The Misdial That Started Everything

While presenting a solution to our client, my mother kept calling me frantically. Holding a laser pointer in one hand, I found it difficult to turn off my phone with the other, so I tried swiping through the menu bar to enable airplane mode. But my hands were sweaty, and I couldn't get the menu to respond. My face burned with embarrassment as I faced a room full of clients, wanting to die from the awkwardness.

The person closest to me was the client's chairman, who saw right away that it was my mother calling. Very politely, he said: "You should take the call. Your mother must have something urgent."

My boss, Lao Wu, immediately said: "Then let me briefly report on our team's situation first."

The chairman's attention naturally shifted away, giving me a gracious way out.

I ran outside the conference room to answer the call, nearly in tears: "Mom, I told you I have a very important meeting today. Why do you keep calling and calling?"

My mother said: "Is Xiao Bao's backpack in your car? You need to come back and look for it."

"What backpack?"

"The backpack! Xiao Bao's backpack! He said it's in your car! Hurry back and find it, Xiao Bao needs it for school."

I remembered now—two days ago, when I took my son to his extracurricular class, he left his backpack in the car and didn't bring it home.

"The backpack is in the car, it's fine. School doesn't start for several more days."

My mother exclaimed: "No! It's not safe to leave the backpack in the car. Xiao Bao needs to prepare his school books. Come back now and find it!"

I was near breakdown, forcing myself to stay calm: "I'm on a business trip in Beijing. I can't come back today. I'll bring the backpack home when I return."

"Business trip? Why do you have to go on business trips? Does the company really need you to go? Can't someone else go?"

"I told you I had to go on business trip today. This project is very important. Please don't disturb me anymore. I'm in a meeting!"

"But Xiao Bao's backpack is in the car. Come back now and find it."

"When I get back from my business trip. Please don't call anymore, I'm begging you. Xiao Bao won't need the backpack today, tomorrow, the day after, or the day after that."

I hung up the phone, composed myself, and returned to the conference room with an apologetic smile.

Lao Wu was excellent at controlling the room. In just that short time, he was already chatting warmly with the clients. When he saw me return, the chairman said: "Director Wu just introduced you. Your name is Wen Rou, right? Very good. Let's continue."

I didn't know what my boss had said, but professional instincts made me temporarily forget everything and focus my thoughts back on the project proposal.

I had turned off my phone. My mother couldn't possibly teleport in front of me.

"Chairman, everyone, I apologize. Let's continue. From this year's performance of competing products in the market, a strong consensus has emerged on..."

The sound of phone vibrating echoed through the conference room again.

In that instant, I repeatedly thought to myself: I turned it off, I definitely turned it off. I turned it off with deep regret. I regretted not thinking to turn it off before the meeting started. I had even dreamed last night that my mother was calling during a meeting.

But the vibration was indeed rhythmically buzzing very close to me.

"I'm sorry." My boss flipped over his phone which was face down on the table. It was an unknown number, so he hung up and signaled for me to continue.

"A strong consensus has emerged on..."

Buzz... buzz...

My boss flipped open his phone, unknown number, hung up again.

"A strong consen—"

Buzz... buzz...

The chairman called toward the end of the conference table: "Xiao Liu, go prepare some coffee and fruit, and ask managers from other departments to sit in. Let's take a break."

Lao Wu and I exchanged a glance; we both knew this was another gracious way to save us from embarrassment.

"I need to use the restroom."

The chairman smiled slightly, perfectly timed.

So gracious, it was like he was accommodating someone beneath him.

The vibration came again. My boss answered with a dark face, listened for three seconds, then handed it to me saying: "Your mother."

My mother?

How could my mother be calling my boss?

I took the phone, said "hello," and that familiar voice burst through my eardrums.

"Why won't you turn on your phone? Xiao Bao's backpack is in your car. Come back now and find it, did you hear me?"

I felt my blood pressure was about to burst through my skull. I felt like I was performing a human fountain for everyone to watch.

"Mom, I'm in a meeting. Please don't call anymore, and don't call my colleagues, okay?"

"But I can't reach you. Hurry back and get the backpack, Xiao Bao is waiting to use it."

"I'm in Beijing. The high-speed train takes four hours. How can I go back? Can you please stop disturbing my meeting? I'm begging you, okay?"

"But Xiao Bao is waiting to use his backpack."

"I'll transfer money to you. Go buy him one at the stationery store by our residential entrance. Buy it now!"

After saying this, I turned on my phone and transferred two hundred yuan to my mother. The moment she accepted the money, I propped myself on the conference table, my nerves uncontrollably failing.

"It's okay. If you can't present the proposal, I'll do it."

I looked up. My boss was watching me.

"I can do it. Don't worry. I created this proposal myself. I can present it well."

I pretended to drop the laser pointer, crouched down, and vigorously wiped away tears under the table.

"The coffee is here. Americano and latte. Help yourselves."

Lao Wu pushed over a hot Americano.

The chairman returned too, smiling: "Finally, we can hear the proposal. I've been looking forward to it all evening."

Lao Wu responded: "Watch my Wen Rou dazzle you."

I steadied myself and continued presenting: "A strong consensus has emerged on the competition for下沉市场 and the redefinition of cost-effective alternatives..."

Buzz... buzz...

My boss's phone didn't move. My thigh was vibrating.

Frustration surged through me again.

"...Therefore, in our product design phase, we must of course fully consider the subtle changes in customer needs..."

