Chapter 2 — Do I Give Myself a Home?

3 When I went to the barbecue restaurant, it was crowded with people. The fragrant smell of grilled meat spread throughout the air, making my stomach rumble. We chose a few skewers, took a number and then found a place to sit and wait. I stared at the boss who was placing each skewer of meat on the grill, gulping down my saliva. Area B where I work, the cafeteria always has bad food, but it's cheap. To save money, Son Thach and I often tried to eat there even after work, reluctantly making it through the day. During the day it's fine, but when I come home from work at night, the cafeteria only has thin porridge with soy milk, no meat, and I can't stand eating it all the time. Seeing me looking at the grilled meat as if my soul had left my body, Son Thach saw the boss finish grilling and quickly picked up the tray and placed the meat skewer in front of me. I quickly picked up a skewer, ate it greedily, then pushed the plate towards him: "You can eat too." “Don't always wait for me to finish eating before eating.” “I have money now.” “Next month, if I work the maximum overtime, I will earn at least seven thousand yuan.” He nodded slightly, took a skewer and put it in his mouth. I lowered my head and bit into the meat, suddenly remembering what happened that day. "Mr. Son, I... want to see what a real piano looks like." My boyfriend turned to look at me, thought about it, then replied: "I heard some workers say that there is a piano on display at the shopping center nearby. Let's go see it when we're free." I didn't say anything, he asked again: "Do you want to learn the piano?" On the side of the road, there was a bustling stream of people passing by. A stray dog stood next to the table, wagging its tail, waiting for someone to give him some food. I shook my head slightly: "No, just... curious." “Piano… doesn't suit me.” “It's better to keep that money to eat.” “Besides, I don't have time.” He did not reply. The summer night wind gently blew through, bringing with it some coolness. We sat on the sidewalk, eating grilled meat and drinking a cup of cheap milk tea. Compared to the days before when I had to beg my adoptive parents for a piece of food, this moment... was enough to make me happy. I counted the pile of skewers in front of me — fifty skewers in total, equivalent to two hours of overtime. After paying, the two of us walked back to the dormitory together. 4 Many people in the workshop have heard about my biological parents. When I returned to the dormitory, as soon as I entered the room, Tran Tuyet, my roommate, immediately ran in front of me, worriedly asking: "Are you okay? Your biological parents... are really trash! Can you leave your own daughter?" “What is it like to be a factory worker?” “You came here to work part-time because you wanted to save money for college, but they still criticize you, I really don't understand!” She held my hand tightly and said seriously: "I tell you, you must live well, be successful, to make them regret it later!" Hearing that, I smiled softly, my voice as light as the wind: "It's okay... Actually, I thought maybe they wouldn't like me." “It's just… I didn't expect to receive it and didn't want it.” At this time, Ms. Ly Quyen, lying on the upper bed, poked her head down and asked: "In a few days we will start registering our wishes, do you need my advice?" Another roommate, Truong Lan Lan, also jumped out and said: "That's right! Have you thought about what major you want to choose?" "But remember, don't choose Tourism Management, don't study Construction! Don't even touch majors like Environmental Engineering!" I was a bit confused, looking at each mirror familiar faces around, honestly replied: "I... haven't thought of it yet." "It doesn't matter what major you study... I'm not afraid of suffering. In the future, I just need to find a stable job and live peacefully." After hearing that, Ms. Ly Quyen immediately smiled like "of course", then climbed down from the bed, took out her tablet, and waved to me: "Come here, I'll show you this. Applying for college is very important! Not only choosing a school, but also the location, major... it all affects your future." “No… it will be like me, now I have to compete with more than a thousand people for the civil service exam!” “Civil service exam?” I blinked, confused and asked: "What is the civil service exam...?" After hearing my question, Truong Lan Lan looked at me with wide eyes, her face full of disbelief: "Oh my god, did you... come out of some corner of the mountain!?" I honestly replied: "My house is in Ha Nam... Not in the mountains, but on the mountains." “It took two hours by bus to get to town…” “Yeah… it took three hours.” Truong Lan Lan smiled bitterly and teased me: "That's right, your phone still uses a brick phone. Now you can go to the factory to make money, that's considered a class leap." She tilted her head, lowered her voice and asked: "When your parents called to tell you to come home, they didn't... want to sell you for a bride price, right?" I nodded slightly, eyes lowered: "Yes... my brother is getting married, we don't have money... but I don't want to." “So… I ran away.” After speaking, I bowed my head, my voice was small, and I felt a little disappointed. Truong Lan Lan was speechless, then hugged my shoulders tightly: "Don't be sad... it's good to escape." "That's why you have to plan for the future. The outside world is very big." Ms. Ly Quyen was lying on the upper bed. Seeing this, she turned the tablet towards me, her finger hovered over the screen, pointing and explaining: "Now after graduating from high school, there are usually three options: • Civil service exam, • Graduate school, • Or go to work immediately."

