Chapter 1 — My Little Lady

I am the girl who is famous throughout ten miles and eight villages as "little bitch", climbing roofs to remove tiles, lighting firecrackers in cesspools are all family skills. It's just a pity that I married a white-skinned husband, with a handsome face, elegant and polite, and his parents-in-law are also gentle and quiet people, without any temper. Day after day passes, life is extremely bland. Until one day, we went to our relatives' house to visit, right in front of us, they ordered our mother-in-law like a maid. I asked my husband: “Can I be mad?” He replied: “If possible, please hurry.” Very good! The battlefield that belongs to me has finally arrived!

1

From a young age, I was famous as "little bitch" throughout ten miles and eight villages. Even though I'm a girl, I'm more proficient at climbing up on the roof to remove tiles and setting off firecrackers in the cesspool than the thugs on the street. My mother used to worry so much that her head turned gray. She lamented: "A girl like you, no boy would dare to marry her!" I was very curious: "Does someone have to take the child? If no one takes the child, will the child die immediately?" My mother said I was still young and didn't understand things. But when I grew up, I still didn't understand. Meeting my husband was truly unexpected. One day while jogging at night in college, I knocked down two hoodlums with my bare hands. Turning around, I saw a handsome white guy with bright eyes staring at me. He said: “You are so special, can I pursue you?” I asked him: “Are you afraid of death?” He nodded, then shook his head again, his white face turning red under the streetlight: "If I could die in your arms, I would gladly volunteer." That's good, you know how to play tricks too! After three years of love, we smoothly got married. He has a good personality, good figure, dedicated emotions, and treats others sincerely. The family situation is not bad, the foundation is solid, the husband's parents are also sincere and kind people, the whole family is warm and polite. My mother is very satisfied with this. On the wedding day, my mother pulled my hand and told me: "Remember to control your temper! The whole family has a soft temper, and putting them all together won't be able to defeat you. Don't bully people!" I asked again: "What if people bully me?" My mother firmly replied: "Hit me straight!" Unexpectedly, he said that sentence so loudly that the whole room could hear it. After a moment of silence, the future parents-in-law beamed and nodded vigorously. My husband - Phuong Triet's face turned red and he bowed his head in shame. As for me... Do your whole family have the "M likes to be abused" disease?

2

It wasn't until I visited relatives after the wedding that I understood. It's not "M likes to be abused". They are waiting for someone to save their lives! Early in the morning, the eldest uncle and aunt enthusiastically invited us into the house. Before I could sit down, I heard my aunt telling her mother-in-law:

“Yen Hoi, all the food has been bought, leave it in the kitchen!”

My mother-in-law replied: "Yes, I'll go cook right away." Then she turned and went straight to the kitchen. I feel very confused inside. Whose house is this anyway? The eldest uncle invited us to be guests, so why did he let my mother-in-law cook in the kitchen? My husband stood up and said: "Mom, don't be busy anymore, let's go out to eat." The aunt calmly spoke: "Phuong Triet, don't call your mother out, your mother likes to cook!"

“Yen Hoi, is that right? Are not?"

My mother-in-law bowed her head, smiled wryly and replied: “That's right! I like it.” My mother-in-law skillfully tied her apron and began to get busy in the kitchen. The eldest uncle and aunt sat cross-legged on the sofa, eating melon seeds and spitting out the peel, still not forgetting to lecture my husband.

“Little Phuong Triet, you're still young and don't understand. Back then, my family was so poor that I asked my aunt and uncle to bring us five kilos of rice so we wouldn't starve to death.

“Your mother took the initiative to go to the kitchen to cook because she felt guilty!

“If you stop your mother, it's like slapping your mother in the face!”

After saying that, the aunt called out loudly: "If you have free hands, go sweep the floor, it's all dirty!" My mother-in-law was out there panicking, then frantically ran out with a broom to sweep the house.

3

I whispered in my husband's ear:

“What is five kilos of rice?”

My husband replied with anger:

“When I was young, my family was really poor, and we used to receive rice as food from my uncle's house.”

“Will you return it?”

“It's paid. A month later, I paid twice as much, ten pounds."

Oh, you even pay interest! I glanced at my father-in-law who was bowing his head and smoking a cigarette, then glanced at my eldest uncle who was laughing loudly. In my mind, I thought to myself: Surely it's not just rice that I can give back. There is also... the spirit and self-esteem of my husband's entire family. By twelve o'clock, a table full of dishes was ready. Everyone sat at the table, but my mother-in-law had not yet come out of the kitchen.

“Leave her alone.” Auntie said, “She likes to clean up before eating. Everyone just eat first!”

My husband sat straight, not moving. The father-in-law also smiled wryly and bowed his head, not moving his chopsticks. The eldest uncle's face darkened: "What's wrong?" Second brother, don't you respect me?" The father-in-law was confused before he could say one sentence: "Not very hungry... wait for Yen Hoi for a moment." The aunt rolled her eyes sarcastically: "Sister-in-law, stop cleaning. If you don't come out, no one at this table will be able to eat!” My mother-in-law hurriedly replied: "It's almost done, it's almost done. Tieu Triet, everyone should eat first, don't let Nhi go hungry." The aunt raised her eyebrows and looked towards my husband:

“Did you hear that? I couldn't get your mother out either. “If you still don't eat, then sit there and fast with me!”

My husband's eyes were red, his hand holding the chopsticks was so tight it turned white, but he couldn't say a word. I've seen it through. Simply put: Father is quiet, mother is weak, and my husband can't argue with those thick-faced people. Perhaps he once protested for his mother, but the outcome was not good. Over time, it became the situation we are in today. I asked him: "Do you mind if I get mad?" The husband immediately replied: "If possible, please do it right away." I immediately raised my hand and overturned the entire table!