Chapter 13 — Three Hundred Twenty Eight Yuan Card

Tien Le Binh has never been the type of person to sit still and be beaten. While Duong Kien Hoa quietly transferred assets... She also opened another front in the open. From Wednesday onwards, people in the apartment complex started looking at my mother with strange eyes. Looks like "I heard something but I'm afraid to ask". On Friday, my mother came home and said that her colleague at the supermarket asked her:

“Tu Van, are you targeting your brother's assets?”

It was Tien Le Binh who spread the news. She went everywhere saying: Hua Niem An just passed Thanh Hoa and turned ungrateful. Duong Tu Van relied on a "fake contract" of unknown origin to demand a division of Duong Kien Hoa's company. The mother and daughter also teamed up with outsiders to bully their blood relatives. Aunt Phuong is my mother's colleague at the supermarket, and also my upstairs neighbor. While changing shifts, my aunt secretly pulled my mother aside.

“You probably know the words out there, right?”

“Tien Le Binh told quite a few people.”

"It's because you're very greedy, or you want to divide the company, or you want to ask for a few million yuan."

“And saying that after your daughter received a scholarship, you look down on her relatives.”

Mother did not reply. Just bowed his head and adjusted the pile of change on the cashier counter.

“Aren't you going to explain?”

“Miss Phuong.”

"There are some things... the more I explain, the less clear they become."

“So you just let her say that?”

“She just says her part.”

“Waiting for the right moment…”

"The real and fake will naturally be clearly distinguished."

Aunt Phuong sighed.

“Your personality is really…”

But the real battlefield... Is not located in an apartment complex or a supermarket. It's Saturday morning. In the mahjong room in front of the gate of the house. Tien Le Binh was sitting there playing cards. The entire table was filled with middle-aged women from the area. I passed by, just in time to hear her voice coming from the open window.

“…My family has helped their mother and children with many things over the years.”

“If the water heater is broken, you will have to pay money.”

“My family also gave me money for Chi Vien's funeral.”

"Every year there is no lucky money during Tet."

"Isn't Kien Hoa responsible for every task?"

"As soon as I passed the Thanh Hoa exam, I started to show off."

"He took a piece of paper from somewhere and dared to say that Kien Hoa owed him 500,000 yuan!"

“500,000 yuan?”

“Isn't it funny?”

"No one knows how much Chi Vien's monthly salary is."

“He can save 500,000 yuan in his whole life?”

The women next to me had an assistant. Some people just listen silently. I pushed open the door to the mahjong room and entered. The four people raised their heads at the same time. Tien Le Binh is holding a card in his hand. As soon as he saw me, the card almost slipped from his fingers.

“Why did you come here?”

“Just passing by.”

"I heard my aunt telling stories about my family, so I went in to listen."

I put my backpack on the chair next to me.

“Eldest aunt just said that my father won't be able to save 500,000 yuan in his entire life.”

“My father's compensation insurance plus his savings while working…”

“The total is 534,000 yuan.”

“Industry and Trade Bank's transfer records still exist.”

“Date, amount, receiving account... can all be checked.”

“Whose name is in the account receiving the money?”

I looked straight at Tien Le Binh.

“It's Duong Kien Hoa.”

The entire mahjong room immediately fell silent. Tien Le Binh clenched the cards in his hand until his knuckles turned white.

“What does a child like you know!”

“The thing between my dad and my older brother Is it your turn to speak up?”

“My father is no longer there, so my mother speaks for him.”

“When your mother is inconvenient to say…”

“Then I'll say it instead.”

“Bank transfer records are hard evidence.”

“The handwriting on the capital contribution contract is my father's handwriting.”

“If you feel there is a problem…”

“It can be taken for examination.”

“It doesn't cost much.”

I picked up my backpack.

“Aunts, please excuse me.”

When I reached the door, I turned around and looked back once. Tien Le Binh still sat motionless in place. The cards in her hand were almost about to be crushed by her. The three women next to them glanced at each other. No one said another word. After returning home at night, I told my mother about the mahjong room. After listening, Mom was silent for a few seconds.

“What I said is what I said.”

“Don't actively look for her in the future.”

“She was looking for me so I responded.”

“I know.”

I thought this matter was over for now. Unexpectedly, at ten o'clock at night, the door of the house was banged loudly, shaking the entire hallway. I opened the door. Duong Kien Hoa is standing outside. He smelled strongly of cigarettes, his hair was messy, and his shirt was still half-tucked into his waistband.

“Is Tu Van at home?”

Mom walked out of the bedroom. Duong Kien Hoa rushed straight into the living room, his steps unsteady. Obviously don't drink alcohol. But he looks even more out of control than when he's drunk.

“What do you and your mother want to do?!”

“What do you mean?”

“Chu Minh Vien, old Ma, and your girl even ran to the mahjong room today to question Le Binh.”

“You guys are a faction, right?”

“Colluding together to correct me?”

“No one wants to correct you.”

“Stop pretending!”