Chapter 12 — Three Calls at Dawn

Every morning at 7 o'clock, he sends a text message on time: "How is the weather today? Remember to wear warm clothes." Every 12 o'clock noon, he reminded her to eat: "Don't be too busy, it's time to eat." Every evening at 10 o'clock, he asked her: "Are you happy today?" If he had to be on duty at night, he would divide the next day's food and place it on the shoe shelf in front of her door. Next to it was a note written neatly like printed letters: "Vitamin B, take after meals. Calcium, take before bed. Drink lots of water, don't stay up late." One time in the middle of the night, To Niem Vi had a relapse of mastitis, her fever rose to 39 degrees. Before she could call, the doorbell rang - Tham Tu Dien stood outside the door, her blouse had not yet been changed, holding an antibiotic and fever-reducing injection in her hand. "How do you know?" "Your smart thermometer is connected to my phone," he said, expertly injecting her with antibiotics, calmly saying, "Thermometer." Your temperature exceeds 38.5, my phone will alert." "... When did you connect?" "The first day." To Niem Vi looked at the way he bowed his head to inject her with medicine, suddenly feeling a sting in his nose. "Tham Tu Dien, are you like this with all patients?" He paused, raised his head to look at her. In those eyes there was gentleness, restraint, and a thousand unspoken words. "No," he said, his voice very quiet, "Only with you." After the injection, he didn't go home. He sat on the living room sofa all night, coming in every hour to take her temperature. At 5 a.m., her fever subsided. He pulled back the corner of the blanket for her and said softly: "Go to sleep, I'll be home." The sound of the door closing was extremely soft, as if afraid of waking up a dream. Giang Du's way is the most direct and also the most "green tea". He started posting statuses on social networks — all photos of To Niem Vi and the baby. "Help my sister-in-law look after the baby today, my baby can turn over!" "Sister-in-law's egg-tomato noodles, better than a Michelin restaurant!" "Going to the market with my sister-in-law, she complimented me on my very professional watermelon picking skills." Under each post, mutual friends commented: "You and your sister-in-law are really close." Giang Du replied unanimously: "Of course, my sister-in-law is the most wonderful woman in the world." When Luc Canh Tham read these posts, he was so angry that he even broke his phone. He called Giang Du: "Are you sick? She's your sister-in-law!" "You know," Giang Du's voice was innocent and innocent, "Isn't it obvious that you treat her well? Aren't you also treating her well? Oh, I forgot - I treated her badly before, but now I'm starting to treat her well. Then you start treating her well a month before me, counting as 'the last comes first.' “You ——” “Brother, don't be angry,” Giang Du chuckled, “I just want to help you take care of your sister-in-law. Look, you're so busy, and you don't know how to take care of the kids or how to cook, is it okay if I share the burden with you a little?” Having finished speaking, he hung up the phone. Luc Canh Tham called back, the phone was turned off. Ten minutes later, To Niem Vi's circle of friends updated a photo — Giang Du holding the baby standing on the balcony, the sunset shining on the two, the status line: "Thank you Tieu Du, today I helped take care of the baby all day, I must be exhausted." Below are more than 40 hearts, including Co Da Dinh and Tham Tu Dien. Co Da Dinh commented with one word: "Yes." Tham Tu Dien commented with two words: "Hard work." Giang Du replied to Tham Tu Dien: "It's not hard, my sister-in-law is working harder than me." Luc Canh Tham looked at this status line, his finger hovered on the screen for a long time, and finally typed a line: "You are mine." Think for a moment, then delete it. Because he knows, if he comments on this sentence, everyone will see —— a father claiming ownership of his child on social media, instead of waking up.

Get up in the middle of the night to change your baby's diaper.