Going home for Chinese New Year, I squeezed onto a bus with three energetic young women.

Zhang Qian took a big step back.

The woman missed her target and stumbled, managing to brace herself against the edge of the sofa to avoid falling to the ground.

"Qianqian." The woman turned her head, her face beaming with smiles.

"Mom misses you so much. Where have you been all these years?

Zhang Qian felt a churning in her stomach.

"Don't call me by my nickname." Zhang Qian stared at her. "It's disgusting."

The woman didn't care about Zhang Qian's terrible attitude at all.

She stood up straight, her face still bearing a kind smile, even with a hint of tolerance.

"Qianqian, it seems you have a big misunderstanding about your mother."

The woman's voice was dry and hoarse:

"It was my fault before, I made you suffer."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Qian turned to look at Bai Li.

Seeing Bai Li deep in thought, she assumed Bai Li was being fooled by the woman's pretense, and she spoke urgently, pointing at her mother:

"Brother, don't be fooled by her!"

"She's definitely faking it!"

"Otherwise, why hasn't she come to see me even once in all these years? Why hasn't she even made a single phone call?"

The woman ignored Zhang Qian's accusations.

She followed Zhang Qian's gaze and looked at Bai Li sitting on the sofa.

"Is this your boyfriend?"

She looked Bai Li up and down.

Bai Li was wearing the horse-riding pickaxe handle that Zhang Qian had bought for him, and an expensive watch on his wrist, making him look very wealthy.

"Wow, he's so handsome. It seems our Qianqian is quite lucky."

She took a step forward, ready to continue trying to get closer to him.

"Enough!" Zhang Qian shouted, pointing her finger at her nose.

"What exactly are you trying to do after saying all this?!"

After speaking, she turned her head and looked at Zhang Jirong, who was lying next to the coffee table:

"You can't possibly think that just because she's become this hypocritical, I'll listen to you, can you?"

Zhang Jirong didn't respond.

He even rolled over, finding a more comfortable position to lie on the ground, making gurgling sounds in his throat, and grinning strangely.

The more silent Zhang Jirong became, the more irritated Zhang Qian felt.

When the woman saw Zhang Qian get angry, she put on a sad face.

Zhang Qian snorted coldly at her behavior.

"Do you remember seven years ago?" Zhang Qian stared at her.

Seven years ago, the school charged five yuan for class fees.

"I asked you for money then. Just five yuan." Zhang Qian took a step closer:

"You said you didn't have money to gamble. So you told me to steal money from other kids to pay for it!"

The atmosphere in the living room changed as soon as he said that.

Bai Li felt incredulous.

A middle school student asked his biological mother for five yuan from class funds, and the answer he received was to steal it.

No wonder Zhang Qian lacks a sense of security. Growing up in such a family, it's a miracle she survived.

Hearing this, the aunt next to her burst into tears again.

She turned her head away, unable to bear looking at Zhang Qian.

The woman did not refute Zhang Qian's question.

She stood still.

Suddenly, she opened her mouth and yawned.

Immediately afterwards, her body trembled uncontrollably.

The woman raised her hand, trying to cover her mouth, but her hands trembled violently, her ten fingers bent and shaking wildly in mid-air.

She forced herself to stay alert and patiently looked at Zhang Qian.

"Didn't you just ask Mom what she wanted to do?"

The woman rubbed her hands together, her voice trembling and out of tune:

"Well, Mom's recently started a business. It's making a lot of money..."

Zhang Qian chuckled.

"You'd be that kind?"

Zhang Qian looked at her:

"Besides, even if you work as a sales assistant in a department store, how much money can you possibly make?"

Zhang Qian didn't believe her at all.

The woman leaned closer mysteriously and lowered her voice.

"Thanks to your Uncle Jirong, Mom has already found a way."

The woman pointed to Zhang Jirong, who was lying on the ground.

When Zhang Jirong heard his name called, he groaned twice on the ground.

The woman continued to stare at Zhang Qian with a fervent gaze.

"This job is not difficult at all."

She rubbed her hands together, and her speech quickened:

"You can make money while lying down. And it's fun, and you can make money too!"

You can enjoy yourself and make money while lying down.

These words came from a mother, and the recipient was her own daughter.

Zhang Qian was stunned.

She had considered that this woman might borrow money, and she had considered that she might act shamelessly.

But I never imagined that this woman would set her sights on that kind of thing.

The woman did not notice anything unusual about Zhang Qian.

She continued speaking.

"Would you like to go in Mom's place?"

Zhang Qian was at a loss for words. Her lips moved slightly involuntarily, and her voice was very soft:

"..roll..."

The woman wasn't angry either.

Her body trembled even more violently, and she yawned again.

Then, her expression changed.

The kind and tolerant demeanor from before vanished completely, replaced by an extreme and morbid fanaticism.

She was panting heavily, her hands flailing wildly over her body:

"Then take the money you earned..."

"How about we buy medicine for Mom...?"