Chapter 3 — After Winning 4.8 Million Yuan, I Realized Home Is A Place To Return To

The brother nodded.

"This time Dad's right."

I looked at him.

"Isn't your shop in need of capital?"

"If you need it, you can find it yourself."

"If you take my share too..."

"...so what else can you do?"

Hua Ninh also spoke up:

"The money to study for my certificate is enough. Even if you give it up, I won't take it."

The dinner table suddenly became quiet for a moment. Dad picked up his chopsticks again.

"Let's eat. The money hasn't been received yet. Don't go hungry because of the numbers on paper."

I took a bite of ribs. Still the way I like to cook since childhood. Stew until soft first, then simmer until the sauce thickens. Dad has remembered for more than twenty years. I don't even know which month my dad went to get his feet checked.

"360,000 yuan, the whole family closes the door and it's all divided?"

Ms. Hua Tu Lan pushed the door open and walked in, behind was her daughter, Trinh Man. My brother stood up.

"Auntie, don't you know how to knock when you come in?"

"This is your mother's house, why do you need to knock?"

Dad quietly put the notebook away.

"The house documents are in your name."

"Back then, my mother lent me 20,000 yuan, what should I do?"

"The second year after we got married, I already paid it."

"What do you mean by paying? Where's the evidence?"

The older brother took out an old iron box from the closet.

"Here's grandma's notebook. Do you want to see it?"

Hua Tu Lan's outstretched hand froze in midair. Trinh Man was the first to speak.

"What does an old piece of paper prove? We just want justice."

I looked at her.

"How fair do you want it to be?"

"My mother also took care of my grandmother that year. The compensation must include my mother's share."

"From the beginning, the old house was shared by my grandfather with my father. The red book has also been in my father's name for 18 years."

"As for money to take care of my grandmother, the three brothers in the family contribute monthly."

"If you want to count..."

"...then we'll bring all the books for comparison."

Trinh Man glanced at me.

"Cousin has lived in the city for a long time, her words are really sharp."

"I heard you can't even worry about rent..."

"...now stand here and teach us how to count."

Hua Ninh immediately stood up.

"What does it have to do with you whether my sister rents the house or not?"

"Of course it's unrelated."

"But she only comes back once a year."

"As soon as I heard there was money to be distributed, I ran home faster than anyone else."

I put down my chopsticks.

"The first."

"Dad calls his daughter home without her consent."

"Whether or not I accept this money is a matter for our family to discuss."

"If you really want to compare the books..."

"...then clearly state the time, amount and purpose of each item."

"Opening your mouth to demand money is not fair."

Hua Tu Lan slammed on the table.

"The adults are talking, is it your turn to argue?"

Dad also stood up.

"She's talking in her own home."

"It's not your turn to ban."

Hua Tu Lan pointed straight at her father.

"I can only defend him."

"A single daughter is considered a treasure."

Dad looked straight at her.

"Is he married or not..."

"...is still my daughter."

Trinh Man pulled her mother's hand.

"My cousin has a good job now, so she probably doesn't care about this money."

I calmly asked:

"Who says I don't pay attention?"

She laughed.

"Didn't you just say not to take it?"

"I leave it to my family..."

"...is my choice."

"And you guys want to get..."

"...is your greed."

"Those two things..."

"...don't make the same mistake."

Open brother door.

"If you don't look at the book, please go home."

Hua Tu Lan picked up the paper in the iron box. There were grandmother's fingerprints on it. Also clearly state the time my father returned the 20,000 yuan. She only read two lines. Then he threw the paper back.

"Who knows if you guys will write more later?"

Dad calmly replied:

"The old accountant in the village is still alive."

"Tomorrow I invite him to confirm the handwriting and compare the books."

Hearing that, Hua Tu Lan immediately pulled Trinh Man out.

"I don't have time to stand here and mess with you guys."

The door just closed. Hua Ninh was so angry that he walked back and forth in the room.

"They only know how to bully dad because he's kind."

I smoothed out the notepaper.

"There is evidence."

"They didn't get a single penny."

Dad looked at me.

"An Nhien."

"Do you also argue with others like that at the subsidiary?"

"At the company..."

"...no relatives."

"Just work."

At that moment, my phone vibrated. La Thien sent 17 messages consecutively. The last news has only one sentence:

"There was a data error, the customer was very angry. You will come and explain yourself on Monday."

"Did something happen at work?"

I turned off the phone screen.

"It's nothing, just a small matter."

Hua Ninh suddenly burst out laughing.

"Always 'fine', always 'okay'. Sister, besides those words, don't you know what else to say?"

I picked up the phone.

"I can handle it myself."

She didn't ask more. Just quietly peeled a tangerine on the table, then broke it in half and gave one half to me. The next morning, Hua Ninh rummaged through an old cabinet and took out a folded poster.

"Do you remember this?"

I take it. That's the work I did in college. The lower right corner clearly prints the words: First Prize of the Provincial Youth Creativity Contest - Hua An Nhien.

"Why do you still keep it?"

"Not you."

"Dad took it to frame it. The roof leaked until it was taken down."

At that time, Dad was sitting outside in the yard fixing the electric car's kickstand. I held the poster and walked out.

"Why keep this piece of paper?"

"If you win the prize, of course you have to keep it."

"It's been eight years."

"What about eight years?"

"Even after eighty years... that's still my prize."

At that moment, his brother returned from the store, carrying a bag of fruit in his hand.

"In the past, the instructor wanted to keep you in school to do a project, right?"

"But it's just a short-term collaboration, not an official position."

Dad raised his head to look at me.

"Back then I told them they wouldn't accept me."

"At unstable short-term work."

"If it's not stable, we can still discuss it."

"At that time, our family still owed money."

"I need a job with a fixed salary."

Dad put down the tools.

"So that's why you joined your current company?"

Hua Ninh curiously asked:

"Is your job now the same as when you were in college?"

"Almost."

"So why did I look for the list of company awards but didn't see your name?"

I rolled up the poster.

"Group project."

"It's not always possible to write down everyone's name."

The phone rings again. This time it's Chu Khai.

"Hua An Nhien, the customer confirmed that the plan has serious errors. You must return to the company today."

"Would you mind sending me the customer's comments verbatim?"

"Are you doubting me?"

"I need to know specifically where the problem is."

"La Thien presented exactly as she wrote. Customer Ask a question and she freezes on the spot. As the person in charge of the plan, don't you have any responsibility?"