Chapter 7 — I Bring My Grandparents to Celebrate Tet

"That blue shirt has been washed so many times, the collar is still frayed."

Grandma absolutely refused to go to the shopping center, saying it was expensive. Grandfather walked over and directly pulled her hand in.

“Just come in and take a look, I won't ask you to pay.”

I chose for her a red short-sleeved shirt, made of cotton and linen, with small floral embroidery on the collar. Grandma reached out to touch the material and then turned over the price list.

“Three hundred and eight?”

Her hand immediately retracted.

“It's on sale.”

“How much reduction?”

“Seventy percent.”

She looked at me with half-believing, half-suspicious eyes. I immediately turned down the price list and didn't let her see it anymore. She hesitated for a moment then still took it to try. When she walked out of the dressing room, she stood in front of the mirror and turned around. Grandfather stood behind and looked and nodded.

“When you wear it, you feel like you have a lot of spirit.”

Grandma turned around again, pulling at the hem of her shirt. I said it all the time. At noon, we went to a Chinese restaurant. The shop is filled with red lanterns, the tables are covered with red cloths, and the staff wears old-fashioned cheongsam. Grandma took the menu and read it carefully, finally ordering steamed sea bass, boiled chicken, stir-fried seasonal vegetables and a portion of dumplings.

“For Tet, you have to eat dumplings.”

When she said this, her voice was very firm, not allowing anyone to object. The dumplings were brought up and still steaming. Grandma picked one and put it in my grandfather's bowl first, then picked one more for me. And she hasn't moved her chopsticks yet. Waiting for my grandfather and I to finish eating the first bite, she started eating her own portion. In the past, my mother was the same. Every time she eats, she is always the last person to hold chopsticks. When I was little, I didn't understand. Now I understand. Grandma took a bite of the dumpling and chewed slowly.

“The skin is thin.”

“Is it delicious, ma'am?”

Grandfather chimed in:

“I still find the thick-skinned version tastes better.”

“What do you understand?”

Grandmother immediately objected. Grandfather didn't argue, just quietly put the last dumpling into her bowl. I bowed my head and took a sip of soup. Winter melon soup with ribs. The taste is very light. But from the throat down to the stomach, it warms up little by little. On the way back to the hotel, I decided to turn on my phone. Not because of dad's messages. But because today is New Year's Eve. Grandma didn't say it out loud, but I knew she was always waiting for me to do this. Back in the room, grandmother took a shower. Grandpa sat by the bed watching TV, the volume turned very low. I sat on the balcony and turned off airplane mode. The screen lights up. Then the messages started pouring in. One by one. One screen after another. Notifications of missed calls, WeChat messages, and SMS messages filled the screen, and the phone vibrated continuously in my palm. I waited for everyone to calm down before starting to open it.

"Tieu Niem, where are you? Your father has called more than twenty times."

“This girl is getting more and more outrageous.”

"Nien Niem, are you okay? The whole family is worried to death."

There are also a few distant relatives who have little contact and have almost the same message.

“Be obedient and call dad back.”

“What's wrong with you?”

“Your father is looking everywhere for you.”

I scrolled down further. The screenshot of the family group was privately sent to me by the eldest aunt. I read every line. Two days ago, my dad sent a message to the group:

"This girl has been spoiled by me. Now she doesn't even come home. She takes her grandparents to no one knows where."

The stepmother immediately texted:

"Mr. Kien Quoc, don't be angry. Children will have their own thoughts when they grow up. Maybe she just wants to I just care more about myself. It's okay for adults like us to give in a little."

Below, there were immediately a bunch of people praising her for her generosity.

“Ms. My Phan is truly gentle.”

"Tieu Niem has a stepmother like that, it's her blessing."

Trieu Uyen Tinh also chimed in:

“Actually, I understand Tieu Niem. Maybe she feels like there's no more room for her in the house, but honestly, we've always considered her a family member. Before Tet, I even took the initiative to give her my room, but she refused."

Reading this, I immediately put down the phone. Outside on the balcony, it was completely dark. In the distance, several fireworks burst into the sky, exploding into brilliant red and blue patches. Grandma came out after taking a shower. She was wearing a new red shirt she bought today, her hair was still a bit wet.

“It's beautiful.”

She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. Then she saw the phone in my hand.

“Is it turned on?”

“Your dad called?”

“Have you called back yet?”

I shook my head. Grandma sat down next to me.

“Today is New Year's Eve.”

She spoke softly.

“I know.”

“Anyway… make a call. He's still my dad."