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From Five Hundred to Five Hundred Thousand: Proving My Mother Wrong on Gender Bias
墨書 Inktalez
Mother transferred me Five Hundred Yuan.
Caption: "This should cover your living expenses for the month."
I stared blankly at my WeChat balance.
Buying a mattress costs two to three hundred.
Not to mention I still need to top up my water and electricity cards, pay the Book Fee, get a medical check-up, and buy accident insurance...
I scrolled up in the chat to find her previous agreement to reimburse my expenses.
After thinking it over, I decided to call her.
As soon as the call connected, her tone was impatient: "What do you want?"
I hesitated before speaking: "Mom, this money isn't enough."
She scoffed, "If it's not enough, why are you asking me? Where do you think I'm getting more money from?"
"But you just sent me five hundred."
"Liu Shang, how could you spend it so quickly?!"
I was taken aback; usually, Mother complains that I spend too slowly. Why was she suddenly upset that I spent too fast today?
Suppressing my grievances, I explained, "I've calculated it all out. The bedding set costs two to three hundred, water and electricity fees about a hundred, Book Fee a hundred, Medical Examination Fee and Insurance Premium another hundred. Plus food and transportation... I need at least fifty a day, right?"
"If you give me another five hundred, that should be enough for the month."
"I've calculated it clearly; it won't be more than that."
There was silence on the other end of the line at first.
Then came a hysterical outburst: "Liu Shang, are you addicted to asking me for money?!"
"By your logic, if you spend ten or twenty on meals every day, who can afford that?!"
"There’s also your brother at home; your dad and I have so much pressure! You don’t even know how to save!"
Listening to her illogical tirade made me feel even more wronged.
Every expense had been reported to her beforehand, and she had agreed.
Why was she turning against me now?
I held my phone tightly, my fingertips turning white from the pressure.
"But my previous living expenses were all covered by you..."
"Liu Shang, what do you mean? The family has no money, and you still want to push us? I have no money; figure it out yourself! Stop bothering me!"
After hanging up, I stared blankly at the darkened screen.
I was a freshman this year, and my younger brother was still in the second year of junior high.
My parents had divorced long ago.
Initially, they promised to give me two thousand yuan each month for living expenses so that I could focus on my studies.
But now, I sat there holding my phone in a daze.
There was only a few yuan left in my WeChat account—nothing else.
I bit my lip and dialed my father's number.
The phone rang for a long time before it was answered.
"Xiao Chang, what’s wrong?"
I paused for a few seconds before speaking up, "Dad, could you possibly send me some living expenses?"
He sighed, "Xiao Chang, you know your mom has always managed the money..."
Translated, that meant he tacitly acknowledged that he wouldn't be giving me any money.
I hung up the phone, feeling blank-headed.
So neither side was willing to give me money; it must have been agreed upon beforehand.
I opened Taobao and found a store selling bedding sets.
Without hesitation, I placed an order.
If they weren't going to give me money, fine! I would earn it myself.
First, I replied to my counselor, saying I didn’t want the accident insurance anymore.
Then I messaged my assistant to help me find a part-time job.
The assistant director was very enthusiastic and added me to a part-time Delivery Pickup Service group. The group was filled with students from nearby universities. I managed to grab three small delivery orders. I went downstairs, picked up the packages from the delivery station, and delivered them to different dormitories one by one. I earned nine dollars.
In the morning, my mother posted something. "Family, let’s discuss this: Are college students nowadays asking for too much in living expenses?"
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