Chapter 1 — Voices Behind the Dark Room

My daughter is four years old and still can't call her mother. I took my child to all the big and small hospitals in the city, and finally a diagnosis was thrown straight in front of me like a verdict: mental retardation. The mother-in-law immediately wiped away her tears: "This child, I'm afraid his whole life will only be like that." My husband was silent for three days, then on the fourth day he said to me: "Maybe we should have another child." I didn't answer, just hugged my daughter tighter. From then on, the way the whole family looked at her changed
followed by reserved pity and hopeless sighs. I refused to surrender to fate, every day I practiced with my child and taught him pronunciation. I repeated just one word "mother" more than ten thousand times, but she just looked at me bewildered, her lips pursed. Until that Mid-Autumn Festival night, the whole family gathered around the dining table, and my father-in-law was raising his glass to boast of his glorious achievements of the past. My daughter suddenly raised her hand, pointed at her father-in-law and said one sentence clearly. The sound of chopsticks falling to the ground was even louder
fireworks. My father-in-law's face immediately turned white.01On Duong Duong's fourth birthday, I received a diagnosis from the third hospital. The paper is very thin. But pressed in the palm of my hand, it felt as heavy as a block of iron. The doctor looked at me, deliberately lowering his voice. "The child has mental retardation, language function is clearly slow, the family needs long-term psychological preparation." I asked him: "Could it be that the child is just late in speaking?" The doctor did not answer immediately. He flipped through the check sheet, then looked at Duong Duong sitting inside
corner. Duong Duong hugged the old rabbit, staring at the tile crack on the floor, not moving. The doctor said: "This possibility is not great." My throat constricted. Luong Thua Trach stood next to me, his hands in his pockets, saying nothing. On the way home, the car was very quiet. Duong Duong sat in the safety seat, his forehead resting on the glass window. There is a person selling balloons on the side of the road. A bunch of red, yellow, and blue flowers are fluttering in the wind. I showed her. “Duong Duong, look, the balloon is flying.” She didn't turn her head. I again
gently touched the child's small hand. "Do you want one?" The child still did not react. Luong Thua Trach looked at me and my mother through the rearview mirror. "Don't force me anymore." My hand stopped in mid-air. Those three words are colder than the doctor's words. Returning to the Luong family's house, Luu Ngoc Mai's mother-in-law had finished preparing dinner. Luong Duc Hai's father-in-law sat in the chair position watching the news. Before retiring, he used to work as a workshop foreman in a factory, and he liked sitting on that red wooden chair the most. In the house, anyone says anything
must see his face. As soon as I walked in, Luu Ngoc Mai ran out to greet me. "How's it going?" I gave her the diagnosis sheet. She read two lines, her eyes immediately turned red. "Oh my god, this child, I'm afraid this will be the same for the rest of my life." Duong Duong stood at my feet, bowed his head and picked at his sleeve. I pulled her behind me. "Mom, the doctor just said her development is slow, she can practice in the future." Luu Ngoc Mai wiped her tears. "Can you practice to become a normal child?" Luong Duc Hai turned down his voice.
TV. “Stop torturing each other.” I looked at him. He slowly raised the teacup. "Some things are predetermined by fate." As soon as the sentence ended, no one in the living room spoke. Duong Duong's small hand suddenly squeezed my pants. I lowered my head to look at her. The girl raised her face, her lips pursed until they turned white. Those eyes looked at Luong Duc Hai. Very straight. A very long time. I squatted down and hugged my child. "Don't be afraid, Duong Duong, mom is here." She buried her face in my shoulder. Still didn't say a word. At night, I take a bath
child. Her body is scary thin, her shoulder blades are painful to touch. I held the little duck and teased her. "Scrape, Duong Duong, try learning, scorpion." The little girl looked at the little duck. Lips moved slightly. My heart suddenly jumped. "Duong Duong, try again." But the girl turned her head away, burying her chin in the water. I don't dare push anymore. After bathing, I dried my child's hair. In the mirror, she sat on a small chair, her eyes empty. I suddenly remembered two years ago. She knows how to smile, how to clap her hands, and when I call her name
turn around. Even though she still couldn't speak at that time, there was light in her eyes. Then she suddenly became quiet. No matter who asked, she wouldn't look at them. I once asked the Luong family. Everyone said they didn't know. Luu Ngoc Mai said children are like that, sometimes like this, sometimes like that. Luong Duc Hai said it was because I pampered my child too much. Luong Thua Trach said don't push all problems on others. But I remember it very clearly. The day Duong Duong became quiet was the day I came home late from overtime. The child sits
In the corner of the living room, a patch of pants leg was soaked. Luong Duc Hai smokes cigarettes on the balcony. Luu Ngoc Mai washes dishes in the kitchen. Luong Thua Trach has not returned home yet. I asked what happened. Luu Ngoc Mai said the girl peed her pants herself. Luong Duc Hai only said one sentence: "Useless thing." Since that night, Duong Duong has not made any more sounds. When the sound of the hair dryer stopped, the room was uncomfortably quiet. Duong Duong suddenly raised his hand and gently touched my face. I held the child's small hand. “Yes you do
What do you want to say to mom?" She looked at me. There was something suppressed in her eyes. Luong Duc Hai's voice suddenly sounded outside the door. "Still not sleeping yet? You have to go to work tomorrow, don't revolve around a stupid child all day." Duong Duong's hand immediately retracted. The girl bowed her head, her whole body stiffened. I slowly stood up and walked to the door. Through the door, Luong Duc Hai was holding a cup of tea, with no expression on his face. For the first time, I couldn't hold back anymore. "Dad, she's not a stupid child." Luong Duc Hai raised his eyes. "No."
