Chapter 4 — Spring Falling On Red Dress

Everyone in the room fell silent. Manh Thu Binh was the first to burst into tears. "Mr. Tang, why did you hit me? Thanh Chi, quickly confess to your father." The taste of blood rose in his mouth. I raised my hand to wipe it away. Tong Bach Xuyen frowned, as if he wanted to say something. But he didn't move. In his previous life, he was best at doing that. Standing on the side of morality, watching me being pushed away by everyone. "Dad." His cheeks burned. "From today, I will not spend a single penny from the family anymore." Dad glared at me. "Do you think you are so talented?" "You have arms and legs." Manh Thu Binh smiled coldly. "Losing her job in the factory, where can a girl like you go? Even seasonal work in the neighborhood is not your turn." "Go to the province." Those two words. As soon as they fell, everyone was stunned. Tong Bach Xuyen's eyes darkened. "Who allowed you to go?" "I'm an adult." "Tang Thanh Chi, the province is not the place for you to be angry." He finally panicked. Not because you love me. But because he couldn't accept that something that was in the palm of his hand suddenly escaped control. "Follow me to the Song family." His hand reached out again. This time he couldn't touch me. Dad stopped him. "Bach Xuyen, bringing her to your house in her current state will only make everyone uncomfortable. Just lock her at home for one night, tomorrow she will be obedient." Tong Bach Xuyen's face darkened. "Tomorrow morning I will come to pick her up." Before leaving, he stood at the door and looked at me. "Thanh Chi, I may not prosecute you for causing trouble tonight, but don't mention the annulment anymore." "If you are determined to make the two families lose face, it will be awkward for everyone." In the end, it will be you.” The door closed. In the main house, there was only the sound of my father's heavy breathing. Manh Thu Binh immediately grabbed my cowhide paper bag. "What is this?" The bag was torn open, newspapers and money orders fell all over the ground. Tang Van Hoa picked up a leaflet and read out loud: "Provincial newspaper arts magazine, Tang Thanh Chi, royalties of twelve dong..." Her voice became smaller and smaller. Dad was stunned. Manh Thu Binh's face was unsightly, as if she had just swallowed bitter medicine. "It turns out you hid your own money a long time ago." "That's the money I earn from writing articles." "Eating this family's meals, using this family's lamp oil, the money you earn naturally belongs to the family." She stuffed the money order into her chest. I rushed to get it back. Dad pressed hard on my shoulder. "First of all, leave it at Aunt Manh's place, so that you don't really run out and lose face." The parchment bag was locked in the closet by Manh Thu Binh. The key was hanging on her side. The fire in my chest burned so much that my eyes went dark. "Give me back my things." Dad turned away. "Tomorrow, go to the Tong family to apologize, when I return I will return it." Outside the window, the sky was as black as ink. The lock made a “click” sound. 5 That night, I was locked in the east room. Outside the door was a chair, Tang Van Hoa sat on the chair. She bit the melon seeds and talked to me through the door. "Sister, don't blame your mother. A girl running around with money, there are many bad people out there." Melon seed shells fell all over the ground. "How good is the Tong regiment commander, both handsome and has a high position. If you marry there, our family will also be able to show off." "It's more like you get to show off." There was silence outside for a while. "What do you have to show off?" show off? I'm not the one who married him.” When she said that, her voice was light. In my previous life, after Tong Bach Xuyen was promoted to regiment commander, Tang Van Hoa came to my house every few days. She said she admired me for having good numbers. Later, when Bach Tri Duong left the infirmary, on the night Tong Bach Xuyen got drunk, Tang Van Hoa brought him hangover soup on my behalf. Today

Later, she cried and said that Tong Bach Xuyen called Bach Tri Duong's name. At that time, I was only too busy feeling sorry for myself, not seeing the resentment hidden in her eyes. It was just dawn when Manh Thu Binh opened the door. She threw a gray cotton shirt on the bed. “Change it.” When she took the red dress off me, the fabric ripped a line. I grabbed the hem of my dress. "Don't touch it." Manh Thu Binh waved her hand and hit me. "Do you still think you're a big lady? Going to the Tong family today, if you dare to cause trouble again, I will take all the things your mother left to the pawn shop." That sentence was like a nail driven deep into the bone. The jade bracelet my grandmother gave me, my mother's photo, and the wooden comb are all in her closet. I cannot leave them alone. Tong Bach Xuyen arrived extremely on time. Exactly eight o'clock, the bicycle stopped in front of the Tang family's door. Dad urged me to go out. Manh Thu Binh buttoned the gray cotton shirt to the top button and looked at me with satisfaction. "This looks like a decent girl who knows how to live." The gray cotton shirt was both thick and old, the cuffs were worn to white. It was originally something Tang Van Hoa no longer wears. When I got to the door, Tang Van Hoa ran after me and stuffed me with a scarf. "Sister, put it on, don't let it get cold." Inside the scarf was a piece of paper.