Chapter 9 — Welcome Back Chu Niem

They had no place to vent their anger, so they pointed it at my closest relatives. In the evening, I received a phone call from my mother. Her voice sounded both angry and urgent. “Nien Niem, what exactly is this?” “Just now, Hua Chi An called your father!” My heart skipped a beat. “What did he say?” “What else can it say!” My mother was very angry. "Crying, tears and snot all over my face, saying I was determined to divorce him." "Tell her that her sister is paralyzed and that something big has happened to her family. If you don't help, that's fine. She also wants to sell the house and kick out the whole family, old and young." "Tell me my mother was so angry that her high blood pressure relapsed, and now she's lying in bed and can't get up." “He also said that he is not good, that he is useless, that he does not handle the relationship between the child and the family well.” “It took all the responsibility on myself, turning me into a pitiful man forced to the limit by his cruel wife.” I felt nauseous when I heard it. Hua Chi An's ability to change white to black, to sell revenge for sympathy, has truly reached an elite level. “Mom, don't believe him.” I immediately said. “The situation is not at all what he said.” I took a deep breath and recounted everything that had happened these past few days to my mother. From Hua Chi An holding the secondment notice, to what he planned for me, and then today I brought someone to see the house. The calmer I spoke, the heavier the breathing on the other end of the line became. Waiting for me to finish speaking, my mother was silent for a long time. It took so long that I thought the phone was disconnected. "Mom?" I tried calling once. “This bastard!” My mother's voice carried uncontrollable anger, exploding in the receiver. "How dare he! How dare he plan my daughter like that!" "Mom was really blind that year! Why did you agree to let me marry someone like that!" I can imagine that right now my mother must be so angry that she's shaking. “Mom, don't be angry, don't I see him clearly now?” I instead comforted her. "I'm okay, I found a lawyer and found a new job." "Now I'm with To Tinh, everything is good." “What good is good!” My mother was so heartbroken that her voice choked up. “After suffering such great pain, why didn't you tell your family sooner!” "If your father knew, he wouldn't be angry that something new happened!" "What are they from the Hua family? How dare they bully our Chu family's daughters like that!" “You wait, Niem Niem.” My mother's voice suddenly became extremely determined. “This matter cannot just be ignored.” “Your mom and dad will be over there tomorrow!” “I want to see with my own eyes how thick-skinned the Hua family is!” Hang up the phone, my eye sockets are a little moist. I know. My reinforcements have arrived. Hua Chi An, do you think snitching is effective? You are wrong. My shocked brother is my strongest support. His next days will only be more difficult than now. The next morning, my parents arrived. They didn't notify me in advance and came directly downstairs to To Tinh's apartment. I received the phone call and hurried downstairs. The moment I saw them, my nose stung and tears almost fell. My father is still the same, quiet and quiet, but his eyes are filled with pain. My mother pulled my hand and looked me up and down. “I'm skinny.” The first sentence she opened her mouth made me burst into tears. “Mom, I'm okay.” I tried to hold back my tears and forced a smile. “Come on, let's go first.” To Tinh cleaned the house early and even made tea. My parents expressed their thanks to To Tinh. After sitting down, the atmosphere in the living room was a bit heavy. My father lit a cigarette and took a deep breath. “Nien Niem, tell dad everything again.” His voice was very deep. I nodded and told the story in detail again. Including the lawyer's proposal, the new job I found, and the story of selling my house yesterday. I spoke very calmly, trying not to bring personal emotions. But my parents' faces became more and more unsightly. Waiting for me to finish speaking, my father pressed the cigarette filter firmly into the ashtray. “You bastard!” In his entire life, he had not often cursed, this was the first time I heard it. My mother's eyes turned red. “Our daughter grows up in the palm of her hand and gets married

to be a nanny for their family, so that their family can figure out a plan?" “That year I was really blind!” My father stood up. “Go.” he said. “Where to?” my mother asked. “Go to their house.” My father looked at me: "You don't need to go, you stay home with To Tinh." “Mom and dad are going to demand justice for their child.” My heart warms. “Dad, Mom, there's really no need, I already…” “These are two different things.” My father interrupted me. “Divorce, selling the house, it's your own decision, your parents support you.” “But they bully my daughter, this justice, we must go and demand it.” His voice did not allow for rebuttal. To Tinh also advised me. “Nien Niem, just let uncle and aunt go.” "You came out, that's a husband and wife conflict." "Uncle and aunt come out, it's a matter between the two families." “The properties are not the same.” I nodded, not persevering anymore. I gave the key to my old house to my father. “Pay attention to safety.” I advised. My mother patted my hand. “Don't worry, your mother is not old enough to be bullied.”