Chapter 1 — Fascinated by the Rooster Farmer Raising His Children

The Chu family's villa was lit up early, the crystal chandeliers in the large living room casting an unusually warm golden light on the marble floor. Chu Khanh Vy stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the hem of her ivory silk ao dai, her fingers shaking slightly as she fastened the silver brooch her grandmother gave her last night.

"Today is an important day for the whole family," the old housekeeper repeated for the third time that morning, her voice both respectful and searching. "Eldest girl, remember to go down to the lobby on time."

Khanh Vy nodded but did not answer. She was twenty-eight years old, held the position of head of the strategic investment department of Chu Thi Group, and was used to having every day of her life scheduled by someone else. But today was different. Today was the family gathering that her grandmother called the beautiful name "meeting the future" — where men deemed worthy by the family would come and be introduced, and one of the two sisters would have to choose one to marry before the end of the year.

She was not against arranged marriage. In a family like the Chu family, marriage had never been just about two people. But she had a naive belief, which she still held, that if she had to choose, at least she would be chosen for real, with her own eyes.

She didn't know that her grandmother and younger sister had been discussing this matter two weeks ago, in the small tea room behind the garden, where no one was allowed to overhear.

*

Chu Nha Dinh appeared at the foot of the stairs in a wine red dress, her hair tied up in a bun to reveal her white neckline, her lips curled into a smile just enough to please her grandmother but not enough for her father - Mr. Chu Trong Nghiep - to notice anything unusual.

"Second sister." Nha Dinh called, her voice as sweet as honey. "Are you worried? Your face is so pale."

"No, I'm fine." Khanh Vy replied, trying to maintain her usual composure. "I'm just not used to being presented... like a commodity."

Nha Dinh burst out laughing, the clear laughter echoed throughout the hall. "Don't say that, grandma will be angry when she hears it. This is our family's tradition. Grandma and mother's life both went through this period. Besides, everyone knows that you are the one grandma hopes for the most. The best spot is definitely reserved for you."

That statement, if Khanh Vy had been more observant, might have recognized another layer of meaning - a spicy hidden meaning wrapped in a layer of sweet sugar. But she was tired from the pressure of work this week, her mind was not alert enough to doubt her half-sister whom she had tried to treat kindly for the past twenty years, since the day Nha Dinh's mother entered this house to replace her biological mother's position.

*

The large living room was decorated like a high-class banquet. The long table was covered with a white silk scarf, each seat had a small card with the candidate's name and a brief resume: education, assets, social position, family relationship. Khanh Vy glanced at the list hanging on the carved wooden board at the head of the room—twelve names, arranged from top to bottom, like a competition rankings board.

At the top of the list was To Khai Van, the only son of a large real estate corporation, handsome, articulate, and had appeared in several business newspapers for his famous deals. At the end of the list, the smallest line, almost obscured, read: "Dinh Vinh Khang — 32 years old — owner of an agricultural farm in Tan Hoa commune — widower, has one daughter."

Next to the name there was no photo, no description of assets or relationships, just a handwritten note from someone, probably grandmother's secretary: "Reserve candidate, inherited land, no significant family background."

Khanh Vy frowned. She didn't understand why such a person was on this list, among the young masters, young directors, and children of tycoons. But she did not have time to think any more, because her grandmother - Chu Le Phuong - had already entered the room, leaning on an ebony cane, her eyes scanning around the room like a general checking the formation before battle.

"Everyone take your seats." She spoke, her voice not loud but enough to make the whole room silent. "Today, the Chu family will choose two future son-in-laws. I have carefully considered each candidate. You just need to talk, observe, and believe in my arrangements."

Mr. Chu Trong Nghiep sat at the opposite end of the table, his face calm but his eyes avoiding his eldest daughter's gaze. Khanh Vy noticed that but did not have time to wonder, because the meeting had already started.

