Chapter 5 — Thirty Million And One Man's Worth

"Okay. I'll keep your secret. But your husband is a good person, don't hide it for too long."

I nodded. On the fifth day of construction, something happened. It's not about the project. But something happened to Thai Quoc Cuong. The supplier actually sued him. The court summons was sent straight home, Chu Minh Le was completely panicked. She stopped calling Chu Minh Vien. And do something even more outrageous— Run straight to your mother-in-law's house, kneel in front of her and cry.

"Mom, please help me. If Quoc Cuong loses the case, our family is finished."

Mother-in-law doesn't have 300,000 yuan. But she has a resettlement house. One bedroom, more than 40 square meters, old, market price about 500,000 yuan. Chu Minh Le wants her mother to sell that house. Mother-in-law hesitated. But he only hesitated for one day. Because Chu Minh Le cried all day. Chu Minh Vien heard this news from his cousin. He hung up the phone, his face pale.

“My sister told my mother to sell the house.”

“What do you think?”

"That's mom's only house. It's sold, where is she?"

“What did your sister say?”

“Tell me to bring my mother over to stay with me later.”

I laughed. Thai Quoc Cuong's house is paid in installments of 13,000 yuan each month and is almost unbearable. How can she support her mother-in-law?

“Are you going to look for your mother?”

He held the car keys. Twenty minutes later, we arrived at my mother-in-law's house. When we arrived, Chu Minh Le was present. Her eyes were red, she sat next to her mother, holding her hand. Seeing us, she didn't even look at me, just looked at Chu Minh Vien.

"You came at the right time. I advise my mother to go."

"What do you advise your mother? Advise her to sell the house?"

“Quoc Cuong's lawsuit—”

“Sister.” Chu Minh Vien stood at the door, not entering. "When you married Thai Quoc Cuong, you said he was good, said he made money. When you opened the shop, you said you earned 500,000 per year. What's the result? Debt 1,200,000. Now you want to take your mother's house to fill that hole?"

"What if we don't fill it up? The court is about to force it!"

“That's his job.”

“He is my brother-in-law!”

"He is your husband. Your husband's debt should not be paid by mother."

Chu Minh Le jumped up.

"Chu Minh Vien, do you still have a conscience? When I was a child—"

“Sister, you have played this card your whole life.”

Chu Minh Le was stunned. Chu Minh Vien walked over and squatted in front of his mother.

“Mom, this house is not for sale.”

Mother-in-law said nothing.

"If you're sold, where are you? At their house? Thai Quoc Cuong's family is about to not be able to pay the loan. Mom moved over, three people are crowded together, do you think you can live in peace?"

Her lips trembled.

“Are you not worried about your sister's matter?”

"I'm already worried. Over the years I've given them 150,000 yuan, and I haven't paid them even a single penny. I'm so worried that now I have nothing left to give. Mom can't worry enough to sell her house."

Mother-in-law burst into tears.

“I raised two children… each of them gave me a headache…”

Chu Minh Le stood next to him, looking coldly.

"Okay. I don't agree. Then you can decide for yourself."

She looked at her mother. The mother-in-law hesitated for a long time between her two children. She pushed a red savings book towards Chu Minh Le.

"There's 90,000 left in here. Take it. The house... I won't sell."

Chu Minh Le's face changed again.

"90,000? What can 90,000 do?"

“90,000 yuan is all the money mom has saved over the years.”

Chu Minh Vien's voice was hoarse, as if there was something stuck in his throat that he couldn't swallow. Chu Minh Le did not accept the savings book, she picked up her bag and stood up.

“90,000 is not enough to pay the interest.”

Go to the door, she turned his head to look at me, his eyes cold as knives.

"Chu Hieu Hieu, are you satisfied? This house has been messed up by you, just wait."

The door was slammed hard, the sound echoed like an end to all things called "intimacy". The mother-in-law sat on the sofa, tears flowing down, her whole body seemed to be drained of strength. I walked over and gently pushed the savings book back in front of her.

“Mom, keep this money, don't give it to anyone.”

She looked at me, her eyes for the first time no longer objecting, nor imposing. Just a little tired, and a little sober after the storm. Thai Quoc Cuong's lawsuit is still going on, no miracle has happened to save it. Because he was unable to pay for the goods, the court ruled that he must pay within the time limit. But he had no money, and the end came faster than expected. His name was put on the list of unreliable people, a name that people often bluntly call "a lazy debtor". Three spa salons, two were forced to close, the remaining one tried to hold on like a boat with a broken bottom. From that day on, Chu Minh Le's circle of friends fell silent, and not a single boast appeared anymore. It's not that she doesn't want to post, it's that she has nothing left to show off. What was once displayed as light, now only remains a cold void. When this news reached me, I was standing in the new store, inspecting every finishing detail. To Dinh stood in front of the glass door, looking at the shiny operating table, his eyes as if he were seeing his own dream.

“Hieu Hieu, have you named the store yet?”

Her voice softened, but something trembled. I replied very simply, as if everything should belong to her.

“Can we call it ‘Small Space’?”

She turned to look at me, her eyes as if waiting for a nod to believe it was true. I nodded, without hesitation.

"Really? You didn't fix anything?"

She was surprised, as if she was not used to being decided.

"You make the cake, you're happy."

I bent down to apply the final protective layer on the tile floor, my voice calm as an affirmation. She laughed, but her eyes turned red.

“When will it open?”

“Next week.”

I stood up and brushed my hands lightly.

“So fast?”

She looked at me like I was a stranger.

"The equipment is there, the raw materials are finalized, the staff is recruited, what are you waiting for?"

I speak as if everything had been decided a long time ago. She looked at me for a long time, then asked a very serious question.

“Chu Hieu Hieu, where did you get your confidence from?”

I sat down and smoothed out the corner of the protector.

“From a man who once told me the three words ‘I raise you’.”