Chapter 8 — Broken Pearls Are Hard to Heal

His mother and family turned that kindness into the cruelest knife in the world, personally pushing us into the abyss with no way out. He always thought that I was eager to remarry to enjoy a peaceful life. And I think he married someone new in Duong Chau.
“Gui Hanh…”
I laughed at myself. But the tears couldn't stop. How ridiculous it is. It turns out... none of us betrayed the deep feelings of our teenage years. … That night, I sat next to an oil lamp that waxed and waned until dawn. I don't know when the autumn rain outside the window stopped, replaced by the cold morning light of early autumn. I folded the letters carefully, along with the bamboo toys connected piece by piece with gold thread, then placed them all back in the trunk. I changed into a rustic cloth outfit, followed the still wet green stone road, step by step towards the back of the district. Truong Phong is guarding outside the hospital gate. His eyes were bloodshot from staying awake, and his whole body was extremely emaciated. As soon as he saw me, he was so surprised that he almost fell off the steps.
"Miss Song? You... you're here!"
“Take me to see him.”
I said calmly. He nodded repeatedly, reaching out to open the tightly closed door. The room smelled strongly of bitter poison, and there was also a faint smell of blood that was impossible to dispel. Layers of thick curtains fell, obscuring most of the light. We slowly walked in. Going around the mountain screen, I finally saw clearly the person lying on the bed. Quy Hanh sank into the thick brocade blanket. Thin to the point of being almost skin and bones. His face was so pale that it was almost transparent. Perhaps you can hear footsteps. He had difficulty opening his eyes. The moment he saw me clearly, those originally empty eyes suddenly lit up with a bright light, like a reflection of light. Instinctively, he wanted to sit up. But as soon as I touched the whip wound on my back, it hurt so much that I coughed so hard. He frantically used his sleeve to wipe the blood from the corner of his lips, trying to hide the blood-stained handkerchief in the blanket. Look at his struggling appearance. I remember the teenager from Duong Chau. The person who was fearless, even when he was kicked with a ruler, still smiled innocently at me.
“Don't move anymore.”
I stopped next to the bed. Quy Hanh's whole body stopped. Dry, cracked lips moved slightly. Hoarse voice.
"A Am... please stand a little further away. Now that I have become like this, I could accidentally transmit the disease to you."
“Is it worth it?”
I looked at him and asked softly.
"Because of a widow, he suffered thirty lashes, and even asked to have his name removed from the family record."
“Gui Hanh…are you crazy?”
Quy Hanh smiled softly at himself.
“Ah Am.”
"Woke up that year on the wedding bed, when I saw her..."
“Actually, I'm very happy inside.”
He leaned against the headboard, greedily looking at my face.
“After that I swore to myself.”
“Even if I risk my life... I must protect my little dumpling's safety for the rest of my life.”
“But I didn't expect…the person who ruined my entire life A Am…was me.”
He closed his eyes in pain.
“They used my name to hurt you.”
“Ah Am…”
“This body was born from them.”
“This last name…”
“This money…”
“I also give it back to them.”
“From now on… there will no longer be A Hanh of the Duong Chau family in this world.”
“Only Quy Hanh of An Duong district remains.”
“I just want to be clean and stand next to you her."
“Gui Hanh.”
I took a deep breath. The voice was calm but decisive.
“Listen carefully.”
"Tong Van Am of that year...did indeed die on a snowy night four years ago at Thanh Hoang temple."
“It was Tham Thuc Ngoc who saved my life.”
“Pay me the money.”
“He married me, respected me, protected me.”
“For the past three years, I have willingly volunteered to be the daughter-in-law of the Tham family.”
“No one can change those things.”
The weak light in Quy Hanh's eyes gradually faded.
“But…”
I say each word slowly.
"That young man stood under the gardenia tree, clumsily weaving bamboo dragonflies for me, smiling and saying that he would prepare the biggest dowry in the world for me... I never hated him."
Quy Hanh suddenly raised his head. Pupils suddenly constricted. I smiled slightly at him.
“So…stop torturing yourself.”
“Drink medicine properly, live well.”
“Forgiving me…is also forgiving yourself.”
Having said that, I didn't wait for him to respond. Just turned around, lifted the thick curtain and walked out of that room that smelled like smoke. Behind the back. Vaguely, there was a hoarse choking sound. The teenager who was as bright as the sun in Yangzhou every year, finally on that day, after four years of separation, reconciled with himself in the most painful way. … Fall passes and spring comes. In the blink of an eye, three more years have passed. The Tham family's property has been clearly delineated. No one dares to go to the fabric store and say a half-hearted nonsense. My name is written on the house and land deed of Tham Ky Bo Trang. An Duong district also has a new district position. It is said that the previous district governor, Lord Quy, because of his integrity and tough tactics, was specially summoned to the capital to hold the position of Thi Lang of the Criminal Ministry, with a bright future. No one knows... Before leaving An Duong, Lord Quy was in front of the lonely grave outside the city, not eating or drinking for three days and three nights. Our fabric store is still open every day as before. Sometimes Truong Phong comes to buy a few yards of raw fabric. He said that the lord had refused all marriages with famous families in the capital. The palace is so clean that there is not even a single maid. Only behind the screen on the west side of the study room... Day and night, a painting of that back still hangs. After listening, I just smiled slightly. Quietly hand the finished fabric to him. People still say it's a good thing when a broken mirror heals. But there are broken mirrors that are broken. Even if I use the most precious gold thread in the world to mend it. Those cracks...still hurt people. I don't intend to return to being his Lady Quy. He no longer wants to force me to return to my old dream. He just keeps being his god. Standing quietly in the dark, protecting my peaceful life. And I still open the fabric store. Live your free life under the sun. So…it's already very good. Mutual understanding is not equal to nostalgia. Living under the same moon, everyone has their own joy. That was the most beautiful ending to our deep teenage love story. End.