Chapter 21 — Return to Xiangnan Military Region

Sunset drags his long shadow across the ground. On the way back to the jeep, Chu Tri Luat did not say a word, nor did he look for Mai Tu Khanh anymore. For a long time, he just quietly stared at the steering wheel, Truong Thuy's words kept echoing in his head. Chu Tri Luat smiled softly at himself. He thought Mai Tu Khanh had completely forgotten about Tong Dinh Nien, but as soon as she heard the news that he was getting married, she finally paid attention. "Sure enough, she is my childhood friend..." A sudden punch hit the car horn, the shrill sound of the horn rang out, causing the sparrows on the tree to fly away in panic. Early the next morning, Mai Tu Khanh took a military truck to Tuong Nam city. Before that, she lied to Chu Tri Luat that she had work on the weekend, but in reality it was just to take the time to buy him a gift. She hasn't touched a penny of Tong Dinh Nien's compensation money, so now she's taking it all out. In the department store building, Mai Tu Khanh walked around forever - leather belts, gold-plated fountain pens... choosing back and forth but still not satisfied. It wasn't until she passed by a watch shop that her eyes were drawn to a mechanical watch with silver gray leather strap in a glass case. The watch face is simple, the second hand gliding over Roman numerals emitting cold silver light — much like someone's steady and calm eyes. She pointed at the watch and asked: "Comrade, how much is this?" The boss looked up at her simple blue cheongsam and said: "One thousand two, it's a Swiss product. Normally only military region leaders dare to wear it." Indeed, the price is not cheap. Mai Tu Khanh thought for a moment, then took out the cloth bag, wads of money were neatly arranged on the glass counter: "I'll take it." Indeed, you can't judge people by their appearance. The owner frantically wrote the ticket, muttering: "Now the country girls are willing to play." Before leaving, Mai Tu Khanh also stopped by the traditional bakery. The glass cabinet is filled with honeysuckle, walnut cakes, and in the deepest corner is hawthorn cake. Chu Tri Luat once said that when his mother was pregnant with him, she really liked this dish. "Get two kilos of hawthorn cake." As soon as he finished speaking, a familiar voice rang out from behind. Tong Dinh Nien asked: "How much is this loquat cake per kilogram?" Mai Tu Khanh immediately stiffened. Through the reflective glass, she saw Tong Dinh Nien holding Tieu San's shoulder and standing behind her. She turned around to greet the two of them, her eyes glanced at Tieu San's belly: "Congratulations." It was impossible to determine whether Tieu San was really pregnant or not, but her right hand was still holding her belly. As soon as he saw Mai Tu Khanh, Tieu San's face turned pale, he pulled Tong Dinh Nien's hand and was about to leave: "I don't want to eat anymore, let's go to another store." But Tong Dinh Nien still stood still: "Tu Khanh, do you want to buy cake too? I'll invite you." Mai Tu Khanh took a step back, keeping a distance from him. "No need." She put the money for the cake on the counter: "Your money for the loquat cake is considered an invitation from me. Businessman Tong's money should be reserved for him. Let's treat the wedding party." After saying that, she turned and left. After finishing shopping, Mai Tu Khanh returned to the military region. At that moment it was the unit's training hour. As soon as she put down her things, she immediately grabbed the gift box and ran to the training ground. But when she asked a few soldiers, no one saw Chu Tri Luat. "Group leader Chu? This afternoon he has a meeting at the command post!" "The meeting ended early, so it's time to go back to the office." "The group leader didn't go into the office today. I heard he was on leave." Without a definite answer, in the end she could only pant and return to the dormitory. Chu Tri Luat's jeep is quietly parked under the shade of a tree in front of the house. She happily ran to knock on the window: "Tri Luat!" But under the street lights, the driver's seat was empty. The yellow light cast her shadow on the hood of the car, like a disappointed little sparrow. She waited a little longer, saw that no one really came, then quietly went upstairs. She didn't know,

As soon as the light in the room turned on, Chu Tri Luat walked out from the bushes behind the building. Moonlight quietly poured through the foliage. Chu Tri Luat turned to start the car, leaving only a sigh that dissipated into the night wind. It was not until Monday night that Mai Tu Khanh met Chu Tri Luat again. Due to the special characteristics of the military region, Tong Dinh Nien's wedding party was held right in the dining room. When she got off work, Mai Tu Khanh and a few colleagues walked into the restaurant. From the first table, someone called out: "Sister-in-law, over here!" The caller was Chu Tri Luat's deputy, who was sitting right next to him and waving. As for Chu Tri Luat, although he did not raise his head, the empty space next to him was obviously reserved for her. Mai Tu Khanh walked over and sat down, casually asking: "You parked your car under my dormitory on the weekend night, why didn't you see anyone?" Chu Tri Luat didn't know why he was upset, his voice was gloomy: "It must have been someone else's car driving, I didn't come." Mai Tu Khanh wanted to ask more, but the deputy group leaders and business leaders simultaneously teased: "When do you plan on inviting us to drink wedding wine?" The main thing is to see what your group leader's thoughts are." As he spoke, Mai Tu Khanh's eyes briefly glanced at Chu Tri Luat bowing his head to caress the grain of rice in the bowl, his throat moving slightly as if trying to swallow something. The commander of battalion 3 poured more water for her: "Sister-in-law, I heard that the group leader just met you for the first time and applied for marriage? Tell me the truth, is he pursuing you?" Amidst the noisy laughter, Mai Tu Khanh calmly replied: "What are you pursuing? If you see a match then just move forward."