Chapter 22 — Mother's Last Painting

His hair was white, he was holding a cane, but his eyes were still very sharp. "Chu Lan, long time no see." Aunt Chu stood in front of me. "Luc Van Xuong, are you still not dead?" Luc Van Xuong smiled. "Your mouth still refuses to forgive anyone." His eyes fell on me. "Thanh Thanh has grown so much. When you were little, I used to carry you." I said: "I don't remember." He said: "It's good not to remember. Children should not remember too many old things." Aunt Chu asked coldly: "What do you want to do?" Luc Van Xuong seemed not to hear and continued to look at me. "Your mother's restoration notes are in your hand?" I said: "No." He laughed. "Your lying style is not like your mother's. When your mother lies, she touches her sleeve first." My heart is cold. This person is so familiar to my mother. So familiar that it makes people nauseous. Co Hanh Chu spoke up: "Mr. Luc, Lam Thanh has been arrested." Luc Van Xuong looked at him. "The Co family's son has also arrived. Your father had good eyesight that year, but unfortunately his life was short." Co Hanh Chu's face darkened. "You know my father?" "Of course. That painting was also the one I introduced to the Hua family to restore." I asked: "So you were the one who brought that restoration commission to my mother?" The people around turned to look. Luc Van Xuong did not seem angry. "Young people should have evidence before making accusations." I took out my old tape recorder. "In the recording my father left behind, there was a mention of Ma Duc Hai. Lam Thanh confessed to Ma Duc Hai. Ma Duc Hai mentioned him. Evidence piece by piece will then be connected." Luc Van Xuong smiled and shook his head. "Thanh Thanh, didn't your mother teach you? There are some strings that are more likely to break the more they are stretched." Aunt Chu said: "Don't pretend to be a ghost." Luc Van Xuong raised his hand. A young man behind him handed him a stack of documents. "I didn't come today to argue. In the Hua family's backyard, there are some things that originally belonged to my teacher. Your mother was only taking care of them on my behalf. Now she no longer exists, so I should return them." Aunt Chu was so angry that she burst out laughing. "Your master? The day you were kicked out by your master, I was present." Luc Van Xuong said: "Word of mouth has no proof. I have a deed of gift for that year." He handed the documents to the staff next to him. The employee took a look and his face became strange. People in the exhibition room began to gather around. Luc Van Xuong's voice was not loud but loud enough for everyone to hear. "Hua Thanh Thanh, I won't make things difficult for you. Hand over the restoration notes your mother left behind and the master's old items, I won't hold the Hua family responsible for wrongfully concealing them that year." I looked at him. "What if I don't deliver?" Luc Van Xuong sighed. "Then I can only carry out the legal procedures. By then, the Hua family's reputation will not be easy to hear." Someone said in a low voice: "It's truly unsightly to arbitrarily hide the master's belongings." "The Hua family's parents are both dead, who knows what happened that year?" Aunt Chu's face was green with anger. Co Hanh Chu asked me in a low voice: "Are you ready?" I placed the wooden box on the display table. "Mr. Luc, are you saying that my mother arbitrarily hid the master's belongings?" He said: "Yes." I opened the wooden box. Inside were only a few old knives, brooms and a roll of yellowed paper. I took out the scroll. "So do you recognize this?" Luc Van Xuong stopped laughing. I unrolled the paper. It was a declaration of expulsion from the sect. Above is the signature of master Luc Van Xuong and the signatures of several witnesses that year. Aunt Chu said: "Luc Van Xuong, that year you stole and sold the master's materials, so the master chased you away. Where do you have the face to represent the master?" Luc Van Xuong's face finally changed. "Why is this in your hand?" I said: "My mother left it." I took out the second piece of paper. "And this." That is a list of items sent for preservation, clearly stating that some items are temporarily managed by my mother, the ownership remained with my mother, not the master's common property. Among the signers is also Luc Van Xuong. The surrounding chatter changed. "Didn't he sign it himself?" "So what's with the gift note just now?" The young man standing behind Luc Van Xuong looked uneasy. I looked at Luc Van Xuong. "Then, before forging documents, didn't you think that my mother would keep the copies?" Luc Van Xuong's hand on the cane tightened. "Young lady, do you know how serious the word counterfeiting is?" Co Hanh Chu continued: "The exhibition room has cameras and documents are also here. Do we need to notify the police immediately?" Luc Van Xuong looked at Co Hanh Chu with gloomy eyes. At that moment, a familiar voice rang out. "Report it." Lam Uyen walked out of the crowd. She wore very simple clothes, but on her face she had an indifferent look. Tham Minh Trach followed behind and tried to pull but couldn't. Lam Uyen looked at me. "Hua Thanh Thanh, do you dare bring all the things in your backyard to check? Do you dare let everyone see if your parents are innocent or not?" Tham Minh Trach shouted softly: "Lam Uyen, shut up!" Lam Uyen shook his hand away.