A few months before the college entrance examination, my parents divorced.

My mother pleaded with my father not to let me know.

Little did she know that I was standing at the door, separated from them by a small wooden gate.

I even held in my hand the award certificate for being first place in the mock exam.

My father said nothing, pushed the door open, and when he saw me standing still, he frowned slightly.

"Tell your mother to bother me less."

"So are you."

Impatiently, he left without looking back.

My mother chased after him barefoot.

When she saw me, she smiled awkwardly and said, "Dear, you're back. What do you want to eat? I'll make it for you."

That cautious expression stabbed at my heart.

When my mother had a high fever when she was young, it damaged her brain. After marrying my father, she was always called a fool by his relatives.

When I was in junior high school, during the Chinese New Year in my father's hometown, several unruly kids from my father's relatives surrounded my mother and chanted, "Big fool, big fool, the big fool gave birth to a worthless child."

I realized that this scene was exactly the same. My mother was surrounded by them, at a loss and desperately trying to please the leader of those kids by stuffing candies into his hand.

"Spit, spit, spit! My mom said! We can't accept things from fools!"

The candy fell to the ground in an instant.

My rationality snapped and I took three to five steps forward, giving the leader of those kids, my father's nephew, three big slaps on the face.

Before that kid could even react, my father became furious and rushed over, kicking me away with one kick. That kid's mother, my own aunt, came over with resentment, ready to step on my head.

My mother, who used to be dull and slow, suddenly became very quick to react. She rushed over and protected me under her body.

She endured all those punches and kicks for me.

That night, while all the households were bright with happiness, only my mother and I squatted under a street lamp, feeling out of place.

"Mom, I will definitely get into a good university in the future, make a lot of money, and take you to eat a lot of delicious food." I trembled.

She just kept blowing hot air and rubbing my cold hands over and over again.

"My dear, I want her to be happy, joyful, not tired, not in pain, not suffering."

On the night I was kicked out of the house, I made a silent vow.

Yu Jiang, you must be very successful in the future, absolutely.