Chapter 14 — Want the house to be named after your father? So You Pay The Money

"The money is earned by me, the caregiver is hired by me. I don't wait for anyone's favors."

He seemed to be laughing out of anger

“Talking to you is more tiring than fighting with that lawyer.”

“Uncle Trieu, let's clarify one thing.”

I changed my shoulder to carry the bag

"In this matter of this house, you are not wrong. You need a relationship of mutual respect... not entering a predetermined family and then learning how to become their obedient daughter-in-law."

“So what about now?”

He suddenly asked

“Do you now feel that you are very good, very brave, and can live well alone?”

“I don't know if I'll meet someone better in the future.”

I'm telling the truth

"But I know, even alone, I still have the ability to buy my own house, give myself a safe place. That awareness... is more important than any promise from a man."

The green light turned on, the line of people began to move.

“That's it.”

He sighed

"You're old, you won't listen to anything I say. It's decided... from now on, don't come to our house anymore. From today on, it'll be as if you two have never met each other."

“From now on… take care of yourself.”

He threw back a sentence, then hung up. The surroundings immediately became quiet. Only the sound of wheels rolling on the road remained. I stood on the sidelines, letting people pass by on both sides of me.

“Take care of yourself.”

I have heard these four words many times. When I failed a test when I was little, the homeroom teacher slapped the test paper on the table and said so. Just graduated and refused to work overtime, boss also mentioned that. Now... changed to the voice of the person who was almost her father-in-law. But this time, it was no longer a warning. Which is a clear goal. I put my phone in my pocket and continued walking forward. It's a bit hot, the wind carries the smell of just cut grass. From that day on, I never received any calls from the Trieu family again. Trieu Hao did not contact. Only Trieu Than sent me a long message. Said his brother was in an unstable mood, said there was an argument at home, said his father broke a few glasses in the middle of the night. Finally, he asked very quietly

“Miss An Ninh… are you really not turning around anymore?”

I looked at that line for a long time. Finally, just answer with one word. The input box flashes a few times. He didn't say anything more. The following days, I was so busy that I didn't have time to think about it. Run a design company, meet with the construction unit, discuss plans with the architect.

“This 90m² apartment, what style do you want?”

The designer pushed the glasses and asked.

“It's simple.”

I think a bit

“Less stuff, more light.”

“What color do you like?”

“White, wood, a little green.”

"I want the living room to have a row of bookshelves and a balcony full of plants. Every time I come home, I open the door and smell the earth."

He nodded, writing and speaking

“Warm white painted walls, light oak floors, balcony with a small water trough for watering plants.”

“Do not open the kitchen.”

I added

“I cook with a lot of oil.”

“Okay, let's make a sliding door.”

He looked up

“Do you live alone?”

"Temporary."

“In the future… I can raise another cat.”

He laughed

“So remember to choose a sofa that can handle wear well.”

During the process of renovating the house, I almost poured all my heart into it. Choose tiles, choose lights, compare each expense. After work, To Tinh ran through the construction site, squatting on the cement floor with me, imagining the future.

“This place is for a small dining table.”

She holds a measuring tape

"Eating alone is beautiful. If you have a lover in the future, change to a bigger table."

“Whoever said it must be you male."

I blurted out

“Who knows if it's a girlfriend.”

She laughed

“Yeah, as long as you're happy.”

I raised my head to look at the unpainted ceiling. Suddenly I feel like the void in my heart... is being filled little by little. The same goes for humans. The vacancy does not have to be filled by someone else. You can use time, wood, light... and your own breath to rebuild from scratch. On completion day, I stood in the middle of the living room. Underfoot was the floor that had just been cleaned, and the air still had the faint smell of paint. Sunlight slanted through the glass door, falling on the empty white bookshelf. I suddenly remembered... Three years ago, in the model apartment in the riverside area, I talked to Trieu Hao

"Later, we'll have two rattan chairs on our balcony, you read a book, I sit in a daze."

At that time, I thought "home" must have a man's name behind it... to be complete. Now I understand. Home is, first of all, a space. A place where a person can remove all disguises. Whether there is anyone else with you or not... is a matter for later. On the housewarming day, I only invited To Tinh and Duong Tinh. The two of them brought a ton of pots and pans, fruits, cakes, and green plants. Noisy, bustling. But it's enough to make the new house... warm.