Chapter 1

There were two seconds of silence on the other end, then my mom’s voice shot up all at once.

“What do you mean by that? That’s your dad!”

“Your sister’s been strapped for cash lately. She just changed houses, and her kid’s about to be born. We don’t want to add to her burden.”

“So you want to add to mine?”

I cut her off, my fingers tightening around the phone without me even noticing.

“Mom, you and Dad get a little over 10,000 yuan in pension every month. That’s plenty in a small county town. How you spend your money is none of my business. You gave it to my sister for fifteen years, and I never made a peep. Now Dad needs surgery, and you turn around and ask me for 50,000. Isn’t that math off?”

“What do you mean off or not off!”

My mom sounded flustered.

“He’s your own father! Your sister’s situation isn’t good. As her older brother, can’t you help out a little?”

“Her situation isn’t good?”

I couldn’t help laughing.

“Mom, that new place she changed into is 140 square meters. Who paid the down payment? Her husband’s 200,000-yuan car—who bought that? You transfer your pension to her on time every month. That’s 120,000 yuan a year, 1.8 million over fifteen years.”

“You...”

My mom choked on her words. A few seconds later, her voice softened again, carrying a hint of begging.

“Kevin, listen to Mom. Your sister really has it hard. The mortgage is a huge pressure, and your brother-in-law’s job isn’t stable. As parents, we have to think for them.”

“Did you ever think for me?” I asked.

There was silence on the phone again.

I heard my dad muttering something on the side. I couldn’t make it out, but my mom quickly said again,

“Kevin, how can you be this petty? We’re family. Why are you separating yours and mine? Your dad raised you to this age, and now that he’s sick, isn’t it only right that you pitch in?”

“Only right.”

I repeated those three words and suddenly felt exhausted.

“Mom, the money for your old age got transferred to my sister every month on time. That was only right. Now Dad’s sick, and the first people you think of are me. That’s only right too. Then what about my sister? What’s she supposed to do?”

“Of course she’ll take care of it! She just doesn’t have money right now...”

“Doesn’t have money.”

I laughed again.

“Mom, do you even believe that?”

My mom was probably so choked up she couldn’t say anything. After a few seconds, her tone turned hard again.

“Kevin, what kind of attitude is that? I’m your mother. Your dad is lying in the hospital waiting for surgery, and this is how you talk to us?”

I didn’t say anything.

“Fine, fine, I’m not talking to you anymore!”

My mom got anxious.

“Are you transferring it or not?”

“No.”

The moment I heard myself say those two words, my voice was calm in a way that felt unfamiliar.

There was a second of silence on the other end, then my mom’s shrill voice exploded.

“Kevin! That’s your dad! Do you even have a conscience?!”

“Mom,” I said, “when you gave all the money to my sister back then, wasn’t it already agreed that she’d take care of you in old age?”