Chapter 8 — The Daughter No One Chose

At that moment, I just wanted to run away, and I did. It was dark, the sky was full of stars, the night wind was cool, I sat in front of the small shop waiting for Tran Le. “Mom, I want to eat cheese sticks.” A little girl with braids on both sides is cooing with her mother. The young mother squatted down and gently rubbed her baby's belly, "No, you ate too much for dinner, your belly is already so full." The mother refused, but the father standing next to him secretly gave the baby one, and the family of three left hand in hand. Actually, what I desire is simply that. Tran Le arrived very quickly. As soon as he saw my face, he coldly asked: "Who did it?" At that moment, I couldn't hold it in anymore and burst into tears and said: "Tran Le, I don't have a home anymore." He didn't ask anything else, just hugged me and gently said: "You still have me. In Tran Le's heart, Giang Khe will forever be the most important person." As soon as he said that, I cried even harder. "Giang Khe, can you let me go first? I'll go buy an ice pack to help reduce the swelling." The first time I lost control in front of him, I quickly let go. After that, Tran Le took me home, he patted my head lovingly, smiled and said: "Just sleep and you'll be fine." The next day, Tran Le helped me rent a small room nearby, and I started living alone. A few days later, I secretly returned to Giang's house when no one was there. I packed up the things I brought the day before, left a letter and left the Giang family's house. Because I had no money, I started working part-time. Tran Le felt sorry for me, not wanting me to work so hard. "Tran Le, I don't want to be a flower in a greenhouse, having to rely on you all the time." He choked. Just when I was so busy that I didn't have time to breathe, Giang's mother came to the restaurant to find me. "Tieu Khe, can you come home with me? If you really don't want to study abroad, we won't force you anymore. I just want you to come home and live." After a few days of not seeing her, she became very emaciated. Giang's mother still tried to persuade me to return, but I really didn't want to live like before. I turned away and said callously: "Mom, go home. I've rented a room outside, it's very safe, you can rest assured." Giang's mother shook her head, "Tieu Khe, you said I was biased, I'm trying to fix it." I sighed, helped her sit down, and calmly said: "Maybe you don't realize it, but the intimacy between you and Giang Duy Nhat is something I've never felt before. As for you, I'm always reserved with you. If you say it's love, it's better to call it guilt." "I think I'm not biased, but from your perspective, she's actually more important than you. I treat you very well, but the mother-daughter relationship between us is already too fragile." Although these words hurt, I had no other choice. She finally realized what was wrong, quickly grabbed my hand, cried and said: "Tieu Khe, we want you to go to keep you away from Tran Le, but if you really like him, I won't object anymore." "Tieu Khe, I was wrong. From now on, I only need you. Can you come home with me?" Looking at her hopeful eyes, I could only smile apologetically and not answer. Seeing that my time off was about to end, I took Giang's mother into a taxi and went back to work. I thought I would no longer have anything to do with them, but a few days later, Giang Duy Nhat came to me again. “Tieu Khe, go home, mom has been crying these past few days, she's very emaciated.” Giang Duy Nhat held my hand and insisted that I film about. I removed her hand and said seriously: "Giang Duy Nhat, let's talk a bit." In the park, she and I sat on a bench, talking honestly for the first time. Giang Duy Nhat asked me: "Tieu Khe, do you really hate me? After all, I'm the one who took away everything that belonged to you." I looked into the distance, seriously thinking about that question. A long time later, I said: "I really hate it. You are very good, but I can't live in harmony with you." I looked straight at her, "Even though you are innocent, you really took away my identity and family. We cannot be friends." She bowed her head, no longer looking as innocent and cheerful as before, "If you don't accept me, don't even your parents need you anymore?" "Do you know? These past few days my mother has been asking to find me, but no one has found me, and even I have been rejected." I shook my head helplessly, "Blood is something that cannot be changed, but love requires fate. The fate between you and them has ended, we can no longer live together." Having said this, Giang Duy Nhat does not advise further. Having finished speaking, I smiled and said: "Since you're going abroad, remember to be with your mother more and take good care of her." Seeing a familiar figure in the distance, I quickly waved my hand, "Okay, I have something to do, let's go first. Please pass on the words I just said to my mother, telling her not to remember this filial daughter anymore." I walked towards Tran Le, and suddenly a voice rang out behind me, "Tieu Khe, your family will fly over next Friday morning, at ten o'clock." While walking on the crosswalk, Tran