Chapter 14 — I'm No Longer A Reasonable Daughter-in-law

"Your design is different. You're not just designing, you're telling a story. And I need someone who can tell stories like that."

I breathed lightly.

“Currently I work freelance, without a support team.”

"I know." He nodded, "Luc Vien Chu said. I don't care where you belong. I only care about what you can do."

He pushed a stack of documents towards me.

"Five projects. If you are interested, we can sign a consulting contract. The idea stage for each project is from five to ten thousand. If implemented, the profit is calculated separately."

I open the document. First project: Ninh Chau textile factory—finalized. Second project: old granary in Hangzhou. Third project: railway transfer station in Chengdu. Fourth project: abandoned primary school on the outskirts of Ninh Chau. Fifth project— My hand stopped.

“This project…”

“This address… is the old movie theater in Thanh Nam area?”

"Correct." He nodded, "Phase two of the Thanh Nam project. Phase one failed, so we need to start over. Do you know this place?"

I looked at the map. A place… not just a building. It's a piece of memory. Impression of Thanh Nam. The project that Ma Liqun blatantly stole my sketch for reporting, then ended up completely ruining it.

"I know." I closed my briefcase, "I'm extremely interested."

Tien Thu Ngoc looked at me, the corners of her lips curled up slightly, forming a smile.

“There's one more thing I want to tell you.” He picked up his cup of tea, "Ma Liqun is someone I just recruited last month. His CV outlines extremely impressive project management experience. But the day we met at the textile factory, you bluntly exposed the story of him stealing the design effort, I sent someone to investigate the matter again."

He stopped for a moment.

"In the original documents of the Thanh Nam Impression design phase one, there is indeed your name in the author's section. He later arbitrarily erased it."

The hand on my knee tightened.

"To Uyen, you can rest assured. Han Lam will never tolerate that kind of person."

I didn't know what to say for a moment, I could only nod vigorously as an answer. When leaving Han Lam headquarters, a brilliant sunset fell. The setting sun dyed the vast river surface golden, reflecting the red light on the glass wall of the office building. I waited on the side of the road, took out my phone and texted Phuong Linh.

"I won an annual design consulting contract. Five projects."

Phuong Linh immediately texted back a series of exclamation points.

“To Uyen, you're about to get promoted, right?!”

"Not yet. It's just the first turning point."

“You always seem so calm and bland.” Phuong Linh dropped an icon and rolled her eyes, "Are you free to go out to celebrate tonight?"

"Let's go tomorrow. Tonight I have to go home and read a story to Doa Doa before going to bed."

I pulled the car door open, slid inside and sat inside. The sound of the engine starting echoed in the quiet parking garage. Hands placed firmly on the steering wheel. I turned on the turn signal and slowly drove out of the parking lot. On the way back to my mother's house, the setting sun dyed the entire horizon red. I rolled down the car window a bit, the wind poured in gently, warmly, with the faint scent of flowers and grass in late April. The phone rings with a text message. By Ha Tuan.

“I'm back Where are you?

“On the way home.”

“Is everything going well?”

“Um. It went very well. Ha Tuan, I have something to discuss with you."

“What's going on?”

“I have found a new direction for work. Not going back to working in an office anymore, but working as a freelance designer. I just signed a contract with a large customer, with five projects, and I may have to travel continuously between Ninh Chau, Hangzhou and Chengdu.”

The other end of the line was silent for about two seconds.

“Can you find it?”

"Okay. The income is better than when I worked a lot.”

Another moment of silence.

“I'm sorry, I've never asked you what job you really want to do before.”

My throat was a little tight.

“It's okay. It's okay to know later."

“So when will you two go home?”

I stared at the straight road ahead.

“This weekend.”

“Let me come pick you up.”

“No need. I can drive home myself.”

“Then I'll stay home and wait for you and your mother. I will clean the house neatly and rearrange the office as before."