Chapter 6 — Realizing It's Too Late

"Sign. The company will compensate you. Tomorrow I will go with you to resign." “Please quit your job?” "My job often required me to travel on business and didn't earn much. Later, I stayed at home and took care of you." I looked at the tie on his collar. This morning I tied it for you. He said after tonight is over, we'll go home together and start again. It turned out that the sweetest candy was just to coax me to accept responsibility for Sam Man Thanh. “What if I don't sign?” Ha Canh Chau picked up the pen and put it back in my palm: "Thu Y, don't force me." There was the sound of steady footsteps outside the door. Director Chu of the Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs pushed the door and walked in, behind was the Russian representative and two staff members. “Who wants to force Khuong Thu Y to quit her job?” Ha Canh Chau turned around. Director Chu saw the commitment in my hand, reached out to take it, and glanced at the signature section. “Mr. Ha, are you asking the cabin interpretation expert of our country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to accept responsibility for the mistranslation error of an unprofessional person?” No one in the room spoke. Ha Canh Chau's eyes fell on my face, his lips moved twice. Director Chu put his business card on the table: "Interpreter Khuong, please immediately return to the unit with the working group. Tonight's translation error will be verified according to the procedure." Ha Canh Chau reached out to touch my shoulder: "Thu Y, listen to my explanation." I took a half step back, removed the silver leaf-shaped pin from the collar of my dress, and placed it in his palm. "No need." He tightened the pin, his knuckles turning white. Until this moment, Ha Canh Chau realized that the way I looked at her was not even a complaint. He would rather I get angry, destroy things, and ask about Sam Man Thanh, than hear this calm "no need" sentence. Director Chu opened the door for me. Ha Canh Chau followed a step, but the door closed in front of him. 5 “Interpreter Khuong, please get in the car.” Director Chu shielded me from passing through the banquet hall. The Russian representative is waiting next to the car. Ha Canh Chau ran to the steps and raised his hand to block the car door: "Thu Y, let's go home and talk first. I don't know about your work, you never told me." "The job position needs to be kept confidential, you can't tell your family the specific content." “At least I can say I'm not an order tracker.” "You once said you needed to travel for work. Every time I told you not to bother me with the nonsense of a small company." He opened his mouth, but the hand holding the car door still did not let go. Sam Man Thanh ran after her with tears in her eyes: "Sister-in-law, I really don't know your identity. That explanation is my idea. Canh Chau just wants to protect the Ha family. Don't quarrel with him because of me." I looked at her: "The Russian speech does not have a pre-written draft. The first time you heard it wrong, the second time you can correct it correctly." Her face was pale. “You understand Russian.” “I only understood a few sentences.” “So you understood that sentence ‘ancestor’, right?” Ha Canh Chau turned to look at her: "Didn't you say you didn't know Russian?" Sam Man Thanh grabbed his sleeve: "I was afraid my sister-in-law would misunderstand, so I didn't admit it. You and I have never crossed the limit, those callings are just habits." “Whether or not you exceed the limit is none of my business.” I removed her hand and sat in the car. Ha Canh Chau held the car door again: "What do you mean it has nothing to do with you? Khuong Thu Y, we are husband and wife." “Very soon we will no longer be husband and wife.” He bent down, his face pale: