Liang Juan, are you ready?"

A voice called out, and when I turned around, I saw my childhood friend running toward me.

My heart skipped a beat—had I been reborn?

"Zhou Tian, what year and month is it today?"

"Oh my, you have a fever? How could you forget the year and month? The mid-terms are next week. We agreed that after the exams, we'd go to Peach Blossom Island with my cousin!"

As she spoke, she reached for my forehead, but I suddenly remembered—this should be the mid-term of our second year of middle school.

But in my previous life, the regret was that I never made it to Peach Blossom Island with her. Because this afternoon, I would be almost molested by the old bachelor from the school canteen over a bowl of instant noodles.

I was too hungry.

Just like now, I had already drunk lots of water but was still so hungry my vision was swimming.

In 2009, I was boarding at middle school with only 100 yuan per month for living expenses. And this 100 yuan had to cover not only food but also all school supplies, sanitary products, and material fees.

Last Friday, the whole class had ordered the English weekly newspaper for the second semester. My parents wouldn't give me the money. I barely managed to scrape together the amount using my saved pocket money and this month's living expenses.

But because I had paid, I had almost no living expenses left. When my brother found out, he gave me half of his living expenses. But even so, I could only manage with three steamed buns and tap water each day.

During PE class today, I was extremely hungry and fell while running. When I went to the water basin to clean up, I took the opportunity to drink lots of water, which helped me recover somewhat.

But in my previous life at dinner time, because I had no money and was afraid of being looked down upon by classmates, I claimed I wasn't hungry and separated from Zhou Tian and the others. When passing by the school canteen, I smelled the owner making instant noodles.

The aroma was too tempting—I couldn't resist and walked over. But in this life, I had no intention of enduring such humiliation. Seeing a teacher approaching from the playground direction, I simply rolled my eyes and fainted.

Chapter 2

When I woke up again, I was in the school infirmary. My brother was sitting at the foot of my bed with his head bowed.

Long-term malnutrition made his back thin and his face gaunt.

My nose tingled with sourness, and I couldn't help crying out.

In my previous life, my brother didn't prepare to marry until he was almost thirty. At that time, he was 80,000 yuan short for the down payment on a marriage house and asked my parents to lend it to him, promising to repay it the next year. But my parents cursed him out, calling him a useless ungrateful bastard who only knew how to sponge off them.

Then they turned around and lent over 100,000 yuan to my cousin for business, beautifully calling it an investment to earn money for their retirement.

Because of this, my brother couldn't buy the marriage house, and the relationship with his girlfriend of several years ended.

Later when I got married, my parents received 120,000 yuan in bride price, promising to let me bring it back to our small family. But in the end, they only gave me two quilts as a dowry.

I was criticized behind my back by my husband's relatives. When my brother heard about this, he gave me the money he had saved for buying a house as my dowry, so I would have some confidence.

The year I became pregnant, my husband's factory closed down, and our family owed millions. Even after selling the house and car, we were still short hundreds of thousands. I begged my parents to help me.

But my parents said that a married daughter is like spilled water, told me not to eye their coffin money, and drove me out of the house. Then they transferred the house to my cousin's name so his son could register for primary school.

My cousin said that since his child was studying here, they should come and take care of him, so they naturally moved into my parents' house.

Later, my father had a stroke and became paralyzed, ending up in the hospital. My mother asked my cousin to repay some money first. But my cousin said her family's business had gone bankrupt, they owed millions, and asked my mother to help her.

Not only did my parents not get their pension money back, they even lent out another 20,000 yuan.

My father was paralyzed in bed. When my mother was caring for him at night, she fell and broke her pelvis. The doctor said she wouldn't be able to get out of bed for at least five years.

When my cousin heard this, he immediately turned hostile, saying the house was theirs, and drove my parents out.

With no other choice, my brother could only take my parents to his rental apartment to care for them. He provided the labor, I provided the money, and my parents were settled.

But when my brother and I went to ask my cousin for money and ask for the house back, my parents cursed us out again:

"That's our money and our house. We can do whatever we want with them. Our family isn't destitute—do you really want to tear the family apart before you're satisfied?"

"With your attitudes, I wonder which relatives will still help you in the future! If you dare to go, we might as well be dead, lest you lose all our face completely!"

They made a huge fuss, not blaming my cousin, not blaming my cousin's wife, only calling my brother and me ungrateful bastards with no conscience.

My brother cared for them for half a year, and his hair turned half white. At just over thirty, he looked older than our father.

Later my brother got stomach cancer and died in agony.

Only after he died did I learn that my mother had cursed him for two days just because he ate one of our father's painkillers.

Chapter 3

Hearing my voice, my brother looked up, and his originally somber eyes instantly brightened:

"I just gave you a glucose drip. How are you feeling now?"

"I'm fine, Brother. What about you? Are you okay? Brother, I missed you so much..."

I grabbed my brother, feeling the life force in his body, and cried even harder.

I clearly remembered from my previous life how my brother fell silent in front of me. He was in too much pain. But to keep me from worrying, he kept enduring it.

At over 1.7 meters tall, he weighed only 60-something jin (30 kg) when he died.

At that time, I didn't want him to worry either, so I could only hide in the bathroom covering my mouth to cry. I prayed to heaven, willing to trade ten years of my life for him not to suffer so much.

He had suffered too much in his previous life. So in this life, since I had the chance to start over, I wouldn't let him walk that path again.

From childhood to adulthood, my brother's grades were always better than mine, always in the top twenty of his grade. But in his previous life, he dropped out of school to work and gave up the path of education for my sake.

So much so that later when our parents cursed him for being useless and having no prospects, he seemed powerless even to反驳.

"Okay, okay, don't cry. Your eyes will be swollen in a moment."

My brother smiled and patted my back, just like when I was a child and suffered grievances, seeking comfort from him.

I sniffled and looked at him several more times before breaking into a smile and asking him:

"Brother, did the teacher tell our parents about me fainting?"

My brother's face sank: "What's the use of telling them? Besides coming to curse you out, what else could they do?"

I nodded.

Indeed, if my parents came, besides settling the glucose drip fees, they would probably also curse me for being ungrateful, wasteful, spoiled, and overly sensitive.

Rather than letting them come make me unhappy, it was better for me to make them unhappy first.

Afterward, I coaxed my brother into going to evening self-study. Before he left, he gave me all the money he had, telling me to eat well and not go hungry.

I was stunned for a moment, wondering if he was worried about me because I had faked fainting and gone to the infirmary.

"What about you? You gave me all your money."

"I borrowed some money from classmates. Don't worry about me."

As soon as my brother left, Zhou Tian came over to check on me, and we met at the door. But strangely, when Zhou Tian came in, the roots of her ears were inexplicably red.