*

For the next two hours, Khanh Vy sat and talked to each candidate in the order her grandmother arranged. To Khai Van was the person who impresses her the most — not because of his appearance, but because of the way he talks, always skillfully steering the conversation toward joint investment projects that benefit both families. She immediately realized that this was not a meeting to learn about love, but a business negotiation disguised as marriage.

Nha Dinh, at the next table, was also chatting excitedly with the other candidates, but her eyes often glanced at To Khai Van, unable to hide her desire.

Near the end of the session, a name was announced that made the whole room stir: "Dinh Vinh Khang."

The man entered from the side door, not the main door like the other candidates - perhaps arranged by mistake by the butler, or on purpose. He wore a simple gray suit, not fashionable but clean and neat. Tall figure, broad shoulders, tanned skin typical of someone who often works outdoors. His eyes were strangely calm, not flustered or obsequious like one would imagine a farmer entering a tycoon's mansion for the first time.

He didn't sit at any particular table, just stood near the door, bowed politely to his grandmother and then quietly observed the room, as if he were evaluating something rather than being evaluated.

Khanh Vy looked at him curiously for a long time. There was something in that man's eyes that made her unable to leave right away, even though whispers around the room had begun to echo.

"Are farmers also invited here?"

"Maybe grandma just wanted to have enough numbers for the list, but who would really choose?"

"I heard that my wife passed away, and she took a child with her. It's troublesome."

The gossip reaching Khanh Vy's ears was like small needles pricking her self-esteem on behalf of that strange man. She didn't understand why she felt uncomfortable for someone she never knew, but she still stood up and walked closer to him, breaking the distance that no one in the room dared to cross.

"Is that Mr. Khang?" She asked, her voice soft but clear enough for those around her to hear. "I'm Khanh Vy. Have you had tea yet?"

The man was a little stunned, perhaps not expecting that in this room full of judgmental eyes, someone would actively start a conversation with him. He looked at her for a moment, then nodded slightly.

"Thank you. I'm not used to sessions like this." His voice was low and slow, without any flattery like the other candidates. "Actually, I didn't plan to come, but your grandmother sent a private invitation, saying she wanted to meet all the people who own land in the planning area that the corporation is interested in. I thought this was a meeting to discuss land issues."

Khanh Vy paused. His words made her realize one thing: this man didn't even understand the nature of today's meeting. He didn't come to find a wife, he came because he thought this was business.

"Here..." She was about to explain, but her grandmother called everyone together to announce the preliminary results of the meeting, interrupting the conversation.

Before leaving, the man bowed to her again, politely but not obsequiously. "Thank you for the tea, even though I don't have time to drink it. Have a nice afternoon." Then he turned around and walked out the side door, his gait steady and unhurried, as if he had nothing to worry about the outcome of this strange meeting.

Khanh Vy stood and watched his back disappear behind the door, an indescribable feeling arose in her heart. During the past two hours, she had heard dozens of flowery compliments from the other candidates, stories told with the express purpose of impressing her, of convincing her that they were worthy. But the brief conversation with the man named Vinh Khang did not have the appearance of a performance at all - simply a naked, unvarnished truth.

Khanh Vy returned to her seat, still lingering in her heart about that strange man's naive words. Little did she know that just a few hours later, the very name "Dinh Vinh Khang" — the person the whole room considered the cheapest, least valuable candidate — would become a fateful part of her life, in a way that no one, including her, could have expected.

Grandma stood up, her hand clasped the ebony stick, her eyes glanced over Khanh Vy and then stopped at Nha Dinh for a very short moment - so short that only the most observant person would recognize it as a pre-agreed signal.

"Today's meeting is considered the end of the first part," she said, her voice clear. "This afternoon, I will invite the family lawyer to complete some preliminary marriage documents, ensuring the binding of the final choice. My two nieces, please each prepare yourselves."

No one in the room noticed the slight flash of pride in Nha Dinh's eyes, nor did anyone notice that in the stack of documents the lawyer was about to bring, there was a page that had been swapped the night before, waiting for the fateful signature of the person who did not know he was stepping into a trap set by the closest people.