Chapter 9 — Taste of Home

She stroked the letters on the paper, her voice hoarse. "It's true that your father is gone but still wants to take care of me." I said softly: "Dad, you're right." My mother-in-law looked at me, tears falling even harder. Chu Hieu Duong also cried. She said softly: "Aunt Luc, before she passed away, my mother also told me not to live my days trying to survive alone." “But it seems like you haven't learned yet.” Her mother-in-law immediately held her hand. “You're still young, learn slowly.” Luc Canh Hoa suddenly opened his mouth: "Then we all slowly learn." He said: "From today, no one is allowed to carry the burden alone anymore." I nodded. Mother-in-law also nodded. But at this moment, Chu Hieu Duong's phone rang. She looked at the screen, her expression suddenly changed. She picked up the phone, only said two sentences, tears stopped streaming down her face. She raised her head to look at us, her voice trembling. “My husband is back.” “But he didn't come home alone.” 11 Zhou Xiao Duong held the phone very tightly. The mother-in-law immediately became tense. “Did something happen?” Chu Hieu Duong shook his head and nodded again. “He said he brought his mother here.” “He didn't tell me in advance.” When she said these words, in her eyes there was not resentment, but mostly panic. I saw that she was not afraid of meeting her mother-in-law. She was afraid that her struggling appearance would be seen by more people. Luc Canh Hoa asked: "Does your husband know your current situation?" Zhou Xiaotang bowed his head. “Know part of it.” “But I don't dare say it all.” She smiled bitterly. "After my mother passed away, he was still working at a construction site elsewhere, and the money was delayed." "I was afraid he was impatient so he said he was fine." As soon as the mother-in-law heard that sentence, her eyes immediately became complicated. It was like she saw another person secretly saying that she was fine. I gently held my mother-in-law's hand. “Mom, look, trying too hard can really be contagious.” My mother-in-law was stunned by my words, with a hint of laughter in her tears. Luc Canh Hoa stood up. “If you've already arrived, let's meet first.” “It's better to say everything clearly than to keep everyone in the dark.” Chu Hieu Duong nodded but was still uneasy. We didn't stay long at her house. Before leaving, the mother-in-law did not forget to put the thermos bottle in her bag. Zhou Xiaotang wanted to stop. The mother-in-law said: "Auntie, bring it home to wash." I immediately accepted it. “Mom, from today on, let me wash the thermos.” Mother-in-law wants to say no need. Luc Canh Hoa glanced at her. The words reached her lips and she slowly swallowed them. On the way home, the rain stopped. The ground in the alley was wet, reflecting a small patch of gray and white sky. Luc Canh Hoa took us to the pawn shop first. All along the way, my mother-in-law said no need. Luc Canh Hoa did not answer a word. Coming to the counter, he handed over the receipt. When the boss took out the gold bracelet, the mother-in-law's eyes immediately turned red. It was something her father-in-law bought for her. She couldn't bear to wear it, but she couldn't bear to take it to exchange money. Luc Canh Hoa paid and placed the bracelet in her palm. “Mom, don't let this leave you again in the future.” The mother-in-law said softly: "Leaving it at home is the same." Luc Canh Hoa said: "Not the same." I took the bracelet and gently put it back on her wrist. The yellow color applied to her slightly flabby skin but was not old at all. I said: "If dad saw it, he would tell mom to wear it too." The mother-in-law bowed her head and touched the bracelet. She quietly said "yes". That night, we didn't let my mother-in-law into the kitchen anymore. Luc Canh Hoa washes vegetables, I stir-fry food. The mother-in-law sat at the dining table, looking very unfamiliar. Several times she wanted to stand up, but Luc Canh Hoa's eyes forced her to sit back down. I intentionally cooked two more portions. Part for the family. Partly for Zhou Xiaotang. There's a portion left for the mother-in-law to have for lunch the next day. My mother-in-law looked at me packing the box, her voice was very light. “Nam Am, am I bothering you too much?” I closed the lid of the lunch box. “Mom, there's not much difference between whether I make three parts or one part.” “But if mom secretly eats mantou, that would be really annoying.” My mother-in-law was so angry that I couldn't raise her head. Next to Luc Canh Hoa, he added another sentence. “In the future, our family will limit the purchase of curtains.” Finally, the mother-in-law burst out laughing. That meal, she ate half a bowl of rice and drank a bowl of soup. After eating, she looked at me and said very seriously: "Nam Am, today's soup is really bad

not salty.” My nose stung but I still smiled and said, "Then I'll write it down." “Certified by Mrs. Luc, not salty.” The mother-in-law smiled and laughed, her eyes turning red again. Just after finishing dinner, Zhou Xiao Duong sent a text message. She said her husband was home. She also said the person he was with was standing outside the door crying. Luc Canh Hoa and I looked at each other. The mother-in-law's smile also slowly stopped. The next second, Chu Hieu Duong sent another sentence. “She said she wanted to pick you up.” 12 When her mother-in-law saw that sentence, she immediately became restless. “Pick up?” “Pick up where?” Luc Canh Hoa showed her the phone. Zhou Xiao Duong quickly sent another message. “She said it's not safe for me to be alone now and wants to take me back to their house.” “But I don't want to leave here.” The mother-in-law was so frantic that she stood up. I quickly helped her. “Mom, don't panic first.” “People may not have bad intentions.” The mother-in-law nodded but her eyebrows were still tightly furrowed.