Chapter 5 — The Marquis was wronged, I hid with my young master, and later overturned the capital to collect debt.

Did I harm it? The man did not speak to me any more. He turned around and rummaged through the jars and jars in the house. He took out some dried herbs and put them in a stone mortar to crush them. Then, use hot water to mix it into a bowl of black medicine. The strong bitter smell quickly spread throughout the wooden house. He picked up the bowl of medicine and walked to the bed. One hand squeezed and opened Co Chieu's mouth. With the other hand, use a small wooden spoon, little by little, put the medicine in. Co Chieu choked and coughed a few times. But most of the medicine can still be swallowed. Having done everything, the man seemed to remember my existence. He threw the wild chicken in his hand onto the table.

“Make it yourself and eat it yourself.”

His voice was still cold as before. I shook my head.

“I don't want to eat.”

I just want to watch beside Co Chieu. The man looked at me and said nothing more. He took action himself and quickly dealt with the wild chicken. Place on fire and grill. Before long, the fragrant smell of meat filled the house. My stomach, refusing to listen, growled. Since escaping from the Marquis Palace, it seems like I have never eaten a full meal. The man tore off a chicken leg and gave it to me. Just one word, but it carries the meaning of not allowing refusal. I accept it. The chicken thigh was hot, making my palms hurt. I eat it little by little. Tears fell without listening. Falling onto golden chicken skin. I don't know why I'm crying. Is it because of this warmth that hasn't been there for a long time? Or is it because you can finally breathe out? Or maybe because of the strange man in front of me. Apparently so ferocious, he saved us. That night, I kept watch by the bed, not leaving even half a step. The man sat at the table, cleaning his bow and arrows. Between us, there are no words exchanged. But there was a strange peace. After midnight, Co Chieu's fever finally subsided a bit. Respiration is also much more stable. My nerves, which had been tense for several days, finally relaxed. Drowsiness came like a tidal wave. I collapsed on the bed, falling into a deep sleep. In the dream, I felt someone covering my body with an animal skin coat that still carried body warmth. When he woke up the next day, the man was no longer in the house. On the table was a bowl of thin, warm porridge, along with a piece of grilled meat. Co Chieu is still sleeping. But his face is much better than yesterday. I fed him some warm porridge. Yet it knows how to swallow itself. The corners of my eyes are wet once again. We have all lived. I stayed in the wooden house. The man is a hunter. During the day he went out hunting, and returned at night. We still talk very little. He never asked about my background. I also never asked about his past. We are like two wounded animals, in a wooden house separate from this world, quietly licking our wounds. Time, day by day, passes by. Co Chieu's body, under the careful care of the hunter, miraculously recovered. It began to laugh and babble. Its eyes are black and bright like the stars in the sky. Every time I see its smile. We all feel that all the hardships we have endured are worth it. This small wooden house has become our temporary shelter. I even have a distant wish. If… It would be great if it could stay like this forever. But we know that is impossible. Danger has never left us. It just temporarily hides itself in the world outside the mountains, quietly waiting. If we were to be vulnerable for just a moment, it would open its bloody mouth and swallow us all, leaving no one behind. The days in the mountains were so peaceful that they were like a deep, calm water surface. The hunter is still quiet and quiet as before. But he will quietly keep the youngest meat of the hunted prey for me and Co Chieu. Will use the leather to make small shoes for Co Chieu. He doesn't have a name, or maybe he didn't tell us. In my heart, I secretly called him Uncle Ly. Like a normal elder next door. Co Chieu liked him very much. Every time Uncle Ly returned from outside, Co Chieu would hold out his small hands and ask him to hold him. On Uncle Ly's weathered face, there was also a rare stiff smile. He would use his rough hands to gently stroke Co Chieu's head. In the eyes, there are complex emotions that we cannot fully understand. There is love. There is also grief. With Uncle Ly's tacit permission, I began to learn to do things within my ability. We learn to distinguish herbs in the mountains. Which type heals wounds, which detoxifies, which one can be eaten to last through the day. Ba Ly is the best teacher. He only taught me once and I was able to remember it thoroughly. Because we know, these things will later become our talismans. We learn how to handle prey. From the beginning I felt nauseous and uncomfortable, until later my face didn't change color. I use a short, sharp hunter's knife to skillfully peel skin, separate bones, and divide meat. On my hand, a thin layer of callus gradually appears. I am no longer the weak girl in the Marquis Palace who only knows how to make fires. I'm still behind the wooden house, clearing out a small piece of land. Plant some unknown vegetable seeds there. Every day we water and sometimes weed. Look at them little by little rising from the ground, growing young green leaves. I feel, in my heart, the dark corners once occupied by despair and hatred. Little by little, green shoots began to grow called "hope".