Chapter 4 — Fascinated by the Rooster Farmer Raising His Children

The road leading to Binh Xuyen village turned off the main highway, passes through green rice fields and gradually narrows into a small concrete road, flanked by rows of shiny bamboo trees. Khanh Vy sat in the car, looking at the scenery passing by, feeling like she was entering a completely different world than the busy streets of Saigon that she was familiar with.

The wedding ceremony took place simply, witnessed only by both families and a few close neighbors of Vinh Khang. There was no lavish wedding party, no hundreds of guests like what Khanh Vy had imagined for her wedding. Grandma attended with a satisfied expression, as if an important deal had been completed. Mr. Trong Nghiep stood next to his mother, his face complicated, both guilty and helpless.

After the wedding, Khanh Vy followed Vinh Khang to the four-level house located in the middle of a farm of more than two hectares. As soon as the car stopped in front of the gate, a small little girl was waiting on the porch, clutching an old stuffed animal, her big round eyes staring at the strange woman who had just gotten out of the car with her father.

"Tieu Yen, come out and say hello to me." Vinh Khang said, his voice was much gentler than when he talked about work.

The little girl did not step forward, just stood still, her vigilant eyes never leaving Khanh Vy. After a long moment of silence, the child bowed slightly, then turned and ran into the house, slamming the door to his room.

"Sorry." Vinh Khang said, his voice a bit embarrassed. "She's not used to strangers. Since her mother died, she's afraid... afraid of new people appearing in the house and then leaving."

Khanh Vy nodded silently, without any blame. She understands, even if only partly, the feeling of fear of a child who had lost the person they love most.

She stood silently for a moment on the front porch, looking around at the clean clay yard, the low bamboo fence surrounding the vegetable garden, and beyond, the rows of white plastic-roofed houses stretching to the edge of the field. The air here was strangely fresh, the smell of damp earth mixed with the smell of left, different from the smell of car exhaust and hot concrete that she had become accustomed to during her twenty-eight years of living in the city. A feeling that was both strange and strangely pleasant crept into her heart, even though she knew there were still many things ahead that she had to learn to adapt to.

"Do you need my help carrying your luggage in?" Vinh Khang asked, pulling her back to reality. He had already carried her two large suitcases down from the car, placing them neatly in front of the room door.

"Thank you, I can do it myself." Khanh Vy replied, but when she was about to lift the heaviest suitcase, Vinh Khang quickly caught it and carried it into the room for her without waiting for her consent. It was a small gesture, but enough to make Khanh Vy realize that, although he rarely spoke, this man had a silent concern that not everyone could easily recognize from the first meeting.

*

The house was simple but surprisingly clean and tidy. There was none of the clutter that Khanh Vy imagines in the home of a single man raising children alone. The furniture was neatly arranged, Tieu Yen's books were neatly arranged on small shelves, the kitchen was clean even though simple.

"Your room is here." Vinh Khang led her to a small room at the end of the hallway, the window looked straight out to a growing green vegetable field. "I cleaned it up last week. I hope you don't find it too simple. Tieu Yen and I's room is on the other side."

"Thank you." Khanh Vy replied, her voice a bit hesitant. She realized right away from this small detail — the fact that he prepared a separate room for her instead of assuming she had to share a room with him like a regular couple — that this man respected her boundaries more than she thought.

In the kitchen, Vinh Khang cooked dinner himself, with the skillful movements of someone who had been used to cooking for many years. Khanh Vy stood at the kitchen door, hesitantly asking if he could help, but he just smiled and shook his head, telling her to rest after a long day. She stood there for a moment, observing the way he quickly chopped vegetables and seasoned them just right without needing to measure carefully like the professional chefs she used to hire at family parties, and wondered how many things about this man she didn't know.

The first dinner took place in an awkward atmosphere. Tieu Yen sat as far away from Khanh Vy as possible, only talking to her father, occasionally glancing at the strange woman with searching eyes and then quickly bowing down to her rice bowl when she was caught.

