Chapter 1 — The Scales Are Finally Balanced

Being Kicked Out of the Family Group by My Husband, I Publicized My Billion Dollar Assets, My Father-in-Law Immediately Apologized My Mother-in-law kicked me out of the family group, and changed the group's name to: "Only people with Qin blood can enter." I stared at the phone screen for three minutes, not texting a single sentence. The next morning, Tan Hao called.

“Dao Dao, about your father's group…”

“You know?” I interrupted him.

The other end of the line was silent for two seconds before replying: "I know."

“Since when do you know?”

“Last month.”

Last month. I asked him three times, and each time he said, "I don't know what Dad is thinking."

“So why didn't you tell me?”

“I think it's just a group, not necessary…”

“Not necessary?” My hands started to get cold. “Your father kicked me out of the group with the excuse of 'only people with Qin blood', and you didn't feel the need to tell me?”

He said nothing more. I hung up the phone and stood on the balcony blankly for a long time. Downstairs, there are people walking their dogs, and there are people calling to talk about business while walking. Sunlight covers the flower beds in the apartment complex, everything is still normal to the point of coldness. No one knew that on the twelfth floor, there was a woman who had just been considered an outsider by her own family. That afternoon was family gathering day. The Qin family has a rule that on the first Sunday of every month, everyone must return to the old villa to eat. At first I didn't want to go. But after thinking for a while, it finally came. The villa is located in the eastern part of the city, the house Tan Duc Hau bought fifteen years ago. The three-story villa is large, with an old pomegranate tree growing in the yard. In the seven years that I have been married to this family, almost every family party has been prepared by me and my eldest uncle-in-law. When I arrived, eldest uncle Qin Quoc Dong's family was already present, second uncle Qin Quoc Luong and his wife had just arrived. In the living room, Tan Duc Hau sat in the host position, holding a cup of tea. Seeing me enter, his expression was very pale. I said hello. He just nodded slightly as a response. I went into the kitchen to help, and my aunt-in-law Trieu Lan pulled my hand back.

“Tieu Dao, your face is so bad, couldn't sleep last night?”

“It's okay.”

When it was time to prepare the meal, I brought the dish to the table and sat down next to Tan Duc Hau.

“Dad, I want to ask you something.”

Everyone at the table looked over simultaneously.

“Is it your idea to kick me out of the family group…?”

Tan Duc Hau put down his chopsticks and glanced at me.

“It was my father who told my mother-in-law to do it.”

"That group discussed family assets, and also talked about wills." He replied calmly. "I don't have the Qin family's blood, so I'm not suitable to participate."

The living room was immediately silent for a few seconds.

“What do you mean… you consider me an outsider?”

“It's not a matter of watching it or not.” Tan Duc Hau's voice was calm as if he was saying something obvious. "The daughter-in-law who marries into the Qin family still has the Tham family name, and is not legally the heir to the Qin family. Dad did this according to the rules."

I turned my head to look at Tan Hao. He bowed his head to eat, without saying a word from beginning to end.

“So what about Noan Noan?” I asked. “She has the last name Qin, does that count?”

Tan Duc Hau paused for a moment.

"Noan Noan is the granddaughter, but the division in the will is mainly left to the three sons. The portion of the great-grandchildren... Think about it later.”

“How long after this?”

“There's no need to worry.”

I nodded slightly.

“Dad, let me ask you one last question.”

“You say it.”

"If one day, you and Tan Hao divorce, and Noan Nuan follows you and changes her family name to Tham... then will she still be considered a member of the Qin family?"

Tan Duc Hau's hand holding the cup of tea paused.

“If you change your last name, it doesn't count anymore.”

I stood up, put my chopsticks on the table.

"Tieu Dao, please sit down, say something slowly..." Elder Tan Quoc Dong quickly spoke up.

“Eldest uncle, there is no need.” I looked at Tan Duc Hau. “Dad said I was an outsider, I didn't object. But if you are an outsider, in the future you won't have to worry about an outsider like me anymore."

“What do you mean by that?” Tan Duc Hau frowned.

“It's just the meaning in the words.”

I turned around and left. The eldest uncle-in-law followed behind.

“Tieu Dao, don't get excited, your father just has that kind of temper…”

“Uncle-in-law, I'm not excited.” I turned my head to look at her. “When dividing assets, you are an outsider, but when it comes to working, you are not? Did you hear about this?"

The eldest uncle-in-law opened his mouth, but in the end he couldn't say anything. I walked out of the villa gate. The sunlight shines on my face, making it uncomfortable. The phone vibrates. It's a message from Tan Hao: Where have you gone? Did your dad tell you to leave? I don't answer. Standing on the side of the road for five minutes, I called a taxi. As soon as he got in the car, Tan Hao immediately called.

“Dao Dao, where are you? If something happens, go home and talk..."

“Tan Hao, when your father said those words, why didn't you speak up?”

"I... I think it's just a matter of address, there's no need to make a big deal out of it."

“The problem of addressing.”

I slowly repeat those four words. He said again:

"Actually, about the will... I've been wanting to find a chance to tell you for a long time, but I just haven't found the right time..."

“It's been seven years and you still haven't found the right time?”

“That's not what I mean…”

“So what do you mean?” I laughed coldly. "Your whole family sat together to discuss how to divide assets, hiding it only from me, and now you tell me 'the right time hasn't been found yet'?"

He was silent. I hung up. The taxi stopped at the red light intersection. Outside, a little girl was holding her mother's hand across the street, smiling happily as she walked. I suddenly remembered Noan Noan. Today she is in the gifted class at kindergarten and has to come pick her up at four o'clock in the afternoon. I looked at the clock, it was only fifteen past two. I told the driver to stop at the riverside park. Find a bench to sit down, in front of you is the vast river surface, the sunlight reflects into sparkling streaks of light. Several cargo ships from afar slowly passed by. Married to the Qin family for seven years. Every Tet holiday, I prepare a New Year's Eve meal. Tan Duc Hau was hospitalized, I stayed up all night to take care of him. My mother-in-law has knee pain, so I take her to three physical therapy sessions a week. My eldest son was taking the university entrance exam, so I was looking for a tutor. My second uncle's house was renovated, and I was in charge of overseeing the project.