Chapter 8 — Transfer Rate Changed

Her eyes turned red and she said: "I won back my quota, but I didn't win back my love. The person Co Thua loves has never been me." I glanced at Co Thua. He did not object. I calmly said: "Then it's even more necessary to divorce." Before the elevator door closed, I saw Co Thua still standing at the door of the meeting room. For the first time, he did not run after me. At three o'clock in the afternoon, I arrived at the Civil Affairs Department on time. Co Thua arrived twenty minutes late. He changed into a suit and tie, looking like he came to sign some innocuous document. My mother-in-law and To Van Tinh did not come. Luong Lao's car was parked on the side of the road, the old man was actually sitting in the car enjoying tea. Liu Tieu Man was squatting on the edge of the flower bed, munching on dumplings. When she saw me coming, she quickly stuffed the dumplings into a plastic bag.

“Doctor Khuong, I'm here to cheer you up.”

I replied: “No need to cheer.” When Co Thua saw the two of them, her face immediately darkened: "You're divorced but you also have to bring an audience?" I retorted: "If you change the list, don't you also bring along accomplices?" He suppressed his anger: “Go inside.” The staff at the reception window looked at us: "Are the documents complete?" I placed the marriage certificate and citizen identification card on the table. Co Thua did not move. The staff asked: "Where are the groom's family's documents?" Co Thua looked at me: "Khuong Ninh, I give you one last chance. No more procedures today, go home, we can still live together." Liu Tieu Man stood behind, pouting and glaring: "Who cares?" Co Thua ignored her and continued: "I admit that the list matter was not handled well, but marriage is not a child's game to play with. You were in the mountains for seven years, and I was in the city fighting alone for seven years. You feel sorry for yourself, can't I see that?" I asked back: "Your self-pity is to buy To Van Tinh shoes to keep at our house?" His expression immediately changed: "That was when she brought the documents yesterday."

“But I saw it yesterday afternoon.”

He was speechless. The employee looked up at him expectantly. Co Thua had no choice but to pull out the papers and slam them on the table: "Let's go through the procedures." The process happens very quickly. When it came to announcing the time for conciliation, the staff followed the usual instructions: "Now there are thirty days of conciliation." Co Thua seemed to grab a lifeline: "Did you hear that? Thirty days. Khuong Ninh, during these thirty days, think carefully." I said, “I will count the days.” He stared at me: "Are you so determined to run out of steam?"

“The one who ran out of steam was not me.”

We had just stepped out of the Civil Affairs Department when the sky suddenly turned dark. Co Thua stood on the steps and suddenly said: "Don't think that with Luong Lao's back, you can turn the tide of battle. He's only grateful that you saved him once. Once your kindness is used up, it's gone." I replied: "You don't know much about the game of using favors." Co Thua took a step forward: "Khuong Ninh, you've changed so much that it makes me feel strange."

"The Khuong Ninh I'm familiar with is the idiot who was tricked by me for seven years, and even naively bought me a scarf."

His eyes suddenly avoided. At that moment, Liu Tieu Man picked up something from the nearby trash can and ran over: "Doctor Khuong, is this your scarf? I saw the cleaning lady just now." Pulled it out and said it was brand new." The dark blue wool scarf she held in her arms was a little dirty. Seeing the scarf, Co Thua's expression finally showed cracks: "Is this what you bought for me?" I took it from Liu Tieu Man's hand and threw it back into the trash.

“In the past, yes.”

Co Thua's throat seemed to be choked, and only later did she force out a sentence: "You will have to come back and beg me."