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Minh buried his face in his hands and broke down in tears.
“I always thought my parents couldn’t give me the best life…” His voice caught in his throat.
“But the truth is…
they gave me everything they had.”
Hạnh sat down beside him without saying a word.
Outside, the rain continued to fall.
Minh looked at the missed call from his mother on his phone, then held it tightly against his chest.
Children born into poor families often grow up far earlier than they should.
Minh had understood that long before he even knew what responsibility truly meant. This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
While the other children in the neighborhood ran through the fields flying kites, he was already calculating how much rice was left at home.
When they begged their parents for treats, he learned to say, “I don’t like it.” His childhood didn’t disappear overnight—it slowly faded away each time he gave the better portion of food to Linh.
Minh used to believe that becoming an adult meant learning how to earn money.
But now he understood that growing up sometimes simply means a child learning to hide his tears so his mother won’t worry.
It means pretending to be asleep after hearing his father coughing outside.
It means smiling when his little sister asks, “Are you hungry, brother?” and replying, “I’ve already eaten,” even while his stomach twists in pain from hunger.
One afternoon, when Minh was only twelve years old, his mother handed him two thousand đồng.
“Go buy yourself something to eat.”
He ran to the gate, then turned around and quietly placed the money back into her hand.
His mother looked at him for a long moment.
Minh hurried away, afraid she would notice his reddened eyes.
That night, he lay in bed listening to his stomach growl, yet his heart felt lighter because his mother still had enough money to buy her medicine.
Linh grew up in Minh’s arms more than he ever realized.
Whenever their parents were away working, Minh studied while taking care of her.
When Linh cried, he carried her.
When she was hungry, he cooked instant noodles.
When she was afraid of the dark, he lay beside her until she fell asleep.
He never knew what kind of older brother he had become.
He only knew that every time Linh smiled, their poor little house suddenly felt like the richest place in the world.