Chapter 1 — No Longer Waiting For Someone To Remember Me

Mother-in-law cooks rice, always only cooking portions for two people. A bowl of rice, a plate of food, a bowl of soup, just enough for her and my husband. The first time I sat at the table, she smiled without smiling: "Oh, I forgot you also eat at home." My husband didn't bother to raise his head: "My mother is used to saving money, so don't compare." I don't compare. The next day, when it was time to eat, I grabbed my bag and went out, ordered three salty dishes and one soup at the small restaurant downstairs, and was extremely satisfied. For eight consecutive days, I didn't explain
any sentence. On the ninth day, I pushed open the door and entered the house. The kitchen smelled of food that had not been smelled for a long time. Mother-in-law forced a smile: "Are you back? Today I stir-fried two more dishes." On the dining table, three sets of bowls and chopsticks were neatly arranged. But I just smiled. My next words made the mother and daughter's faces immediately turn black as the bottom of the pot... 01The third day after my mother-in-law moved in, my bowl was missing in the kitchen for the first time. That day I got off work ten minutes late. Before I could change my shoes, I heard a sound
bowls and chopsticks hit the table. On the dining table there is a plate of meat stir-fried with green chili, a bowl of seaweed egg soup and two bowls of rice. Tran Hao sat near the window. My mother-in-law, Liu Que Phan, sat opposite him. Two people just had a bowl each. I stood at the door, still carrying the bag of fruit I bought at the company building. Liu Que Phan looked up at me and gave me a very faint smile. "Are you back?" I nodded and put the fruit on the tea table. "What did you eat today, Mom?" Her hand holding the chopsticks stopped. "Oh, I thought it was today.
work overtime, don't eat at home." Tran Hao lowered his head to pick up the food, as if he didn't hear anything. I looked at the clock on the wall. It was seven twenty. This morning, before leaving the house, I said I would come home on time tonight. I didn't expose her, just asked one question: "Do you still have rice, Mom?" Luu Que Phan immediately stood up, opened the rice cooker. The bottom of the pot was clean. She closed the pot again, her voice a bit guilty: "I just found out that your cooking is a bit slow." little." At this time, Tran Hao raised his head. "Mom is old, cooking rice cannot be accurately estimated, don't let
"I looked at the two bowls full of rice and didn't say anything. Luu Que Phan, as if afraid that I would think too much, hastily added: "How about I let mom cook you some noodles?" Her mouth said that but she had already sat down on the chair. The chopsticks were again reaching towards the plate of meat. I put down the bag, went to the kitchen to take a look. The cutting board had been washed, the pot had been scrubbed, not even a stalk of onion was left. It wasn't that she estimated incorrectly. But right from the start, she had already thought about it. Not planning to cook for me, I poured a glass of water and sat down on the sofa
frowned. "Why don't you eat?" I said: "There's no rice." He said: "Then you cook some yourself." I looked at him. "You're eating the rice your mother cooked, and you asked me to cook some myself?" His expression was not pleasant. "Manh Tinh, don't make a big deal of small things. My mother is used to being frugal." He said the word "thrifty" very smoothly. Like a blunt knife, cutting doesn't hurt, but it makes your heart cold. I don't argue. I picked up my phone, opened the food ordering app, then turned it off again. Finally, I put on my coat and held it
key out of the house. Tran Hao called after me: "Where are you going?" I didn't stop changing my shoes. "Let's go eat." The moment the door closed, I heard Luu Que Phan lower his voice: "Women these days are really short." That night, the small restaurant downstairs was very crowded. I sat next to the wall, ordered beef stew with tomatoes, stir-fried green vegetables, half a portion of soup and a bowl of rice. When the heat blew onto my face, I suddenly felt funny. Whether or not there is a place in a family, it turns out no
need to compete. The dining table will be the place to give the first answer.02The next morning, Liu Que Phan woke up very early. When I walked out of the bedroom, she was cooking porridge in the kitchen. The smell of millet porridge spread out, thin white steam rising around the edge of the pot lid. On the dining table there are two bowls already placed. One is placed in Tran Hao's position, one is placed in her position. I stood at the kitchen door and watched for a few seconds. Liu Que Phan turned his head, as if he just saw me. "Are you awake?" I said, "Yes." She put the spoon in the pot.
Stirring. "I didn't cook much porridge today. If you want to eat, wait a little longer, I'll warm up the dumplings for you." I asked: "Where are the dumplings, Mom?" Her eyes turned elsewhere. "There seems to be some left in the refrigerator." I opened the refrigerator. Inside was only half a cabbage, two onions and a bag of beef sauce that Tran Hao liked to eat. No dumplings. Luu Que Phan immediately laughed. "Oh, mom remembered wrong." Tran Hao walked out of the bedroom, buttoned his cuffs and said: "Don't make a fuss in the morning, it won't be on time." I closed the door.
