Chapter 3 — Picked up the Bridegroom on the Riverbank

"If you really don't want to repay me personally, I won't force you, and I don't need any more money. Just ask you to help me write a few more words, wait for you to heal and then leave."

It's just a man, we can't live without him. How dare you lower yourself to this level! I turned around and tried to walk away, but he suddenly pulled me back.

“Don't go... A Tu!” — the little wolf soldier hastily spoke up.

I turned my head back in surprise.

“What do you... call me?”

“Ah… A Tu!”

I only saw the young prince looking panicked, his white face turning red, but his eyes still looking at me. But when I turned to look at him, he quickly bowed his head, not daring to face me. Just listen to him softly say:

"Dan Hac really wants to repay her. From now on... I will call her A Tu, okay?"

“Okay! Very good!” — I blushed and nodded continuously.

Nuong, the trick "if you want to catch first then let go" that you taught... is truly extremely effective!

4

The young soldier called me A Tu, I also called him A Hac. I made wine, A Hac helped me write, and the rest of the time I sat in the study room reading books. Every time he read a book for about an hour, he would step out of the study, look at me, and smile shyly. That smile makes my heart itch. Our little prince is so adorable! I always felt like he was just like the little cat at the old lady's neighbor's house when I was a child - not like a puppy that always clung to me, but every once in a while he would quietly come closer and rub to affirm his presence. Oh dear, the joy we - cat lovers - people really cannot understand! Wait for me to finish my work, then go into the study to find him. As soon as I walked in, I didn't see anyone. I looked around and found him standing silently behind the bookshelf. When I walked right up behind him, he still didn't know. I wonder:

“Ah Hac, what are you doing?”

"Ah... A Tu! You... why are you..."

He seemed startled by me, quickly hid the book behind his back, his face was as red as the afternoon sun, he stammered and couldn't say a word. Looking at that appearance, it was truly extremely embarrassing, making people look at him and just want to tease him. I immediately had a bad feeling in my heart, so I deliberately provoked him:

"Ah Hac, why are you so panicked? Are you reading... a forbidden letter?"

I only saw the corners of A Hac's eyes getting redder and redder, his eyes blinking rapidly as if he was about to cry.

"A Tu, I didn't... I just saw it by accident..."

What? What a… forbidden letter?! This time it was my turn to panic. I quickly ran around behind him and grabbed the book in my hand. On the cover of the book, four large words clearly appear: "Phong Luu widow, beautiful talent." I froze on the spot. Books for my lady's bedside table... why are they here!? And let A Hac see it! My face immediately felt hot, the heat from my cheeks spread to my ears. My hand tightened around the book, I suddenly didn't dare look at him, I tried to suppress my confusion and stammered:

“If I say… this book is not mine, would you… believe it?”

A soft laugh came from the top of my head.

“Believe it, I will believe whatever A Tu says.”

My heart trembled slightly, I raised my head to look. That handsome face suddenly appeared right before our eyes, eyes curved like a new moon, a smile as bright as sunshine, making people look dazzled. I looked at him blankly, couldn't help but reached out and touched him that face. He didn't avoid it, he even unconsciously bent down, brought his face closer, and asked me with a bewildered face:

“A Tu, is there something on my face…?”

What's wrong? Maybe... a little handsome. My hand gently caressed his cheek, my heart pounding restlessly.

“A Hac... when you're completely healed, can we get married?

Then I gave birth to a little baby, I taught him to make wine, he taught him to read books..." The more I spoke, the more excited I became, but as soon as I finished speaking, I saw him take a step back, the smile on his face also disappeared. He said:

“A Tu, now... it's still not possible.”

The smile on my face gradually faded.

5

A Hac said, he wants to concentrate on reading books and preparing for exams, but right now he can't get married with me. Actually, I don't know what's the contradiction between being married to the examination department. But we cannot force people. Well, let's take a step back...

“It's okay if we don't get married, so... can we have children first?”

A Hac's face immediately changed.

"A Tu can't! How can you let her lose her reputation!"

"What is reputation? My mother only gave me a name, but she never gave me anything called reputation? Is reputation... that important?"

I raised my head to look at him, my eyes full of doubt. A Hac's eyes flashed with surprise, he looked at me thoughtfully for a long time, before finally regaining his composure. He said:

“Compared to many things, fame... is really not worth much.”

He seemed to suddenly remember something, a trace of bitterness flashed through his eyes, the corner of his lips slightly raised, carrying a sarcastic smile. But very quickly, he shook his head and smiled bitterly.

“This world is always harsh on women.

A woman with a beautiful appearance is called a disaster. A woman who is unlucky to be widowed is considered unlucky. A woman who trades alone to support her family is scolded for being disrespectful, filial, and against morality. It's like everything a woman does... is wrong." He looked at me, his eyes filled with pity and sadness.

“Ah Tu, I don't want you to be tainted by those dirty words.”

I seem to have understood something. Could it be... that's what A Hac's relatives had to endure? You are worried that I will also be hurt by the world's mouth! But I'm not afraid! I said:

“But my mother once taught, absolutely never care about what people say.

There are people who are inherently dirty in their hearts, so everyone who looks at them feels dirty. They criticize you because they want to oppress you, want to bring you down, so they can be easily controlled. That's called... oppression by superiors!” After hearing A Hac, his eyes became brighter and brighter.

“What is ‘oppressive superior’?”

"Actually, I don't know. I'll say whatever I teach." — I continued — "Anyway, I don't care what other people say. I just need to make good wine, make a lot of money, and then take good care of my small family."

A Hac's face turned red, his hot eyes looked at me.