Chapter 4 — Lady Tri District

Luc Nha placed the plate of cinnamon cake she had just bought on the table. Hearing that, she sighed:

"If you don't want to go to the capital, it's okay to stay in Thanh Tuyen district. With Butler Lam here, there's nothing for us to worry about."

Lam Suong is still in the sea, I decided to temporarily take Luc Nha and a few children to the capital first, moving house and waiting for her to return to the palace will be discussed later. The day of departure has come, and it feels like there are a thousand tangled threads in my heart that I can't untangle. The Ta Phu carriage arrived on time, with red wheels, a splendid canopy, and the entire carriage's body carved with delicate clouds, making everyone in the street curiously look around.

"Duong Hanh is truly blessed to be married to such a husband."

"Thanks to the Ta family's love and kindness, even the stupid girl was willing to marry into the main family..."

“I only sent the housekeeper to pick me up, it seems like I didn't take it very seriously.”

... The sound of whispering gossip reached my ears, my hand tightened on the brocade bag, the broken piece of jade inside pierced my palm. Luc Nha was so angry that her eyes turned red and she was about to turn her head to argue, but I quickly pulled her sleeve and shook my head.

"Miss! They..."

“Let's go.”

I bowed my head and climbed into the carriage, the curtains fell, cutting off all envious or contemptuous eyes from outside. In the car, noble incense diffused, and feather cushions were spread thickly under the seats. I caressed the piece of jade in my hand, suddenly remembering the day Ta Khien passed the poinsettia and returned to his hometown. I was among the crowd of people standing on both sides of the road just to watch him ride his horse honorably. When the guy wearing a red cardigan passed in front of me, I stood on tiptoe and waved his name, only to receive an indifferent look.

“Miss, would you like a sip of tea to warm up?” Luc Nha brought a cup of warm tea.

I shook my head, opened the car curtain, and stared blankly at Thanh Tuyen town gradually disappearing from sight. Because of Ta Khien, I accepted to leave the place where I was born and grew up, to a completely strange place. From now on, I can no longer admire the scenery that reminds me of the past, I can no longer swing on the swing my father made, and I can no longer see the almond tree that blooms every summer - a tree the same age as me... Suddenly, I don't want to marry Ta Khien anymore. The carriage swayed all day long. In the afternoon, stopping to rest at the dich shop, I looked at the red sky at the end of the horizon and suddenly slapped the table:

“I won't go to the capital anymore!”

Luc Nha almost dropped the bowl and chopsticks in his hand:

“Miss, have you…have you thought carefully?”

I nodded:

“Tomorrow morning, we will return to Thanh Tuyen.”

The next day, I took the bracelet Mother Ta gave me and gave it to the housekeeper to pick it up.

"Please tell me: Duong is happy and can't afford the wealth of the capital."

6

The new palace needed to be prepared everywhere. When it came to arranging the wedding hall, for some reason, Ta Khien personally led the boy to Tran Bao Cac. The shopkeeper warmly introduced the most popular dishes in the capital, but only saw Ta Khien stopping in front of a mahogany dressing table.

"You really have a good eye! This is the work of the most famous artisan in the capital..."

Those cumbersome words of flattery did not reach Ta Khien's ears, his eyes only stopped at the vivid carving of almond flowers next to the bronze mirror. In memory, Duong Hanh always loved everything related to almond flowers.

“Pack it up.”

Thinking about how she looked when she saw this dressing table, she smiled happily until she squinted her eyes, Ta Khien's heart suddenly rose up with a joy that was hard to name. Although Duong Hanh is not very smart, he is simple-minded. Perhaps, living with a woman like that all my life... wouldn't be bad. He suddenly felt a bit regretful, were his words too harsh to her that day? Those days were surrounded by troubles, he couldn't control himself and accidentally vented his anger on Duong Hanh. The capital city is bustling with flowers, along the long streets are rows of shops and restaurants, the smell of delicious dishes spreads with the wind. When she arrives, I must take her out to eat in all the big streets and small alleys, as if to make up for my previous mistakes. She will definitely like it.

7

When we returned to Thanh Tuyen district, the alley was unusually bustling. A few vegetable sellers gathered near the tea shop, chatting loudly, their faces cheerful.

“I heard that the new district governor is even more handsome than Lord Ta!”

“This morning, our little girl came home from delivering vegetables and said that that person's temperament was no different from that of a royal mandarin!”

... Seeing me step down from the carriage, the ladies immediately fell silent and secretly exchanged glances. A Hoan from the palace saw this and quickly ran out to welcome him:

“Miss... why are you back?”

Luc Nha immediately raised his hand to signal, saying not to say too much. The little girl immediately closed her mouth, her eyes were flickering and cautious.

“Hanh Nhi, why are you here?”

Outside the door, a woman wearing a light blue silk dress ran in. The corners of her lips still showed a little bruise, but her eyes sparkled brightly.

“Strong sister!”

I quickly walked over to greet him, "Is the case over?" She squeezed my hand, tears in her eyes:

"Miss Dieu has declared my innocence. When I was in prison, I heard that you were everywhere because of me..."

“That's what we should do.”

We sat side by side on the swing in the hospital. Sister Manh told me many stories. "The new district governor whose family name is Tieu is a clear official. We Thanh Tuyen people are truly blessed." I nodded slightly: "Sister, what do you plan to do next?" She looked at the sky, her eyes filled with desire:

"I want to go away for a while. After we got married, we never stepped foot outside the district again."

Hearing that, I immediately placed the bag of money in her hand:

“Wait a minute, let me tell Luc Nha to bring you more money checks.”

She smiled slightly, her eyes curved, then tied the money bag to my waist.

"Hanh Nhi, you have done too much for me. I have a job in hand, I can live anywhere."

As if remembering something, she said solemnly:

"That's right, didn't you follow the Ta family into the capital? Why did you come back? Could it be that... they bullied you?"

I shook my head and gently swung the swing:

"I just suddenly realized that I... don't like Ta Khien anymore."

Manh sister burst out laughing, reaching out to pat my head:

"I saw it long ago, I just refused to believe it."

Before leaving, she held my hand tightly:

"Hanh Nhi, you must be careful when choosing a husband. Don't be like me, you will regret it at the last moment."

I nodded, silently taking her words to heart.