Chapter 21 — Betrayed by My Own Mother, Saved by My Mother-in-Law

We set off just as the sky began to pale. My husband, Dai Tru, had borrowed a motorcycle, while Mother Chau hitched a ride on a cart belonging to the Ma family. I sat in the back of the cart, clutching my cloth satchel tightly against my chest. No one spoke a word throughout the journey. A thick mist clung to the edges of the paddies, and thin wisps of cooking smoke rose from distant chimneys. The road ahead felt both achingly familiar and strangely alien, and my heart felt as heavy as if it were burdened by leaden weights.

When we arrived at my childhood village, I had not even crossed the threshold of the courtyard before the piercing wails of my mother reached me. "I have wasted eighteen years raising that ungrateful wretch! The moment she earns a place at the university, she turns her back on the mother who gave her life!"

The yard was packed with onlookers. My mother sat prominently on the edge of the bed with a cloth tied around her head. Though her complexion appeared somewhat pale, she hardly looked like a woman bedridden by illness. My brother, Lam Dieu To, was hovering nearby. Seeing my face, he lunged forward, barking, "Sister, you finally came home! Tell Mother right now that you are handing over your university spot to me!"

I wondered if I had misheard him. "What did you just say?"

Dieu To, brimming with urgency, pressed on, "I want to go to the city too! You are just a woman; there is no point in you getting so much education. Just hand me your acceptance letter. Once I have that paper in my hand, I will go to register, and the matter will be settled."

The entire courtyard fell into a deathly silence. Dai Tru’s expression darkened into a scowl. Mother Chau stepped forward, shielding me with her own body. "Universities call for Trieu Thu, not for whoever happens to be holding a piece of paper."

Dieu To glared at her with venomous eyes. "What could an old woman like you possibly know? The people in the city don’t know what my sister looks like. As long as I hold the letter, I can show up and they will have to admit me."

I stared at my brother, surprisingly devoid of rage. "Lam Dieu To, you haven't even finished high school. What exactly do you intend to study at a university?"

He puffed out his chest, stubbornly arguing, "I can learn! Besides, I am a man; I am bound to make more money there than you ever could."

My mother slammed her hand against her thigh with a resounding slap. "Oh, Thu, look at the mess you have caused! Your brother’s fiancee broke off their engagement, and the whole village is laughing at us. As the older sister, you cannot be so selfish as to keep everything for yourself!"

I stepped fully into the house. "So, did you fake an illness just to trick me into coming home?"

Her eyes darted away, avoiding my gaze. "Who is faking? I am so furious with you that my chest feels tight—if that isn't sickness, then what is?"

I locked eyes with her. "Do you want me to surrender my university spot to Dieu To?"

She raised her voice, relying on twisted logic. "Your brother is the heir who will carry on the family name. You are already married; you belong to the Trieu clan now. If you go to university, what does our family gain? If Dieu To goes to the city, we will finally have someone to rely on."

Dai Tru could no longer restrain himself. "Mother, a university is not a street market. You cannot simply swap people out as you please."

My mother glared at him. "Who is your mother? This is a matter for the Lam family; it is not your place to stick your nose in."

Mother Chau spoke up in a cold, sharp tone. "Trieu Thu is now a member of my household. I have every right to handle her affairs."

My mother scrambled off the bed, lunging toward me to snatch the cloth satchel. "Where is the acceptance letter? Give it here!"

I stepped back. "I will not."

Dieu To rushed at me, only to be shoved firmly aside by Dai Tru. Two of my cousins emerged from the shadows of the house; it was clear they had been lying in wait. Mother Chau glanced at them before turning toward the courtyard, her voice ringing out, "Where is the village chief? Is he present? Since everyone has gathered here, let us settle this clearly in the light of day!"

The village chief, who had been lurking at the gate waiting for the gossip, cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Is there something that cannot be discussed calmly?"

My mother immediately launched into her theatrical wailing. "Chief, please judge this for me! I raised her for eighteen years, and now that she has passed her exams, she ignores whether her own brother lives or dies. I only wanted her to help her birth family, but she has brought her husband’s entire clan here to bully me."

The chief looked at me. "Trieu Thu, your mother has had a difficult time."

I replied calmly, "Chief, is it possible to transfer an university acceptance letter to another person?"

The chief hesitated, choking on his words. "That… of course, it is not."

"If my mother is forcing me to give my spot to Lam Dieu To, is that called helping the family, or is it the crime of defrauding the state?"

The room went deathly silent. I continued, "I sat for the university exams, the commune committee processed my file, and the district education department verified my admission. My name, my academic records, and my test scores are all on file. If anyone dares to use my letter to register under false pretenses, and it is discovered, who will bear the responsibility? That is a path to a prison sentence, not a joke!"

The chief’s face paled. In this day and age, identity fraud in examinations was no longer a domestic spat; it was a clear violation of the law. Dieu To panicked. "I was just speaking nonsense; surely it isn't that serious."

I stared right through him. "You made that announcement in front of everyone here just a moment ago."

My mother tried to resort to her tears once more. "Are you going to be satisfied only when you have pushed your own brother to his death?"

I suppressed the bitter, stinging lump in my throat. "Mother, from the time I was small until now, I gave him the best eggs, the new clothes, and the money. You even sold my marriage to pay for his expenses. I have endured for eighteen years, but this acceptance letter—I will not give it up."

She froze. My voice was not loud, but every word fell with crystal clarity. "I can come back to visit you, and I may even support you in your old age. But if you intend to sever my path to a future, I will not submit."

Mother Chau stood by my side. Dai Tru stood by my side. Outside, the whispers of the local women drifted in. "She is right—you can't just hand over a university spot." "Dieu To is clearly delusional."