Chapter 13 — Want the house to be named after your father? So You Pay The Money

“Do you remember what you said at that time?”

The other end of the line was silent for two seconds.

"Uncle said... 'The two of us don't need anything in this life, we just hope that when we get old, we will have a house named after us'."

I say every word clearly

"You also said... 'In the future, I'll have to rely on you to buy a house. I'd rather just write your name straight and avoid arguing'."

He coughed lightly

“I did it for the good of both of you.”

“So what did you say?”

I asked again.

"I said I'm willing to spend money to buy a house."

He replied very quickly.

"I said... the house can be in your name, but the money must be paid by you."

My voice was calm

“Total price 9,300,000 yuan, I ask you—swipe card or bank transfer.”

The other end of the line was silent. There was only the sound of heavy breathing, sometimes not.

“Uncle Trieu, do you know how much I tried to suppress that sentence before I could say it?”

I bowed my head, watching the tip of my shoe glide across the sunlight under my feet

“At that moment I understood clearly—you guys wouldn't pay even a deposit.”

“Young people should not do too great a job.”

He lowered his voice for a moment and then spoke

"You have to be a little reasonable. It has been said in the past that when you get married, you follow your husband. When a girl marries, she must know how to be soft and not confront her husband's family in everything. Later, when you marry Tieu Hao, sooner or later you will call me three times. Is this belief still not there?"

"What I mean is... you brought money to give it yourself, that's what I call understanding."

I laughed

“Uncle Trieu, have you ever thought—what you need is a daughter-in-law, not a cash machine?”

“This girl, her talking is getting more and more harsh.”

His voice was heavy.

“I didn't dare before.”

I speak very frankly

"I'm afraid that you guys will judge me for being unreasonable, afraid of being said to be calculating, afraid that Trieu Hao will be embarrassed. But now... I've broken up, I don't have to look at anyone's face anymore."

The other end of the line suddenly went silent. I pulled out my phone to look, the call was still there.

"Uncle Trieu, you called me today... did you want to beg on his behalf, or did you want to scold me to wake me up?"

“I just want to say something sincere.”

He sighed

"Now when I'm young, I think money is important. But when I'm old, I'll understand that for women, the most important thing is to have a home. No matter how much money you have, if no one loves you, it's meaningless."

“I agree half way.”

"Women do need a roof. But that roof... cannot be exchanged for having to devote all of oneself."

“What do you mean by that?”

His voice rose.

“I mean, I won't bet on the next half of my life because of a man who wants to put the house in my father's name.”

I stopped at the red light, looking at the people across the street

"Uncle Trieu, I understand what you are thinking. You think it's natural for me to spend money, because sooner or later I am a family member, and that money will eventually go to your children and grandchildren. But sorry... I understand. I will not pack both my money and my future... into a place that has never considered me a family member."

He snorted coldly

“You thought there was a long line of people outside waiting to marry you?”

“It doesn't matter whether it's there or not.”

“The important thing is… I finally know how to put myself first.”

“Chu An Ninh, don't regret it later.”

He smiled coldly

"If you wait until you're over thirty and still can't get married, you'll understand how stupid you are today."

“I will remember this sentence of yours.”

I said softly

“If one day you really I regret it, I consider it the tuition of youth. But if you get married today in a vague dream... then for the rest of your life, you will have to pay tuition for that mistake."

The other end of the line seemed to be suppressing anger, as well as considering.

"In the past, my mother married my father... and suffered much more than me."

He ended up bringing up the old story again

“What woman doesn't live like that?”

“You're right.”

I nodded, even though he couldn't see

“In the previous generation, many women lived like that. They are patient, thinking that as long as their children are okay, that is enough. But my mother once told me—the biggest regret in her life… was not living for herself sooner.”

He was silent for a few seconds

“So does your mother regret the divorce now?”

“She said no.”

I looked up at the sky divided by bands of clouds

“Now she lives alone, deciding what to eat, where to go, and when to sleep. She said those years of bondage… just thinking about it makes me suffocate.”

“My mother is just stubborn.”

He concluded

"When you're old and weak and can't walk, you'll know how scary it is to live alone."

“Then I'll hire someone to take care of me.”