Is it now??? A letter, from a daughter-in-law, and this woman had been, mistreated, since BEFORE day one too, translated…
To My Mother-in-Law:
Although, for a very long time, you’d never referred to me as “Yueh”, by my name, and always called me “the help from Vietnam”, but I shall still, call you, “Mom”; because you’re my mother-in-law, the mother of my husband, the grandmother of my children, we are, a family.
Recalling over a decade ago, when Hsiung went through the agency, and found me in Vietnam at first sight, I was, ecstatic, because you were willing to, give me $200,000N.T. in dowry. And, $200,000N.T. for my family, was unimaginable back then. With the money, my mother can get cured from her illness, my younger siblings can afford to go to school, and this was, the only thing, that I can do, for my family, without a father.
I’d only said a handful of words to Hsiung, and in just less than a month’s time, I’d, floated from across the seas, at the tender of age of only eighteen, to live, in the strange country of Taiwan, becoming your daughter-in-law. Although I’d known some simple Mandarin, but I couldn’t understand a word of Taiwanese, and yet, that was, what you spoke, but I’d told myself, that I must, learn the tongue, that way, it would be easier, for me to interact with you.
As I’d married into your family, that was when I’d learned, that Hsiung was, married from before, without a steady job, but none of this had, scared me, I believed, that so long as I’d worked hard through the days, life will be kind to me. As I just arrived to Taiwan, I’d gone to the marketplaces to help you with selling the produces for you, and after the morning shift was over, I’d gone to the lunch shops, to work as a dishwasher, and turned in ALL of my months’ wages to you. This was, unbelievable, from all of my Vietnamese sisters, they’d asked me why I’d not saved some money as allowances for myself? I’d answered them, of course, it’s because of how my mother-in-law had, helped my family, that is, the right thing to do.
In Taiwan, I’d, carried that heart of gratitude to work but I still couldn’t, get you to like me, because you’d, cared really much, about the dowry of $200,000N.T. that your son paid my family, to get me here. After my two sons were born, I’d needed to look after my children, and still worked, but I’d never had a word of complaint. Once I got a cold, felt sore all over, couldn’t get up, and you’d still demanded that I go and make lunch. I’d, held my body up, leaned against the walls, made the dumplings for the whole family, and you’d called me out on faking ill. That was the moment that despair had, hit me, because I couldn’t see the hope in my own life then.
illustration from the papers online…
You were extremely loving and kind toward Hsiung and our two sons, I can tell, you loved your family, but, why can’t you treat me like I was your family too? Every time you’d mentioned me, to the kids, or the neighbors, you’d always referred to me as “that Vietnamese girl”. Do you know, how it’d, hurt me, hearing you call me that? Perhaps, you didn’t intent to be mean, but my heart broke, each and every time I’d, heard you referred to me as such.
Mom, I’m from Vietnam, became a member of your family, I have NOTHING to ask of you, I only hope, that in the future, you can save me some dignity, stop calling me “that woman from Vietnam”. That way, you wouldn’t hurt me, nor the kids, or the harmony of the whole family.
Although you can buy a lot with $200,000N.T.s, but you can buy the harmony of the family, nor the bliss. After all, family is something that’s, priceless, isn’t that worth something? I hope all would be well with you.
Your daughter-in-law.
This, is BULLSHIT how this woman was being treated by her mother-in-law, and so what IF she was, “bought” by her husband from Vietnam? She’d already, PAID up her dues, gone with you, to work at the marketplaces, and she’d taken up that part-time job as a dishwasher, to make the extra incomes for you and your family, and on top of that, she’d given you, TWO grandsons too, isn’t that enough? Apparently not, because, the $200,000N.T. that your son PAID (it’s not like anybody PUT a GUN to his head and told him to BUY a woman for marriage, he did that, ALL on his own!!!), is what you’d, minded the most!