Fortunately, the phone in my pocket was barely audible. I just needed to tense my muscles to keep the phone pressed against my thigh.

Half an hour later, I finished my presentation, winning unanimous applause from the clients.

The chairman said cheerfully: "The proposal was well done, very thorough. After you finish your call, let's discuss it. Don't let your leg cramp up."

I walked out of the conference room, my hip sore, my mood bitter.

So everyone in the room could see I was using my thigh to suppress the phone vibration. No wonder my posture looked so strange.

My mother had made 36 calls.

"Why won't you answer the phone? Should I buy a red backpack or a blue one?"

"Ask him what color he wants." In this situation, I was beyond caring.

"What does a child know? Tell me, should I buy red or blue?"

"Red."

"Red? Xiao Bao is a boy. What would he look like carrying a red backpack?"

"Then blue."

"Blue? The blue ones have poor quality and break easily."

"They're the same backpacks, just different colors. Why would blue break easily?"

"The neighbor's child had a blue one. They bought it last year, and it broke this year."

My mind went blank.

My mother was still nagging: "Tell me, should I buy red or blue?"

This kind of situation played out almost every day.

Exhausted, I returned to the conference room. The client team had already prepared the issues they wanted to discuss.

"Excuse me, when you mention the product strength enhancement strategy, do you mean buying technology in the market or improving on existing product lines?"

I blurted out: "Buy the blue backpack."

Lao Wu coughed and explained: "She means that technology packages in blue ocean areas can be purchased directly. Even if they're not mature, they can guarantee enhancement effects."

The chairman smiled—it was the kind of smile that sees through everything.

After the meeting ended in the evening, I followed my boss and several colleagues to the hotel to check in.

My boss saw I wanted to say something but hesitated, and asked if I wanted to take the evening high-speed train home. While in the elevator, I checked on my phone—there were still 2 hours until the last train.

But for this kind of project meeting, after the first day, there were usually further discussions the next day. I was the lead creator, and my absence would put us at a disadvantage.

I said I wouldn't go back. There would probably be more meetings tomorrow.

The boss nodded and said: "Wen Rou, I don't want to receive calls from your mother anymore unless it's an emergency. I'm not sure why you would share my number with your family."

I said I didn't know, but then I realized she might have seen my boss's business card in my pocket.

"Let's grab a quick meal first, then debrief with the backend team about today's meeting to understand which issues they'll focus on tomorrow."

The restaurant was right downstairs from the hotel. Because there were many office buildings nearby, the restaurant had booth seating and private rooms. The boss ordered some set meals. I opened my laptop and started an online meeting. The company's backend technical team was ready to discuss.

The boss had just said a few words when my phone rang again.

No need to ask, it was my mother again.

The boss said this was an internal discussion, it was fine, and told me to take it aside.

I didn't want to answer, but I knew if I didn't, she would keep calling.

I walked a few steps away to where they couldn't see me.

"Xiao Bao wants to watch cartoons. How do I turn on the TV?"

"Give him the remote control. He can find it himself."

"How would a child know how to operate the TV? It's all complicated buttons, I can't understand it, how do you turn it on?"

I was already feeling some chest tightness.

"He knows how. Last year he could already find cartoons to watch by himself. Give him the remote control."

"He can't figure it out. Tell me how to do it, and I'll show him."

"Give him the phone."

I could already hear my son shouting nearby: "I can do it myself, give me the remote control."

My mother said to him: "Don't shout. How would you know how to operate it? What if you break it? Grandma can't fix it."

I forced my voice: "Give him the phone."

My mother reluctantly handed the phone to my son. As soon as he took it, he said loudly: "I want to watch cartoons, but Grandma won't give me the remote control."

"Good boy, Grandma doesn't know you can operate it. Tell her how to do it."

My son said loudly: "First press the power button, then press right, move to the children's animation channel, the third one is it."

I said: "Mom, did you hear that? Xiao Bao can find cartoons to watch by himself. Don't worry about it. Give him the remote control."

"Is he right? I don't think so. How would a child know how to use a remote control? I can't even use it. Better not watch it. I'll take him out for a walk."

When my son heard this, he was about to cry.

I said: "Why don't you try what he said and see if it's right? Can't you just try it? If you don't try, you'll never know, right?"

My mother paused for a moment, then said resentfully: "I can't operate the TV. I'm old and stupid. I'm dragging you down. Let him operate it however he wants. I can't raise your son properly."

My head was about to explode. I couldn't hang up, but I couldn't stay on either.

The theme song of a cartoon came from the phone. My son shouted: "See? We found it! Grandma is so dumb."

I said: "Mom, from now on, let him find what he wants to watch by himself. I'm still in a meeting. Don't call me anymore."

My mother hung up the phone.

Back at the booth, my boss was arguing heatedly with the backend team.

His name was Wu Kaisa, a second-generation returnee who came back to start a business with his father's inheritance. He often argued with the technical department because of different national conditions.

He was very young but insisted people call him Lao Wu. He said domestic companies don't trust young people, and being called Lao Wu gave the impression of wisdom.

I was divorced, single, and raising a child. The fact that he hired me as a technical lead in the company, I was actually very grateful to him.

As soon as I sat down, a video call request popped up on my computer.

From my mother.

This was my computer, which was running an online meeting. The ding-dong sounds directly interrupted Wu Kaisa's rap, and the backend team fell silent too.

I clicked reject.

Less than 5 seconds later, it rang again.

I was so angry my hands shook, and I accidentally hit accept.

