Chapter 1 — Thirty Million And One Man's Worth

I hid it from my husband and won 38,400,000 yuan (about 134 billion VND). The lottery ticket was conveniently bought on the way to work, the numbers were my mother's birthday plus my father's death anniversary. When standing in front of the lottery center, I stared at the numbers on the phone screen for three minutes. 38,400,000 yuan. After tax, there is 30,720,000 yuan (about 107 billion VND). I didn't scream, nor did I tremble. Just standing on the side of the road, thinking about something— If I go home and tell Chu Minh Vien now, tomorrow his sister, Chu Minh Le, will know. If Chu Minh Le knew, her husband Thai Quoc Cuong would know. And Thai Quoc Cuong already knows... the mess he caused—three spa shops are losing money, still owe 2,000,000 yuan (about 7 billion VND)—will definitely come to my door. So I turned the other way and went straight to the bank. Open a new tab. Divide the money into small parts and send each installment. After I finished, I just went home. When he opened the door and walked in, Chu Minh Vien was standing in the kitchen cooking. He wore an apron that was faded from washing too many times, turned his head and smiled at me.

"Are you home already? Why so early today?"

I put my bag on the sofa and sat down.

“Minh Vien.”

“I'm fired.”

The shovel in his hand stopped. He turned off the stove, walked over, squatted in front of me.

“Since when?”

"Today, the manager called me up to talk and said the department needed to streamline."

I didn't dare look into his eyes. Not because of guilt, but because of fear of disappointment. He was silent for a few seconds. Then he reached out and held my hand.

"No problem."

His voice was a bit hoarse.

“I raised you.”

He said as his eyes turned red. I have been married to Chu Minh Vien for four years. He works as a coordinator at a logistics company, with a monthly salary of 8,500 yuan. Before that, I worked as an operator at an e-commerce company, with a salary of 12,000 yuan. Combined, the two of them have a mortgage payment of 4,500 yuan, living expenses of 3,000 yuan, and the occasional wedding, still saving seven or eight thousand a month. Not abundant. But I've never seen anything like disgust on his face. That night he cooked another dish, opened a can of beer, and drank it with me.

“Consider it a vacation for a while.”

I took a sip and said nothing. The next morning, when I was still awake, he was gone. There was a WeChat message on the phone.

"I'm going to return the jewelry my sister ordered. I paid a deposit of 12,000 yuan and got back 8,000. You take it first, if it's missing, I'll figure it out."

I looked at that message for a long time. That set of jewelry was a souvenir that his sister, Chu Minh Le, ordered for herself, forcing Chu Minh Vien to deposit 12,000 yuan, saying it was "her younger brother's heart". At that time, Chu Minh Vien did not say anything and quietly withdrew 12,000 from his savings. I had an argument, he just said "just this once". Now I'm going to pay. Just because I'm "unemployed". I placed the phone face down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Thirty million is on my card. And my husband is out there, willing to turn on his biological sister for 12,000 yuan. The next afternoon, the phone blew up. Chu Minh Le's voice through the receiver was so sharp it seemed like it wanted to break glass.

"Chu Minh Vien, what do you mean? That's my anniversary gift! Do you dare to pay my deposit?"

Chu Minh Vien leaned against the balcony railing, his voice very calm.

"Sister, Hieu Hieu is unemployed. We need to tighten up a bit."

"What does her unemployment have to do with you? How much does she earn as an operator? You are my younger brother, 12,000 yuan still don't want to give up?

"It's not that I can't bear it, it's that I don't have it right now."

"Do not have? I have 8,500 yuan a month, where have I spent it all?”

“Rent, living expenses, electricity and water management fees—”

“Okay, okay, don't make calculations with me.” Chu Minh Le's voice became harsh, "I tell you Chu Minh Vien, this matter is not over yet. Family gathering on Saturday, you two must come.”

Chu Minh Vien stood on the balcony without moving. I was in the living room and heard every word clearly. Go over and give him a glass of water.

“Can't go on Saturday?”

He took it, shaking his head.

