Chapter 4

She had already hung up.

I stood in the living room clutching my phone, my whole body shaking.

Wendy walked over and steadied my shoulder. “What is it?”

“They...”

I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down.

“Mom and Dad already bought tickets. They’re coming tomorrow morning and want me to pick them up. They want me to take care of Dad’s surgery.”

Wendy frowned, but she didn’t say anything.

I threw my phone onto the sofa, completely drained.

“Wendy,” I said hoarsely, “I’m really done with this.”

She didn’t say anything. She just pulled me into her arms.

Leaning against her, I suddenly thought of a lot of things.

I thought of when I was little and there was something tasty at home. My mom would say to let my sister pick first because she was younger.

Then when my sister grew up, my mom still said to let her pick first because she was a girl and needed to be spoiled.

I thought of the year I took the college entrance exam. I got into a university in the provincial capital, and my mom said not to go. The family couldn’t afford it. She wanted my sister to go to a normal university and study education instead, because the tuition was lower.

I said I’d work part-time myself to pay the tuition, and she didn’t stop me again—but she didn’t give me a single cent either.

For four years of college, I worked part-time for four years and never went home during summer or winter break.

I thought of how, after graduation, I sent money home every month, and my mom said my sister needed to buy a house, so I should send more.

I sent it.

Later, when my sister got married, my mom said the dowry wasn’t enough and I should chip in more.

I chipped in.

Then later, when I was getting married, my mom said the dowry the bride’s family gave couldn’t be short by even a cent—180,000 yuan.

I asked her what they were keeping that money for.

She said, “Your sister still has to have children later.”

180,000 yuan. I gave it.

I told myself it was repayment for raising me.

But now?

Now Dad was sick, and they came looking for me.

Now my mom called to curse me for having no conscience, and my sister sent me a WeChat message telling me to go pick them up.

Then what did the last thirty years of my life even amount to?

“Kevin.” Wendy’s voice pulled me back from my memories. “What are you going to do?”

I looked up at her.

“I don’t want to pick them up, and I don’t want to take care of him.”

She nodded. “Then don’t.”

“But they’re already on the way.”

“So what?”

She looked at me.

“That’s their business. Whether you pick them up or not is your business. Kevin, you have the right to say no.”

I froze, then slowly smiled.

Yeah. I had the right to say no.

But it felt like I’d never said it before.

From childhood to now, I’d gotten used to obeying.

My parents told me to give way to my sister, so I gave way.

They told me to do more work, so I did more.

They told me to send money home, so I sent it.

“Wendy, let’s go to your parents’ place.”

She blinked. “Now?”

“Now.”

“If my parents come and I don’t pick them up, they’ll definitely come looking for us. I don’t want to wait for them at home. Let’s stay at your parents’ place for a few days and come back after they leave.”