Chapter 2 — No Dowry, No You

That is typical of the taste of aging women. Buying a white car is so incredibly unlucky. If you are going to buy one, it should be red; that way, when I drive it out, it brings a sense of prestige to our Cao family.

I stared at her coldly. If you like red so much, buy it yourself.

Kieu Kieu immediately shrieked: Mother, look at what she just said to me!

My mother-in-law darkened, her expression souring as she dialed Cao Pham. Cao Pham, look at your wife. She is putting on airs over a simple car purchase. Kieu Kieu only wants a red one; such a small matter, and yet she is deliberately trying to defy us.

Cao Pham was in the middle of a meeting. He hunched over and snuck out of the conference room, first whispering a few pacifying words to his mother before speaking to me. Wife, my younger brother finally found a girlfriend, so please just yield to Kieu Kieu a little. Just go along with her preference for the color.

I will not yield.

He remained silent for a second, his voice dropping to a lower, sharper register. I have already discussed this with Mother. The car will be registered in my brother's name; consider it a wedding gift from us. If you cannot even handle a small matter like this, then there is no need to continue with this marriage.

I said coldly: Very well, Cao Pham. Buying a house and gifting a car—you really have a knack for grand gestures. What about me? Where do I stand, and what am I supposed to drive?

He sounded impatient. Why are you distinguishing between yours and mine when we are all one family? Enough, I am still in a meeting. Stop making a scene. Go apologize to Kieu Kieu and choose the red one.

He hung up the phone. One family? I let out a cold, sharp laugh. We were never a family. I grabbed the order form from the salesperson and checked the box for Ice White with a heavy, deliberate stroke. Then, I resolutely swiped my card for the three-hundred-thousand-yuan deposit. That was the money I had painstakingly saved for our marital home. Once I signed the contract, the salesperson took me to see the available inventory. My father-in-law followed, his face like thunder. Before I could react, he pulled out a key and dragged it across the car, leaving a deep, jagged scratch from the hood all the way to the taillights.

The salesperson gasped: Sir, this is a brand-new vehicle!

My father-in-law shoved a single red bill into my hand. Take it and go get it repainted. He then turned his back and led his entire family away. I stared at their retreating figures, feeling a wave of nausea, as if I had just swallowed a fly. Three hundred thousand yuan—I had saved that for four years. Yet, it took him only a single second to ruin my new car. Right there on the spot, I demanded the surveillance footage from the store and called the police.

A few days later, my father hosted a banquet at a hotel, setting up two large tables. All of my relatives were in attendance. My mother was smiling, turning a fruit platter toward the guests, when the door to the private room was suddenly shoved open. Cao Pham stood at the threshold, freezing when he saw the room packed with my extended family.

Mong Tiep, are you insane? Is there nothing that cannot be resolved within the household that you absolutely had to involve the police?

I was stunned by his sudden appearance. My mother-in-law followed behind him, her voice dripping with sarcasm: Our daughter-in-law here has never once held us in any regard. She calls the police over the most trivial things.

My father’s expression turned grim. This banquet has nothing to do with you. Please leave immediately.

My father-in-law laughed: In-law, that is not very hospitable of you.

My father was flushed with rage at their unreasonable intrusion. The relatives around the table began to whisper and gossip. Seeing that everyone was silent, my father-in-law became incredibly smug. All the relatives are here; it is the perfect time to settle this. He pulled out a chair and sat down as if he owned the room. Mong Tiep, the marriage license is already signed; we are one family now. You bought that car without asking us, and I did not hold it against you, so there is no need for you to call the police over such a trifle. Just go change the paint color, and your wedding with Cao Pham will proceed as scheduled.

My mother could not hold back: A brand-new luxury sedan slashed to pieces, and you dare call that a small matter?

My father-in-law remained unperturbed. If you insist on being stubborn and doing as you please, then there is no need for a wedding. He tilted his head to look at me, his eyes full of triumph. Even if you have registered your marriage to Cao Pham, we only recognize the ceremony. If the banquet does not take place, our family will never acknowledge you.

I smiled and tilted my chin toward Cao Pham. Do you think so too?

Cao Pham wanted to speak but hesitated, finally squeezing out a few words: Mong Tiep, do not make things difficult for me.

Very well, I nodded. Just then, the door to the private room was pushed open again. Several servers entered, carrying over a dozen sets of traditional wedding gifts. Each gift set contained two bottles of high-end liquor, two cartons of premium cigarettes, and an array of fine pastries. A young man followed behind them. As he stepped through the door, he called out to my father: Father.

A middle-aged couple followed him, and the moment they saw my father, they began to apologize profusely: We are so sorry, so sorry. The traffic on the way here was terrible; we have kept you all waiting far too long.

Finally, a smile appeared on my father’s face. He greeted them cordially and shook their hands. Truong Mien walked up to my side and whispered in my ear: We arrived fifteen minutes early, why are your in-laws here already?

Before I could answer, Cao Pham’s phone slipped from his hand and hit the floor with a heavy thud.