Chapter 1 — Sincere Feelings Are Considered Cheap by Others

In the first year of marriage with Trieu Chi Kiet, he declared the company bankrupt and was in debt. To help him pay off his debt, I became the first female butcher in the largest market in city G. I didn't keep a penny of the money I earned from killing pigs and selling pork, it was all for Trieu Chi Kiet. Even to help him pay off his debt, I had to go to the hospital and sell blood. But today, on the way home from the hospital, when passing by a flower shop, I accidentally heard him splashing money like water.

"Thien Thien, as long as you like, I can open a flower shop anywhere in this city."

Those sweet words rang out, making my head feel like it was about to explode. Turns out, he wasn't without money. He just… has no money with me!

1

I saw with my own eyes Trieu Chi Kiet swinging a wad of money and buying Ky Thien Thien's flower shop. He didn't hesitate at all and said sweet words of love. Ky Thien Thien blushed and jumped into his arms. Around them is a sea of brilliant flowers with a sweet fragrance. On their bodies were branded clothes that I had never seen before. What about me? I was completely lost in that scene. To make a living, I soon became a butcher at the food market. The ao dai I was wearing was stained with pig's cheeks/pus, the fishy smell stuck to my body. Now, I even have to sell my blood to help him pay off his debt. At that moment, I did not dare step forward to expose them. It's even more unbelievable that a man who has creditors come to his house every day can be so generous and generous in front of others! I stood and hid in a corner, hesitating for a long time. Just as he was about to step out and question him, the phone in his pocket suddenly rang. It's Uncle Ly - the owner of the slaughterhouse, calling.

"Tieu Muoi, do you still have today's pig? If not, I'll sell it to someone else!"

I hesitated for a moment, but still quickly answered:

"Get it, Uncle Ly, I'll come right away, wait for me, don't sell it to anyone else!"

I hung up the phone and turned around, but the figures of Trieu Chi Kiet and Ky Thien Thien had long since disappeared. I consoled myself: perhaps I was mistaken, that person was not Trieu Chi Kiet. Coming to the food market, I had a hard time completing the work of buying pigs, slaughtering pigs, and selling meat. The ao dai on my body was soaked in pig's blood. While I was sorting the meat, Uncle Ly suddenly smiled and said:

"When I brought the pig in earlier, I saw your husband. He bought a lot of seafood, and also had a lobster as big as a head. It must have cost several thousand yuan. Today you have had a fortune to eat!"

I pursed my lips and smiled shyly. Don't know how to answer. But in my heart, I suddenly had a ray of hope. When I got home, as soon as I opened the door, the fragrant smell of food entered my nose. Trieu Chi Kiet is busy cooking in the kitchen. I intentionally asked:

“Husband, what are you cooking? Let me guess, is it seafood?”

Trieu Chi Kiet turned his head, frowned, looking at me like I was an idiot.

"What do you think? Seafood is not free! One seafood meal is sometimes enough to pay off a whole month's debt!"

"Are you still in the mood to think about eating seafood? Why don't you worry and think about where you'll get the money to pay your debt this month?"

My body suddenly felt cold. The smile on my lips gradually disappeared. I just stood still, stunned, until Trieu Chi Kiet brought the tray to the table. Meal Dinner was the same as usual – potatoes stir-fried with vegetables. Seeing me standing still and motionless, Trieu Chi Kiet lost patience and spoke up:

“Co Yeu Yeu, will you eat?”

I lowered my eyes and finally sat quietly in the chair. In my head, I kept repeating the scene from that morning, along with the words that Uncle Ly said. Uncle Ly has very good eyesight, he can distinguish even pigs with similar shapes. How could he have mistaken Trieu Chi Kiet! The meal was as bland as chewing wax. Thinking for a moment, I took out today's blood money, placed it on the dining table, and said softly:

"This money, if you need it, just take it and repay it first."

Trieu Chi Kiet was clearing the bowl and chopsticks when he froze and asked in surprise:

“Didn't you just give me money? Why do I have this extra amount?”

Raising my eyes to face his searching gaze, I was afraid he thought I was still hiding my own money, so I hastily explained:

“Don't misunderstand... This is the money I went to the hospital to sell blood today!”

Trieu Chi Kiet suddenly stopped. He stared at me, in disbelief:

“Money… blood money?”

