Chapter 5 — Du An's Store

“Just because of a few words from Tieu Hoa?” I looked at him. “Because of your signing.” His throat moved, but no words came out. Over the past seven years, he knew that I hated being pushed out in front of outsiders by family members. Tan Hoa stabbed me, my relatives scolded me, my mother-in-law plotted against me, all of which were not as painful as his signing away. He spread out the steps that I personally laid out for others to step on me. Tan Hoa suddenly rushed forward to block the car. "You can't leave! You changed the name of the store, what should we do next?" I said: “Looking for a job.” She shouted: “I'm pregnant!” I pulled the car door open and turned to look at her. “Then let the baby's father raise it.” Chu Tu's face fell. A flash of panic flashed in Tan Hoa's eyes, as quick as a needle. I see. Chu Nghien Bach also saw it. The second day after I moved back to my old house in Nam City, Chu Nghien Bach arrived. He stood outside the door, in his hand carrying a box of wontons from the restaurant I used to eat at. “Du An, open the door.” I'm not open. He stood for half an hour, sending me a text message. “Mom and Dad didn't sleep last night.” “Tieu Tu and Tieu Hoa argued all night.” “The staff all wanted to follow me, my parents were very upset.” I answered in four words. “It doesn't concern me.” Ten minutes later, he sent again. “Let's talk about something other than divorce.” I looked at the screen for a few seconds, clearing the chat box. Outside the door came the sound of a thermos box falling to the ground. Finally he went. That afternoon, A Tran came to deliver the documents. "Ms. Du An, today the Chu family came to the store with a new sign, said they were the old owner, and told the neighbors not to buy." “Does it work?” A Tran laughed cheerfully. "No. Old Luu directly posted the compensation list for underweight and underweight for the past seven years. During the past few months, Chu Tu was looking after the store, underweighing, making mistakes in the books, taking goods to give to relatives, it's all on there." I flipped through the documents. “Didn't Old Liu dare not say anything before?” "Before, he was afraid that the Chu family would cause trouble. Now that the sign has been changed, he is the first person who wants to show his loyalty." I nodded. A bystander always knows which direction the wind is blowing the most. A Tran said again: "Tan Hoa came to the warehouse today and said she was the owner and wanted two boxes of powdered milk." “Did you give it?” "I made an order for her, calculated at the retail price. She scolded us for being ungrateful." I finished signing. “Later, when the Chu family bought goods, they all paid in advance.” A Tran gave a thumbs up. As soon as she left, the phone rang. It's a strange number. After answering the phone, Tan Hoa suppressed his crying voice. "Eldest sister-in-law, can you advise Chu Tu? He wants me to pay the debt with the bride price money." I said: “You called wrongly.” "I know I was wrong yesterday, but I was also deceived by my mother. She said that the three stores would sooner or later belong to Chu Tu, and I married the owner." I said nothing. Tan Hoa panicked. "Do you think Chu Nghien Bach is very clean? He already knew that his parents wanted to hand over the store to Chu Tu. He also said that as long as you can't give birth, the Chu family's things must be left to the Chu family's bloodline." My hand holding the phone stopped. “What did you say?” Tan Hoa seemed to have caught a life-saving thread. "You don't know, do you? They all say so behind their backs. Mom even found a woman for Chu Nghien Bach, saying that first the Chu family must have a match." The room was very quiet. It was so quiet that I could hear the vegetable vendor's horn outside the window. Tan Hoa continued: "I have a recording. Help me stop Chu Tu from asking for bride price, I will give you the recording." I asked: "Who is in the recording?" “Mom, Chu Tu, and Chu Nghien Bach.” I looked at the divorce agreement on the table. Originally, I wanted to slowly settle the books. No need now. "Eight o'clock at night, Nam Thanh tea shop. Bring the recording." At eight o'clock in the evening, Tan Hoa arrived twenty minutes late. She wore a hat and mask, and as soon as she entered the door, she looked behind her, as if afraid of being followed. I sat in a private room, with only a pot of hot tea on the table. “Where is the recording?” She sat down, her hand on her bag. "You agree with me first, don't let Chu Tu touch my bride price." “That's between you and him.” Tan Hoa panicked. "Eldest sister-in-law, you can't be like that. I'll help you expose the Chu family, c

You have to help me too.” I poured tea for her. “When you wanted to take my shop yesterday, you didn't think about an equal exchange.” Her face flashed with shame. “I was tricked by them.” "You changed the code to receive the money as your own, but were they tricked?" She couldn't speak. I stood up. “If you don't want to talk, then don't.” Tan Hoa quickly pulled the bag string. “I give it.” She took out her phone and opened a recording. The mother-in-law's voice rang out first. “Du An hasn't given birth for several years, who knows if there is a problem with her body? Nghien Bach cannot be extinct.” Chu Tu chuckled and said: "Your brother listens to his sister-in-law like that, does he dare?" Chu Nghien Bach's voice is very low. “Don't use the matter of children to stimulate her.” The mother-in-law said: “I stimulate it? He is an outsider, owns the Chu family's store, and does not leave the next generation to the Chu family. When Tieu Hoa gives birth to a son, the store will have to give half to Tieu Tu."