Lan sat huddled at the back of the class, her notebook open, but her eyes were blurred by the giggling around her. The kids at the table above her nudged each other, whispering: “Look, the girl who sells lottery tickets is also trying to become a doctor.” Those words cut into her heart, like a needle pricking her little by little. Lan gritted her teeth, trying to hold back, pretending not to hear. In her heart, there was only one thought: she had to study hard, only knowledge could cover up this humiliation.

Every afternoon, the small alley is dappled with the sunset, reflecting the silhouettes of mother and daughter. Lan’s mother sits on an old wooden chair, neatly arranging lottery tickets. Her hands are skinny, her fingers are bent because of her leg disability, making it difficult for her to walk, but her eyes light up when she looks at her daughter. “Lan, try to study hard, so that you won’t have to work as hard as me,” she gently tells her. Lan nods silently, trying to hold back her tears.

On the tiny desk, the oil lamp cast a shadow on the wall, Lan diligently wrote each line. The sound of cicadas in the summer outside the porch echoed in, making the space even more sultry. The difficult math problem made her mind spin, but every time she wanted to give up, she thought of her mother sitting quietly next to a stack of lottery tickets. That image urged her to persevere, like a reminder engraved in her heart. In the long night, the sound of the pen scratching mixed with the heavy breathing of her mother falling asleep next to a stack of unfinished lottery tickets.

There were times at noon when Lan went to school with a dry loaf of bread in a plastic bag. Looking at her friends eating lunch boxes and drinking soft drinks, she felt her heart ache. One of her friends said sarcastically, “You sell lottery tickets and you want to sit at the same table as me.” Lan clenched her fists, pursed her lips, but her eyes kept looking straight at her notebook, not answering. She knew that silence at this moment was the only shield to protect her self-esteem.

As the days went by, Lan gradually became the top student in her grade. Teachers often praised her in front of the class, causing the teasing to gradually subside. Instead, they saw surprised and jealous looks from their friends. Lan didn’t mind, because to her, each ten was proof of her mother’s efforts. Every time she received her certificate of merit, she would secretly glance down at the yard, where her mother’s familiar figure was sitting and waiting in the sun.

One evening, when the wind blew through the window, Lan asked softly: “Mom, why don’t you do another job, less strenuous?” The mother was silent for a few seconds, then smiled softly: “My legs are not as agile as before. When I was young, I used to work as a nurse, taking care of patients… but that accident that year made my legs weak. Since then, I have only known how to work hard by selling lottery tickets to raise you. You are my only pride.” That story made Lan choke up, her heart filled with fierce determination.

The university entrance exam was approaching, the atmosphere in the house was as tense as a guitar string. Every morning, Lan woke up early to review her lessons, then helped her mother count lottery tickets before going to school. One day, seeing her mother coughing violently, Lan worried: “Why don’t you take a day off to get better?” But her mother just smiled and waved her hand: “It’s okay, I’m used to it. Just keep studying, that’s the most important thing.” Lan felt both pity and sorrow, her heart ached.

The day she entered the exam room, Lan hugged her notebook tightly, her hands trembling. Her mother sat outside the school gate, her eyes following her daughter’s figure, silently praying. Despite the sweltering heat, she still sat there, not leaving her side for a moment. On her shoulder was a basket of lottery tickets, silently witnessing her daughter’s dream. Lan turned back, saw her mother’s weak smile, and suddenly felt strangely confident.

When the exam room door closed, all anxiety seemed to disappear. Lan focused on each question, writing neatly but her hands shaking with nervousness. The sounds of flipping papers around her, the sighs of her friends, all of them were just a faint background. In her head, her mother’s words echoed: “Try to study well…” That simple sentence was the light that illuminated the thorny path ahead.

During the days waiting for the results, Lan was restless. At night, she tossed and turned, and saw her mother still sitting there sorting lottery tickets under the lamp. “I’m so worried, Mom. What if I fail?” Lan sighed softly. Her mother placed her thin hand on her shoulder, her eyes determined: “No matter what the results are, you are still my pride.” Those words made Lan feel as if a burden had been lifted, and she smiled in relief.

The morning the exam results were announced, the school yard was packed with people. Everyone was nervous and talking excitedly. Lan entered, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it was about to burst. When she saw her name at the top of the list of valedictorians of Medicine and Pharmacy, her eyes blurred. Her whole body trembled, tears falling onto the page.

Friends were stunned, unable to believe their eyes. Those who had criticized her were now silent, only looking at her with embarrassed eyes. A friend whispered: “The valedictorian… is the girl who sells lottery tickets?” Lan heard it, but didn’t care anymore. At that moment, all she wanted to do was run to find her mother.

Outside the gate, Lan’s mother was still sitting there, her shoulders heavy with lottery tickets. Seeing her daughter rushing towards her, she quickly smiled, tears welling up in her eyes. “Mom, I passed, I was valedictorian!” Lan choked up and hugged her mother. She was silent, just patting her daughter’s back, as if all the hardships of the past years had been erased.

In the midst of that happy moment, the principal stepped out, his voice filled with emotion. He told the students: “Few people know that Lan’s mother used to be a good nurse. An unexpected accident left her legs disabled, forcing her to give up her job. Since then, she has been selling lottery tickets to raise her children, silently sacrificing without a word of complaint. Today’s achievement is the greatest gift Lan can give back to her mother.”

The whole schoolyard was silent, then suddenly there was thunderous applause. Many eyes were red, some cried out loud. Those who had mocked bowed their heads, regretting their harsh words. Lan squeezed her mother’s hand tightly, choking up, unable to speak. In her heart, she understood that today’s victory was the crystallization of many years of tears and sweat.

After that day, Lan’s story spread throughout the school, then to the whole neighborhood. People looked at the mother and daughter with a completely different gaze, full of admiration and respect. Every afternoon, the figure of the woman sitting and selling lottery tickets was no longer looked down upon like before. Children running by would greet her: “Miss, how are you today?” She just smiled gently, her eyes shining with indescribable pride.

Lan continued her education, carrying with her the dream of becoming a doctor. On nights when she was on duty, she remembered her mother’s image with her stack of lottery tickets, reminding herself not to give up. She promised herself that one day she would make her mother no longer have to sit on that dusty street corner. Her mother did not need to say anything, but Lan clearly understood that in her eyes there was always a burning faith. That faith was the undying flame that guided her life.