Chapter 4 — Dad's Wishes

Tham Van So grabbed the wall and stood up, his knee still bleeding. She nodded. “I'm his mother.” “Is there an economic dispute between you?” She looked at me, her lips turned white. “No, it's my mother's family taking care of me, just coming to visit.” Trieu Khai immediately continued: "That's right, we're just worried about her. Hua Thanh Hoa misunderstood." I handed over the loan note. “He took this and asked for 60 thousand.” The police took a look. “Is there evidence of borrowing money?” Trieu Khai craned his neck. “Is having a loan note not enough?” “If the other party does not recognize it, you can file a civil lawsuit.” The police voice was very calm. "But you guys come to the door to threaten, steal documents, destroy property, that's a different story." Trieu Khai did not speak anymore. Grandma started crying again. "I'm so old, being taken to the police station by my granddaughter, I don't have the face to live anymore." Tham Van So immediately panicked. “Thanh Hoa, forget it.” She pulled my sleeve. "The things have been taken back. You and your aunt didn't do it on purpose." “What about Uncle Chu's phone?” She stopped. “Mother temple.” “My ID card was stolen, my documents were stolen, my house was ransacked like that, can you ignore it?” Tham Van So's tears fell. "So what do you want? Do you really want your grandmother and uncle to have a criminal record?" The police are still waiting for my attitude. I looked at her torn knees, remembering when I had a fever as a child, she carried me to the hospital, the umbrella tilted all the way towards me, half of her body was drenched by the pouring rain. That scene pressed the hard words in my throat. “Ask them to apologize, return the phone to Uncle Chu, and write a letter promising not to come again in the future.” Police recorded. Tham Kien Quoc was very dissatisfied. "Forcing a junior to apologize? Can he accept it?" The police looked up. “Then let's all go back to the station.” Luu Xao Tran immediately pulled him. “Sorry, sorry.” Several relatives stood in a row, each person's face more unsightly than the other. Trieu Khai was the first to open his mouth, his voice seemed to be forced out from between his teeth. "Sorry." I pointed at Uncle Chu. “Sorry, uncle.” Trieu Khai's face was as red as pig liver. “Uncle Chu, sorry.” Tham Kien Quoc paid for the phone bill. Luu Xao Tran wrote a letter promising to return the documents and not to be harassed. Grandma lived her life without signing, and finally made a handprint, scolding while pressing: "Hua Thanh Hoa, you remember, today's feud will be remembered by my grandmother for the rest of her life." The police told her to pay attention to her words. She kept her mouth shut, and before leaving the door, she glared at me aggressively. The crowd dispersed, leaving only broken pieces of soil and the fishy smell of ribs in the house. Uncle Chu was determined not to go to the hospital, only saying he would go home to treat his wound a little. Before leaving, he picked up the recording pen from under the sofa and gave it to me. “Thanh Hoa, your father told me to tell you, don't trust anyone easily.” Tham Van So stood behind me, his face terrifyingly pale. After the door closed, she suddenly raised her hand and slapped me. The sound was crisp and loud, making my ears ring. “Who let me call the police?” Her chest rose and fell violently. “Do you know you almost killed me?” I covered my face and looked at the woman who once sheltered me from the rain and who also knelt down before me for my mother's house. “Mom, they are harming us.” Deeper panic rose in her eyes. “I don't understand.” “Why don't you understand?” “Because they grabbed my mother's font!” After she finished screaming, the living room fell silent. The recording pen pressed painfully against my palm. I pressed the play button. Inside, my father's hoarse voice rang out: "Thanh Hoa, if you can hear this recording, it proves that your mother let someone from the Tham family into the door." In the recording, a suppressed cough is first heard. My father's voice is very slow. “Your mother has been soft all her life, but it's not like she doesn't know who is bullying you.” "In the past, Dad always felt that as a married couple, it wasn't easy for her to raise children. If Dad could give in, he would give in." "Later I learned that some concessions are not called honesty, but rather giving the knife to others." Tham Van So rushed over and wanted to steal the recording pen. I took a step back. She missed, her knee hit the tea table, causing her to bend over in pain. The recording continues. “Thanh Hoa, the bank card is not at home, the password is not there either

It's not my birthday." “Money left in your name is the last peace I can give you.” “Don't sign anything, don't hand over documents to anyone.” “Master Chu still has an original copy.” My fingers are cold. It turns out Dad had long predicted this day would come. Tham Van So raised her head, tears streaming down her face. “Don't send it anymore, Thanh Hoa, I beg you not to send it anymore.” I don't stop. In the next recording, her voice is heard. That voice was much calmer now. “Truong Bach, I left all the money to Thanh Hoa, so what should I do?” My father said: "The house is for you to live in for the rest of your life. I also put money in my health insurance card for you." Van So, I won't mistreat you." Tham Van So cried and said: "You are my wife. After she gets married, the money will become someone else's. Why don't you believe me?” My father coughed for a long time.