Chapter 6 — Thien Kim Half Wonton

To Van Tinh stood in place, tears on her face had not yet dried. I looked at her.

“To Van Tinh, are you still eating wontons today?”

She didn't answer. Suddenly two security guards rushed in outside. They are not the Tham family's guards. Behind them is a person in uniform.

“Who is Tham Tri Duong?”

I raised my hand.

“It's me.”

That person took out the papers.

"Someone accused you of intentionally causing injury. The case of Ms. To Van Tinh falling down the stairs three years ago needs to be interrogated again. Please follow us."

To Van Tinh seemed to have finally come back to life, crying and rushing into Chu Nghien Le's arms.

“You know the truth will not be reversed.”

Tham Hoai Xuyen immediately looked at me. Luc Dinh Nghien stood in front of me.

“Do you want to take her away now?”

The other person was expressionless.

“Please cooperate.”

I looked at To Van Tinh. She hid in Chu Nghien Le's arms, and the watch on her wrist was revealed. The crack is still there. Apparently she was scared to death. But she can still laugh. I closed the lid of the thermos and gave it to Mr. Luu. I don't know when Uncle Liu followed, his eyes were red.

“Ah Hoanh, we are not going with them!”

I said:

"Uncle Luu, don't waste the wontons. Bring them back to share with the children at the alley."

Tham Hoai Xuyen suddenly called me.

“Tri Duong.”

I stopped. His voice was tight.

“What haven't you told me yet?”

I turned my head to look at him.

“Yes.”

He took a step forward.

“What is it?”

I looked at the face that looked three parts like mine, and suddenly felt that three years was too short. So short that he still had time to feel the pain. It's so short that I haven't had time to forgive. I said:

“The person who should have fallen down the stairs that year was me.”

Tham Hoai Xuyen's face changed little by little. To Van Tinh shouted:

“You lie!”

I stared at her, saying every word clearly:

“To Van Tinh, do you dare tell them?”

“The night my father passed away, in his hospital room, what did you take away?”

The light in the interrogation room is whiter than the light in the sanatorium. I sat in the chair, my wrists were not handcuffed. That was considered very flattering. The opposite person turned over the old case file.

“Tham Tri Duong, three years ago when To Van Tinh fell down the stairs, were you really present at the scene?”

“Yes.”

“Did you two have an argument?”

“She stopped me from going to see my father's lawyer.”

“Why did she stop you?”

I looked at the scratches on the table.

“Because my father left something for me.”

“What?”

The door was pushed open. Tham Hoai Xuyen walked in, his face even worse than at the wedding. Behind him is Luc Dinh Nghien and an old man with white hair. I recognized him. That was my father's longtime lawyer, Uncle Luong. While I was at the sanatorium, I shouted countless times that I wanted to see him. But no one helped me spread the word. Uncle Luong saw me, took off his glasses and wiped them for a long time.

“Miss, Mr. Luong is late.”

I said nothing. Tham Hoai Xuyen stood next to the table.

“Uncle Luong said that before he passed away, he left behind a written warning.”

I asked:

“Do you believe it?”

His throat felt like it was stuffed with sand.

“I want to hear you say it yourself.”

I burst out laughing.

“Three years ago I said it many times.”

“You say I'm crazy.”

Tham Hoai Xuyen raised his hand to hold the edge of the table. Luc Dinh Nghien looked at the person in charge of interrogation.

"Trieu Man's recording has been handed over. There are also people who have agreed to testify that the sanatorium used illegal drugs. Tham Tri Duong should not continue to be held here."

Someone walked in and put down a new set of documents.

"To Van Tinh's injury records have been re-checked. That year, she broke the ring finger of her right hand, which did not affect her mobility. She said she was in a coma for three days, but the hospital records said she was only kept for six hours of observation."

Tham Hoai Xuyen suddenly raised his head.

“Six hours?”

The other person nodded.

"In addition, the blood stains found on the stair handrail are not only those of To Van Tinh. The previous report was swapped."

The interrogation room was quiet. Tham Hoai Xuyen looked at me.

“Your blood?”

I raised my hand and pulled my sleeve up a bit. The inside of the arm has an old scar.

"She pushed me, I grabbed the handrail. She didn't expect me to fall down, and she slipped and fell down."

Tham Hoai Xuyen took half a step back. Luc Dinh Nghien closed his eyes. I pulled down my sleeve.

“Then you guys came. She was crying and said I pushed her.”

“I said no.”

“You slapped me.”

Tham Hoai Xuyen's face looked like he had been submerged in water. Uncle Luong put a bag of documents on the table.

"General Manager Tham, before he passed away, the old man told me to give this to the young lady. Inside was the key to the safe in the basement of the old house and a letter written by him. Three years ago, when I went to the Tham family, Miss To's people said that the young lady had gotten sick and was taken away."

Tham Hoai Xuyen asked hoarsely:

“Why didn't you find me?”

Uncle Luong looked at him.

“I searched.”

“Your assistant said you don't want to hear any more words defending Tham Tri Duong.”

That sentence fell, Tham Hoai Xuyen was completely silent. I stood up. The person in charge of the interrogation did not stop me. When walking to the door, Tham Hoai Xuyen suddenly said:

“Tri Duong, come home with me.”

I turned around.

“Is the Tham family still called a house?”

His lips moved. I didn't wait for him to answer. Outside the door, Uncle Luu sat on the bench holding a cooler. Seeing me coming out, he immediately stood up.

“Ah Hoanh, are you okay?”

I said:

“It's okay.”

He breathed a sigh of relief, then gave the cooler to Luc Dinh Nghien.

"You, take it. Don't just stand there pretending to be a piece of wood. If you can do something useful, do it."

Luc Dinh Nghien accepted it without objecting. I looked at the old barrel in his lap and suddenly felt a little funny. The people in Giang Thanh tormented me for three years. In the end, the person holding my wonton box is still him. To Van Tinh's wedding cannot continue. The Chu family let their guests leave that day. Chu Nghien Le openly questioned her. She cried so much that she couldn't stand, just saying she was scared. Afraid I'll take away everything she has. This reason is very effective. At least it worked for Chu Nghien Le. He did not immediately annul the marriage. He just took her back to the To family, saying he needed to calm down. When I returned to my old house, the red silk strips outside the door had not yet been removed. As soon as the wind blew, the red color became dazzling. Tham Hoai Xuyen stood on the steps waiting for me.

“I had someone open it basement.”

I said:

“That's what my father left me.”

He lowered his voice:

“I won't touch it.”

I took a look at him.