Chapter 1 — You Waited For Me Two Lives

I was the one who was bought to give birth to an heir. In five years, I gave birth to the old man, two boys and one girl. The old man has a cold personality, only occasionally being gentle in bed. You do not recognize me, you hate my lowly origin. Only my wife is merciful and always treats me tolerantly. When I was twenty years old, she asked me if I wanted to leave. I knelt down and bowed my head:
“Please, Madam, show your kindness and let this slave return home.”
At home, I still have a fiance who has been engaged since childhood and is waiting for me. In this life, I cannot betray you anymore.
1
The lady was silent for a long time, then sighed softly:
“Also a miserable person.”
Thu Truc walked up holding a wooden box. The box opened, and on the yellowed contract was a red fingerprint. Those are the fingerprints I personally placed five years ago.
“From today, you are no longer the one who gives birth on behalf of the Ta family.”
Madam gave me the contract, her voice suddenly softened.
“You are just Do A Chau.”
Do A Chau. It's been a long time since anyone called me that. When I entered the palace, I was stuffed into a palanquin and carried straight to the main courtyard, without a name or a way to address myself. I don't even deserve to be called the word "concubine". When the children saw me from afar, they turned around and went another way. Only my wife calls me A Chau. Every Tet holiday, she gave me an extra bundle of cloth, two boxes of cakes, and also helped me block Ta Tuy Ngoc's cold and harsh words.
“The day after tomorrow is Giac Nhi's fourth birthday.”
The lady hesitated for a moment.
“Do you want to stay for his birthday before leaving?”
"This slave does not dare to recognize himself as the eldest young master. He will leave today."
I bowed my head. The sadness in the lady's eyes became even stronger. She said something softly. The wind was so strong, we were far away so we couldn't hear it clearly. Perhaps she said again:
“Cannibal society.”
She often says things that others don't understand. The pomegranate flowers in the main courtyard are in full bloom, so bright red that it makes people's eyes warm. That fragile bill of sale was so heavy that I almost couldn't hold it. In my previous life, my wife also let me go. But I don't want to separate flesh and blood. Ly Tan Bach took the money he had saved for five years to redeem me. He wore a faded blue cloth shirt and stood in front of the Ta family's mansion. You are my fiance, coming to take me home. I only looked at him through the door once. He was thinner than before, also darker, his face rough from wind and frost. I don't know how much hard work he did to save that amount of money. I refuse to leave. I'm afraid the children don't have a mother. It's ridiculous. They never considered me their mother. Because the children refused to call me mother, I hurt the only person in the world who always remembered me. After I die of illness, I can be thrown into the cemetery. Ly Tan Bach picked up my remains from the cemetery and covered me with a small grave.
“Do A Chau, please wait for me in your next life.”
2
When passing through the flower gate, we saw four-year-old Ta Giac squatting on the ground making a clay statue. Mud splashed onto its precious blue shirt. The nanny frowned:
"Young master, don't play with this vile thing. The old man and the old lady will not be happy."
The joy on Ta Giac's face immediately fell. It cautiously said:
"Good nanny, don't tell father."
The nanny still had a serious face. Ta Giac wiped his little hands clean and pulled the corner of her breast shirt nurture, smile.
"The nanny is the best! Giac Nhi likes the nanny the most!"
Only then did the nanny agree. Ta Giac couldn't hide his secret joy, but as soon as he saw me, he immediately turned serious.
“You stay away.”
His voice is still young, but his intonation is exactly like his father's.
“Don't dirty my clay statue.”
I bowed slightly and bowed without explaining. A doubt appeared in Ta Giac's eyes. It seems like he doesn't understand why I'm not crying today. My tears have long dried up. A four-year-old child is still immature, but from a young age he heard people say "that's a mean thing", so he learned to look down on others. After today, I will no longer bother them. My footsteps are light, embroidered shoes step on the gravel road, making soft crunching sounds.
“Stop.”
A person walked out from down the hallway, the guard next to Ta Tuy Ngoc.
“Master told you to go to the study.”
The wind blew through the pomegranate tree, petals falling all over the ground. Ta Tuy Ngoc sat behind the desk, holding a book in his hand. He didn't raise his head when he heard footsteps. I stood at the door, neither entering nor stepping back. In my previous life, I always bowed my eyebrows and obediently waited for him to deal with me. Every time he made me stand for a long time, saying it was to teach me rules and practice patience. Until my knees are tired and the soles of my feet are numb.
“Is your body completely healthy?”
Ta Tuy Ngoc's voice was cold, but his eyes weighed heavily on him. Five days ago, when I was resurrected, I used the excuse that the month was coming to ignore him. That night his face was not happy, but he did not force me. Today, I'm afraid it's unavoidable. But I still want to refuse. Ta Tuy Ngoc's eyes fell from under his eyelashes. He stood up and walked towards me. The tall body approached, completely covering me.
"Don't try to fool me. Your period should have ended a long time ago."
He held my chin, his thumb gently caressing my lips.
