Chapter 2 — People Come In The Cold Windy Night

10 Qi Triet is truly the type of person who is as natural as a fly. Just being my table mate for half the morning, by noon he was already carrying a tray of rice and sitting down in front of me. “What a coincidence, Tieu Diem Diem~” See! He even gave me a nickname! I looked at his full tray of rice: braised chicken thighs, beef stew with potatoes... I immediately understood where his taste in food came from. I awkwardly said "um" and lowered my head to bite the bun. He was still as loud as a loudspeaker: "Oh —— you only eat dumplings for lunch?" My face was hot like a fire, I just wanted to bury my head in the dumplings: "I... I'm losing weight..." He immediately objected, not taking my words seriously: "Lose nothing! Being skinny looks boring! You have to be healthy and full of vitality to be beautiful!" Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he squinted his eyes and looked at me: "That's not right! Losing weight and eating 10 meat buns this morning?" I frantically searched for a way out, trying to salvage what little self-esteem I had: "Don't worry about so many things!" 11 He suddenly fell silent, then suddenly poured all the meat in the rice tray onto me. "I see people craving braised pork rolls so much, I'll go get some. This is for you, don't waste it." After that, he glared and threatened me: "Eat all of it for me! If you don't eat it all... then I won't let you in anymore! I'll sit next to the door!" I looked at the mountain-like pile of meat on the tray, my eyes were teary, and I softly said: "Thank you..." He suddenly leaned closer and patted my head. “I think you look a lot like my Little Hoang Hoang.” He raised his eyebrows and smiled: "That's it, I'll protect you from now on, you'll be my junior like Tieu Hoang Hoang." I was confused: "Who is Little Hoang Hoang?" He waved his hand and walked away, leaving behind a sentence: "The dog from my hometown I found." “I call him Little Hoang Hoang, but he is bigger than you, you have to call him Hoang Ca.” “Someday I will take you to meet your Royal Brother.” "At that time, don't say to his face that he's a grass dog, I tricked him into thinking that he was a Corgi." Me: ……… 12 From that day on, I started working as a housekeeper for Te Triet in exchange for food. Help him do his homework, take notes, clean the table, bring water... I must say, Qi Triet is truly a good "boss". In addition to covering three meals a day for me, he also occasionally "gave me surprise snacks." Many times, as soon as I woke up during lunch break, I heard him call out in a low voice: "Tieu Diem Diem, open your mouth." A peeled lychee was stuffed into my mouth. The cool sweetness of the fruit immediately explodes on the tip of the tongue, bringing with it a sweet feeling in the heart, no longer feeling miserable. After evening school, he often suddenly thrust a package of beef jerky or a huge box of chocolate into my hand. “In my dream, I saw you starving to death. I was so scared that I ran to buy you some food.” 13 See, he was even worried that I wouldn't have anything to eat when I came home from National Day break. The day before the holiday, everyone in class was excitedly discussing plans to have fun. I'm the only one who doesn't like holidays at all. Because coming home means having to face a father who is always drunk. Moreover, if I don't see Te Triet, I'll be hungry again. Waiting until the class was almost empty, I bowed my head and slowly stuffed my books into my torn bag, when suddenly I felt someone patting me on the back of my neck. Qi Triet stuffed me a big bag, filled with food: French fries, seaweed rolls, tiger skin chicken feet... even moon cakes. Collect the five roots and the Lan Can deity. 14 In addition, he stuffed my school bag with a fat lotus pot. Qi Triet glanced out the back door of the classroom, lowered his voice and said: "That's my mother's treasure. I once tried biting the leaves, it was a bit harsh but I could swallow it. Don't eat it raw when you go home, wash it and soak it in water, maybe it will turn into a cool salad." He pulled out a box of cough drops from his pocket and gave it to me: "My dad's Kim Tac candy, just stolen. If you have low blood sugar, taking one might help." I was speechless, pulled out a package of dog food from my pocket: "What about this explanation?" “That belongs to your brother Hoang.” Qi Triet grabbed the food package, tore a small slit, picked up a piece and stuffed it into his mouth: "See, you can chew it, it's just a little fishy. If there's really nothing left to eat, mix it with hot water... it'll be fine." He comforted him again: "Don't worry, my parents don't even dare to do anything to Little Hoang Hoang. You call him Big Brother, it's okay if he gives you half the meal." I didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Are you planning on... giving me the whole house?" “If I had known, I wouldn't have skipped school last week to go online and play games.” His voice lowered: "My mother deducted all of her allowance, but would