Chapter 20 — Mother's Boundaries

Once people have experienced the feeling of being forced into a corner, they will not easily give their back to others anymore. On Saturday afternoon, Luc Minh Vien received a phone call from Luc Kien Quoc. This time, he turned on the speakerphone. Luc Kien Quoc's voice was much lower than before. "Your mother wants to see the baby." Luc Minh Vien looked at me. I said nothing. He said to the other end of the line: "Okay." "Saturday at three o'clock, community room." "One hour." "You and Thanh Hoa are both there." "Don't take videos, don't carry your children, don't mention the old house." The other end of the line was silent for a long time. Luc Kien Quoc asked: "Meet outside?" Luc Minh Vien said: "Yes." "Temporarily no reception at home." Ma Phuong Lan's crying voice came from the side. "I look at my biological granddaughter, it's like visiting a prison." Luc Minh Vien did not back down. "Mom, if you are not satisfied, then wait until you are satisfied before speaking." The phone hung up. He looked at me. "Is that okay?" I said: "Okay." "But just try it once." "If they continue to cause trouble, there won't be a next time." He nodded. Saturday afternoon, we went to the community room. My mother didn't go. She said she was afraid she wouldn't be able to hold back her anger. An An was held in my arms, wearing a small hat. Ma Phuong Lan and Luc Kien Quoc arrived early. After a few days of not seeing each other, Ma Phuong Lan looked a bit haggard. She saw An An, her eyes immediately turned red. "An An." She reached out to pick him up. I took half a step back. "Wash your hands first." Her hand stiffened in midair. Luc Minh Vien passed the hand sanitizer over. "Mom, follow the rules." Ma Phuong Lan looked at him, her lips trembling. This time, she did not scold. She washes her hands and wears a mask. I gave An An to her. She still wasn't very proficient at carrying it. But this time, she was not stubborn. Luc Minh Vien reminded next to him: "Support your neck." Ma Phuong Lan said in a low voice: "I know." But her hands clearly adjusted a bit. For an hour, she did not mention her old house. Don't scold me either. Just hugged An An and looked at her for a long time. Before leaving, she suddenly said to me: "That day when I came to your unit, I was so angry that I was confused." This is not the same as sorry. It's more like finding yourself a ladder. I looked at her. "I accept that it is not right for you to admit to the unit." "But I do not accept using angry anger to hurt others." Ma Phuong Lan's face turned white. Luc Kien Quoc frowned, as if he wanted to say something. Luc Minh Vien opened his mouth first. "Dad, it's time today." Luc Kien Quoc swallowed back his words. After they left, I hugged An An and stood in front of the living room door. Luc Minh Vien asked in a low voice: "You still want a divorce, right?" I looked at the gray sky in the distance. Don't reply immediately. A long time later, I said: "I'm still thinking." The light in his eyes dimmed a little. I continued: "Luc Minh Vien, marriage is not because today, standing by my side just once can erase everything in the past." "You can see what I do in the future." "But I will no longer trust you unconditionally." He nodded, his voice very light. "I know." I hugged An An tightly. This time, An An woke up. The girl opened her bright black eyes, looked at me and smiled. At that moment, I suddenly understood. I'm not in a hurry to make any decisions. Because the current me has the ability to make decisions. 21On An An's hundred days, I don't hold a big party. Just set up a dinner table at home. The only people who came were my mother, aunt, uncle, and two very close friends. Luc Minh Vien went to the kitchen to make three dishes. Taste normal. The ribs are a bit salty, the green vegetables are a bit mushy. But when he brought it out, his forehead was covered in sweat. Aunt tasted a piece, smiled and said: "Not bad, at least it's cooked." Everyone laughed. Luc Minh Vien also laughed. There was shame in that smile, but also a bit of relief. During these three months, he really changed a lot. From ten o'clock at night to two o'clock in the morning, he said goodbye

At first, she was frantic with her hands and feet, but later on, she was able to finish mixing milk, changing diapers, and burping on her own. When An An cried, his first question was no longer "why are you crying again?" He will check the diaper first, then test the milk temperature, and finally hold the baby and walk slowly in the living room. Ma Phuong Lan will occasionally text her child to ask questions. Luc Minh Vien responded unanimously. If you want to meet, you can make an appointment in advance. Location is outside. Time should not exceed one hour. A few times later, perhaps she also knew that rioting was useless, and in the end it calmed down quite a bit. Luc Giai Giai still spoke sarcastically. But her mother-in-law's side is no longer silent. As long as she mentioned that her husband's family was unreliable that year, the other person would directly present the transfer history. Luc Giai Giai messed up twice and didn't dare to talk nonsense again. At first, Luc Kien Quoc still acted like a father. One time later, he wanted to bypass me and directly told Luc Minh Vien to carry An An back to his old house. Luc Minh Vien only answered four words. "No way." From then on, Luc Kien Quoc rarely opened his mouth. Everything looks like it's getting better. But I'm very clear in my heart that the so-called improvement is not because they suddenly understand morality. But because they find out, I won't be massaged anymore. Sometimes that's just human nature.