Chapter 10 — Breakfast Changes Destiny

"No matter how much you hide, it's not as much as the salary I used to buy silk scarves for others." Being told that hit him hard, he waved his hand and tried to knock the table over: "I see you don't want to live in peace anymore!" I immediately grabbed a thermos of hot water, pointed the nozzle down, and the boiling steam shot straight into the tip of his shoe: "Try tossing it. If you ruin the batch on this table, tomorrow I will bring the copper mold to the factory to ask if Chu Kien Thanh sees his wife making money as a nuisance or not." Chu Kien Thanh took a step back, his face filled with anger: "You dare to threaten me?" "I'm just letting you know, don't touch my things." Vuong Que Lan put on his coat and walked out, staring at the bamboo sieve: "It's so fragrant, it's sure to sell for money. Kien Thanh, tell him to hand over the money to you to manage. Women and girls are not allowed to hold money, having money is a disease." I picked up a plate of crumbs and placed it in front of her: "If you want to eat, eat. If you don't want to eat, then go to the bedroom. Don't stick your hand in money matters." She grabbed a piece and stuffed it into her mouth, mumbling a curse: "Don't you dare hand it over, tomorrow I will go out and tell the neighbors that you are unfilial." "Go away." I wiped the bronze mold clean: "Just to let everyone know, in the middle of the night, mother wants to rob her daughter-in-law of her hard-earned money." Chu Kien Thanh stood in the dark, looking at me with eyes as if looking at a stranger. He finally gritted his teeth and said: "Lin Xuan Duong, don't regret it." I bowed my head and squeezed out a lotus flower: "The things I regret are enough." It was not yet dawn, Minh Nguyet and I carried two baskets of lotus cakes out of the house. The wind in the alley was cold, Minh Nguyet grabbed the cloth covering the basket tightly: "Mom, are you following?" "Yes." I said. She was startled and turned her head to look back. "Don't look." I grabbed her hand: "If a dog wants to bite a bone, it has to smell first." The back door of Ngoc Xuan Lau was lit. Old Tan was waiting there. As soon as he saw me, he came out to greet me: "Miss Lam, hurry up, Shopkeeper Do has been impatient all night and hasn't slept a wink." Treasurer Do is a woman in her fifties with neatly combed hair. She lifted up the cloth covering the basket, just glanced at it, then stopped. "This lotus flower pattern is the workmanship of Lieu Van Nuong." My mother's name came out of her mouth, making my nose sting. "She is my mother." Treasurer Do looked at me for a long time: "No wonder. Old lady Tham came from the province. When she was on the run, she ate half of her mother's lotus cake, saying it was a piece of food. Save my life. This time she passed by, just wanted to taste that taste again. Your mother passed away, we have been looking for more than ten years." I said: "The things are here. Please bring them up first, don't miss the old lady's work." Shopkeeper Do nodded: "Old Tan, take it upstairs." As soon as Old Tan picked up the basket, Chu Kien Thanh's voice came from outside the door. "Xuan Duong, why did you run here?" He walked out from the alley, with Ly Thu Lien next to him. Ly Thu Lien's eyes glanced over the cake basket, her voice was gentle and annoying: "Sister-in-law, Mr. Chu was afraid that you would be deceived, so he deliberately brought me to see. You are a woman, you secretly accept money from outsiders, it won't sound good if it spreads out." Shopkeeper Do glanced at her: "Who is this?" Chu Kien Thanh puffed out his chest: "I'm her husband. She doesn't understand, accept your work, just give me the money." I almost burst out laughing. Treasurer Do didn't smile, she closed the book: "The person we invited is Ms. Lam." Chu Kien Thanh's face stiffened: "She is my wife." "She is your wife, but the skills are hers." Treasurer Do said: "Ngoc Xuan Lau's books are only settled with the person who made the item." Ly Thu Lien immediately

interjected: "Treasurer, your sister-in-law's skills are really good, but there are old and young people in the house. The money given to Mr. Chu is also for this family." I looked at her: "You came at the right time." She lowered her eyes: "Don't misunderstand, sister-in-law, Mr. Chu is afraid that you will suffer a loss." "Afraid that I will suffer a loss, or afraid that I will receive money?" Chu Kien Thanh got angry: "Lin Xuan Duong, do you have to argue with me in front of outsiders to be able to stand it?" Shopkeeper Do pushed a red envelope towards me: "Miss Lam, this is today's remuneration. If old lady Tham is satisfied, there will be long-term orders in the future. Please keep it carefully." Chu Kien Thanh's eyes were glued to the red envelope. Ly Thu Lien gently said: "Sister-in-law, you have this much money in your hand, what if you lose it?" I stuffed the envelope into my inside pocket: "If it's lost, it's my money." Upstairs, footsteps were heard. An old lady wearing a dark cotton shirt was helped down, still holding half a lotus cake in her hand, her eyes filled with tears. "Who did that?" Treasurer Do pointed at me: "She is Lieu Van Nuong's daughter." Mrs. Tham walked up to me, her voice trembling: "Is your mother still alive?" I shook my head.