Then when she looked at me, her expression instantly changed, and she stuffed a bread into my arms:

"The doctor said you have hypoglycemia—it's from being too hungry. What are you dieting for? You're already so thin. If you get any thinner, you'll disappear!"

Previously, because I was eating steamed buns, I was afraid she would look down on me for having no money, so I lied and said I was dieting.

I listened to her scolding me with my head down. After a while, tears fell, plopping onto the bread's plastic wrapper. Zhou Tian saw this and jumped up in fright:

"You— you— Liang Juan Juan, don't cry! I just said a couple of things to you, why are you shedding golden beans?"

I wiped my face randomly and grabbed Zhou Tian's hand: "No, I'm not crying because of what you said. It's just that..."

Then I told Zhou Tian about how my parents only gave my brother and me 100 yuan each per month for living expenses.

A fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl, her emotions all on her face, Zhou Tian was so shocked she started stuttering:

"Your— your family isn't— isn't that poor? Every time I see your parents, they're dressed quite well, and you even have a car at home."

"Last time, my mother was shopping and saw your mother buying clothes. A dress that cost nearly a thousand yuan, and she bought it without even blinking. How— how could they only give you..."

I lowered my head, smiling bitterly: "My parents believe in raising children poor, saying it trains our willpower. Otherwise, we won't have prospects when we grow up..."

Zhou Tian jumped up angrily: "They're— they're crazy! You can't even get enough to eat, how can you study or have prospects? Haven't you told them you don't have enough money?"

"I told them, but they won't listen..."

Zhou Tian was both anxious and annoyed. Seeing me tightly clutching a piece of bread, she couldn't help but feel her nose tingle and hugged my shoulders. When she spoke, her voice carried a crying tone:

"What will you do then? How about I ask my parents for more money? In the future at school, you can eat with me!"

"That's not necessary, but Tian Tian, can you help me with something..."

Chapter 4

When my parents were brought to the police station by the police, they were completely bewildered because the police said someone had reported them for child abuse.

When they arrived, I was eating my third bowl of beef noodles at the noodle shop across from the police station.

My class advisor poured me a bowl of noodle soup: "Eat slowly. If it's not enough, have the owner add more."

"Thank you, Teacher." I smiled at him somewhat embarrassed. He sighed and went outside.

Just then, the somewhat excited voice of the school's dean floated over:

"What do you mean it's not abuse? Moderate to severe anemia—do you know anemia can be fatal! It's fortunate I didn't report you for murder!"

She held a blood test report in her hand. When she saw my parents arrive, she suppressed her anger and spoke coldly:

"Liang Juan's parents, right? Come with me, we need to talk. Teacher Xu, wait a moment with Liang Juan."

When my class advisor saw the dean charging toward the police station across the way, he called out: "Teacher He, calm down."

My parents wanted to greet my class advisor, but when they saw me in the noodle shop, my mother's face darkened and she was about to come in.

I made a very frightened appearance and hid behind my class advisor. The dean immediately blocked her:

"Liang Juan's mother, please go over first. The police need to ask some questions. I'll bring Liang Juan over after she finishes eating."

My parents had no choice but to follow the police into the station.

Soon I finished eating and stood somewhat awkwardly beside my class advisor: "Teacher, I'm done eating."

"Okay, wait for me. I'll go with you." The teacher quickly paid. As we were about to enter the police station, I walked slower and slower, my whole body radiating resistance.

The class advisor sighed: "Don't worry, there are still teachers here."

My class advisor taught us math. Not only was I the class's academic committee member, but I was also the math class representative, so I usually had more contact with the class advisor. But he knew my family situation, so he never imagined that I only had 100 yuan per month for living expenses, including so many additional expenses.

I couldn't help but start crying at the door. I told the class advisor I was afraid because I had caused such a big incident. My parents cared most about face, and I had brought shame upon them. They would never forgive me.

In my previous life, I was too hungry and was almost led into disaster by the canteen owner's enticement. Fortunately, my brother discovered it in time. When he saw the old bachelor holding me, he was so angry he almost beat him to death.

But when my parents came, they found it shameful, thinking I had seduced the old bachelor. They cursed me for being shameless, called me a bitch and a whore.

It was my brother who protected me behind him, fiercely telling them that it was because of their shitty "raise children poor" philosophy that a grown girl like me couldn't even get enough to eat and could be deceived by a bowl of instant noodles. They had no right to curse me.

But how could my parents admit to such a crime? They said what kind of girl sleeps with men just because she can't get enough to eat? They cursed that I was rotten to the core, saying it would have been better to abort me back then, rather than have me bring them such great shame now.

They wouldn't let my brother report the old bachelor to the police, saying it would be even more shameful to have him imprisoned. In the end, they compensated the man several thousand yuan to settle the matter, then came to school and shouted at the top of their lungs that I was promiscuous.

After that, I became "famous" at school. I begged my parents to transfer me to another school, but my mother only gave me a contemptuous look:

"You brought this upon yourself. In this world, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Did you think you could just change places and not face the consequences? I'm telling you, when you did that thing, you should have thought about what consequences there would be. Since you dared to do such a thing, you should have the awareness to bear such consequences!"

"Or did you think your father and I could cover your ass for your entire life?"

I thought, since they knew that wrongdoings must face consequences, then they should really practice what they preach.

Chapter 5

I cried for a long time at the police station entrance. Because this time was just after dinner when everyone came out for a walk, a crowd quickly gathered. When everyone heard that my parents only gave my brother and me 100 yuan each per month for living expenses, and this money had to cover various school supplies and daily necessities, they all laughed in anger.

"My god, what kind of weirdos are these? Giving birth but not raising them—why did they even have children?"

"Exactly! If they can't afford to raise them, they shouldn't have had them!"

"Hey, looking at her, isn't this girl from Liang Kaijian's family?"

Hearing this, I looked toward the speaker and was surprised to see it was a distant aunt of mine, the type who loved to gossip.

I sobbed and called her: "Aunt"

She immediately squeezed into the crowd, then with a face full of excitement, before I could say more, shouted to everyone:

"I know her, we're from the same village and have some family connection. Her parents did indeed say they wanted to raise their children poor, and they even showed off about it. Their children only get 100 yuan per month for living expenses, and they told us not to spoil our children too much, saying poor children mature early."

"But you don't know, she's the one who most enjoys food and clothing. She says you can let yourself suffer but never let yourself suffer..."

This aunt and my mother didn't get along well, mainly because my mother loved face and liked to show off. So when this aunt spoke ill of my mother, it was endless.

The onlookers also enjoyed the gossip, until the class advisor reminded them that they still needed to take statements. Only then did the aunt ask me why I had come to the police station.

