Short realistic romance and family novels – warmth turns into scheming

(The following content is a fictional story and contains no inappropriate content. Please feel free to read it.)

On Mother’s Day , I asked my mom what gift she wanted .

She always complained that the things I gave her were too expensive and asked me to return them .

I thought she was just upset that I spent money .

So this year I learned my lesson and let her choose for herself .

My mom hesitated for a moment , then said , ” I want your shop . “

That’s the Maocai restaurant I ran for three years , where I could earn 70,000 to 80,000 yuan a month .

A week before Mother’s Day , the hype started circulating on social media .

Location maps for various flower gift boxes , high-end skincare products , and trendy restaurants .

The captions were all the same: ” Happy Mother’s Day ” and ” My Favorite Goddess ” .

I scrolled through a few messages and then turned off the screen , pondering what I should give my mom as a gift this year .

To be honest , giving my mom a gift is more difficult for me than making soup base in a restaurant .

My name is Shen Zhi , I am 29 years old , and I run a hot pot restaurant in the south of the city .

The shop is small , only about 40 square meters , but its monthly turnover is consistently over 120,000 yuan .

After deducting costs and labor , I pocketed 70,000 to 80,000 yuan , which I’m very satisfied with .

I’m a girl who graduated from a third-tier university with no connections , but I’ve managed to establish myself in the provincial capital , open my own shop , and become my own boss . It’s not shameful to say that .

Even though I’m now my own boss , I still feel a vague sense of powerlessness every time I buy a gift for my mom .

The first time I formally gave my mother a gift was when I was sixteen .

I saved up my breakfast money for a month and picked out a silk scarf at a boutique . It was navy blue with orchids embroidered in a subtle pattern .

The sales assistant said it was made of mulberry silk , and it felt cool and smooth to the touch .

My mom wore something similar in a photo from that era , and I thought she would like it , so I bought it without hesitation .

I remember it clearly . It was raining that day , and after school I deliberately took a 20-minute detour to that boutique to pick up the scarf .

I didn’t even let them unwrap the packaging paper ; I kept it inside my raincoat the whole way .

When I got home, my mom was in the kitchen preparing vegetables .

I stood in the kitchen doorway , handing her the pink paper bag , my face full of anticipation : ” Happy Mother’s Day , Mom . “

However, my mother wiped her hands on her apron , took the paper bag , opened it , took out a silk scarf , unfolded it and looked at it , her expression was very subtle .

” How much did you buy it for ? “

” Not…not much . “

” I’m asking you how much it costs . “

I told them the amount ; it was half a month’s worth of breakfast money , but at the time I felt it was worth it .

My mom folded the scarf , put it back in the paper bag , and said with a displeased expression , ” What a waste of money ! I have plenty of scarves . Go return it now . “

I didn’t return it . That scarf stayed hanging in the very back of her closet , with the tag still on .

When I was eighteen , I was in my senior year of high school. My studies were demanding , but I still managed to squeeze in some time to buy her a hand cream with my New Year’s money . It was L’Occitane’s shea butter scented and cost 180 yuan , which was a luxury for me .

I specifically chose this scent because she used to use this scent when applying face cream to me , and it smells just like my mom .

” Happy Mother’s Day , Mom ! Your hands always crack in winter , this hand cream is so moisturizing . “

My mom glanced at the logo on the packaging , and her first question, as always, was : ” How much does this cost ? “

I told them the price .

She immediately frowned : ” One hundred and eighty for such a small tube ? How many times have I told you not to buy me anything ? What money could a student like you have ? This stuff costs eighteen yuan for a big bottle at the supermarket next to my workplace , and it would last a year . “

I opened my mouth , wanting to say that it wasn’t the same thing , but I swallowed the words back .

She sighed , put the hand cream aside , and softened her voice :

” I’m not saying you’re bad , I’m just worried about you spending money recklessly . Your dad’s salary isn’t much , and you still have to go to school . Tuition and living expenses cost money . It’s not easy for you to save up any money , so stop thinking about buying me this and that . “

I understood what that meant .

They feel bad about me spending money and are afraid I’ll waste it .

On Mother’s Day when I was twenty , I was already in college . I saved up some money by working at a bubble tea shop on weekends and bought my mom a cashmere sweater .

Dark gray , slim fit , 95% cashmere content , feels like touching a cloud .

The sales assistant said this outfit makes you look younger , and it would be perfect for my mom’s age , as it’s warm without being bulky .

When I received it, I imagined how she would look in it , and I felt so happy . It cost 980 yuan , which is almost a month and a half’s worth of work , but it was worth it for my mom .

On Mother’s Day, I took a two-hour bus ride home and handed the gift box to her as soon as I walked in the door .

