Chapter 5 — A Nhuoc's New Parents

The butler brought a pen and ink. He closed his eyes, signed his name, and made a red handprint. Mother carefully put away the book, held my hand.

“A Nhuoc, let's go.”

My father suddenly called me back.

“Ah Nhuoc.”

His voice was very hoarse.

"Do you really want to go with her? Do you not need your father anymore?"

I stopped walking and turned to look at him.

“Someone who doesn't need children first.”

I loudly told him:

"If you want to be Nguyen Bao's father, do it well. You will also have a new father. He won't steal your flower lantern, won't steal your jade pendant. He's a thousand times better than you."

The father froze in place, unable to say a word. I held my mother's hand and strode out of the garden. Bui Kieu Nhien followed us and proudly walked out.

06

Back at the hospital, mother immediately ordered her servants to prepare the carriage and close the trunk. The Su family's mamas who followed as dowries acted very quickly. Each trunk was carried out of the Minister's Palace. I sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, watching the maid put all my clothes, toys and books into the trunk. I'm not sad at all. When I lived here before, my father always forced me to yield to Nguyen Bao. Nguyen Bao came to steal my kite, my father told me to let go. Nguyen Bao accidentally ate my cake, his father told me to wait for the next oven. We won't need to give in anymore. Bui Kieu Nhien walked in from outside the hospital gate, leading dozens of soldiers behind him.

"I'm here to help you move your things."

The mother nodded and let the mamas command the soldiers to carry heavy things. Bui Kieu Nhien walked up to me and threw me a small cloth bag. I opened it to see, inside were all round candy balls rolling around, of all colors. I ask:

“What is this?”

"Tay Vuc fruit candy is a tribute. The Emperor gave it to me, I brought it all to you."

He squatted down and looked at me. I popped one into my mouth, and the rich peach flavor spread out.

“Thank you, Uncle Bui.”

I can't speak clearly.

“What do you call uncle?”

He raised his eyebrows.

"Didn't you say in the flower garden that you wanted me to be your new father? Now you regret it?"

I was stunned and turned my head to look at my mother. Mother was checking the books, so when she heard that, she raised her head to look at Bui Kieu Nhien.

"General Bui, a child speaks carelessly, don't tease her with it."

“I'm not teasing.”

Bui Kieu Nhien stood up and walked in front of his mother.

"To Thanh Lam, I miss you not in a day or two. Before, you blindly looked at a trash man, I had nothing to say. Now that you have come to your senses, should you give me a chance?"

The maids in the yard all bowed their heads. I widened my eyes and looked at them. Mother's face rarely turns red.

"Bui Kieu Nhien, stop talking nonsense in front of children. Hurry up and move things."

Bui Kieu Nhien laughed loudly, turned around to command the soldiers. I heard from a soldier next to Bui Kieu Nhien that Bui Kieu Nhien's grandfather and my maternal grandfather were close friends. When he was young, he was naughty and was thrown to study at his maternal grandfather's place. He often went in and out of the To family, and grew up together with his childhood mother and father-in-law. Later, he joined the army and was surrounded in the barracks for a very long time, no longer free.

“Miss, our general is risking his life on the battlefield to make great achievements, just waiting to return to the capital to marry Miss To.”

“Who would have thought that Miss To would marry someone else.”

The soldier was full of regret regret.

"But now it's good. Miss Su is at peace, isn't our general's opportunity already here?"

The little soldier looked around, then secretly said to me:

“You don't know it yet, young lady. In the past, in order to know how you and your mother lived, our general climbed walls and trees, secretly monitoring every move of the Minister's residence many times."

I suddenly woke up with great enlightenment.

"No wonder I always see Uncle Bui. Turns out he's been following me and my mother."

“Shh…”

"Don't tell anyone else, young lady. I'm going to work, if the general sees it, I'll definitely die."

The soldier finished speaking and ran away. I turned my head to look at Bui Kieu Nhien who was always looking for an opportunity to approach my mother. At that moment, he also turned his head to look at me and winked at me. Half an hour later, all our belongings were loaded into the car. Going to the main gate, father stood inside the threshold. Nguyen Bao hid behind him, stuck his head out to look at the bag of fruit candy in my hand, and swallowed his saliva.

“Ah Nhuoc.”

My father walked down the steps, wanting to reach out and pat my head. I immediately hid behind Bui Kieu Nhien's feet. His father's hand stiffened in mid-air.

“Ah Nhuoc, if you miss your father in the future, just send someone to pass the word, father will come pick you up to play.”

I stuck my head out, clutching the bag of fruit candy.

"I don't remember you. Go play with Nguyen Bao. I have a new father to play with."

My father's eyes suddenly turned red. Bui Kieu Nhien bent down and picked me up, firmly placing me on the carriage.

“Master Shen, stop walking.”

Bui Kieu Nhien stood in front of the carriage, looking down at him from above.

"From now on, A Nhuoc will have my protection, so you better not appear in front of him anymore. Otherwise, I will fight you once."

The carriage slowly moved. I lifted the window curtain and looked out. Father stood in front of the big gate, forever looking in the direction of the carriage. Nguyen Bao pulled his father's sleeve and loudly demanded candy. This time, father did not pay attention to it.