have bought you better things. If you eat all of these things and are still missing, call me and I'll find a way." 15 From the hallway came the sound of his parents calling. Qi Triet stood up and walked out the door, but suddenly turned back and poked my forehead with his finger: "Do you hear me? I've raised you for so long, if you let yourself starve to death on National Day break..." "I... I will... I will throw all your notebooks away!" When I carried my bag to the school gate, I saw Te Triet being dragged away by his mother's ears. He turned his head and made a phone call gesture to me. In the pocket of his uniform, half a stone lotus leaf was exposed, swaying in the wind. The heavy cloth bag squeezed my shoulder, but when I touched the candy box in the bag, I couldn't help but burst out laughing. 16 As soon as I opened the door, the strong smell of cigarette smoke immediately entered my nose. A few guys with rough faces were sitting on the sofa, my father was huddled in a corner, looking confused and scared. Seeing me enter, he raised his head, his eyes filled with blood and panic. I immediately understood — Dad's creditors had come to demand money. Before I could react, a guy snatched the bag Te Triet gave me and rummaged inside. “Yo, you lost everything at cards but your daughter is still well raised and even knows how to bring food home to 'respect' us.” Another guy held a cigarette, patted my cheek, blew smoke straight into my face: "Such a good girl, have you brought the money back yet?" Tears welled up in my eyes immediately. 17 "She's a student, she doesn't have money, don't make it difficult for her..." My father's voice trembled. As soon as he stood up, the guy with the spiked hair kicked him and knocked him down. "Student? When you were gambling, why didn't you remember that he was still a student?" They ate all the food Qi Triet gave me, and trash was thrown all over the floor. Even the stone lotus pot in the bag was pulled out and smashed on the ground. Qi Triet's voice saying "a bit acrid but swallowable" still resonates in my ears, but now even that bit of acrid taste is a luxury. They set up folding beds right in the middle of the living room and tortured them all night. Cigarette smoke lingers on the ceiling, gray like mist. I was locked in my bedroom, listening to the clacking of cards and my father's muffled cough. Burying my face in the blanket, I couldn't help but let my tears flow. At midnight, the casino disbanded Loud snoring made the windows shake. Dad opened the door to my room, waving his hand in the darkness for me to run immediately. 18 Running out of the building, the cold wind immediately penetrated my thin uniform. That's when I realized I wasn't wearing a coat. I didn't know where to go, so I just kept running along the street lights. Both cold and hungry, my school bag hit my back and hurt my ribs. I pulled out the box of candy from my pocket and ate one. The slight mint sweetness spreads across the tongue. Suddenly I sat down and cried, tears falling onto the back of my hand, red from the cold. While I was sobbing until I couldn't breathe, someone suddenly patted my shoulder. I shivered in surprise and raised my head. 19 Qi Triet stood in the halo of light, his hair disheveled and sticking up. “Why are you here?” His voice was hoarse, as if he had been up all night. When he bent down to help me up, his hand touched my cold arm, he immediately got angry: "Are you stupid? It's this cold, wearing this much clothes?" Before I could respond, he took off his jacket and wrapped it tightly around me. The fabric still retains his warmth, mixed with the smell of instant noodles. “Why are you crying?” What should I say? Because the creditor blocked him at home, because he ran away like a stray dog. Because I was dirty and dirty, I met him. Because a 15-year-old Vu Diem Diem was so humiliated that he had no words left. My throat felt like it was stuffed tightly with a ball of crumpled paper, unable to make a sound. Seeing that I didn't speak, he raised his hand to wipe my tears, but in the middle of it, he withdrew and scratched his head. “It's not because you're hungry, is it?” As if finding an excuse, I nodded repeatedly, tears uncontrollably flowing out of my eyes. 20 "Then why didn't you call me? Don't you already know my phone number?" His voice sounded a bit angry. I hesitated for a long time, and finally mumbled: "Sorry... I... don't have a phone." He didn't ask any more. There was silence for a while, then suddenly pulled my wrist: "Okay, I know you're a good student who doesn't play on the phone. Boss will take you to breakfast." It was still early, there were few passersby on the street, and most of the restaurants were not yet open. Qi Triet led me around a few times until I came to a shop selling dumplings. The shop owner is busy placing baskets of steamed cakes on the table. Amid the steaming white steam, the fragrant smell of meat and flour spreads. “Want some dumplings?” Qi Triet turned to ask me. I was stunned for a moment and said softly: "Two is enough."