My mom opened it, looked at it , felt the fabric , and then asked again , ” How much ? “

I hesitated for a moment , then gave a rough estimate . You can easily find the price of this kind of thing online ; it’s not something you can hide .

My mom’s reaction this time was stronger than the previous times ; her voice even rose a bit .

” You spent a thousand yuan on a thin sweater ? Do you know how much your dad earns in a month ? How much is your monthly allowance ? Mom doesn’t want such expensive things from you . You should save that money . Why can’t you listen to me ? “

She folded the cashmere sweater, put it back in the gift box , and shoved it into my hand : ” I’ll return it tomorrow . “

I told them that the return period had expired and I couldn’t return it .

She sat on the sofa , her expression a mixture of anger and heartache , repeatedly muttering, ” Why is this child so stubborn ? “

The younger brother, Shen Ze, was playing a game with his head down , not looking up the whole time . It was unclear whether he didn’t hear him or was too lazy to pay attention .

I didn’t return that cashmere sweater , and my mom didn’t wear it either . In the end, I don’t know where it ended up .

There were so many similar incidents that I eventually developed a conditioned reflex .

No matter what I give her , my mom will never be satisfied .

Actually, I understand her . Her family is not well-off . My dad works as a plumber on construction sites , and my mom works as a cashier in a supermarket in town . Together , they earn less than 8,000 yuan a month , which is enough to support my brother and me through school. They live a very frugal life .

She’s been frugal her whole life , so seeing me spend money so lavishly naturally makes her feel bad .

But I was young then , and I always felt a little wronged .

My grievance wasn’t that she scolded me , but that the things I painstakingly chose were reduced to mere price in her eyes .

Later, I gradually became less interested in sending gifts . It’s not that I stopped sending them altogether , but I changed the method . I would send red envelopes with small amounts , like two or five hundred yuan , along with a message like ” Mom , Happy Mother’s Day . “

When my mom receives a red envelope , she always says, ” Don’t keep sending me money , you should save it . “

But she didn’t return the red envelope , so this method was more convenient for both of them .

Later, I opened a hot pot restaurant , and I had more money in my pocket . The red envelopes increased from 500 to 1,000 or 2,000 yuan .

My mom accepted it , said a few words , and that was the end of it .

But this year is different .

A week before Mother’s Day this year , I was scrolling through my WeChat Moments in the store and saw other people showing off their carefully prepared gifts . Suddenly , an idea popped into my head : instead of giving my mom the kind of gift that she doesn’t want every year , which I have to force her to accept , I should seriously ask her this year what she really wants .

I’m thirty years old now . I can’t keep doing what I thought was good to her like I did when I was sixteen , making both sides feel awkward .

May 10th , Mother’s Day .

I made a video call to my mom at eight o’clock in the morning .

She had just gotten up , her hair was still uncombed , and she was wearing an old nightgown , leaning against the headboard .

My dad was scrolling through short videos next to me , with the volume turned up really loud , and I could hear all sorts of cheesy laughter and background music .

My mom had to call him several times before he finally turned down the volume on his phone .

” Happy Mother’s Day , Mom . ” I smiled at the camera .

My mom squinted , and the wrinkles on her face were deeper than in the last video call , but her smile was still the same .

She said , ” Be happy , be good to yourself out there . “

I carefully considered my words : ” Mom , I won’t choose your gift myself this year . Just tell me what you want , and I’ll buy it for you . “

As before , she blurted out : ” I don’t want your things , and don’t waste your money . “

This time, unlike before when I would just let my inner frustration pass by , I looked at her face on the screen very carefully , and softened my tone :

” Mom , I’m serious . No gift can make you happier than what you want , right ? Tell mewhat you want , and your daughter can afford it now . “

Perhaps my tone made her feel something was off , because my mother fell silent for a moment .

On the other end of the video, her eyes darted around , her lips moved , then she pursed them .

” Mom ? ” I urged .

She finally spoke , somewhat hesitantly , ” Zhizhi… how’s business at your hot pot restaurant ? “

I was taken aback . She rarely asked me about the store’s situation . At most , she would casually mention ” How’s business? ” at the end of the call. I would say ” It’s alright , ” and she would say ” That’s good , ” and then hang up .

But I didn’t think much of it and told the truth : ” It’s pretty good . The monthly turnover is over 120,000 , with a net profit of about 70,000 to 80,000 . “

My mother fell silent again , this time for even longer .

I started to feel uneasy : ” What’s wrong, Mom ? “

She bit her lip , her eyes not looking at the camera , her voice a little dry :

” Zhizhi , if you really want to celebrate this holiday with me… I want… I want your shop . “

My smile froze on my face .

