Chapter 12 — Mother's Last Painting

People watching scolded him even more fiercely. I stood at the door watching the drama. Aunt Chu asked me in a low voice: "Are you ready?" I nodded. She took a small tape recorder out of her pocket and pressed the play button. Lam Uyen's voice rang out clearly. "Hua Thanh Thanh, don't you like to report to the police? Don't you have a certificate of ownership? I want to see if an assistant like you who just secured a permanent position can withstand being criticized by the entire social network." The hallway outside immediately fell quiet. Lam Uyen's face changed. The recording continued. "Withdraw the police report, hand over the key to the backyard, then write a commitment that the house will be managed by Minh Trach. I will delete the video." The onlookers looked at each other. Lam's mother rushed forward to snatch the recorder. Uncle Trieu stopped her. Aunt Chu turned up the volume. In the recording, I asked: "What if I don't do it?" Lam Uyen said: "Then just wait until you lose your job." Lam Uyen shouted: "Fake! This is synthesized sound!" Aunt Chu looked at her. "You can take it for evaluation." Someone said in a low voice: "This pregnant woman doesn't seem to be as pitiful as in the video." Lam's mother immediately pointed at that person and scolded: "What do you know? She was pushed to the limit and said something in anger!" I looked at Lam Uyen. "Can angry words be posted online? Can I be suspended from work? Can I be forced to hand over the keys to the backyard?" Lam Uyen gritted her teeth. "You're recording because you're plotting against me." I said: "You threaten me, I keep the evidence. Do you call that a plan?" Tham Minh Trach's face was ugly. "Thanh Thanh, that's enough." Aunt Chu gave a copy of the power of attorney to the people around her to see. "Everyone can see clearly. This house belongs to Hua Thanh Thanh from beginning to end. Tham Quoc Cuong and his wife are only temporarily managing it. The objects in the backyard were also clearly marked as not to be touched." Ms. Truong squeezed into the crowd. "I told you! This house was bought by Thanh Thanh's parents. Since when did it become the Tham family's house?" Lam's mother was about to scold me, but the onlookers started to take my side. "So isn't that video a scam?" "Pregnant women cannot be treated this way." "And telling the landlord to pay ten thousand yuan for living expenses, you really dare to open your mouth." Lam Uyen hugged her stomach. "Minh Trach, I'm upset." Tham Minh Trach immediately supported her and angrily said to me: "Do you have to force her to do something to be satisfied?" I said: "The hospital is nearby." He was speechless. At that moment, a noise came from the backyard. My face changed and I immediately ran into the yard. Outside the backyard shed door, the lock had been broken. The door opened a small crack. The second aunt stood next to the door, holding a screwdriver in her hand. Seeing me, her whole body seemed to be nailed to the spot. I asked: "Second aunt, what are you doing?" Her lips trembled. "Thanh Thanh, I just want to come in and see if there are any items missing." Aunt Chu came over. Seeing the lock, her face completely sank. "The Tham family is really good." The second uncle ran from the front yard. Seeing the screwdriver in his second aunt's hand, his face immediately turned white. "Are you crazy?" Second aunt cried. "What other way do I have? Uyen Uyen said that as long as she gets the list, she will delete the video. Minh Trach's work will not be affected, Lam Hao will also be relieved. Thanh Thanh, your backyard has so many things, is it too much to take one or two items to save your family?" I looked at her. "Save whose family?" She was stunned. I said: "My house has been opened by you guys." The screwdriver in the second aunt's hand fell to the ground. Lam Uyen stood behind, no sign of illness on her face. "Mom did this because she wanted to be good for everyone. Hua Thanh Thanh, don't be unreasonable." Aunt Chu called. "Report to the police. Someone pried open the door of Ms. Hua's warehouse." Lam Uyen smiled coldly. "Report it. It's best to put your mother in jail too. Hua Thanh Thanh, you personally send the aunt who raised you to jail, to see how others will scold you." The second aunt knelt down. "Thanh Thanh, second aunt doesn't steal, second aunt really doesn't steal." The second uncle kicked the screwdriver aside, turned around and slapped himself. "I have caused harm." I did not step forward to help my second aunt. The police arrived very quickly. The onlookers had not yet dispersed. The people who helped Lam Uyen scolded me just kept their mouths shut. The second aunt kept crying. The second uncle explained for her, saying that she was just temporarily confused. Aunt Chu only asked one question: "If we return half an hour late today and the items in the warehouse are missing, who will be responsible?" No one said anything. Lam Uyen walked out holding her stomach. "Comrade police, my mother-in-law is only worried about Hua Thanh Thanh secretly moving things in the house. We also live in this house, we have the right to know what is stored in the backyard." The police looked at me. I took out the certificate of ownership. "They have no residency rights. I asked them to move out." Lam's mother tried to cause trouble again. "You want to evict pregnant women!" The police said: "Whoever owns the house has the right to decide who gets to live in it. No one has the right to occupy another person's house." As soon as that sentence came out, Lam's mother seemed to be speechless.