Chapter 2 — Son gives father 10,000 yuan, biological mother 500 yuan

Before Lam Hien could speak, Lam Kien Quoc intervened first. He placed the glass of wine firmly on the table and sighed, his tone as if he was explaining something obvious to outsiders.

"If your shop is closed, where will you get any income? Tieu Hien is just thinking about you, 500 yuan in the countryside is enough to live on, it's not like you don't have a place to live, isn't that old house still there?"

That old house is the land house my parents left behind in the countryside. Cracked walls, leaky roof, abandoned for decades. How can he say that the house is habitable? I didn't even look at Lam Kien Quoc, just stared at my son.

“Your father has more than 8,000 yuan in pension every month, and I give you an additional 10,000 yuan.”

“And mom doesn't have a pension.”

“And yet you only gave me 500 yuan?”

"Lam Hien, tell me, based on what?"

Lam Hien's expression was a bit unnatural, but he still tried to open his mouth:

"Mom, don't compare like that. Dad's situation is really special. Aunt Vuong's health is not good, the two of them spend a lot."

"Mom lives alone, she hasn't spent much before, saving 500 yuan is enough."

"Besides... it's not like you didn't leave a way out for me. I can still live in that old house, saving me money on rent."

I laughed coldly.

“Your father's house sold for at least more than 1,000,000 yuan.”

“And my mother's old house may not be able to sell for 10,000 yuan.”

“Why don't you talk about it?”

Lam Kien Quoc began to lose patience.

“What is wrong with you?”

"Tieu Hien is properly negotiating with you, but you're sitting here nitpicking everything."

“How about 500 yuan?”

"In the past, how much did you earn a month selling goods at the market? Did your old shop make a profit of 500 yuan?"

That one sentence made my eyes turn red immediately. He still dares to say such words? That year, he gambled so much that he was in debt, and I was the one who set up shop in the market, penny by penny, to pay the debt on his behalf. After the divorce, he ignored his son. I raised my children alone. During Lam Hien's four years of college, every penny of tuition and every penny of living expenses were earned by me. The deposit to buy a house when I got married, 500,000 yuan, was also the money I saved my whole life. He never spent anything. Now you still have the face to sit here and judge whether I'm worth 500 yuan or not? My voice trembled, but I still tried to stay calm:

“Lin Kien Quoc, have you ever given Lam Hien a penny in the past twenty years?”

“Have you ever paid him any tuition?”

"He's sick, have you ever taken him to the hospital once?"

"You didn't do anything, what right do you have to sit here and point fingers at me?"

Lam Kien Quoc's face immediately turned red. He slammed the glass of wine on the table.

"Why didn't you give it? I didn't have the conditions at that time!"

“You think I want a divorce?”

“You want a divorce because I'm difficult…”

I stared at him.

“…or is it because there is someone else outside you?”

Vuong Phuong's face immediately changed. She put down her chopsticks, her tone was sour:

"Oh my god, why bring up something from twenty years ago anymore? Does it make any sense?"

“Now that we're talking about the main issue, why are you dragging those things in?”

I turned to look at her.

“This is my family's story.”

“What does it have to do with you?”

Lam Hien suddenly raised his voice.

"Mom, don't be so harsh, okay? Aunt Vuong has good intentions, why are you angry with her?"

I turned my head to look Lam Hien. My son was raised single-handedly. At this moment, he was looking at me impatiently, without a trace of pity or guilt in his eyes.

“When you got married, I gave you all my savings.”

“500,000 yuan, don't keep a penny.”

“Now tell me… your biological mother is only worth 500 yuan a month?”

Lam Hien lowered his head to avoid my eyes. Tieu Nha finally spoke, her tone was light:

"Mom, Hien didn't mean that."

“500 yuan is just the basic amount. If you don't have enough, we'll give you more.”

"I'm just afraid that my mother will spend money haphazardly. You're old, don't buy supplements like that."

Spending money haphazardly? Does it say I spend money haphazardly? The sweater I'm wearing costs more than 100 yuan, I hesitated for half a month before daring to buy it. A meal of their delivered food is sometimes even more expensive. I looked at Lam Hien for a long time. When he was sick as a child, I used to hold him back and forth all night in the hospital hallway. At that moment, he opened his dark eyes and looked at me, his tiny hand holding tightly to his mother's collar. It's like as long as mom is here, he won't be afraid of anything anymore. But that child… It's gone now.

“Lam Hien, it's true that mother raised the wrong child!”

“Mom, what are you talking about?”

Lam Hien frowned.

“Now I can't make money anymore, if I don't rely on you, I'll be nothing!”

I didn't reply. Just quietly go out the door to change shoes. At that moment, I heard Lam Kien Quoc say in a low voice behind me:

"The afternoon was so spoiled."

Vuong Phuong also smirked:

"With this personality, no one could live with her that year."

My tears swirled several times in my eye sockets. But in the end it still didn't fall. I pushed the door open and walked out. The hallway light is a sound-sensitive type. I took a step, the light turned on. The elevator reached the first floor, and just as I was about to step out, the phone rang. It's Uncle Vuong in the countryside.

"Daughter, there's news about your old house!"

His voice was full of excitement. It took me a few seconds to react. You're talking about the house my parents left behind in the countryside. The house is located in a small town and is so old that it has long been uninhabitable. Two years ago, I heard that a highway was about to be built in that area, potentially clearing it. But I never paid attention. A torn house like that, even if it were dismantled, it probably wouldn't make much money.

“Uncle Vuong, what's the news?”

"The planning of the expressway route has been finalized! My house is located in the right clearance area!"

“Guess how much compensation you get?”

I held my breath, not daring to ask.

“8,000,000 yuan!”

“Round 8,000,000 yuan!”

“My house has an additional yard, the area is large so the compensation is very high!”

"Go home and sign the papers tomorrow, the money is about to be transferred!"