Chapter 6 — Between Two Worlds: A Bride Exchanged for a Dumpling

One morning, when Thua An had to personally lead a group of newly-submitted migrants to survey an underground water source half a day's journey from the village, bad news suddenly arrived: Pham Dinh Nam sent a letter informing him that this batch of goods would be a few days later than expected, because the newest antique item needed more time to appraise its value before it could be sold to be exchanged for food. That was originally just a small problem in the trade cycle, but it happened right at the time when the stockpile in Bai Tro village was almost exhausted after the widespread distribution last week.

The news spread quickly, causing many families who were used to relying on regular food portions to begin to panic. Some people whispered that Mr. Ky's "vault of wealth" must have been exhausted. Some people showed concern and came to the warehouse to ask questions. Some even impatiently demanded to be given a portion first to protect themselves.

While Thua An had not yet returned, Tieu Mien was the only one facing the crowd that was gradually becoming chaotic. She stood in front of the warehouse door, her hands clasped together to hide her trembling, but her voice still maintained the necessary calmness.

"Please calm down, everyone," she said, loud enough to drown out the whispers. "It's true that this batch will be a few days later, but not because it's exhausted, but because my husband is looking for a more valuable source of goods in exchange for more food for all of us. In the meantime, I will redistribute the remaining food inventory in a more equitable way, giving priority to families with young children and the elderly first."

Having finished speaking, she did not hesitate, immediately opened the books she had recorded for the past two months, quickly calculated the remaining amount of rice, salt, and medicine, dividing it into small portions according to the urgency of each household. She appointed a few trustworthy young men in the guard team to distribute each portion according to the list, avoiding chaos and jostling. For families with seriously ill people, she personally brings medicine to the place, along with reassurances that a new batch will arrive soon.

Within just half a day, the confused crowd in front of the warehouse door gradually dispersed in an orderly manner. Many people even returned to thank "Mr. Ky's wife" for taking good care of her even when her husband was absent. When Thua An returned in the evening and heard the whole incident, he couldn't help but be surprised and proud at how Tieu Mien handled the situation so skillfully.

“You did very well,” he said, holding her hands, calloused by days of labor. "Better than what we could do if we were there now."

Tieu Mien blushed slightly at that sincere compliment, but could not hide the new confidence growing in her heart. "I just do what needs to be done," she said modestly. "But I realize that if we want this job to be sustainable in the long run, we need to have a clearer system. We can't let everything depend on you alone. If you agree, I want to take care of book management, distribution, and also train a few more trustworthy people to help, in case something unexpected happens."

Thua An without hesitation nodded in agreement. He had long realized that Tieu Mien was not only a gentle wife, but also possessed a sharp organizational mind, a foresight that he himself, even though he probably came from a place of higher education if his vague memory was correct, could not easily have in this situation.

From then on, Tieu Mien officially became the manager of Thua An's entire distribution and accounting system, a role she took on with rare dedication and seriousness. She created three separate books: one book recorded the goods exchanged through the gate - although she did not know the true nature of the source of that wealth, she simply understood that it was her husband's "secret business" - one book recorded the distribution of relief to the villagers, and one book recorded the labor and wages of the hired people.

She also began training two more women in the village, who had had some education before the Great Hunger Year struck, to help with recording and distribution, easing her own burden. Her methodical and conscientious way of working made even those who were skeptical about "the girl in exchange for a dumpling" admire her, gradually calling her by the respectful name: "Lady Tieu Mien".

Not everything goes smoothly from the start. One time, a man named Kinh - who was famous for being talkative in the neighborhood - came to cause trouble in front of the warehouse, loudly claiming that his family received less food than his neighbor's even though they had the same population, suspecting Tieu Mien of favoring acquaintances. The surrounding crowd began to whisper, their eyes focused on her. Instead of getting angry or making empty excuses, Tieu Mien calmly opened the notebook right in front of everyone, clearly pointing out the date, quantity, and the reason the neighbor's house received the extra portion because there was a seriously ill old man who needed more porridge and medicine as prescribed. She also invited Mr. Kinh and a few witnesses to compare all of his family's books from previous installments, showing that his family had always received the full portion, sometimes even slightly more than the prescribed amount because of young children. Faced with clear evidence, Mr. Kinh blushed in embarrassment, mumbled an apology, and then quietly withdrew. Since that incident, no one has dared to doubt the fairness of Tieu Mien's management style. On the contrary, many people see her transparent book as an example for the village to follow.

That incident made Thua An even more confident, deciding to give Tieu Mien the final decision-making power in all matters related to distribution and personnel, keeping only the task of finding sources of goods and maintaining the secret gate for himself. That clear division of duties helps both of them work more effectively, and is also a living proof that the marriage that started out just for survival between them is gradually transforming into an equal cooperation and mutual respect - something that not every couple in these chaotic times can have.

One evening, after completing the bookkeeping work for the day, Tieu Mien sat leaning on Thua An's shoulder on the front porch, looking far away at the rooftops in the village, which began to have flickering oil lamps again instead of the silent darkness like before.

"Sometimes I wonder," she said softly, "if you hadn't stopped to give me half a dumpling that day, what my life would be like now. Maybe I wouldn't be on this earth anymore."

Thua An wrapped his arms around her shoulders, feeling the familiar warmth that had become an indispensable part of his life. "If I hadn't stopped that day," he said softly, his voice filled with sincerity, "maybe I wouldn't have found a reason to continue to survive through the most desperate nights. We saved each other, Tieu Mien, not just one way."

Tieu Mien looked up at him, her eyes sparkling under the new moonlight, and in that rare moment of peace, they both felt one thing for sure: even though the road ahead was still full of thorns, even though the dangers were still silently lurking somewhere out there, what they had built together - not just wealth, but a real home, a sincere love that blossomed from adversity - was worthy of them protecting together to the end.

The two women chosen by Tieu Mien for training also gradually became indispensable and effective hands. A person who was the daughter of a traditional healer who died of exhaustion during the first year of starvation, was fluent in writing and had some knowledge of medicinal herbs, was assigned to be in charge of the medical records. The other person used to help with sales for a small grocery store before the drought hit, had a keen eye for measuring and measuring, and was assigned to inventory the food entering the warehouse every time the goods were brought in from the gate. Tieu Mien did not hide her profession and was willing to meticulously teach each recording method and each classification principle, because she understands that a system was only truly sustainable when it did not depend on any individual, including herself.

Watching those two women become more and more proficient and confident in taking on the work that only she had previously shouldered, Tieu Mien felt an indescribable joy - not only the joy of the manager seeing the work go smoothly, but also the joy of a girl who almost starved to death on the side of the road, can now stand up to guide and give opportunities to others who are also struggling to find a way to live amid adversity, just like how she was once given that opportunity from a warm bun.