Chapter 2 — Live towards the light

That's right, it can be taken from the general fund anyway, a little pocket money is fine. I looked at the faces of this whole family and felt only disgust. Soon it was payday. Coming home from work, as soon as I walked through the door, I felt a strange atmosphere. Luu Ngoc Mai, Co Thanh, Co Vi and Vuong Le, four people sat neatly on the living room sofa, looking at me at the same time, as if waiting for trial. As soon as she saw me, Luu Ngoc Mai immediately stood up and put her hand out in front of her.

“Tieu Nghien, are you back?”

“Where is the salary card?”

I took out a thin bank card from my pocket and calmly placed it in her hand. She seemed to hold a treasure, using two fingers to grasp it, turning it over and over to look at it without getting tired of it. Co Thanh next to me breathed a sigh of relief and even smiled at me. Liu Ngoc Mai narrowed her eyes, an unconcealed greed flashed in her eyes.

“Is the password still your birthday?”

I nodded. She smiled with satisfaction and carefully put the card in her pocket as if storing something extremely valuable.

“Okay, let's eat.”

That night, the smile on her face almost never disappeared. 03 The first expense The days passed little by little, Luu Ngoc Mai completely took on the role of "family financial manager", the thing that made her happiest every day was taking my salary card to check the balance, then happily returning, meticulously writing another line in the book full of words. She began to become stingy to the extreme, the food in the house turned from fresh meat to discounted overnight food, the fruit from red cherries turned into the cheapest apples on the market. My son, Co Lac Lac, is at the age of development and eats like the wind. However, several times he just wanted to eat one more piece of ribs and Luu Ngoc Mai used her chopsticks to stop him. Her voice was full of annoyance: "Why are you eating so much? Look how fat you are!" Having finished speaking, she turned around and pushed the plate of ribs towards Co Tieu Bao. Her voice immediately calmed down: "Tieu Bao should eat more. As he grows older, he must nourish himself." Co Lac Lac looked at me sadly, her eyes red, as if trying to hold back tears. I just patted my child's head and said nothing. Co Thanh saw everything, but just sighed, his voice helpless: "That's his mother, please bear with her for a bit." I don't argue with him. It doesn't make any sense. Arguing doesn't solve anything. I just silently took Co Lac Lac out to eat every day after work, ordering him his favorite dishes like steak and pizza. Watching him eat greedily, my heart ached like needles. That's my son, the child I labored over for ten months to get, why should I have to endure such resentment in this house? One day, Co Lac Lac's school held an autumn picnic, the teacher sent a notice to the group, each student needed to pay 300 yuan in fees. I took a screenshot and sent it to Co Thanh. At dinner, Co Thanh cautiously mentioned this to Liu Ngoc Mai: "Mom, Lac Lac's school is organizing a picnic, we need to pay 300 yuan." Luu Ngoc Mai was meticulously removing fish bones for Co Tieu Bao. Hearing that, she didn't even bother to raise her head: "What kind of picnic is that?"

“Every day I only think about playing around, have I done anything with my studies?”

“Besides, isn't it just going to the park to run around? Why do you need 300 yuan?”

Vuong Le lives The person next to him immediately chimed in: "That's right, now the school is all about finding ways to collect money."

"Tieu Bao's family is also organized, I didn't even let him go."

Co Thanh looked awkward: "Mom, the other friends are all going, it's not okay if Lac Lac doesn't go..." Luu Ngoc Mai stuffed the deboned fish into Co Tieu Bao's mouth, her voice was firm: "What's wrong? It's just children, don't compare."

“I think giving 100 yuan is enough at most, buying some snacks and fruit.”

"300 yuan? Robbed of money!"

She firmly closed it. Co Thanh did not dare to say another word. I put down the bowl and chopsticks, wiped my mouth, my voice was not loud but each word was clear: "Lac Lac's picnic, you must go." The atmosphere in the living room immediately quieted down. Luu Ngoc Mai raised her head and looked at me in surprise.

“This 300 yuan must be paid.”

I repeat again. Her face darkened and her voice became harsh: "I told you, the money is in this house, I decide!"

"What do you want to do? Rebel?"

I looked at her, my eyes calm and unwavering: "The money is in your hands, right."

“But Lac Lac is my son.”

“It's up to me, I decide.”

