Chapter 8 — Twenty Years of Payment

I pushed him away.

"Co Dinh, you've known for a long time, right? You used to help Tham Tu handle those things, surely you know!"

Co Dinh was silent, guilt flashed in his eyes.

“I only know he is threatening your father… I don't know about the basement.”

“Liar… you are all liars!”

I rushed out of the cellar. At that moment, I really went crazy. I ran straight to the bank, took out the savings book, and tore it up right in front of everyone.

"Money... I don't need it anymore! Pay it all to you! Pay it all!"

Pieces of paper flew up like snow.

“Miss, you can't do that!” Staff panicked.

I don't stop. I rushed out into the street. Co Dinh's voice rang out from behind. A truck rushed forward. I closed my eyes and smiled in relief. Father… Tham Tu… To Man… I'm here. Carry that blood-stained money... and die together. The deafening sound of car brakes ripped through the air. There was no pain like I thought it would. I fell into an embrace. Co Dinh hugged me and rolled me around a few times, finally hitting the median.

"Lin Khe! Wake up!"

He screamed, his forehead bleeding. I looked at him, my mind confused.

“Why save me… let me die… let me go with them…”

"Because of Doa Doa! She's dead, how can she live?"

Co Dinh shook my shoulder vigorously.

"Your father is crazy, Tham Tu is an animal. But you are not! You are Doa Doa's mother!"

The words "Doa Doa" seemed to pull me back. I still have children. I can't die. I sat down, hugged my knees, and sobbed. Co Dinh stood next to him, letting the rain drench his body. After a while, I wiped the tears from my face.

“Co Dinh… help me with one last thing.”

“I want to withdraw that money.”

He was stunned.

“You want to cancel the term?”

"Yes. Cancel. Then donate everything. I want to set up a fund... called 'Khe Thuy'."

I looked at him, my eyes determined.

“I want my mother's name to be in the light… not in that dark cellar.”

Co Dinh looked at me and smiled slightly.

"Okay. I'll help you."

The procedure for canceling a term is very complicated. But under Co Dinh's arrangement, everything went smoothly. When I stood in front of the bank counter again, signing the cancellation form, my heart was strangely calm.

“Miss… do you really want to donate the whole thing?” The staff looked at me, full of admiration.

“I confirm.”

I put down my pen. Walk out of the bank. In prison, To Man heard that I donated all the money and was so angry that he had a stroke. She still hopes that after being released from prison, she will still be able to get her share. Now… there's nothing left. As for Tham Tu's creditors, after learning that the money had been donated, they immediately switched their target to To Man's younger brother. I heard he had to drop out of school to avoid debt. I took Doa Doa out of that city. We went to a small southern town and opened a flower shop. Co Dinh often visited. He is no longer a cold business genius. Just a normal man—knows how to fix Doa Doa's toys, knows how to help me carry flower pots.

“Lin Khe… twenty years are coming, right?”

One day, Co Dinh sat on a swinging chair in front of the flower shop. I counted the time and smiled softly.

“Yes… there is exactly one month left until it will be twenty years since the date of depositing that money.”

"Do you regret it? That's more than six million yuan."

I looked inside the shop. Doa Doa is busy arranging flowers, she is now a beautiful young woman.

"If we keep it, that money is just a chain. Only when we let it go will we be truly free."

I walked into the counter, take out a box. Inside were fragments of old savings books—I patiently taped each piece together.

“Tham Tu… do you see, it's been twenty years.”

I spoke softly to the pieces of paper.

"You've lost. You've lost to the point where there's no way back."

I took the box to the riverbank and dropped each piece into the water. They flew in mid-air, then disappeared in the flow.

“Mom, what are you doing?” Doa Doa ran over and hugged my hand.

“I'm saying goodbye to the past.”

I held her hand and walked towards Co Dinh.

“Let's go home, have dinner.”

The sunset lengthened the shadows of the three of us. In this world, nothing is locked forever. Except… love and hope.