Chapter 5 — White Cat Leads Good Luck

"Disrespectful words and actions, unjustly smearing the reputation of others. Is this the good child taught by Minister Bui?"
Facing Tham Trong Dan's smiling eyes, all of Bui Thieu's anger was like a basin of cold water poured straight down on his head. He stiffly clasped his hands with Tham Trong Dan.
"It's... it's because I said something wrong. Please forgive me, Your Highness, I will take my leave."
Not many days later, Mrs. Bui came to the house.
"That bastard said the person he likes is Chieu Nguyet, and he must marry Chieu Nguyet!"
Her mother quickly helped her, with words of advice on her lips, but the joy in the corners of her eyes and eyebrows could not be hidden. His father stood next to him, stroking his beard, trying to look thoughtful.
"The feelings of the children and our elders should not interfere too much. If Thieu Nhi and Nguyet Nhi have a good mind, it will be considered a good thing."
Mrs. Bui was so angry that she almost fainted.
"The person our Bui family wants to marry is Chieu Linh. It was she who asked me to come to her door to marry her!"
But no matter what Mrs. Bui said, Bui Thieu was still determined not to change. Finally, Mrs. Bui angrily waved her hand, gritted her teeth and said:
"I don't care! He can marry whoever he wants. I don't need this damn son anymore!"
13
After Mrs. Bui left, her sister walked out from behind the screen. On her face was a proud smile, gently patting my shoulder.
"Turn around and around, the person Bui Thieu likes is still me."
She leaned close to my ear, using a volume that only the two of us could hear and said:
"Remember, the things belong to me, even if I throw them away, it's not your turn to pick them up."
In her eyes, I once again became a pitiful and ridiculous backdrop under her brilliant halo. But in my eyes, the kind of rude and confused man who stands on this mountain and looks at that mountain like that, that sister is willing to pick it up and treat it as a treasure, I can't even ask for it. The palace was busy preparing for my sister's wedding, no one paid attention to me. To prevent my sister from continuing to harm Nguyen Tieu, I still decided to hide her in the hospital where Tham Trong Dan usually feeds cats. I often secretly leave the palace to visit him. Tham Trong Dan carried a basket of crab and brick soup dumplings just out of the pot, waiting at the hospital gate.
"I passed by the dumpling shop and smelled the aroma so I bought a few more. You should try them."
Another day it was a rare edition of a picture book of cordyceps.
"I found it at a used bookshelf yesterday. The rhinoceros beetle drawn in there is very interesting."
I opened the book and sure enough, I saw a very vividly drawn rhinoceros beetle. Next to it is a neat line of small letters:
“This insect has a stubborn personality and does not back down when faced with an enemy, quite similar to a person.”
“Who is one?” I asked.
Tham Trong Dan sat opposite, holding a leaf to tease Nguyen Tieu. Hearing that, his ears turned red.
“It's… it's the rhinoceros beetle.”
Nguyen Tieu swung one leg to knock the leaf away, cried "meow" and then jumped into his arms. He smiled and took it, resting his chin on the cat's head and rubbing it. We used to go to the suburbs together to watch the harps fly south. Tham Trong Dan lay face down in the reeds, not daring to breathe loudly. As a result, a frog jumped onto the back of his hand. He was so scared that he almost screamed out loud.
“Are you afraid of frogs?” I refrained from laughing.
“I'm not afraid!” He said seriously.
I took the frog and brought it in front of Tham Trong Dan. He was so scared that his eyes were almost closed looked at each other, immediately jumped out of the reeds, causing a flock of long-legged birds to scatter. Together we also saved a young swallow's nest that was blown away by heavy rain. Tham Trong Dan climbed up to the rafters and put the nest back in its original position. His whole body was wet, and there was still straw in his hair, just like the first time I met him at the estate. A young swallow chirped in his palm. I looked at Tham Trong Dan's clear eyes under the rain and suddenly panicked. Did I really like Bui Thieu that much? A child who had never received anything good spent the entire spring watching the candy someone else casually threw at him. Every time he pleases me, it's just to clean up the consequences after my sister bullied me. Just thinking about having to spend the rest of your life with someone like that is enough to make your scalp numb.
14
The afternoon light dyed the whole field red and yellow. Birds fly far away across the horizon, leaving long shadows.
“Shining Spirit.”
"YES?"
“I want to ask my father for a decree granting marriage.”
He turned his head to look at me, his eyes reflecting the sunset.
“What do you think?”
I looked at his clear and hot eyes, they were filled with my image. I nodded gently.
"Okay."
"Really? She agreed?!"
Tham Trong Dan excitedly hugged Nguyen Tieu high and spun around a few times. Nguyen Tieu was turned around by him until his face was stunned.
"That's great, I'll immediately go to the palace and beg my father!"
Tham Trong Dan stuffed Nguyen Tieu into my arms, turned around and ran away. After running two steps, he turned back, bent down and "squeaked" on my forehead. I touched my forehead, my cheeks were hot. The palace is busy preparing for the wedding of sister Lu Chieu Nguyet. Mother brought out all the best fabrics in the warehouse. His father invited the most famous lady in the capital to hastily sew a wedding dress.