I told her about how I had fainted from hunger at school, and after examination, it was found to be hypoglycemia and moderate to severe anemia, so the dean had reported my parents.

When she heard my parents were at the police station, a group of onlookers behind her also chimed in to support me. The security guard at the door tried to stop them at first, but probably was also angered by my experience, plus they were all acquaintances from nearby, so he didn't interfere further.

The aunt pulled me and led a group of people into the lobby:

In the police station, my father hung his head, my mother's eyes were red. She glanced at the dean and said aggrievedly:

"I calculated it. 100 yuan per month at school is more than enough. They're my children. How could I truly let them suffer? Teacher, saying this is going too far."

Who was the dean? Her mother, that is, Zhou Tian's grandmother, was the former principal of the school who had just retired. She had never been afraid of anyone. She had always done what she thought was right. We students were afraid of her, but likewise, parents were also afraid of her.

Now seeing my mother like this, she sneered:

"Indeed, according to our school's minimum standards, a bowl of congee in the morning, one vegetable dish at noon, one steamed bun in the evening—5 yuan per day is no problem. But do you think your daughter's notebooks don't need to be replaced twice a month, or she doesn't need to buy a single pen, or even that she doesn't consume any sanitary products at all?"

"I see you're not raising children here. Even raising a dog would cost more than this! I've heard people say that the dog your mother raises costs dozens for each grooming session. And you're willing to only give 100 yuan to each child for living expenses. How shameless!"

"If you can't afford to raise them, just say so. The government has so many subsidies. These two children have good grades, the teachers can put in some effort, classmates can donate some. Why let them go hungry? You're occupying the position of parents but not doing what parents should do. I'm reporting you for abuse, and that's putting it lightly! Hmph..."

Besides being highly educated and having backing, the dean's greatest weapon was her mouth. A few words made my parents' faces turn red.

Seeing my mother about to cry, my father quickly shielded her behind him:

Chapter 6

"The conditions we provide for them are much better than what we had back then. They don't have to worry about food or clothing, they can go to school. What else are they dissatisfied with?"

My father had always listened to my mother the most, even to the point of blind obedience, and had become very estranged from his grandparents because of this.

Then he heard my mother defend herself:

"Yes, when we were young, we couldn't even get enough to eat. They have it much better than we did... Besides, if they didn't have enough money, they could have told us. If they didn't say anything, how would we know? We thought they just wanted to spend money recklessly..."

Standing at the door, looking frightened, I said softly: "But Mom, I told you many times that I didn't have enough money, but..."

Seeing me about to cry with my head down, the aunt pulled me behind her: "Don't be afraid, let me talk to her!"

After saying this, she stepped forward two steps, pointed at my mother and said: "Give me a break! Enough or not enough, couldn't you ask? We relatives and friends, which of us didn't advise you to increase the living expenses for the two children? But what did you say?"

"You said even if you don't give them money, they're your children, and in the future they can't not support you in your old age? You've got these two children completely under your thumb. Police officers, if you don't believe me, I can call a few more relatives over, and we can confront each other face to face!"

The aunt was completely radiating excitement and triumph, looking like she wanted to completely defeat my mother.

I hadn't expected to encounter this aunt today, but with her help spreading the word, I imagined my parents would remember this even more deeply.

At this point, the onlookers also chimed in:

"What was society like when we were young? What's it like now? How can they be the same?"

"Exactly, why don't you compare yourself to the previous generation? Just being alive was good enough!"

"That's right..."

Everyone chattered, enjoying the drama. Some even said:

"If you can't afford to raise them, just say so. I'll have my factory crowd-fund. Feeding two children is no problem!"

"What era is this? Still letting people go hungry. Look how thin this girl has gotten—her clothes are about to fall off!"

They were surrounded by people pointing fingers at them, every sentence piercing their hearts. At first, they tried to argue a couple of times, but for every sentence they said, many people would反驳 them.

In the end, the two of them were so angry they couldn't speak. I watched with amusement, suddenly remembering how in my previous life they had cursed me at school, making the matter of my near-molestation known to everyone.

Because of this, I was isolated, bullied, and had false rumors spread about me at school.

In middle school, Zhou Tian hadn't gone to the city to study yet. With her protecting me, my life was still manageable. But in high school, she went to the city, and I stayed at our school's high school department. That was the darkest period of my life.

I was bullied into depression and almost committed suicide. When I went to the hospital, my parents said I wasn't studying properly and was thinking nonsense all day, which is why I thought I had gone crazy.

They told everyone I was being difficult and faking it. They said how did they end up with such a troublesome child? In her mouth, I was inferior to others in every way. But when others politely praised me, especially praising her for raising her children well, she became very proud.

I didn't understand why she was like this before, but now I knew—she liked to build her happiness on the pain of me and my brother. Our dignity and face were worthless in her eyes. What she wanted was flattery and praise to satisfy her vanity. And these were things my brother and I couldn't provide her.

So, since they liked to seek presence and attention so much, let them have enough of it now!

Chapter 7

Amid the crowd's condemnation, my mother couldn't take it anymore and hid behind my father crying. My father felt extremely distressed.

I don't know what my mother whispered in his ear, but he turned to me with a dark face and shouted:

"Liang Juan Juan! Do you still have any respect for your father and me? Just tell me, besides not giving you enough living expenses, what else have your father and I done wrong to you?"

"We don't give you much money mainly because we want to train your character. Only those who endure the bitterest hardships can become superior people. Why can't you be grateful? You're not big, but you have quite a lot of schemes. Over such a small matter, you actually had to bring it to the police station..."

As my father spoke, he was about to come forward and grab me. But just then, a loud voice came from the police station entrance:

"Bullshit about enduring bitter hardships to become superior people! When you were young, did I ever let you suffer those hardships? When did your mother and I not put you children first? Now you're telling me about enduring bitter hardships, torturing two little children, you bastard!"

I turned around and saw my brother had arrived with our grandparents.

When my brother saw me, a flash of worry crossed his eyes. I signaled him with my eyes that I was okay, and he relaxed.

Our grandparents glanced at me twice. Probably because of my mother, they weren't very close to me, but when Grandma saw how thin I was, she couldn't help but sigh.

When my father saw our grandparents arrive, his expression immediately became like he was constipated: "Mom, Dad, what are you doing here?"

"If we didn't come, would these two children still have a way to live?!"

Our grandfather immediately started cursing our parents.

The aunt chimed in, embellishing the story of my suffering for our grandfather:

"That's right, Uncle. You don't know how miserable this child has been..."

I hadn't expected these two elderly people to come. Amid the noisy commotion, I pulled on my brother's sleeve: "Brother..."

He thought I was uneasy and patted my head: "Don't worry, with big brother here, I won't let you suffer grievances anymore."

