Chapter 8 — Mother's Last Painting

Lam Uyen looked Aunt Chu up and down. "One more person." Aunt Chu didn't bother to look at her. As soon as she entered the door, she asked me: "Where is the key?" I took out the key. Lam Uyen immediately stood up. "Hua Thanh Thanh, the backyard is also part of the family now, why can't I go in?" Aunt Chu stopped walking. "Who are you?" Lam Uyen stretched her belly. "I am the daughter-in-law of this family." Aunt Chu looked at me. "Are you married?" I shook my head. Aunt Chu understood. "So what kind of daughter-in-law is she?" Lam's mother no longer bites melon seeds. "What does this old woman talk like?" Aunt Chu placed the wooden box on the stone table. "Human voice. Don't you understand?" I almost burst out laughing. Lam Uyen's face was unsightly. "What are you doing running into my house?" Aunt Chu finally looked straight at her. "Your house? Take out the ownership certificate for me to see." Lam Uyen was speechless. Lam's mother snorted coldly. "It doesn't matter whose name the certificate is in, it's who lives in the house that matters." Aunt Chu nodded. "You mean whoever takes it will belong to that person? So if I sit in your car today, will the car belong to me?" Lam's mother slammed the table. "You forcefully refused to take the position!" Aunt Chu said: "I just use your principles." My second aunt walked out of the kitchen in two steps, saw Aunt Chu, and immediately smiled. "Aunt Chu is here, why didn't you give us a warning?" Aunt Chu said: "Can you tell me in advance so you can clean up the backyard?" The second aunt's smile stiffened. The second uncle also came out. "Aunt Chu, your words are too heavy." Aunt Chu looked at him. "Tham Quoc Cuong, I spared your face to show respect to Thanh Thanh's parents. If you really think that face belongs to you, I won't spare any more today." The second uncle bowed his head. Lam Uyen realized something was wrong. "Dad, what does she mean?" Aunt Chu picked up the key. "I mean, today I have to inventory the backyard. Whoever dares to enter must pay compensation." Lam Uyen raised his hand to stop. "I keep wanting to go in and see." Aunt Chu looked at me. "Thanh Thanh, tell me." I said: "No way." Lam Uyen hugged her stomach. "I'm pregnant and you guys still join forces to bully me?" Aunt Chu smiled coldly. "Being pregnant is your concern, not a license to force others to give way." Lam's mother was angry. "You dare curse my daughter?" Aunt Chu opened the wooden box and took out a pair of white gloves. "I don't have that much free time. Thanh Thanh, open the door." I walked with her to the backyard. Lam Uyen followed. Lam's mother also followed. Second uncle wanted to stop, but as soon as Lam Uyen said her stomach was upset, second aunt immediately got out of the way. When the backyard shed door was opened, a faint camphor smell spread out. Inside there was no gold, silver or jewels like Lam's mother imagined, only rows of picture boxes, bookcases and a few sealed wooden boxes. Lam's mother said disappointedly: "I thought it was some kind of treasure, but it turned out to be just a pile of torn paper." Aunt Chu put on gloves. "The torn paper is not yours either." Lam Uyen's eyes settled on a wooden box. "What's inside?" I stood in front of her. "Do not touch." As if she didn't hear, she raised her hand to open it. Aunt Chu immediately pressed down the lid of the box. "Do you want me to break your hand?" Lam Uyen shouted. "You scared me!" She backed up, hitting the shelf behind her. A small scroll of paintings on the shelf rolled to the ground. Lam's mother quickly picked it up and opened it. A corner of the picture paper was exposed. Aunt Chu's face immediately darkened. "Set down." Seeing the seal on the painting, Lam's mother's eyes lit up. "This thing is worth the money, right?" I raised my hand to take it. Lam's mother immediately backed away. "This belongs to the Tham family. Why did your mother leave it to you?" Aunt Chu lowered her voice. "I repeat again, put it down." Lam's mother not only did not put it down, but also stuffed the scroll into her chest. "You guys are so tense, it's definitely worth the money. Uyen Uyen, have you seen? She's hiding good things and won't say anything, and even wants to chase you away." Lam Uyen immediately looked at Tham Minh Trach. "Minh Trach, the things in the backyard must be ours." Tham Minh Trach stood outside the door, not entering. He looked at the boxes, his eyes complicated. I asked: "Do you want to get it too?" He didn't immediately respond. Lam Uyen was impatient. "Minh Trach!" Tham Minh Trach said: "Thanh Thanh, after all, we are all family members. I'll show you the list. It isn't too much to let everyone see." Aunt Chu burst out laughing. "It's great to be a family." I looked at Tham Minh Trach. "Cousin, these things belong to my mother." He said: "My aunt is also my biological aunt." I nodded. "So what?" He said: "She has no son, so the property should remain with her maternal family." Aunt Chu raised her hand and slapped him. The slap resonated very clearly. Everyone was stunned. Tham Minh Trach hugged his face. "You dare hit me?" Aunt Chu took off her gloves. "I'll fight for your aunt. That year she saved him, raised him for education, and gave money to his parents. Now you stand before her daughter, saying that since she has no son, the property must belong to you. Tham Minh Trach, you are even more shameless than your father when he was young." The second uncle's face was gray. Lam Uyen shouted: "Who are you to dare to beat my husband?" Aunt Chu looked at her.