Chapter 4 — The Second Life of the Italian Examiner

The message came from Lam Chinh Tac.

"The plan has been approved. Next week the investor will sign the contract. Your design fee will be paid according to the agreement."

I glanced at it and then turned the phone face down. The screen is completely facing the table. On the way back. Khuong Ngan drove. Tieu Niem was fast asleep in the back seat. He suddenly spoke up:

"Why are you so quiet today?"

"What are you tired of?"

I turned my head to look at the light outside the car window.

"Today I worked on design all day."

Khuong Ngan smiled faintly.

"Is drawing so tiring? You don't know how many meetings I have to have every day."

I didn't reply. A moment later, he asked again:

"How much money did that project of yours make?"

"It is still undetermined at this time."

"What's the estimate?"

I said the number.

"The design fee alone is about one hundred and twenty thousand yuan."

The car was immediately quiet. Three seconds later. Khuong Ngan turned to look at me.

"How much did you say?"

"One hundred and twenty thousand yuan."

He didn't ask further. Come home. He carried Tieu Niem into the bedroom. When he came out, he sat down on the sofa without turning on the TV as usual.

"That design project of yours... what was it?"

I'm pouring water in the kitchen.

"It is a project to renovate the cultural street in the old town. The investor is the City Culture and Tourism Group."

He was silent for a few seconds.

"City Culture and Tourism Group? That is a unit with a government background."

"Can you handle it alone?"

"It's not just me. It's a group of design consultants. The group leader is Lam Chinh Tac, former General Engineer of the Provincial Design Institute."

Khuong Ngan fell silent again. After a long time, I asked again:

"That general engineer named Lam... why did he come looking for me?"

"Familiar in the training course."

"Just because you were studying in the same course, did he lead you into a government project?"

I took a glass of water and went to the living room.

"Because he looked at my plan and found me capable enough."

Khuong Ngan leaned back on the sofa. Eyes looked straight up at the ceiling.

"I still find this a bit unbelievable."

I took a sip of water.

"Where is unbelievable?"

"I stayed at home for five years. Suddenly I said I got a big project and earned one hundred and twenty thousand yuan."

He turned to look at me.

"What do you think I should think?"

I put the glass of water on the table.

"It's your right to think whatever you want."

His eyes stopped.

"I've changed."

I smiled softly.

"This is the second time you've said that."

"Because it's true."

I stood up.

"Khuong Ngan, you have really changed."

Arriving in front of the bedroom door, I stopped walking. Then turned to look at him.

"But it's not the personality that's changed."

"But I finally remember who I am."

I closed the room door. I lie on the bed. No insomnia. Don't feel sorry for yourself. It doesn't hurt either. I just think clearly about one thing. I am Tham Tri Y. Graduated from the Faculty of Architecture of the Provincial Academy of Fine Arts. Graduating year, he won the Silver Prize in the national Student Design Competition. In his first year on the job, he presided over three commercial space projects. In the second year, he was included in the list of reserve talents of the Provincial Design Institute. By third year. Khuong Ngan proposed to me. Then he said:

"You don't need to work so hard anymore. I'll take care of you."

I believed. Believed for five years. But now. I don't believe it anymore. Project Entering the construction drawing implementation phase. The workload has doubled. Every morning after taking Tieu Niem to school. I went straight to the project office. Work with construction units. Adjust drawings. Coordinate materials. Before four o'clock in the afternoon, you have to return to pick up your child. The schedule is calculated closely to every minute. But I never complained to anyone. Khuong Ngan also gradually got used to my busyness. No more asking me what time I get home. Also stop saying things like "unnecessary". It's just that his attitude has changed. From doubt. Transform into something even more sophisticated. Coldness. It was like he had unconsciously placed me in another area of my life. I'm busy with my work. I'm busy with my work. This house gradually became just a place where two people shared the same address. I'm not sad. Even felt relieved. That feeling of relief made me more alert than ever. It turns out that the thing that makes a marriage the most tiring is never food or housework. It's about deceiving yourself over and over again:

"He still cares about me."

When you're no longer fooling yourself. People will be liberated. An incident occurred at the construction site. The location of a load-bearing wall does not match the original drawing. The construction team called to report that if construction continued according to the original plan, the pipeline system would be entangled. I immediately put everything aside. Run straight to the scene. Climb the scaffolding. Actual measurement. Talked with the structural engineer for more than forty minutes over the phone. Then directly propose an adjustment plan on the spot.