Chapter 3 — Queen of Salted Fish

To Kien Thu was so nervous that he clenched his fists and bowed his head, not daring to look at me. I put down my phone (just finished playing a game of candy sorting), raised my head, received that "good will" look, smiled comfortably, and even brought a little appreciation. “Oh, intensive training camp?” “That doesn't sound too bad.” In everyone's expectant eyes, I leisurely added a sentence: "But my family, To Kien Thu, does not need it for the time being." "I think it can be distracting, showing a rich imagination and a flexible mind. In today's society, rote learning doesn't do much, the important thing is to have ideas and a creative mind, right?" "Also," I rolled my eyes and looked at the mothers who were smiling awkwardly, their tone was as leisurely as chatting about the weather, "For children, happiness is the most important thing. Being forced to study this and that all day long will make you tired. When you're still young, don't wear out all their spiritual energy." The whole classroom suddenly became dead silent. The atmosphere of "elite education" that everyone worked so hard to build was shattered by my "salted fish truths". The curled-haired mother's smile was completely frozen, looking like she was wearing a bad mask. The other mothers had a variety of expressions: some were stunned, some were disdainful, and even a little... guilty of being exposed. The teacher's eyes widened, she had probably never met such a "heretical" parent in her entire life. In that strange atmosphere, only To Kien Thu suddenly raised his head. His eyes opened wide, looking at me and then at those innocent faces. The tension and self-consciousness that had always hung on his face suddenly disappeared, replaced by a sparkling light - mixed with overwhelm, and... a feeling of confidence because he finally had support. He puffed out his small chest, and for the first time at the parent-teacher meeting, smiled freely, not hiding it at all, and also carrying a bit of pride. When the parent-teacher meeting ended, I was the first to stand up and leave. To Kien Thu rushed out like a small bullet and stuck right next to me. Coming out of the classroom building, the sunlight was bright. The boy held back the whole way, finally couldn't bear it anymore, and gently pulled the hem of my shirt. “Hey… Lam Van Chieu!” “Um?” “Just now… you were so powerful!” It raised its small face, eyes sparkling like stars, full of worship: "You made Truong Tu Hien's mother and the rest of them speechless!" I caressed its wind-tangled hair: "I'm just telling the truth." He trotted along next to me, hesitated for a moment, then softly asked: "Do you... do you really think I'm often distracted... because I have a rich imagination?" “But what else?” I raised my eyebrows, "At least it's better than turning into a piece of wood that can only learn by rote." To Kien Thu burst out laughing, revealing two small fangs, walking and jumping next to me, like a baby bird finally letting go of a heavy burden. The sunset makes its shadow longer, full of joyful vitality. At that moment, a salted fish like me... seemed to feel a little bit of the warmth of the sun. The days passed like that, while I continued to "lie flat", and the eyes of my stepchildren gradually became more and more complicated. Tham Hoai Tu received the first angel investment, the project started shaky but still operated. He comes home late and late, there are bags under his eyes dark, but the fire in his eyes glowed. He no longer treats me with that cold expression. Sometimes when I come home in the middle of the night and see me still holding my iPad watching a movie in the living room, it will quietly pour a cup of water and place it on the tea table in front of me. Giang Tam Nguyet, the number of fights decreased significantly. One time I even saw him standing in front of the mirror, gritting his teeth and grimacing, applying medicine to his bruised arm, mumbling: "Tsk, next time we have to change places..." He dyed his hair bright blue and went home. Tham Duc Phong frowned but said nothing. I nibbled on an apple as I passed by, casually remarking: "This color looks white." Giang Tam Nguyet paused, then turned left and right in front of the mirror, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up. To Kien Thu is still the same boy, he still loses focus in class. But the drawings that were once considered "doodles" by the teacher won a small prize in a youth creativity contest. When the kid's face turned red, he stammered and stuffed the crumpled notice into my hand, his excited voice trembling: "Show... let me see! You're right! Imagining... is really useful!" I conveniently stuck the notice on the refrigerator door, next to the old "doodle" that said it was "an alien spaceship fighting dinosaurs". “Um, very well.” I patted his head, "Another treat of ice cream tonight." The boy shouted like a firecracker and ran away. As for Tham Duc Phong... the number of times he comes home seems to be a bit more. He is still as reserved as before, but every time he comes home, his eyes always sweep from me to the three sons who are now