My mother was pressed close to my son, her face shoved against his, grinning widely: "Baby, look who this is? This is Mommy. Quick, say Mommy."

My son was already 8 years old. He had just started watching cartoons when my mother pressed up against him, and he was already very annoyed.

I didn't care about my colleagues watching and shouted: "Mom! Xiao Bao is already grown up. He doesn't like you doing this."

My mother was completely unaffected and continued coaxing my son: "Look, why aren't you looking? Don't you love Mommy anymore? Mommy is waiting for you to look at her. Whose baby is this, growing so handsome? Is it my baby?"

My son glanced at me and勉强 squeezed out a smile.

"Mom, I just told you I'm in a meeting. Don't call me, don't call me. Why do you keep calling?"

My mother gave me a look and said: "This is a video call, not a phone call. What's wrong with you being in a meeting? You're in a meeting and you forget about Xiao Bao? Whose son is he?"

My son suddenly shouted: "Grandma, Mommy is busy, don't disturb her. Our teacher said, don't speak or act improperly. I see you'll get anxious if you don't harass my Mommy for a moment."

Colleagues following the wifi signal laughed: "So cute, little darling."

I was completely overwhelmed by my mother.

"Mom, I'll say this one last time. I'm in a meeting. Don't call or video me anymore. If there's really something important, send me a message. I'll reply when I see it. Don't call anymore, don't call anymore, did you hear me?"

My mother changed positions, shoved her face in front of the camera, and said: "Why can't I call? Can't you spare one minute even if you're busy? What time is it? What are you so busy with?"

I bit my tongue and urged: "Can we not talk about this right now? I really have something to do."

"What's so great about it? I've never seen someone who would abandon their son just for a meeting."

After saying this, my mother hung up the video.

I was mortified and apologized to Wu Kaisa.

This was the first time I had gone out with him for a major project presentation, and my mother had made it like this.

The moment I said sorry, I suddenly realized that I had actually grown accustomed to my mother's endless emotional drain.

When did she start?

I couldn't remember. Maybe it was after my divorce, or after I got married, or maybe it started from the day I was born.

"Let's end here for today. Backend colleagues can get off work. Thank you." Wu Kaisa closed his laptop.

Except when working, he was usually quite easygoing. Though not old, his mannerisms really were like a seasoned middle-aged man.

I thought he was going to comfort me, but instead he said: "You need to handle your personal affairs properly. They can't affect your work, otherwise I will fire you."

Yes, that made sense.

"But, my mother was once somewhat similar to yours. I can talk to you about it."

"Your mother?"

That sounded like I was cursing him.

"My mother immigrated with my father, but she couldn't adapt to life abroad and developed severe depression. My father tried to cure her, but the cost was too high, and my father couldn't afford it. When it was severe, my mother would call my father over 200 times a day. She wouldn't speak when connected, or she would talk about trivial matters, and she would call again and again like this."

"Trivial matters? Don't you mean trivial matters?"

"Uh... trivial matters." He blushed, "Although my father loved my mother very much, anyone would find that situation unbearable."

"What happened later?"

"Later, my mother recovered."

"How did you do it?" I asked excitedly.

"My father said that whenever my mother had an episode, he would give her a hug. Love made my mother recover."

I remembered that.

I had worked so hard to get this job. I couldn't let myself become a housewife again.

The next day's discussions went very smoothly, and we returned the same day. By evening, I was back home.

As soon as I entered, I hugged my mother tightly and said gently: "Mom, I love you."

I regretted not having thought of doing this before, because my son often hugged me and said he loved me.

My mother said: "Did you bring back the backpack?"

"I brought it back. I told you it would be fine to wait one more day."

"Come eat."

I put down my bag, washed my hands, and sat at the dining table.

Salted fish, salted duck, kidney flowers, bitter melon, spicy cabbage, a plate of stir-fried peanuts, and a mushroom soup sprinkled with cilantro.

This table of sumptuous dishes stunned me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my son looking at me eagerly.

"Mom, how can we eat these dishes? I told you to make normal chicken, fish, meat, and eggs."

My mother brought the rice to the table and said: "Aren't these normal dishes?"

"He's only eight years old. He needs nutrition. You made a table of salted goods, internal organs, and pickled cabbage. How can a child eat these?"

"Why can't he eat these? These are all delicious. We couldn't even eat this well during New Year's back in our day."

My son pulled my hand and said pitifully: "Everything is either salty or bitter. I won't eat it. I want to eat hamburgers."

I said to my mother: "He can't eat these things at his age. Even if you made scrambled eggs with tomatoes, shredded pork with potatoes, or if that's too much trouble, you could have bought some small portion dishes from the entrance."

My mother slammed her chopsticks down and cursed angrily: "This is all because you've spoiled him. Eating foreign food every day instead of proper meals. The salted fish, salted duck, and cabbage were all pickled by me. They're clean and hygienic. Everything else is freshly made. So picky. If you won't eat, then starve to death. Xiao Bao, come drink the soup."

Looking at the egg soup with a thick layer of cilantro, my son pinched his nose.

He takes after me—he doesn't eat cilantro at all.

"He doesn't eat cilantro, and I don't eat cilantro either. I've said this countless times."

My mother was unconvinced: "It doesn't taste good without cilantro. Let him eat more. He'll get used to it and think it's delicious after eating it a few times."

My son looked at me and said: "It smells awful. I don't want to drink it. Yesterday Grandma forced me to drink it, and my stomach hurt afterward."

