Chapter 7 — One Bowl of Soup, Two Lives of People

14

Tieu Ngan followed his promise and invited the doctor to diagnose and treat my sister. With my dedicated care day and night, sister's body gradually recovered. Half a year later, my sister and I opened a shop, named Luc Cam winery. The front door is like a market, the house is full of guests. Little General Bui indeed often came to support. Unfortunately, the war in Mac Bac was continuous, he soon had no choice but to leave the capital. Two years later, my sister met the person in her heart, named Nghiem Kinh, a Kim Ngo guard guarding the twenty-four wards. The husband is tall and handsome, with a kind heart. One time, a drunk guest started a fight. Nghiem Kinh stood in front of his sister and was hit by a knife. That's how the two became acquainted. After getting married, they adopted an orphan in Duc Anh Duong, named Doan Hoa. Of course, this name was given by me. I have never let go of my nostalgia for the child in my previous life, I can only use that way to convey a little bit. Doan Hoa grows very quickly, like a sticky rice cake, everyone who meets her says she is adorable. A Ngoc also regularly corresponds with me. Now she has become a first-class palace maid, deputy head chef of Ngu Thien Room. The three younger sisters in her family, also under her protection, knew how to read and write and lived very well. Two years later, Luc Cam restaurant opened another branch. I'm even busier. In fact, being able to make diners eat and drink happily is what makes us feel the most accomplished in this life. As for personal love, marriage and children, I think it's okay to just depend on fate. In the fifth year after leaving the palace, the queen mother was like her previous generation, sixty-two years old after giving birth, riding a crane. The whole country mourned. I and thousands of people knelt on Truong An street, crying and looking at the white flag fluttering. The sound of Kim Ngo Ve's armor rang out, followed by the emperor coming to the royal mausoleum to support the coffin. He sat on the dragon tureen, after years of honing, he became more mature and majestic. Over the past few years, I heard that he killed traitors and foreign enemies. Like his previous life, he was a rare wise man. I rarely pay attention to his news. But I heard that a year ago, it seemed like he suddenly had a strange illness and had terrible dreams at night. That's why he also beat a female candidate with the word Dung in her name several dozen times and kicked her out of the palace. I have long since stopped putting things in my heart. After paying homage to the Queen Mother, I returned to Luc Cam winery and continued to do business as before. Little General Bui Phong Tran was tired and exhausted when he returned to the capital. That night he entered the restaurant gloomily and only ordered a bowl of mixed rice.

“It was the bowl at the banquet that spring day.”

I know he misses the Queen Mother and feels sad. Pork trotters served with rice, a bottle of light white wine, still like that year. Late at night, he was drunk and grabbed my wrist.

"Luc Thao, the enemies have been calmed, from now on I don't need to go to Mac Bac anymore."

I was silent for a moment, didn't withdraw my hand, just spoke gently.

"That's good. Congratulations, little general."

There was no one left in the shop. Only Doan Hoa squatted in the yard painting. Bui Yen hugged me. A lantern hung down above my and his head, the night was like water, vaguely lit. With a creaking sound, the yard door moved slightly. A piece of clothing embroidered with a golden dragon and five-colored clouds flew up a bit, then disappeared without a trace. Doan Hoa asked me: "Auntie, why did an uncle who stood there for a long time suddenly leave?" Bui Yen was also curious: "So Doan Hoa clearly saw that person's appearance Are not?" I turned my head and saw the stars spread across the sky, the city with thousands of lights.

“Just a passerby, it doesn't matter what you think.” I said.

— Full text complete.

Side story: Tieu Man's perspective My name is Vuong Tieu Man, I'm a mute person, and my mind is also a bit stupid. When I was seven years old, my older brother Vuong Vinh brandished a knife and castrated himself. He knelt in the cold, damp duty room and prayed.

“Master, please have mercy and let me take my sister to the palace with me. It has great strength and can do heavy work.

"He has a stupid mind and can't speak. If I wasn't around, he would definitely be bullied to death."

After hitting his head a hundred times, bleeding profusely, the old eunuch finally softened his heart. Just like that, my brother and I entered the palace together. He had good fortune and was assigned to Phuong Nghi palace to serve him. I also stayed at Phuong Nghi palace to wash clothes and clean the house. Phuong Nghi Palace has the most noble woman in the world, everyone calls her queen, but there is one person who calls her Uyen Nhi. That person must be a good friend of the queen. It is said that she is also a lady, her last name is Bui. Bui Niang's strength is greater than mine, she can lift a sword weighing dozens of pounds and cut through iron like mud. I admired her to the point of scratching my heart and liver. I secretly crawled in the dog hole and looked at her. My brother was so scared that he lost his soul and kicked me fiercely: "Tieu, Tieu Man is an idiot, please don't blame me, master!" Bui Nuong laughed heartily and didn't mind, she moved a chair and asked me to sit down and watch. She danced extremely beautifully with the flower sword, amidst the falling snow, like a fairy descending to earth. I looked stunned, as did the queen.