Chapter 8 — The Scales Are Finally Balanced

I sat still, feeling like the pieces in my head were gradually coming together. He investigated my background and discovered that my mother was Co Uyen Thanh. He knew he owed the Co family a huge sum of money, something he had never paid in his entire life. He was afraid that I would know the truth, so he risked his life to push me out of the central circle of the Qin family. Don't let me join the clan group. Don't let me participate in property division. Even the will wants to eliminate me and Noan Noan. Because if I step into that core circle, sooner or later I will discover that part of the Qin family's assets should belong to my mother.

“Good for a Tan Duc Empress.”

I stood up. Mom pulled my hand.

“Where are you going?”

“Go get a lawyer.”

That afternoon, I called my cousin Chu Linh.

“Sister, about legal aid… I agree.”

Chu Linh on the other end of the line froze for two seconds.

“You think it's clear?”

“Not just thinking things through.” I looked out the window. “I have something new to tell the lawyer.”

The next morning, I met lawyer Tran at An Hoa Legal Support Center. She is over thirty years old, wears thin-rimmed glasses, and reads documents extremely quickly. I put all the papers on the table: Trust documents. Grandfather's notebook. Old photo. Lawyer Tran looked at each thing one by one, then raised his head to look at me.

“Miss Tham, if all of these documents are verified to be true…” She closed the file. “You currently hold two cards in your hand.”

“Two cards?”

“The first is the Co family trust fund.” She pointed to the document. "Forty-seven million. As Co Uyen Thanh's only direct descendant, you have the right to receive this amount of money with documents proving your identity."

“We need to find the lawyer who was entrusted by your grandfather that year, or contact the fund management unit directly.”

“What about the second card?”

“Qin Dehou's debt.” Lawyer Tran gently pushed his glasses. "Thirty-five thousand principal amount. According to the provisions of the Civil Code, the loan relationship between individuals..."

“It's been forty years.” I interrupted. “Is it beyond the statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit?”

Lawyer Tran calmly replied:

"If there is evidence that the creditor or heir did not know the debt existed during that time, and the obligor intentionally concealed the truth... then the statute of limitations can be recalculated."

She paused for a moment then continued:

"Your father-in-law hid this for seven years. That in itself is new evidence."

I nodded slightly.

“But…” Lawyer Tran changed his tone. “I advise you not to alert the Qin family for now.”

“Let's settle the trust fund thing first.” She looked at me meaningfully. “When you have real money in hand and a clear legal status, then is the right time to talk to the Qin family.”

“So what to do?”

"I will contact you for help. If your grandfather's trust fund was established in a legal organization, the records will definitely still be kept."

Stepping out of the lawyer's office, the sunlight outside was just beautiful. I stood on the side of the road and suddenly felt that the ground under my feet was much more stable. For the first time in the past seven years… I no longer live by patience and endurance. When I returned to my mother's house, she was standing in the kitchen chopping vegetables.

“The lawyer said we can investigate.”

Mom nodded slightly and poured the vegetables into the pan. The hot oil immediately makes a sizzling sound.

“Son…” She suddenly spoke. “This has never happened to me tell me.”

“What?”

“Before he passed away, your grandfather left more than just a trust fund.”

I put down the glass of water.

“He also left behind a house.” Mom said slowly. “In Huzhou ancient town. An old house. Before he passed away, he asked someone to lock the door, and the key was given to an old neighbor to keep.

“Is that house still there?”

“I don't know.” Mom shook her head. “It's been forty years, maybe it was cleared a long time ago. But if not…”

She turned her head to look at me.

“You know how much Huzhou old town is worth now.”

“Then why didn't you ever tell me?”

“Speaking for what?” Mother sighed softly. “My mother changed her name because she didn't want to have anything to do with the past anymore. The faces of those people when your grandfather passed away... I won't be able to forget them for the rest of my life."

“But mom.” I took her hand. “Mom has the right to take back what belongs to her.”

Mom was silent for a long time.