Chapter 10 — Forty Billion And People Only Ask For A Kitchen

I told Minh Khang one rainy evening.

Moc Bep had just signed a big contract, he went home early because the hotel had a power outage. I cooked instant noodles, he fixed the socket in the kitchen. The two of us did small things like every day, until I put the phone on the table.

“Look at this.”

The banking application shows a balance of 38,920,000,000 VND.

Minh Khang looked at the screen, then looked at me. He didn't touch the phone.

“What is this?”

"Lottery winning money. The ticket I bought the day I was laid off."

He sat down. The rain hit the glass window, the sound was as steady as a clock.

"How much?"

"42.6 billion before tax. After tax, the amount received is more than 38 billion. The rest is interest and what I invested."

He closed his eyes. I'm waiting for the question about why he didn't say anything, about whether the money is shared, about whether he gets a share or not.

But he asked:

“Are you being given a hard time by anyone?”

I shook my head.

“Ngoc Han knew and demanded five billion.”

He bent down, clasping his hands together.

“I can guess.”

“Are you angry with me?”

"It's sad. But I understand."

He looked at me.

"I didn't hide it from you because I didn't love you. I hid it because I knew that if my family knew, they would turn me into someone who had to ask my wife for money."

I can't say anything.

He asked about Moc Bep. I told everything: Thao was the partner, the contracts, the apartment was in my name, the safety fund and the private property agreement.

“How many months have you done that much?”

“I have no choice.”

He laughed softly.

"I have a choice. I just choose not to abandon myself."

I asked him if he wanted to sign a private property agreement. He read each page, then signed.

"I'm in charge of your money. You have no right to take it to pay my debt."

“Don't you need any part?”

“I need a chance.”

“What chance?”

He took a piece of paper from the drawer, on it was a sketch of a small kitchen.

"I want to open a restaurant. It doesn't need to be big. A kitchen with a window, sour soup, braised fish and hot rice."

I burst out laughing through my tears.

“You just asked for a kitchen?”

"I want to make money with my own hands. Your money can open the door, but I want to be the one to cook the first dish."

I nodded.

"Okay. I will invest. But the shop is yours, you own it and decide."

He took my hand.

“That's enough.”