Chapter 3 — Salary 9,000 Yuan, Husband Asks to Support Younger Sister to Study Abroad?

Vuong Tu Lan seemed to have been stepped on his tail and jumped up.

"We spend money? Where do we get the money? Old Chen's monthly pension is 3,000 yuan, I don't even have a job!"

"Besides, this is Tieu Hao's responsibility as his older brother, so why push it on us?"

“So whose head is it pushed?” my mother asked.

“Push it on Van Thu's head?”

She looked at me.

"Van Thu's monthly salary is 5,800 yuan. After paying the rent, there's only 2,300 yuan left. These 2,300 yuan have to be taken care of for food, water, electricity, gas, social relations, and all sorts of petty expenses for the whole family."

“In that situation, every month he still has to take out a few hundred yuan to compensate your family.”

She took out an old notebook from her cloth bag. Open it, push it to the middle of the table.

“This is the money I lent to Van Thu for the past three years.”

The notebook is old, the corners are frayed. The words are written inside, every stroke is clear.

"The first time, 20,000 yuan. September 2, three years ago. Note: Vu Huyen went to college to buy a computer and phone, Van Thu said to pay in advance, pay the next month."

"Second time, 5,000 yuan. Labor Day two years ago. Note: Vu Huyen went on a trip with a friend who was short of money."

"Third time, 30,000 yuan. Last November. Note: Vu Huyen needed to buy an electric car for internship, the family contributed 50,000 yuan, Van Thu added 30,000 yuan."

"Fourth time, 2,000 yuan. This year's Tet. Note: buying new clothes for Vu Huyen, Tieu Tran said he couldn't be skimpy."

"Fifth time, 800 yuan. Last month. Note: Van Thu said the money to buy food in the house was not enough."

She read each clause. The voice is not loud, but every word is clear. Every time he finished reading a paragraph, Tran Hao's face became a little worse. Vuong Tu Lan tried to squeeze in several times but couldn't. Tran Quoc Cuong lowered his head to look at the wine glass. Tran Vu Huyen bit his lip and twisted his fingers together.

“A total of 68,000 yuan.”

My mother closed the book.

"Not counting the extra money Van Thu took from her salary, she didn't tell me about those amounts, I didn't write them down. But the little things added up, three years, more than 100,000 yuan."

She pulled the notebook in front of her.

"Tieu Tran, I'm not here to collect debt. I don't need this 68,000 yuan anymore, just consider it to buy my daughter a lesson."

“But today, there are a few words that need to be said clearly.”

“You want to take care of your sister studying abroad, that's your freedom.”

“But you can't fill in my daughter's future.”

“One year 450,000 yuan, two years 900,000 yuan, the two of you add up your salary, if you don't eat or drink, how many years will it take?”

"Do you guys still plan to live anymore? Don't you plan to have children in the future?"

“Or do you intend to let my daughter sell her strength to your family for the rest of her life, make it up to her sister, and then make up to the rest of your family?”

"Connexion!"

Vuong Tu Lan banged the table, dishes clanged together.

"What you say is so harsh! Why are you selling your strength? Tieu Thu married into the Tran family, where are we mistreating her?"

"We paid for the house deposit! Isn't it natural that it pays the house loan?"

"If a sister-in-law spends some money on her brother-in-law, how can it make up for the loss?"

“Families help each other, why is it so hard to hear in your mouth?”

My mother is not angry. She even smiled slightly, very faintly.

"Don't get excited. I'm not saying you guys mistreat Van Thu. But there are some accounts that must be clearly calculated."

She turned to me.

“Van Thu, your mother-in-law abandoned the deposit to buy a house, right?”

I nodded. “Yes, 280,000 yuan.”

“In the certificate Is the ownership of the house in the child's name?

I don't say. After a few seconds.

“No.”

“…Tell me to wait until the transfer of household registration and then add more.”

“Have you moved yet?”

“Moved, moved last year.”

“So why haven't you added it yet?”

I can't speak again. Tran Hao spoke up, his voice dry.

"Mom, we already discussed this, we said we should wait until we have a child..."

“Is it the same?” my mother interrupted. “Tieu Tran, having an education, having a name and not having a legal name are two different things. If the papers have half of Van Thu's, it will naturally pay the rent. There's no name for it. For the past three years, it's paid 120,000 yuan in mortgage payments. What's the calculation? Is it a loan or is it a gift?”

Tran Hao couldn't speak. Vuong Tu Lan continued.

“I told you, I'll add more when I have children! Tieu Thu has been married for three years without any movement, do we say anything? Now bring this up again?

My body stiffens. But I raised my head to look at her.

“Mom, it's not that I don't want children.”

“Do we dare to have it?”

“Every month 10,000 yuan, car maintenance, living expenses for two people, social interaction, compensation for Vu Huyen, credit card payment. Is the remainder enough to feed the children?

“Formula 2,000 yuan a month, diapers 1,000 yuan, vaccinations, health check-ups, kindergarten, primary school—”

“Where does that money come from? Extortion from my salary? Or borrow again? After borrowing, who will pay?

Sentence after sentence. The question made Vuong Tu Lan speechless. Asked to the point that Tran Hao bowed his head. Tran Vu Huyen suddenly burst into tears, face down on the table.

“It's all my fault… I won't study abroad anymore… I won't go anymore… I won't affect everyone's lives anymore…”

Crying to the point of tearing my heart out. Vuong Tu Lan immediately hugged her.

"Baby don't cry, it's not your fault, it's what your brother should have done!"

She glared at me.

“Look at what you forced Vu Huyen into! Isn't it just money? We can pay for the Tran family! Tieu Hao, tell me! Your brother's future cannot be destroyed!”

Tran Hao looked at me, his eyes both frustrated and pleading.

“Van Thu, don't be like that... Vu Huyen is my sister, if I don't help her, who will? Can't you sympathize with me a little?"

I looked at him. Looking at the man I've been following for three years. My mother spoke for me.

“Tieu Tran, it's not that Van Thu doesn't sympathize with you. But it already sympathizes too much.”

"It's been three years, he's compensated for his dowry, his salary is also compensated, the money we gave him is also compensated, not even a penny is left to compensate, he can't even get his mother's medical check-up money back."

“How much sympathy do you want him to have?”

"So sympathetic that you would borrow money and trade your whole life, just so that you can fulfill your brother's role?"

Tran Hao's face turned pale.

“I don't think so…”

“So what do you think?” my mother asked urgently.

"You want to send your sister to study abroad, okay, that's your decision, I don't care."

“But if you want Van Thu to carry the burden, you have to make it clear.”

“450,000 yuan a year, where are you going to get it?”

"You said you were the only one worried about it and didn't touch a penny of Van Thu's, I immediately apologized, let's pretend I didn't say anything tonight."

“You want Van Thu to put in the money, okay, write a debt note, notarize it, count it as a loan. When to pay, how to pay, write clearly in black and white.”

“If not—”

She stopped for a moment.

"Today's meal is considered the last meal for both families."

Tran Hao tightened his grip on the edge of the table.

“Mom… what do you mean?”

“Very Italian clearly. Van Thu married you to live a family life, not to be a cash machine for your whole family."

"How much he spent these three years, how much frustration he endured, just because I don't say it doesn't mean I don't know."

"Today you said it with certainty, paying for your sister to study abroad costs 450,000 yuan a year, but I still don't know where the money comes from."

“How do you tell me I can safely leave my daughter to you?”

Tran Hao gritted his teeth.