Chapter 8 — 3.6 Million Yuan And The End For A Greedy Family

Choose directly a 120 square meter, three-bedroom apartment. High floor, airy on both sides, large glass doors let in light. I used the same amount of 3.6 million yuan that their whole family once craved— One-time payment. Sign the contract. Do the procedure. When the POS machine prints out a long receipt— I don't feel sorry. Strangely comfortable. That money— Does not become their “ATM machine”. Don't turn it into a luxury car for your brother-in-law. Nor was he thrown into Co Xuyen's bottomless gambling pit. Become my own home. No one can take it away. A week later, I held the red book in my hand. But it's as heavy as a lifetime. Section “Owner”— Write clearly: Tham Niem. Section “Ownership status”— Three words: Private ownership. Sunlight shines through the window, falling on the red book, falling on my face. A feeling… This is the determination to leave the mud. It is a declaration of rebirth. It's a fortress... I built it for myself. In the end, the Co family was still kicked out by the landlord. I heard that that day, the homeowner called someone to come clean. Their belongings were thrown into the yard— Messed up like trash with no one to claim them. Truong My Lan cried. Co Hai clashed with a worker and was pushed down. The scene was... pathetic to the extreme. There was no place to live— They could only carry their belongings to their old house in the countryside. The place where Co Hai once despised and said he would never return for the rest of his life. It is said that Gu Hai could not bear this shock and argued loudly, then left home. As for Co Xuyen and Truong My Lan— Bring all the misfortune... on me. They refused to let go. The third day after returning home— They came to my parents' house. That day... I was also present. I saw two people like two lost dogs. Truong My Lan's hair has turned a lot white, her face is old and tired. Co Xuyen was skinny, his eyes were empty. There was no longer any of the spirit of the wedding day. As soon as she saw my parents— Truong My Lan knelt down. Still the same old trick. She hugged my mother's leg, sobbing.

"In-laws! I was wrong! I really know I was wrong! I didn't raise my children well, I was greedy!"

"Please... look at the previous relationship, give Niem Niem another chance for Co Xuyen! He's still young, he can't just ruin his life like that!"

Co Xuyen stood next to him, his eyes red, his voice hoarse.

"Nien Niem... can we do it again? I swear, I won't gamble anymore... I will do good things, treat you well..."

They use what is called "husband and wife love". Use "adult face". To struggle one last time. My parents were so angry that they turned pale and were ready to scold me. I raised my hand to stop him. I said nothing. I turned around, took out the red book from my bag, walked to the tea table and opened it in front of them with a "pop", then pointed at each line of information, slowly read each word clearly, my voice was as light as air but each word fell like a hammer, making their eyes glued to that bright red book, unable to let go.

"Apartment XX, building 18, apartment 1201. Type: commercial housing, purpose of use: residential. Area 120.5 square meters. Owner: Tham Niem. Ownership status: private ownership. Purchase form: full payment."

I finished reading, not too fast or too slow, like I was reading a series of meaningless numbers, but every word hit them straight in the heart without leaving any room for retreat. Truong My Lan, who was kneeling on the ground, suddenly fell silent. Co Xuyen, standing next to her, staggered and almost fell. Their expressions in a few short seconds changed from pleading to stunned, then to impossible. Unbelievable, in the end there was only a gray color of despair and emptiness, as if all vitality had been drained away. At this point, they realized that the 3.6 million yuan they had calculated for so long, as a lifeline to turn their lives around, had completely turned into a house in my name, turned into an address that belonged to me alone, forever no longer related to them. Every illusion, every calculation, every luck they had ever clung to was mercilessly crushed by that thin red book. This was the most direct, cruel but effective blow, leaving them without any chance to turn back. I looked at their gray faces, and my heart was finally completely relieved, like an invisible rope had been cut cleanly, no longer entangled, no longer hesitant. The moment he saw the red book, Co Xuyen seemed to have all his bones and strength drained from him. He slowly slid down the wall and sat down on the ground. He didn't look at me anymore, just raised his head to look at the ceiling, muttering something that no one could hear. Finally, he stood up, like a lifeless corpse, quietly took a pen and signed the prepared divorce agreement, while Truong My Lan was so shocked that she fainted on the spot and was taken to the hospital. When she woke up, she had a stroke, her mouth was crooked, her eyes were crooked, half her body was paralyzed, and she couldn't speak clearly. That woman, who had been bitter and calculated, could only lie in a hospital bed for the rest of her life, living in helplessness. Co Xuyen's life also fell into complete chaos, being pressured by debt collection, having to run between the hospital and the countryside to take care of his paralyzed mother, and Co Hai, after leaving home, quickly fell into disarray, borrowed at high interest rates, had a leg broken, and was thrown back to his hometown like a discarded item. The family that once agreed to plan for me is now broken, falling into arguments, poverty and despair with no way out, everyone has to pay the price for their own greed and selfishness, without me taking action. Hearing those stories, my heart remained calm and unruffled, because I had entered a new life, building my own house with my own hands, a place with sunshine, quiet and a beginning that completely belonged to me.