Chapter 16 — Voices Behind the Dark Room

I smiled and said: "Duong Duong is not afraid." She looked at me, suddenly shook her head. "Afraid." My heart sank. "Afraid of what?" She pointed to her drawing book. I opened it. On the latest page it is still that dark room. But this time, next to the dark room there was a small red square. Like a paper box. Tang Tang pointed at it with his finger. The voice was very quiet. "One more time." "I don't know." 19 I looked at the red square in the drawing book, a cold feeling behind me. Ms. Manh was not in a hurry to speak up. She placed the drawing book flat on the table, then pushed a few cards in front of Duong Duong. "Duong Duong, is this red thing a box?" Duong Duong nodded. "Box." I squatted next to my child, my finger gently placed on the edge of the table. "What box is it?" Duong Duong bowed his head and looked for a long time. She looked like she was searching for a word in a very deep place. Finally, she said in a low voice: "Medicine." There was a buzzing sound in my head. Ms. Manh immediately looked at me, signaling me not to ask too many questions too quickly. She changed her voice to a lighter one. "Who's holding the medicine box?" Duong Duong's small hand slowly pointed to his grandfather in the character cards. "Grandpa." My throat felt blocked. "What are you doing with the medicine?" Duong Duong's face turned white. The girl hugged the rabbit tightly, her shoulders shrinking little by little. "Drink." "Duong Duong drink." I could barely stand. Ms. Manh held my wrist, her voice still calm. "Duong Duong, if you don't want to talk, you can stop." But Duong Duong shook her head. The baby looked up at me. In those eyes was a cautious and careful look. It was like she was afraid that the words she said would break me. “Bitter.” “Grandma.” “Dad is there.” My whole body stiffened in place. Dad is there. Dad's there again. I didn't dare ask Duong Duong any more. I held my baby in my arms, stroking her back over and over again. "That's enough." "Duong Duong said it very well." "I heard you." She lay on my shoulder, her voice as light as the wind. "I don't know." I closed my eyes. I really don't know. I even remembered something I had forgotten for a long time. It was the third day after Duong Duong was locked in the dark room. When I got home from work, Duong Duong sat on the sofa, eyes half closed, half open, no matter what I called him, his response was slow. Luu Ngoc Mai said she was tired playing during the day. Luong Duc Hai said it is normal for children to be sleepy. That night Luong Thua Trach was also at home. He even frowned and told me not to overdo things as soon as I got home. The next morning, Duong Duong vomited once. I want to take my child to the hospital. Luu Ngoc Mai said that children's stomachs are weak, so drinking a little porridge is fine. After Duong Duong didn't have a fever, I immediately believed it. Now that I think about it, she wasn't sleepy that night. The child was given something she shouldn't drink. When the lawyer rushed over, I arranged Duong Duong in the operations room. After reading Ms. Manh's report, her face sank like never before. "This matter must be immediately added to the criminal report." "If it was related to giving children sedatives intended for adults, the nature would be completely different." I asked her: "But it's been two years, can we still investigate?" The lawyer said: "The more you can investigate, the better." "Drug boxes, drug purchase records, conversation history, statements from family members, all can be useful."I immediately followed her to the police station. After listening, the female police officer did not appear careless. She received the minutes of Ms. Manh's intervention and Duong Duong's painting. "We will call the Luong family to add testimony." "For now, don't arbitrarily contact them privately." In the evening, Luong Thua Trach called. I looked at the name on the screen, pressed record and then answered the phone. His voice was tired. "The police are looking for you." I asked: "Two years ago, did Luong Duc Hai give Duong Duong drugs?" The other end of the line was silent for a long time. Long time coming

I could almost hear his breathing in disorder. "I don't know what drug it is." My fingers tightened little by little. "I saw." His voice was hoarse. "My father has had insomnia for a long time." "There are always drugs in the drawer of the office at home." "That day Duong Duong cried so much, his mother said he gave her a very small drink." "At that time you also scolded her." them." I laughed coldly. "What happens after scolding?" He didn't say anything. I finished speaking for him. "After scolding you, continue to go to work, continue to eat, continue to sleep." Luong Thua Trach's voice trembled. "An Ninh, I really thought it was just a little." I hung up the phone and sent the recording to the lawyer. Half an hour later, the female police officer called back. She said they found an old box of red cigarettes in the Luong family's study. The back of the medicine box is labeled with Luong Duc Hai's medicine prescription. The original name has been half blurred. But the prescription date is still there. I stared at that row of dates, all the blood in my body turned cold. That day was the night before I first took Duong Duong to the hospital for a checkup.20That night, I didn't sleep a wink. Duong Duong slept next to him, still holding the rabbit in his hand. Sometimes she frowned in her dreams and whispered in a low voice that she didn't want to. I immediately turned the light a little brighter and gently patted my child's back.