refrigerator. "You didn't make a fuss." He said: "Your tone was wrong." Luu Que Phan brought the porridge to the table and said cautiously: "Okay, okay. Mom, drink a little, share half a bowl with Tinh Tinh." After saying that, she actually picked up my bowl. That bowl was bought by me when I got married, made of white porcelain, with thin edges. She scooped two spoons of thin porridge, less than half the bowl, and placed it next to the table. "Let's eat first to fill our stomachs." I looked at the bowl of porridge so thin that I could see the silhouette of a person, but I didn't accept it. Tran Hao lost patience. “Mom gave it to me
Then, what else do you want?" I suddenly felt like the anger from last night had disappeared. Not because I was more comfortable. But because I understood. There are people who don't know you're feeling sorry for yourself. They just make sure that you will be patient. I picked up my bag. "I'm going to the company to eat." Tran Hao put his chopsticks firmly on the table. "Manh Tinh, you're just being moderate." I turned my head to look at him. "I didn't tell you to be moderate, and you don't care how I eat." The smile on Luu Que Phan's face faded. "Tinh Tinh, mom has good intentions." I said: "If you have good intentions, don't
I need to clean half a bowl of thin porridge from someone else's bowl." Her face immediately stiffened. In the elevator, I smelled the smell of porridge clinging to my body. Arriving at the company, I bought hot soy milk, eggs and two small dumplings from the cafeteria. My colleague Tieu Duong sat down opposite me and casually asked: "Are you here so early today?" I took a bite of a dumpling. "There's no breakfast at home." She smiled and said: "Isn't that right?" Are you married?" I also laughed. "Getting married doesn't mean you get a meal card at the restaurant." I said that.
very gentle. But in my heart I had silently pressed down a certain decision. At noon, Tran Hao sent a text message. "Go home early tonight, don't make it difficult for mom." I looked at it for a long time. In the end, I only answered with two words: "I won't go home." 03 That evening, at exactly six thirty, I turned off my computer. Tieu Duong asked me: "Going home?" I put the computer in my bag. "No, going to eat." On the street behind the company there was a family restaurant, the owner recognized me. I sat down alone, she smiled and gave me the menu. "Are you still going alone today?" Me
said: "Yes." She asked: "What do you want to eat?" I ordered three salty dishes and one soup. Sweet and sour tenderloin, stir-fried garlic salad, spicy tofu and squash meatball soup. The owner was surprised. "Are you finished eating?" I said, "Just eat slowly." When the food was brought out, I took a photo. I did not post it on my personal page, nor did I send it to Tran Hao. I just save it to an album. It's like I'm keeping evidence for myself. Not to prove who is right and who is wrong. But to remind yourself not to continue to be fooled by the word "savings".
At seven fifteen, Tran Hao called. I watched the screen light up three times before answering the phone. His voice was very heavy. "Where are you?" "Eating." "Outside again?" "Yes." He was silent for two seconds. "In the house cooking." I smiled. "Cooking for you guys?" The other end of the line was silent. A moment later, Luu Que Phan's voice intervened: "Tinh Tinh, today mom cooked rice, you can warm it up when you go home." I asked: "What about the food?" Her voice was a bit self-pitying: "There's only a little food left, mom and Hao Hao have already eaten." Tran Hao took the call.
phone. "Don't talk sarcastically like that." I picked up a piece of tofu. "I'm eating rice, I don't have time to argue." He said: "You spend money so lavishly like that, don't you need to care about household expenses anymore?" I put down my chopsticks. "You spend your own salary to eat, what's the problem?" He was choked up. "Husband and wife, don't divide it so clearly." I looked at the food on the table, the cold feeling in my heart was getting better and better. “Rice can be divided clearly, so why can't money be divided?
clear?" He hung up the phone. The landlady brought a small plate of pickles. "For you." I said thank you. She looked at me. "Even if you eat alone, you must eat properly." I nodded. This statement was more practical than any consolation in the house. At nine o'clock at night, I returned home. The living room light was still on, Tran Hao sat on the sofa. Liu Que Phan was cleaning the table, saw me coming in and deliberately threw down the towel. "Rice outside. Delicious, isn't it?" I changed my shoes. "That's fine." Her expression became even more unsightly. "We have good intentions to
"I looked at the dining table. It was empty. Even the bowls had been washed. I didn't argue, I just said: "There's no need to leave any more in the future." Tran Hao suddenly stood up. "Manh Tinh, are you planning to confront someone in the house?" I raised my eyes. "It's not a confrontation." "It's just that I don't want to continue to let myself be hungry."04After that night, the atmosphere in the house seemed to be covered with a blanket. The cloth was damp. Tran Hao did not speak. Liu Que Phan also did not speak
Without speaking, the noise in the kitchen became even louder. The next afternoon, before leaving work, I looked at my phone once. Tran Hao did not text. Neither did Liu Guifen. I turned off the computer, grabbed my bag and left the company. Tieu Duong chased after her. "Still not coming home to eat today?" I said: "Not going home." She looked at me. "Are you arguing?" I laughed. "No, just adjusting the place to eat." She understood, didn't ask further, just said: "Then let me go with you. Anyway, I don't want to go back to eat instant noodles." We went to a restaurant.
stew in a clay pot next to the company. The shop is not big, in front of the door hangs a red plastic curtain. As soon as I entered, the heat covered my glasses white. The owner carried the clay pot from the back kitchen and as he walked, he called everyone to be careful to avoid burns. I ordered a portion of beef vermicelli stew, green vegetables and a fried egg. Tieu Duong ordered rib rice. While waiting for the food, she used her chopsticks to gently tap the edge of the table. "Does your husband really not care?" I bowed my head and removed the tissue. "He does care." "How does he care?" "Tell me not to compare." Tieu Duong
I couldn't help but laugh, then immediately stopped. "That sentence is the most useless." I said: "Yes, it's even more annoying than saying nothing." The clay pot was brought up, the soup was still boiling. The stewed beef is soft and falls apart as soon as you pick it up. I slowly ate, until sweat broke out on my forehead, and the choking feeling in my heart eased a bit. After eight o'clock, I returned to the apartment complex. As soon as I reached the door of the building, I saw Liu Que Phan standing downstairs. In her hand she carried a trash bag but her eyes were still staring at the door. See
me, she immediately threw the trash bag into the bin. "Tinh Tinh, you're finally home."