Chapter 7 — The husband's family controls the finances

He looked at me gratefully, his eyes filled with complex emotions. Ma Tu Lien and Chu Kien Quan also breathed a sigh of relief, their initially tense expressions gradually calming down. A crisis of trust in the family that was about to explode was easily resolved by me in silence. During the party, everyone continuously raised their cups. I used the excuse of not drinking a drop of alcohol, just silently observing. Looking at Chu Khai surrounded by relatives, he was enthusiastic and proud. Looking at Ma Tu Lien, she began to brag to her sisters-in-law about how talented her son was and how obedient her daughter-in-law was. It's like everything that happened before never happened. But I know there are things that are no longer the same. After the party ended, I slipped a bank card to Zhou Kai.
“Go pay today's bill.”
"Huh? Using my card?"
"What if not? Do you still have money in your card?"
Chu Khai's face turned red again. He took the card and slunk to the front desk. When we returned, power in the house had been restored. The house has also been cleaned. I took out a large printed piece of paper from my bag and stuck it on the refrigerator door.
"Family responsibility division table".
Above, in bold black letters, write clearly: Monday: Chu Kien Quan is in charge of taking out the trash and cleaning the house. Tuesday: Ma Tu Lien is in charge of washing clothes and cooking dinner. Wednesday: Chu Khai is in charge of cleaning the toilet and buying food. ... Behind there are also detailed reward and punishment measures. If you complete it well, at the end of the month you will receive a reward from the family fund. If you do not complete it well, your pocket money will be deducted for the month. Ma Tu Lien was the first person to rush over to see. When she saw the words "cook dinner" after her name, her face immediately turned pale.
"On what basis do I have to do it? I am the elder!"
"Based on the electricity in the house, I find someone to fix it, and the restaurant is also booked by me." I leaned on the sofa, looking at her.
“Miss…”
“Mom.” Chu Khai stepped forward, blocking her face.
He looked at the roster and was silent for a long time.
"I feel... Van Tinh's words make sense. From now on, just follow this chart."
This was the first time he openly took my side and opposed his mother. Ma Tu Lien looked at his son incredulously. Chu Kien Quan stood next to him, his face pale, not saying a word. The power structure in the family at this moment experienced a violent but silent earthquake. I know this is just the beginning. The old order is broken, the new order is established, which will certainly be accompanied by resistance and pain. And I'm prepared for a long war.
09
During the first week after the rule was put in place, there was a strange atmosphere of pressure in the house. Ma Tu Lien and Chu Kien Quan used silence and a sloppy working attitude to protest. When it was Zhou Jianjun's turn to take out the trash, he would "forget" until the dirty water in the trash filled the floor. When it was Ma Tu Lien's turn to cook, she would deliberately cook salty food, or outright say that she was not well, so that everyone would starve together. Chu Khai was sandwiched in the middle, awkward on both sides. He tried to negotiate with me.
"Van Tinh, maybe... just let it go? Your parents are old, letting them do these things is really..."
“Aging is not an excuse for not having the ability to act.” I interrupted him.
“They're just not used to it, it doesn't mean they don't do it Okay."
I took out my phone and opened a video. That's the video of Ma Tu Lien and a group of older ladies dancing in the apartment complex a few days ago. In the video, she is extremely strong, has standard movements, and continuously dances for more than an hour without even breathing hard.
“Do you think a person who can dance with such intensity cannot cook a meal?”
Chu Khai couldn't say anything.
“I'm pregnant, need a clean, comfortable environment, three meals on time. If they cannot provide this environment, I will go out and live on my own until the child is born.”
I once again threw the choice question at him.
“Don't!” Chu Khai immediately panicked.
He knew that if I really moved out, his mother's desire to hold her grandchildren would completely vanish. That night, Chu Khai and his parents had their first real argument in their room. I couldn't hear the specific content clearly, but Ma Tu Lien's cries and Chu Kien Quan's screams were still transmitted from time to time. The next day, the situation had a subtle change. Garbage is taken out on time. Even though dinner was still simple, it was at least edible. I know this is the result of pressure from Chu Khai. But the anger in Ma Tu Lien's heart still could not be swallowed. She began looking for a new breakthrough. She targeted my "belly".
“Van Tinh, my baby is almost a month old, why isn't there any reaction? No vomiting, and I can still eat and sleep.”
At the dinner table, she acted like she accidentally mentioned it. Inside I was tense, but on the outside I remained unchanged.
“Maybe the child loves you.”
“So I have to go to the hospital to get checked to be sure. Mom made an appointment with an old colleague, the head of the obstetrics department. Tomorrow you and Chu Khai will go check the details together."