Chapter 7 — Dowry Melted

"What are you?" I looked at him. "I just told Aunt Liu a truth." "Do you think I should lie for my mother?" The blue vein on Phuong Due's forehead twitched. "You chose today?" "You chose the day my brother got married?" "I did it on purpose!" I stood up. "Phuong Due, my mother chose a time when you didn't know to steal my dowry." "I chose a time when you didn't know to give her the password." "When you chose the time, did you ask me?" okay?” Phuong Due's throat was blocked and he couldn't say a word. At this time, Phuong Kien Quoc came out from the back kitchen. He was still holding a plate of peanuts in his hand, probably when he went to get the wine that was ordered out. Seeing the scene in the hall, the plate of peanuts almost fell. "What's going on? What is this?" Aunt Luu turned to him. "Phuong Kien Quoc, do you know the good things your wife did?" Phuong Kien Quoc looked at this person bewilderedly and then at the other person. Tien Que Phuong hastily spoke first: "Old Phuong, don't listen to her nonsense—" "I said nonsense?" Aunt Luu picked up the gold-melting slip on the table and put it in front of Phuong Kien Quoc. "The gold from your eldest daughter-in-law's dowry, your wife stole and melted down." "Make it into a dragon and phoenix ring to trick my daughter." Phuong Kien Quoc looked at the slip. His eyebrows gradually furrowed. Then he turned to Tien Que Phuong. "Que Phuong, is this true?" Tien Que Phuong's voice changed. "Old Phuong, that gold was only left for—" "I ask you, is it true?" Phuong Kien Quoc rarely got angry like that. He placed the plate of peanuts firmly on the table. Tien Que Phuong was startled. After two seconds of being speechless, he finally softened. "It's... it's true." "But it's all because of Tieu Vien—" "You bastard!" Phuong Kien Quoc's shout shocked the whole hall. "That's someone's grandmother's relics!" "How dare you?!" This was the first time I saw Phuong Kien Quoc so angry. This man, who had been silent for three years, was now red-faced. Tien Que Phuong cried. "Isn't it because of Tieu Vien? Wherever he gets married, he needs money, where can I get it?" "Then why didn't you tell me?!" Phuong Kien Quoc roared. "You sneaked behind my back and stole someone's dowry. Where can you hide this old face of mine?!" "How will you let the Phuong family be on this street in the future?!" Trieu Dinh Dinh quietly took off the pair of dragon and phoenix bracelets on his wrist. Put it on the table. "Mom, I don't need it anymore." "This is my sister-in-law's stuff, not for me." Tears fell drop by drop. Phuong Vien stood next to her, her lips trembling. He wanted to say something, but couldn't say it. Aunt Luu held Trieu Dinh Dinh's hand, her voice cold. "The wedding is here today." "Tien Que Phuong, I will invite a lawyer to review the pre-nuptial agreement of both parties." "If there is any other deception, this marriage will be considered annulled." Thirty-eight tables of guests, silent as a sheet of paper. Tien Que Phuong sat down on the chair, her cheongsam wrinkled into a lump. 10The wedding broke up. Thirty-eight banquet tables, only half eaten. The guests left sporadically, no one dared to say much. Phuong Vien chased Trieu Dinh Dinh and Aunt Luu out of the hotel door. Aunt Luu got into the car and the window did not roll down. Trieu Dinh Dinh sat in the passenger seat and did not turn back from beginning to end. Phuong Vien stood in the parking lot, shivered by the cold December wind. In the hall, Tien Que Phuong was still crying. Phuong Kien Quoc sat in the corner smoking, cigarette after cigarette, his fingers turning yellow. Phuong Due stopped me in the hallway. "Giang Hoa, what do you want?" I looked at him. "I want a divorce." Phuong Due felt like she had been slapped. "Are you crazy?" "You're not crazy." I took out a file of documents from my pocket. A4 paper, twelve pages. The divorce agreement is drafted by a lawyer. Along with a record of eighty-nine money transfers.