At the age of twenty-four, my business started to show a little improvement.

I bought a set of clothes at a certain store, carried a canvas bag back home, and cried to my parents about the failure of my business, detailing how much money I had lost. Then I made it clear that I needed to borrow money.

My parents immediately kicked me out, saying they wouldn't lend me any money.

As they were kicking me out, they scolded, "You, a university graduate, thought you could bring honor to our family, support your younger siblings, but instead, you racked up so much debt outside. Get as far away from us as possible, don't show up at our doorstep, and don't harm your younger siblings."

"We were hoping you could repay the money you owe us, but not only did you not repay us, you also accumulated a bunch of debt outside. You better hurry up and pay back the money you owe us, we need it urgently!"

Many people from the village came out to watch the commotion, pointing and shaking their heads in disapproval.

I left the village with my head down. As I got on the bus, I almost lost my composure.

Word quickly spread to my younger siblings.

After getting the news, they never came to ask me for money again. The group chat where we used to transfer money constantly was also disbanded.

I lost contact with them.

It wasn't until a year later that my mom suddenly contacted me, asking if I had repaid the debt and telling me to pay back the IOU I had given them during high school.

I held the car keys that had just been handed to me and mumbled, "Your sister is pregnant. The family's money was used to treat your grandmother's illness, there's no money left for her abortion. You better transfer the money today so I can take your sister for the procedure."

I was shocked. My sister was only eighteen this year, just graduated from vocational school, and already pregnant?

Before I could say anything, I heard my sister's voice on the other end, "I said I don't want an abortion! I want to keep this child. Why do you have the right to stop me from keeping it? I'm already an adult!"

My dad's angry voice came through, "Wake up! That man is fifteen years older than you! He has a family! You're just a mistress, and this child you're carrying will be a bastard!"

I widened my eyes in shock, then covered my mouth with my hand, as if I had just heard some shocking news.

My sister's voice became even sharper, "I don't care! I want to keep this child! He's been so good to me, willing to spend so much money on me, buying me things I could never afford. I want to have his child! And he promised me, he will divorce soon!"

Then my brother roared, "I'm going to kill that man right now. Let's see if you still want to have his child!"

It was chaotic on the other end. I could hear my parents shouting, faintly hear my grandmother's voice, and then my mom's urgent voice, "Transfer five thousand yuan right now, we're taking your sister for an abortion!"

Then they hung up the phone, regardless of whether I agreed or not.

But I still transferred them five thousand yuan.

It's not that I only wanted to transfer five thousand, it's that they only needed five thousand.