Chapter 12 — Reclaiming the Future

Finally I spoke up. "Dad." “It's not far off what Dad doesn't agree with.” "Dad doesn't agree because I no longer listen to dad's arrangements." Dad suddenly looked at me. “My wings are stiff.” I said. “Not beetles.” “And I finally know that there is sky beyond this door.” Teacher Do placed the registration form in the document bag. “Nam Chi's wishes have been registered.” “From now on, she just needs to confirm it herself.” “These reward documents, I will take her to supplementary school tomorrow.” Mom nodded. “I'm going with her.” Dad suddenly laughed coldly. “Are you coming along?” “Do you think he can walk?” My heart tensed. Mother also looked at him. He slowly took out a household registration book from his pocket and held it up. “Without this, no procedure can be expected to go smoothly.” “Manh Ngoc Hoa, if you really dare to confiscate the house, really dare to let him register for school elsewhere.” “I will burn it tonight.” 13 Dad held up the household registration book like he was holding a card that could pin me down. Everyone's breathing in the living room lightened. I looked at that red cover, my heart first felt cold, then gradually calmed down. It turns out that if you want to stop someone, you don't have to lock the door. Just hold what that person needs the most, then say "I do it because I want it to be good for you" and you can lock them in place. Mother's eyes were so cold that there was no temperature left. “Ly Hoai Nhan, burn it.” Dad was stunned. Perhaps he thought his mother would panic, beg, and like so many times before, take a step back. But mother didn't do that. She pointed her phone camera at him. “Now you burn, I will come back.” "What you destroyed were Nam Chi's papers, which were also your last bit of dignity." Dad's hands shook. Ha Man's mother immediately shouted. "What are you filming? What about a husband and wife story, how about burning a notebook?" Lawyer La looked at her. “You'd better not incite him to do such a thing.” “Destroyed documents can be redone, but responsibility will not disappear just because we are family.” Dad gritted his teeth. “Don't use these words to scare me.” “I don't believe that without this notebook, he could still have left easily.” Mr. Do held my registration documents tightly in his hand. “The school will pre-register based on the students' own achievements and aspirations.” "After that, we will support her with additional necessary documents." "Now you use the household registration book to threaten you, which only makes things more unsightly." Dad's face became even more unsightly. He suddenly pointed his nose at me. “Nam Chi, look.” "Because of you alone, the family is so noisy." "My mother wants to confiscate my brother's house, wants to turn against my father, and my pregnant sister-in-law is still being provoked into this." “If you really leave, the family will be broken in the future because of you.” Those words were like a bucket of dirty water thrown straight at my head. If it was before, I probably would have been crushed until I couldn't breathe. But now I only see myths. “The family is not forced to be broken up by you.” “From the moment you traded my future, it was already gone.” Dad's eyes became fierce. “I still argue.” "After learning a little bit of writing, don't you know how to write the two words filial piety?" Mom suddenly laughed. “Of course he knows.” “He knows better than all of you.” "He knows that being filial doesn't mean being sold and still having to help people count money." "He knows that the relationship is not just because the older brother is useless and the younger sister has to fill the hole." “He also knows that as a father, whoever says it louder is right.” Dad was blocked until his face turned blue. He took out the lighter and made a "click" sound. The small firelight danced in the living room, reflecting the redness in his eyes. Finally, my brother panicked. “Dad, don't burn it.” "If it's really burned, it won't be easy to arrange it." Dad roared. “Shut up.” “Isn't this also about you?” His brother's face turned white, and Ha Man immediately grasped that statement. “Ly Khai, have you heard?” "Dad is all for you, for our children." “Now my sister is stiff, I don't even need this brother anymore.” I looked at her. “What I don't need is bloodsucking.” “Not brother.” Ly Khai's lips moved but he did not dare to continue. The fire in Dad's hand got closer and closer to the household registration book. Mom suddenly took a step forward. She didn't jerk, just stood in front of him

grandfather. “Before burning, I will remind you of something.” “The household registration book is not yours alone.” “That year, when he entered this house, he signed a commitment.” "Big things after marriage must prioritize the interests of me and my children." “I also keep that commitment.” Dad's face suddenly changed. Ha Man's father frowned. “What commitment?” Mom pulled out a yellowed piece of paper from her file bag. "That year, he was homeless and had no money. My parents agreed to let him live." “For my parents' peace of mind, he wrote it himself.” "He pledged not to use any form to appropriate the Manh family's property, not to hinder his children's education, and not to use the children's marriage and childbirth to threaten the division of family assets." Dad rushed forward to snatch it. Lawyer La directly holds the file bag. “Mr. Ly, don't touch.” Mom held up the paper. “Don't you like talking about family the most?”