I nodded and said nothing more. Suddenly, Trieu Chi Kiet quickly walked across the table and hugged me tightly.

"My stupid wife... If you can't pay, that's fine, why do you have to sell your blood? I'm so heartbroken like that!"

But these words did not move me in the slightest. His body reeked of flowers, like a sharp knife cutting deep into my heart. I am very familiar with the scent of this lily. It's the scent every time I pass by Ky Thien Thien's flower shop. Because I've always been jealous of her. Jealous because she can live among bright flowers every day. If given a choice, no woman would want to be a butcher, no one would want to be covered in blood and stink all day like me. Seeing that I didn't say anything, Trieu Chi Kiet got worried and gently shook my shoulder:

"Yeu Yeu, what's wrong? Why don't you say anything? Are you feeling unwell?"

I looked up at his worried face, but in the end I couldn't say a word. As soon as I opened my mouth, my throat constricted and my whole body began to shake. Before I fainted, I could only see Trieu Chi Kiet's panicked face. I don't know... which is his true self.

2

When I woke up, I was lying in a hospital bed. Not in a big hospital, but just a small clinic. The white bed sheet has turned yellow, the light is dim and gloomy. Trieu Chi Kiet is talking on the phone. I pretended to close my eyes and listen secretly.

"Thien Thien, don't worry, if I'm here, no one will dare to make things difficult for you. It's just the flower suppliers, tomorrow I'll make them come and apologize to you."

“As long as you want to open a flower shop, what kind of flowers you want to sell, I can find them for you!”

After saying that, he seemed about to turn around. I immediately lay down, closed my eyes tightly, pretending to still be asleep. The pain in my heart felt like it was being stabbed by thousands of needles. He clearly has money and power, but he has never let me - his legal wife - know that. Even now, I sold my blood to the point of fainting for him, and he still can't bear to take me to a decent hospital. When I felt Trieu Chi Kiet sit down next to the bed, I pretended to have just woken up. He sat in a chair, the corners of his lips slightly raised, attentively texting. So focused that... I didn't realize I was awake. 【Brother Chi Kiet, you're not here so I don't want to eat anything.】 【Good kitten, eat well. I'll tell someone to process your favorite Australian lobster and bring it to you!】 【Then you want the biggest one, I can't give it to anyone else!】 【Don't worry, it's all yours!】 【Also, you can't touch that stinky woman!】 【Don't worry, she's just a pig-killing woman who always smells bad, I even feel nauseous!】 My hands clenched the bed sheet, my knuckles turned white from using too much force. So… it's true that he bought a bunch of seafood. It's just... the one who gets to enjoy it isn't me! Turns out, in his eyes, I was that bad... This realization was like a rock weighing heavily on my chest, almost suffocating me. Actually, the marriage between Trieu Chi Kiet and I was just an accident. If it weren't for the fact that I saved his grandfather, Trieu Chi Kiet would never have agreed to marry me according to his last will. But after getting married, I devoted myself wholeheartedly to him. Every day he ate and drank hard, even selling blood to the point of fainting just to pay off his debt. Yet, in the end all I got back... was just a joke. He can calmly look at my hardships, can ignore my hardships, and even take away the money I have earned without hesitation. Such a ridiculous marriage... whether or not it is no longer important.

"Yeu Yeu, you're finally awake! You suddenly fainted, scaring me to death!"

Finally, Trieu Chi Kiet also realized that I had regained consciousness. He sat beside the bed, holding my hand, tears in his eyes. In just a few seconds, the corners of his eyes turned red, as if he was really heartbroken for me.

"It's all because you're useless. If you had money, you wouldn't have let me sell blood, nor would I have fainted like that!"

“Yeu Yeu, please hit me, it's all my fault, I'm bankrupt so I'm implicated in you!”

As he spoke, he pulled my hand, wanting me to slap him on the face. Trieu Chi Kiet really knows how to act. He's been acting for three years now... For the past three years, I've been working hard, living and dying just to help him pay off his debt. What about him? He spent money like water, lavished his hands on his lover, making her regret not being able to willingly go to bed with him immediately.

“Chat!”

I wasn't polite. When he pulled my hand, I slapped him squarely in the face. Trieu Chi Kiet was stunned, his eyes full of confusion looking at me. I smiled faintly:

“Sorry, my hand suddenly cramped.”