Chapter 18 — The Last Word Is Myself

Three days after completing the divorce procedure... Tong Thanh Man returned. No need to return to that big apartment that was sold. But back to this city. It was Tran Dao who told me.

“Sister-in-law… no…”

He corrected his mouth.

“Tong Thanh Man is back.”

“At a friend's house.”

“What did she come back for?”

"Don't know."

“But on the first day back, she went looking for Mr. Phong.”

At that time I was at the new store supervising the arrangement of the last batch of tables and chairs.

“Have you two met?”

“At a tea shop.”

“Talked for more than two hours.”

“What happens after that?”

"Mr. Phong's face is very unsightly."

“Go straight home.”

“And Tong Thanh Man took a taxi to leave.”

I pushed the last chair into place.

“Is her mother's house sold yet?”

"Not yet."

“Her mother refused to sell.”

I wipe my hands.

“Repeat that.”

“The one-month deadline only has ten days left.”

Tran Dao hesitated for a moment.

“There's one more thing.”

“The day Tong Thanh Man came back…”

"I'm standing outside the tea shop waiting for Mr. Phong."

“Through the glass door, I saw her take out a file for Mr. Phong to see.”

“What documents?”

“It's too far away so I can't see clearly.”

"But after finishing reading, Mr. Phong slammed the documents on the table and stood up to leave."

“Tong Thanh Man chased after him and pulled him back.”

“He knocked her hand away.”

I thought silently for a while.

“You continue to pay attention.”

I did not tell Trieu Man about this. Because there's a possibility floating around in my head. The documents Tong Thanh Man showed to Co Dinh Phong... Most likely related to money. But don't have to pay. It's asking for money. If Tong Thanh Man's mother refuses to sell the house... Then the remaining money will have to be borne by Co Dinh Phong herself. But now... He has no more money. Eight stores are still losing rent every day. He can't even feed himself. Tong Thanh Man chose to return at this time... Not to help him. It's to ensure that one's own interests are not harmed. Perhaps she made some kind of agreement or commitment... Forcing Co Dinh Phong to be responsible for the loss from that house. Anyway, from the beginning... Tong Thanh Man was never the type of "pure first love". She is very good at calculations. Just an object of calculation... I changed my word to Co Dinh Phong. Five days later. Co Dinh Phong called. His voice was filled with fatigue.

“Tong Thanh Man's mother refused to sell the house.”

“That's your problem.”

“She said it was her only place to stay.”

“I can't kick an old woman out onto the street.”

“2,130,000 yuan.”

“I won't agree even if I lack a penny.”

“The missing part is 150,000 yuan.”

“Give me two more weeks.”

“Five days.”

“Arrived exactly on the one-month expiration date.”

He was silent. The phone hung up. Old Chu walked out of the kitchen. The apron was covered in sauce.

“The final round of tasting is over.”

“Come in and taste it.”

I followed him into the back kitchen. On the stainless steel table are displayed six dishes. I tried each dish one by one. When it came to the third dish, I put down my chopsticks.

“This rib sauce…”

“Reduce the sauce by two grams.”

“The evaporation time is increased by fifteen seconds.”

Old Chu immediately recorded it.

“Have you not eaten a proper meal in many days?”

I looked at him. The burns on his hands were clearly visible under the light.

“It will be fine after this time.”

Old Chu don't ask more. He took the plate back to the kitchen and made the other ribs again. I stood in the middle of the kitchen. All around is the sound of pans stirring. The sound of the range hood buzzing. The sound of the knife falling on the cutting board was continuous. These sounds… I've been listening for seven years. Since I was selling on the roadside. They are more trustworthy than any promise in the world. Two days before the deadline. At midnight, Tran Dao called me.

“Something happened.”

His voice was very urgent.

“Today Mr. Phong went to find Tong Thanh Man.”

“At her friend's apartment.”

“You two had a big argument.”

“Mr. Phong said Tong Thanh Man lied to him.”

“Fraud on what?”

Tran Dao swallowed hard.

“That big apartment…”

“At the time of purchase, the market price was less than 1,500,000 yuan.”

“But the total amount of money Mr. Phong transferred to Tong Thanh Man was more than 2,000,000 yuan.”

“The extra money…”

“Tong Thanh Man cannot be used to buy a house.”

My fingers stopped on the table.

“So where does that money go?”

“Mr. Phong questioned her.”

“She said part of it was to pay off the debt.”

“She previously owed money to another city.”

“The time I quit my job I didn't quit on my own.”

“But being kicked out.”

“I heard something happened at the law office.”