Chapter 6 — Bowl of Rice Sees into People's Hearts

The cashier scanned each item and asked me, "Do you need a bag?" I said, "Yes." The small pot was very light in my hand, but it felt like I was carrying someone's own life. When I returned home, the living room light was on. The kitchen smells of grease. On the dining table are three sets of bowls and chopsticks. Liu Que Phan sat at the table, his body tense. Tran Hao stood by the window smoking cigarettes. In the ashtray there were two cigarette ends. Seeing me come in, he put out his cigarette. "Are you home?" I changed my shoes. "Yes." Luu Que Phan tried to force a smile. "The rice has just been reheated, sit down and eat." On the table there was a plate of stewed meat with potatoes, a plate of stir-fried vegetables and a bowl of soup. Three sets of bowls and chopsticks are placed neatly. If it were a few days ago, perhaps I would have felt that this was a step for both sides to step down. But right now, I only see the empty bowl at the corner of the table. Emptiness is like a compensation that comes too late. Tran Hao walked over, his voice softened. "Mom intentionally cooked more today, don't continue to be angry." I put the supermarket bag on the cabinet at the door. Luu Que Phan's eyes immediately fell on the small pot inside. "Why did you buy these things?" I said: "Cooking rice." The smile on her face stiffened. "Isn't it already cooked in the house?" I looked at the table. "Eat, you two." Tran Hao frowned. "Manh Tinh, it's just right." I carried the small pot into the kitchen. "I said, whoever eats will pay, whoever cooks will eat." Liu Que Phan followed to the door. kitchen. "Are you calling the rice I cook dirty?" I opened the cupboard, looking for an empty spot. "No." She asked. "So what do you mean?" I put the small pot inside. "I don't want to continue entrusting my meals to someone who might forget me." The kitchen door was quiet for a moment. Tran Hao walked in, his voice low. "Mom has given up to this point, what else do you want?" I turned around to look at him. "What do you want, have you two asked in the past few days?" He didn't say anything for a while. Luu Que Phan's eyes turned red again. "I saw it, you're the one who holds grudges." I nodded. "Yes, I remember very clearly." "Every day I didn't have my share of food, every day I took money from the joint account, every day I pulled relatives in to advise me to understand, I remember." Tran Hao's face was unsightly. "Do you have to calculate like that?" I said: "Don't you two like to save money?" "I'm also saving." "From today onwards Go, I won't spend another penny to buy your faces." The bowl of soup in the living room was still steaming hot. Liu Que Phan suddenly turned around, picked up the bowl of soup on the table and walked into the kitchen. Tran Hao called out, "Mom!" But it was too late. She put the bowl of soup down hard next to my new pot, the soup splashed out, burning the back of my hand. She cried and said: "Okay, you live your own life, then don't use the cooking pots and pans of this house!" I lowered my head and watched the skin on the back of my hand quickly turn red. Then he raised his head and looked at Tran Hao. "Did you see that?" Tran Hao's lips moved. Before he could speak, the doorbell suddenly rang.08The doorbell rang very quickly. Each sound continued, as if the people outside had no intention of waiting at all. Tran Hao's face changed and he turned around to open the door. As soon as the door opened, the eldest aunt's voice intervened first. "Hao Hao, how is your mother?" I stood at the kitchen door, the back of my hand still burning. There's not just one person outside. The eldest aunt carried a bag of fruit, the boy followed behind, and his two cousins also came. As soon as a few people entered, the living room, which was not large, became crowded. As soon as Liu Que Phan saw them, tears immediately fell. "What are you all doing here?" The eldest aunt put the fruit on the tea table and supported her. "You're crying like this in the group, can we not come?"Tran Hao's eyebrows frowned even tighter. He looked at me

one, as if blaming me for causing such a fuss. I faced his eyes, not moving. The eldest aunt quickly saw three sets of bowls and chopsticks on the dining table. Then I saw the rice and the small pot I bought in the kitchen. Her expression was a bit complicated. "Tinh Tinh, what is this for?" I said: "Preparing to cook myself." The cousin said in a low voice: "Sister-in-law, there are elders in the house but they still separate the kitchen, it looks very unsightly." I asked back. "There is a daughter-in-law in the house but there is no daughter-in-law's meal, does it look nice?" She immediately closed her mouth. He coughed, wanting to show off as an elder. "It's okay to make things clear, don't separate yourself from me for a second." I picked up a tissue soaked in cold water under the faucet and pressed it on the back of my hand. "So you're going to replace Tran Hao to replace the money in the joint account?" His face immediately darkened. "Today we didn't come to talk about money." I said: "But yesterday when everyone advised me to understand things in the group, they didn't come to ask me if I'm hungry." or not." Eldest aunt frowned. "Tinh Tinh, don't talk so harshly." I nodded. "Then I will speak a little slower." "Every month I transfer five thousand yuan to the joint account."