Chapter 18 — Taste of Home

Everyone laughed. Chu Hieu Duong hugged his child and seriously told us: "You will live a good life in the future." "No matter what, just endure it alone." Trieu Minh Vien also said: "Me too." “Something will be said.” His mother sighed. “I also study.” "You can't just rush into making decisions for your children." The mother-in-law listened for a while and suddenly laughed. “It seems that our families all have to make up a subject.” I asked: "What subject?" Mother-in-law said: "Learn to open your mouth." That night, we didn't stay at home to eat. Because the mother-in-law said there must be a limit to helping. “The first day people return to our home, let's not crowd the room.” When she said this, she was especially serious. Luc Canh Hoa secretly winked at me. I also couldn't help but laugh. After returning home, I went to the kitchen as usual. Mother-in-law followed again. She did not fight for the cooking shovel. Just standing at the door asked me: "Nam Am, what will you eat for lunch tomorrow?" I asked: "What do you want to eat, Mom?" She thought for a moment. “Stir-fried tomatoes with eggs.” “Stir-fry another green vegetable dish.” “For soup, make egg seaweed soup.” I took out a small notebook to write it down. The mother-in-law added another sentence. “Just use salt as usual.” “Now my taste is not so bland.” I looked at her and suddenly remembered the first days. Remember standing in the kitchen, reducing the amount of salt over and over again. Remembering when she said salty, I lowered my head to look at the small scratch on my hand. At that time, I thought we were separated by a comment. Later I learned that behind that word "salty" was her clumsy kindness, her habit of mistreating herself. And the old confide doesn't want to bother the family. Luckily, we still explained everything clearly in the end. The next afternoon, my mother-in-law sent me a photo. On the dining table, place fried tomatoes with eggs, green vegetables and warmed soup. Half a bowl of rice. Next to it is her small notebook. In the notebook write a sentence. At noon, you must eat a decent meal. There is a mark on the back. Immediately after that, she sent another voice message. I click open. The mother-in-law's voice carried a smile. “Nam Am, today's dish is not salty.” "Very delicious." I sat in front of my desk, my eye sockets suddenly felt hot. My colleagues asked me what was wrong. I smiled and shook my head. "Nothing." “It's just that finally someone is willing to eat properly.” When I got home at night, the light at the entrance was on. Mother-in-law sat on the sofa knitting a small scarf. Luc Canh Hoa is washing vegetables in the kitchen. The aroma of soup emitted from the pot. I changed my shoes and walked in. My mother-in-law raised her head to look at me. “Nam Am, I'm home.” “You've had a hard time today.” I went to hug her. “Not difficult.” “Mom, what do you want to eat tomorrow?” This time, the mother-in-law did not say anything at will. She thought for a long time and said seriously: "I want to eat braised ribs." “Could be a little more flavorful.” Luc Canh Hoa poked his head out of the kitchen. “Received.” “Ms. Luc's taste has been upgraded.” Mother-in-law laughed and scolded him. I also laughed. Outside the window, the night is gentle. The lights in the house turned on one after another. The rice soup is a bit hot. The words spoken also have a response. It turns out that the best taste of a home has never been found in just the right amount of bland saltiness. But there is someone willing to cook. Some people are willing to say what they want to eat. There are also people who are willing to clearly state the "not salty" statement that has been hidden for a long time.