I couldn't help but feel my nose tingle.

In my previous life, when our father was paralyzed and our mother had broken bones, my brother alone shouldered the heavy burden of caring for both of them. But I knew exactly what kind of people our parents were, so when I saw my brother starting to get white hair in his early thirties, I thought about replacing him for a few days each month to let him have some easier time.

But he directly refused. Even when he died, his biggest worry was that I would have to take over caring for our parents, suffering their abuse and grievances. He died with unfinished business.

I sniffled and looked at him sideways, only to see his face cold and carrying some of the numbness from his previous life. My heart suddenly ached. I wanted to ask him why he had gone to our grandparents, but the words stuck in my throat.

Let's just say he did it because he was worried about me fainting from hunger!

Chapter 8

Grandfather cursed our parents harshly at the police station, with very ugly words.

My mother cried until she was almost distorted with anger, but considering she was at the police station and so many people were criticizing her, she didn't dare act out and could only endure it. But the look she gave my brother and me was full of venom.

Later, the police also educated my parents, telling them to consider the actual situation in the future and not push the two children too far—at least let them have enough to eat.

My parents nodded repeatedly in agreement, but no one expected that Grandfather would suddenly speak up as they were leaving:

"I've long understood what kind of people you are over these years. Now you're agreeing nicely, but who knows how you'll torment these two children once you're out the door. Since you can't raise these two children properly, let me raise them!"

"According to current social education standards, give me the child support money, and I'll give them monthly living expenses. If they want to board at school, fine. If they don't want to board, it just so happens your mother still has an old house in town. Your mother can go over there and care for the two children!"

When Grandfather said this, I suddenly remembered that the house in the county town that belonged to Grandma's family—since she was the only one left in her family, the house had been transferred to her name, and soon it would be demolished.

But when I was almost molested and my brother dropped out of school because of it, our grandparents had said they wanted to come care for me and my brother and let my brother continue his studies. But my mother made a fuss, saying my brother didn't listen to her, threatening to kill herself if he didn't go to school, that no one was allowed to care for us, that I was a jinx for causing such trouble, that I deserved it.

Whoever dared to care for me and my brother, she would fight with them. She wanted me and my brother to know what responsibility was, to let us bear the consequences of our own decisions.

Our grandparents thought she was sick, our father protected our mother, and everyone almost stopped interacting with each other.

Until my mother learned in advance that the house in the county town was going to be demolished. She kept this news secret, actively went back to repair relations with our grandparents, then proposed dividing the family.

Using the excuse of wanting to care for me and my brother in the county town, she had Grandma give the county town house to her and our father. Our grandparents didn't want the family to look so ugly, so they followed my mother's division suggestion and gave in.

Later, the house was demolished for two commercial apartments and over 600,000 yuan. Afraid that my second uncle and little aunt would make trouble, our father discussed with my mother about giving most of the demolition money to our grandparents, saying he wouldn't participate in their elderly care matters.

Although my mother was unwilling, since our father had said so, she couldn't really object. Besides, as the eldest daughter-in-law, she had promised at the time of division that after taking the county town house, she would care for our grandparents in their old age.

But in reality, she didn't want to care for them, so when our father said that, she could only agree.

She originally thought 500,000 was too much, but considering that taking too little would make my second uncle and little aunt disagree, and if everyone made a scene, she would lose face. Since she always projected an image of generosity and propriety, she just gave it.

This also eased the relationship between our father and my second uncle and little aunt, mainly because they had benefited, so they flattered our parents.

Our parents were also very proud, coming home with beaming faces.

Compared to them, my brother and I were much more miserable. Due to our parents' suppression, others, in order to flatter them, also lectured and criticized us, so my brother and I hated going back to our hometown.

But in this life, they shouldn't expect to have it so easy.

Chapter 9

Grandfather's attitude was very firm—he insisted that our parents give him the money to raise us and also write a commitment letter in front of the police.

No matter what our father said, he wouldn't relent. My mother cried and asked me and my brother:

"Do you both dislike your mother so much? Do you want to leave your father and mother so much? We raised you to this age. If we have no merit, we at least have hard work. How can you bear to do this?"

When my father saw he couldn't convince Grandfather, he told the police to let me and my brother choose—whether to go with our grandparents or with them.

My brother looked at them coldly: "Dad, Mom, aren't we all one family with our grandparents? Why do you say that? If our grandparents care for us while we go to school, does that mean we're leaving you?"

I directly cried and knelt before my mother: "Mom, I want to study, I don't want to starve to death. Mom, please let me and my brother go..."

My mother never expected me to do this suddenly and was so scared she stepped back several times.

Our father supported her, and hearing the surrounding people pointing fingers at them, became so angry he wanted to kick me.

I thought, if he kicked me, I would act more severely and try to resolve our future living arrangements in one go.

But unexpectedly, when my brother saw he was about to kick me, he directly stood in front of me. I saw him fall to the ground and immediately rushed over to whisper in his ear:

"Pretend to faint."

I had to say my brother and I had good chemistry. The moment I finished speaking, he rolled his eyes and fainted.

I then screamed in terror and cried as if I had lost my parents.

At first it was fake crying, but later thinking about my and my brother's experiences in our previous lives, I couldn't help it and cried so hard I almost couldn't breathe.

Until my brother was sent to the hospital and had a series of examinations, I still couldn't stop.

Just like my report, my brother also had anemia, and he even had severe stomach problems.

Chapter 10

After this incident, whether my parents agreed or not, they had to agree to give my and my brother's custody to our grandparents.

But my mother said viciously in private: "If they want to raise them, let them. Since they want to separate from their parents, then separate completely. I won't give them a single cent. Let's see how long they can last."

My brother and I ignored her and settled down in Grandma's small courtyard.

I didn't ask my brother why he had gone to our grandparents or what he had said to make them agree to care for us. But I knew that this situation was only the first step in our escape from our parents. As for what changes might happen in the future, we couldn't know.

But one thing was certain—our parents definitely wouldn't let this go easily.

After all, the aunt was quite formidable. Now in our village and town, everyone knew that my parents only gave us 100 yuan per month and starved us into illness. The matter was widely known.

Sometimes when my mother was present, people would lecture their own children, saying: "If you don't study properly / eat properly / sleep properly, I'll only give you 100 yuan per month. You won't starve to death!"

This made my mother so embarrassed she had nowhere to hide.

Therefore, their not giving child support was probably their first step to force my brother and me to submit.

Our grandparents were elderly, with only a few acres of farmland and selling some chicken and duck eggs as income. My mother's family was from town and always looked down on our grandparents' things, so in the past those things were all given to my second uncle and little aunt.

And when Grandma was in the countryside, she could also help look after my cousin at my second uncle's house. Normally, the rent from this small courtyard could also supplement them somewhat.