"You should eat more vegetables." Vinh Khang gave his daughter some stir-fried vegetables, his voice warm. "This is the vegetable dad grew in the greenhouse. I like to eat this."

"Yes." Tieu Yen replied softly, bowed her head and continued eating.

Khanh Vy observed the way father and son interacted, realizing the special bond between them — a bond built from years of just the two of them relying on each other. She suddenly felt like an intruder in a world that was already complete, with no room left for her.

"Miss..." Tieu Yen suddenly spoke, her voice was small but clear, surprising both Khanh Vy and Vinh Khang. "Are you my new mother?"

The child's innocent question made the atmosphere in the room suddenly freeze. Khanh Vy looked at Vinh Khang and saw that he was equally confused, then she turned to look straight into Tieu Yen's big round eyes.

"Her name is Khanh Vy." She said, choosing each word carefully. "I just came to live here with you and dad. I don't want to replace your mother, because your mother always has a special place in your heart that no one can replace. But if you allow it, I want to be friends with you, slowly, no need to rush."

Tieu Yen looked at her for a long time, her eyes sparkling as if she was considering something beyond her age. "Is Dad's friend your friend too?"

"Not necessarily." Khanh Vy smiled slightly. "But if you want, I'll try to be your personal friend, not just because you're my child."

The little girl did not respond, but also did not retreat like her initial reaction in the afternoon. She quietly continued to eat her bowl of rice, occasionally glancing at Khanh Vy more discreetly and less warily.

After the meal, when Vinh Khang put her daughter to bed, Khanh Vy sat alone on the porch, looking out at the dark yard with only the moonlight dimly shining down on the vegetable beds. The fresh air and the chirping of insects were completely different from the car horns and neon lights of the city she had just left.

She took out her phone, intending to text Vuong Vu Dang to tell about this tumultuous first day, but then put the phone away. She needed time to sort out the jumbled emotions in her heart before sharing them with anyone.

Vinh Khang walked out onto the porch after putting his daughter to sleep and sat down at a polite enough distance from her. He gave her a cup of hot ginger tea.

"Drink to keep warm. The nights here are much colder than the city." he said. "I know today is a difficult day for you. Thank you for being patient with Tieu Yen."

"She's so adorable." Khanh Vy replied, accepting the cup of tea, warmth spreading through her palm. "I understand the feeling of being afraid of losing what you love. I won't force her to accept me right away, I can wait."

Vinh Khang looked at her for a moment, his eyes under the moonlight much softer than the calm and tough look at the city cafe. "You are different from what I imagined a young lady from a tycoon would look like." He said softly. "I thought you would be upset and criticize life here."

"And I don't think a farmer can be so delicate and thoughtful." Khanh Vy responded, her voice a bit humorous for the first time since everything happened. "Perhaps we both misjudged each other, at least to begin with."

They sat quietly together for a long time, not saying anything, just listening to the sound of the wind blowing through the vegetable beds and the sounds of insects on the summer night. It was a rare moment of peace that Khanh Vy did not expect to find on the first day of this tumultuous marriage - a fragile but genuine peace, completely different from the fake glamor of the world she had just left.

"Tomorrow I will wake up early to prepare things for Tieu Yen to go to school." Vinh Khang said, his voice lowered as if reminding himself of the rhythm of daily life. "You can sleep more if you need to, there's no need to force yourself to wake up early according to our schedule right away."

"No, I want to wake up with you." Khanh Vy replied, her voice more determined than she expected. "If I decide to live here, I don't want to be just a houseguest. I want to learn how to become a real part of this family, even though it may take time."

Vinh Khang looked at her, his eyes flashed with surprise mixed with gratitude. He didn't say anything more, just nodded slightly, then they both sat silently for a while longer under the starry sky, each pursuing their own thoughts about a new chapter that had just opened in their lives.