My name is Lin Chen, and I am a top student from the University of Science and Technology of X City.
I am the pride of my parents in the countryside.
I am the "other people's child" in the eyes of my neighbors.
I am the top student whom my teachers will always cherish.
My life was originally very stable and happy because of my good looks; from childhood to adulthood, I was always the center of attention for my female classmates.
Before university, my academic performance was always among the best in the school.
But after entering university, I discovered that society was not at all what I had imagined.
Before high school, everything I wore and used was the best in the school. My classmates envied my 500-yuan fountain pen, my Adidas and Nike brand clothes, and how I always paid my tutoring and study material fees on the first day of school.
But after I went to university, I found that my world had completely changed.
On the first day of moving into the dormitory, my roommates introduced themselves.
There are six people in the dormitory. Two of them come from families that run businesses, and the parents of the other two are civil servants.
Although the other person didn't mention their family background, we can roughly tell from the electronic products they used that this person is definitely quite wealthy.
However, when it was my turn to introduce myself, I just couldn't bring myself to say a word.
My parents were both farmers, with no other skills. My father's only other job besides being a farmer was as a bricklayer who built houses in the countryside.
For the first time in my life, I felt ashamed of my origins.
I feel I can't bring myself to tell my friends that I come from a rural area.
Because I was wearing designer clothes that cost two thousand yuan and were bought in a department store in X city, my roommates all thought I was rich. When I hesitated and couldn't bring myself to say it, they teased me and asked if my family was very rich and it was inconvenient for me to say.
I don't want them to know that I am a vain person, nor do I want them to know that the clothes I'm wearing were bought for me by my father who worked hard in the sweltering summer, carrying cement and building houses for others, saving every penny to afford them.
However, since they think I'm from a wealthy family, I've generously 'admitted' to it.
In my self-introduction, I mentioned that my parents are orchard contractors who have contracted thousands of acres of orchards in the countryside, earning millions of yuan annually.
Because I'm fair-skinned and good-looking, and I was wearing designer clothes and carrying the latest iPhone, my classmates didn't suspect my identity. Therefore, I became known as a rich kid in my roommates' eyes.
Perhaps because my family background was the best among the five of us, the other four complimented me especially from day one.
Only my roommate, Qi Yu, who hadn't revealed his identity, seemed unwilling to talk to me. Since the start of the semester, we haven't exchanged more than ten words.
But that didn't stop me from becoming the leader of the dorm, and I even led the other four people to isolate him.
In order to maintain my image as a rich kid in their eyes, I took the initiative to suggest that everyone go out for a meal on the first day.
The first time I went out to eat, I felt extremely embarrassed.
In my opinion, a barbecue meal is already a very good meal. So I suggested we go for a barbecue.
However, my roommates gave me disdainful looks and said that the roadside barbecue stalls were too dirty and had no taste at all.
They asked me if, in the eyes of rural people, eating barbecue is considered good.
Of course I wouldn't admit that. I quickly thought of a way to save face and told them that I just hadn't had barbecue in a long time and missed the taste. I said that the housekeeper usually cooks for me.
I do rarely eat barbecue, and I really miss the taste. But the reason I rarely eat it is because my family is poor and we don't have the money. I vaguely remember the last time I ate barbecue was when I was in junior high school. My parents took me to the county town on their motorcycle because I got good grades.
I think that meal cost us eighty yuan, and my dad was clearly distressed when he paid.
After hearing my reasons, my roommates didn't insist and went with me to a barbecue stall near the school. Qi Yu, the guy with the stoic expression, also came along.
I've prepared 200 yuan to treat my classmates to a meal today. It should be better than the last one, right?
When ordering food, I didn't even look at the menu; I just let my roommates order themselves.
I pretended to be very busy and sat in my seat playing on my phone.
After his roommates ordered the food, they started urging him to drink beer.
I have a very low alcohol tolerance; after just two bottles, I feel dizzy and lightheaded.
So I can't remember how many dishes they ordered at all.
It wasn't until I went to pay the bill that I realized they had ordered over 500 yuan worth of food.
At first, I thought the boss had miscalculated, so I called the waiter over, emboldened by the alcohol, and asked him to recalculate the numbers based on the menu.
However, the way my classmates looked at me changed slightly. Two of them, whose families were civil servants, were whispering to each other. Although I couldn't hear what they were saying, I felt they were talking about me.
For a moment, I felt incredibly embarrassed.
Then I interrupted the waiter and casually paid the bill with my phone.
As we were leaving, Qi Yu told me that prices in City X were higher than in the countryside, and the cost of living was also higher, so I should be careful with my money.
What does this sentence mean? It's clearly a sign of disrespect towards me.
I got into an argument with Qi Yu because I was drunk.
Qi Yu left after saying, "Your kindness has been wasted," and went off alone.
The other four people helped me, and the five of us returned to the dormitory.
However, the 1,000 yuan living allowance my family gave me was not enough at all. I spent most of it on just one meal with my roommate.
The next day I called home and asked my dad for money.
Because I boasted that I would cover breakfast for our dorm from now on.
If I don't ask my family for money, my living expenses are simply not enough to support me.
But when my dad found out the reason, he not only didn't give me the money, but also gave me a good scolding.
I had a fight with my dad, and then I asked my mom for money.
My mom borrowed money from various sources and transferred 300 yuan to me via WeChat.
After arguing with my dad, my monthly living expenses increased to 1,500 yuan.
But it still wasn't enough. Sometimes, to avoid gatherings, I would lie and say I was going to visit relatives in the city. Then I would find a part-time job delivering flyers outside the school gate to earn 80 yuan a day. On weekend nights, I would go back to the dormitory and spend money with my roommates at the school supermarket.
But the part-time job was just too tiring; I couldn't take it after only a month. Why is it that my two days of effort aren't enough to cover one trip to the convenience store?
So I asked for an increase in my allowance, but my dad refused, and my mom refused too.
At that time, I fell into despair.
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