But now Grandma was responsible for caring for me and my brother, and our parents wouldn't give child support, so the two elderly could only use meager income to raise us.

My second uncle and his family couldn't get benefits, so naturally they started giving our grandparents trouble.

This was exactly what our parents were counting on. But before they could finish instigating my second uncle and little aunt, I took the police station's mediation receipt and sued our parents in court.

Chapter 11

I sued them for abandoning me and my brother.

My father worked at a steel factory and was even a team leader. I directly filled in the steel factory's address and phone number for the court summons, so when he received the court summons and phone call, the entire factory knew about his deeds.

In my previous life, at the end of the year, because of his excellent performance in all aspects, he was even promoted to workshop director, but in this life, I doubted it.

They wanted to cause trouble for me and my brother, so I would cause some trouble for them too, lest they get too idle.

I didn't tell my brother about suing our parents. Previously, because Grandma's small courtyard was relatively close to school, my brother and I had switched to being day students. He came home from evening self-study after nine o'clock every night and still had to study with a lamp until eleven or twelve o'clock. With final exams approaching, I didn't want to disturb him.

Let him complete his dream properly in this life.

My father came menacingly to settle the score with me when he received the summons. My mother came up crying:

"Juan Juan, besides not giving you enough living expenses before, what else have your father and I done wrong to you? Do you really want to tear our family apart before you're satisfied?"

My father cursed me as a jinx and was about to slap me. I was so scared I ran for my life, shouting as I ran:

"Dad, Mom, don't hit me. I— I just thought about how when my second aunt didn't give my cousin child support, you let my cousin sue her in court! Later, later my second aunt gave the child support, and everything was fine. I thought if you don't give child support to me and my brother, you'll curse me when I say so. I can only do this, otherwise my brother and I are about to starve to death—"

My second uncle had been divorced once before, during which my cousin was born, but when they divorced, my second aunt didn't take my cousin with her. Later, my second uncle married another second aunt, and they wouldn't let my cousin see her biological mother.

But my former second aunt said she couldn't see her child, so she wouldn't pay child support. This dragged on for several years. Later, my parents, my little aunt, and others instigated my second uncle and my cousin to sue her biological mother for not paying child support.

After the court ruled, my second uncle got a large sum of money, but that money wasn't spent on my cousin. She didn't even finish middle school before being forced out to work by this second aunt.

In the end, it was my former second aunt who stepped forward, took my cousin to her side, so she could continue her studies.

I was just giving them a taste of their own medicine. How could my parents not be able to take it?

Chapter 12

I screamed until my voice was hoarse. On the other side, just as my parents arrived, Zhou Tian ran to find her aunt.

Many classmates in my class knew about me fainting from hunger and going to the hospital. Plus, I had good grades in class, and Zhou Tian, who had extremely good relationships, was helping me, so the classmates in my class were all very protective of me.

Seeing my parents about to hit someone, everyone stood around me indignantly.

Soon the dean and my class advisor arrived. They had both been present earlier. Now hearing that my parents had never given Grandma child support, their expressions weren't good, especially the dean's.

"I said, you two, I already told you before—if you really can't afford to raise them, just sign a document severing family ties. I can have the school apply for subsistence allowances for them. At least they won't starve to death, right?"

"But you, occupying the position of parents but not doing what parents should do—what's wrong with her suing you? Isn't this abandonment? In my opinion, Classmate Liang Juan did very well, knowing to use legal weapons to protect herself!"

"After all, as parents, it's easier for you to hurt children than anyone else. She's just resisting a little, and you're so triggered you want to hit people. Is there any law left? Do you really think all the teachers at our school are dead?"

"Good!" As soon as the dean finished speaking, a classmate nearby suddenly shouted "Good," and immediately someone started applauding.

The dean's gaze swept over, and everyone immediately quieted down, standing obediently to the side.

My parents were speechless, their faces red.

Only then did I explain:

"Dad, Mom, I'm not trying to break up our family. I just have no other choice. I called you but you didn't answer. I went home but you wouldn't let me in. I could only do this. The court said as long as you pay child support on time, this won't have much impact!"

"What bullshit about no impact! Do you know the entire factory knows I'm not paying your child support? Your damn bastard has ruined my promotion for the second half of the year! I really—"

My father pointed at me, saying through gritted teeth. I shrank back in fear behind the dean.

My class advisor stepped forward to block my father: "You really can't blame Liang Juan for this. If she could find you and you paid child support on time, wouldn't there be no problem?"

My parents cursed angrily but were finally escorted out by security.

That day they went back to our hometown and argued with Grandfather, saying it was his insistence on raising me and my brother that made him lose so much face.

Later they wanted to go to the small courtyard to curse Grandma, but unexpectedly our dean and a police officer uncle were just visiting Grandma with things.

My parents happened to run into them and were caught and educated by the police. In the end, they had no choice but to give the money before leaving resentfully.

I knew that police officer was brought by the dean.

Chapter 13

Neither my brother nor I did well on our final exams, but given the fuss our parents had made, the whole school knew, so everyone just thought we were affected by family issues.

Soon it was summer vacation. My brother and I both started pulling out our old textbooks without prior agreement, and after reviewing, we began doing problems day and night.

Before the new school year, I knew my parents would probably cause trouble again, mainly wanting to block my brother's tuition fees.

Sure enough, half a month into the semester, no matter how many times I called or contacted my parents, they wouldn't pay my brother's tuition.

My brother had already applied for a student loan at the village during summer vacation, but because of our parents, some materials were blocked and it never came through.

I thought since my parents were unrighteous, I wouldn't be soft-hearted either.

I begged Zhou Tian to help me arrange a meeting with her aunt, then her aunt took me to find the police officer who had responded to the call, and together we went to my father's steel factory to find their factory director.

As soon as my father saw the dean and the police officer, without waiting for me to say anything, he immediately promised to pay my brother's tuition as soon as he got his salary that month.

The dean directly told the factory director to transfer my brother's tuition and all expenses for his third year of high school directly into the school's financial account, then deduct it from my father's salary later.

The factory director probably didn't expect my father to be so inhumane, but the factory's accounts couldn't be handled carelessly, so he took it upon himself to pay the money into the school account, saying it was a loan to my father.

Hearing this, my father's face turned red and white, but he didn't dare to get angry.

After that, my brother and I officially entered the important stage of third year of middle school and third year of high school. Because we were day students, we would still read for a while after coming home from evening self-study. Our grades steadily improved. By the time of the high school entrance exam, I had basically secured the top position in the entire school, while my brother was thirty points ahead of the second place in his grade, ranking in the top twenty in the city.

