Chapter 3 — The Second Life of the Italian Examiner

I don't answer. Just close the laptop and leave the meeting room. That evening. When you get home. Khuong Ngan was already sitting in the living room. The facial expression is somewhat unusual.

"Exam Tri Y."

I looked at him.

"Trieu Ky just called me."

I put my bag down.

"Say you accepted a government project? And joined a group of experts or something?"

"It's a design advisory group led by the instructor of the training course."

Khuong Ngan stood up.

"It's such a big deal and you didn't tell me?"

"I told you I was taking on the project."

"You said it was just a few odd jobs to earn a few thousand yuan. But this kind of thing... running at the scene, doing meetings, working with state agencies... can you do it?"

I looked straight at him.

"Whether you can do it or not, you have to try it to know."

Khuong Ngan's eyes stopped on my face.

"Trieu Ky said the total budget of this project is eight million yuan. Someone like you who has stayed at home to take care of children for five years, how can you have the confidence to accept such a job?"

I hung my coat on the rack. The voice remained calm.

"Lam Chinh Tac gave it to me."

"My instructor."

I raised my head to look at him.

"Former General Engineer of the Provincial Design Institute."

Khuong Ngan paused. Then burst out laughing. It was a leisurely laugh, as if I had just heard an uninteresting story.

"Okay. I'm happy. As long as it doesn't affect picking up Tieu Niem."

After speaking, he picked up the phone and returned to the bedroom. I'm still standing at the mysterious gate. Quietly looked at the door that had just closed. Not angry. Not disappointed either. Just feel more alert than ever. The project was officially launched. Every week I go to the scene on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Wednesday group meeting. Continue participating in the training course at the end of the week. The schedule is tight. Time is broken into countless fragments. But every piece of that time belongs to me. Tieu Niem's pick-up and drop-off was also re-arranged. On Tuesday and Thursday, ask neighbor Ms. Ly for help. On Wednesday, let your child stay in the kindergarten's enrichment class. Khuong Ngan did not know those things at all. The only thing he noticed was that I was getting busier and busier. More and more different from the woman before. One night. He suddenly asked:

"Do you know anyone outside?"

At that time I was washing dishes. The movement stopped for a moment.

"What do you mean?"

"It's exactly what you said. You've changed lately."

I put the bowl on the shelf.

"Where did you change?"

He leaned against the kitchen door frame.

"Before, I revolved around you and Tieu Niem every day. But now..."

He paused for a moment.

"I don't care about you like before."

I took a towel to dry my hands.

"Didn't you say you don't need anyone to take care of you?"

Khuong Ngan frowned.

"When did you say that?"

I looked at him. Indeed he doesn't remember. Even he himself didn't know how much alcohol he drank that night. Perhaps to him, it was just a tongue-in-cheek statement. Once said, forget it. But with me. That was the sound of a door closing completely.

"Nothing."

I dry my hands.

"I'll go see if Tieu Niem is sleeping yet."

When I walked by. He suddenly reached out and grabbed my wrist. I stopped.

"Are you dissatisfied with me?"

I looked down at the hand holding me.

"Do not have."

"Then why did you..."

"Khuong Ngan."

I interrupted him.

"I'm just doing my own thing. Is there a problem?"

His hand slowly dropped. Say nothing more. I walked into Tieu Niem's room. Close the door. Lean your back against the door. There are no ripples in my heart. That calmness makes me feel secure. Two more weeks passed. The detailed design plan for the Nam Hang area has basically been completed. Lam Chinh Tac organized an internal review session. In addition to group members, there were also several guest experts. Among them was one person from Beijing. Liu Duy Binh. One of the nation's leading experts on historic neighborhood preservation. After reviewing all my plans, he took off his glasses.

"Who implemented this plan?"

Lam Chinh Tac replied:

"My student. Tham Tri Y."

Luu Duy Binh's eyes turned to me.

"How old are you this year?"

"Thirty-two."

"Where are you working?"

"Currently I work freelance."

He bowed his head and looked at the drawing again. Then sigh.

"What a pity."

I raised my head.

"What a pity?"

"This kind of design sense, someone working at a design institute for five years may not be able to forge it."

He looked at me.

"You've wasted several years."

I didn't reply. Next to him, Lam Chinh Tac burst out laughing.

"That's why I tried to get her back."

Luu Duy Binh nodded.

"Very good plan. Continue to develop in this direction."

He tapped lightly on the drawing.

"When I get to the stage of implementing construction drawings, I will come back to see."

The evaluation session is over. I had just walked into the hallway when the phone rang. It was Khuong Ngan calling.

"The company has a mid-year party tonight, can I come?"

"It's half past six. Old place. Take Tieu Niem with you too."

I looked at the clock. Three hours and forty minutes. After hanging up. Co Yen just happened to pass by.

"Do you know how valuable Professor Liu's compliment is?"

"He very rarely gives credit to others."

He laughed.

"What happened today is completely enough to put on your resume."

I also laughed.

"I don't need that for now."

Co Yen looked at me.

"There will come a time when you need it."

Half past six in the evening. Khuong Ngan company's mid-year party was held in a private room of the luxury club. When I took Tieu Niem to the place. There were already more than a dozen people sitting inside. Khuong Ngan's longtime partner is Chu Duy. Chief Financial Officer Ton Nhuoc Van. Along with a number of other department heads. Khuong Ngan sits in the center. I took Tieu Niem to sit in a corner. The dishes were brought out one by one. While eating, someone turned to me and asked:

"Is your sister-in-law still at home taking care of the children?"

Khuong Ngan burst out laughing. Conveniently answer instead:

"She's very busy these days. Working on some design projects or something."

Superficial tone. As if it were just a small pleasure not worth mentioning. Immediately someone replied:

"Sister-in-law is really ambitious."

"Being a housewife while still pursuing your passion is not easy."

I just smiled. No explanation. Wine lasts three weeks. Chu Duy raised his glass and stood up.

"General Khuong, the results of the first half of this year are so beautiful. The company's revenue has exceeded thirty million yuan."

Applause immediately rang out throughout the banquet table. Khuong Ngan holds a glass of wine. The corners of his lips clearly showed satisfaction.

"It's all everyone's effort."

Chu Duy turned to look at me.

"Thanks to having my sister-in-law at home as a strong rear base, Khuong The new president can feel secure in developing his career."

I raised my glass of juice. Gently nodded.

"That's right."

After speaking, he bowed his head and peeled a shrimp for Tieu Niem. No one paid attention. Right at that moment. My phone screen suddenly lit up.