Dream home

In reality, not all girls who are poor, strong, and have good intentions end up being Cinderella.

　　1.

　　It was Hong Kong in 1991. A young girl, Ah Chang, and her family were crowded into an old apartment building of more than ten square meters. Those tube buildings are densely packed together, and naturally the sea cannot be seen. Therefore, my grandfather, who used to be a sailor, often walked across many streets to Victoria Harbour just to see the sea. Grandpa's actions planted a seed in the young Ah Chang's heart, and then this seed fermented into a complex - when he grows up in the future, he must buy a house by the sea for his family to live in.

　　Most of the people living in the silos are poor. Adults often get together to write banners protesting the demolition and denouncing the injustice of the government. Banners with black characters on a white background are hung everywhere. As an adult, Ah Chang recalled that she only remembered two colors in her childhood: pale white and dark black. But children also have the fun of children. For example, Ah Chang has a boy who plays well who lives in the old building opposite. The two happen to be on the same floor. Ah Chang can look at him through the window, only separated by a very narrow street. The children were naughty and connected two small paper cups with a string, one end was placed in your window and the other was placed in my window to make a microphone.

　　Ah Chang and the boy in the opposite building also made such a microphone. When the family urged them to go home for dinner, they would make an appointment with each other and contact each other through the microphone after the meal.

　　"Ah Chang, are you there? Over!"

　　"I'm over!"

　　"Today, the demolition team quarreled with my dad again... over!"

　　"Will you move out? Over!"

　　"I don't know... I don't want to move! Over!"

　　"I don't want you to move over!"

　　The young Ah Chang didn't understand that things were impermanent. She just believed in the Holy Father and Mother devoutly, and felt that all her troubles could be solved by praying to them. A few days later, when Ah Chang went to the opposite building to find playmates, she found that the boy and his family had been forcibly moved away, and the corridor was messy. The empty corridor became a very sad scene in Ah Chang's growing years.

　　But life has to go on, not to mention Ah Chang's poor family background, she doesn't have so much time to mourn the loss of a playmate. The depression of adults also often affects children. Ah Chang's father is a craftsman, and he overdraws his physical strength and health every day in exchange for a meager salary. Back home, as long as Ah Chang and his younger brother were a little noisy, Dad would lose his temper. Usually, Ah Chang was scolded. Once Ah Chang was scolded, she would run up to the roof angrily, standing there with a view of Victoria Harbour a few streets away. She thought to herself, "How far will she be from a sea view house? Is it farther than Grandpa walking through a few streets? "At this time, Dad also came up. He looked at his daughter in Victoria Harbour in the distance, and his heart suddenly became gentle.

　　"Ah Chang is good! Dad is useless and can't give you a prosperous life. When Ah Chang grows up, you have to live up to your expectations and earn money to buy a big house to live in! Okay?"

　　Dad's words seemed like some kind of prophecy, and Ah Chang nodded vigorously and smiled happily. She felt that she was not far from the sea-view house. As long as she worked hard, she would be able to buy a house sooner or later in the future. That night, Ah Chang devoutly expressed her heart's wish to the Holy Father and Mother in the sky: "The Holy Father and Mother are above, I hope to buy a big sea-view house in the future, so that me, my parents and my brother can all live a prosperous life!"

　　2.

　　Time flies, and soon in 1997, Ah Chang reached the age of going to college. At this time, my grandfather had passed away for two years, and Ah Chang's family still lived in the tube building. Ah Chang doesn't want to go to college. Going to college will cost the family more money, and my father's health is not as good as before. It's better to go out as soon as possible to make money to help support the family. You can also save money to buy a house as soon as possible.

　　Ah Chang told her mother what she thought, but her mother just sighed helplessly, but she didn't object. So, after graduating from high school, Ah Chang went out to work.

　　A high school diploma couldn't find any high-paying jobs, but Ah Chang didn't mind, she felt that she was strong enough to endure hardships. Just work a few more jobs!

　　As a result, Ah Chang became the sales caller who worked the most overtime in the business company. She was often scolded by customers for harassing calls, and often encountered perverted middle-aged men who regarded her work as a ** service. But even so, Ah Chang endured it. Colleagues laughed at her for not knowing why she was working so hard, and she didn't reply. Just silently reliving that beautiful dream in my heart: I want to buy a sea view house in Victoria Harbour.

　　Most girls who are young will have a boyfriend. Ah Chang is no exception. She also has a boyfriend, but this boyfriend is not a good match.