Is that right?" I tightened my grip on the doorknob. Behind, Duong Duong suddenly slid off the small chair. She hid next to the bed, using both hands to cover her mouth. After that night, Luong Thua Trach didn't talk to me for three days. He still went to work as usual, ate as usual, took a shower and went to bed as usual. It's just that every time his eyes glanced at Duong Duong, it was like he was looking at a broken item. On the evening of the fourth day, he came home very late. I was sitting on the living room carpet, teaching Duong Duong
sound. "Mom." I pointed to my mouth. "Duong Duong, look at you, mom." Duong Duong hugged the rabbit, eyes staring at my mouth. Her lips opened slightly, then quickly closed. I'm not in a hurry. "It's okay, let's learn slowly." Luong Thua Trach changed his shoes and stood at the mysterious gate, looking at my mother and me. I raised my head. "Have you eaten?" He said: "I have eaten." Then he sat down on the sofa and loosened his tie. In the house, there was only the sound of the wall clock. I continued to teach. "Mom." "Duong Duong, mom." Luong Thua Trach suddenly appeared
voice. “An Ninh.” I turned my head. He looked at the tea table, not at me. "How about we have another child?" The card in my hand fell to the ground. On the card was printed a large word "mother". Duong Duong lowered his head to look at the card. The small hand slowly reached out, picked it up and gave it to me. I don't accept. I looked at Luong Thua Trach. "What do you mean?" He frowned. "Don't be so sensitive." I burst out laughing. "As soon as my daughter was diagnosed, you told me about having another child?" "I was also thinking about it."
This family." He lowered his voice. "The parents are old, they also want a normal grandchild." I stared at him. "Isn't Duong Duong your child?" His expression was a bit unsightly. "You didn't say that." "So what are you talking about?" He rubbed his eyebrows angrily. "Dao An Ninh, can you be a little more realistic?" "She's already four years old, she still can't talk." "Then go to school, then. "How's life?" "We can't spend our whole lives revolving around her." Each sentence fell right on top of our heads.
Sugar Sugar. I put my hand over her ears. "That's enough." Luong Thua Trach looked at my actions, the corners of his lips pursed. "If you do that, you will only make her become a trash." I hugged Duong Duong in my arms. "Whether she becomes a trash or not, it's not my turn to judge." On the opposite side of the sofa, Luu Ngoc Mai carried fruit from the kitchen. Obviously she heard it. "Thua Trach's words are not without reason." I looked over. Luu Ngoc Mai put down the fruit plate and sighed. "An Ninh, it's not like we're cruel." "Duong Duong is like
Like this, who will you rely on in the future?" "You're still young, having another child, there's hope in the family." I asked her: "So what is Duong Duong?" Luu Ngoc Mai avoided my eyes. "We will still raise her." I smiled coldly. "Raise her, or try to live moderately with her?" Luu Ngoc Mai's face darkened. "Your words are too hard to hear." Luong Duc Hai walked out of the office. In his hand he held a newspaper. "What are you arguing about?" Luu Ngoc Mai immediately said: "Isn't it about the child?" Luong Duc Hai
glanced at Duong Duong. That look was very indifferent. "It's good to have another child." He said as if he was deciding to buy a bag of rice. "The Luong family cannot be extinct." I hugged Duong Duong and stood up. "The girl has the last name Luong." Luong Duc Hai put down the newspaper. "Can it make the Luong family shine?" Duong Duong's heart trembled. I lowered my head and discovered that she was looking at Luong Duc Hai. Not fear. It's a very deep tension. I hugged her tighter. “From today onwards, no one will say such words
In front of her, I will take her out." The living room immediately fell silent. Luong Thua Trach suddenly raised his head. "Don't use the matter of running away from home to threaten others." I said: "It's not a threat, it's an announcement." Luong Duc Hai's face darkened. "The wings are stiff, aren't they?" I didn't answer. I hugged Duong Duong into the bedroom and locked the door. Outside, Luu Ngoc Mai lowered her voice and scolded me for not understanding. Luong Thua Trach knocked on the door twice. "Dao An Ninh, open the door." I put Duong Duong on the bed. In
The little girl's hand was still tightly squeezing the card with the word "mom". The corner of the paper was wrinkled. I sat in front of her, tears finally falling. "Duong Duong, mom will not leave you." She looked at me. A long time later, she reached out her small hand and pressed the card against my chest. I thought she wanted to cry. But the baby didn't cry. The girl just opened her mouth. A very soft sound escaped from his throat. Like a word. Not exactly the same. I held my breath. "Duong Duong, what did you say just now?" But the girl suddenly turned her head and looked in the direction
bedroom door. Outside, Luong Duc Hai's footsteps stopped there. One hour. Two hours. It was like I was eavesdropping.03The next day, I took half a day off and took Duong Duong to the rehabilitation center. There were many children there. Someone is crying. Someone is screaming. Some children lie on their stomachs on the mattress, no matter how much they call, they don't raise their heads. As soon as Duong Duong walked in, he grabbed my hand. The teacher, surnamed Manh, over thirty years old, speaks very slowly. She squatted down and took out a red puzzle. “Sugar
Duong, give it to me." Duong Duong looked at the puzzle, not moving. Ms. Manh was in no hurry. She put the puzzle in my hand. "The child refuses to open his mouth, it may not be just a matter of ability." My heart sank.