Chapter 14 — Medicinal Garden After Hospital

A few days later, Quyen continued to read the last pages of her mother's notebook for the last year of her life. Her heart was both excited and scared, because she knew that the closer she got to the last pages, the closer she had to face the moment her mother left her family forever. She chose to read it on a weekend night, when her father was fast asleep, so that if she burst into tears, she wouldn't cause him any more trouble.

The penultimate diary page, dated just two weeks before Ms. Sen was admitted to the hospital, wrote: "Today the pain is worse than usual, sometimes it feels like I can't stand, but thinking about the upcoming medicine picking session in the mountains, and having to lead the way for the interns, I'll just try a few more meals, wait until I'm done and then go to the doctor, it's not too late." Those words made Quyen burst into tears. She buried her face in the notebook, letting her tears fall freely, no longer trying to hold back like before.

The last page, only a few short lines, the handwriting was completely shabby compared to usual: "If anything happens, I hope Quyen doesn't blame herself for anything. You have grown up, matured the way I always wanted. This medicinal garden, if you don't want to continue, it's okay, I just hope you always live kindly, always keep a loving heart like the way I have tried to live throughout this life." Quyen realized that these must have been the lines her mother wrote right before being hospitalized, as if she had a premonition of what was about to happen, but still chose to be gentle, not wanting her daughter to have to carry any more burdens.

After reading, Quyen sat silently for a long time in the dark, the notebook still open on her lap. She realized that, for more than a year, she had locked herself in an unanswered question - if only she had forced her mother to go to the doctor earlier that day - while the real answer, her mother had already written for her, just waiting for her to be brave enough to read those last lines. Her mother never blamed her, and even proactively removed that burden from her shoulders before it could even form.

The next morning, Quyen brought the notebook to Bao Nam and told him what she had just read. Her voice was still choked up even though she was much calmer than last night. Bao Nam listened attentively, his eyes could not hide his emotions. “Your mother, I think, was an extraordinary woman,” he said, his voice deep. "Not only because of what she did for the community, but also because of the way she thought of her, even in the weakest moments of her life."

"I think, now I really understand what it means to let go," Quyen said, her eyes looking far away through the office window. "It's not about forgetting, it's about letting that pain become part of a beautiful memory, instead of a wound that keeps bleeding every time you touch it."

Bao Nam nodded and gently held her hand. “That's exactly what I'm learning, since the day I met you,” he said, his voice sincere. "Perhaps, we are all helping each other find a way to live on, without betraying the things and people we have lost."

That afternoon, as had become a habit in recent weeks, the two went to the garden together again, this time not only Mr. Loc, but also Mr. Thanh joined. Four people divided the work, one tilled the soil, one watered, one trimmed the leaves. The bustling, warm atmosphere was completely different from the silence and sadness that had enveloped the garden for more than a year before.

While resting, Quyen accidentally caught Bao Nam's eyes looking at her from the opposite tree bed. He did not quickly turn away like before, but smiled and walked closer to her, his hands still covered in dirt. "Have you ever thought you would find happiness in a place like this?" he asked, his voice gentle but containing a rare seriousness.

Quyen blushed slightly, her heart beat faster at that unexpected question. "I used to think my happiness was buried with my mother," she answered honestly. "But recently, I've started to believe that maybe happiness isn't lost, it's just waiting for me to be brave enough to accept it in a new form."

Bao Nam looked at her silently for a long time, then gently stroked a strand of hair falling on her forehead. The two stood there, the distance between them seemed to narrow to just a few inches, but at that moment, Mr. Loc's call rang out from far away, reminding them both to get back to work, causing that moment to stop halfway, leaving both of them with a gentle yet sweet regret.

That evening, when everyone had left, Quyen lingered alone next to the chrysanthemum bed that her mother planted many years ago. She sat down, gently placing her hand on the ground, as if she were touching her mother's hand. "Mom, I think, I understand," she whispered, her voice softer, more peaceful than ever. "I will no longer torment myself. I will continue to live, I will love, just like what you want."

Right when Quyen was immersed in those lingering emotions, her phone vibrated. It was a call from the hospital's landline number. Picking up the phone, she heard her father's voice, somewhat unusually tense. "Can you go home now? Someone just came to see me, claiming to be a representative of Kim Thai company, wanting to discuss buying the land behind my house to grow medicinal plants, the land adjacent to the hospital garden."

That news startled Quyen, she quickly packed her things and ran home. When she arrived, she saw a politely dressed middle-aged man sitting in the living room, in front of him was a thick file and a prepared contract. "Hello, Miss Quyen," the man said, his voice warm but somewhat fake. "I represent Kim Thai company and came here to discuss with Mr. Thanh about transferring the land behind, at a price I'm sure will be difficult to refuse."

Mr. Thanh, although looking somewhat confused by this sudden appearance, his eyes still remained steadfast. “I thought carefully before you came,” he said, his voice firm, unflinching. "My wife first planted medicinal plants on this land before expanding it to the garden behind the hospital. It is not simply an asset for sale, but a part of my family's flesh and blood. Sorry, but I have no intention of selling."

"Mr. Thanh, I think you should consider more carefully," the representative said, his voice still soft but hidden with impatience. "This is an opportunity that doesn't come around all the time. With this money, you can completely save it for your old age, and even help Ms. Quyen open a private pharmacy outside town, much more spacious and modern than a small garden behind the hospital." He also cleverly mentioned that Kim Thai Company was willing to support an additional monthly pension, as a way to suggest that Mr. Thanh's family would no longer have to worry about finances for the rest of their lives.

Mr. Thanh listened silently to all those invitations, his face wavered a bit, but then he shook his head, his voice becoming more and more decisive. "I see, you're offering a very good price," he replied. "But there are things that, once sold, no matter how much money you have, you can't buy them back. I've already lost my wife once, I don't want to lose again what she left behind." The representative tried to persuade a few more times, even raising the proposed price significantly, but Mr. Thanh still firmly refused, his attitude was so decisive that the man finally had to pack up his documents and leave with an unsatisfied look on his face. As soon as the door closed, Quyen ran to hug her father, her voice choked with emotion. "Thank you, father, for steadfastly protecting what mother left behind."

Mr. Thanh gently patted his daughter's shoulder, his eyes shining with a pride that Quyen had not seen for a long time. "I used to avoid everything related to the medicinal garden and your mother's profession for a long time," he said, his voice warm. "But now, I realize that protecting it is also a way for me to atone for the years of neglect, and also a way for me to continue to love your mother, even though she is no longer here."

That night, when recounting the incident to Bao Nam and Mr. Loc over the phone, the whole group realized that this was a clear sign that Kim Thai was becoming increasingly impatient, ready to use many different measures, including directly approaching each family member, to achieve his goals. However, Mr. Thanh's steadfastness that afternoon also gave the group a great source of encouragement, affirming that Mrs. Sen's garden now not only has Quyen, but also a family, a community ready to stand up and protect it to the end.