Chapter 1 — The husband's family controls the finances

My husband's parents joined forces to force me to hand over the financial management of our small family.
"Daughter-in-law, give me your salary card. We will keep it for you and avoid letting you spend recklessly!"
My husband still nodded:
“Listen to mom, she used to manage the books before.”
I looked at him for ten seconds. Okay. I placed my salary card right in the middle of the dining table, locked the kitchen door and put the key in my pocket.
“From today, I don't take care of this house anymore.”
After speaking, I leaned back on the sofa and calmly scrolled through my phone. At seven o'clock in the evening, my husband walked back and forth in front of the kitchen door:
"Wife...where's dinner? Mom said she's tired."
I don't bother to raise my head:
"Your mother can manage sixty-eight thousand, can't she afford a bowl of noodles?"
01
“Van Tinh, give me your salary card.”
Ma Tu Lien used his chopsticks to tap the bowl's rim, emitting a sharp sound.
"My parents are both retired, so they don't have anything to do. Let me manage the money for you, to prevent you from spending wastefully."
I raised my head to look at Chu Khai sitting next to her. He is my husband. Chu Khai immediately nodded, like a robot receiving orders.
"Listen to me. I used to manage books at the neighborhood office and have experience."
I stared at him. One second. Five seconds. Ten seconds. Feeling uncomfortable when I looked at him, he avoided my eyes, picked up a chopstick of green vegetables and put it in my bowl.
“Eat quickly, the food is about to get cold.”
He wants to use this method to cover up the matter. Just like countless times before. I didn't touch that chopsticks of vegetables. Okay. I took out my yellow salary card from my wallet. On the fifteenth day of every month, this card will have an additional sixty-eight thousand on time. I placed it right in the middle of the dining table, the cold feeling of the marble table surface spread from my fingertips up. I slowly pushed it towards Ma Tu Lien. Her eyes immediately lit up, like a hungry wolf seeing meat, quickly grabbed the card and squeezed it tightly in her palm.
"The password is your date of birth, right? Tomorrow I will change it to avoid letting you withdraw money arbitrarily."
On her face was an undisguised look of pride. Chu Khai also breathed a sigh of relief, as if he had just solved a problem as big as the sky. He smiled at me.
“This is true, we are all one family.”
I didn't pay attention to him. I stood up and went into the kitchen, taking out the key before they could react.
“Clack.”
Right in front of them, I locked the kitchen door. Then, I threw the heavy set of keys into my bag. I zipped up the bag, completely blocking their eyes.
“From today, I don't take care of this house anymore.”
After speaking, I walked to the sofa, sat down, took out my phone and started watching a short video. The world is finally quiet. The living room was as silent as death. Ma Tu Lien and Chu Khai looked at each other. My father-in-law, Chu Kien Quan, coughed heavily and then put down the bowl and chopsticks.
“What a riot!”
No one paid attention to him. I put on headphones and turned the phone volume to the highest level. Time passes minute by minute. Seven o'clock in the evening. Chu Khai walked back and forth in front of the kitchen door, like ants crawling on a hot pan. Finally, he couldn't hold it in anymore, walked next to me and took off one of my headphones.
“Van Tinh... where's dinner?”
I didn't bother to lift my eyelids.
“Haven't eaten yet.”
“Mom said to sit in the car today I'm tired, I have high blood sugar, I can't be hungry."
His tone was both pleading and reproachful as if it were obvious. I finally paused the video and looked up at him.
"Your mother can manage sixty-eight thousand, can't she afford a bowl of noodles?"
Chu Khai's face immediately turned red.
“How can they be the same? Managing money is a big thing, cooking is just a small thing.”
"OH."
I replied calmly and then put my headphones back on.
“Then tell her to use the money on the card to make you a big deal.”
Chu Khai was completely speechless. He looked at the tightly locked kitchen door, then looked at me still motionless on the sofa, so impatient that he scratched his head. Finally, he stomped his foot and took out his phone.
“Okay! We order food from outside! Don't eat your cooking anymore!”
I smiled softly. Just call. It's best to order a bit more expensive food. Anyway, the money deducted is my money. Half an hour later, spicy hot pot, grilled food, seafood porridge... were spread out all over the table. Three people ate until their mouths were full of grease. Ma Tu Lien gnawed on chicken wings and spoke incomprehensibly to educate me.
“Van Tinh, I'm not talking to you, women can't be so arbitrary. Chu Khai works so hard, yet you still have this attitude towards him."
“That's right, no matter what happens at home, someone has to take care of it.” Zhou Jianjun chimed in.
I didn't say anything, just watched them throw bones, bamboo sticks and plastic boxes all over the table. Greasy broth dripped onto the floor, leaving dark streaks. After eating, all three simultaneously leaned back on the sofa, holding their stomachs and belching. No one cleaned up. The table was cluttered with dishes, just like a landfill. Chu Khai looked at me, then looked at the table, and hesitantly opened his mouth.
“Van Tinh, that… the table…”
I put down the phone and stood up. He thought I was going to clean up. I went straight to the bedroom and slammed the door. Good night, house managers.
02
The next morning, I was woken up by a shrill siren. Not my alarm. It's the smoke alarm in the kitchen. I walked out of the bedroom. The living room was still messy, the boxes of food from last night were still on the table, emitting a sour smell after one night. In front of the kitchen door, Chu Khai and Ma Tu Lien were standing helplessly in front of the tightly locked door. Thick smoke continuously poured out from the crack in the door.
