Chapter 23 — Don't Touch An An

Consent to divorce. An An was directly raised by Tham Thanh Dao. Ha Dinh must pay a fixed monthly pension. Visits must take place at the designated facility, and the child cannot be taken away. Ton My Lan and other relatives in the Ha family are not allowed to secretly come into contact with the baby. The amount of 360,000 was scattered during the marriage, Ha Dinh and Ton My Lan are responsible for repaying. Large sums of money transferred by Ha Dinh to Ton My Lan over a long period of time, after deducting reasonable support, will continue to be included in the accounting for asset division. The house belongs to the use and residence of Tham Thanh Dao. Ha Dinh must coordinate the implementation of percentage compensation procedures. On receiving the verdict, Tham Thanh Dao did not cry. She just quietly put those papers into the file. That file was finally back in her hands. And this time, it's more than just a debit book. Which is the key to opening a new door for her and An An's life.21 Ha Khai's case was brought to trial two months after the divorce verdict. He cried very pitifully in court. He said he was confused. Said because of too much debt. Said he had no intention of harming An An. Tham Thanh Dao sat in the audience row, clutching An An's rabbit-shaped hairpin in her hand. That hairpin has been washed. But An An has never worn it again. When the authorities asked her if she agreed to dismiss the complaint, she still replied, "No dismissal." Her voice was not loud, but very determined. Ha Khai was sentenced to prison. Those two creditors also received appropriate punishments. Ha Dinh for concealing important facts and repeatedly reporting falsely during the investigation support process was also handled according to the law. These results are not absolutely satisfying. But enough to make them understand that a child is not an object that can be pushed back and forth arbitrarily. Ton My Lan later came to Tham Thanh Dao once. She stood in front of the psychological center's door, her hair had turned a lot of gray. She said: "I just want to take a look at An An." Tham Thanh Dao stood on the steps, blocking her view. "The court's verdict is still in effect." Ton My Lan's eyes were bloodshot. "I am her grandmother." Tham Thanh Dao said: "You should learn to see her as a human being first." Ton My Lan's lips moved, but in the end she did not let out a single curse. When she turned to leave, her back was bent down. But Tham Thanh Dao was not soft-hearted. She knows, just because some people get older, it doesn't mean they get better. An An's psychological intervention process lasted a very long time. At first, she didn't dare sleep alone. Don't dare hear the doorbell ring. Don't dare see men wearing black coats. Tham Thanh Dao was right next to her, practicing with her child little by little. First, turn on the small night light. Next, check the door lock with your child. Then take your child to the park and watch other children fly kites. One day, An An suddenly let go of Tham Thanh Dao's hand and ran away to chase a yellow balloon. She ran a few steps, then turned back. Tham Thanh Dao stood in place, arms wide open to welcome her child. An An smiled brightly and ran into her mother's arms. At that moment, Tham Thanh Dao felt that all the lawsuits, tape recordings, running around, staying up all night, became meaningful. The final training slot is still reserved. The homeroom teacher arranged on her behalf so that learning was divided into stages. She stayed in the city to take care of An An first, waiting for the child's condition to stabilize before participating in the next training phase. This time, she no longer asked anyone if they agreed or not.

She posted the schedule on the refrigerator. Next to it is the new painting that An An just painted. The picture has the sun, a house, a mother, and a little girl leading a rabbit. There are no more dark shadows. The first time Ha Dinh visited her child as prescribed, it was at the child psychology center. An An sat next to Tham Thanh Dao, holding the doll. Ha Dinh looked at her across the table, his eyes red. He buys a lot of toys. But An An did not take it. The psychiatrist reminded him not to rush in. Ha Dinh nodded. A long time later, he softly said: "An An, sorry." An An lowered her head. "Dad told him to take you away." Ha Dinh's face instantly turned pale. He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter any words of justification. Tham Thanh Dao did not come forward to explain for him. Nor did I forgive An An on behalf of An An. At the end of the visit, Ha Dinh called her outside the door. "Thanh Dao, your mother is sick." Tham Thanh Dao looked at him. Ha Dinh smiled bitterly. "I know you don't want to hear it." "I just want to say, I will pay the money in installments." Tham Thanh Dao said: "Just follow the verdict." Ha Dinh nodded. He was silent for a moment, then said again: "Before, I always found it difficult for my mother." Tham Thanh Dao did not respond. Ha Dinh's voice was hoarse. "Now I know, it's not easy for me and An An either."