Chapter 1 — Two Houses and One Border

The biggest secret of my life has been hidden for three months. The day I won the lottery, I didn't tell anyone, not even my best friend. I quietly bought two houses, one to live in, one to rent. The red book is locked in a safe at the bank, and the household registration book is clean. I thought I could take this secret to the grave. Until that evening, my mother suddenly called. Her voice was unusually enthusiastic: "Daughter, the land in the countryside has been cleared, there is a compensation amount. Your eldest uncle said the whole family has to go back and share." Before I could say anything, she said another sentence. My hand squeezing the phone immediately felt cold. 01 The day I won was a Wednesday. The lottery shop owner handed the ticket back to me, his finger stopping on the number line for two seconds. He said: “Girl, please wait.” I thought I bought it wrong. Until he closed the shop, then lowered his voice and told me to go to the city to receive the reward. After tax, it is eight million seven hundred and sixty thousand yuan. The day the money entered my account, I sat in the bank's VIP lounge, my palms were sweaty. The customer manager gave me a tissue and asked if I wanted to notify my family. I said no need. I don't have any family members. At least when it comes to money, I have no one. My name is Duong Hoa, twenty-nine years old this year, working as a planner in an advertising company in the provincial capital. The salary is not high, there is not much work, overtime is normal. My mother, Ha Ngoc Mai, often said that I was destined to be unlucky and that I studied so much but still couldn't accomplish anything. Every time she said that, she always mentioned my cousin, Duong Khai. Duong Khai graduated from middle school and worked as a delivery driver in his hometown. The year before he got married, my mother was happy for twenty thousand. Of those twenty thousand, I transferred fifteen thousand to you. My mother didn't speak. She only said in front of relatives: "After all, Duong Khai is also the son of the Duong family, the marriage cannot be ignored." I listened, but did not speak. At that time, I even advised myself, as a family member, not to calculate. But then my father was hospitalized, and I took leave to return home. As soon as I entered the hospital room, I heard Uncle Duong The Xuong say: "A girl will sooner or later be an outsider, don't rely on her for everything." I carried the hospital bill and stood at the door. On that bill, I just swiped thirty-two thousand. My father said nothing. My mother also didn't say anything. They all saw me. No one said anything for me. From then on, I began to separate money and family. After winning the prize, I did this even more to the absolute extreme. First I changed the phone number associated with my bank account. Then divide the money in your commonly used bank card into several transfers. Buying a house does not require a full payment at once. I live in a small two-room apartment in Nam Loan, near the company. A one-room apartment in a university area, rented to a female student studying for graduate school, for three thousand eight months. Both houses have gone through official procedures. Contracts, invoices, tax payment documents, red books, I locked them all in a safe at the bank. The household registration book is clean. My circle of friends is also clean. On the day of the move, I just called the moving company. Even Manh Dao doesn't know. Manh Dao is my college friend, and the only person in the provincial capital who can eat and talk with me. She asked why I suddenly changed my place of residence. I told the landlord in the old area to increase the rent, so I changed to a cheaper place. She believes. My mother doesn't even know. She called me, it was still the same old story. Ask for salary. Ask your lover. I asked if I could give Duong Khai's child a big bag of lucky money. Every time I say I'm busy. She sighed again, saying I was cold-hearted. I don't argue. If people keep being warm, sooner or later they will be brought to the table. During those three months, I lived very quietly. Going to work, leaving work, collecting rent, keeping records. I even started watching home renovation videos, wanting to renovate the balcony of Nam Loan into a reading room. I thought this secret could stay hidden forever. Until that evening, nine forty-seven. I had just finished showering when the phone rang. The word “Mom” appeared on the screen. I picked up the phone. Head

