Chapter 1262: The Fool’s Daughter (41)

Ever since she started working, Tang Guo had been giving two thousand yuan to the household every month. This time, after transferring the money, it wasn't out of sympathy for them—it was because she had already decided to move out.

“Dad, Mom, I'll be moving out in a few days.”

Both of them were startled. Song Jinghua quickly asked, “Why all of a sudden? Everything's been fine, so why are you moving out?”

“The traffic in the mornings is terrible. I want to live closer to the company. A few of my colleagues are planning to rent a place nearby too, and if we split the rent, it won't be too expensive.”

“Isn't living at home better?” Song Jinghua said. “Sharing a place with others isn't very convenient. Xiaoguo, just stay at home. You can get up a little earlier in the mornings.”

“Mom, Dad, I'm twenty-two this year. In another eight years, I'll be thirty.” Tang Guo spoke to them seriously. “Because of buying my car, I was in debt for a while, though fortunately I managed to pay it off.”

“You've always said that I'm an adult. Staying at home and relying on you all the time isn't good either.” Her reasons were perfectly reasonable. “I've never expected that after becoming an adult, you'd continue to provide things for me. Didn't you teach me since I was little that if I want something, I should fight for it and earn it myself?”

“For my future, I need to work hard, save money, and buy a house. Hopefully I can save enough for a down payment as soon as possible. Once I have that, I can slowly pay off the mortgage afterward.”

Both of them were stunned. Only now did they truly realize that their daughter had grown up.

A grown daughter would eventually marry.

In today's society, a woman couldn't depend entirely on a man. Having a home of her own before marriage was the best guarantee.

Though they were suckers by nature, they didn't think there was anything wrong with an unmarried woman buying a house.

Suddenly, an indescribable heaviness clogged their chests. For a while, they couldn't understand where that discomfort came from.

Or perhaps they did understand and simply refused to admit it.

Because of their endless generosity, their daughter didn't even have enough money for the down payment on a home.

Just two months ago, they had still possessed savings of over a million yuan. They could have easily paid the down payment on a very nice house.

“Mom, Dad, what's wrong?” Tang Guo asked knowingly.

Does it hurt?

Of course it hurts.

These two weren't heartless. Quite the opposite—they cared too much.

It wasn't that they didn't have a daughter. They simply always thought she was still young. They valued family ties deeply and believed relatives needed constant maintenance and regular interaction, otherwise affection would grow distant.

And their daughter?

She was family.

Many households shared this sort of thinking. During holidays and festivals, the inferior gifts received from others were kept for their own use, while the better ones were sent out to maintain relationships.

Even when someone gifted them something mediocre, many families would still return something better just to save face.

No one knew when such customs had begun.

The good food bought for the household could only be eaten when guests arrived. Even if the children desperately wanted a taste, they weren't allowed a single piece.

And those guests often weren't particularly important to the family.

So why should one's own family suffer while treating relatives, who might only be seen a few times a year, with such excessive courtesy?

Why reserve all the best things for them?

If a relative's child took a fancy to one of the toys at home, the parents would often generously say, “If you like it, just take it.”

And when their own child cried after seeing a beloved toy taken away in front of everyone, they would be scolded for being immature and inconsiderate.

Sometimes, they would even be beaten for it.