Chapter 1 — The Husband in the Household Registration Book

When I went to the bank to apply for a loan, the teller suddenly asked:
“Do I need to check your husband's credit history?”
I was stunned:
“I don't have a husband.”
She opened the information on the system, the black and white paper clearly stated: In the spouse section there is full name. I immediately ran to the police station that night and found out that this "husband" had moved his household to live with me three years ago. And the two million yuan debt he left behind is about to fall on my "wife". Without hesitation, I completed all the procedures and then directly deleted his household registration. Three days later, he was stopped at the airport.
“Sir, in the police system, you are in a dead state.”
He went crazy calling everywhere, finally calling me. I picked up the phone and said just one sentence:
"Who are you? I don't know dead people."
On the other end of the phone were his desperate screams and the cold voice of the police.
01
“Do I need to check your husband's credit history?”
The teller did not raise his head, his fingers were still typing on the keyboard. I was stunned.
“I don't have a husband.”
She finally raised her head to look at me, her eyes carrying a bit of procedural impatience.
“The system shows that you are married.”
She turned the screen towards me. On the screen, right next to my name, the spouse section appeared clearly. Phuong Vien. A completely unfamiliar name. I felt like my heart was being squeezed by a cold hand, and my blood immediately cooled by half. The air conditioner in the bank was turned on very strongly, the wind blew on my face, making my skin tight. People coming to check in were walking back and forth, making a lot of noise, but I couldn't hear anything. There was only a buzzing sound in my ears.
“Sister?”
The teller tapped on the table, pulling me out of my empty thoughts.
“Maybe the system made a mistake.”
My voice was very stable, even I was surprised.
“Would you mind printing out all the information on this page for me?”
She looked at me, her eyes a bit suspicious, but still pressed the print button. The printer makes a soft hissing sound. A warm sheet of paper slid out from the machine slot. White paper, black ink. My name, my ID number. Spouse: Phuong Vien. Below is also a series of identification numbers belonging to him. Date of marriage registration: June twelfth, three years ago. A day that left me completely unimpressed. I stared at that piece of paper, as if I wanted to see through it. The brain operates quickly. This is not a simple mistake. Same first and last name? No way, the ID number is unique. Is there a problem with the system? The possibility is too low. So there's only one possibility left. Someone used my identity to marry a man named Phuong Vien.
"Anything else?" I asked the teller.
“What else is there?”
“All information about Phuong Vien that I have the right to look up.”
"Sorry, our authority only goes here. If you have questions about your marital status, we suggest you go to the civil service or the police to investigate."
Her voice was very formulaic, giving off the impression that the matter had nothing to do with her. I nodded.
"Okay."
I carefully folded the paper in half, then folded it in half again, placing it in the innermost compartment of my bag. The movements are very slow, very steady Yellow. It's like I'm dealing with a normal document, not a bomb that could explode at any moment.
“So the loan…” The teller asked.
“Don't do it again.”
I stood up, zipped up my backpack. Stepping out of the bank door, the four o'clock sunlight was so bright that my eyes hurt. The flow of cars, the sounds of people, the bustle of the city came. I stood on the side of the road, like a person just pulled out of the water, my whole body cold and wet, looking around in confusion. The phone vibrated in my pocket. Is a real estate broker.
"Miss To, how do you feel about the house? The homeowner is still waiting for your answer."
I looked at the crowded road before me and took a deep breath. Buy a house. I saved every penny for five years for this goal. Today, I came to take the final step of applying for a loan. Now, a strange man has legally become my husband. My house can be turned into "common property of husband and wife" at any time. My savings, my future, were all covered in a thick layer of darkness. Are not. I can't let this happen. I turned off the broker's call and did not answer. I stood on the side of the circle for a minute. The tight wire in my head never broke. On the contrary, thoughts become unusually clear. The first step is to find out who Phuong Vien is. The second step is to investigate clearly how he became my "husband". Third step, make everything go back to the way it was. No, I have to make whoever did this pay. I took out my phone and didn't call my friends or relatives. I directly opened the search map. The nearest police station is one point five kilometers away. I walked towards that direction. Don't take the bus. I need to walk. I need to feel my feet firmly planted on the ground to fight the myths and fears floating in the air. Every step calms my mind a little bit. The printed piece of paper was in my pocket, like a red-hot iron bar burning my skin. Phuong Vien. Who are you anyway?
02
The lights of the police station in the dark looked especially bright. The police officer on duty was a young man. After hearing my story, his eyebrows immediately furrowed.
