Chapter 2 — Nanny Counts Moles

The person answering the phone is the manager. I reported the name Phung Ngoc Cam. The other person quickly said: "She is not an employee of our company." I thought I heard wrong. "She was sent by your platform." "Miss Manh, we don't have this person in our system." "Please check again." The sound of typing on the keyboard rang out for a long time. The manager's voice was quiet. "No." "Who did you contact her initially?" A name flashed in my mind. The person who introduced Phung Ngoc Cam was my husband's cousin, Tham Nghien. My cousin said her neighbor used to hire her and was very trustworthy. I hung up and called Tham Nghien. He was on a business trip somewhere else, his voice full of fatigue. "What's going on?" I asked: "Who introduced Phung Ngoc Cam?" He paused. "Isn't that your cousin?" "The maid agency doesn't have her records." The other end of the line was silent for a moment. "Could it be that the name was registered with the wrong name?" "Under her pillow there was Tieu Man's hair, there was also a note on the top of her head and a few moles behind her ears." Tham Nghien's breathing stopped for a moment. "Don't arbitrarily go through other people's things." As soon as this sentence was said, my whole body went cold. "Thing. Are you worried that I'm going through her things first?" Perhaps he also realized that this statement was incorrect, so he immediately changed his tone. "What I mean is, don't fight snakes or weeds." "I'll be home tonight." I hung up the phone. No more arguing. I went to the kindergarten to pick up Tieu Man. As soon as he saw me, Tieu Man immediately ran over. Today her hair is loose. Ms. Han pulled me aside and gave me a picture. In the painting there is a woman with long hair and very long arms. She squatted behind Tieu Man. In the woman's hand draws a comb. There are a few black dots on the top of Tieu Man's head. Next to the black dots there are numbers. One, two, three. My throat constricted. Ms. Han said: "Before nap time today, she said she couldn't let Aunt Phung count wrongly." I squatted down and asked Tieu Man. "What did Aunt Phung count?" Tieu Man grabbed my sleeve. She looked around and said in a low voice: "Count the little dots." "Why count?" She pursed her lips. I don't force it. I picked her up and softly said: "Mommy is here. If anyone scares you, just tell me." Tieu Man buried his face in the crook of my shoulder. After a long while, the girl said: "Aunt Phung said, if you count correctly, you will be able to go home." My steps stopped. Ms. Han's face also changed. I took Tieu Man home without informing Phung Ngoc Cam. When entering, the house was very quiet. The living room is empty. The kitchen is empty. The nanny room door is open. Phung Ngoc Cam's suitcase disappeared. My first reaction was to rush into the children's room. The children's room is empty. On the bed are pajamas that Tieu Man changed out of in the morning. The window is slightly open. The wind blew the curtains. I turned around to call the police. At this moment, outside the mysterious gate, the sound of a key was heard. Phung Ngoc Cam walked in carrying vegetables. Seeing me and Tieu Man, she froze for half a second. Then she laughed. "Is it so early today?" I looked at the vegetables in her hand. Then looked down next to her feet. No suitcase. But the suitcase in the nanny's room was indeed gone. I asked: "Where is your suitcase?" Phung Ngoc Cam bowed her head and changed her shoes. "It's broken, I'll throw it away." "Where to throw it away?" "Trash room downstairs." I picked up the phone. "Now I'll tell the management to extract the camera." Her movement of changing shoes stopped. Tieu Man hugged my leg tightly. Phung Ngoc Cam slowly stood up straight. The smile on her face disappeared little by little. "Miss Manh, do you have any opinion on me?" I covered Tieu Man behind me. "Who are you?" She looked at me. Those usually gentle eyes now had no temperature at all. The faucet in the kitchen was not turned off, the sound of water still running. She suddenly turned on

laughed. “Instead of asking who I am, you should ask your husband first.” My heart sank. The elevator outside the door made a "ding" sound. Tham Nghien has returned. Phung Ngoc Cam looked towards the door, his voice very quiet. "He must understand better than me, why the moles on this child's head cannot be wrong even by a single mark."04 When Tham Nghien pushed the door open and walked in, his face still had a tired look from rushing back. But the moment he saw Phung Ngoc Cam, his whole body stiffened at the door. I have never seen him with such an expression. It was both surprising and as if I had known this day would come. Phung Ngoc Cam put the vegetables on the ground, slowly wiped his hands. "Brother Tham, you're back at the right time." Tham Nghien's throat moved. "You go out first." Phung Ngoc Cam laughed. "Out?" "I've been at your house for more than a month, combing her hair every day, counting every day." "Now you tell me to go out?" I pushed Tieu Man back a little more, my hand was on the phone's police alert interface. "Counting." What?" Phung Ngoc Cam glanced at me. "Miss Manh, do you really not know?" Tham Nghien immediately interrupted her. "Phung Ngoc Cam!" His voice was very deep, carrying a warning. But Phung Ngoc Cam is not afraid. She stared at him, with only coldness in her eyes.