Chapter 5 — Taste of Home

But every time I put my hand on the doorknob, I retract it. I'm too afraid to force her. I'm also afraid that she'll keep that secret more secret. The next morning, Luc Canh Hoa did not come to the company. He said he had a headache and asked for a day off. The mother-in-law heard it and immediately poked her head out of the kitchen. “Why do you have a headache?” “Was it blown by the wind yesterday?” 07 Luc Canh Hoa rubbed his temples, deliberately speaking softly. “Maybe I didn't sleep well last night, it's okay.” The mother-in-law immediately put down the cooking shovel in her hand. “How can it be okay?” "Mom cooked me some millet porridge, finished eating and then slept a little longer." Having finished speaking, she planned to go get rice. I stood at the door, looking at her hurried back, feeling like I was being gently pulled by something. It's obvious that she loves her son so much. It's also clear that she values this family so much. But she kept her lunch a secret. Luc Canh Hoa looked at me. I know you're holding back. From a young age he was raised by his mother-in-law, who understood her best. If she doesn't want to talk, forcing her to ask will only make her close her heart more tightly. So that morning, neither of us mentioned the camera. I still carry my bag on my shoulder as usual. Luc Canh Hoa sat on the sofa, pretending to have a headache to the point of not wanting to move. Seeing me change my shoes, my mother-in-law still did not forget to tell me. “Nam Am, it's raining today, remember to bring an umbrella.” I nodded. “Mom, the rice is in the refrigerator. Remember to eat it at noon.” She smiled and replied. “I remember, I remember.” Those two words fell into my ears and suddenly made my heart extremely bitter. After leaving the house, I did not go to the company. I sat in a cafe outside the residential area, asking the manager for half a day off. Luc Canh Hoa texted me. “At half past ten, mom got the call.” I held the phone, my palms gradually sweating. Ten minutes later, he texted again. “Starting to heat the rice.” I looked at the screen, my heart beating faster and faster. At eleven fifty, Luc Canh Hoa sent two words. “Downstairs.” I immediately stood up and walked out the side door of the cafe. The rain is not heavy, falling to the ground in a tiny thin layer. In front of the gate of the residential area there are two rows of ginkgo trees, the leaves of which are shiny by the rain. I stood behind a parked car and saw my mother-in-law coming out of the building door. She carried that cloth bag. In the bag are boiled vegetables and steamed eggs I cooked last night. She walked very slowly. People with bad knees always unconsciously hold the railing when going down stairs. I saw her holding the wall with one hand and holding a cloth bag in her chest with the other. At that moment, all the self-pity in my heart suddenly disappeared in half. The rest turned into heartbreak. Luc Canh Hoa walked out from behind the door of the building and stood next to me. His face was even heavier than in the morning. I gently pulled his sleeve. “Don't scare mom.” He didn't say anything, just nodded. We kept a distance and followed my mother-in-law. She did not go to the main gate of the residential area. She went around to the small gate at the back, going through a very narrow alley. At the end of the alley is an old house. The walls are peeling, the entrance stairs are filled with old bicycles and cartons. This place is just over a ten minute walk from our house. But I had never been there before. Mother-in-law stopped in front of the third building. She raised her head to look at the second floor window then slowly went up. The stairs are very dark. Luc Canh Hoa and I did not follow too closely. We stood at the turn on the first floor and heard the door open on the second floor. Just then, a young woman's voice rang out. “Aunt Luc, why are you coming again?” Her voice was very light, carrying a bit of shyness. The mother-in-law said: "Auntie brought you rice." “Today is especially bland, don't add any salt.” My whole body stiffened. Luc Canh Hoa also stopped. Turns out she knew. She knew that today's rice had no salt. So why do you keep telling me it's salty? The young woman upstairs seemed frantic. “Aunt Luc, I really can't keep eating your rice forever.” “If my son and daughter-in-law knew, they wouldn't be happy.” The mother-in-law immediately said: "They are all good children, they won't be upset." "It's because I haven't told them yet." “You should eat first, don't let yourself be hungry.” The woman was silent for a moment. When he opened his mouth again, his voice was choked. “But I also can't let you eat food from outside at noon.” Mother-in-law c

Ugh. “Auntie likes to eat food ordered from outside.” That lie was too clumsy. So clumsy that the sound of rain in the stairs seemed a little quiet. The woman said softly: "Auntie lied." Mother-in-law did not object. She just lowered her voice more gently. “Hieu Duong, now you are no longer alone.” “Before my mother died, she held my hand and said the person she couldn't trust the most was me.” “Auntie promised her, she can't watch you suffer alone.” I leaned against the wall, my eye sockets immediately heated up. Zhou. Understanding Duong. The word Chu on the autopsy report suddenly had a name at this moment. Luc Canh Hoa's fingers slowly tightened. I know you're not angry. He just suddenly understood that behind the word "salty" that his mother repeated every day, there was so much clumsiness that he couldn't put into words. The door to the second floor closed. The mother-in-law did not come downstairs immediately.