My sister was sent to my grandfather (my father’s side) when she was only 2 years old and came back to us when she was 12 years old. During those 10 years, I went through all the difficulties with my parents.

The total monthly salaries of my parents were 35 Yuan, so we lived in a very penurious way. As the eldest son, my father had to help his parents to take care of other two brothers. Every month my father would mail 15 Yuan to his father. My mother’s parents told my mom that they didn’t want any money from my father, and in contrast, they would help if my parents needed. Even like this, my parents still mailed 5 Yuan to my mom’s parents every month. When my father’s mom was in sickness, my father had to borrow money from his factory from time to time; and when she died, my father had to borrow another 500 Yuan. It was a very big amount. In order to pay a debt, my parents worked very hard. After they finished their regular job, my father used to concrete in another factory, and my mom worked in another place to make briquette. For me, I was locked at home. I didn’t have anyone to talk, and when I was hungry, I just boiled water and cook noodle only with salt. Day by day, when my parents found that it was to slow to pay a debt by doing construction and making briquette, they secretly started to do needlework. After they finished their work, the first thing to do was to prepare a lot of noodles for ourselves. My father did sartorius, and my mom and I sewed every piece of fabric together. To stimulate me, my parents paid me 0.05 Yuan for sewing every button. Quite often they worked all night long. During that time, many Chinese families did the same thing because people were so poor. Honestly, we never ate any fresh meat at our home until 1990, and egg was luxurious to my family. At the end my parents saved 800 Yuan. When they decided to pay back that 500 Yuan, my mom’s elder brother cheated them. It was like a disaster to my parents. They didn’t report to my mom’s parents because my grandma was sick at that time. Once again, they had to work like a machine. All the neighbors looked down on us because we were poor. My mom never told people that her father was the president of the Agriculture Bank of China in our province. My parents always said, “We have to be responsible for what we are doing and what we are choosing” 

My father started his electronic business then when he realized that it would be a shame to him if he couldn’t offer a good environment for his wife and his children. He was an architect before, but then he forced himself to study many things about electronics. At the end of 1990 my parents paid back their debt. I still remembered that the New Year eve of 1990 we had fresh beef, pork, fish and chicken. Somehow my character was formed during that time. I was very quiet. My parents stopped to lock me and let me go out until my sister came back. I helped my parents to sew quietly and said less because I didn’t want to burden them. Once I asked my mom, “I wanted to eat fresh meat, can I ?”, and immediately my mom cried. My father scolded me and said, “Never ask anything unless people offer it to you” Then I hardly express my feeling to them and to other people.

Later on, we moved to an apartment. We started to have TV, refrigerator and many things. My parents became very busy, and most of time they just put money on the top of refrigerator for my sister and I. The way he treated my sister was totally different from he did to me. He never yelled at my sister. Every time he came back, he only brought gifts for my mom and my sister. There was nothing for me. I never asked any gift from him, and whey my sister enjoyed her gifts, I quietly stayed away. My sister was excellent from many aspects, so my parents were proud of her; in contrast, when people said good things about me in front of my parents, they denied even though I also got good grade. When school called all parents to come to school, my father never came for me. When I did something wrong, they would lock me in the room as a punishment.

As a teenager, I felt being ignored. To avenge my father’s ignorance, I was intentional to be naughty and make trouble. I made friends with outside people and even scuffled with other people. Every time after my mom was called to school because of me, my father would use his belt to hit me. He would ask me, “do you know what you did was wrong?” while he was hitting me, I normally said nothing. He was furious and expected to hear my cry, but I still kept quietly no matter what. My sister once said to me, “I am jealous because they hit you”

Truly I always dream of hearing my father’s praise. When I chose to study in Thailand, he was not sure whether I could finish my study well or not. I have used my performance to eliminate my parents’ doubt, and when I told them that I got honor for my bachelor’s degree, my parents couldn’t believe it. My father said, “Good! “For this I have been waiting for many years. My father was quiet when I told him “You know? I actually can do better if you give me encouragement, even just a little. "

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Once again I woke up tonight. Today I went to the first orientation of MBA program, and tomorrow I will attend the 1st exercise of graduation ceremony. Over there I will hear my name from my Chairperson...Well, with GPA 3.52 and Magna Cum Laude Honor, I think I have done all I can for my first degree. Keep going on and do all my best for my second degree, or even the third one ? Who will know?