much more "active", then the corner of his lips curls up slightly, almost imperceptibly. He no longer asks meaningless questions like "how are you living?" There was a rare time when the whole family had dinner together. The dining table was noisy: To Kien Thu chirped about school stories, Giang Tam Nguyet and Tham Hoai Tu argued about a basketball star. I bowed my head and focused on solving the sweet and sour fried ribs in front of me. Suddenly, Tham Duc Phong opened his mouth. His voice was calm and calm, but he told his three children: "Next month, 5% of Tinh Huy Technology shares in my name will be transferred to your aunt Linh's name." “Crap——” The chopsticks in my hand fell down. The three rowdy teenagers immediately fell silent, simultaneously looking at their father, then simultaneously turning to look at me, their eyes filled with terror. Tinh Huy Technology? That is the core technology company of Tham Thi Group! 5% shares? What concept is that?! Tham Duc Phong ignored our shock, just calmly lifted the napkin to wipe the corner of his lips, his tone was light as if saying whether it was raining or sunny today: "Consider it... money spent at home."{Read full at Van Ha Tuong page} ...Money spent at home? A salted fish like me feels like a giant golden cake has just fallen straight from the sky, making my head completely dizzy. The first person to react was Tham Hoai Tu. He looked at me with complicated eyes, wanting to say something again. Giang Tam Nguyet immediately exploded: "Dad! Based on what! She—" "What is she?" Tham Duc Phong coldly interrupted, his eyes swept straight forward, "She is in this house, has never had any shady intentions, has never played tricks on you children, and has never caused the Tham family to lose face. Thanks to that, at least you children look alive." human-like.” He paused for a moment, then added: "Much better than before." Giang Tam Nguyet choked, her face turned red, but she couldn't refute even a word. Thinking carefully… it seems to be true? Tham Hoai Tu was silent for a moment, then softly said: "I understand, dad." To Kien Thu blinked her big round eyes, looked at her father, then turned to look at me, softly asking: "So... will Aunt Linh have more money in the future?" A smile flashed across Tham Duc Phong's eyes: "Yes." Immediately, To Kien Thu turned around, his eyes shining: "Auntie Linh! So can you buy more ice cream for me in the future?!” Me: “……” Very good. Sure enough, this is To Kien Thu. I quietly picked up the chopsticks that had fallen on the table, suddenly feeling in my heart - my life as a salted fish maker was facing an unprecedented challenge. Lie still, why are you turning into... a stock billionaire like this? This scenario is getting more and more absurd! After the "stake storm", the atmosphere in the house reached a strange kind of harmony. The eyes my three stepchildren looked at me completely changed. From an enemy, to a confused observer, and now... Tham Hoai Tu started bringing up some unrelated issues in the project, throwing them at me with an extremely forced attitude: "Hey, this user interface logic, what do you think?" (I usually reply: “The color is too ugly, change it.” — but he actually considered it.) Giang Tam Nguyet dyed her hair an even more dazzling fluorescent green. Before Tham Duc Phong could frown, he would unconsciously glance at me. I nodded: "Very consistent with the spirit of environmental protection." So Tham Duc Phong went back on his word. Giang Tam Nguyet proudly flipped her green hair. To Kien Thu became my "snack ally" and "movie watching companion", all day holding the cat and squeezing into the corner of the sofa I occupied, enthusiastically telling wild imaginary stories. As for Tham Duc Phong - he clearly spends more time at home. He not only hangs out in the study room, but also occasionally appears in the living room, or silently watches financial news, or... quietly watches me lying on the sofa smiling stupidly at the entertainment show. We still hardly talk. Until one weekend afternoon. The sun shines through the ground-level window, creating warmth and harmony. I curled up on the sofa, half watching a ridiculous variety show and half half asleep. To Kien Thu sat on the carpet building lego, Giang Tam Nguyet wore headphones and swayed to the music by the window, Tham Hoai Tu frowned in front of his laptop. Tham Duc Phong sat on a single chair nearby, holding a file of documents, but his eyes were not on the paper. A piece of silence (except for the noise from the variety show). Suddenly, my phone rang. It's a strange domestic number. I vaguely answered the phone: "Hello?" A sour woman's voice rang out on the other end of the line, piercing straight into the ear: "Lam Van Chieu! You vixen lost face! Do you think that if you cling to the bed of a rich man, you will become a phoenix on a branch? I tell you, Tham Duc Phong's ex-wife is about to return home! People are the ones who are righteous and righteous! Just a biological mother of three children! What do you think? It's just that the replacement can't get on the table! If you know what to do, just pack up and leave..."