Chapter 2 — Secret Explosive Burning of Cow Dung

That video is only 27 seconds long. 27 seconds was enough to pull me from the hot search of an entertainment show into another hot pot. Tieu Hoa put the phone in front of my eyes.

"Miss Duong, is this person really the village chief's son?"

I stared at the screen. The man's name is Nguu Dai Dung. Authentic information is the owner of Lien Thuy village eco-tourism area. When I was young, he was 5 years older than me. Back then, he always wore a blue school uniform with black sleeves that were shiny because they were dirty. I miss him. Also remember that wall. But I don't remember any iron box. Comments have changed from ha ha ha to the crime scene.

“What is an iron box?”

“Could it really be stolen?”

“Blow up the wall and steal the box, this sounds like a stressful childhood.”

"Luc Van Da quickly come and testify."

The recording session hasn't ended yet. The director asked us to continue. Tham Kieu's hand holding the script was tighter than before. She looked into the lens.

“Just now a little trouble appeared online, Van Duong, can you respond?”

I sat up straight.

“I have never taken an iron box.”

Bach Nhiem immediately chimed in.

“But it's normal to sometimes remember things wrongly when you were a child.”

“Just now you admitted that you pushed the principal's bicycle.”

After she finished speaking, the camera panned to give her a close-up. In her eyes was worry. But the corners of his mouth are very steady. I smirked.

“I don't admit to stealing.”

Bach Nhiem sighed softly.

“That's not what I meant.”

“I just think, people should not exchange the concept of childhood mischief for cuteness.”

“There are things that can be traumatic for other people's families.”

This sentence is very clever. She didn't call me mean. She pointed out her resentment on behalf of "other people's families". Comments were immediately led by the nose.

“Bach Nhiem is right.”

“If you blow up someone's wall, can you still bleach it?”

“Don't use the label of childishness as a cover for cuteness.”

I looked at her. She also looked at me. Her eyes are very clear. It's like there's no malice at all. But every word she said was strangling me. I was about to open my mouth when the connection screen lit up again. Luc Van Da has not turned off the phone yet. In his hand he had an old notebook.

“She didn't take it.”

Tham Kieu was stunned: "Does Mr. Luc know about this?"

“Know.”

Luc Van Da opened the notebook.

“That year, after the wall blew up, the village chief forced a few of us children out of the street to stand as punishment.”

“Nuu Dai Dung was also present.”

“The iron box was dug up by him from under the wall.”

Nuu Dai Dung's video was projected by the crew on the screen next to it. Luc Van Da raised his hand and pointed at it.

“In the past, my father hid an iron box under the wall, not to hide money.”

“Inside was a photo, a letter, and an old brass button.”

The scene was silent. My heart jumped. I really don't know about this. Tham Kieu asked: "So where did the box go after that?" Luc Van Da closed the notebook.

“It was taken away by Niu Dai Dung.”

"At that time, he was afraid of being scolded by his father, so he blamed Van Duong for marrying him."

“Because she just blew up the wall, no one will suspect anyone else.”

My fingers rubbed tightly on the rim of the cup. By this time I remembered. That year in from the very hot road. The village chief held a bamboo whip and asked who touched the base of the wall. I said I was only blowing up the wall, not taking anything. No one believes it. My mother was called and apologized to the village chief in front of the whole village. That night, she locked me in the yard and didn't let me eat. Luc Van Da climbed over the wall and stuffed me a white flour bun. I took a bite and cried until I almost choked. At that time, I thought I was angry enough. But I didn't expect that after all these years, this pot could still fly back and land on my head.