I took the soup back to my mother and said: "Why do you insist he eat cilantro? Can't he live without it? If you like it, eat more yourself. No one cares how much you eat. But the two of us don't eat it. We don't eat it!"

My mother brought the soup bowl back to my son, saying very confusedly: "Cilantro is delicious, why won't he eat it? Would I harm you? Eat it a few more times and you'll learn to like it. If you don't eat it, you'll definitely regret it."

My son glanced at the dishes on the table again, put down his chopsticks, and went to watch TV.

"Bao, Mommy will take you out to eat. Let's have pizza, okay?"

"Okay!" My son jumped up and stood at the door first.

My mother slapped the table hard: "I bought and cooked all this, and you still want to eat out? Which dish isn't good enough? Do you look down on me that much?"

"These are all things you like to eat. Why don't you consider Xiao Bao's and my tastes?"

"What tastes does a child have? Don't they just eat whatever adults eat? What do they know about what they like or don't like like?"

I didn't want to argue with her anymore, so I took my son to the pizza place. When I returned home again, my mother was sitting motionless at the dining table in the dark.

How should I describe it?

Desolate.

My son walked closer, looked at her, and shouted to me: "Grandma is dead!"

My mother immediately jumped up: "Bah, bah, bah! Who died? What nonsense are you talking about?"

My son said confusedly: "Your eyes weren't moving. I thought you were dead."

"You two are just waiting for me to die, aren't you?"

I had been eating for over an hour, so my anger had subsided. Remembering what Boss Wu had said about the hug method, I went up and hugged my mother, saying in a sweet voice: "Mom, you've worked hard."

My mother pushed me away, pointing at me and saying: "I raised you all this way. It's bad enough that you're not filial, but at least family scandals shouldn't be spread outside. But Uncle Jin likes you so much, why are you so cold-hearted to him too?"

Uncle Jin?

I was baffled and asked: "What's wrong with Uncle Jin?"

My mother said righteously: "I asked you to find a lawyer for Uncle Jin. What kind of black lawyer did you find?"

I remembered now. Last week, my mother said Uncle Jin had some business disputes and wanted to find a good lawyer to handle the case. I introduced Lawyer Zhu, whom our company had signed a contract with, to him, and specially said this was my personal relative and asked him to please take extra care.

"That black lawyer is a fraud! After talking for a long time, he actually said he couldn't handle the case and left. He also said your Uncle Jin was mentally ill. What kind of lawyer is this? Isn't this just a hooligan?"

Full of question marks, I called Lawyer Zhu.

Lawyer Zhu said: "If you hadn't called me, I was just about to call you."

From his tone, he didn't sound happy.

"You told me your uncle had some economic disputes, right?"

"Yes, he said it was some debt problems, the kind where people borrow money and don't repay."

"Do you know what kind of case he wants to fight? His son beat someone up at a barbecue restaurant and caused seven-level disability. He wants me to countersue the other party for extortion. He also wants me to get the person out from the police station and send the arresting officer to jail."

I was stunned. Uncle Jin has a son?

Lawyer Zhu continued complaining: "Your uncle also set KPIs for me. I must complete the task within one week, otherwise he'll fine me 1,000 yuan for each additional day, fining me until his son is released. I said I'm not a criminal defense lawyer, and he said [Then what are you here for? Aren't you wasting my time?] I said I could introduce professional criminal defense lawyers from our firm, but the fees would be higher. Your uncle got angry and said [You still want money? It's good enough that I came to you to fight this case. You still want money? You lawyers are immoral enough as it is, all you think about is money.]"

Lawyer Zhu talked on and on. I kept apologizing.

After hanging up, I said righteously to my mother: "I disagree with you about Uncle Jin."

My mother was both surprised and angry, but she was still a traditional woman after all, unwilling to argue about this matter face to face, so she brought the topic back to the lawyer.

I told my mother everything Lawyer Zhu had said word for word. Judging by her expression, it wasn't unexpected.

Sure enough, as soon as I finished saying Uncle Jin was wrong, my mother slammed her chopsticks on the floor and said resentfully: "Your Uncle Jin just wants to save his son. What's wrong with that? Can't the lawyer be more understanding? If he were really capable, he should get the person out first."

I said: "The person has already been arrested and interrogated. The barbecue restaurant has surveillance cameras. It must be perfectly clear. Your Uncle Jin is just making things worse."

"The lawyer you found is no good. You definitely didn't find a proper lawyer."

The law firm our company signed with is a top national firm, and Lawyer Zhu is a pillar of the firm, but I didn't want to discuss this matter with my mother anymore. Uncle Jin was my mother's first love. They grew up together. My father had been dead for several years, so I didn't mind my mother having some romantic life, but Uncle Jin and my mother's personalities were truly a chase after each other, equally matched. I really couldn't imagine what kind of life I would have if they were together.

"Yes, yes, yes, then let Uncle Jin find one himself. There are plenty of law firms on the street. It must be easy to find one with high skills, strong abilities, and no fees."

"Don't go to work tomorrow. Your broken job involves meetings and business trips. It's too troublesome. Tomorrow you'll help Uncle Jin save his son. The child is a good person, just having bad luck. You need to focus more on this."

"I need to focus more? Why should I give up my job for him? Mom, you two haven't even registered your marriage. Aren't you being too controlling?"

"You forgot how you got divorced? Wasn't it all for your own good? How can you live alone..."