“Taking the civil service exam means taking the exam to become a state agency, the job is stable, the benefits are good, and retirement is also guaranteed.” "If you go to graduate school, you can continue your studies, but... with my conditions, it's probably not too suitable." Truong Lan Lan hugged my shoulder and chimed in: "Choosing the right major is extremely important, it's like a second reincarnation. For example, Information Technology and Tourism Management... the future is worlds apart." She sighed, her eyes slightly regretful: "I made the wrong choice... now it's too late to regret. If you want to change majors in college, you must have high scores, and there is a limit on quota, so it's best to think carefully from the beginning." Ly Quyen scrolled to the next page, tilted her head and asked me: "Ah, have you ever thought about your future job? For example, programmer, civil servant, or foreign trade." I listened, my eyes lit up, my fingers unconsciously grabbed the corner of my shirt. These words… I had never heard them before. In my opinion, the best profession is a teacher. I awkwardly replied: "I... don't really understand these things." Ms. Ly Quyen smiled softly, her voice gentle: "It's okay, don't rush. Just go step by step. First, choose the right direction, then consider going to school." She put the tablet in my hand and said seriously: "Take it, see for yourself. Think carefully about what kind of life you want to live." any." “Nowadays, finding information online is much easier than before. If you have the opportunity to choose your future, you must hold it tightly." I hugged the tablet, slowly scrolling through each article and each share. For the first time in my life, I felt that the two words "future"... were no longer a fixed and unclear path. 5 On the day of registering my application, with the help of my roommates, I finished choosing the university I wanted to study in. {Read in full at Van Ha Tuong page} When I received the admission notice, I was so happy that I bought a smartphone that could go online, immediately took a photo and posted it on WeChat Moments. My roommates took turns giving me their hearts. I opened WeChat and sent photos to Co Son Thach. He also sent a photo back — we both passed from the same school. Three months later, the day of admission finally arrived. After work, the bell rang. I carefully went to say goodbye to everyone on the production line. The group leader came over, patted my shoulder, and gave me an envelope: "In here is the tuition money the brothers in this group contributed to you." I took it and bowed deeply: "Thank you, leader." He smiled softly, waved his hand: "Thank you for what?" “If I had had the same determination as you that year, I probably wouldn't have stayed in this factory my whole life.” “Go to school well, don't come back here.” Returning to the dormitory, Truong Lan Lan and Tran Tuyet were packing their luggage. They are also about to return to school, leaving tomorrow. Ly Quyen stood next to her and looked on, her voice a bit sad: "Sigh... everyone's gone, I'm the only one left." Truong Lan Lan smiled and said: "That's good, at least the last three hundred hours of overtime are not calculated by the same salary." “What a waste of money, I lost a whole sum to the broker, less than ten yuan per hour.” She patted Ly Quyen's shoulder again: "But that's good, earn some money for living expenses, then continue studying for the civil service exam." Seeing me return, three people pulled me back, hugged each other and took a souvenir photo. In the photo, four children are crowded next to an iron bunk bed with peeling paint, the dorm is cramped, the environment is not very good... But they are all smiling. The next day, on the weekend, I was the last to leave. While I was carrying my luggage, Ly Quyen seriously held my hand and said: "Lam An, I wish you a bright future, advancement, prosperity, and achieving everything you desire."