Chapter 9 — This life is not a stepping stone

As soon as the words ended, the water flow suddenly changed direction. I swung my sword to cut the sail. Both banks pulled the rope at the same time, the stuck boat finally escaped the whirlpool. When the last child was carried ashore, a corner of the dike suddenly collapsed. Someone shouted loudly to run away. I missed a step under my feet and my whole body was swept away by the strong current. In the chaos, two hands grabbed me at the same time. One hand belongs to Han Le. The other hand belongs to Le Canh Hanh, who doesn't know when he came to help with natural disasters. The sound of water echoed like thunder. Half of Le Canh Hanh's body hung outside the broken dike, shouting hoarsely:

“Hold me tight!”

The past life and this life seemed to overlap in that moment. That year in the ice hole, he also grabbed the bamboo pole I gave him like that. I don't let go, nor am I so moved that I forget everything. Borrowing the strength of two people, I crawled up the dike. The first sentence that came out was:

“There are still people left in the eastern part, bring the rope over there!”

Han Le immediately turned around and left. Le Canh Hanh knelt again in the mud and water, holding his dislocated arm, looking at me and smiling. He seemed to have finally repaid a certain debt. I told the military doctor to straighten his joints, leaving only one sentence:

“Thank you.”

That's all.

10

After the Bac Ha flood was quelled, the court wanted to reward Bat Phan ward. The inner lady came to find me with the prepared list. There were only my name and a few male shopkeepers on it. I took the pen and successively added the names of the female boat worker, the female bookkeeper, the female cook and the female worker in charge of ropes on the thirty boats. The inner city frowned:

“One hundred and thirty-two people, what kind of reward?”

“Reward as much as you deserve.”

“There has never been such a rule before.”

“Then from today it will be.”

He refused to accept the list. I ordered people to carry tens of thousands of people's books from the three districts saved in the flood, covering the steps in front of the Public Works Department. On each piece of paper there are fingerprints of refugees. Han Le stood next to me, crossing her name out of the credit book.

“My merits will also be shared with you.”

The rivermen continuously stepped forward.

“We wish to divide.”

The story is shocking to the king. In the end, one hundred and thirty-two women were each rewarded with ten taels of silver and two stones. Among them, twelve female boat workers were allowed to work at the Ha Van mansion managed by the government. In the capital, some people laughed and said it was just a few women receiving rewards. But we know, the door has opened a crack. As long as someone can squeeze in, the next person won't have to keep stabbing their head until their forehead is broken and bleeding. Also that year, Cui Minh Thu became seriously ill. She sent someone to invite me, saying we would only meet once. Thien Vien Marquis Palace is still dark and cold like the previous life. She was lying on the bed, so thin that she no longer had a human figure, and her hand still had Lady Hou's golden seal on it. She was not tortured to death. It's just that I've spent all my energy fighting for it. Fighting for the right to be a housekeeper, fighting for Le Canh Hanh's eyes, fighting for a son who can never be born. Seeing me walk in, she smiled softly.

“You won.”

“I have never compared to you.”

"You have a career, a reward from the royal court, and Han Le. In Canh Hanh's heart, there is only you."

The more she spoke, the deeper the resentment in her eyes became.

“Based on what?”

Those three words again. In her previous life, she also strangled me Ask based on what. I sat three steps away from her.

“Because my whole life I've always been clinging to other people.”

“Clinging to my parents' favoritism, clinging to my Marquis's family background, clinging to my husband's conscience. I never thought that my feet could also stand firmly on the ground."

She grabbed the medicine bowl and threw it hard at me. I leaned forward to avoid it. The medicinal water flows along the wall.

“It's all because of you!” She screamed until her voice was hoarse. "If it weren't for you saving him, I wouldn't have married him! It was you who ruined my life!"

As fate turned around, she still said that sentence. I looked at her, but in my heart there was no longer the pain of my previous life.

“This time, I didn't save him.”

“If you are the main sister, you must marry her.”

Toi Minh Thu stiffened.

“Your marriage contract, your position as Marquis, every day you refuse to separate, are all your own choices.”

I stood up and walked to the door.

“Sister, people have to accept their own debt.”

There was no sound for a long time. It wasn't until I crossed the threshold that she asked in a hoarse voice:

“What if I don't take your jade pendant then?”

The trees in the yard have shed their autumn leaves. I don't turn back.

“So at least when you die, you will know who you are.”

In the end, Cui Minh Thu did not die. After recovering from her illness, she surrendered her gold seal and separated from Le Canh Hanh. The day she left the capital, she did not inform anyone. It is said that she went to the South and taught etiquette in a female school. Her temper is still not good, and she still likes to win or lose with others, but she has begun to earn money by teaching. That is her path. From now on, it has nothing to do with me anymore. Le Canh Hanh came to Bat Phan ward to see me one last time. He melted down the yellow sign "Thanh Van ward" that year, changed it into a check, and donated it to female students along Bac Ha.

“My name is not written this time.”

He put down the donation contract.

“Thanh Quy, I'm going to the Northwest.”

Dinh Vien Marquis Palace had been rooted in the capital for too long, so he asked himself to go to the border to lead the army. Maybe he wanted to run away, maybe he finally wanted to rely on himself to do something.

“Peace on the road.” I said.

He smiled somewhat bitterly:

“Still just the same sentence?”

“What if not?”

“You can fool me once.”