Chapter 2 — Three Thousand Miles of Harmony

“I seem to… see my mother.” “Baby, don't say nonsense!” Mother pushed the crowd aside, crying so much that she could barely breathe. "I've already lost my sister, do you still want me to lose you too..." Hearing those words, Trinh Liem Thanh's breathing gradually calmed down. Mother stayed by her side for two more sticks of incense before stepping out, just as she encountered me who had been waiting for a long time. I parted my lips. “Get ready to go…” Before I finished speaking, my mother pointed at me, her face full of anger. “Liem Thanh is already so sick, why do you come home so late?” "Are you riding with the Third Princess again? If my baby sees it, she will be heartbroken!" Her treasure. I lowered my eyes and laughed to myself in my heart. Okay, that's it. There shouldn't be any expectations, so why wait for anything else? I sniffed my nose and raised my head. No longer saving face between mother and son, I said frankly: "Mother, why do you have to rush to scold me? If sister Liem Thanh sees it, I'm afraid she will admire it. After all, she doesn't even have a hard bone to stamp her feet in anger." Mother was frightened. “Do you dare say such rebellious words?” She gritted her teeth, intending to pick up the stick next to her and teach me a lesson. At that moment, someone slowly approached from behind. Mother immediately put down her stick and respectfully bowed. “It's already late, why is your Second Highness here?” Tham Tram stood next to me, calmly said: "Bring Van Thu back, come visit Liem Thanh on the way." Only then did my mother remember that she did not send a carriage to the palace gate to pick me up. She was stunned for a moment, then awkwardly bowed. "Liem Thanh is still sick, I'm afraid it's not convenient to meet men outside right now." As soon as the words ended, Trinh Liem Thanh, who should have been sleeping soundly, suddenly woke up. Under the window came a faint whisper. “Is your highness here?” "I want your highness to come visit me. I heard that royal descendants have dragon veins and hot yang energy in their bodies, perhaps it will ease the pain in my bones..." Mother is an old-fashioned person who values etiquette the most. In the past, every time I went to find Tham Tram, she always scolded me for not knowing how to keep a distance between men and women. But at this moment, she let Tham Tram enter Trinh Liem Thanh's bedroom. I sighed, trying to suppress the stinging feeling in the corners of my eyes. Returning to the room, I lay down to rest. Outside it was still extremely chaotic. Sometimes Trinh Liem Thanh misses his mother, sometimes he criticizes her bitterness. I firmly buried my head in the blanket. I don't know when there will be news from Tham Duong's side. 06 When the sun has risen, I am still dreaming. My mother pulled my blanket away and scolded me: "Liem Thanh has been in pain all night, how can I sleep peacefully?" I ruffled my hair, not having any patience left. "If I'm awake, I'm afraid I won't be able to help but walk back and forth in front of her. Tell me, mother, will she be in more pain?" Mother took a half step back, looking at me with disappointment. “Van Thu, when did you become so cold?” “Finally, mother came to find me so early in the morning, what happened?” You can't come to my room just because you want to snatch the blanket. Sure enough, right after that she said: "I remember your great-grandmother once gave you a piece of warm jade. As soon as she touched it, it felt hot. There is only one piece in this world." "On windy and snowy winter days, Liem Thanh's bones always hurt intensely. I've secretly hidden it for so long, should I give it to her?" Hiding secretly? Obviously, that was something my great-grandmother intentionally left for me before she died. I gritted my teeth and covered my neck. “You can take whatever you want, but this is the only thing.” Mother pointed at me and said angrily: "Liem Thanh is your sister, are you so cruel to see her in so much pain that she can't stand it?" I jumped up. “If she dies in pain, won't she be freed?” Chat! A sharp slap fell on my face. I turned my head to the side, my cheeks and eyes simultaneously felt a burning sensation. Mother's hands trembled, her eyes were filled with blood from anger. "You dare to curse your sister to death! Do you want to take my life..." "Before, I pampered you too much, making you say such cruel words!" “No one, use family law!” I couldn't believe it and raised my eyes, my throat was filled with enormous pain

stop. A mother who had watched me grow up since childhood stepped forward to stop me. "Madam, it's impossible! It's cold in the winter, and that bamboo stick as big as your wrist has sharp thorns. How can the young lady stand it?" Mother took a deep breath. “Only when she herself feels the bone-chilling pain can she understand Liem Thanh.” I struggled frantically. I don't understand why, in my most scared and helpless moment, I still called her. “Mother!” "Why? Why do I have to sympathize with her? Obviously I am your daughter!" She turned her head to the side, but in the end she still couldn't bear to look anymore. I painfully questioned, but still stubbornly refused to shed a single tear. The stick bigger than my calf was raised, the dark shadow twisted and fell onto the snowy ground. Like the lingering shadow of our mother waiting for us to finish school when we were young. Like the Italian cake she bought for her daughter in the steaming basket of a roadside restaurant.