His class advisor said that if my brother performed steadily, the Qinghua-Beida line was no problem, and at worst, a top 985 university was guaranteed.

But there were two small incidents before the college entrance exam. One was that the old bachelor from the school canteen who molested girls was arrested. That damn bastard—I had been watching him for a long time and finally caught him red-handed when he made a move on a sixth-grade girl.

The second was that my mother started causing trouble about dividing the family. On one hand, she showed her motherly love toward me and my brother, on the other hand, she said Grandma was tired and should go home to rest, saying she would come care for me and my brother.

She said it beautifully, but Grandma just smiled and said:

Chapter 14

"You're not hearing that this area is going to be demolished, so you want my small courtyard, are you?"

My mother was choked until her face turned red, but my father swore earnestly:

"I'm the eldest son. In the future, your and Dad's elderly care will still be my responsibility. We're not saying we want this courtyard. It's just that the two children are used to living here. In the future, Juan Juan will still study here for several years. It's more convenient for us to care for her here, isn't it?"

Grandma had long seen through my father's nature of saying one thing and doing another and sneered:

"Once this house is demolished, I'll have money. Then why would I be afraid no one will care for me in my old age? If you won't do it, you still have younger brother and sister. At worst, your Dad and I still have so many nephews and nieces. There will always be someone willing for the sake of money."

This sentence choked my father quite badly. Then I heard him say: "Mom, you've been caring for Juan Juan and Chen'an for a while now. Your feelings for them must be unusual."

At this point, my father paused and looked at me and my brother: "You don't want anything to happen to them, do you? The exams are coming up."

"Besides, in the future you'll live with us, and the two children can also be more filial to you. Don't you think so?"

Grandma gave him a look: "What you're saying, Chen'an and Juan Juan are different from you. You live in town and rarely come back to the village to see your old mother. These two children would even bring back candy for me to taste. I believe that even if you don't care for me in my old age, they won't ignore me."

"Besides, what accident could happen? Are you going to tie them up and make your old mother give you the house? That's your son and daughter. Your old age care will have to depend on them. Don't break their hearts completely, or you'll have nothing to depend on!"

"Then again, can you really depend on me, depend on this house? I'm not even dead yet, and you're already eyeing it. How would I dare let you care for me in my old age?"

My father stared at me and my brother resentfully: "I gave birth to them and raised them. How dare they not care for me in my old age!"

I smiled and nodded: "Yes, yes, yes, what you say is right."

Seeing me like this, my mother pointed at me and said sharply: "Sharp-tongued, sarcastic, look what you've become this year!"

I looked at myself, confused: "I've grown nearly 10 centimeters taller, gained 15-16 jin (7-8 kg). I finally look like a normal person. Mom, aren't you happy for me?"

In my previous life, although my brother gave me living expenses and tuition, I was depressed for many years due to bullying and only got better after going to university in a new environment. But years of repression and malnutrition made my height stop at 1.58 meters, and I never grew taller.

As for my brother, I originally thought his 1.73 meters was already quite tall, but I didn't expect that in this life, under Grandma's good care, he shot up to over 1.8 meters, and his body was much stronger than in his previous life.

My mother was so angered by my retort that she was about to break. Seeing this, my father wanted to hit me, but my brother directly stood in front of me. At over 1.8 meters tall, with a cold expression staring at our father, our father actually couldn't move forward anymore.

In the end, the two left in disgrace.

My brother and I successfully completed our middle school and college entrance exams.

Chapter 15

After the exams, I nervously asked my brother how he did and what schools he wanted to attend. He said casually that he did okay, then asked me: "Your grades should have no problem getting into schools in the city. What are you thinking?"

I didn't hide it from him: "The school approached me earlier, saying with my grades, breaking into the top twenty in the city would be no problem. If I wanted to stay at the school, there would be subsidies ranging from 50,000 to 100,000 yuan. As for other expenses, the school would waive them all."

"Mom and Dad definitely can't be relied upon. With this money, at least letting you finish university won't be a problem. Qinghua-Beida, Brother! Think how impressive that sounds! My brother got into Qinghua-Beida!"

I was genuinely happy for my brother, even more excited than he was. But when the results came out, my brother had actually applied to military academy.

And my grades happened to scrape twentieth place in the city. The best high school in the city immediately extended an olive branch to me. Not only did they waive tuition, but they also gave me 2,000-3,000 yuan in subsidies each year. If I did well on the college entrance exam, there were even rewards. My brother directly decided for me.

"Go study in the city. My sister deserves the best!" My brother patted my head. "Brother is going to military academy. No tuition needed, and there's a monthly allowance. That's more than enough to support you. Don't worry too much."

I cried for a long time. I knew my brother had always dreamed of going to Peking University, but why even in this second life did he still have to sacrifice, still have to wrong himself?

He comforted me: "Given our parents' personalities, it's not hard to imagine what they might do in the future. But if we're both ordinary people, our cost of making mistakes will inevitably be high."

"They are our parents. Even if we sever family ties, their elderly care, illnesses, and other problems in the future will still be our responsibility. Rather than letting them act recklessly and let others greedily covet, it's better to make everyone have some fear."

"Besides, your brother going to Peking University—how much face would that give you? Which is more impressive?"

My brother tried to smile and change the subject, but seeing my tear-streaked face, he looked toward the distance and continued:

"Moreover, what I'm doing isn't entirely for you. I also want to do more meaningful things, not limited to small feelings, not limited to you and me." My brother looked at me with a serious expression: "I think, perhaps there are more people who need me?"

For a moment, I couldn't speak. After a long while, I asked in a low voice: "Brother, you were reborn too, weren't you?"

Before I could get his answer, Zhou Tian's voice calling me came from the door. I turned to look at my brother. He smiled at me in the sunlight: "Go play."

I suppressed the sourness in my eyes, and infinite hope rose in my heart.

I had always been somewhat resistant to the idea of my brother being reborn. After all, he had suffered too much in his previous life, shouldering all responsibility onto himself. Privately, I hoped he had experienced nothing, that he was just a simple teenager.

But now it seemed that perhaps rebirth was another form of perfection.

That was good.

Chapter 16

My parents caused a lot of trouble with my brother over his getting into Peking University but ultimately choosing military academy.

But when my brother went to our local armed forces department to register, it was a friend of Zhou Tian's aunt from the armed forces department who came to receive him.

As soon as my father saw the military vehicle, he became as quiet as a chicken and even wanted to step forward to chat with them.

After they perfunctorily responded, he smilingly saw my brother off.

The armed forces department was in the city. My brother said to let me get familiar with the city in advance and took me with him.

Zhou Tian was waiting for me in the car, and we chattered all the way. She, like in her previous life, got into the best school in the city.

