Chapter 7 — Three hours before the wedding, I locked the house as a dowry

There should have been a long table there. Along the wall are file boxes. Under the window will be placed a chair. I used to think that I would sit there every time I worked overtime. Quietly view archived records of the old neighborhood's changes. But now... The white wire trough stretched across the wall like a scar. Reminds me that someone arranged this life for me a long time ago. La Nhue spoke softly:

“If I had known sooner…”

“I won't come here to measure the room.”

I looked at her.

“I'm just a piece of evidence that they use to prove that this room is needed by someone.”

La Nhue was stunned. Up until now, she has always thought of herself as Phan Khai Nam's fiancee. The future female owner comes to choose a new home. Until this moment. She just understood. I myself am just an excuse on the Phan family's chess board. She exported the entire chat history again and sent it to me.

“If you need me to testify later…”

“I will tell the truth.”

I turned the interior estimate to the back. The paper surface is completely white. But there are still clearly visible deep folds on it. Those folds are like a map of life that has been previously arranged by someone else. Where is the bed located? Where is the table located? Who will move in? Who will have to take a step back. Only then did I realize. What is violated is not just the ownership of the house. But also my fantasies and expectations about this small apartment. The moment the office was converted into a bedroom. It was also the time when someone else held a pencil and circled my future once again. Tieu Lan Chu arranged to meet me on the second floor of the old commercial area. Half of the lights on her clothing store's sign were broken. There are only four words "Lan Chu Fashion" left in the morning and at night.

“I can only talk to you for half an hour.”

Tieu Lan Chu pulled the rolling door halfway down.

“Speak any longer and my aunt will know.”

The person she calls aunt... is Ton Thu Binh. Tieu Lan Chu took out an old phone. After some searching, she opened a photo taken six years ago. In the photo is a dining table. On the table were envelopes of cash and furniture purchase orders. Ton Thu Binh is pushing a piece of paper towards young Tieu Lan Chu.

“I got married for the first time, the dowry was 200,000 yuan.”

“My aunt advised me not to take notes too clearly.”

“She said that if a woman has just entered her husband's house and already done the accounting, she will be looked down upon.”

Tieu Lan Chu laughed at himself.

“Then my ex-husband took that money to pay off his brother's debt.”

“In the end everyone said that I volunteered to help the family.”

Having finished speaking, she opened another photo. The photo was taken in July this year. On the dining table of the Phan family. Ton Thu Binh took a pen and circled the location of the extra bedroom of apartment 402, Nam Que Ly area. Phan Khai Nam sat next to him and smiled brightly. Phan Nghien Chu lowered his head to look at the phone. After that, Tieu Lan Chu opened another recording. Ton Thu Binh's voice rang out clearly:

“Something like a house…”

“You have to move in first to have an argument.”

“Little Van Hoa is very soft-hearted.”

“His mother is easier to talk to.”

“Waiting for the wedding to be over…”

“At that time, who would have the face to chase their brother-in-law out?”

The store is so quiet that only the music from the nail salon can be heard next to Vong Sang. I back up all my photos and audio recordings. Tieu Lan Chu looked at me and said:

“The wedding that I didn't have the courage to stop that year…”

“You stopped.”

“Don't turn around.”

As soon as I walked out of the shopping mall, my phone rang. It's Tham Le.

“I have found Chuc Dong Nghieu's office address.”

“But don't come too soon.”

"This afternoon he transferred part of the documents for the apartment project 402, Nam Que Ly area."

I stopped.

“Who is the recipient?”

Tham Le replied:

“Phan Nghien Chu.”

I tightened my grip on the phone. Previously, Phan Nghien Chu told me that the original documents were still in Chuc Dong Nghieu's office. But now... The documents have been taken away by him. After finishing telling the old story, Tieu Lan Chu poured himself a glass of cold water. On her finger there is a very faint scar. It's a wound left behind many years ago when cutting clothing tags in a store. She looked at that scar. It's like I'm looking back at the words I didn't dare say that year.

“Back then, someone advised me to keep the evidence.”

“I feel so embarrassed again.”

“Losing dowry means losing face.”

“Divorce is loss of face.”

“Letting relatives know will cause even more loss of face.”

“I understood later.”

“The one who lost face is not me.”

“But those who took what belonged to me.”

After backing up all the photos and recordings on my old phone, I also left Tieu Lan Chu a backup copy.

“You also have to keep a copy.”

Tieu Lan Chu smiled slightly.

“No one has ever told me this before.”

Outside the rolling door. The lights in the old commercial area turned on one after another. When those lights were not turned on, the whole building looked like a ship stranded in the darkness. Tieu Lan Chu stood in that half-light space. For the first time, she turned on her old phone. And for the first time... Didn't put it back in the deepest drawer. When seeing me out, Tieu Lan Chu pulled the rolling door down a little lower.