"Having someone register your marriage instead? This is not a small matter."
He asked me to show my ID. Fingers type on the keyboard, opening the civil status system. His expression gradually turned from doubtful to heavy.
“To Tinh, right?”
"Correct."
He turned the screen towards me, making the same movements as a teller in a bank. On the screen is my civil status information page. Head of household: To Tinh. Relationship to head of household: Husband or wife. Full name: Phuong Vien. Move in date: June fifteenth, three years ago. Three days after the marriage registration date. Not only did he become my husband, but he also transferred his household registration to me. My house, the home I lived in for five years, turned into the home of the two of us. A stream of cold air ran from the spine to the top of the head. My hands and feet are cold.
“Police officer, what is the meaning of this?”
“Based on system records, three years ago someone took her household registration book, original identification card and marriage certificate to the check-in counter. continue to transfer household registration as husband and wife.”
“I have never lost my ID card or household registration book.” My voice began to tremble, "And the marriage certificate is even more absurd."
“So there's only one possibility left, which is to fake it.”
The policeman's expression became serious.
“Have you offended anyone recently? Or have you ever disclosed personal information to others?
I tried to search in my head. Nothing. I'm just a normal office worker, relationships are simple, life just revolves around home and company.
“I don't remember.”
“Think carefully.” The policeman gave me a cup of hot water, “This is not a small matter. The other person spent so much effort to transfer their household registration to be with you, there must be a purpose."
He paused, seemingly considering his choice of words.
“I helped you check this person named Phuong Vien.”
As he spoke, he opened another lookup system. A long string of records appeared on the screen.
“This person…” The policeman's voice was low, “His reputation is very poor.”
“What do you mean?”
“Under his name there are many online loans and overdue credit cards, the total amount is not small.”
My heart sank to the bottom of the abyss.
“How much?”
"A preliminary look at the accounts that have searchable records adds up to nearly two million yuan."
Two million yuan. Like a number falling from the sky, making me dizzy.
“Even more troubling,” the police officer pointed to a file on the screen, “the largest personal business loan worth eight hundred thousand yuan entered the debt collection enforcement process last month.”
“The debt collector… will come to me?”
“He is your legal husband, his household registration is also with you. What do you think?”
The police officer looked at me, his eyes filled with sympathy.
“To collect money, debt collection companies can use any tricks. They will distrain assets in her name, freeze bank accounts, and even... come to your home to collect debt."
He didn't continue. But I understood everything. No wonder. No wonder they had to waste time and effort to fake a marriage and change their household registration. Turns out it was to find someone to take the blame. A “wife” with a good credit history, a stable job and fixed assets, used to shoulder his huge debt of two million yuan. And I was the perfect chosen victim. The phone suddenly rang. It's some strange machine. I instinctively pressed the listen button.
“Is that Ms. To Tinh?”
The voice on the other end was very polite, but carried pressure that did not allow refusal.
“We are the legal department of XX credit company. Regarding the debt of her husband, Mr. Phuong Vien, we have contacted many times but without success. According to relevant legal regulations, because this is a joint debt of husband and wife, she is jointly responsible for paying it."
“We have sent a debt recovery notice to your household address. We request that you contact us within three days, otherwise we will proceed to the next step of the legal process.”
Tut. The phone is disconnected. I held the phone and stood still, not moving at all. Debt recovery notice. Was sent to my home. The place I lived for five years, the place I thought was my harbor from the wind. Now it has become someone else's coordinates, become the center of the attack storm.
“Girl, are you okay?” The police officer looked at me worriedly.
I shook my head and put my phone in my pocket. I raised my head, without a single tear in my eye. There's just a cold, burning desert.
“Policeman.”
I looked at him, asking clearly every word.
"What should I do to make this person completely disappear from my household registration book?"
It wasn't a question, it was an announcement. He looked into my eyes, stunned for a moment, then nodded seriously.
"First, go to the civil service office and request to cancel the marriage registration. The reason is that the signature was forged, and you yourself are completely unaware. You need to get a certificate of cancellation."
“What happens after that?”
"Come back here with the cancellation certificate. Based on that, we can determine that the original household registration transfer procedure was a fraud and start the household registration deletion process."
“How long will it take?”
“The fastest is seventy-two hours.”
"Okay."
I picked up my bag, turned around and left.
"Thank you."
He looked at my determined back and called out.
“Girl, be careful when going alone!”
I don't turn around. There was no one on the street at twelve o'clock at night. I took out my phone to call a car. Destination is not home. Which is the nearest all-night printing shop.