Chapter 9 — Divorced and Reborn: My New Beginning

It was not the bustling atmosphere that drove my success, but rather my growing reputation. Factories throughout the district began placing bulk orders, and my single shop could no longer keep pace with the demand. I rented out the backyard and opened a small workshop. Phuong Tieu Mai took charge of procurement, Mrs. Phuong managed the ledgers, and Little Ton was responsible for deliveries. I established strict regulations: every raw material had to be logged daily, all spices in the storage room had to be weighed and recorded, and samples of every finished product had to be preserved. Some people laughed at me for being overly fastidious. I simply replied:

"When the food is intended for someone else's consumption, being meticulous is my duty."

Three months later, the second To Ky Braised Food shop opened its doors. Duong Duong also began attending school. The first time she received a small red star for her performance, she ran home, her hair damp with sweat.

"Mom, the teacher said my handwriting is beautiful!"

I picked her up and spun her around in a circle.

"Our Duong Duong is so brilliant."

She laughed until her eyes curved into crescents. That evening, Luc Tranh arrived. He stood outside the doorway, holding a wooden box in his hands.

"Pencils for Duong Duong."

I did not invite him inside.

"Just leave them there."

He peered into the room. Duong Duong was sitting at her desk, practicing her penmanship; upon hearing the noise, she looked up at him once. She did not hide, yet she did not call him father. A flicker of profound loss crossed Luc Tranh's eyes. He placed the box down.

"To Hoa, I have requested a transfer to the regional military command. It will be closer to the town."

I furrowed my brow.

"You do not need to alter your life for our sake."

He replied, "It is not for your sake, or for hers. It is a responsibility I must shoulder."

I studied him. This man was truly changing. He began writing letters to Duong Duong, learning to ask what she had eaten that day and which words she had mastered. He no longer barged in unannounced; each time he visited, he sent word ahead. He sent child support payments on time, to the penny, never a cent more. Because I had once told him I needed nothing extra, he complied. But compliance did not mean the past could be forgiven or forgotten. I said, "Luc Tranh, you may act as Duong Duong's father. But between us, there is no longer any possibility."

His fingers stiffened. "Is it because I arrived too late?"

I answered, "It is because I no longer wish to entrust my life to anyone else."

He remained silent for a long while. "I understand."

I had assumed he would give up. Yet he did not linger or pester; he simply appeared whenever I required assistance. When my workshop was processing paperwork, he helped me interpret the policies. When children at school mocked Duong Duong for not having a father, he arrived in his military uniform for the parent-teacher conference, standing by the door and saluting with military precision. He announced to the class, "Student Luc Niem Hoa, I am your father. My absence in the past was my own failure. From now on, I will make amends."

After we returned home, Duong Duong asked me, "Mom, may I forgive him just a little bit?"

I stroked her hair. "That is your own matter. If you want to forgive him, then do so. If you do not wish to, that is also fine."

She pondered for a long time. "Then I will forgive him just a little bit for now."

I broke into a smile, though my eyes burned with unshed tears. I would not harbor hatred on my child's behalf, nor would I force her to love. She deserved the right to make her own choices.

Just as life was settling into a rhythm of stability, Hua Que Lan stirred up trouble again. She borrowed money from throughout the Luc clan, claiming that Luc Tranh and I were about to remarry and that the To Ky Braised Food shop would soon be handed over to the Luc family to manage. She even boasted that anyone who lent her money now would receive a share of the future profits. A few relatives in the village actually believed her. It was only when they showed up at my shop that I learned of the scheme. I immediately took my ledgers and the divorce settlement to the Luc village. Hua Que Lan was sitting in the courtyard, cracking melon seeds; the moment she saw me, her expression shifted instantly.

"What are you doing here?"

I slammed the divorce settlement down on the table.