Back home, I leaned against the bedroom door lost in thought.

I opened the safe hidden under the bed.

I took out the pink hairpin that Dad had crushed that year.

I slowly pieced it together, sticking it back with 502 glue.

But there was still a missing piece.

Dad walked in, holding his ledger.

This was the second time Dad had brought out his ledger to me.

The first time he did so was when I turned down Tsinghua University, he showed me the ledger page by page, asking me to repay his kindness.

Back then, I had no money.

I gave him an IOU.

Dad kicked me and the chair three meters away.

He said even if I died, I couldn't repay his kindness.

This was the second time Dad brought out his ledger. He said my younger brother was getting married, and the bride's family demanded a dowry of 188,000 yuan. Dad asked me to repay him for raising me, telling me to give him all my money.

My brother came over, hugged Dad, and said, "Dad, don't be too much. My sister also has it tough. I'll talk to my girlfriend again. It's my fault."

I laughed.

I said, "Brother, I've given you all the money. There's 220,000 yuan on the card I gave you."

My brother was stunned, his eyes wide open. He said, "How can that be? Sister, don't joke around."

Dad was also stunned.

Dad looked at me sternly and said, "Li Juan, how do you have so much money? Are you selling yourself outside?"

I felt like I was being stabbed with a needle.

I immediately jumped up, grabbed everything around me like pillows and chairs, and threw them at Dad. I beat him like a mad person, shouting at the top of my lungs, saying, "Yes! I am selling myself outside! I am!"

Dad lunged at me, hitting me like he did when I was a child.

But this time, my brother stopped him.

Dad has also grown old.

I, in a fit of rage, kicked Dad, making him stumble and sit on the ground with a red face and thick neck. He said, "Li Juan, you've gone mad! You've learned to hit people, haven't you? Do you have no shame!"

I bent over laughing, tears streaming down my face, and said as if making an oath, "Dad, you're old now. You can't control me anymore."

Dad pointed at my nose, "Li Juan, don't think that your 220,000 yuan can repay my kindness to you! Let me tell you, all the education and effort I put into you, even if you die, you can't repay it!"

Is that so?

What can be done then?

I really want to die.

My brother dragged Dad out while holding his waist. I took a step back, accidentally stepping on the just-repaired pink hairpin, causing the pieces I had pieced together to break again.

It's all fate.