My stepmother forced me to donate bone marrow, so I retaliated by slapping my scumbag father in the

An old residential area on the outskirts of Jing'an District in Shanghai.

At 6:30 pm, half of the motion-activated light in the hallway was broken.

Shen Ze carried a bag of discounted vegetables up the stairs, his footsteps echoing hollowly on the cement steps.

This building is quite old.

The paint on the walls was peeling off, the handrails were rusting, and several dusty bicycles were piled up at the entrance of the building.

In summer, the smell of dampness mixed with the smell of cooking oil rises up; in winter, the wind blows in through the cracks in the windows, making it cold both inside and outside.

Shen Ze lives on the third floor.

This is an old house left by my grandmother. It has two bedrooms and a living room. It's not big, and it's not new either.

Insert the key into the lock, give it a gentle turn, and the door opens.

The room was quiet.

Shen Ze put the vegetables into the kitchen, boiled water first, then rinsed the rice, his movements as practiced as if he had done it countless times.

A yellowed sticky note was pasted next to the stove, with words written by the late mother, Xu Ying.

"There are spare ribs in the fridge, remember to eat them."

The writing had become darkened by the soot.

The spare ribs are long gone.

The person is gone too.

Shen Ze stood in front of the stove, looked at the note for a few seconds, and then looked away.

He is not the original Shen Ze of this world.

To be precise, he came here with memories of his previous life and became Xu Ying's son.

When he first transmigrated, he was still young and couldn't do many things. He could only watch his family fall apart step by step.

He was seven years old that year.

The father, Shen Jianjun, caught the wave of entrepreneurship and made a fortune of millions by trading building materials and construction fees.

Back then, a million was not a number that could be casually mentioned now.

When the neighbors talked about Shen Jianjun, they all said that Xu Ying was lucky, that she married a capable man, and that the Shen family would rise to prominence in the future.

But money comes fast, and people change even faster.

Shen Jianjun started staying out all night, and the smell of cigarettes, alcohol, and perfume on him became increasingly strong.

Xu Ying wasn't stupid. She asked questions and argued with them, but what she got in the end wasn't an explanation, but a divorce agreement.

Shen Ze still remembers that day.

In the living room, Shen Jianjun was wearing a newly bought suit, his hair was slicked back, and he had a cigarette between his fingers. His tone was as calm as if he were discussing a business deal.

"Xu Ying, let's part ways amicably."

Xu Ying sat on the sofa, her face deathly pale.

She stared at the agreement, her voice trembling, "Shen Jianjun, are you having an affair?"

Shen Jianjun frowned: "Don't put it so harshly."

"What about the child?"

Xu Ying pointed at Shen Ze standing at the door, "Xiao Ze is only seven years old, what are you going to do with him?"

Shen Jianjun finally glanced at Shen Ze.

That glance held no pity, no guilt, only impatience.

"The child will stay with you, and I will give him living expenses every month."

"living expenses?"

Xu Ying smiled, but tears streamed down her face. "What do you take us, mother and son, for?"

Shen Jianjun stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray.

"Xu Ying, I'm different now than before. Don't keep bringing it up; it's not good for anyone."

Shen Ze remembered those words for many years.

It's not good for anyone.

Later he realized that the "everyone" that Shen Jianjun referred to never included him and Xu Ying.

After the divorce, Xu Ying moved back to the old house left by her grandmother with Shen Ze.

Although my family wasn't wealthy before, we still had a complete family. After moving back, life suddenly became very difficult.

Xu Ying goes to the vegetable market to buy goods during the day and sets up a vegetable stall on the roadside to sell vegetables at night.

Summer heat makes it hard to breathe, winter cold makes your fingers stiff.

She always gave the thickest gloves to Shen Ze, while she used her frozen, red hands to weigh vegetables and give change to customers.

"Xiao Ze, go sit over there, don't get cold."

"Mom, I'm not cold."

"obedient."

Shen Ze was young and small at that time, so even with memories of his past life, he couldn't change anything.

All he could do was help his mother carry vegetables after school, help her hawk her wares, and help her with the accounts.

One evening, the rain had just stopped, and the road was covered in mud and water.

Xu Ying rode a tricycle, which was piled high with unsold vegetables.

Shen Ze sat in the back, holding a bag of potatoes in his hands.

As I rode my bike to the entrance of the mall, a black luxury car stopped.

The car door opened, and Shen Jianjun got out of the car.

He was wearing an expensive coat and his leather shoes were polished to a shine.

Standing beside him was a well-dressed woman, who was holding a little boy in her arms.

That woman is Sun Mei, and that child is Shen Cong.

Shen Cong was dressed in designer children's clothing, with a soft scarf around her neck and an imported toy in her hand.

Sun Mei lowered her head to make him laugh, while Shen Jianjun stood beside her with a patience that Shen Ze had never seen before.

Xu Ying stopped the car. She didn't say anything, and neither did Shen Ze.

People were coming and going at the mall entrance. Some people saw the rotten vegetable leaves on Xu Ying's car, frowned, and walked around it.

Some people also noticed Shen Jianjun's luxury car and couldn't help but take a second look.

The two sides are only a dozen meters apart.

On one side were mud, old tricycles, and leftover vegetables.

On one side are luxury cars, designer clothes, and brightly lit shopping mall entrances.

Shen Ze sat in the back of the truck, his fingers clenching tighter and tighter; he was waiting.

Even if Shen Jianjun only glances at them, even if he only says a word.

But Shen Jianjun didn't.

He picked up Shen Cong, straightened the child's scarf, and then put his arm around Sun Mei as they entered the mall.

From beginning to end, he acted as if he didn't see Xu Ying and Shen Ze by the roadside.

Xu Ying lowered her head and, after a long while, started pedaling the tricycle again.

The road was slippery after the rain, so she pedaled very slowly.

Looking at her thin back, Shen Ze suddenly felt as if a stone was stuck in his chest.

"mom."

"Um?"

"I will make money in the future."

Xu Ying smiled and said softly, "Okay, Mom will wait."

She waited for many years, but never got to enjoy her happiness.

When Shen Ze was in his second year of high school, Xu Ying was diagnosed with an illness.

It started as just a cough, but it got worse and worse.

She was afraid of spending money, so she kept putting it off until she could no longer bear it and finally went to the hospital.

During that period, Shen Ze attended classes during the day and stayed at the hospital with his patients at night. His textbooks and workbooks were spread out on the small table in the ward. When he was sleepy, he would lie down for a while and continue studying when he woke up.

Xu Ying looked at him with heartache: "Xiao Ze, why don't you take the exam so far away?"

Shen Ze held her hand: "Mom, I want to apply to Shanghai University."

"You must have to get a very high score, right?"

"Hmm, a little over six hundred."

Xu Ying smiled: "My son will definitely do it."

Shen Ze really did it.

When the university admission letter from Shanghai University arrived at my old neighborhood after I scored 660 on the college entrance exam, the whole building was abuzz.

The neighbors gathered at the door, praising him sincerely.

"Xu Ying, you've finally made it through!"

"Shanghai University, this kid is sure to have a bright future!"

"If Shen Jianjun found out, he'd be kicking himself!"

Xu Ying sat on the bed, holding the admission notice in her hand, looking at it over and over again.

As she smiled, tears welled up in her eyes: "Mom doesn't regret it."

She touched the words on the admission notice and said in a low voice, "Xiaoze, the thing I regret least in my life is giving birth to you."

That was the last time Xu Ying smiled so happily.