"Enough!" I couldn't take my mother's disdainful and mocking education anymore. Pointing at the door, I said, "I didn't ask you to come. You insisted on living with us. Since you're suffering so much, then go back to your hometown. I can take good care of Xiao Bao by myself. Also, let me emphasize again, I don't agree with you and Uncle Jin being together. If you must be together, then you spend the rest of your life with him!"

Holding Xiao Bao, I didn't sleep all night.

I knew I was always unwilling to face problems, even when problems had spread like a plague to my entire life. Avoidance was my default first choice for handling all problems because from the time I could remember, I was always wrong.

If I didn't like what my mother liked, it was my fault. If I liked what my mother didn't like, it was also my fault. She could always find high-sounding reasons to negate everything about me. Anything that didn't align with what she thought was my fault.

My ex-husband cheated on me. The mistress, pregnant, came to our home to negotiate. My mother happened to be there too. The mistress pretended to be pitiful, but between the lines was smugness. She said my ex-husband had sworn to marry her and wanted me to withdraw gracefully.

I was furious, so angry that I used a fruit knife to scrape my arm layer by layer, hating myself for being so blind.

But my mother said it was because I only focused on work and didn't serve my husband well. She said this for three days, telling me to hurry up and apologize to my ex-husband, behave well, and win back his affection.

I resolutely divorced, and my mother had been living with me ever since, saying she was helping me take care of my child.

After she came, I didn't have a day without anxiety, didn't sleep well for a single day.

I lied to myself that it was because of work that I was anxious. I still didn't dare to face the problems. I only dared to keep all my bitterness bottled up inside.

Around 5 AM, I finally fell asleep. Not long after, the bedroom door was pushed open with a bang. My mother slapped the quilt vigorously and shouted: "Get up, what time is it? Hurry up and take me to the bus station. I'm going home."

I struggled to sit up and said: "Okay."

My mother was stunned. She thought I would, out of face, ask her to stay, apologize to her, and swear to be filial to her, but I didn't give her that chance. I jumped up, brushed my teeth, washed my face, got dressed, and stood at the door making a "please" gesture.

My son peeked his head out and asked: "Grandma is leaving? That's great."

My mother glared at him and said: "Then I'm really leaving."

I said: "Hmm, okay. Drive safely."

"I'm leaving. Can you take good care of Xiao Bao?"

I said: "I can take good care of him. The school is right next door, and there's an after-school program downstairs."

"That will cost a lot of money."

"I can earn it. It's better than being a housewife at home."

"Then I'd better not go. It's not that I don't want to go. I'm afraid Xiao Bao will be pitiful."

My mother put her things down and sat back on the sofa.

Xiao Bao ran out of the room, confirmed that my mother wasn't leaving, and said disappointedly: "Grandma, you don't keep your word."

I took my son's hand and said to my mother: "Mom, you don't have to leave, but from now on, we need to set three rules. First, don't disturb me when I'm working, unless it's an emergency. Second, respect my and my child's preferences and choices. Third, you need to keep up with social progress, learn to use mobile payments, ride-hailing, and take the subway."

My mother's face darkened, and she muttered under her breath: "You just look down on me."

"It's not looking down on you. Good life won't wait for us in place. Good life is what we make together."

After drinking a cup of strong coffee, I went to work. As soon as I reached my workstation, Lao Wu called me over to see him.

I thought it was probably news about the Beijing business, so I quickly grabbed my laptop and ran into the office. When Lao Wu saw me, he said: "I thought about it all night, and I still need to be honest with you. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lied to you."

My heart skipped a beat. I was divorced with a child and older than him. He couldn't be interested in me, could he? I heard that returnees' aesthetic preferences are in strange places.

"I told you that whenever my mother had an episode, my father would give her a hug, and love made my mother recover. That was fake." He said guiltily, "Actually, my father transferred all his property to my mother, and then she got better. Even when my father was away on business trips for a week or two, my mother wouldn't call him once."

That made too much sense.

"I'm sorry. I have vanity. I hope you think my family is wonderful."

Yes, who doesn't have vanity? How many families are really that wonderful?

"Lao Wu, thank you. Sincerity is the best gift." I gave a smile, "Let's hurry up and start discussing the project. I think..."

My phone rang.

My scalp went numb. I frantically pulled it out to look. It was my mother.

Despair, helplessness, hatred for my own soft-heartedness.

At this time, it was either fighting with my son over the TV remote, or not knowing what vegetables to buy for cooking.

"Answer it. It's fine with me." Lao Wu said.

I pressed the answer button, trying to calm myself down.

"Mom, did you forget the three rules we agreed on this morning?"

My mother hesitated and said: "I didn't forget, it's just..."

"Then what is the urgent matter?"

"It's... it's... that..."

"Mom, I'm working. I've said it many times, I'm working. Work is very important to me. Please don't disturb me when I'm working. I've said this countless times. Everyone in the company knows that my mother will definitely call when I'm in a meeting. Can you please let me save some face?"

In front of Lao Wu, I couldn't care so much anymore.

My mother still hesitated, hemmed and hawed for a long time, and said: "That... I... sigh, Liang Shan is here. He said he's going to the company to find you. He should be arriving soon."

My heart nearly jumped out.

Liang Shan was my ex-husband. He looked refined and gentle, but he was actually scum.

"You told him where I work?"

"He... he didn't seem like he was looking for trouble. He was carrying lots of fruits. Maybe he just wanted to see Xiao Bao."

"What else did you tell him? Don't talk nonsense, you hear?"

"I... I didn't say anything. But I can't play dumb, can I?"

