Chapter 5 — An Y

11Night has fallen, and the stars and moon shine together. I had just put on my coat and was about to blow out the candle when I suddenly heard the sound of wind chimes outside the window ringing steadily. Hastily opening the window, a figure quickly passed by and the scent of pine wood wafted around us. It's Tong Hanh Van. After the first year of not seeing anyone, in the following years, Tong Hanh Van visited more often. Initially every two or three months, then gradually once a month or twice. Sometimes, if An Ninh is not asleep, they still have the opportunity to meet and chat a few words. But I haven't seen him for nearly half a year. I closed the door, Tong Hanh Van quickly found a familiar seat: "I just went on a business trip, just now coming back. Is everything okay recently?" "Everything is good." I looked closely at him under the candlelight, to see if there were any signs of injury. In previous years, every time Tong Hanh Van appeared, he brought injuries on his body. Even though he tried to hide it, I still smelled blood. Not this time, I breathed a sigh of relief. "I remember the taste of the sticky rice wine balls you made." Tong Hanh Van's deep, hoarse voice rang out under the dim candlelight. He looked at me and said it very seriously. I smiled softly: "You and An Ninh have the same taste." After saying that, I stood up and went to the kitchen, Tong Hanh Van followed closely. He pulled out a fire, quickly lit the straw and put the firewood into the stove. Luckily, our family makes cakes, so sticky rice wine and glutinous rice flour are always available. While I was kneading dough and rice balls, Tong Hanh Van started boiling water: "I originally saved a bowl of sticky rice wine balls for you on New Year's Eve and Nguyen Tieu. An Ninh tried to stay awake and waited for you to come home to eat with us, but unfortunately you didn't come." "But it's okay, meal time is still the same." The firelight from the kitchen reflected on Tong Hanh Van's face, creating shadows that made it difficult to clearly see his expression. Since the incident of the Song family, he spoke less than before. Most of the time we spent together, I talked, he quietly listened. "It's done." I picked up a bowl of hot rice balls and gave it to Tong Hanh Van. He took it, and we sat on a small chair to enjoy it. "It's still the taste of the old days." Tong Hanh Van lowered his eyes and gently stirred the bowl of floating balls. I burst out laughing. When I was still in Song Palace, every year when I went to Nguyen Tieu, I personally cooked a pot of sticky rice wine balls in Mrs. Tong's small kitchen. At that time, Lady Tong always called Tong Hanh Van to eat. He didn't say anything, but he often ate more than others. Lady Song also always saved a bowl for Old Master Song when he returned from court, so that he could enjoy it as soon as he got home. Those old things have now become a luxury. "I wonder if at the border, they can have hot meals." I frowned and sighed. "Now I have a few people under my belt, I have sent them to take care of my parents, it probably won't be too difficult, don't worry." After drinking, Tong Hanh Van said, his eyes flashed with a gloomy light: "Just wait a little longer... not long." I was both happy and worried. Relatives return, family reunites, what could be better? But... looking at Tong Hanh Van, who seemed to have become a different person, sadness filled my heart. We still don't know what price he had to pay to regain the chance to survive for himself and his family. To break the quiet atmosphere, I whispered: "Today An Ninh said she wanted to learn martial arts." "Learn martial arts?" Tong Hanh Van was surprised. "I was going to find a martial arts teacher for you, you came at the right time, I was worried about who to find." "Let me take care of that."... Time quietly passed, and Tong Hanh Van had to go again. As usual, he left a check, this time for one hundred taels. I put the check in a small, delicate box, inside there were many previous checks

leave. The income from the bakery is enough for me and An Ninh to live. I save these coins for An Ninh as a dowry in the future. Carefully putting the box away, I peacefully fell asleep. 12 The next morning, I watched An Ninh and Tieu Ha go to school. While I was displaying cakes at the shop, I suddenly saw a woman with her hair tied up standing in front of the shop. "Do you want to buy anything?" I asked. "Miss An Y, I am a martial arts master invited by Mr. Hanh Van." I was stunned for a moment and quickly invited her inside. "My name is Kim Ngoc. I am twenty this year, you can just call me by my name." Twenty years old, turns out to be three years younger than me. I listened attentively to Kim Ngoc's introduction and confirmed that she was indeed the martial arts master invited by Tong Hanh Van. Only then did I feel at ease. When An Ninh returned from school, she saw a tall woman looking after the shop with me. Knowing that this was the martial arts master who was going to teach her, she jumped up and down with joy. "Wait," I spoke up to stop her: "You can only practice martial arts with sister Kim Ngoc when you finish the homework the teacher gave you at school, understand?" "Understood!" An Ninh was excited, then happily ran to show off to Tieu Ha next door. I couldn't help but laugh. An Ninh's desire to learn martial arts was not just a spontaneous thought. During the following period, every day she woke up early in the morning. Before dawn, she practiced. Kim Ngoc led her to run around the yard. After completing the morning practice, she put on her school bag. Tieu Ha said that An Ninh at school had changed completely, she was no longer lazy like before, she focused on listening to the teacher, she even finished most of her homework right at school, and when she got home, she only wanted Kim Ngoc to teach her martial arts. After starting to practice martial arts, An Ninh's appetite also increased, sometimes she could eat three bowls of rice in one meal. Practicing martial arts, it's hard to avoid collisions. At night, I rubbed medicine on the green, purple, and blue bruises on her body, and I couldn't help but feel the pain. I asked her if she found learning martial arts difficult. An Ninh smiled and replied: "There's nothing hard about doing what you like." Hearing that, I love you more and cook nutritious food for you every day. As time passed, An Ninh not only grew noticeably taller, but her chubby face also gradually disappeared. She looked almost as tall as Tieu Ha, even though that boy was two years older than her. Tieu Ha refused to lose and asked her mother to let her learn martial arts. Judge Cui finally couldn't resist, so he told Cui Giang to bring two chickens and some silver to the house, asking Kim Ngoc to teach Tieu Ha. "It's easy, it's easy." I laughed, and Cui Giang talked with Cui Giang about our two children. "So..." Cui Giang looked at me with the things, then turned to look at Kim Ngoc sitting on the stone bench, her expression cold, attentively wiping the sharp dagger in her hand. I turned to Kim Ngoc: "Give it all to Kim Ngoc, after all, she is the one who worked hard to teach." Kim Ngoc glanced at Cui Giang from head to toe, seemingly full of alertness, then she wiped the knife with a towel, raised her chin, coldly said: "Put it on the table." Cui Giang was so uncomfortable with her look that she immediately put the things on the table and quickly retreated to stand next to me. After resolving the children's matter, Thoi Giang's tanned face suddenly appeared hesitant, slightly red. His throat moved a few times, then hesitantly said: "An Y, I... I have something to tell you..."