Chapter 5 — The Scales Are Finally Balanced

“Tieu Dao, please listen to me.” Her voice is very light. "The most important thing in marriage has never been love, but respect. A man who can't even protect his wife... what else does he deserve?"

After hanging up the phone, I lay in bed all night, unable to sleep. What she said was not wrong. It's been seven years. Has Tan Hao ever really been on my side? On the afternoon of the fifth day, Tan Hao came again. He carried a bouquet of lilies and a gift bag.

“You are wrong.” He stood in front of my mother's house. "I should have spoken up to protect you. I didn't do a good job. But can you go home first? We'll slowly solve it."

“Tan Hao, I ask you a question.”

“You say it.”

“If between you three and me, I could only choose one person… who would I choose?”

His face immediately stiffened. Fifteen seconds.

"I got it."

I plan to close. He raised his hand to block it.

"Why do you keep forcing me to choose? He is my father, and you are my wife..."

“But my father never considered you family, and I automatically accepted that.” I looked straight at him. "It's not that I forced you to choose. It's that you've chosen for a long time."

At that moment, the phone rang. It was the eldest uncle calling, his voice urgent and trembling:

"Tieu Dao! Your father... no, your father-in-law fainted! Cerebral infarction! In emergency at People's Hospital!"

I immediately grabbed my bag and rushed out. Tan Hao also turned pale and ran after. When we arrived at the hospital, the hallway was filled with people from the Tan family. As soon as my uncle-in-law saw me, he burst into tears:

“Tieu Dao… you're here… your dad keeps mentioning your name…”

I stood outside the intensive care room looking through the glass. Tan Duc Hau was lying on a hospital bed, his face pale as wax, his body covered with wires and equipment. The heart rate line on the screen flickered up and down. Just yesterday he was sitting in his wheelchair talking to me. Now it has become like this. The doctor walked out.

"For the time being, the patient is stable, but he is old and can change for the worse at any time. Family members should be mentally prepared."

That night, the whole family took turns staying awake. It was half past one in the morning when it was my turn. In the hospital room, there was only the sound of machines whirring steadily. I sat by the hospital bed looking at Tan Duc Hau's thin face.

“Dad…” I spoke softly. "Maybe you can't hear me, but I still want to say a few words."

"For the past seven years, I have truly considered the Qin family to be my home. No matter how uncomfortable Dad is, when he calls in the middle of the night, I will immediately come running. Whatever you want to eat, I will make it myself the next morning and bring it to you."

My tears fell onto the bed sheet.

“I never expected Dad to divide the property with me.” My voice choked. “I just want you to see me as a person.”

“Dad… if you wake up, can we talk properly for once?”

Around three o'clock in the morning, the heart rate monitor suddenly sounded a loud warning. I jumped up and rang the bell to call the doctor. Doctors and nurses immediately rushed in with an ambulance. I was blocked outside the door, my heart beating so fast it felt like it wanted to jump out of my chest. Tan Hao ran up from downstairs, sweat covering his head.

"What's up?"

“Heart arrhythmia, emergency treatment.”

Fifteen minutes later, the doctor came out, his face heavy.

"The situation is not very positive. Everyone should prepare themselves."

The hallway instantly fell silent. Elder uncle grabbed the doctor's hand:

“Please doctor… you must save him…”

“We will do our best.”

Tan Hao leaned against the wall, his whole body trembling. I walked over and gently held his hand. He turned his head to look at me, his eyes bloodshot and red.

“Sorry…” His voice was hoarse. “I shouldn't have left you alone to endure those things.”

I shook my head. That night no one slept. Near morning, the doctor came out again, saying the situation was temporarily stable. The eldest uncle-in-law sat down on the ground, muttering continuously:

“Thank heaven and earth… thank heaven and earth…”

I helped her up, my legs were also weak. Around nine o'clock in the morning, Tan Duc Hau woke up. He opened his eyes, the first person to look was me.

“Tieu Dao…”

“Dad, I'm here.”

I grabbed his hand. On the back of his hand, which was covered with age spots, the skin was so thin that pale blue blood vessels could be seen underneath.

“Sorry son…” He said hoarsely.

A cloudy tear slowly rolled from the corner of his eye. This seventy-two year old stubborn man had never bowed to anyone in his entire life.

"Dad, let's recuperate first, we'll talk about other things later."

He squeezed my hand and didn't let go, his lips constantly moving. I leaned closer to hear it.

“There's something… Dad's been hiding it from everyone for so many years…”

"Dad, stop talking..." Tan Hao, standing next to him, quickly stopped him.

“No…” Tan Duc Hau shook his head, raised his hand with difficulty and pointed towards the bedside table.

“In… the drawer…”

I pulled out the drawer. Inside was an old parchment envelope with yellowed corners and had been folded over and over again.

“Open…” As soon as Tan Duc Hau finished speaking, he was so tired that he closed his eyes.

I took out the envelope.