The other side was very noisy, like someone was playing cards in the house. But my mother's voice was rarely this enthusiastic. “Girl, are you sleeping yet?” My hand drying my hair stopped. Normally she doesn't call me that. She often called me "Duong Hoa", her tone was like calling someone in debt. I said: "No, what's the matter?" She laughed. "It's not a big deal, it's just that the land in the countryside has been cleared and there is a compensation amount." I did not respond. She continued to say: "My eldest uncle said that the whole family must go back and share, after all, it is the land left by my grandparents, no one can be left behind." I sat down on the sofa. “Which land?” “It's the piece behind the old house.” “Hasn't that piece been in your name for a long time?” The other end of the line was a bit quiet. Very short. It was so short that it looked like she had just swallowed back what someone else had told her. Then she laughed again. “In name, you and I belong to both of us, but we are all one family.” I looked at the glass of water on the tea table. There was still a ring of water left on the rim of the glass. I said: “How much money?” She did not reply. She asked first: "Are you having more money these days?" I held the phone, my fingertips tightened. Her voice became lighter. “Oh right, I don't know who I heard say that you bought a house recently, so let me ask you.” I said nothing. The bathroom exhaust fan is still running. The buzzing sound pressed against my ears. I never told anyone. The house purchase contract was never shown to the house. The red book has never been brought home. Even the moving address, I only gave it to company personnel and the delivery party. My mother asked again: "Daughter, have you really bought a house?" I raised my eyes to look at the cabinet in the mysterious entrance. There put a new set of keys. I forced my voice to be calm. “Who said?” On the other end of the line, someone suddenly burst out laughing. That laughter is very close. It was like someone was standing next to my mother's phone. Just then, a man's voice came. “Duong Hoa, stop pretending.” “You bought a house, right?” 02 As soon as I heard that voice, I knew who it was. Duong Khai. My cousin. The person who stole my lucky money when I was young, then when I grew up, he forced me to buy a gold key for his child. My mother immediately put the phone away a bit. “What are you interrupting, I'm talking to your sister.” Duong Khai smiled next to him. “Ask clearly, don't let him fool you.” I put down the hair towel. “Mom, are you on speakerphone?” The other end of the line was silent again. This time the silence was a little longer. My mother said: "The family is all here, and they often talk about compensation." “Who are there?” “Your eldest uncle, your uncle-in-law, Duong Khai, and your father.” My father was also there. But he didn't say a word. Very similar to him. When the family needed me to give money, he was silent. When the family divided something, he remained silent. I said: "If everyone is here, then tell me clearly." My mother quickly said: "Just asking you to go home once, the compensation is not a small amount." "How much?" “It's not finalized yet.” "It hasn't been finalized yet, so why don't you call me to share?" My mother's voice lowered. “Child, why are you talking so harshly?” Duong Khai interrupted again. "He's bought a house now, so of course the conversation is fierce." When I heard that saying about buying a house, my heart felt more stable. They don't have to guess. They definitely got something. Otherwise Duong Khai wouldn't be so sure. I stood up, went to the dining table, and picked up another old phone. That phone did not have a SIM card installed, it was only used for recording. I pressed the record button and placed it on the table. Screen facing down. “Duong Khai, you said I bought a house, do you have proof?” He snorted. “Don't care if I have proof or not.” “So there isn't.” “Who says there isn't?” His voice rose. “You have an apartment in Nam Loan, right?” I lowered my eyes. Nam Loan. Not a university district. Not a rented apartment. It's the apartment I live in. This time, the other person didn't have to hear that I bought a house. But knowing the specifics of the apartment complex. I said nothing. Duong Khai thought I was scared. He laughed harder. “What, no more pretending?” My mother quickly reconciled. “Daughter, buying a house is a good thing, our family is also happy for you.” I said: "I'm happy for you, so after nine o'clock at night we held a meeting to question you?" My mother's voice changed. “Don't say it

so hard to hear.” Uncle Duong The Xuong received the phone call. His voice was very deep, carrying the familiar pressure of an elder. “Duong Hoa, you are my eldest uncle.” “I heard it.” "The land behind the old house was left to me by my grandparents in the past. The compensation should be divided according to each person." I asked: “According to whose head?” "Your father's branch, your uncle's branch, and your aunt's side." “So whose name is the land certificate in?” He stopped. “Uncle.” “So according to the law, the compensation money belongs to you.” The other end of the line immediately became chaotic. Uncle-in-law shouted shrilly: “What do you mean? You still don't want it?" I said: "It's not that I don't want to marry, I just want to know why you guys suddenly remember me." Duong The Xuong snorted coldly. “Girl, don't talk so hard.” I heard this sentence from childhood to adulthood. Girls, don't fight. Girls, don't argue. Girls will marry out sooner or later. But when I need to transfer money, I'm from the Duong family. I picked up the glass of water and took a sip. The water was cold. I said: "Eldest uncle, you don't want to divide the compensation money, but you want to find out my situation first." Duong Khai said a sentence. “Duong Hoa, don't get too carried away.” I don't take his anger. “You have two purposes tonight.” “First, confirm whether you will buy a house or not.” “Second, if you buy it, then use the compensation money back home as bait to lure you back.” My mother was frantic. “How can you think about your family like that?” I said: "Then answer me." “In the end, is there any compensation or not?” “Where is the notice from the clearance board?” “What is the lot code?” “How much is the appraisal price?” "You guys talk about dividing the whole family, who wrote the division plan?" A series of questions were thrown through. No one on the other end immediately spoke. I heard the sound of the chair rubbing against the ground. Someone lowered their voice and said: "Why does he ask so carefully?" My mother looked like someone had pushed her and opened her mouth again. “Won't you know about these things when you get home?” I smiled faintly. “I'm not coming back.” As soon as these three words fell, the other end of the line exploded. Uncle-in-law shouted: "Your parents raised you in vain!" Duong Khai shouted: "You have money to buy a house, but don't have money to visit the elderly?" My mother's voice was also high-pitched. “Duong Hoa, are your wings hard?” I looked at the phone recorder on the table. The red dot is still flashing. I said: “Mom, I'm asking one last time.” “Who told you about me buying a house?” The other end of the line suddenly went silent. A few seconds later, Duong Khai said in a strange yin and yang voice: "What are you afraid of?" I said: "I'm afraid someone is illegally investigating my personal information." As soon as this sentence came out, there was clearly chaos on the phone. Duong The Xuong scolded: "Don't scare people!" I said: “I will go for a checkup tomorrow.” "Whoever looks up my address, whoever reveals my house purchase information, I will not ignore anyone." My mother took a breath.