I slept until noon on Christmas. When I woke up, I went straight to have lunch. At the dining table, my sister-in-law didn't mention anything about money, but both my brother and sister-in-law didn't look good.

After eating, I made an excuse that I was too tired and went back to my room without even cleaning up the dishes and chopsticks.

"Look, she even doesn't help with the dishes..."

I heard my sister-in-law complaining softly behind the door, but I didn't pay attention. Every time I came home in previous years, I was busy with housework, and she didn't say anything nice to me.

After thinking about it, the only person I could ask for information was one of my cousins. She just graduated from university and had such a lively and cheerful personality that everyone liked her. She was one of the few relatives I had been in contact with.

Although she didn't come home often, she couldn't resist gossip and love to inquire, so she was well-informed.

[Shirley, can I ask you something?]

[Mandy, just ask. I am the information station of our Village. Nothing can escape my eyes.]

I couldn't help but smile, as if I saw my cousin's proud look. She was indeed likable, much better than my dull personality.

[It's nothing serious. I give my parents a monthly living allowance of three thousand dollars. But this time when I came back, Agnes keeps saying that the money is not enough, and my mom doesn't seem to have any money in her hands. Can you secretly ask your mother if my mother has been sick recently? Is she hiding it from me not to worry me?] I edited the message and sent it on WhatsApp.

[Ah, you give so much every month. Doesn't your younger brother give anything?]

[My younger brother just got married and has more expenses. As his older sister, I have to take care of our home more.]

[Okay, leave it to me. I will definitely find out what your family has been up to in the past two years and tell you when we meet.]

[Thank you.]

I was planning to talk to her tomorrow, but my cousin called me in less than half an hour.

"Mandy, let me tell you, I can't wait until tomorrow. Do you know that none of the living expenses you sent has spent on your parents? Agnes has taken it all.

Your parents have never been to the hospital, and they are in good health. Your father even went to do odd jobs.

Your brother still doesn't have a decent job or work hard...

How can they be like this? It's not easy for a girl like you working outside..."

My cousin kept talking for a long time. Most of it was about my parents favoring my brother and my brother's lack of ambition. I couldn't listen anymore.

"You have to take care of your younger brother. He is still young."

"We supported you to go to college, but your brother didn't even go to high school. You have to take care of him in the future."

"When your brother gets married, let him have this house."

…

From childhood to adulthood, I had listened to my parents' words. For more than 20 years, I had been accommodating and protecting him, not because I liked him very much, but because I was grateful for my parents' upbringing and I was willing to do it.

I didn't expect that my younger brother, who was in his late twenties and a father of two, couldn't even support his own family without buying a car or a house.

My younger brother wasn't even responsible for our parents' expenses, but they all thought what I did was never enough. How much should I offer?

I had tried my best to take care of the whole family. Should I have to exhaust myself?

After hanging up the phone, I hid in my room and cried for the whole afternoon. Even when my mother asked me to come out and eat fruit, I didn't go out. I just made an excuse of being too tired and continued hiding in my room.

After thinking for the whole afternoon, I finally made a decision. At the dinner table in the evening, I took the initiative to bring up the issue of living expenses.

"I usually only share good news, but this time I have to say it. I used to work two jobs. This year, due to the bad market, I lost one job. but I also have to support my own life in town. Starting next year, I will give my parents one thousand dollars per month."

"One thousand dollars!" My sister-in-law couldn't sit still on the spot. "Even three thousand dollars is not enough, let alone one thousand dollars!"

"Michael should offer some money at least. If both of us give one thousand dollars per month, it will be enough for our parents to save a bit," I said calmly.

My sister-in-law seemed surprised by what I said. After a moment of hesitation, she started kicking my brother under the table, trying to make him say something.

"Mandy, Nathan is almost old enough to go to kindergarten. It's not that I don't want to support our parents, but I have two children to support. I don't have so much money." My younger brother also looked embarrassed.

"After Nathan goes to school, you guys will have more free time, and Agnes can find something to do. And our parents can help to take care of the children."

Actually, it has always been my mom who takes care of the children. My younger brother and his wife didn't have a good education and were unwilling to work hard. They always stayed idle.

"What did you say? I didn't marry into your family to be a nanny!

In the past, I married Michael without even asking for a new house. Now I have to stay in this small house with you all! Is this how you treat me?"

Refusing to marry a divorced man

I didn't bother arguing with her. Initially, she didn't want a new house, but she insisted on taking away 660 thousand dollars for the dowry, which completely emptied my parents' savings and didn't bring back a single penny.

Her mother was always causing trouble. She not only fully subsidized the dowry for her younger brother, but also interfered in our family affairs.

"Can you stop bringing this up? Every time we argue, you mention it. You demanded a lot of dowry back then!" My brother hated it when she complained about the house.

"Don't make a big deal out of it! If it weren't for the matchmaker saying that this place would be demolished soon, no one would want to marry you.

They keep talking about demolition. It's been five or six years, but nothing has happened. It seems like you tricked me into marrying you."

"Stop talking nonsense! No one has ever tried to trick you, Just leave if you want to leave." Seeing the two of them arguing, I put down my chopsticks and went back to my room.

No matter how she got married in the first place, my parents were honest, and all the wedding matters were done according to the wishes of the bride's family. Since they agreed at the beginning, they should live well. I didn't have the obligation to be responsible for her current life.

"Listen, Michael, if it weren't for your incompetence, I wouldn't even care about this money..."

I closed the door, leaving the arguing voices of the two and my mother's low voice trying to mediate, outside the door.

I rubbed my forehead irritably and took out my phone to book a ticket for tomorrow morning to go back.