My mother eventually found out about my father having money to play mahjong. On the afternoon of Chinese New Year's Eve, while other families were happily making dumplings and preparing the New Year's Eve dinner, there was constant arguing in my home.

Before my father and mother could determine a winner in their dispute, a group of uninvited guests arrived at our house.

The man in charge found my father and demanded money from him.

My father claimed not to know him.

The man sneered, "Wang Xiaomei, do you know her? That's my wife!"

My father's expression changed instantly.

His eyes were filled with guilt.

The man grabbed my father by the collar and said, "Brother, I don't care how many times you slept with my wife. Let's calculate it at market price: 200 yuan per time. It's the end of the year, so you should give me 1,000 to 2,000 yuan to spend."

My father was extremely guilty and muttered softly, "I don't have that much money..."

Hearing this, the man picked up a fruit knife from the table and said, "No money? Then we'll settle the debt using other means!"

As he spoke, he made a motion as if he were going to chop off my father's fingers.

My father was terrified and quickly reached into his pocket for money.

It turned out that his jacket pocket had two layers.

There was a lot of money stuffed inside the inner layer.

He took out all the money, and the man counted it before leaving satisfied.

My mother exploded like a bomb and grabbed a stool, smashing it down on my father's head.

My father was caught off guard and fell to the ground.

My mother yelled loudly, "Wang Ba Dan, you have money to support other women outside, but you can't even support your daughter. Are you still human?"

My father covered his bleeding head and cursed at my mother, "You gave birth to the son, what does it have to do with me? I told you back then that I didn't have money to raise a child. It was you who insisted on giving birth. Now you want me to support him? Dream on!"

My mother became even angrier and started fighting with my father.

After that incident, they got divorced.

My father resolutely refused to take custody of the child and only agreed to pay my mother 1,000 yuan per month as child support.

My father paid child support for only three years. Starting from the fourth year, he stopped sending money and his phone became unreachable.

At that time, my mother and I lived in a rented house. She worked as a stock clerk at a supermarket, and it was very hard for her.

My mother inquired about my father's whereabouts and finally found out his address.

She taught me a lot of persuasive language and sent me off with ten yuan, carrying my younger brother.

Just like before, my mother pushed me out to solve the problem.

It was the first time I had ever taken a bus. With ten yuan, we went straight from our village to the city.

When we arrived in the city, my mother told me to hold tightly onto the piece of paper with my father's address and ask people along the way. She assured me that I would find it.

I held onto the piece of paper tightly throughout the journey, afraid to let go.

Fortunately, I didn't encounter any human traffickers; instead, I met kind and friendly people.

An elderly lady who was buying vegetables recognized my address and said she also lived there, so she took me there.

The old lady knocked on the door of the room, and I saw my father standing at the entrance, acting very polite, "Landlady, why are you here? It's not time to pay rent yet, right?"

The old lady smiled and pushed me forward, saying, "Look, isn't this your daughter?"

My father's expression changed when he saw me.

He frowned and looked at me, saying, "Why are you here?"

Before I could say anything, my father continued, "Did your mother send you?"

I nodded, timidly saying, "Dad, you didn't give mom any living expenses last month..."

Myfather's face turned red with anger. He shouted, "That woman is always bothering me about money! I've had enough!"

I started crying, and my father's expression softened a bit. He sighed and said, "Come in."

We entered the small, rundown room. It was messy and smelled of alcohol.

My father sat down on a dilapidated sofa and asked, "What do you want?"

I hesitated for a moment and then gathered my courage. "Dad, can you please give mom some money? She works so hard, but it's still not enough to support us."

My father let out a bitter laugh. "Money? I don't have any money. I'm barely making ends meet myself. Your mother should stop bothering me."

I didn't know what to say. I looked around the room and saw empty beer bottles scattered on the floor. It was clear that my father was not living a decent life.

Feeling disappointed and defeated, I said, "Okay, I'll tell mom that you don't have any money."

As I turned to leave, my father suddenly called out, "Wait."

I stopped and turned back to look at him.

My father reached into his pocket and took out a crumpled 100-yuan bill. He handed it to me and said, "Take this and tell your mother that it's all I can give for now."

I was surprised and relieved. I took the money and thanked him.

Before leaving, I asked, "Dad, can I come visit you again?"

My father hesitated for a moment and then nodded. "Sure, but not too often. I'm busy with work."

With a mix of emotions, I left my father's place and returned home. I gave the 100 yuan to my mother, and she thanked me with tears in her eyes.

From that day on, I visited my father occasionally. Each time, I would see glimpses of regret and sadness in his eyes, but he never mentioned anything about supporting us financially.

As I grew older, I began to understand that my father's absence and lack of support were not solely due to his unwillingness, but also because he was trapped in his own difficult circumstances.

While I couldn't change the past, I made a promise to myself that I would work hard and strive for a better future, not just for myself, but also for my mother and younger brother.

Years later, I was able to fulfill that promise. I found a stable job and provided for my family. My mother and I no longer relied on my father's sporadic contributions.

Although my father's actions had caused pain and hardship for us, I learned to forgive him and understand that life is complex, and people make mistakes.

Our relationship remained distant, but I held no resentment towards him. I chose to focus on creating a positive and loving environment for my own family.

Through our struggles, I gained strength and resilience. And while my father's absence left a void in my life, it also taught me the importance of perseverance and self-reliance.

Now, as I reflect on those challenging times, I am grateful for the lessons learned and the person I have become.