I thought I misheard and asked her , ” Mom, what did you say ? “

She looked up at the camera , her eyes filled with a complex expression , and said :

” I said , I want your hot pot restaurant . Didn’t you ask Mom what gift she wanted ? Mom wants this . “

I leaned back in my chair , momentarily stunned into silence .

That hot pot restaurant was my everything .

For three years , from site selection to decoration to trial operation to gradually making a name for itself , I personally oversaw every step .

When I was making the first batch of broth, I stood in front of the stove for a full six hours . The burn scars from the oil splattering on my arm are still there .

When business was bad for the first six months , I only ate one meal a day , not because I didn’t have money , but because I didn’t feel like eating .

I recognized the face of every regular customer who came back then. I could remember whether they preferred spicy or numbing flavors , and I was afraid they wouldn’t come back after this one visit .

That shop was built up by me, bit by bit , with each spoonful of broth I painstakingly prepared .

But my mom said she wants my shop .

” Mom… what do you need that shop for ? ” I tried to keep my voice calm , but I couldn’t help but look upset .

My mom answered quickly , as if she had already thought of the words :

” I’m about to retire , and I won’t be able to work at the supermarket for much longer . I need to find something to do . Your store is doing so well , I can help you watch it and take care of the customers . Don’t worry , I won’t mess it up . “

This reason sounds very plausible . My mom is fifty-two this year , and being a supermarket cashier is indeed tiring . Her legs are swollen after standing all day . She has complained to me about it many times on the phone .

But I still felt that something was wrong .

I tentatively offered a compromise : ” Mom , if you want to do something, you can come work for me . I’ll teach you ; you’ll pick it up quickly . Once you’ve learned it , I’ll open another new shop for you… “

She immediately interrupted me : ” No need, no need , your place is fine . Opening a new shop is too much trouble . Your place is ready-made , and the customer base is stable . Mom can get started quickly . “

I opened my mouth , but no words came out .

At that moment , some strange things came to mind .

I was fourteen years old that year , and my younger brother Shen Ze was twelve . We were still in junior high school in town .

It was unbearably hot in the summer . My mom came home from the supermarket with a bag full of ice cream .

Back then, ice cream wasn’t as fancy as it is now; it was just those cheap , one-yuan sticks like Green Mood and Bitter Coffee .

The first thing she did when she came in was to call us over , open the refrigerator , and stack the ice cream bars one by one into the freezer compartment .

Shen Ze was already showing some boyish energy by then . He grabbed three or four green ones at once , clutched them in his hand, and said, ” These are delicious, give them all to me . “

My mom said, ” Leave a few for your sister , ” but she had already reached out and wiped the ice crystals off his ice cream .

I didn’t say anything , I just stood there and watched .

My mom finished arranging the remaining ice cream , turned around and saw me . Suddenly, as if she remembered something , she took a purple hair clip out of her pocket and stuffed it into my hand .

The hair clip was made of plastic with a cheap sequined flower stuck to it ; it looked like one of those cheap little things you’d find for two yuan at the supermarket checkout .

” The supermarket was having a promotion today , cashier perks , Mom got you one . ” She had that ingratiating smile on her face , as if she thought that this would make up for the mistake she made earlier .

I held the hair clip in my hand , smiled, said ” Thank you, Mom , ” and went back to my room .

After returning to my room, I left the hair clip on the table for a long time , then put it in the deepest part of the drawer and never took it out again .

When I was in high school, I had tonsillitis and a high fever of 40 degrees Celsius . My mom took three days off to stay with me at the hospital , staying up all night and wiping my forehead with a wet towel .

Shen Ze called to ask what we should have for dinner , and my mom said , ” There are dumplings in the fridge , just cook them yourself, ” and then hung up without saying another word .

The year I got into university , although it wasn’t a good school , my mom spent the whole day sending out red envelopes in the relatives’ group chat , telling everyone she met, ” My Zhizhi got into a four-year university , ” with a genuinely proud expression on her face .

While I was working outside to save up for tuition , she would secretly deposit an extra 200 yuan into my account every month without telling me . I only found out later when I checked my bank statements .

These things are all true .

I think my mother is different . It’s not that she doesn’t love me ; she just sometimes shows a little favoritism , but that little bit is insignificant compared to how good she is to me overall .

My mom was still waiting on the screen , her expression gradually changing from eagerness to subtle tension .

” Zhizhi ? ” she called me tentatively .

I took a deep breath and temporarily suppressed the memories and speculations in my mind .

I said , ” Mom , this gift is too big . Can you give me two days to think about it ? “

After hanging up the phone , I sat in the shop all morning without even noticing that a pot of broth had burned .

For the next two days , I didn’t call my mom , and she didn’t call me either .

This is unusual . She usually sends me a WeChat message every other day to ask if I’ve eaten , but those two days were quiet , without a single message .

But I don’t want to think the worst .

I might be the most…