Chapter 2 — Red Bean Cake on New Year's Eve

"What about you? What did you come to Phu Cu Quan to ask about?" Unexpectedly, the man answered me cheerfully. "I came to ask them to help me find someone." "Looking for someone?" "My fiancee. She is not from the capital." He explained: "I once went to Quan Chau to look for her. People in the countryside said that last January she took a boat to the capital, so I waited in the city every day, but still could not find her trace." "Quan Chau?" I a little surprised. "I also came here from there in January of last year, also on a boat. What does she look like, what is her name? Maybe we talked on the road." The man was a bit awkward: "She and I only met when we were young when we were engaged. I only know her name, I don't know what she looks like now." I immediately understood: "Then you tell me her name first, after all, I knew a lot on the way to the capital. "Her name is Ninh Hieu Du, the word Hieu is in spring understand, the word Du is in can du." He looked at me, his expression tense. "Dare to ask, lady, have you ever met her?"04I shook my head. Seeing him dejected, I couldn't help but comfort him. "Maybe she goes to a certain palace to work, and it's not convenient to go out every day, that's why you guys don't see each other." He reluctantly pulled out a smile: "Thank you for comforting me. This is To Thua An, I don't know how to address you?" "We really have a good relationship." I sighed a little. "Your fiance's name is almost the same as mine, my fiance is similar to you, also My name is To." "My name is Ninh Tieu Du, Tieu Trong is petty, Du Trong is redundant." To Thua An looked deeply at me, somewhat reluctantly opened her mouth: "It could also be that Tieu Trong is big and small, Du Trong is abundant. In the future, when the young lady introduces herself, it's better not to underestimate herself like that." My face suddenly turned red: "I... I don't know." When I was young, I used to hit my head, and after recovering, I learned everything slower than others. more miserable than others. Parents don't want to constrain us, so they let us grow up freely. If it weren't for my mother's sudden death that year and my father's acute illness, I wouldn't have needed to go to the capital to find a relative. My father said my name was written on the marriage certificate, and my fiance's name was also written. He taught me so many times, I already remembered it, but the boat to the capital was shaking so much, I couldn't help but vomit over and over again. When we get there, everything is forgotten. I only remember the sound of my name, but I don't know how to write it. The words I said were also after coming to Tiet Palace, I asked Tiet Canh Uyen to teach me. He looked at my engagement letter and casually wrote two words. "Your handwriting is too complicated, you can't remember it, why should you learn this?" "Why are you still called Ninh Tieu Du, just petty Tieu Trong, Du Trong redundant." Petty, what's redundant? I'm a bit stupid, but I also feel that it's not a good word. I still wanted to ask him to teach me, but he lost patience and pushed me out. "If you still want to learn your fiance's name, don't make noise, just learn as I say." I didn't dare to refute anymore, I could only obediently listen to him. But later, in the end, he still didn't keep his word and only taught me the fiance's last name, To, but he refused to teach me the next word. Thinking about this, I feel a bit sad. "I'm not looking down on myself, I... I just don't know where to go to study." It's also not that I don't want to study. I once secretly asked, the lady invited to teach Tiet Tinh had to pay twenty taels of tuition a month, which I couldn't pay. I wanted to come and listen, but Tiet Tinh laughed at me and said I was greedy for every little gain, and even invited ma ma to guard the door and not allow me to come close. Not many of our closer friends have ever gone to school. All literate people have gone to work as administrators, so they don't have time to pay attention to me. Only Tiet Canh

Uyen, when you have free time, you will teach me a few words. Whatever he teaches, we will learn. Isn't it self-depreciating to differentiate clearly? To Thua An was a little flustered: "You... don't cry." "What do you want to learn? I'll teach you." I stopped crying and smiled: "Really? One word is determined?" "Really, one word is determined." He seriously nodded at me. "I am a student of the capital city library, I will not deceive people." I know about the capital city library, Tiet Canh Uyen also reads books there. I once heard Tieu Thu say that the people who can read books there are very powerful, I can't help but have some confidence in the person in front of me. Someone who reads books so well, surely he wouldn't be able to cheat an illiterate girl like me without any reason, right? I quickly took off the bag on my back. "Then come help me take a look, my marriage certificate has my fiance's name written on it..." I suddenly widened my eyes and stopped looking for the marriage document. To Thua An was a little confused: "What's wrong?" My voice trembled, carrying a cry: "My bag..." "I put my bag in my shirt, it's gone." 05 I followed To Thua An to a small, remote house. "I saved all my money to find a fiancee, this house is cheap to rent." He explained to me a little embarrassed.