Chapter 10
The year I graduated from university, I received a master’s offer and a full scholarship from Imperial College. On the way to the airport, I received a phone call from my sister.
I had almost lost contact with my family in these four years.
In the few occasional phone calls, I heard from bits and pieces that my sister couldn’t find a job after graduating from high school.
She could only work as an apprentice in a hair salon near our home.
She cried and made a fuss about wanting to go to university like me, and she even selected a few foreign universities she wanted to study abroad at.
But my dad was unwilling to pay more money.
He said he wouldn’t spend money on a second college student. If she wanted to go to school, she would have to pay for it herself like I did.
On the other hand, my mom absolutely refused to help her take care of the child.
For her own daughter, my sister could only repeat her studies and breastfeed her child at home.
After repeating two years of studies, she barely managed to get into a junior college.
“Sis, can you lend me ten thousand for school?” My sister’s voice was hoarse, and the crying of a child could be heard in the background.
“Didn’t the Grant family initially give you half a million dollars, with a monthly maintenance fee of ten thousand? How did it come to you borrowing money from me?” I asked icily.
My sister choked on the other end of the phone, “Sister, you don’t know. All the money in our house has been saved by dad. He says my money should be used to honor them. It’s their retirement money. The child and I only have two thousand a month for living expenses. There’s no way to earn money and go to school with the child.”
“Didn’t mom always pamper you? How could she ignore you?” I remember mom’s favoritism towards my sister.
“Sister, ever since you got into Crestwood College, everyone has been praising you. Mom scolds me every day, saying I’m a waste who can’t do anything and that it’s a waste for her to invest so much in me.”
“Sister, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have competed with you for everything over the years.”
The past was still vivid in my mind.
My sister wanted to completely take away my chance to go to college.
She gave my pregnancy test stick hidden under the bed to mom.
This helped her find a legitimate reason not to let me continue school.
She went abroad to study with ease, while I was confined at home waiting to be married off.
How could I forgive her?
“I don’t owe you or mom and dad anything. If you want to go to school, you’ll have to figure it out yourself. Goodbye.” The sound of my sister cursing in frustration came through the phone.
She was just like before, nothing had changed.
I pressed the hang–up button directly.
I pulled out the SIM card and threw it, along with all the past, into the trash can next to the boarding gate.
“Let’s thank Ms. Eva and Ms. Olivia, who jointly established the Horizon Foundation, dedicated to helping every child achieve their dreams and fulfill their future!”
Sitting in the audience were a group of children aged 6 to 18. Each of them was academically excellent, but for various reasons, they did not have the financial means to complete their basic studies.
This was the first time in nine years that I have set foot on my hometown soil.
After graduation, I kept in touch with Olivia.
Half a year ago, she became the youngest director of a listed company.
I also successfully started my own business and achieved financial freedom.
Both of us had the same understanding. We had achieved our initial dreams, but countless children were still struggling on the road to their dreams.
I was the first to propose that we establish a foundation to provide help and support for these children.
She responded quickly.
In less than half a year, the foundation was successfully established.
We chose our hometown as the first stop for assistance, by mutual agreement.
It’s a small county town where economic development is still very lagging.
The assistant quickly screened out the first batch of 200 children to be helped and invited them to the foundation’s launch ceremony.
Janinas
In the front row of the audience stood a tall, thin young man in a suit.
The assistant introduced us, saying he was our alumnus and the first person to donate to
When I shook hands with him, he introduced himself.
- us.
“When I was very young, my parents had an accident. An ordinary junior high school teacher fully funded me, which allowed me to get into Crestwood College.”
“Eva, the teacher often mentioned your name. You are also his pride.”
My vision blurred, and the kindly smile of the grade director appeared before my eyes.
I looked behind him. “How is the teacher now? Why didn’t he come with you?”
Behind him were only the children’s eager eyes for knowledge.
A slightly regretful voice sounded in my ear, “The teacher’s health has always been good, but unfortunately, he had a sudden stroke on his way home from work two years ago and passed away.”
I was stunned. I still remember the teacher helping me clear the suspicion of cheating, recommending me to the special class, and sending me a congratulatory message when I got into Crestwood College..
Olivia patted my back comfortingly, “The teacher would be very pleased to see us today. Our foundation will also continue his wish and keep passing on the torch of dreams.”
I looked around at the children and nodded firmly.
One of the little girls immediately caught my eye.
Her features were somewhat similar to mine.
To be precise, somewhat similar to my sister.
The assistant noticed me staring at the girl and handed me her information:
The parents‘ relationship broke down, and the child has always been cared for by the mother, who has since remarried.
“This child is very pitiful. Her father’s family was very rich, but they fell into bankruptcy. Now the family is still running a street stall to pay off their debts.”
“The child’s mother’s family was not poor, but unfortunately, her grandfather had a stroke and was sent to a nursing home. The grandmother gambled with the money and lost it all. After losing the money, she married off the child’s mother to a wealthy old bachelor.”
“It’s hard for such a small child. Her parents are alive, but she lives like an orphan.”
I looked into the little girl’s eyes, as if seeing myself from many years ago.
She held a worn–out book in her hands, it was “To Live,” a book I almost wore out with reading years ago.
I held her small hand.
“The protagonist in this book went through countless ups and downs, and in the end, he survived. Life is like this, it’s always difficult, but you must remember that as long as you live, there is hope.”
She looked at me, her eyes sparkling with light.
We have a long way to go in life, Eva.
I knew that one day, when she looked back calmly at the thorny path she had traveled, the distance would be a vast and
fertile field.
13:01