Having finished speaking, I stood up and went straight to the room, behind me Luu Ngoc Mai's angry cursing echoed endlessly. The next day, I didn't ask her for money. I opened the jewelry box and took out a bracelet I hadn't worn for a long time. It was a birthday gift from my mother. It cost more than 10,000 yuan when I bought it. I posted it for sale on a used goods site, priced it at 8,000 yuan, and quickly someone bought it. The money was transferred directly to my e-wallet. I took out 300 yuan in cash and personally handed it over to Co Lac Lac's teacher. I didn't tell anyone about this. But there is no airtight wall in the world. Vuong Le, while surfing the old items page, accidentally saw my transaction and immediately ran to tell Luu Ngoc Mai. In the evening, as soon as I entered the door, I saw Luu Ngoc Mai holding a notebook, her face full of gloom, standing in front of the entrance.

“Khuong Nghien!”

Her voice was so shrill that it made people uncomfortable.

“Your guts are really big!”

“You dare hide your private money behind my back!”

She threw the notebook hard on the coffee table in front of me, a loud "bang" sounded.

"What do you think this house is? What do you think we are?!"

Her chest heaved violently, her face was red, her eyes seemed to want to devour others. 04 Private money I looked at her face distorted by anger, but there was not a single wave in my heart.

“I hide my own money?”

I asked again, my voice as calm as dead water.

“Mom, have you misunderstood something?”

Co Thanh quickly ran to make peace, his voice frantic: "Mom, Tieu Nghien is not that kind of person, there must have been a misunderstanding." He said as he glanced at me, wanting me to quickly apologize and get it over with. Vuong Le stood behind Luu Ngoc Mai, the corner of her mouth curled up in an unconcealable gloating smile, clearly waiting to see me humiliated in front of the whole family. But Luu Ngoc Mai did not hear Co Thanh's words at all. She pointed straight at my face, spit flying, her voice shrill: "Misunderstanding? Full evidence!"

“Vuong Le saw it with her own eyes, she sells jewelry online!”

“Sold for 8,000 yuan!”

"Have you paid this money into the general fund? No!"

“You clearly have your own intentions, wanting to secretly accumulate money behind our backs!”

Her voice grew louder so loud that it alarmed Co Lac Lac who was sitting in the room doing homework. The boy stuck his head out and looked at us with nervous eyes. I looked at my child, nodded slightly in reassurance, and signaled him to return to the room. Waiting for the door to close, I turned to Luu Ngoc Mai.

“That's right, I do sell a bracelet.”

I frankly admit. As soon as the sentence ended, Co Thanh's face immediately turned pale. The smile on Vuong Le's face became even more proud. Luu Ngoc Mai seemed to grasp the biggest weakness, her chin raised higher, her voice full of victory: "You admit it! You finally admit it!"

"Co Thanh, look clearly, this is the good wife he married!"

“Eat a bowl of stone porridge!”

I let her scold me. Waiting until she was tired of scolding and out of breath, I slowly opened my mouth.

“Mom, don't be so quick to accuse me.”

“Or try to think about it, why do I have to sell that bracelet?”

Luu Ngoc Mai froze for a second.

“I asked mom, Lac Lac needs to pay 300 yuan to go on a picnic, will you give it?”

Her face changed slightly.

“Just a picnic, whether to go or not…”

"The other kids are all going, why can't my son go?" I interrupted her, my voice not loud but decisive enough to not be taken lightly.

“Just because I think 300 yuan is expensive, I don't think this money should be spent?”

"It's a group activity for the boy, a part of his childhood memories."

“In the general fund managed by mother, this money is an unnecessary expense.”

“But for me, as a mother, it's money that has to be spent.”

I stopped for a moment, my eyes scanning each person in the room.

"If Mom doesn't give it to me, shouldn't I think of a way?"

"That bracelet was given to me by my biological mother. I appreciate it very much."

“If it wasn't for my son, would I have the heart to sell it?”

"Mom said I hid my own money, so I dare to take out this 8,000 yuan just to pay 300 yuan for Lac Lac's picnic."

My eyes stopped on Vuong Le's face, the corner of her lips curled up into a cold smile.

“Unlike some people, they take money from the house to buy a new phone or a designer bag without blinking an eye.”

“Mom, why don't you check her books?”

Vuong Le's face immediately turned red like pig liver.

“You… you said something nonsense!”

Last week, she even clung to Luu Ngoc Mai, withdrawing 1,500 yuan from the common fund under the pretext of registering for classes early for Co Tieu Bao, and as a result, she turned around and immediately bought a newly released phone. The whole family knows this, only Luu Ngoc Mai is still hidden in the dark. Luu Ngoc Mai was speechless when I asked her. Her momentum quickly and clearly decreased.