Chapter 2 — I Locked the Kitchen Door, Locked That Marriage

I lowered my head to look at that bowl of food. The ribs had been chewed almost completely, only a few bones and tendons remained. Fried eggs with chives were flipped over and over until they were crushed. Broccoli only has the stem left, the flowers have been picked clean. I picked up the bowl. Go in front of the trash can. Tilt your hand. Pour it all down. Then turn on the faucet, rinse the bowl and put it back in the cabinet. Continue waiting. Another twenty minutes passed. The voices outside the living room gradually became quieter. Second aunt is saying:

“It's late, I'll be home.”

Tien Que Lan sees off guests:

"Be careful, come visit in a few days."

The sound of the door opening. Rattle. Second aunt is gone. Co Dinh yawned:

“I'm going back to my room, I'm so sleepy.”

The sound of footsteps fades away. Father-in-law said nothing and quietly returned to the room. The space was quiet for a while. Then Tien Que Lan's voice rang out:

“Sister Ha, come out and eat.”

I pushed the glass door and walked out. The dining table has been cleaned. Lay out a new plastic towel. My part is placed at the corner of the table. A bowl of cold white rice. A plate of mixed leftovers: fish heads, fish tails, a few pieces of fatty ribs, even a few pieces of wilted cucumber skin. Half a bowl of soup floats with a shiny layer of oil. Tien Que Lan sat on the sofa watching TV, the volume turned up very loud. From beginning to end she did not turn back.

“Eat quickly.”

“The food is all left for you.”

“Our Co family does not mistreat our daughters-in-law.”

I pulled out a chair. Sit down. Pick up your chopsticks. Cold rice is hard, each grain separates and then sticks together. The fish head doesn't have much meat, it's just bones with a strong fishy smell. One bite of the fatty ribs and oil filled the mouth. I still ate it all bit by bit. Can't taste anything. Simply stuff your stomach with food. Fifteen minutes later. I finished eating. Dishes are clean. I stood up, cleaned up, and brought everything into the kitchen. Open the faucet. The water is freezing cold. Every single thing I cleaned and put back in the right place. Then just step out. Tien Que Lan is still watching TV. She didn't turn around.

“Sister Ha, get up early tomorrow morning.”

“Your father-in-law must eat porridge.”

"Co Dinh drinks milk and eats bread."

“Co Vien needs to bring food.”

“I don't have a good stomach, don't cook with too much oil.”

“You can do it yourself.”

I stood in the middle of the living room. Tien Que Lan nodded with satisfaction.

“Ah yes.”

"The day after tomorrow, second aunt may come again and bring a few more relatives."

“You prepare many dishes, let them see your skills.”

“Don't embarrass the Co family.”

I replied again: Co Vien poked her head out from the bedroom. Looked at me once and then immediately retreated. I walked towards the bedroom. Push the door open. Co Vien was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding the phone in her hand. The screen was bright but his eyes were not on it at all. Seeing me enter, he immediately stood up.

“Let me suffer today.”

I didn't reply. Just go to the dressing table and sit down. Pick up a makeup remover cotton pad to wipe makeup off your face.

"That's how my mother thinks, she's older..."

He stepped a little closer.

“Please bear with me a little.”

I looked in the mirror and slowly wiped off my lipstick.

"Don't worry, I'll find a time to talk to mom. In the future, I'll definitely not keep you waiting anymore."

His hand was on my shoulder.

“Wife, don't be angry anymore.”

I slightly moved my shoulder. Not strong, not light either. Just enough for his hand to slide down.

“I'm not angry.”

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Position that's good.”

“I know you understand best.”

Having finished speaking, he turned around and changed into his pajamas.

“I'm so tired, let's go to sleep early. I still go to work tomorrow.”

He flopped down on the bed, yawning loudly. Three minutes later. The sound of snoring rang out steadily. Sleep quickly. It's like today... nothing has ever happened. I sat in front of the dressing table, continuing to remove the makeup on my face. Little by little, wipe off the foundation, eye shadow, and mascara, until the face in the mirror reveals its original pale appearance. I looked at myself for a long time. Then I stood up, walked to the bedroom door, locked the door from the inside and returned to the dressing table. I picked up the phone. Mom sent me three text messages.

“Is your daughter home yet?”

“How does your mother-in-law treat you?”

“Remember to sleep early.”

I stared at the phone screen for a long time. Fingers stop on the keyboard for a moment before starting to type.

“I'm here. Mother-in-law is also very good. Mom, please go to bed early."

After sending the message, I logged out and opened the notes app. Create a new document. Title: Tomorrow. 1. Go to the market. Two large cinnamon fish. Five pounds of ribs. Four pounds of fresh shrimp. Two pounds of tenderloin. Three pounds of beef stew. Ten chicken thighs. Two pounds of scallops. A pumpkin. One and a half pounds of string beans. Four eggplants. Two lettuces. Broccoli… I wrote it down in great detail. What ingredients are needed for each dish and how much is needed, I will list them one by one. Eighteen dishes. No items left over. After writing the list of ingredients, I turned to the next page. Title: Key. The second floor drawer of the shoe cabinet in Huyen Quan has two spare keys, one for the main door and one for the kitchen glass door. In the first drawer to the right of the dressing table in the mother-in-law's room, inside there is a small cabinet key wrapped in old newspaper. Father-in-law does not control matters in the house. Co Vien's key chain has three keys: main door, garage and office. I stopped for a few seconds and then continued typing. Luggage: 20-inch gray suitcase on top level in closet. Documents: ID in wallet, marriage certificate in bedside table, bank card with you. I exited the notes app and opened e-banking. The balance appeared on the screen: 487,261.45 yuan. That's the amount of money I saved during four years of working, plus income from side jobs. The bride price of 68,000 yuan my mother told me to keep for myself, the dowry of 50,000 yuan is also on this card. Add it all up, nearly six hundred thousand yuan. Not much, but enough. Enough for me to leave cleanly. No debt, no entanglements, no need to look back. I turned off the phone and the screen immediately went dark. Then lie back in bed. Co Vien's snores rose and fell steadily next to him. I turned my back to him and closed my eyes. The list just written down appeared in my head one after another. Eighteen dishes, what ingredients are needed for each dish, whether to use high or low heat, in what order to serve them... I have calculated them all carefully. Then, I remembered that glass door. The door I had been standing outside for forty minutes. That door... has a lock. I quickly fell asleep.