Chapter 8 The Letter
Peaceful days lasted five years.
My grades stayed at the top. The certificates on the wall were replaced again and again.
Gu Feng went to junior high. He shot up tall and was already half a grown boy.
He rode his bike every day with me sitting on the back seat.
Aunt's second stall did great business. Uncle became a skilled master in the factory. Things at home got much easier.
We moved out of that old tube building and into a two-bedroom apartment with its own kitchen and bathroom.
I had my own real little room. It wasn't big, but it had a desk and a bright window.
I felt truly happy.
Until the second semester of sixth grade, the day I brought home the first-prize certificate from the city math competition—that peace was shattered by one letter.
It was a thin kraft envelope, no stamp, probably handed over by someone.
My name was written on it in crooked handwriting.
Mom's handwriting.
Aunt was in the kitchen kneading dough, planning to make dumplings that night to celebrate with me and Gu Feng.
She saw me standing frozen in the doorway holding the letter, took it, and glanced.
The smile froze on her face.
She tore it open and pulled out the thin sheet.
I leaned over. It was covered in dense writing.
The letter wasn't for me. It was for Aunt.
The content was simple. First some roundabout greetings about how Aunt's family was doing, then the topic turned to my Older Brother Lin Kai.
She said Lin Kai was about to graduate junior high, grades bad, couldn't get into high school, wanted to send him to a technical school in the city to learn a trade, but short three thousand yuan for tuition.
At the end, she wrote in a matter-of-fact tone:
"Xia, I know your life is good now."
"Lin Kai is your Older Brother's only bloodline. You can't ignore him."
"You send me three thousand first. When Lin Kai makes something of himself later, he won't forget your kindness."
"Pah!"
Aunt crumpled the letter into a ball and slammed it on the floor.
"Shameless! No shame at all! How does she have the face to write this letter! She still dares mention my brother?!"
"Still asking me for money? After all these years if I didn't go ask her for money she'd burn incense in thanks!"
I was so scared I didn't dare move. The certificate slipped from my hand to the floor.
Suddenly I felt like a thief who had been exposed. All the happiness and security had been stolen.