　　He has a wife, and he won't give her money to spend. Every time Ah Chang gets off work, he will go to the hourly room to wait, and his guests will come up to her directly after socializing. Sometimes, Ah Chang wanted to talk to him about his troubles or dreams, but he didn't have the patience to listen, just kissed her in a hurry and then took off her clothes... What's even more outrageous is that he can't stay out for the night, and often gets up and goes home in the middle of the night without waking Ah Chang. When Ah Chang walked out of the hourly room in the early morning, he was told that the man had not checked out.

　　These are all disappointments in life. Ah Chang never complains about such a bad boyfriend. She always thinks: The road is chosen by herself, she knows her own conditions and appearance, and the burden at home is also heavy. She doesn't ask for a reputation, she just wants to have a hug to warm up when she is tired, and a shoulder to lean on.

　　But life is not that the more you endure, the more it gives back to you. In 2002, Ah Chang's mother passed away. Ah Chang felt sad and guilty. I didn't have the ability to realize my dream sooner and buy that sea view house before my mother died. So, she burned a paper building for her mother, hoping that her mother could live there more spacious and comfortable.

　　3.

　　In 2007, Ah Chang finally saved up enough for a down payment to buy a house. She began to ask a real estate agent to show her around the building, the most favorite of which was a second-hand house called "Victoria One". Ah Chang was a little hesitant because the seller offered a high price. But she really liked it, hesitated again and again, and asked the real estate agent to keep the suite for her, so she went home and thought about it.

　　It was the most hopeful day of Ah Chang's life. She told her brother: "We will soon be able to move to a sea-view house in Victoria Harbour! Sister has saved enough for a down payment!"

　　But fate dragged Ah Chang's life to a low point in its most ruthless way. Her father was diagnosed with pneumoconiosis, which was the result of inhaling too much dust as a craftsman all the year round, and needed surgery as soon as possible. Ah Chang thought the insurance company would pay, but he didn't expect that his father secretly went to the hospital before buying insurance, and knew he had the disease long ago. After the insurance company found the medical records, it refused to pay. Ah Chang was completely covered, and the cost of the operation was very likely to spend all her savings, which was the money she was going to use to pay the down payment on the house...

　　Dad saw Ah Chang's reluctance and yelled at her angrily: "Then it won't be cured at all! Let me die... It won't prevent you siblings from living in a new house!"

　　At this time, Ah Chang was also at the limit. For the first time in her life, she yelled at her father: "Why didn't you tell me when you went to the doctor? I knew I wouldn't help you with that insurance, do you know that I have to pay for it? How hard?!"

　　Ah Chang thought of her boyfriend, she hurriedly called him out, but he still responded slowly on the other end of the phone: "Go to the hourly room and wait for me!" Finally, when she got her boyfriend, Ah Chang asked him if he could borrow some money. The other party's face sank immediately, and his eyes flickered and hesitated: "You also know that I don't have any money on my hands! The money is with my wife! If you have money, I will definitely help you!"

　　Ah Chang returned disappointed.

　　At night, Ah Chang couldn't sleep. She kept thinking about the sea view room in Victoria Building One, and her heart was itchy. At this time, there was a sudden sound of rapid breathing from Dad's room, and Ah Chang instinctively ran towards Dad's room.

　　Dad's face, which was lying on the bed, turned purple red, and Ah Chang picked up the respirator next to him to help him put it on. But for a moment, Ah Chang thought of that building again. As if possessed, Ah Chang stopped the movements of her hands. She slowly put down the respirator and silently turned her back to sit by the bed. Dad seemed to realize her intention and hurriedly pulled the corner of her clothes with his hand. Ah Chang ignored it and tried his best to hold back his tears. Dad's breath became weaker and weaker, and finally... finally couldn't feel it at all.

　　4.

　　After his father's funeral, Ah Chang immediately contacted the real estate agent to meet the seller. For the sake of safety, Ah Chang paid a deposit on the same day and asked the seller to go to the bank to pay the first payment in a week to go through the transfer procedures.

　　Ah Chang never thought that in just one week, the Hong Kong property market would change dramatically. Property prices were hyped up one after another, and the seller who had promised to sell the property to Ah Chang suddenly increased the price to more than double the original price, and did not plan to sell it to Ah Chang. A Chang on the trading floor grabbed the seller's hand and kept begging: "I paid the deposit! Sell it to me!" The other party responded hastily: "We will compensate you for the liquidated damages!" Ah Chang was so anxious that he almost cried: "I don't want money! I just want the building!!! I beg you, sell it to me!! "

　　This is probably what it feels like to fall from the clouds to the bottom. Ah Chang doesn't know who else to turn to for help. For this dream, she has paid so much, she can even ignore her father's life, how could she get such a result?