Chapter 3 — Little Snake Finds His Family

Mom immediately retracted her claws, almost knocking a night pearl away.

"Are you tired? Are you hungry? I'm going to find food for you!"

“That… I'm not hungry…”

"So are you thirsty? I know a stream at the bottom of the sea, the water there is very sweet!"

"I'm not thirsty yet..."

"So is it cold? Mom spread out a bed for you..."

“Mom.”

Big Brother chewed seaweed and spoke, his voice a bit vague.

“Please leave your sister alone for a while.”

Mom stopped. She looked at me, then looked at the big brother. A bit of self-pity rose in his pale yellow pupils.

“Your brother is right.”

She lowered her voice, the tips of her claws scratched back and forth on the ground, creating shallow grooves.

“I'm just so happy… I've been looking for you for so many years…”

She started blinking again. I hastily said:

"Mom! I... I'll stay here, I'm not going anywhere! Can you go rest for a while? I... just wanted to see these treasures..."

My mother's tears immediately receded. His eyes were as bright as two small suns.

“Really?! You like these treasures?!”

“Like it! Absolutely like it!”

"Then you just watch! You can watch whatever you want! It's all yours! I'll go find some soft seaweed to spread out your bed! Just wait!"

She swung her tail and swam out with a "whoosh". The rushing water nearly knocked us out of the cave entrance. Big brother slowly swam towards the door, stopping three meters away from me. I curled up between the pile of night pearls that my mother pushed aside, looking at him nervously. He chewed the last piece of seaweed and swallowed it, then looked down at me.

“What's your name?”

He asked.

“I… I don't have a name.”

I said.

“My mother… I mean my biological mother, calls me Tieu Hac.”

I still haven't fully adjusted to calling a giant silvery white dragon mother.

“Little Black?”

Big Brother repeated, the corner of his mouth seemed to twitch.

“My whole body is as black as if I just soaked it in ink, so calling me Tieu Hac is quite appropriate.”

I don't know where he got a piece of seaweed from and slowly chewed it.

"My name is Ngan Triet. From now on you can call me..."

He stopped.

“Okay, you can call it whatever you want.”

He said again:

“Last time mom picked up a sea turtle, raised it for two months, then discovered that the pattern on its shell was indeed just a coincidence, then let it go.”

“Last time it was a sea eel. After raising it for half a month, it was discovered that it was indeed a normal sea eel and was released.”

He looked at me. His eyes were very calm. There was no threat, nor was there any intimacy. Just a review.

“If one day I want to go.”

He said.

"Then give me a message. I will take you to shore."

After speaking, he turned around and slowly swam deeper into the cave. I called after him:

"That... thank you for giving me Ti Thuy Chau!"

The tip of his tail swayed slightly, seemingly responding. After that, I was alone in the cave. Are not. A snake. That's not right... I'm the "little sister" now. I rolled among the piles of sparkling night pearls, looking around in all directions. This cave is a hundred times larger than the tree hole we were in in the swamp. Everywhere are brilliant treasures. In the air… No, in the sea water… A faint scent filled the air, like condensed moonlight. The mother's nest is the deepest, covered with a soft silvery white seaweed, half the size of a pond. Big brother's nest is on the other side of the cave, a little smaller, but enough for him to curl up in a few circles. Right in the middle of the cave There is a giant stone slab polished as smooth as a mirror. Some things are engraved on the stone slab. I swam over curiously. The swimming position is extremely unsightly, just like a drunk loach. There are words on the stone slab. Incorrect. Not words, but pictures. The first picture: A small black snake curled up under a lotus leaf. Second picture: An old turtle lies in front of the snake, the pattern on the turtle's shell emits a faint light. Third picture: The snake grew a little bigger, chasing two rabbits. Fourth picture: A group of people wearing swords on their backs are chasing a snake. Fifth picture: The snake jumped down from the cliff. Sixth picture: A giant silver-white dragon pokes its head out of the sea, holding a snake in its mouth. I was stunned. The giant dragon in the sixth painting has a spiral-patterned scale just below its left eye. Just like the scar on my face. I lowered my head to look at the scale below my left eye. It was indeed a bit strange, unlike the surrounding scales. The edge of the scale is slightly curved, forming a seemingly nonexistent spiral. But until now we have always assumed that it was scratched by a stray cat. Could it really be... Thai Lan? Am I really… A dragon? But clearly I am a snake! My mother... The black swamp snake, both lazy and greedy, hatched me from the egg... Did she also get it wrong? My head is confused. I hovered above the rock, the tip of my tail unconsciously wrapped around a night pearl.

“Hey.”

A voice came from deep inside the cave. It was the big brother's voice, passing through several levels of cliffs, sounding a bit dull.

"Don't touch that pill. That's the pill mom conveniently took from the fire-breathing dragon's nest, with the dragon's spittle still on it. If you rub your whole body with a fishy smell, mom will keep talking in the middle of the night."

I quickly let go of my tail. The night pearl gurgled and rolled to the edge of the stone slab, colliding with another stone, emitting a clear echo. From far away, a mother's voice was heard shouting:

"Child! Don't touch that pearl! There is dragon saliva on it! Wait until mom comes home to clean it for you!"

“I already touched…”

I said in a low voice.

"Wait there! Mom will be home soon!"

The sea water rolled. A giant silver dragon shadow rushed from afar, holding a bundle of soft seaweed in its mouth. On the seaweed were hanging two crabs with dead fish eyes wide open.

"Child! Look what I brought home for you! This is the softest seaweed on the bottom of the sea! It's more comfortable to spread than clouds! These two crabs are snacks for you! Very fat!"

She carefully placed the bunch of seaweed and two crabs next to the pile of pearls. Then I approached and used the tip of my claw to pluck the pearl I had just touched.

“It's okay.”

She said.

“Mom, wipe it for me.”

She bowed her head, used the tip of her nose to rub the pearl, then raised her head and smiled at me. A silvery white dragon head was smiling at me. That smile was so brilliant that we forgot each of her teeth was bigger than my head.

“Child.”

She asked.

“Do you like this house?”

I looked at her. Looking at Ngan Triet who was chewing seaweed next to him, he pretended not to care. Then look at the two fat crabs rolling their dead fish eyes on the ground. I opened my mouth.

“…Like.”