Chapter 6 — Eighteen People, One Meal, One Divorce

The mother-in-law's shrill voice echoed throughout the kitchen, each word uncomfortably clear. After listening, my mother didn't say anything, just returned the phone and turned to wash her hands. She washed very slowly, very carefully, as if she was repressing something. After washing and drying her hands, she went out to the living room. I heard her speak to my father, her voice low but firm.

"Mr. Lam, Trieu Khai's mother said she would come here to find someone."

My father did not respond immediately, only the "click" sound of the lighter rang out. He has quit smoking for many years, but every time he gets frustrated he lights up a cigarette, not smoking, just letting it burn. After a while he spoke, his voice was low and cold.

“Let her come.”

"Come on, I'll ask, how can I raise my children to treat other people's daughters as nothing?"

My mother didn't say any more and returned to the kitchen to continue wrapping the dumplings. But her movements were faster and stronger, the edge of the cake was squeezed so tightly that it was almost torn. I know she's really angry. I bowed my head and rolled the dough, each piece round evenly under my hand. The dough is very obedient and soft to my liking, completely different from life. Life never went my way, it just pushed me forward, forever forward, to a place I couldn't see. The phone vibrated again, this time it was a call, the name "Trieu Khai" appeared. I pressed silent then placed the phone face down on the cutting board, continuing to roll the dough as if nothing happened. The bell rings for a while then goes off, rings again a while later, then goes off again. The third time, my mother reached for the phone.

“Mom…” I was about to stop.

She shook her head, pressed receive call and turned on speakerphone.

"Hello." she said, her voice calm.

"Vu Ninh! You finally answered the phone!" Trieu Khai's voice was panting, full of impatience.

“Please go home quickly, I beg you, my parents have been standing downstairs for half an hour, it's cold, my mother has less to wear…”

“Trieu Khai.”

My mother interrupted, her voice not high but enough to silence the other party.

“I am Vu Ninh's mother.”

The other end of the line immediately became quiet, as if the whole space had stopped. A few seconds later, Trieu Khai spoke up, his tone changing to a familiar polite one.

"Yes, mom, happy new year, Vu Ninh is next to you, right? Tell her to answer the phone for me. There's really an urgent matter here."

“It won't listen.”

“I won't come back either.” my mother spoke frankly.

“Trieu Khai, eighteen people, didn't tell me in advance, and even made him cook alone.”

“Does your family usually do things like this?” my mother asked, each word felt heavy.

“Yes mom, you misunderstood…” Before Trieu Khai could finish speaking, he was interrupted.

“I didn't misunderstand.” My mother's voice rose, carrying an anger I had never seen in her.

"Last year on New Year's Eve, Vu Ninh alone cooked for more than a dozen people, washed a whole tub of dishes, and no one in his family helped."

“He told me that story.”

“Trieu Khai, I ask you, last year you said you hired someone to clean, did you hire one?”

“You didn't hire it, you tricked it.”

“This year you said you already ordered food, you don't need it to cook.”

“What about the results, where is the food?”

“Trieu Khai, my daughter didn't marry you to treat you like that!”

"Mom, you sound so annoying when you say that..." Trieu Khai's voice also changed, no longer being polite but starting to get annoyed.

"What's wrong with a daughter-in-law cooking for her parents-in-law?"

"My parents raised their children, what's so outrageous about eating a meal cooked by my daughter-in-law on Tet?"

"Vu Ninh is my daughter, it's right that I love you, I understand."

“But now she is my wife and children, a member of my family.”

“Since she is the daughter-in-law of the Trieu family must follow the Trieu family's rules!”

"Today's meal, she has to do it if she wants to do it. If she doesn't want to, she has to do it too!"

“If mom prevents her from coming home, then I have no choice but to come to mom's house to pick her up.”

"At that time, let the neighbors see how my daughter treats her husband's family!"

As soon as the sentence ended, the whole kitchen was silent, only the sound of boiling soup remained. My mother tightened her grip on the phone, her knuckles turned white, her lips trembling with anger. I have never seen her this angry, who is always patient and gentle.

“Trieu Khai.” My mother opened her mouth, her voice cold as ice.

“If you want to come, just come.”

"Come now, I'll ask clearly, what kind of education your family teaches their children."

“Is it your family's rule to lie, to bully others, to treat your daughter-in-law as an unpaid nanny?”

"My daughter has been married to you for two years, her salary card is kept at your mother's place, she takes care of the household expenses, she does the housework."

"If someone in your family has a birthday, they remember it and buy them gifts."

"What about you guys, do you remember his birthday, can you buy him an outfit, have you ever said a harsh word?"

"Do not have."

“In your eyes, whatever he does is natural.”

“Just because she is your daughter-in-law.”

“Trieu Khai, I'll tell you clearly.”

“My family won't accept this daughter-in-law anymore.”

"You dare come here, I'll take the broom and sweep straight out."

“If you don't believe it, just try it.”