Chapter 16 — My Wife Is Not An Outsider

She put her hands on the edge of the table, her body trembling. Tears welled up and rolled down my cheeks.

"Your father's health is not good, An An is not married yet, so you just ignore it and let it all go? Where is your conscience? You—"

“Mom.”

I stood up and walked in front of her. Look at her at close range. Her hair was speckled with a few gray strands. Wrinkles at the corners of the eyes are much more than my impression. She certainly hasn't been able to sleep in the past few days, her eyes are red and her skin is yellow. She is my mother. Giving birth to me, raising me, taking care of my education and becoming a good person. I always remember those things.

“Mom.” My voice softened: "I'm not forcing you, Mom. I'm letting you choose."

"Three choices, none of which will make mother suffer. The first choice is the best - the whole family lives together. But with the condition that Wen Duong must be treated as family."

“I can't do what you want…”

"I don't need satisfaction. I need fairness."

She cried uncontrollably. She covered her face and sat down. She squatted next to the dining table, her head resting on her knees, her shoulders shaking violently. I stood in front of her, but didn't sit down as well. It's not that I don't want to, but I know that if I kneel now, she will see it as a sign of me being soft-hearted, and then everything will return to the starting line. I stood there, waiting for her to finish crying. Two minutes. Five minutes. Her crying gradually subsided, from screaming to sobbing. Finally she raised her head and used the back of her hand to wipe the tears from her face. Her eyes were red and swollen, but the resignation and stubbornness in her eyes had faded. Instead, it was a dull fatigue. It's really tiring.

“The first one.” She spoke, her voice so hoarse that it was almost inaudible.

“What?”

“I choose the first one.” She grabbed the edge of the table and stood up, her knees groaning: "Let's live together. Mom... I'll try."

When she said "will try", her voice trembled slightly. I nodded.

“One more thing.”

“What happened again?”

“An An's money…”

“Mom told him to return it.” She said quickly: "Before the end of the month, I will pay you in advance."

"No need to pay for it. I'll pay it myself."

"He doesn't have a job yet, where will he get money..."

“He's twenty-four years old. It's time to find a job.”

My mother's lips moved, and in the end she just sighed. The door opens. On the way back. As she changed her slippers, she saw the atmosphere in the living room—my mother's red, swollen eyes, the chair toppled on the floor, and the lingering tension in the air. Her steps stopped.

“What's the matter?”

I walked over and picked up her bag for her.

"It's nothing. I'm done talking to my mother. From now on, our family will live a dignified life together."

On Duong looked at me, then looked at my mother. My mother turned her back, not facing the living room.

“…Let's eat.” Her voice was sad: "The food is finished cooking."

There are four dishes on the table. It's not called hearty, but it's all freshly cooked. Hot. Four sets of bowls and chopsticks. On Duong looked at the bowl and chopsticks placed in his position and stood still for two seconds. Then she walked over, pulled out a chair, and sat down in her seat. My mother sat across from her. She hesitated for a moment, picked up a chicken wing, and dropped it into Wen Duong's bowl. The movements are still awkward. But it was a little more natural than last time. On Duong bent down to look at the chicken wings in the bowl.

“Thank you mom.”

My mother said "yes" and bowed her head to serve the rice. I sat down, picked up a piece of food into the mouth. The taste of the food is also okay. A little too much salt, but still edible. At this meal, no one talked at the table. But all four were there. The sound of bowls and chopsticks colliding, the sound of a spoon scraping the bottom of the bowl, the sound of chewing and swallowing. Not too noisy. But it's not quiet either. * 【Chapter 9】 After New Year's Eve, I still made a decision. Move out.