“What's going on?” I asked.
“Mom… I want to use an electric kettle to boil some water, I don't know why it's smoking!” Ma Tu Lien said in panic.
“I told mom not to touch it! Mom insisted that I know how to use it!” Chu Khai standing next to him was so impatient that he jumped up.
I went over and took out the key.
“Clack.”
The door opens. A smell of burning plastic immediately hit me. The electric kettle was burned black, its body was deformed, and it lay flat on the stove. The socket next to it was also blackened a bit. Turns out she put the electric kettle on the gas stove to boil. I silently watched everything. Chu Khai rushed in, frantically pulled out the plug and opened the ventilation window. The smoke cleared, revealing a messy kitchen. Last night they didn't have the key so they couldn't get in. They had to soak the dishes in the bathroom sink, causing water to cover the floor.
“What should I do for breakfast?” Chu Kien Quan's father-in-law walked over with a pale face. He has low blood sugar, so he must eat on time in the morning.
Ma Tu Lien didn't dare to speak anymore, he looked at me guilty. Chu Khai looked at me with his eyes asking for help. “Van Tinh, look…”
I leaned against the doorframe, crossed my arms over my chest.
"Isn't there some grilled food left over from yesterday's food? You can still eat it by reheating it."
"Are you eating that in the morning? Your father's stomach can't stand it!" Ma Tu Lien objected.
“Then let's go out to eat.”
I went back to my room to change clothes, put on makeup, and get ready for work. By the time I finished dressing and walked out, the three of them were still sitting on the sofa, big eyes glaring at small eyes.
"Chu Khai, today I'll take mom to the hospital for a follow-up check-up and buy food by the way." Ma Tu Lien began to give orders.
“Mom, I have an important meeting this morning. I have to come early.” Zhou Kai said awkwardly.
“Is the meeting important or is your health important?”
“It's not… I…”
I'm not interested in listening to their gentle mother-daughter struggle. I changed my shoes and opened the door.
“I'm going to work.”
"Wait!" Chu Khai called me back. “Aren't you going to cook breakfast for us?”
“Already cooked.”
I pointed to the trash can next to the door.
“Kitchen trash, haven't had time to take it out yet.”
Having finished speaking, I closed the door, completely blocking the sound of their arguments and complaints behind me. Going downstairs, I didn't go to the company but drove to the best hotel nearby. I ordered myself an exquisite breakfast buffet. The sunlight penetrated through the ground-level glass door, shining on me, warm and comfortable. I drank coffee and used my phone to look up the apartment management board's number. Phone is connected.
"Hello, I am the owner of apartment 1502, unit one, building twelve. I want to ask if I have this month's electricity, water and gas bills yet?"
"Hello Ms. Van, the bill is ready, you can check it on the app. At the end of the month is the last payment deadline, please remember to pay on time, otherwise the electricity and gas will be cut off."
“Okay, thank you.”
I hung up the phone, the corners of my lips curled up slightly. The game has just begun. Over the next few days, I seriously implemented the “three nos” policy. Housework, no management. Cook rice, don't ask. Don't listen to their story. Every day I go to work and leave work on time, and when I get home I close the door. Eat meals at the company, or go out to eat. Home became my hotel. This hotel is turning into a landfill at a speed visible to the naked eye. Takeout boxes were piled up in the corner of the wall, emitting a rotten smell. Dirty clothes appear everywhere, from the sofa, floor to balcony. Zhou Kai even started wearing disposable underwear. Ma Tu Lien once tried using a washing machine. As a result, she washed dark-colored clothes with light colors, causing one of my silk shirts to be stained like a map. She still wanted to make excuses.
"Isn't it just a shirt? It's nothing big, I can buy you another one!"
I looked at her.
"That shirt costs eight thousand. Are you sure you want to buy it?"
She immediately shut her mouth. Chu Khai tried to talk to me.
"Van Tinh, what do you really want? What's the point of living like this?"
I was wearing a mask, too lazy to pay attention to him.
“Open the kitchen door so mom can cook, won't this thing pass?”
“The key is not with me.”
"Where?"
“I don't know, maybe I dropped it.”
I opened my eyes to lie. Chu Khai was so angry that he could not speak, slammed the door and left. I knew he was on the brink of collapse. But I didn't expect the final straw to crush him to come so quickly So. Friday afternoon, I was in a meeting at the company when Chu Khai's phone kept calling. I turned on silent mode directly. Waiting for the meeting to end, I saw dozens of messages he sent. The tone changed from the initial questioning, to impatient, and finally to pleading.
“Van Tinh, please go home!”
“Something happened!”
"Your cousin's whole family is here, now standing right outside the door!"
03
My cousin? She is Chu Khai's cousin, Trieu Tinh. A woman known for being difficult and bitter among her relatives. I answered slowly.
“Oh, then let's entertain everyone.”
"How is the reception? The house is as messy as a pigsty! The kitchen is still locked! Your mother is going crazy!"
"Isn't your mother able to manage sixty-eight thousand? Can't this little matter be resolved?"
Chu Khai's side was silent. A long time later, he sent a voice message, his voice almost crying.
"I'm begging you, Van Tinh, please go home quickly! Can you see that I'm wrong? Just go home and help us get over the current situation first, we'll talk about other things later."
I looked out the window, the sky was gradually getting dark.
"Okay."
I answer in two words. After that, I turned off the phone, leisurely packed my things and left work. I didn't go home right away, but went to the shopping center for a walk, bought myself a new dress, and then went to get my hair done.