Chapter 8 — Reborn On The Night Of Fraud

Since when did Trinh Du know how to write letters? Khuong Mien Mien received the envelope - heavy-handed, it seemed like there was more than just writing and paper inside.

“When did he give it to you?”

“Last night.” Comrade Lam smiled meaningfully,

“He walked thirty miles at night, all the way to the district guesthouse looking for us.”

Khuong Mien Mien's heart was shocked - So the Vuong father and son were arrested, it was because of Trinh Du's actions? After saying goodbye to comrade Lam, she couldn't wait to open the letter. In addition to a short letter, there was also a stack of stamps and five coins. The letter was very short: 【Mian Mien: The matter of the survey team has been resolved, the Vuong family will not dare to bother you anymore. I'll keep this money and ticket, don't let my dad know. I'll be back tonight.

— Presentation】

Khuong Mien Mien pressed the letter tightly to her chest, the corners of her lips curled up involuntarily. This man of few words clearly has done so many things, but never mentions his merits. In the evening, Khuong Mien Mien steamed a basket of meat dumplings, boiled eggs with red sugar, and wrapped them carefully in cloth to keep warm. She looked in the mirror and combed her hair, deliberately using the wooden comb Trinh Du gave her.

"It's late and you're still going out?" Khuong's mother stood at the kitchen door and asked.

"Yes... my child, go give Nhi Nha's exercise book!"

Khuong Mien Mien lied without remorse. Her mother looked at her with meaningful eyes:

“Go home early.”

With her face red, Khuong Mien Mien quickly ran out. When she arrived at the buffalo barn, she discovered the door was still locked.

"Aren't we talking about coming back tonight..." She muttered disappointedly, placed the food at the barn door, thought for a moment and then left the note:

【Remember to eat while it's still hot!】 Just as I was about to leave, suddenly a harmonica sound rang out from the threshing yard in the distance. Her heart was pounding — It was the melody of Night Outside Moscow, only one person in this whole village knew how to play it. She followed the sound and sure enough saw Trinh Du behind the pile of straw. The man leaned against a pile of grass, his long legs stretched lazily, his harmonica sparkling silver under the moonlight.

“Trinh Du!” She happily ran over,

“When did you come back?”

Example of taking off the harmonica:

“I saw a note when I got home, so I guess you'll be here.”

“How did you guess?”

“You can see the whole village here.” He pointed into the distance,

“Including my family.”

Khuong Mien Mien's face turned red — So that means... he's often here... looking at her? The two of them sat next to each other on a pile of straw, and in the distance, the sound of frogs croaking could be heard. Khuong Mien Mien gave him the dumplings:

“Eat quickly, it's still hot.”

Trinh Du took it, and when their fingers touched, Khuong Mien Mien clearly felt that his hand was colder than usual.

“What are you doing in the district?” She couldn't help but ask.

Trinh Du took a bite of the dumpling and calmly said:

“Meet someone.”

“Who is that?”

”… My uncle.” Khuong Mien Mien's eyes widened — In Trinh Du's autobiography of his past life, there was never any uncle mentioned!

"Is it... comrade Trinh Hoai Le in the survey team?" She asked cautiously.

Trinh Du's movements stopped:

“How do you know?”

“Comrade Lam told me.”

Khuong Mien Mien quickly explained,

“Today he came to the buffalo barn to look for me.”

Trinh Du said "yes" and continued to eat dumplings, but Khuong Mien Mien clearly felt that his mood was somewhat sagging.

“You two…” She asked hesitantly,

“Is the relationship not good?”

Trinh Du was silent for a long time, so long that Khuong Mien Mien thought he wouldn't answer.

“Ten last year,”

He suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse,

“When my father was accused, he was the one who brought the knife.”

Khuong Mien Mien took a sharp breath of cold air.

“He is my father's younger brother,

Yet he was the first person to accuse my father of 'colluding with the enemy and betraying the country'." Trinh Du's eyes were cold as ice,

“Now he has come to 'clear his name'.”

Khuong Mien Mien suddenly understood - Why Trinh Du was so cruel to his enemies in his previous life was because he had witnessed with his own eyes the deepest betrayal coming from his own blood relatives.

“So…”

She asked softly,

“Have you met him?”

“See you.” Trinh Du laughed coldly,

“He knelt down and asked me for forgiveness, saying that year he was forced.”

Under the moonlight, Khuong Mien Mien saw Trinh Du's hand shaking slightly. She mustered all her courage and gently held his hand.

“If you don't want to forgive, don't forgive.”

She said seriously,

“Not every apology deserves forgiveness.”

Trinh Du was stunned. He turned to look at her, his eyes complicated:

“Don't you see that I'm... cold and cruel?”

“I think you're very brave.”

Khuong Mien Mien looked straight into his eyes,

“It's better to dare to hate than to pretend to forgive.”

Trinh Du's pupils shrank for a moment. The night wind blew through the barley fields, creating rippling waves. Both were silent, but Khuong Mien Mien felt like something was quietly changing.

“Khuong Mien Mien.” Trinh Du suddenly asked,

“If one day you find out, I used to do a very bad job…”

“Then I will make amends with you.”

She replied without hesitation. Trinh Du's breathing became chaotic. He suddenly turned around, placing his hands on both sides of her body, forcing her between him and the pile of straw.

“Do you know what you're saying?”

His voice was hoarse,

“Following someone like you, there will never be a peaceful day.”

Khuong Mien Mien's heart was pounding, but she still steadfastly raised her face:

"I'm willing."

The distance between the two is so close that one can count each other's eyelashes. Khuong Mien Mien smelled the faint scent of cigarettes on Trinh Du's body, mixed with the scent of grass after the rain.

“Trinh Du,” she asked softly,

“Do you… like me?”

The man's throat moved slightly, his eyes as deep as the dark night: "...What about you?"

“I asked first!”

”… Yes.” Khuong Mien Mien blinked: "What does 'Yes' mean?" Trinh Du's ears turned red, "...That's what I'm thinking." Khuong Mien Mien burst out laughing, her eyes curved like a new moon:

“Then I say ‘yes’!”

Trinh Du was stunned, then laughed softly. He raised his hand to gently caress her cheek, his thumb grazing the corner of her lips:

“Idiot…”

The two people's breathing harmonized, the distance became closer and closer...

“Dang!”

A loud explosion rang out in the distance! Khuong Mien Mien was startled, Trinh Du immediately pulled her into his arms to protect her.

“What is it?!”

There was another explosion, followed by a bright light tearing through the night — Fireworks!

“I almost forgot!”

Khuong Mien Mien smacked her forehead,

“Tomorrow the survey team will arrive, our village will shoot off fireworks to celebrate early!”

Trinh Du breathed a sigh of relief, but his muscles were still tense. Khuong Mien Mien could feel that he was still tense from earlier. Brilliant fireworks flared up in the middle of the night, illuminating the faces of two people. In that light, Khuong Mien Mien saw Trinh Du's eyelashes casting shadows on her cheekbones, the bridge of her nose was high and straight, so beautiful it shook. touching people's hearts.

“Trinh Du.”

She whispered.

“Yes?”

“Just now… were we about to kiss?”

Trinh Du's face turned red, he turned away and coughed lightly: "... Yes." Khuong Mien Mien secretly smiled, then moved a little closer:

“So… let's continue?”

Trinh Du turned his head, his eyes deep:

“Aren't you afraid?”

“What are you afraid of?”

“Scared of you.”