Chapter 4 — My Husband Wants AA, I'm Thinking About Divorce

The tense atmosphere lasted ten minutes. Finally, Tran Quoc Dong slammed the table.

"Okay, stop arguing. Khai Chu, go cook."

Tran Khai Chu looked at his father in disbelief. Tran Quoc Dong's voice became louder.

“Shouldn't we let your mother go into the kitchen?”

Tran Khai Chu glared at me and then turned back to the kitchen. The sound of pots and pans colliding echoed continuously. The sound of the range hood starting up covered even Ms. Luu Que Phuong's annoying mutterings.

"It's truly cruel. You're ungrateful. I don't even think it's worth it for my son."

Tran Vu Vy sat down on the sofa again. Scrolling through your phone while constantly rolling your eyes. I went into the bedroom. Then send a WeChat message to Tham Nhuoc Dong:

“Nhuoc Dong, do you have a spare room at your house?”

She replied immediately:

"Yes. Do you need me to come pick you up now?"

"No need yet. Maybe a few more days."

“Anytime.”

I sat on the edge of the bed. Look at that message. The bridge of my nose suddenly stings. Four years of marriage. It's not as good as saying "anytime" from friends. Dinner that night was cooked by Tran Khai Chu. A savory dish. Two vegetable dishes. A bowl of egg soup. The presentation is extremely poor. No one at the dinner table said anything. There was only the sound of chopsticks hitting the bowl. Almost finished eating. Ms. Luu Que Phuong suddenly spoke up.

"Nien So, the bed sheets in the spare room are a bit thin. Tomorrow, please change into thicker ones. Vu Vy's clothes cannot be machine washed, so you can wash them by hand too."

I put my chopsticks down next to the bowl.

“Hand washing one item costs 20 yuan.”

Ms. Luu Que Phuong's face immediately darkened. She slammed her chopsticks on the table. Tran Khai Chu raised his head.

"Lin Niem Chu! Can you stop causing trouble?"

“Who is the one causing trouble?”

I looked at him. The voice is not loud. Each word slowly came out.

"In the AA system, my time and labor are both personal property. If you want to use it, you have to pay a fee. This is your own logic. Now you see that it is disadvantageous for you, so you can't stand it anymore?"

Tran Quoc Dong frowned.

“Do people of the same family need to make such clear calculations?”

“The person who wants to calculate clearly first is Tran Khai Chu.”

“Dad, if you think it's unreasonable, you should advise your son to cancel the AA regime, not advise me to work for free.”

Tran Khai Chu's hand holding the chopsticks tightened. Finger joints turn white. He did not object. Because every sentence and every word I say. These are all rules he set himself. That evening. The office was taken over by my husband's parents. Tran Khai Chu sleeps on the sofa. I locked the bedroom door. About one o'clock in the morning. Outside the living room there was a very quiet noise. I opened the door a crack. Seeing Tran Khai Chu sitting on the sofa. The light from the phone screen shined on his face. The lines on the lips are tight. In that moment. I almost softened. Then I immediately remembered the phone call the day my mother was in the emergency room.

“Nien So, rules are rules.”

Then a bit of softness just flashed. Again, I extinguished it myself. But then I remembered myself in the hospital hallway that day. Remember his cold words:

“The rules are set and must be followed.”

I closed the door. The rules are made by him. Or he himself broke it. Or I quit the game. The next morning, Tran Khai Chu knocked on the bedroom door.

“Nien So, can you go out for a moment?”

I opened the door. Older brother I'm standing in the hallway. Eye bags clearly show fatigue.

“I thought about it all night last night.”

His voice was a bit deeper than usual.

"It's because you haven't thought carefully. Before bringing your parents here, you should discuss it with me first."

I leaned against the doorframe and looked at him.

"The AA thing too. And the thing about my mother being hospitalized... you were really too rigid at that time."

He stopped for a moment. Four years of marriage. This was the first time he said sorry to me.

"I've already talked to my mother and told her not to keep bossing you around. I've already mentioned Vu Vy's story. My housework will be reorganized. They'll only stay for half a month at most. When Vu Vy finds a job, she'll move out. Is that okay?"

I looked at him. Don't reply right away. There was a hint of fatigue in his voice.

"After all, we've been together for four years. Don't do things because you're angry at the moment that you'll regret later."

I nodded slightly.

"I know."

He breathed a sigh of relief. Turn around and brush your teeth. That whole morning. I almost believed it. Until two o'clock in the afternoon. I went to the balcony to collect clothes. Walk past the office. The room door was ajar. Inside, Ms. Luu Que Phuong is calling on the phone. Speaker volume is not loud. But enough for me to hear every word clearly.

"... No. This daughter-in-law cannot be kept. If she doesn't have children, then leave her alone. Her personality is bigger than the sky, and she doesn't know how to listen to anyone."

"I asked. Mr. Zhang's daughter, Hong Hong, is working in a bank in Hangzhou. Her appearance is not bad. Once the divorce is over, I will arrange for them to meet."

On the other end of the line was a woman's voice. Giggle.

"Miss Que Phuong, you have to chase him away first. Otherwise, meeting him will be too embarrassing."

“What's so difficult about chasing away?”

Ms. Luu Que Phuong sneered.

"I'll just stay here and not leave, see how long it can last. At most a month it will run away on its own."

“Until then, the house still belongs to my son.”

“He's just a painter, what can he do?”