Chapter 9 — Three Hundred Twenty Eight Yuan Card

Duong Kien Hoa's reaction was faster than I expected. The afternoon I sent the money back, the group of relatives immediately exploded. Tien Le Binh sent a long message:

“Tu Van fully returned the 100,000 yuan that Mr. Kien Hoa gave to Niem An.”

"My husband Kien Hoa clearly had good intentions and wanted to make up for the difference due to the bank's slow processing, but people didn't bother to accept it."

“Everyone, tell me, what is this called?”

"What if she has a scholarship? A scholarship is a scholarship, you are you, can those two things be equated?"

"The day before Chi Vien passed away, Mr. Kien Hoa just needed to make a phone call and immediately took 5,000 yuan to help her mother and her child take care of the funeral."

"In all these years, have you ever missed a Tet holiday for you and your child?"

“What kind of attitude is this?”

As soon as the message was sent, someone immediately jumped into the group.

"Sister-in-law, please calm down, Tu Van is probably just angry at the moment."

"I also think Tu Van is a bit too much. 100,000 yuan to say you pay is to pay, it's really not respectful of Mr. Kien Hoa at all."

Sister-in-law:

"Isn't it terrible to have a scholarship? Do I need to remind Hua Niem An that she owes the greatest contribution to being able to do what she has today?"

Message after message. I sat by the bed and looked at the constantly lit phone screen. Don't answer a single question. Mom is also looking at the phone. The mother and daughter's phone vibrated continuously at the same time. After viewing all the messages, mom locked the screen and put the phone on the table.

“No answer.”

“Not even a single word to answer?”

"No need."

“My eldest aunt wants to put you on the grill.”

“If mom explains in the group, people will think she's guilty.”

“If mom argues in the group, they say she's being ungrateful.”

“So what to do?”

“Wait for what?”

“Waiting for the right moment.”

“In the right place, in front of the right people… make everything clear once and for all.”

Mom pulled out the drawer under the TV shelf, took out two of Thanh Hoa's documents and looked them over.

“Before your father died… he left behind a few things.”

Mom went into the bedroom and pulled out an iron box from deep in the closet. There is a lock on the box. She took out a small key from her purse and opened it. Inside was a stack of yellowed papers and a few old photos. Mom took out the top sheet of paper. I stopped to look. It is a handwritten document. The paper has become brittle, the edges are slightly curled. On the title write five words:

“Cooperative Capital Contribution Contract.”

Party A: Duong Kien Hoa. Party B: Hua Chi Vien. Date signed: eight years ago. Amount of capital contributed by Party B: 500,000 yuan. My hands started shaking.

“Before your father passed away, he gave all his savings and compensation insurance…”

“A total of 500,000 yuan.”

“Give it all to your eldest son to do business with.”

“That year the car dealership had just started opening, the older boy lacked capital.”

"Your father didn't say a word, gave him all the money."

“500,000 yuan?”

“So what happens after that?”

“A year after your father passed away, the auto center started making money.”

“But my older son has never given us any money.”

Mom put the paper back in the iron box.

“I asked him once.”

“He said your father did not sign an official contract with him.”

“That money is a ‘loan’, not an ‘investment’.”

“He also said… I paid it all.”

“He said when my father was in the hospital, he gave me 5,000 yuan.”

“And then add the lucky money for Tet holidays these years, plus 2,000 yuan to buy a water heater…”

“It all adds up as paid.”

I opened my mouth but couldn't say a word. 500,000 yuan capital contribution. In the end, it was changed to several thousand yuan of "small favors".

“So this contract…”

“Your father wrote it himself.”

“He was afraid something would happen so he kept a copy.”

“But only the original will work.”

“Never notarized.”

Mother said softly:

“I took this paper alone to look for your eldest son, he didn't recognize me... I couldn't do anything.”

She looked at me.

“If one day someone stands up and speaks for your father.”

“Someone can prove that this money is actually an investment, not a loan.”

“It will be different.”

“Who can prove it?”

Mother did not answer. She locked the iron box and put it deep in the closet.

“Knowing this is enough for today.”

“Go to sleep.”

The next week passed very peacefully. Mom still goes to work at the supermarket as usual. I was at home packing my luggage and preparing to go to Beijing. The group of relatives also gradually quieted down. Occasionally, Tien Le Binh would jump out and say something like:

“Mr. Kien Hoa is still working with the bank.”

Then no one answered. Tuesday afternoon, while I was folding clothes, the doorbell rang. Opening the door was sister-in-law Liu Phuong. The wife of Duong Thien Tuong's best friend, but because she is close to Tien Le Binh, everyone calls her sister-in-law. She carried two boxes of fruit in her hands and walked in smiling.

“Nien An, are you packing? When are you going to Beijing?

“Late August.”

“Oh my god, that was fast.”

“Thing Hoa too.”

She naturally sat down on the sofa, her eyes roaming around the living room.