Chapter 3
Edward Quan ·
6
I thought Mum might hold out for a few more months.
She broke much sooner.
According to my eldest aunt, the bank had sent an arrears notice for Tianci’s flat.
I had cost her husband his job, but she still hoped I would find him something better.
She was firmly on my side now.
Every little development at home came straight to me.
The mortgage trouble surprised me.
The monthly payment was only a little over three thousand yuan.
I paid two thousand. My sisters split the remaining thousand or so.
Even without my contribution, the gap shouldn’t have brought the bank down on them so quickly.
My aunt sounded angry and pleased at once.
“Your mother refused to cover your two thousand. She told your sisters to add a thousand each.
“The eldest didn’t object. The second did. They had a huge row, and she walked out. Says she won’t pay even the few hundred she used to.
“Your eldest sister’s too soft. She wanted to cover the whole payment herself.
“Her mother-in-law found out and accused her of stealing from them to support her own family.
“Her husband just follows his mother. He beat her so badly she’s still in bed.
“Everything’s chaos now. The bank keeps calling!”
I listened in silence.
Mum must have thought I would soften eventually.
Instead, the credit card was blocked and the money dried up.
When she scraped together the two hundred and eighty-eight thousand for Xiao Hui, she emptied the pot.
Nothing remained for Tianci.
My aunt spoke again, hurriedly.
“Got to go. Sounds like another fight. I’ll see what’s happening.”
Less than five minutes later, she sent a video.
I opened it and laughed.
Tianci was pointing at Mum’s face and shouting.
“Are you mad? You spend all day going after my sister, then give Uncle every penny in the house. What are we supposed to live on now? Air?”
She shook with rage.
“I did it for you! Your sister was getting above herself. How was I supposed to control her without teaching her a lesson?”
“For me? You drove away the goose laying our golden eggs for me?”
He shouted louder.
“If we can’t pay, the bank takes the flat! I don’t care. Go to Uncle and get the money back, or go beg my sister!”
The mention of the flat shook her.
“Couldn’t you borrow a little from your girlfriend? You’ve sent her plenty. Surely she can lend some back.”
Tianci’s girlfriend was pretty and slender, with a voice so sweet it set my teeth on edge.
Money was the foundation of their relationship.
He grew angrier.
“Borrow? She’s already threatening to dump me! Listen, if I lose that flat, I’ll kill myself!”
Mum must have spent the night turning it over before finally deciding to call me.
She cared about appearances.
She had delivered the money to Uncle.
She had made the grand promises.
By now, he had probably handed over the bride-price.
How could she humiliate herself by asking for it back?
After all that thought, she chose to work on me instead.
Her irritation came clearly down the phone.
I could picture the frown on her face.
“Xu Jingjing, very clever. Getting all the relatives to lecture me. Quite an achievement.”
I held the phone a little farther away.
“They wanted to tell you off. What’s it got to do with me? Go shout at them.”
Her teeth ground audibly.
“What do you want? Do you even consider this your family anymore?”
“Family? Do you consider me family? Punishments. Kicking me out of the group. I’m not one of you.”
Her voice shook.
“So you want to cut us off?”
I laughed softly.
“You’re the one who told everyone to punish me. You removed me from the group. How did this become my decision?”
She had no answer.
Then her voice softened.
“Your brother can’t keep up the mortgage. We’re short of money.
“Pay it for him, and I’ll overlook your foolish behavior.”
“Oh? Is that all I get?”
Her voice rose again, impatient.
“What do you want, then? As long as it’s reasonable.”
I spoke lightly, almost cheerfully.
“I want the same treatment as Xu Tianci.
“My name goes on that flat’s title.
“And I get half the old house and land in the village.
“Of course, I’ll take my share of responsibility for supporting you.
“If you can’t do that, we have nothing to discuss.”
She knew I wasn’t joking.
The line went silent.
After about ten strained seconds, she spoke.
“All right. I agree. But quietly. Don’t tell your sisters. Don’t tell Tianci either. It’ll cause trouble.”
So she still had some sense.
Placate me first.
With me paying, life at home could settle back into its old comfort.
If she truly drove me away, she might end up with nothing.