Chapter 1 — After My Cousin Moved In, My Family Almost Destroyed

My cousin got into an important high school, and Uncle Hai brought two bottles of wine to my house that night.

“Eldest brother, let Tieu Nha stay at your house for three years, maybe you can still get some of your family's 'culture'!”

My father is naturally the type of person who is easy to please. As soon as he raised his glass, he was about to nod in agreement. But my mother's face turned cold, she picked up the teacup and placed it firmly on the table with a "clack" sound. She asked three questions in a row. My father immediately sobered up and placed the glass firmly on the table:

"Don't dream! My house is not an aid station!"

Uncle Hai's face immediately darkened. The day my cousin Trieu Tieu Nha received her admission notice to a key high school, Uncle Hai Trieu Ve Quan immediately brought two bottles of Ngu Luong Dich to my house. He laughed so much that the wrinkles on his face wrinkled like a blooming daisy.

“Eldest brother, Tieu Nha will have to ask you to take care of her from now on.”

He placed two bottles of wine firmly on my dining table, making a "snap" sound.

"Let her stay at your house for three years, maybe she can still enjoy a little of your Van Van's 'culture'!"

My father, Zhao Weiguo, is a typical good guy. Just being flattered for a few words will instantly soften your heart to the point of forgetting heaven and earth. He raised his glass of wine, his cheeks slightly red from drunkenness, preparing to nod in agreement.

“We're all from the same family, that's too polite to say that… there's nothing wrong with that…”

My mother, To Tinh, remained silent from beginning to end. She picked up the blue enamel tea cup from the table and placed it firmly on the red wooden table. The crisp sound immediately interrupted my father's words. The atmosphere in the living room suddenly froze. My mother looked at Uncle Hai, her eyes as calm as deep water, but cold to the bone.

“Ve Quan, I ask you three questions.”

Her voice is not loud. But every word was like a nail hammered into the table.

“First, rent, electricity, water, gas, food... how much do you plan to pay each month?”

The smile on Uncle Hai's face immediately stiffened.

"Sister-in-law... if family members talk about money, it hurts our feelings..."

My mother didn't bother to pay attention. She continued speaking.

"Second, Tieu Nha is in puberty. If after being here, she falls in love early, rebels, and her achievements decline... who will bear that responsibility?"

Uncle Hai's lips twitched, but he couldn't say a word. My mother's eyes became even colder.

"Third, three years later, when she passes college, will she continue to stay until she graduates, gets married, and has children?"

Three questions. Each sentence was like a slap straight to the face of Uncle Hai and my father. My father immediately sobered up. He placed the glass firmly on the table and made a "tap" sound. His face turned red, not because of the alcohol anymore, but because of shame and late anger.

“There is no door!”

He pointed straight to the door and shouted at Uncle Hai:

"My house is not a relief center! Get out of here!"

Uncle Hai's face changed from red to white, then from white to black, as unique as the facial changes in opera. My father yelled at me to the point that he lost all face, so he immediately turned the point to my mother. The finger almost poked her in the face.

"To Tinh! What right does a woman like you have to interfere here? When is it the turn of an outsider like you to speak about the Trieu family?!"

My father immediately pushed his hand away.

"Trieu Ve Quan! Who are you scolding?! To Tinh is my wife, the female owner of this house! What she said is what I said! Get out!"

Perhaps Uncle Hai has never seen my father so angry. He stood stunned, eyes filled with disbelief. Then, he glared at my mother aggressively. That look was as venomous as a poisoned knife.

"Okay... great! Trieu Ve Quoc, To Tinh, you two just wait for me!"

Throwing back the threat, he grabbed two unopened bottles of wine and turned around to leave. He slammed the door so hard that the whole house shook. The living room was finally quiet again. My father sat down on the sofa, his head in his hands, silent without saying a word. My mother walked over and poured him a cup of warm water.

"Ve Quoc, I know you value your love and want to give your younger brother a hand."

Her voice softened.

“But our house is not a company with unlimited liability.”

“Tieu Nha coming to stay is not just simply adding a pair of chopsticks.”

“It's an additional heavy responsibility that lasts for three years.”

"He studies well, people will say it's because he's smart, or because our house has good feng shui."

“But if our achievements drop, people will turn to blame us for not knowing how to teach, and blame Van Van for spoiling it.”

“By then, we will all be the wrong people.”

My father raised his head, his eyes red.

“I understand… To Tinh, I understand everything.”

"It's you who's confused, it's you who doesn't have a brain."

He looked at me, his eyes full of guilt.

"Van Van, I'm sorry. I almost brought you a big trouble."

I shook my head and sat down next to him.

“It's okay, dad.”

But I know this isn't over yet. I understand very well what kind of person Uncle Hai is. He is exactly like a hunting dog that smells something fishy and will never let go of the bait. Today was such a big loss of face that he absolutely refused to let it go. Surely he will go looking for reinforcements. And in this world, there is only one person my father cannot refuse. My grandmother.