When it came to class assignments, she said melancholically: "I wonder if we'll be assigned to the same class. I really don't want to be separated from you."

"I don't want to be separated from you either." Zhou Tian was a very good friend. In our previous lives, although we were separated, she would come find me every time she returned to the county town, bringing me materials from her school and even explaining problems to me.

I could say that I really owed her a lot for being able to go to university. It was only later that we went to different universities and each had our own lives that we gradually drifted apart.

Later when I got married, although she was far abroad, she still sent me wedding gifts. Even in my previous life when my family's factory went bankrupt and we were in debt, I found her with a glimmer of hope, and without saying much, she lent me over 100,000 yuan.

But in my previous life, I died without ever being able to repay her money completely.

"You two good friends are at the same school. I hope Tian Tian can help take care of Juan Juan."

My brother knew about my relationship with Zhou Tian and treated her like a sister too. But after hearing my brother's words, Zhou Tian froze for a moment, then blushed slightly and responded: "Of course, I will definitely take good care of Juan Juan."

Her voice was soft, carrying a sense of seriousness and promise that I found somewhat puzzling. But seeing Zhou Tian sneak glances at my brother, I suddenly understood.

Could it be that she had feelings for my brother—

I didn't continue thinking along these lines. After all, we were still too young at this age, and our main focus should be on studying. There was still a long way to go, and the changes that would come were uncertain. Defining things too early wasn't necessarily a good thing.

Chapter 17

On the day my brother went to report to school, Grandma held his hand and said:

"Call us as soon as you get settled there to let us know you're safe. If you don't have enough money, tell Grandma. Don't wrong yourself!"

"Okay, you take care of your health too." When my brother got in the car, Grandma took out a handkerchief-wrapped bulging object and secretly stuffed it into my brother's backpack.

On the way back, Grandma also took out a wrapped handkerchief for me. I guessed it was a stack of money.

I didn't want it and tried to refuse, but Grandma held my hand and said earnestly:

"Your grandparents don't have much money now, but this is our token of affection. If I tell you to take it, take it. We won't starve without this bit, but you're a girl going to study in the city. You must have some money on you. Don't refuse."

My nose tingled slightly as I carefully stored the handkerchief-wrapped stack of money in my arms.

In my previous life, because of my issues, my mother had a falling out with Grandma and them. Later, because she wanted the county town house, she started interacting with them again, but soon news came out that the house was going to be demolished.

When this happened, the family was in an uproar again. My second uncle and little aunt cursed my parents for being villains for hiding the house demolition news. They cursed our grandparents for favoring our father since childhood, making the family atmosphere toxic, and everyone stopped interacting for several years.

It wasn't until my junior year of college that the house demolition was fully confirmed. My parents took the money home to our grandparents, which finally eased the relationship.

But at that time, whether it was with our grandparents or my second uncle and little aunt, due to years of no interaction, there wasn't much emotional connection. Plus my mother's behavior of trampling on me and my brother, I rarely went home after graduation.

So in my previous life, until Grandpa died, I had a slightly deeper understanding of this old man in front of me. But more than that, I pitied her. After all, to balance the relationships between several children, they gave all the demolition money our parents had given them to my second uncle and little aunt, thinking this would give them a good home in their old age.

But they didn't expect that when Grandpa was alive, they could support each other for a while. After Grandpa died, her life was left with endless loneliness and bitterness.

Although all three children said they would care for her, they all kept pushing the responsibility to each other.

She had always been a strong and stubborn person. Seeing her children like this, she preferred to live alone. In the end, she fell and froze to death in the old house.

"You're grown up now and have your own ideas. Grandma can't help you in other areas, but can only make up for what your father failed to give you in this regard."

Grandma sighed, her eyes shining with expectation, as if hoping I would say something. But seeing me just lowering my head, she sighed again:

"I know you and your brother have quite a few opinions about your father, but... can you let it go for your grandparents' sake? Don't hold too much against him?"

"Your father just isn't very bright and is easily used as a weapon by others. Your mother loves face. When the two of them get together, life is simply unwatchable..."

My father worked at a steel factory with a salary that wasn't actually low, but over the years our family hadn't saved much money. On one hand, it was because of my mother's expenses. On the other hand, they had lent out a lot of money.

With just a few words of praise for my mother from others, she would get happy, blow in my father's ear, and he would agree to everything.

I didn't expect that Grandma understood everything clearly. Then I heard her say:

"If they continue like this, there will inevitably be more miserable times in the future. But no matter what, your father is my son. Your grandfather and I can't truly ignore him. We can only wrong you and your brother not to hold too much against him. He doesn't really have any ill intentions, it's just his brain..."

Grandma's sighing never stopped, making me want to sigh too. "Grandma, don't worry. My brother and I understand clearly. When our parents get old, we won't truly ignore them, but..."

I wanted to say that it would be impossible for my brother and me to be very good to our parents, but Grandma didn't wait for me to finish and patted my hand:

"Having you say that is enough. I know your brother listens to you. You two siblings... you should live your own lives first. The rest is their fate. Ah..."

After that, I reminded Grandma that after the house demolition, she shouldn't think of giving everything to her children at once. She needed to leave herself a way out. First, plan for her and Grandpa's elderly care issues. Before they passed away, she must hold the money and house in her own hands.

Grandma said she understood and told me not to worry about them, just focus on studying.

Chapter 18

Soon it was time for high school to start. I went to the city with Zhou Tian.

Before leaving, the dean invited us to Peach Blossom Island to play. It was a very dreamlike theme park. When it first opened, Zhou Tian and I had agreed to go during the free period, but that coincided with my rebirth and dealing with my parents, so we didn't make it.

While Zhou Tian went to the restroom, her aunt chatted with me for a bit. Her gaze was calm but carried a sharpness that could see through people's hearts.

She said: "You're a very smart child with your own ideas and your own life plans."

"Tian Tian is different. She's simple and lives day by day. So when you go to that school, can you help watch over her? Don't let her be led astray by some unreliable people."

"High school is a very important stage in your life. Once you go astray, it might take double the effort and time to get back on track."

I guessed she probably knew long ago that it was I who had involved Zhou Tian in my family's messy affairs. But she didn't blame me and had been protecting me. I was very grateful to her.

So I nodded seriously: "I understand."

At this moment, Zhou Tian came running toward us with two ice creams. I couldn't help but laugh and greet her, then turned to the dean and said:

"Don't worry. I will protect Tian Tian well."

Chapter 19

Zhou Tian's mother rented a house near the school to care for Zhou Tian. Given my family situation and Zhou Tian's help, whenever I had holidays and breaks, I would go back with her to eat and drink several meals.

