Chapter 5 — Her Road Is Still Long

He stopped for a moment.

"Then I forgot. It wasn't until that night that I suddenly remembered, so I decided to bring it back to her."

Pomegranate flower pattern. It was a gift my grandmother gave me when I was twelve years old. Not worth much money. But I wear it very often.

“What happens after that?”

“After that, when I just arrived in front of your house, I saw two maids helping you out.”

"Her steps are frivolous and she's not steady on the road. That appearance is clearly not normal."

"I followed behind, intending to call them back, but the group had already gone to another hospital."

“No one noticed my appearance.”

He put the spoon back in the bowl.

“Then I saw her head down continuously.”

The expression on his face was finally no longer as arbitrary as before. The smile at the corner of the lips gradually disappeared, the corners of the eyes slightly lowered. It was a look of genuine unhappiness.

“Ha Cam Thu.”

This was the first time he called me by name. Not "little sister". It's called by both first and last names.

“The way she looked that night, it was like she wanted to risk her life with someone.”

I held the empty bowl in my hand, saying nothing. He looked straight into my eyes:

“Do you really want to die that much?”

No one has ever asked me that. Not:

“Don't think about it.”

Not:

“A woman's fate is like that.”

Nor:

“You must live for your reputation.”

Did she really want to die that much? He was silent for a long time. Then he stood up, took the empty bowl in my hand and turned around to go out. When he reached the door, he did not turn back, leaving only one sentence:

“It won't be like that anymore.”

The voice is not loud. But extremely certain. Trang Thanh Tuyen is located about thirty miles from the capital to the suburbs. That place is extremely remote. Tham Quy Bach prepared to help me with a whole cart of furniture... A few medical books. Along with two pots of cinnamon flowers, which according to him are:

“If it dies, it's your fault.”

The maternal grandmother sighed for half a day. Finally still nodded in agreement. Actually, even if she doesn't agree, it's useless. When I don't open my mouth to beg anyone, I am a soft persimmon that can be squeezed. But once I open my mouth, I am like an iron nail.

"This character of yours was never like that before."

Finally, the maternal grandmother spoke. I did not answer. Before was before. The previous Ha Cam Thu died in the monastery a long time ago. The carriage traveled for more than half a day. From the official road, turn onto the dirt road. The scenery on both sides gradually turns from rice fields into deserted hillsides. Finally stopped in front of a low gate. In front of the gate there are two persimmon trees. The tree canopy is sparse and desolate. Just by looking at it, you can tell it hasn't been cared for for many years. The manager of the Trinh family. An old man over fifty years old. He brought along his family of five to stay at the front of the hospital. When he saw me step down from the carriage, he was first stunned. Perhaps he did not expect that the lady would actually come here with only two old servants and a cart of such simple furniture.

"The lady is in the back yard. There are three main rooms. The west side is the kitchen. The east side is the firewood storage room."

He rubbed his hands and said:

“A bit simple.”

“Enough to live in.” I replied.

Indeed enough to live. In my previous life, the courtyard I lived in the Tham mansion was five times larger than this place. But we can't even have a window Open at will. Cold winter. I also didn't dare tell the manager to ask for another basket of coal. Three rooms. I live alone. Freedom and freedom. The first three days were all spent cleaning up. Mother Song is the person next to her maternal grandmother. While wiping the window sill, he muttered:

“This place where birds don't even bother to poop, why would the old lady let her come and live?”

The remaining servant's last name is Ha. He worked as a gatekeeper at Tham Phu for more than twenty years. I'm old enough to be assigned here. He did not complain at all. It's just that every day we light the stove so brightly. On to the fourth day. Tham Quy Bach arrived. He rode alone. On both sides of the saddle hang two hares. Said to be hunted on the way here. Mother Tong took it, weighed it in her hand, then clicked her tongue:

"The second young master is truly talented at archery. The rabbit's skin is not even torn at all."

He burst out laughing. Then he took out a small cloth bag from his chest and gave it to me.