"Ring ring."

I glanced at my phone.

"Xiaoping."

"Fuck you! Are you out of your mind? Damn it, I've been so unlucky to be in a relationship with a poor guy like you."

"Is there shit in your head? Why did you post our photo on the short video platform? Do you know I'm being cyberbullied now?"

"Do you hear yourself? Why don't you just die? I'm begging you, just die. What have I gained from being with you these two years?"

"I used to think you were a honest person, I didn't care that you were poor. I just wanted someone reliable. Now my parents' information has been exposed. Just die already."

"I'm sorry."

"Die! Just die! Your sister's dead, your mom's dead, you should die too, your whole family should die!"

Xiaoping hung up the phone.

Xiaoping is my girlfriend. I always thought someone from my background, someone like me, didn't deserve to have a girlfriend.

But she was different from other girls. She didn't care that I was poor, didn't mind that I was frugal.

Although she had mentioned a few times that I never gave her gifts, she was never really angry about it.

Just a few days ago, she suggested visiting my father, I refused, and she got really mad.

Turns out she was this kind of person, it's fine, someone like me wasn't meant for love anyway.

Got off the train.

I still had to take a three-hour minibus ride.

The road to the mountains was rough, the bus ride was very shaky. Maybe because I hadn't eaten all day, my stomach was really uncomfortable, I felt like vomiting.

When I arrived at the village, even though it was already late, the village head awaited me at the entrance.

"You're back, Xiaochang."

"How did my dad die?"

"Drank pesticide, right at your mom's grave. By the time he was discovered, he was already reeking."

Upon hearing this, I didn't cry, I just nodded coldly.

"Better bury him quickly. Your dad’s body is currently in your yard, and the smell is overwhelming."

Returning to my small courtyard, it felt somewhat unfamiliar.

When my dad was alive, he kept the yard very clean.

Now, the yard was overgrown with weeds, it no longer resembled its former self.

I could no longer control myself, I knelt down and burst into tears.

When we buried my dad, quite a few relatives came.

They didn't come when my sister died, didn't come when my mom died, but they came when my dad died.

I knew it was for my sake.

There were not many college students from our village, in their eyes, getting into college meant you would amount to something in this life.

Wonder if they would regret this if they knew my reputation had become this tarnished.

A few uncles and aunts put on a show of crying in front of my dad's grave, not a single tear fell.

And then the burial was hurriedly carried out.

Like my dad back then, I didn't arrange a meal for them.

The difference was, back then they left cursing, now they patted my shoulder offering their condolences.

After everyone had left, I gathered my dad's belongings.

There wasn't anything too valuable, just some cash, some money in the bankbook.

I also found a metal box under my dad's pillow.

Opening the metal box, I cried until I could barely breathe.