Chapter 4 — Healing After Days of Neglect

"Why do you still mention that? That was your father's decision, you didn't say anything at that time?"

“Because talking doesn't work.”

"Mom, I really don't have money. Tell me to borrow from the bank."

"Bank loans have to pay interest! Why do family members still charge interest?"

“I don't have money.”

"Lam Van! Are you dissatisfied with this house?"

"Do not have."

"If you are dissatisfied with the compensation, tell your father directly! Don't say such sarcastic words!"

"I'm not being sarcastic, I really don't have any money. I quit my job and have no income yet."

“So what do you eat and live?”

“Eat Mantou.”

My mother choked.

"Okay, if not, that's fine. You don't need to worry about your sister anymore."

She hung up. I put down the phone. On the table is the newly printed financial report, last month "Wan Zhou Design" net profit was 230,000 yuan. Plus a deposit of 600,000 yuan from Tham Nguyen Capital project. The amount of money in my account... is a hundred times greater than the loss of 600,000. But I don't want to lend any money. Not stingy. But... it's not worth it. The next morning, Lam Huyen called.

“Lam Van, did you tell your mother you don't have money?”

"What do you mean? I have such a big problem, you just say you don't have any money and that's it?"

“I really don't have money.”

"Stop pretending. You quit your job and are still able to survive, which proves you have money saved. What do you mean by having money but not lending it to me?"

"Sister, you held 4,200,000 yuan in compensation money, now you've lost 600,000 and still have more than 3,000,000 left. You asked someone like me with a salary of 3,500 yuan to lend you money?"

"That's money dad gave me! What does it have to do with you?"

“So you lost money… what does it have to do with you?”

The other end of the line was silent.

“Lam Van, you have changed.”

“You weren't like that before.”

“In the past, I didn't have to pay all the compensation money alone.”

"As expected, you still care about the compensation money! I knew it right away!"

"I have no opinion. You take your share, I live my life. But don't expect me to use my money to fill your hole."

“Sister, I'm busy, hang up first.”

"Lin Van! I—"

I hung up. Three seconds later, the family group exploded. Tran Hao Vu: "Some people are truly ungrateful, their biological sister is in trouble and still refuses to spend a penny." My mother: "Van Van is not easy, everyone stop talking." Aunt Ba: "What's going on? Van Van didn't lend Huyen Huyen money?" Uncle Two: "If a family member has a problem and doesn't help, it doesn't sound very good." Lam Huyen: "Well, I don't expect anything from her. From childhood to adulthood, she's still the same, only thinking about herself." Message after message. I watched for two minutes, then exited the group. The phone "dinged" once. Phuong Vien texted: "Your sister has posted a status." I opened the screenshot she sent. Lam Huyen wrote: "It's only when people are in trouble that they can clearly see their hearts. Even if their family can't rely on them, who else can they rely on? Disappointed." Below are dozens of comforting comments.

“Don't be sad, you still have us.”

"That kind of relative, when it's important, you still lose to outsiders."

“I don't know who is so heartless.”

I put down the phone. Phuong Vien texted again: "Are you angry?"

"Really. She can post whatever she wants. Wait until my company grows up, these words are just a joke."

“What if she knows you won the lottery?”

“It won't.”

“I hope so.”

I turned off the phone and continued to adjust my plan. Tham Nguyen's office project Capital has entered a key stage, Co Tham is extremely strict with details. Every functional aisle, every wall material, every lighting corner... he went through it himself. But working with him is very comfortable. The opinions he gives are always specific, there has never been a meaningless "I don't think it's beautiful" type.

"The meeting room here is made of transparent glass, using electric frosted glass. Normally it's transparent, but during meetings it turns translucent."

“The cost will increase by about 150,000 yuan.”

“This wall was changed to artificial stone, the color is two tones darker.”

We talked until nine o'clock at night, he ordered food. The two of them sat on the company sofa, eating a Japanese lunch box.

“Before starting a business, what did you do?” he suddenly asked.

“A small company, graphic design, salary 3,500 yuan.”

“My level is not only 3,500.”

“No one gave me a chance.”

“What about now?”

“Now I give myself a chance.”

He looked at me for a moment.

“Does your family support you starting a business?”

"Don't know. I didn't tell them."

"If I tell them, they don't understand. In their eyes, I'm still a person with a salary of 3,500, can't have a boyfriend, a failure."

He didn't ask more. After eating, he stood up and left. At the door, he said one sentence.

"Lam Van, I meet a lot of people who start businesses. Most of them do it to make money, a few do it to prove themselves. You are the second type."

“That kind of… goes further.”

I'm gone. I cleaned up the lunch box and saved the design. Prove yourself? But what I want to prove more is... In May, Tham Nguyen Capital office was completed. After leading the management team on a tour, Co Tham directly praised "Van Chu Design" on the industry forum.

“A studio that's only been established for half a year, but makes the best office space I've ever seen.”

That statement is like a stone thrown into the water. Orders poured in like falling snow. In just one week, I received seventeen design offers. Three from listed companies, two from five-star hotels. Phuong Vien is so busy that she is about to collapse.

“Lam Van, we have to recruit people.”

"How much?"

“Five designers, two project managers, one administrative.”

“The office doesn't have enough space.”

“I just bought another space next door, 300 square meters, and transferred it last week.”

“When did you buy it?!”

"Last week."

"How much?"

“15,000,000 yuan.”

“…Do you spend money like you drink water?”

“There are still more than 20,000,000 yuan left in the account.”

“Stop talking, my heart can't stand it.”

In June, Van Chu Design officially expanded. From a two-person studio, to a twelve-person company. Half yearly revenue exceeds 5,000,000 yuan. My name began to gain a foothold in the industry. Everything is going up. But I know… the storm is coming. Because in the family group, people started mentioning me.