Chapter 7 — Reborn On The Night Of Fraud

The notebook is filled with names and events — all the dark secrets of the villagers! As for the page about the "Khuong family", the previously detailed lines of crime had been crossed out, replaced by a new line of ink written with a fountain pen: 【Exception: Khuong Mien Mien】 Khuong Mien Mien's heart was pounding. She continued flipping through the following pages, and on the last page, she discovered a wrinkled piece of candy wrapper - the fruit candy she once gave to Trinh Du. The candy wrapper is flattened and pressed neatly in the middle of the page, with a small smile drawn on top.

“This stupid, taciturn thing…” She couldn't help but laugh, clutching the notebook tightly in her arms.

At that moment, a chaotic scream suddenly rang out from far away! Khuong Mien Mien rushed to the gate, only to see the front of the village on fire!

“Dead!” A resident ran and shouted:

“The buffalo barn is on fire!”

Khuong Mien Mien's whole body seemed to be frozen.

— Trinh Du is still in there!

She didn't have time to think, grabbed a bucket of water and rushed out. Just ran halfway and was stopped!

“Going somewhere, Mien Mien?”

Vuong Kien Quan and a few of his henchmen stood in the middle of the road, smiling sinisterly.

“Get away!” Khuong Mien Mien's eyes were red with worry.

“What's the hurry?” Vuong Kien Quan said leisurely, "Isn't that 'bourgeois' guy very good? Let him escape!"

In an instant, Khuong Mien Mien understood everything - This fire... was set on fire by Vuong Kien Quan!

“Get away!” She angrily pushed him, but he grabbed her back!

“Don't be unreasonable!” Vuong Kien Quan said harshly, "What's so good about that guy? Follow me, make sure you—"

“Chat!”

A crisp slap hit him in the face! They were all stunned.

"You..." Vuong Kien Quan hugged his cheek, his eyes fierce:

“Capture him!”

Some henchmen rushed forward! Khuong Mien Mien remembered the tricks Trinh Du taught, dodged around, but instead twisted one of the guy's arms and threw him to the ground!

“Ah!”

That guy screamed and knelt on the ground. Vuong Kien Quan's face turned pale:

“You…”

"Don't get out of the way yet," Khuong Mien Mien screamed with red eyes,

“I will report to the inspection team about your embezzlement of food from the production team!”

— This is the secret she saw in Trinh Du's notebook.

Vuong Kien Quan's face turned pale. While he was still stunned, Khuong Mien Mien had no choice but to run! The buffalo barn is on fire, black smoke is billowing, a few people in the village are carrying water to put out the fire.

“Where is Trinh Du?!” She grabbed someone and asked him.

“I can't see it anywhere!”

Khuong Mien Mien's heart sank to the bottom of the abyss. She gritted her teeth, placed the water bucket directly over her head, preparing to rush into the fire! Suddenly, a strong hand pulled her from behind!

“Do you want to die?”

The familiar voice made Khuong Mien Mien burst into tears. She threw herself into Trinh Du's arms:

“You scared me to death!!”

Trinh Du's entire body was covered in ash but was not injured. He awkwardly patted her back:

"I'm fine, I left early."

It turned out that he had already felt unusual, so he left the buffalo barn in advance.

"My notebook..." Khuong Mien Mien sobbed, "At my place..."

Trinh Du's body stiffened slightly:

“Did you read it?”

“Yes.” She raised her face, eyes sparkling like water,

“Thank you for removing my name from the ‘revenge list’.”

Trinh Du's ears turned red, he immediately turned his face away: "...So many things." The fire was gradually controlled and people began to rush gossip.

“Someone must have set the fire!”

"Maybe it was that bourgeois who burned himself, then pretended to be harmed!"

Khuong Mien Mien trembled in anger and was about to argue back when Trinh Du grabbed his hand and stopped him.

“Don't rush.” He lowered his voice,

“Tomorrow, there will be something interesting to watch.”

Khuong Mien Mien didn't understand, but his eyes made her feel reassured. Late at night, the villagers all returned home. Trinh Du took her to the gate, then suddenly pulled out a small bundle of cloth from his shirt.

“For you.”

Khuong Mien Mien opened it, inside was a delicate boxwood comb, with apricot flowers engraved on it.

“This is…”

“Buy at the cooperative.” Trinh Du turned away, "Consider it a thank you gift."

Khuong Mien Mien's heart softened. This comb is not cheap, where did you get the money? As if reading her thoughts, Trinh Du coldly said:

“Help Dr. Ly pick medicine and earn money.”

It turned out that every night he secretly went out to pick medicine to make money... Khuong Mien Mien gently stroked the comb, suddenly discovering that the back of the comb had two small words engraved: 【Binh An】 Khuong Mien Mien's tears flowed out in an instant.

“Trinh Du…”

The man reached out to wipe away her tears, his fingertips were both warm and rough:

“Don't cry.”

Under the moonlight, the silhouettes of two people gradually drew closer together...

“Mien Mien!”

Khuong's mother's voice suddenly rang out from the yard, "Is that you?" The two immediately separated. Trinh Du coughed softly:

“Let's go home.”

Khuong Mien Mien blushed and nodded, turned to leave, but after a few steps she couldn't help but turn around:

“Tomorrow…”

“See you tomorrow.” Trinh Du spoke softly.

That night, Khuong Mien Mien hid the wooden comb under her pillow, dreaming a sweet dream. She didn't know that Trinh Du stood outside her yard for a long time, until her room's light turned off before quietly leaving. The man pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket - the survey team's reception list, on which three words stood out:

“Trinh Hoai Le.”

Trinh Du's eyes became complicated.

“Finally... we'll see each other again.”

The day before the survey team arrived, a strange thing happened in the village. Early in the morning, Khuong Mien Mien went to wash clothes by the river. From afar, he saw Vuong Kien Quan and his father being escorted to a jeep by several people dressed in Trung Son clothes. Vuong Kien Quan's face was as white as paper, his crotch was wet - as if he was threatened with peeing his pants.

“What's going on?” She pulled Aunt Luu's hand who was waiting for a conversation.

“Wow, it's a big deal!” Aunt Luu patted her thigh, "I heard someone accused him and his father of embezzling food from the production team, and even selling fertilizer on the black market! The evidence is very clear!"

Khuong Mien Mien's heart stopped — Isn't that exactly what was written in Trinh Du's notebook? She hurriedly ran to the buffalo barn, but discovered that Trinh Du was not there. The tattered cage was swept clean, the blue cotton shirt was neatly folded and placed on the bed, with a small piece of paper pressed on top: 【Let's go to the district, come back tonight. Don't worry.】 The handwriting is sturdy and neat — just like him. Khuong Mien Mien carefully folded the piece of paper and stuffed it into her pocket, and was about to leave when she suddenly heard footsteps outside.

“Trinh Du?” She happily turned around — but the person who came was a strange young man.

He wore neat Trung Son clothes, shiny leather shoes, and at first glance he knew he was a city official.

“Who are you looking for, comrade?” She asked cautiously.

The young man pushed the frame respectful, polite smile:

"May I ask if comrade Trinh Du is here?"

“He's not here.” Khuong Mien Mien stood in front of the door, "Tell me if there's anything."

The young man observed her for a moment, then suddenly smiled:

“Are you Comrade Khuong Mien Mien?”

Khuong Mien Mien was stunned: "You know me?"

“Trinh Du mentioned you in his letter.”

The young man took out an envelope from his briefcase:

"I am a member of the survey team from the province, my family name is Lam. This is the letter he asked me to deliver to you."

Mail?!