Chapter 4 — I Can't Be Patient Anymore

I drove to the riverbank, stopped on the side, sat and watched the water flow quietly, the city lights reflected on it, shining like fragments of memories that could not be put together. The phone rang, it was Chu Minh, I turned it off, he called back, I turned it off again, it went like that seven or eight times, finally he texted:

“Wife, I was wrong, go home, let's talk properly.”

“Mom and Chu Dinh will buy tickets home today, okay?”

“Don't be angry anymore, okay?”

I looked at those news lines, there were no more waves in my heart, as if all emotions had been drained since I heard the sound of broken glass last night. For the past three years, every time we've had an argument, it's been the same scenario: I left, he apologized, I came back, and then everything was the same again, my mother-in-law still nitpicking, Chu Minh still standing in the middle of the reconciliation as if nothing mattered. But this time is different. This time, what broke was not an item. It's the only thing my mother left behind. I opened the camera app, intending to see if they had left. But what appeared was the mother-in-law sitting in the living room, holding the phone to call someone, her face cheerful, talking excitedly. Chu Dinh stood in the kitchen cooking noodles, but in the end still had to make it himself. Two children sat in front of the TV, the volume turned up to deafening levels. There was no sign of leaving. Not a jot. I turned off the camera and texted my assistant:

“Has the lawyer been contacted yet?”

"Already contacted, lawyer Truong, we can meet at two o'clock this afternoon."

“Send me the address.”

At 1:50 p.m., I walked into the law office. Lawyer Truong is a woman in her forties, sharp eyes, decisive demeanor. After listening to my presentation, she gently pushed up her glasses.

“Miss Lam, your case can be legally divided into several parts.”

"First, her mother-in-law entered the house without permission, showing signs of trespassing, but because she is her husband's mother, and her husband agreed, in reality it is very difficult to make a case."

"Second, the act of breaking a photo can be considered destruction of property, but the value is difficult to determine. If it cannot prove special commemorative or economic value, it can only be calculated based on the value of the photo frame, usually only a few hundred yuan."

"Third, if you want a divorce, you need more evidence to prove that the marital relationship has truly broken down. The current situation is probably not enough."

I listened silently, each word seemed to fall, cold and clear.

“So what is the lawyer's opinion?”

“I advise you to talk and try to reconcile first.”

"If that doesn't work, then consider the law. But to be honest, in this type of family dispute, litigation is both time-consuming and mentally draining, and the result is not necessarily worth it."

I nodded.

“I understand, thank you lawyer.”

Stepping out of the office, I looked at my phone and Chu Minh sent a few more messages, asking if I would come home for dinner tonight. I don't answer. Suddenly, a thought flashed. Mom's photo is broken. But there's still one thing. Porcelain vase with flowers. The item my mother left behind, she said was passed down from my grandmother, and told me to keep it carefully. I put it in storage, in the deepest compartment of the cabinet, covered with velvet fabric, and covered with a dust-proof layer on the outside. Surely you won't touch that thing? A feeling of insecurity rose, cold as night river water. I drove home, but didn't get in, just sat in the car, turning on the surveillance camera. At three o'clock in the afternoon, the mother-in-law and Chu Dinh went out, taking the two children with them, going in the same direction as the shopping center. Four Now, they come back with their arms full of big and small bags—using my own shopping bags. At five thirty, Chu Minh came home from work. At six o'clock, they ordered food from outside, filled the whole table, and ate and drank happily. No one mentioned me. No one remembers me. I looked at that image on the screen and suddenly felt like an outsider. I was originally an outsider. It's getting dark. I waited until after nine o'clock and saw Chu Minh going out again, probably going to work part time. In the house, only her mother-in-law, Chu Dinh and two children were sleeping. I quietly went upstairs and unlocked the door with my fingerprint. Luckily, Chu Minh hasn't changed his password. The door opened a crack, the sound of the TV echoed from the living room, I slipped in, gently closed the door, without turning on the light, following my memory towards the storage room. Outside, the two of them were watching an entertainment program, laughing loudly, completely unaware that I had returned. I opened the storeroom door. The cabinet was opened. The deepest compartment… is empty. Velvet fabric fell to the ground. The dustproof layer was thrown aside. Where I placed the Thanh Hoa porcelain vase... Now there's nothing left. My breathing choked. I sat down, rummaged through the cabinets, searched all over the storage room. Nowhere. The vase... disappeared. I stood still, my whole body felt cold, as if I was being pulled to the bottom of the water. It took me a few seconds to find my voice again. I walked out to the living room. When my mother-in-law and Chu Dinh saw me, the smiles on their faces immediately stiffened.

“You…when did you come back?”

Chu Dinh felt a little guilty and opened his mouth to ask, but his eyes averted as if afraid of being seen. I didn't even look at her, my eyes were locked on my mother-in-law, each word fell as cold as a knife:

“Where is the vase in my storeroom?”

Her eyes briefly avoided, but quickly regained her familiar stubborn look, her tone full of nonsense:

"What bottle? I don't know."

“The Thanh Hoa porcelain vase, left by my mother, is placed in the innermost compartment of the storage room cabinet.”

I speak slowly, word by word. I continued asking, not giving her a chance to avoid it.

“Ah, that.”

The mother-in-law waved her hand, her expression indifferent as if she were talking about something trash.

"I saw it was just a broken vase. At the same time there was an antiquities appraisal program on TV, saying it was free, so I conveniently took it to let the experts take a look."

There was a buzzing sound in my head, as if something was breaking again.

"You took it away? Where did you take it?"

I asked, my voice starting to lose control.

“It's not a television station, that appraisal program, just brought it over this afternoon.”

The mother-in-law said, her voice full of satisfaction.

"The expert said, tomorrow the live broadcast of the appraisal, if it's worth the money, our family will be rich!"

I looked at her greedy face, and suddenly a cold smile appeared in my heart that even I found strange.

“Who gave you permission to touch my things?”

My voice trembled, but every word was sharp.

“That is a relic my mother left behind!”

“What about the relic?”

The mother-in-law stood up, her hands on her hips, her voice raised.

"Since you married into the Chu family, your belongings are the Chu family's! How about I take a look? What if it's precious, do you still intend to hide it separately and not share it?"

“That's right, sister-in-law.”

Chu Dinh immediately chimed in, his voice bitter.

"Mom is just thinking about me. If it's a precious thing and if it's sold for money, wouldn't it be the whole family's money?"

“Because… I… am good?”

I almost had to grit my teeth to speak.

“You guys arbitrarily broke into my house and broke pictures my mother, then took away the only thing she left behind, saying it was for my good?"

“What are you screaming!”

The mother-in-law was also angry, her voice was high-pitched.

“Isn't it just a torn vase? There's nothing to do! If it's a fake, then destroy it to make it less crowded. If it's a real thing, it won't be a loss to sell it!"

I caught those two words, my eyes turned cold.

“Are you going to smash it?”

“If it's a fake, why keep it? It's taking up space!”

She spoke without hesitation. I looked at her. Looking at the woman standing there, clearly saying that she was going to break my mother's last relic. It's been three years. I fasted for three years. Resist scrutiny, endure harsh words, and endure being considered an outsider in your own home. Because I used to think that if I just tried a little harder, life would be peaceful. But now. I don't want to hold back anymore.