Chapter 9 — Thien Kim Half Wonton

The ladle in my hand hit the edge of the bowl. She laughed.

"Shen Hoai Xuyen didn't tell you, right? The last person to see your father before he passed away was not me."

Tham Hoai Xuyen stood up from the corner of the room.

“To Van Tinh, shut up.”

She looked at him.

“Are you afraid of her?”

I slowly turned my head to look at Tham Hoai Xuyen.
\deer?"

Tham Hoai Xuyen's face no longer had any color left. Luc Dinh Nghien walked out of the back kitchen. To Van Tinh said every word clearly:

“It's your brother.”

“That day, he went into the hospital room.”

No one spoke in the shop. The broth in the pot is still boiling, white steam is constantly rising. Uncle Luu looked at me then looked at Tham Hoai Xuyen, tightening his grip on the mop.

"That person named Tham, is what she said true?"

Tham Hoai Xuyen stared at To Van Tinh.

“I went into the hospital room, but I didn't hurt dad.”

To Van Tinh burst out laughing.

"Of course you didn't harm him yourself. You just argued with him, made him sick, and then were busy comforting me so you didn't call the doctor."

Tham Hoai Xuyen rushed forward and grabbed her arm.

“You talk nonsense!”

To Van Tinh winced in pain but smiled even happier.

"Am I talking nonsense? The hallway camera captured you that day. Do you think the To family only keeps things used to deal with Tham Tri Duong?"

I looked at Tham Hoai Xuyen.

“Is she telling the truth?”

Tham Hoai Xuyen let go of To Van Tinh and turned towards me.

“Tri Duong, I didn't know what would happen to my father that day.”

I asked:

“What did you argue with your father about?”

He couldn't answer. I answered instead.

“Because of me?”

He closed his eyes. The answer was clearly visible on his face. To Van Tinh says:

"The old man wanted to give half of the Tham family's assets to Tham Tri Duong, but I was not convinced. He said she was arbitrary, cruel, and unworthy."

Tham Hoai Xuyen roared:

“That's enough!”

I took a step back. Luc Dinh Nghien reached out to help me, but I avoided him. That action was like cutting a knife into Tham Hoai Xuyen's body.

“Zhi Duong, I was just angry that day. I didn't know father's condition was so serious.”

I asked:

“Before he died, did dad tell you to call me home?”

His lips were white.

“Father said he wanted to see you.”

“Have you called yet?”

He didn't say. I asked again:

“Did you call me?”

Uncle Luu threw the mop hard on the ground.

“Say it!”

Tham Hoai Xuyen's voice was so low that it was almost inaudible.

“No.”

I nodded. It turns out that's the case. Before he died, my father wanted to see me. And I was in a sanatorium, tortured by drugs to the point where I had difficulty even sitting up. I used to think that it was fate that I would not meet him. Turns out it wasn't fate. Which is my biological brother. To Van Tinh looked at this scene with satisfaction. She thought she had won the game. The next second, Uncle Luong's voice was heard outside the door.

"Miss To, did you forget that there is not only a camera in the hallway in the old man's hospital room?"

To Van Tinh's smile stiffened. Uncle Luong walked in, followed by two people behind him. One person holds a sealed bag in his hand.

"In the old man's room there was an old tape recorder that he himself placed. At that time, he suspected that the person next to him was not clean, so he turned it on every day."

Tham Hoai Xuyen suddenly look at Uncle Luong.

“Why are you speaking now?”

Uncle Luong looked at him, his voice heavy.

“Because the recorder was taken by someone else.”

He looked at To Van Tinh.

"This morning, the To family's old house was searched. Things were found."

To Van Tinh turned around to leave. Luc Dinh Nghien stood at the door. The recording is played. First was the father's weak cough. Next is the much younger voice of Tham Hoai Xuyen.

“Father, you can't give those things to Tri Duong. It will destroy the Tham family.”

Father said:

“His character is bad, but his heart is not bad.”

Tham Hoai Xuyen said:

"Van Tinh understands things better than him."

Father was silent for a long time.

“Hoai Xuyen, you look at people too superficially.”

In the recording, the sound of a chair rubbing against the ground can be heard. Tham Hoai Xuyen's voice suppressed his anger.

“Even now, father still favors him.”

Cha coughed more intensely. Tham Hoai Xuyen panicked.

“Father?”

The sound of footsteps rang out and then stopped. Next is To Van Tinh's voice.

“Mr. Hoai Xuyen, everyone at the party is looking for you.”

Tham Hoai Xuyen said:

“My father is not well.”

To Van Tinh said:

"The doctor just examined me, it's okay. If you don't come out again, the Chu family won't be happy."

The sound of footsteps fades away. In the recording, the father spoke with difficulty:

“Tri Duong.”

“Call Tri Duong back.”

No one responded. A moment later, the door opened again. To Van Tinh's voice is very light.

“Uncle, you can rest assured. Tham Tri Duong will not return.”

The recording ends. In the restaurant, there was only the sound of boiling broth. Tham Hoai Xuyen knelt down. Not kneeling in front of me. But kneel towards that recording. He finally knew that what he was missing was not just a truth. It was also my father's last cry for help. To Van Tinh leaned against the door frame, her face as white as paper.

"It wasn't me who killed him. He was already seriously ill."

I walked in front of her.

“You're right.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. I raised my hand and slapped her hard in the face.

“This slap is for my father.”

Another slap.

“This slap is for me three years ago, who screamed hoarsely in the sanatorium.”

To Van Tinh covered her face and looked at me resentfully. I said:

“Don't rush.”

“What you owe is more than just two slaps.”

The day To Van Tinh was taken away, it was raining heavily. She doesn't cry anymore. Because crying is useless. Before being put in the car, she suddenly turned her head to look at me.

“Tham Tri Duong, have you really never been jealous of me?”

I stood on the steps holding an umbrella.

“Jealous about what?”

She smiled very unsightly.

“Jealous because everyone loves me.”

I looked at the car behind her. Chu Nghien Le did not come. Tham Hoai Xuyen also did not come. Of the people who used to surround her, no one was present. I said:

“Look carefully.”

“What they loved from beginning to end was never you.”

“They only love the honest, innocent shadow that always needs their protection in their own eyes.”

"That shadow is broken, you are no longer valuable."

The last bit of pride on To Van Tinh's face disappeared. The car door closed. Rainwater hit the ground, splashing up dots of mud. Luc Dinh Nghien stood next to me.

“Let's go back.”

I asked:

“Don't you ask what I plan to do later?”

He said:

“Do whatever you want.”

I smiled softly.