A colleague called from the doorway, saying someone was looking for me at the front desk. As soon as the words fell, Liang Shan stuck his head in diagonally, holding a bouquet of flowers in front of him.

The eyes peeking out from the flowers were stupid and foolish.

"Baby, long time no see. You started working here and didn't even tell me."

Not many people in the company knew I was divorced. My colleagues thought my husband was very romantic and looked at me with envious eyes.

Lao Wu knew my situation. I had been honest with him during the interview. He asked: "Is this your boyfriend?"

I said awkwardly: "Ex-husband."

"Oh... I don't welcome him."

"I'll make him leave right away."

As I pushed and shoved him out of the company, he refused to go out the door and said loudly: "Baby, I'm here to propose. Don't be shy."

As soon as the word "propose" was heard, all the sharp-eared people in the company gathered around, raising their phones to congratulate me.

"Baby, so much time has passed. Don't be angry with me anymore. To err is human. Let's look forward. We'll raise the child together and live a good life together. Isn't that better than anything?"

Liang Shan's hypocritical face made me sick.

When he resolutely abandoned me and our son, he personally said that living with me was like a corpse lying in a coffin, without any joy.

Liang Shan knelt on one knee, holding up the flowers, and said: "Dear gentle baby, I love you."

The gossip was incessant.

"She's divorced with a child, and someone is still chasing her?"

"I believe in love again. He came all the way to the company to propose."

"Oh my god, I feel like I asked for too little in my bride price. I should add another hundred thousand."

"I can't watch this. A single dog like me is crying."

The discussion gradually converged to one frequency.

"Agree, marry him. Agree, marry him..."

I really wanted to expose all of Liang Shan's deeds to everyone, but this was a company. Saying too much about personal feelings would make me sound like a bitter woman. I didn't want that.

Brushing aside the flowers, I said: "I'm working. Please don't disturb me. Leave immediately."

Liang Shan said with a playful smile: "Baby, stop pretending. Mom told me everything. You talk about getting back together with me every day, and you even told Xiao Bao that you miss me."

"When did my mother tell you this?"

"Just now. I went to your home to find you. Our mom pulled me aside and talked for a while. She even insisted I come here to find you. Hurry up and tell me how much you miss me."

Thinking of my mother's hesitant, wanting-to-speak-but-stopping voice on the phone just now, I knew she must have been up to no good.

In that instant, I really felt that I would never have a good life in this lifetime. My husband cheated, abandoned his wife and son; my own mother used all her abilities to prevent her daughter from having even a slightly good life.

Only my son was innocent and lovely. At such a young age, he already knew to care for me.

Thinking of my son, I inexplicably gained strength. Even for him, I had to endure these demons and ghosts and let him grow up healthy and happy.

"Baby, stop messing around. Admitting you love me isn't difficult. We'll continue to be happy together. Remarry me."

I took the flowers, looked around, and my colleagues had also heard that last sentence. They were whispering, saying this was actually my ex-husband.

"Liang Shan, all my colleagues treat me very well. Why don't you tell them why we divorced? Ask them to bless us."

Liang Shan's face darkened, and he stammered: "It's all my fault. I was young and didn't understand things. I encountered many situations I didn't know how to handle. Now I understand. I'll take good care of our little family and won't let you get hurt anymore."

The person who hurt me the most was him. He actually had the face to say such bold words.

I said: "If we remarry, what about that woman?"

"Which... which? What woman?"

"Xu Tiantian, the one I caught you with in the hotel room. Weren't you going to marry her? You're already a husband, and you're proposing to me?"

"I... I only have you in my heart. There's no Xu Tiantian. She's just a shrew and a slut. How could I spend my life with her?"

"Really? Do you say that to her face too?" I just wanted to laugh.

Liang Shan saw that something seemed wrong with me. My colleagues behind me were all glancing toward the company entrance.

He turned his head and was so frightened he sat down on the spot.

"Tian... Tiantian, how did you get here? Didn't we agree I'd celebrate your birthday today? I came out to buy you a present..."

Xu Tiantian nodded while smiling, reached out, and gave Liang Shan a heavy slap.

The accuracy, the force—very practiced.

Back then, when she came to my home pregnant to force me out, she was slender, delicate, and pitiful, like a victim controlled by fate. But now she was like a female King Kong, exuding the aura of a landlady.

"Fortunately, I followed you out. Is this the gift you're giving me?" Xu Tiantian said.

Liang Shan got up, took her arm, and said: "Let's go home first. I'll explain to you slowly at home."

Xu Tiantian shook him off, looked at me fiercely, and said: "You want to remarry him?"

I quickly shook my head and said: "Once trash is thrown away, can it be picked back up? You keep this trash. Don't come out and disgust people."

Xu Tiantian gave Liang Shan another slap and kicked him: "So you agree to divorce me? Divorce me and then marry your ex-wife?"

Liang Shan had just been witnessed proposing by so many people and didn't dare to speak. When he hesitated, Xu Tiantian understood.

She looked around and shouted loudly: "This person is my husband. He has a second phone with contacts full of escorts..."

Liang Shan rushed up to cover her mouth, begging her not to continue.

But he couldn't cover it.

"He can flirt with 20 girlfriends at the same time and arrange to meet with a dozen escorts. I really admire myself. I used to work so hard to snatch him from his wife's side. I'm really a hammer."

When I was desperate, I also thought about going down together, socially dying together. At this moment, I could really understand Xu Tiantian's mood.

"You don't want this trash, and I don't want it either. But I'm smarter than you. I took everything from him. Now he's just a piece of trash with nothing."

