Chapter 6 — I tore up the marriage letter, the father knelt for three days and three nights

That's the most beautiful smile I've ever seen on him. Bring tears, bring light, bring a feeling of luck after life.

"Okay." he said, "I promise you."

Three days later, Co Truong Dien sent someone to deliver three large boxes of documents. I took five full days to finish watching it. Every piece of evidence, every page of testimony, every detail, I compared over and over again, Trieu Thi Lang's threatening letter, Co Truong Dien's secret order to secretly arrange someone to protect me, the copy of the charter he prayed for the Tham family in front of His Majesty... Every single thing had a clear basis. He didn't lie to me. That night, after reading the last page, I sat alone in the yard and cried for a long time. Not because of self-pity, but because of heartache. It's heartbreaking because he carried the burden alone for three years, it's heartbreaking because he has to deal with a bunch of thugs and tigers at the court, it's heartbreaking because when he wrote that letter, what was his mood in the end - personally pushing the person he loves the most away is probably more painful than being pushed away by others. June 6th, my birthday. Co Truong Dien arrived. He brought with him a basket of floral waffles, which has been my favorite shop for a long time. He used to buy them for me every year of my birthday. After we got married, I thought I would never eat them again.

“Chieu Ninh,” he stood at the door, looking at me cautiously, “can I come in?”

I leaned over to let him in. He sat in the shop, looked at this narrow space, looked at the remedies posted on the wall, the jars of tea displayed on the table, the bags of salt stacked in the corner, his eyes turned red.

“She has suffered.”

“It's okay.” I poured him a cup of tea, "compared to the previous Tham family, it's more free."

He was silent for a moment, then suddenly said: "Chieu Ninh, I want to marry you." The movement in my hand stopped a bit.

“When you broke up last time, you said the same thing.”

“This time is different.” He took something out of his chest and placed it on the table.

It's a new marriage certificate. On it was written: "Co Truong Dien, willing to marry Tham Thi Chieu Ninh as his wife, in this life he will not be betrayed." The signature area already has his words, only my words are missing. I looked at that marriage letter for a long time.

“Co Truong Dien,” I said, “you know I'm no longer the same as before, right?”

"I'm no longer the girl who only knows how to revolve around you. I have my own shop, my own business, I won't give up these things just to marry you."

"I will not be grateful because you have been good to me. Husband and wife are equal. If you still make decisions for me, I will take the child and leave."

“I know.” He raised his head and looked at me seriously, "Chieu Ninh, I know, I don't need you to revolve around me, I want you to be yourself, I was wrong before, it won't be like that in the future."

“Can you guarantee?”

“I can.” He said, "If you don't believe me, I can kneel down and swear."

As soon as he finished speaking, he wanted to kneel down. I reached out and pulled him back: "Okay, okay, doesn't the knee cost money?" He was stunned, then his eyes turned red again, then he laughed again, then tears fell. Crying and laughing at the same time, it's so unsightly I want to die. But I still picked up the pen and signed my name on the marriage certificate. In the twelfth year of the Vinh Hoa year, on the eighth day of the eighth month, the zodiac auspicious day. At this time, I was eight months pregnant and was close to giving birth. Gu Truong Dien's father had a big wedding and welcomed the groom Tham Thi Chieu Ninh – Me. Ten miles of red pageantry, bustling drums and gongs. The whole capital was shocked - not because the Father getting married was anything unusual, but because the new bride was Tham Chieu Ninh, who had been divorced half a year ago.

"Isn't it said that Tham Chieu Ninh has already been divorced? Why is he getting married again?"

"That was a misunderstanding! Father Gu personally came to the door to apologize and knelt for three days and three nights to ask for remarriage!"

"Really or fake? Is the master kneeling?"

"Really! Everyone on Lieu Lane knows! Miss Tham's doorstep is almost worn down!"

I sat in the palanquin, my body heavy because the first child in my belly was about to give birth. Hearing the whispers outside, I couldn't help but burst into laughter. Kneeling for three days and three nights is an exaggeration, but on the first day he really knelt for a long time. That day Manh Tam Nuong couldn't bear to look at it, so he secretly stuffed him a cushion, but he didn't accept it. Bui Van rode horseback at the front of the welcome team, wearing a red robe happily, smiling happier than the bridegroom.