Chapter 19 — The Sweet Taste After Criticism

The video of Kien declaring his love at the Sunny Cake Festival quickly spread throughout social networks, attracting millions of views in just two days. Inevitably, the news also reached Mrs. Kim, who was at her family restaurant watching the news on her phone when she accidentally scrolled through the viral clip.

She watched the video over and over again, her face flashing with many complex emotions - from anger at her son's "disobedience", to surprise at the rare sincerity that she had never seen in Kien over the years.

“What do you think about this?” she asked her husband, Mr. Bao, who was also sitting next to him, silently watching the entire video without saying a word.

Mr. Bao, Kien's father, who experienced a career collapse in the past, looked at his wife with thoughtful eyes. "I see that Kien looks really happy, something I haven't seen since the day my restaurant collapsed."

“But what about Thao Vy,” Mrs. Kim protested, although her tone was much less harsh than when she first spoke to Mai, “their family has trusted us all these years.”

"Honey," Mr. Bao said, his voice was gentle but filled with weight, "I think it's time for us to let go of those old arrangements. My child has grown up, he has the right to decide his own happiness, just like in the past when you chose to marry me despite your family's objections because I was just a poor chef."

That reminder made Mrs. Kim pause. Memories of her youthful years full of enthusiasm, daring to defy all barriers to be with the person she loved, suddenly rushed back into her mind.

Meanwhile, at Banh Nang shop, life is gradually returning to its normal rhythm after the success of the festival, although the legal situation with Dat Long's company is still in a tense period. One afternoon, while Mai was busy serving customers, the shop door opened, and the person who walked in made her stunned - it was Mrs. Kim.

Unlike the first time with her sharp, cold attitude, this time Mrs. Kim entered with a thoughtful, much more unpredictable expression.

"Miss Kim," Mai spoke up, trying to keep her voice calm even though she couldn't help but feel worried at this unexpected appearance.

“I came here,” Mrs. Kim said, sitting down at the familiar table from last time, “not to continue protesting, but to... taste the cake that my son has dedicated himself to improving over the past few months.”

Mai was surprised by this change in attitude, but still quickly brought out a tray of new cakes, including "Banh Doan Ket" - the passionate product that she and Kien created together.

Mrs. Kim took one, observed it carefully before biting it, chewing slowly with the serious expression of someone with many years of experience in the culinary industry. Mai stood there, anxiously waiting for the verdict, feeling like she was taking the most important exam of her life.

"The crust has a good texture," Mrs. Kim finally said, her voice still professional, "the filling is just right, not too sweet like many other commercialized bakeries. You can clearly see the meticulousness in each step."

“Thank you,” Mai replied, unable to hide her relief.

"My son," Mrs. Kim continued, putting down the cake, her eyes looking straight at Mai, "since he was a child, he has never shown such public emotion in public. He has always kept everything inside." heart, including the pain of what happened to his father in the past."

Mai listened silently, feeling that Mrs. Kim was gradually opening up to share something deeper.

“I watched the video of him declaring his love,” Mrs. Kim continued, her voice softened, “and I realized, perhaps I was too stubborn to keep the old arrangements, forgetting that my child's true happiness is the most important thing.”

Mai felt a ray of hope flash in her heart. “Miss Kim, I understand your concern for Kien's future. I promise, I will always try my best to make him happy, no matter what happens.”

Mrs. Kim looked at her for a long time, her eyes were searching but no longer as cold as before. “I don't completely agree yet,” she said, standing up to leave, “but I'll think about it. Thank you for the cake, shopkeeper.”

Having finished speaking, she turned and walked out of the shop, leaving Mai standing there with a feeling of both relief and still nervousness, but at least, she felt that the door, which was previously tightly closed, had now opened a small crack full of hope.

As soon as Mrs. Kim left, Mai hurriedly called Kien to tell Kien the news, her voice still filled with surprise. "My mother just came to the shop, tasted your cake, and said she would rethink our relationship."

The other end of the line was silent for a moment, then Kien spoke, his voice somewhat emotional. “Really? I didn't expect my mother to proactively come to see you like that."

"I'm also very surprised," Mai replied, "she's not as harsh as last time. It seems like the video you released on the festival day affected her more than I thought."

“I'll go home and talk to mom tonight,” Kien said, his voice determined, “this might be a good opportunity to settle this once and for all, before it continues to weigh on both of us.”

That night, Kien returned home to find his parents sitting together in the living room. The atmosphere was somewhat different from previous times - no longer the tension and confrontation that he often predicted every time he visited home.

"You're home," Mrs. Kim spoke first, her voice much softer, "sit down here, Mom and Dad have something to tell you."

Kien sat down, still a little nervous, not knowing which direction this conversation would take. Mr. Bao, his father, who rarely spoke up in his children's love affairs, suddenly spoke first.

“Mom and Dad discussed carefully,” he said, his voice warm, “and decided that we will no longer force you to marry Thao Vy. That engagement was arranged by the parents themselves, it's not fair to me, it's not fair to Thao Vy herself."

Kien was stunned by this unexpected decision. His eyes turned to look at his mother, not daring to believe what he had just heard.

“I still have a lot to think about,” Mrs. Kim added, her voice still a bit reserved, “I'm not completely assured about everything, but I realize that your happiness is much more important than my old arrangements. That girl, Mai, seems to have real talent, and more importantly, I'm really happy being with her.”

Kien felt a choking emotion rising, he stood up, hugged both parents, a rare gesture that he had never shown since he became an adult. “Thank you, Mom and Dad,” he said, his voice shaking with emotion, “I know this was not an easy decision easy with parents.”

“One more thing,” Mrs. Kim said, her voice becoming serious, “I called and talked to Thao Vy's mother this morning, informing her of this decision. She said she would let Thao Vy decide for herself, but I think you should also personally talk to Thao Vy once, to explain clearly, to avoid causing misunderstandings or unnecessary hurt to her."

Kien nodded, feeling this was the right thing to do. “I will contact Thao Vy soon, thank you for reminding me.”

Mr. Bao, still sitting quietly observing the conversation, suddenly spoke up about something he had long cherished. “You know, looking at you today, I remember myself in the past, when I decided to pursue a career as a chef despite my family's objections because they thought it was not a stable career. Dad was right to be steadfast in his passion, and I believe you are also on your own path."

The sincere encouragement from his normally quiet father made Kien even more emotional. The whole family sat and talked for a while longer, the atmosphere was warmer and more open than any meeting between the three of them over the years, as if a thick ice sheet had begun to melt after many years of being closed.

Before leaving, Kien immediately called Mai, his voice could not hide his joy. “Honey, my parents agree. They officially canceled the engagement with Thao Vy, and said they would let him freely choose his happiness."

When Mai heard the news, she couldn't help but scream with joy on the other end of the line. “Is that so? Honey, I'm so happy for you!”

“I'm happy for both of us,” Kien replied, his voice filled with happiness, “now, there are no more barriers from my family. The only thing left is the matter of leveling with Dat Long."

“Step by step,” Mai said, her voice filled with optimism, “we've overcome a big hurdle, I believe the rest will be fine.”

They talked for a while longer on the phone, sharing their joy about the important turning point they had just achieved. They both clearly felt that the road ahead, although there were still many challenges for Dat Long's company, was now a big burden less, so that they could wholeheartedly focus on the most important remaining battle - protecting the Sunny Cake shop and the beloved alley.