The mother-in-law suddenly spilled the rice tray, slapped her daughter-in-law right in front of the whole family just because of the salted eggplant bowl, everyone thought she was a good woman until she knew the truth.

In a small house in the suburbs, Ms. Hanh’s family gathered around the afternoon tray. The atmosphere was cozy with the laughter of Mr. Hanh, Thanh’s eldest son, and his newlywed bride – Linh. Linh is a gentle and caring girl who is always praised by neighbors for her filial piety to her parents-in-law. But that day, no one expected that an event would turn it all upside down.

The rice tray is served with simple but rich dishes: snakehead fish sour soup, braised pork, and a plate of stir-fried morning glory with garlic. Linh just picked up a piece of fish for Mrs. Hanh, her mouth smiled, and suddenly popped! A slap sounded, making the whole family dumbfounded. Mrs. Hanh, with a flushed face, pointed at Linh, and her voice trembled:
“Shameless bastard! Do you think I don’t know anything?”

Cheng was stunned, and hurriedly stood up and intervened: “Mom, what are you doing? What did you do wrong that your mother slapped her?” Mr. Hanh was also confused, trying to pull Mrs. Hanh to sit down, but she still didn’t stop glaring at Linh, her eyes full of indignation. Linh hugged her face, tears rolled down, couldn’t say a word, just quietly got up and went to the backyard.

The whole village quickly whispered. “Mrs. Hanh must be crazy! Such a gentle spirit, who is not precious. Why did you suddenly slap your daughter-in-law in the middle of the meal?” Some people said that Mrs. Hanh was old, so she was confused, others rumored that she was jealous because Linh was more popular with everyone. No one understood what was happening, and Linh refused to explain, just quietly packed up her things as if she was going to leave the house.

A few days later, Thanh discovered a letter in Linh’s drawer. It was a handwritten letter, trembling handwriting, written in red ink. The content that sent chills down his spine:

“Linh, do you think I don’t know your secret? If you don’t want this whole family to be broken, get out of here before I tell the truth.”

The letter was not signed, but Thanh immediately recognized his mother’s handwriting. He painfully faced Mrs. Hanh: “Mom, why did you do that to Linh? What’s the secret that you have to slap her in front of everyone?” Mrs. Hanh was silent for a while, then sighed, and took out an old wooden box from the cabinet. Inside was a stack of photos and a DNA test sheet.

Ms. Hanh said, her voice was sad: “Linh is not a stranger. She… is the daughter of the woman whose father had an affair 25 years ago. When my mother found out, I forgave my father, but I didn’t expect Linh to come and marry me. I think she deliberately approached to take revenge on my family.”

Cheng was stunned. He recalled the times Linh asked about his parents’ past, questions that seemed harmless but were now full of implications. Mrs. Hanh’s slap was not without reason – she wanted to protect her family, wanted Linh to leave before the truth broke out.

But the story has not stopped. That night, Linh returned, brought a USB stick and sat across from the whole family. She turned on her computer and opened a recording. A man’s voice rang out, it was Thanh’s father, Mr. Hanh. In the recording, he confessed that he himself had been looking for Linh many years ago, when he knew that she was his daughter. He wanted to atone for his sins, so he quietly arranged for Linh to meet and love Thanh, hoping that she would live happily in the family he had hurt.

Linh cried, saying: “I didn’t know the truth until I received my mother’s letter. I just want to fulfill the duty of a daughter-in-law, but I think you have come to sabotage. That slap… I don’t blame you, but I want you to understand that you are also a victim of the past.”

Ms. Hanh hugged her face and burst into tears. The slap is not only a misunderstanding, but also the pain of a mother who tries to protect her family, but accidentally hurts her own daughter. The whole family was silent, no one knew what to say. Secrets seemed to divide them forever, but it was the truth that pulled them closer together.

Since then, Ms. Hanh and Linh began to learn to understand each other. The slap that day was not only a sore, but also the beginning of the healing of a family full of secrets. The villagers are still whispering, but now, they no longer think Mrs. Hanh is crazy. They only see one family, despite the turbulence, still choosing to love and forgive.