Red Mouth, Fulfilled

Even a penny could bring a hero to his knees.

I had been brought to mine.

Money really was a matter of life and death.

I couldn't ask my family for money, couldn't legally work, and the tuition they'd promised to pay hadn't been paid. No matter how I looked at it, I was trapped.

Still, surely a living person could find a way out?

There would always be a way, I naively thought.

I contacted Uncle Feng first, hoping to sort out the tuition problem.

Tuition was the biggest expense.

"Uncle Feng, it's Sanhe." Once the call connected, I spoke to him as politely as I could.

"Sanhe! What a good boy you are, still thinking of your uncle after getting over there. Everything going well?" He sounded just as warm and enthusiastic as before.

Forcing myself to ignore the sting of the expensive international call, I made small talk for a while before getting to the point. "Uncle, we've all settled in pretty well here, and classes are starting soon. It's just that, before we came, didn't we pay a full year's tuition?"

As a science-and-engineering guy, I wasn't much good at beating around the bush. I just said what was on my mind.

He didn't hesitate either. "That's right. Don't worry, all your tuition has been paid."

"But the school says we've only paid four months' tuition," I said, feeling deeply uneasy.

"Oh, don't worry, don't worry. It's all been paid. Just focus on your studies." Uncle Feng gave his assurance in a strong, confident voice.

I couldn't figure out what he meant.

He admitted he'd taken a year's tuition from us, yet he'd only paid for four months. Even at this point in the conversation, he didn't sound the slightest bit embarrassed.

"So the tuition after those four months... you'll still pay the rest for me, as we agreed before, right? I won't have to pay the tuition all over again, will I?" I asked him again to make sure.

"Honestly, what's with you, always going on about money? You ought to be a decent person. How can you keep quibbling over such a little bit of money?" Uncle Feng began lecturing me as though he were perfectly in the right.

He had me furious. "But before we came, you were the one who said we had to pay a year's tuition in advance! We gave you all the tuition money. Now the school hasn't received it. How can I not bring it up? The school needs to be paid!"

At that point, Uncle Feng couldn't keep up the act. He shouted at me, "Money, money, money! That's all you care about! We handled the paperwork for you. Aren't we supposed to make money? What's wrong with making a little money off you? You're already standing in Singapore, and you're still quibbling with me over this little bit of money? Aren't you afraid of divine punishment?"

The way he twisted right and wrong left me thunderstruck.

Not only had he failed to deliver the promised job, he'd also pocketed more than half a year's tuition-and now he was accusing me of quibbling over money?

He even asked whether I feared divine punishment?

Wasn't it the scammer who deserved divine punishment?

He spouted all that nonsense with a straight face, leaving me completely at a loss.

There's just no reasoning with older people, I thought.

I'd try talking to Sister Feng about it instead.

But the moment I broached the subject, the laid-back, smiling older woman I'd known raised her eyebrows, her gaze turning icy. She glared at me and warned, "You'd better behave yourself! I'm the one who applied for your visa, and I've kept copies of all your documents. Mention money again, and I'll have your records blacklisted with the government! I'll get you deported! Once you're back home, don't expect to get a single cent!"

Then she added, "We've already gotten you into Singapore. That ought to be enough. Don't take advantage of us and then act like you're the injured party!"

Had they both peeled the skin off their left cheek and stuck it onto their right?

Shameless on one side!

Thick-skinned on the other!

I was utterly speechless.

Private schools already paid intermediaries a recruitment commission for bringing in students.

They'd taken that money, yet they were still so insatiably greedy that they skimmed off our tuition. It was an outrage!

But there was nothing I could do. Reason was useless against brute force.

I finally understood: there was no money, and no chance of seeking redress.

If I didn't demand my tuition back, I at least still had a chance to stay in Singapore.

Otherwise, not only would I fail to recover the money, I'd also lose my chance to stay in Singapore and try my luck.

I remembered the finger-counting divination my master had taught me during my layover at Shanghai Airport.

The result I'd gotten then was "Red Mouth."

At the time, I'd refused to accept it in the slightest.

Only now did I understand what it had meant.

It turned out everything had been destined in advance.

My arrogant heart was slowly learning to yield.