I nodded: "You're amazing. Please take your trash away. I need to work."

"Wife, forgive me. I promise I won't dare again. I'll give you all my money. Even if I want to find an escort, I won't be able to afford it..." Liang Shan hugged Xu Tiantian's thigh and wailed. As he wailed, he suddenly stopped.

My mother appeared outside the main entrance, pushed Xu Tiantian aside, and pulled Liang Shan up.

The way my mother looked at Liang Shan was like a mother looking at her son, the more she looked, the more her heart ached.

I felt I was about to lose all face at the company.

"Mom, what are you doing here?"

My mother gave me a look and supported Liang Shan, saying: "What am I doing? I'm here to save your family. If I didn't come, your husband would run off with someone else again."

"He's not my husband. He's Xu Tiantian's husband. He has nothing to do with me."

My mother got angry and said: "I don't care. He's Xiao Bao's father, so he's your husband. You two hurry up and remarry."

"Mom, did you come here specifically to pressure me?"

"I'm pressuring you? How am I pressuring you? This is all for your own good."

Liang Shan chimed in perfectly: "Mom, you're finally here. Look at Wen Rou, she's so disobedient."

My mother patted his hand and said: "Don't worry. I must make you two remarry."

This scene had shocked my colleagues. Someone even asked: "Whose mother is this old lady?"

In the crowd, Lao Wu adjusted his glasses.

Everyone in the company, including the front desk, knew that this was Lao Wu's habitual gesture when he was extremely impatient.

I said: "You all go back first. Let's talk after I get off work."

My mother immediately shouted: "No. If you don't agree to remarry today, I won't leave. Let's see if your company still wants you."

"Do you have to force me to death?"

"You're my daughter. Don't I know you? If you don't remarry, who else would want to marry you? Are you just going to muddle through like this for the rest of your life? Look at the life you're living."

"What kind of life am I living? Who caused me to be like this? Wasn't it him?"

"He's still willing to marry you. At least you'll have a family, and Xiao Bao will have a father. If he won't even marry you, what will you do for the rest of your life? Who would want you?"

My mother looked at me triumphantly, as if she had already won this battle.

In my mother's view, if a woman doesn't find a man to marry, she's like leftover food that no one wants, destined not to survive.

Being self-reliant and self-sufficient—how could that be something a woman could achieve?

Having children, doing housework, pleasing her husband—these are a woman's proper duties. When her husband cheats and runs away, as a woman, she should first reflect on whether she failed to fulfill her wife's responsibilities.

I was desperate, like I had been drained of blood, feeling like a paper person.

"I'm willing to marry you."

I was startled. This voice came from behind me, a very familiar voice.

I turned around. Lucas, an intern who had just joined our department, raised his arm and said righteously: "Sister Wen Rou is beautiful and has a good personality. Who wouldn't want to marry her? If I could marry her, I'd definitely treasure her."

My mother glared: "You little brat, how old are you? Wen Rou is already 35. What would you marry?"

"What's wrong with 35? Haven't you been 35? I'm 22 this year. I like 35-year-olds. Let me tell you, I like 35-year-old Sister Wen Rou this year, and next year I'll like 36-year-old Sister Wen Rou. What can you do about it? Can you force me to like you?"

My mother was furious. Lucas was tall and handsome. Compared to him, Liang Shan looked like an old monkey.

"I like Sister Wen Rou too. I'm 30 this year, have a house, car, and savings. My conditions are a bit better than his, right? I also want to treasure Sister Wen Rou."

This was our department head, a diamond bachelor, Lao Wu's hometown friend from America.

"I like Wen Rou too. Can my PhD from Columbia give me a chance? Please."

"I like Wen Rou too. I'm a local. My family has eight houses. Pick any bride price you want."

"I like Wen Rou too. My father... identity confidential, but you'll definitely be satisfied."

My colleagues started recommending themselves one after another. More than half of the male colleagues raised their hands to introduce themselves, each with top-notch conditions.

Lucas said: "Auntie, Sister Wen Rou is very popular. It wouldn't be your turn even if we went through 100 rounds."

My mother said: "Don't think I can't tell. These are all actors from your company. Where's your boss? Come out!"

Lao Wu silently walked from the back row to the front, adjusted his glasses, and said: "I'm the boss."

"You're the boss? The boss is so young? Are you the boss's son, or the boss's grandson?"

Lao Wu pointed to a photo on the wall.

My mother recognized the place in the photo as where the government often holds meetings, and the person shaking hands with Lao Wu seemed to have been seen on TV.

"Even if you're the boss, does your company meddle in employees' family affairs? That's going too far, isn't it?"

Lao Wu said politely: "Let's put family matters aside for now. Let's talk about business first, shall we?"

"Business? What business do I have with you?"

Lao Wu picked up a printed document from the front desk and handed it to my mother, saying: "A few days ago in Beijing, it was you who kept calling Wen Rou, right? You seriously interfered with a major company project negotiation, causing the company and client to lose over two million. The other party's lawyer's letter has already arrived. If we don't compensate, they will directly sue our company. At that time, this loss will be borne by Wen Rou."

"What? A meeting costs two million in compensation? Are you kidding me?" My mother took the document and looked left and right.

"Your endless phone calls made the client's overseas investors cancel cooperation. The actual loss exceeds five million. The entire meeting process was monitored and recorded. Wen Rou's call outside the conference room was also recorded. As direct responsible parties, you can't escape."