Zhou's mother was a very good person and was very kind to me. Although she occasionally criticized Zhou Tian's shortcomings, saying she wasn't as good as me, her eyes were always full of tolerance and love when she looked at Zhou Tian. I think in her eyes, Zhou Tian was the cutest person in the world.

Thanks to Zhou's mother, I had a very comfortable three years of high school.

Normally I didn't go home, only returning for a few days during Chinese New Year each year. At first, my parents would still call to scold me a few times, but probably because my brother had said something to them, they never contacted me again.

Even when I went home during Chinese New Year, they would ignore me if they could, which was fine with me since I didn't want to deal with them either. Everyone was happy with the peace and quiet.

During these three years, I often kept in touch with my brother. He only reported good news, not bad, but no matter what, we were moving forward on our chosen paths.

Soon it was time for my college entrance exams.

I had studied day and night for three years. Fortunately, heaven doesn't fail the determined. I successfully got into Peking University.

When the acceptance letter came, my parents boasted about it everywhere and even wanted to hold some kind of celebration banquet for me. But I said: "What does me getting into Peking University have to do with you?" This successfully made them lose their composure, but since my brother came back to see me, they could only hold their anger inside. Them holding it in made me very happy.

Probably because I had been studying so intensely for three years, Zhou Tian was also motivated by me and studied furiously. So her final college entrance exam results were much better than in her previous life.

She got into Tsinghua University.

Before school started, my brother took us to Beijing and settled us in one by one before leaving.

The moment he left, Zhou Tian called me crying, saying my brother had rejected her. She said a lot and cried miserably.

I never expected her to confess to my brother at this moment. Just when I was wondering how to comfort her, she had already calmed herself down.

Finally, she told me: I won't give up!

I expressed that I would help brainwash my brother to help her become my sister-in-law as soon as possible. She chastised me a few times and told me to study well and improve every day. In the same city but at different schools, we started our new journeys.

Later, I graduated and was recommended for postgraduate studies at my university. I continued studying up and started my first business with classmates during school, earning my first pot of gold.

After graduation, I joined a senior's company and partnered to start projects in drones and autonomous driving.

After graduating from military academy, my brother served in the army for several years. The last time he came ashore, he tested into an important department.

And my career also climbed one new level after another, driven by the waves of the times.

In this life, Grandma didn't give the house to my mother, and my father's promotion was delayed by several years, so my parents didn't live as comfortably as in their previous life. But also because my brother had military rank in the army, few relatives dared to recklessly deceive my parents, so they weren't dragged into the abyss by their own foolishness.

As for Grandma's house, after demolition, just as I had said, she and Grandpa kept the money in their own hands, and instead several children were much more filial than in the previous life.

After all, who wouldn't want to get more inheritance after the elderly pass away? Since they wanted more benefits, putting in more effort now achieved their filial piety.

Chapter 20

Probably because of the rebirth, both my and my brother's life trajectories had changed. I didn't encounter the partner from my previous life.

My brother did go to see his previous life's girlfriend, but the other person was already married and had a daughter, seemingly living a good life, so he didn't disturb her.

My marriage in my previous life wasn't very happy. My partner's mother was strong-willed, and he didn't have much ability, so we lived with his mother-in-law, and often had to see her face.

Later I became pregnant, his family's factory had problems, I had a miscarriage, the family was in huge debt, and things happened one after another, crushing me until I had no strength to breathe.

Later my parents fell ill one after another and were bedridden. My brother died, and I had to take on the heavy burden of caring for our parents. But because our parents had rather given the house to my cousin than help me, my husband's family had great opinions about me caring for my parents.

Just before I was reborn, we had just divorced.

My partner, although not very capable, was still a man. When we divorced, he left all the debt to himself. So in this life, when I calculated the time their factory would have problems, I invested a sum of money in them to help them smoothly get through that difficulty.

This could be considered my repayment for the little bit of kindness from our marriage.

It's worth mentioning that when Zhou Tian and I were thirty, she finally succeeded in winning my brother's heart. They dated, married, and had a child—all within two years.

Zhou Tian, who became my sister-in-law, entered a research institute where my brother was stationed, and the two settled down.

After Zhou Tian gave birth, my parents caused a fuss about going to help take care of the grandchild. My brother refused without hesitation. Finally, they muttered for a while then turned their criticism toward me, telling me to hurry up and get married and have children. I had just one sentence for them:

"When I was young and easy to discipline, you ignored me. Now that I'm grown, you want to discipline me? Have you thought about it—can you discipline me or not? And on what grounds?"

After saying this, I didn't even look at them and left.

I reminded Zhou Tian to supervise my brother's annual health check-ups. Later, my brother was found to have a small tumor on his stomach. Initially judged as early-stage stomach cancer, after surgery to remove it, there were no further problems.

At thirty-four, I met my true love abroad. At thirty-six, I gave birth to a pair of mixed-race twins.

My father, like in his previous life, still had a stroke, but timely medical attention meant he wasn't paralyzed—just some difficulty speaking, but he could still care for himself.

Probably because he didn't need to care for him, my mother didn't fall, and the two of them lived harmoniously into old age.

They wanted to move in with my brother, but my brother disagreed and sent them to a well-appointed retirement villa. After living there for less than two months, they called me saying it was like being in prison and asked me to take them out.

I directly said: "Then I can only transfer you to an ordinary nursing home. After all, I don't have my brother's ability and sense of responsibility."

After that, they never caused trouble again.

After all, many retired cadres lived in that retirement villa, and the services were excellent. Living there was much more comfortable than in an ordinary nursing home.

Later my father had another stroke and became completely paralyzed, but he was lucky. After not lying in bed for long, he died from organ failure.

Before he died, he still wanted to curse me but couldn't speak.

My mother lived quite freely. Less than a year after my father died, she found another old man and moved into his house. She gave everything my father had left her to the other man's children. Later, because she was caring for the old man and fell and needed to stay in bed, the old man and his family sent her back.

My brother and I found a nursing home for her. The doctor said she caused a fuss all day wanting to go home and see me and my brother.

Finally, when my brother and I had time to visit her, we found her consciousness was somewhat unclear.

She kept muttering that my brother and I were short-lived ghosts, causing her and our father to lose face in their old age. If it weren't for my cousin and cousin's family, she would have died in bed and no one would have known.

My brother and I looked at each other, both seeing understanding in the other's eyes.

Probably my mother had also been reborn, but she was confused and couldn't distinguish between her previous life and this one.

We instructed the nursing home director to just take good care of her and not worry about anything else.

My mother lived on in a daze for another two years. At the end, during a moment of clarity before death, she hugged me and my brother and cried for a long time. She talked about carrying us, giving birth to us, and then her shallow love for us.

After speaking, she closed her eyes contentedly.

My brother and I calmly handled her funeral arrangements.

At this point, life had only the return journey left.

The End