“Mom was there too. If I don't go, she'll call again."

I don't say anything more. Just open the new phone, glance at the card balance. 30,720,000. On Saturday, I had to bring some "gifts". Saturday afternoon, five o'clock, Chu Minh Le's house. Thai Quoc Cuong bought a 140 square meter apartment last year with a monthly installment payment of 13,000 yuan. When we walked in, Chu Minh Le was already sitting on the sofa. Got a new hairstyle, French nails, and a thin gold bracelet on my wrist. Seeing me, she glanced up and down.

“Oh, Hieu Hieu is here. You look good, don't look like someone who just got fired."

Chu Minh Vien's face sank.

“What? Am I wrong? Isn't it true that my wife was fired by the optimization company?"

Mother-in-law, Vuong Tu Phan, brought out a plate of peanuts from the kitchen and patted Chu Minh Le.

“Let's eat, talk less.”

Then turned to me and sighed.

“Hieu Hieu, don't blame your sister for speaking frankly. Look at my brother-in-law, he opened a spa shop and earned five or six hundred thousand last year. As for me, I worked in operations for three years, and when I say cut, I cut."

“Mom, I'm not saying you're not good.” Vuong Tu Phan waved his hand, “Mom just said you have to try harder. Don't stay at home forever, find a job quickly. Minh Vien alone is very tired.

Thai Quoc Cuong came out of the office, wearing a polo shirt and holding a cup of tea.

“Mom is right, Hieu Hieu. The economy is difficult right now, but opportunities are still there. If you really can't find it, you can come to my place to work, the front desk is short of people."

I looked at him. He told me to work as a receptionist. Chu Minh Vien put down his chopsticks.

“Brother-in-law, there's no need. Hieu Hieu will find a suitable job.”

“That's all I said.” Thai Quoc Cuong smiled, "Come on, let's eat."

That meal, I ate for forty minutes. Chu Minh Le mentioned "deposit of 12,000 yuan" three times. Thai Quoc Cuong talked about the "spa expansion plan" twice. The mother-in-law sighed five times. Chu Minh Vien said almost nothing, just quietly held my hand under the table once. On the way home, he drove and I sat in the passenger seat.

“Don't take it to heart.”

I turned to look at him.

“Aren't you tired?”

“I'm used to it.”

I looked at the lampposts along the road, one by one receding backwards. Thirty million. I have thirty million. But at the dinner table today, I couldn't say a single word with courage. It's not that I don't dare. It's that I want to see...how far these people can go. The next day, Chu Minh Le updated her friend circle. A screenshot—a necklace from a certain jewelry brand, priced at 38,000 yuan.

“The anniversary gift my husband gave me was three times more expensive than a certain set that was returned. Some people have younger brothers who are not trustworthy, luckily my husband is trustworthy."

Below is a pile of likes. Chu Minh's colleague Vien Luu Loi took a screenshot and sent it to you. He took a look and locked the screen.

“Don't watch anymore.”

I gave him the phone.

“Your sister posted it.”

I don't accept it.

“I told you, don't watch.”

"Just because you don't watch it, doesn't mean other people don't watch it."

He held the steering wheel and was taking me to the "interview" - actually I made it up myself, I still had to go to the bank to do some procedures.

"She's still the same. Ever since she was little."

“So you just keep giving in?”

“She is my sister.”

“As your sister, you have the right to mock your wife online?”

He was silent. At the intersection, he stopped the car.

"Hieu Hieu, I know she's too much. But mother's health is not good, I don't want them to quarrel. Wait until you go back to work, everything will be fine."

I opened the car door.

“Minh Vien.”

“If one day you find out that I am a hundred times richer than your sister, what do you think she will talk to me about?”

He paused for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"What are you thinking? Hurry up and go to the interview, fighting."

The car drives away. I stood in front of the bank, watching his old Honda worth eighty thousand gradually disappear in the traffic. Push the door and step in.

“Hello, I want advice on investing large amounts of money.”

“May I ask what is the size of your capital?”

“Thirty million.”

The counter staff's expression... very interesting.