Chapter 2 — Thirty Years Later, We Brought Mom Home

The hospital is located in the center of Hai Thanh. Outside the VIP hospital room, there are two nurses standing guard. Tham Ngoc Nhu sat on a bench in the hallway, wearing a cream-colored outfit, her hair neatly tied into a bun. As soon as she saw us, her eye sockets immediately turned red.

"Tri Chanh... you guys finally agreed to go home."

She reached out to grab me. I took a step back. Her arm stopped in mid-air. The relatives next to him all turned their heads to look over. Tham Ngoc Nhu forced a smile.

"Are you still mad at me? It's been thirty years... I'm already old."

I looked straight at her.

"Where is Hua Hoanh Vien?"

The tears in her eyes immediately disappeared.

"Your father cannot be excited. The doctor told you not to come in for now."

Tri Chau took out his business card.

"I'm a cardiothoracic surgeon. I want to see the medical records."

Tham Ngoc Nhu's face immediately darkened.

"This is Hai Thanh, not a foreign country."

Tri Dao opened the briefcase and took out a request to access medical records.

"We are immediate relatives and have the right to know his medical condition. You stop me once, I will complain once."

The entire hallway suddenly fell silent. Tham Gia Thu stepped forward.

"Did you cause trouble when you just came back? Dad has become like this, do you still want to force him?"

I don't look at him. My eyes only stopped on Tham Ngoc Nhu's face.

"That year, when she took away a fortune of 10,000,000 yuan, she also told my father not to be agitated."

The corners of her lips pursed tightly. I pushed open the hospital room door and entered. The person lying on the bed is Hua Hoanh Vien. He lost a lot of weight. A breathing tube was placed in his nose, a heart rate monitor beeped steadily, half of his face was distorted due to the aftereffects of a brain infarction. Hearing the noise, his eyes moved slightly. When he saw me, his throat made a few vague, interrupted sounds. I walked over to the bed. Thirty years. It's been thirty years since we've seen each other again. I thought that on this day I would hate, cry, or at least ask a question... But no. Nothing. I just bowed my head and looked at the old man in front of me.

"I'm home."

Suddenly, his right hand shook violently. His fingers tried to grab the bed sheet, struggling to find under the pillow as if looking for something. Tham Ngoc Nhu immediately rushed forward and grabbed his arm tightly.

"Honh Vien, don't move!"

Hua Hoanh Vien opened his eyes wide, and with all his strength let out two broken sounds.

"...S... book..."

"...Book...book..."

I stared at him.

"What books?"

At that moment... Tham Ngoc Nhu's face immediately turned pale, white with no blood left. In the hospital room, there was only the steady sound of the heart rate monitor. Tham Ngoc Nhu quickly stuffed Hua Hoanh Vien's hand back into the blanket. Very decisive movement.

"He just woke up, his mind is still not clear."

I stared at those hands. Thirty years ago... These same hands took my mother's jewelry box from her room. She once said:

"This precious thing is not safe for children to keep."

From that day on... I never saw it again. Tri Chau walked to the hospital bed and checked his father's pupils and reflexes in his arms and legs.

"He just mentioned the books."

Tham Ngoc Nhu immediately raised his voice.

"The doctor also said it, language function His is hurt! You heard some sounds and made your own inferences, don't you think it's funny?"

Tri Dao took out his phone and opened the recording interface.

"From the moment we entered the hospital room, I recorded everything. Ms. Tham continues to speak."

Tham Ngoc Nhu's eyes immediately changed when she saw the phone. Tham Gia Thu rushed forward.

"What did you base your recording on?"

Tri Dao raised her head to look at him.

"There is a dispute in the hospital room. As immediate relatives, we record to protect ourselves. If you don't like it, just call the police."

Tham Gia Thu raised his hand to steal the phone. Tri Chau stepped up to block the front. He is half a head taller than Tham Gia Thu. The blouse was still on her body, her eyes were cold and scary.

"Let's try it."

Tham Gia Thu's hand stopped in midair. Outside the room door, several relatives had already gathered. Thirty years ago, when my father signed the papers to donate all his assets, all of them were present. At that time, someone advised me:

"Tri Chanh, you're the eldest sister, don't embarrass your father."

They appeared again. Their uncle was the first to speak.

"Tri Chanh, it's good to be back. The old story is over. Your father is so seriously ill, don't bring up the past anymore."

I turned to look at him.

"That year, you yourself said that girls will eventually get married and should not divide the Hua family's assets."

His expression immediately stiffened.

"Uncle... you didn't..."

I interrupted.

"My uncle also said that Aunt Tham is still young and it's not easy to marry into this family. He told me to be reasonable."

His lips moved. I calmly said:

"I remember it very clearly."

The hallway fell silent again. Tham Ngoc Nhu's eye sockets turned red again.

"Tri Chanh, I know you hate me. But for many years, it was my aunt who took care of my three children. While you live comfortably abroad, we stay at home and take care of the elderly. Is that little bit of gratitude not worth it?"

I nodded. A glint of joy immediately flashed in her eyes. I continued:

"Hospital fees, nursing fees, rehabilitation fees... I will pay. I appreciate your efforts in taking care of him."

A smile had not yet bloomed on Tham Ngoc Nhu's lips. I placed the printed copy of the confirmation on the nightstand.

"But about property..."

"We count separately."

Her face immediately darkened.

"Do you have to do it to this extent?"

I looked straight at her. Tham Gia Thu smiled coldly.

"What status do you have? Thirty years ago, all of those things belonged to my mother. The gift certificate is clear, black and white, and notarized. What can you do when you go back?"

Tri Dao opened the file.

"We haven't said what we want to get yet."

"And yet you're already frantic?"

Tham Gia Thu choked. Tri Dao pulled out another stack of papers and pushed it in front of him.

"This is the statement you sent to my sister this morning."

"Request that we three sisters give up all claims to the ancestral house, the old factory land, the store row and all accounts."

She raised her eyes and looked straight at him.

"If it was all yours..."

"So why do we still need to sign a waiver?"

Tham Gia Thu's face turned red.

"It's... just a formality."

"What procedure?"

"House selling procedures."

"Sell to whom?"