Chapter 20 — I Can't Be Patient Anymore

"Over the past three years, I've been patient a lot. I've endured the scrutiny, endured the inconvenience, and endured her disrespecting my mother. I always thought, as a family, a little bit of suffering is enough."

"But I was wrong. There are some people, the more patient you are, the easier they think you are to bully. The nicer you are, the weaker they think you are."

“Now, I don't want to hold back anymore.”

"The vase is broken, it can't be put back together. Me and her, and Chu Minh, this so-called family, can't go back to the way it was."

"I don't need an apology. Apologies have no value. I just need the law, give me justice."

After I finished speaking, I sat down. The whole courtroom was silent. Only her muffled cries rang out, beat by beat, sporadic, weak. The judge was silent for a few seconds, then looked towards the defendant.

“Defendant, have the last word.”

The mother-in-law was helped to stand up, her head bowed low, tears falling continuously.

“I… I was wrong… I really knew it was wrong…”

"It's just that I'm petty, I don't like his eyes... I see him as arrogant... I don't think he's worthy of my son... I want to educate him, I want him to be afraid of me... I didn't expect it would turn out like this... I didn't think I would break something so valuable... I regret it... I really regret it..."

She cried until she choked.

“Judge… I'm old… I'm full of illnesses… high blood pressure, heart disease… I can't stand prison… I'll pay compensation… I'll sell my house, I'll pick up scraps, I'll pay every penny… please don't send me to jail… I'll kneel down and beg Uyen Thanh… I'll kowtow to her…”

She really intended to kneel. Detained by the police.

“Defendant, stay calm.”

She sat down, still crying non-stop, almost completely collapsed. The judge and two jurors had a short exchange. A few minutes later. The hammer sounded.

“Begin sentencing.”

Everyone stood up.

"After trial, it was determined that defendant Truong Tu Lan intentionally destroyed another person's property, worth 30,000,000 yuan, in a particularly serious case, constituting the crime of intentional destruction of property. The prosecution's accusations are well-founded."

"Considering the defendant's sincere confession, voluntary confession, advanced age, illness, awareness of limited property value, mitigation can be considered."

"But the crime caused particularly serious consequences, great damage, and at the same time there was no substantive compensation, so it was not eligible for a suspended sentence."

“Pursuant to Article 275 and Article 67, Clause 3 of the Penal Code, sentencing is as follows:”

"First, defendant Truong Tu Lan committed the crime of intentionally destroying property and was sentenced to 4 years in prison."

"Two, force defendant Truong Tu Lan to compensate plaintiff Lam Uyen Thanh with an amount of 30,000,000 yuan, payable within 30 days from the effective date of the judgment."

“If you do not agree, you have the right to appeal within 10 days.”

The hammer fell. A dull sound. Like closing the whole story. Thirty million. The mother-in-law screamed, then collapsed on the chair, her eyes widened, and she fainted on the spot. The courtroom immediately became chaotic. Chu Minh rushed forward, was stopped by the police, his bloodshot eyes looked at me, his gaze seemed to tear apart. But I didn't look at him. I looked at the judge. He was packing up documents, his expression as calm as the surface of water without ripples. Four years, one year more than expected. Thirty million, not a penny missing. Lawyer Truong spoke softly. I nodded, stood up, left the courtroom, my steps were neither fast nor slow, similar It's like I've gone through a part of my life without looking back. It was a beautiful sunny day outside, the light was so bright that it made people squint, but inside my heart was strangely quiet. As soon as he walked down the steps, Chu Minh chased after him.

“Lin Uyen Thanh!”

He stood in front of me, his chest heaving violently.

"Four years! My mother is sixty-two years old! Do you have to let her die in prison to be satisfied?!"

“That's for the court to decide, not me.”

“If you sign the conciliation papers, how can the court punish you so harshly?!”

He almost screamed.

"Can't you raise it high and hit it a bit?! My mother is already kneeling in front of you!"

"Reconcile?"

I looked at him.

"Chu Minh, your mother broke the last thing my mother left for me. You told me to reconcile? So what about my mother? Who will reconcile for her?"

"The dead can't come back to life! The living are what's important!"

"To you, your mother is important. To me, my mother is important."

“Very fair.”

He clenched his fists, blue veins appeared on his forehead, but in the end he still didn't dare to do anything.

“Thirty million in compensation, within thirty days.”

"Sell the house, sell the car, collect the money. If it's not enough, the court will enforce it, freeze all accounts, and put them on the bad credit list. At that time, it will be difficult for you to find a job, let alone raise Trieu Thien and the baby."

His face immediately turned gray.

“Lin Uyen Thanh… do you really have no feelings left?”

"Emotional?"