Le asked me: "Are you going to see me off?" “I don't know, it's time to figure it out.” He saw that I was confused, but still chose not to expose it. Because Giang Hang came to the restaurant to cause trouble, in order not to bother others, I was forced to quit my job. They came to see me many times, but I chased them away. As of today, I no longer need those so-called concerns anymore. The day they went abroad, I still couldn't help but go to Giang's house. I hid in a hidden corner, watching Giang Duy Nhat help Giang's mother into the car. She kept turning her head to look at the house behind her, seemingly unwilling to leave. Perhaps because of their spiritual connection, she suddenly turned her head to look towards me. I ran away in panic. Everyone didn't understand why she cried so painfully, only I knew, she had discovered me. The car gradually disappeared before my eyes, I stood there for a long time before gathering enough courage to turn back. “Very sad, right?” Tran Le understands me very well. I nodded, "Actually, other than Giang Hang, they treat me well. I just can't accept them arranging my whole life." Before leaving, they left me a sum of money to pay tuition and living expenses each month, but I don't plan to use it. A few days before enrolling, Tran Le and I went to Beijing together. There, we were together for three years in college. Life is busy, but extremely rich. After graduating, Tran Le and his friends opened a game studio, while I was preparing for graduate school. “Giang Khe, come with me.” That day, Tran Le mysteriously pulled me somewhere. “Are you there yet?” I couldn't help but take his hand away. “Almost.” A moment later, he let go, and before my eyes was a delicately decorated apartment. “Giang Khe, let's get married!” He held the ring and knelt down on one knee in front of me. “Even though this 50 square meter house is a bit small, I can rest assured that I will have money in the future. We will change to a bigger house.” Tran Le used money from making games to pay the deposit for this house, and my uncle and I finally had a warm home in Beijing. After I graduated from my fourth year, we held a simple, warm wedding with the blessings of our friends. The following September, our daughter - Tieu Tao was born. Looking at this baby, I feel like I'm back to that painful night last year. I've been waiting for so many years, and I'm finally compensated. I was able to forgive myself. I believe, she will be the happiest child in this world. In recent years, people from the Giang family have also contacted me many times. I still respond to them, but that's all. While I was in confinement, my adoptive mother traveled thousands of miles to take care of me. Giang's mother, who was abroad, also wanted to return, but later because Giang Hang's wife had an unwanted pregnancy, this matter was shelved. Time heals all wounds, everything is gradually getting better. Five years later, Giang's parents returned home, bringing with them a mixed-race baby girl. Out of politeness, I brought Tieu Tao to meet them. As soon as Giang's parents saw Tieu Tao, they immediately hugged her and did not let go. They poured all their feelings of guilt towards me onto her. “This girl looks familiar.” I looked at Elsa - the girl playing next to me. Giang's mother sighed, her voice sad: "That is Duy Nhat's daughter. She married a university professor more than a decade older, later divorced due to disagreement, and now raises Elsa alone. I nodded, didn't say anything else. We quietly watched the two children play, the atmosphere gradually became awkward. Giang's mother couldn't help but ask: "Tieu Tao is already five years old, don't you and Tran Le plan to have another child?" When I looked at Tieu Tao's young face, I smiled and said: "That year when she was born, I was in such critical condition that the doctor gave me a death certificate. Tran Le was afraid something would happen to me again, so he immediately went for sterilization." Giang's mother's face suddenly became unsightly, I continued: "Actually, from the beginning, I only intended to give birth to one child. Whatever you lacked as a child, Tieu Tao will definitely have it all." “Tieu Khe, I'm sorry—…” Giang's mother was about to say something, when the two children suddenly quarreled. “Mom, I want to go home.” Tieu Tao wrapped his arms around my neck, whining to go home. “Tieu Tao, this is your house too!” Giang's mother gently coaxed. Tieu Tao replied coyly: "Grandma Lam Uyen, this is your house, Tieu Tao's house is not here. I want to go back to my home.” To comfort her, I had to ask permission to leave. As she walked out the door, Giang's mother called out to her, intending to say something but hesitated. She didn't continue, and I wasn't interested in hearing anything else — maybe that was all we could do. As soon as he left the house, Tieu Tao ran into Tran Le who was coming. The father and son had a really good relationship. “Tieu Tao's mother, let's go home!” Tran Le smiled and extended his hand to me. “Yes, go home.” I held Tieu Tao and Tran Le's hands, the three of us left hand in hand. Today, the wind is so sweet, and the sun is so warm. (Full text)