Chapter 13 — Secret Explosive Burning of Cow Dung

“There is a begonia branch engraved on the lock surface.”

My heart was shocked. Road in Van Duong. Road in sea road. Bach Nhiem's breathing clearly slowed down. She quickly turned away.

“I have never seen it.”

Tham Kieu looked at me, then looked at her. Many years of hosting experience caused her to not continue asking questions, but instead turned to Luc Van Da.

"Mr. Luc, how do you know the pattern on the lock?"

Luc Van Da picked up another cement paper bag on the table.

“Because in the draft my grandfather left behind, there was a piece of printed paper stuck in it.”

He opened the paper. On the screen appeared the faint outline of a silver lock. In the middle of the lock, there is indeed a curved begonia flower branch. Next to the flower branch are two extremely small words. An street. I stared at those two words, my chest felt like someone was squeezing it. My name was not chosen haphazardly. My mother sobbed on the phone.

“Duong Duong, when dad gave you a name, he looked through the paper to find that person.”

“Dad said, no matter what your previous name was, from now on in the Van family, you must be safe and sound.”

I gritted my teeth, not letting the tears fall. At this moment, Tieu Hoa ran in again. Her face was even whiter than before.

"Miss Duong, something is wrong."

I looked at the girl: "What happened again?" Tieu Hoa passed the phone over.

“Someone posted a screenshot of Bach Nhiem's old interview.”

“When she was little, she used to wear a silver lock engraved with begonia flowers.”

Bach Nhiem suddenly stood up.

“It's fake!”

She almost screamed.

“That is slander!”

The big screen showed images provided by netizens. Bach Nhiem in the photo is about 15 or 16 years old. She was wearing a white dress, standing in front of an entrance poster. On the neck hangs a small silver lock. The photo is not very sharp. But the begonia flower branch in the middle of the lock is still recognizable. My head buzzed loudly. Bach Nhiem also saw it. Her lips trembled, tears falling this time in real panic.

“That's what my aunt left me.”

“I have absolutely no idea who it belongs to.”

I stood up. The chair legs scraped across the floor, creating a shrill screeching sound.

“You said you had never seen it before.”

Bach Nhiem opened his mouth.

“I forgot.”

I burst out laughing.

“Forgot about being in the same class as me.”

“Forgot about lunch money.”

“Forget the silver lock.”

“Bach Nhiem, your memory only works on things that benefit you, right?”

No one said anything at the scene. Quy Hanh pushed the mic away a bit, as if he didn't want to let the sound of his breathing in. Bach Nhiem's tears fell faster. She looked into the lens, as if clinging to the last lifeline.

“I am also a victim.”

"Since I was little, I lived with my aunt. I wear whatever she gives me."

“I didn't know it was Van Duong's stuff.”

“You can't put all the blame on me because of a lock.”

Before Tham Kieu could speak, Luc Van Da spoke first.

“No one said you stole the lock.”

He looked at Bach Nhiem.

“But you know the origin of that lock.”

Bach Nhiem's face turned pale.

“I don't know.”

Luc Van Da turned over the back of the printed paper.

“When she was 15 years old, she brought this lock to the gold shop in town to ask the price.”

“The owner of the gold shop saw strange words on the lock's surface so he took note sentence."

“Registered name is Bach Tieu Nhiem.”

Bach Nhiem stiffened his whole body. I stared at her.

“Are you selling it?”

Bach Nhiem's lips trembled: "No." Luc Van Da said: "You can't sell it."

“Because the boss said, this is a child's long life key, and cannot be purchased arbitrarily.”

“But when she left, she asked him a question.”

“She asked, how much money would it still be worth if the two words Duong An were polished off?”

My palms are cold. Bach Nhiem seemed to be pinned by that sentence under the light.