My mother looked at me: "Is this true? Try lying to me and see what happens."

I said: "I could have lied and said it wasn't you calling, but you insisted on calling my boss. Don't you remember? You'd better prepare the money. I don't have two million anyway."

My mother looked at Liang Shan, who scrambled up and ran out.

Xu Tiantian said: "I'd like to watch a good show, but I'm afraid that thing will go home and steal my things. I'm leaving first."

My mother threw up her hands: "I can't control this. You figure it out yourself. But you have to remarry."

I smiled bitterly: "Even if I die, I won't remarry."

"Don't pull this act with me. You're my daughter. I gave birth to you and raised you, not so you could fight against me."

"Mom, I really wish I weren't born to you."

I walked to the front desk, picked up a pen and paper, and wrote an IOU.

"I, Wen Rou, caused the company to lose two million due to work mistakes. This serves as proof to convert it into debt."

I showed it to my mother and said with a smile: "Mom, because of you, I owe the company two million. I've already written the IOU. From now on, we'll pay it back together. Neither of us can run away."

Lao Wu took the IOU and shouted: "Finance, lock it in the safe. From now on, 80% of Wen Rou's salary will be deducted each month to repay the debt."

"Mom, hurry up and sell the house in your hometown. From now on, you can call me however you want, whenever you want."

"In your dreams. I still need to live in that house."

My mother stared with terrified eyes and ran away. The elevator wasn't coming, so she ran down the stairs.

The whole company was watching me.

I bowed deeply to everyone.

"Thank you, everyone. Maybe I'm really not suitable to work here."

Lao Wu looked at the IOU left and right, disdainfully saying: "I still had a proper lawyer write the lawyer's letter. At least make your IOU more formal. It doesn't even have a signature."

I said awkwardly: "I didn't follow your train of thought."

Lao Wu sighed and said: "When my father had a mistress and wanted to divorce my mother, he also made a fake IOU. As soon as my mother found out, she immediately divorced him."

Experienced indeed.

"Unfortunately..." Lao Wu added, "that woman sued my father with the IOU, and the court ruled that my father had to repay the loan according to the IOU. What do you call this? Losing the wife and the army."

I snatched the IOU and tore it to shreds.

Lao Wu said helplessly: "I already said it didn't even have a signature. Why are you so excited? Get back to work. The Beijing project is successful."

I said: "I can't do it. I need to go home and彻底 solve my worries."

Between accompanying me through hard times and returning to her hometown to enjoy blessings, my mother chose the latter without hesitation.

Before getting in the car, my mother still had some doubts, until I took out my phone, clicked on the company group, and saw the notice posted by administration: "Notice on Employee Wen Rou's Debt of Two Million to the Company," then she boarded the car without looking back.

She had calculated carefully. After deducting 80% of my salary, I still had 4,000 yuan. Household expenses needed to be cut to the bone, requiring at least 3,000 yuan. So she wanted me to transfer 1,000 yuan to her each month as support.

After haggling for a while, I failed to bargain her down. My mother showed a victorious smile.

Family affection was the besieged city I couldn't escape from. I could only distance myself as much as possible from those terrible things.

Fortunately, I could get a lot of help. When I was on business trips, colleagues who were mothers were willing to take care of my son. Usually, the company also agreed to let me adjust my working hours to pick him up from school. Being a single mother raising a child while working was indeed hard, but I particularly cherished this hard-won focus. As long as I didn't relax professionally, there would always be a place for me in this industry.

The Beijing project progressed very smoothly, and I thus established my position in the company. An industry in its growth phase needed someone like me, and many media outlets in the industry even came to the company to interview me about how I balanced work and child-rearing.

My mother rarely called me anymore, occasionally sending nagging messages. She wasn't a bad person, just wanted too much. She was very friendly to relatives and friends in her hometown, even earning the title of "benevolent."

The problem, perhaps, lay in me being her daughter.

One day a few months later, Xu Tiantian suddenly insisted on meeting me.

I met her at a café. She still had that strikingly contrasting temperament.

Her first words were straightforward: "I sent Liangshan to prison."

Seeing my surprised but not unexpected expression, she took a deep drag from her cigarette and said: "Soliciting prostitution. I reported him."

Common sense told me this probably couldn't be called "sending him to prison."

She sneered and said: "He was really bold, even daring to touch minors. However, those people were专门 setting up blackmail schemes. He came to me for money, and I immediately brought the police to arrest them. I also gave all his confessions to the police as evidence. He's definitely looking at over three years."

I actually found myself admiring Xu Tiantian a bit.

At the same time, Uncle Jin's son was also sentenced. Uncle Jin ran to my mother and cursed her out, saying she never treated his son as her son. He wanted my mother to cough up 300,000 yuan to grease some palms and get his son's sentence reduced. Although my mother craved love, money was still very important in her heart. She immediately broke up with Uncle Jin, and her称呼 for him changed from Old Jin to family member of a prisoner.

Time passed bit by bit, and my life finally returned to normal peace. When I began to face those trivial problems, the problems seemed to dissipate on their own.

Lao Wu found a girlfriend at the end of the year, a young hottie he met at a bar, sweet and clingy together. But Lao Wu privately told me his plan was to only date for half a year; any longer and it would be easy to develop real feelings.

I was still single, and increasingly enjoyed being single. All my love went to my son. He was very sensible, often saying he wanted to protect me. He also found a stray cat and took good care of it, telling me that now our family was also a family of three.

I hoped life would treat everything around me well, including you all.

(End)