“My lady has let me leave.”
I turned away, but he held my chin and turned me back.
3
“Don't try to trick me.”
I saw intense desire in the bottom of his eyes, completely inescapable. The sun is beautiful outside. Ta Tuy Ngoc forced me to condemn the letter and expertly pulled open the hem of my shirt. As long as his interest arises, he will ignore everything and forcefully take over my body. I didn't understand in my previous life, I thought the gentleness in that moment was sincere. Only when he died did he realize that it was just a man's instinct. I frowned slightly, somewhat uncomfortable.
“Do you miss me these past few days?”
His voice was a bit hoarse. Warm breath blew into my hair, carrying a slight scent of book ink. In my previous life, when I heard this sentence, my heart would tremble, thinking I was loved. Listening back now, I just feel sarcastic. What he wants is not my nostalgia, but the desire I have for him. I don't answer. Pomegranate flowers outside the window are blooming. Sunlight penetrated through the window paper, making his profile appear bright and dark. He has a very beautiful appearance and is at his most attractive age. No wonder I was blind in my previous life, so fascinated by this skin that my soul went crazy, I couldn't even tell the difference between truth and lies. He asked again. I bite my lower lip. In the dream, I saw the expectation in the bottom of his eyes. After the clouds dispersed and the rain stopped, Ta Tuy Ngoc circled His arms hugged my waist from behind, he buried his face in the crook of my neck, his breathing gradually became calm. His fingertips gently brushed the corners of his eyes, wiping away the tears that had fallen from who knows when.
“What are you crying for?”
There was some coaxing in his voice. I'm still silent. At first I cried because of pain, then because of self-pity. Sometimes when he wipes my tears, I immediately think he treats me differently. Actually, he just felt that tears were annoying and made him lose interest. That winter night, I didn't understand what the ghosts were doing, so I asked:
“Master, have you ever loved me?”
He was stunned. The desire in his eyes disappeared, replaced by coldness. He let me go, sat up, put on his coat, and didn't look at me once from beginning to end.
“What do you have that is worthy of my love?”
The door closed behind him. The wind that night was very cold, coming through the window, blowing the candle. I sat on the edge of the bed, repeating that sentence in my head. Is there anything worth loving? That's right. A person who was bought to give birth to a surrogate child like me, is there anything worthy of receiving Ta Tuy Ngoc's love? A little tenderness in bed is just a pleasure to help him pass the time during long nights. From beginning to end, Ta Tuy Ngoc only considered me as a convenient item. After using, set aside. If that item wanted to leave, at most he would just frown and complain that finding another item was too troublesome. A moment later, Ta Tuy Ngoc let go of me and his voice returned to its usual cold tone:
"The day after tomorrow is Giac Nhi's birthday. I allow you to say a few words to him."
In my previous life, every time I heard such words, I couldn't help but have some delusions. I think he has admitted that I am the children's mother. But his permission is nothing more than alms and gratitude. I sat up, picked up each item of clothing on the ground, and calmly said:
“Master, the lady has agreed to let me leave.”
4
A long time later, Ta Tuy Ngoc's eyes contained anger.
“You say it again.”
“Madam has paid the slave contract.”
I lowered my eyes. Ta Tuy Ngoc still left his shirt open, his face cold as he looked at the bust contract.
"You really know how to choose a day. The day after tomorrow is Giac Nhi's birthday, but you are determined to leave today."
I don't answer. He suddenly took a step forward, looking down at me from above.
"Do A Chau, you have been in the Ta family for five years, raising three children. Are you really willing?"
Can you bear it? Ta Giac's birthday was last year. I heard laughter coming from the lobby, I couldn't help but pass by, hiding behind the hallway pillar and looking a few times. Ta Tuy Ngoc's eyes were filled with laughter. He raised the small child over his head, making him laugh. He never gave me such a smile. Every time the young lady passed by my side, she used her handkerchief to cover her nose, saying that the slave didn't bathe and that she smelled bad. I knelt in the yard to wash the clothes they changed out of, my hands were so cold that they turned red, and their laughter was in my ears. I tell them that I am a mother. Ta Giac coldly rebutted:
"Are you worthy? My mother is the daughter of the Thoi family, my father's main wife."
I suppressed the pain in my heart and said decisively:
“What if.”
Ta Tuy Ngoc's pupils shrank slightly. A look of surprise flashed across his face, so quickly that it was almost impossible to see clearly. He took a half step back, hand I had to lean on the edge of the table, my knuckles were a little white.
“It was truly unintentional.”
I burst out laughing.
“It was all taught well by the old master.”
Ta Tuy Ngoc's voice was calm, without any ups and downs:
“The contract has been returned, I will not hold you.”
I stood up, bowed and bowed to him. As we walked to the door, he spoke behind me:
“Do A Chau, once you step through this door, don't look back.”
5
When I returned to the servant's room, Thu Truc was waiting for me. On the table was a bowl of chicken noodle soup, with two poached eggs on top, steam rising.
“My lady told me to bring it.”
Thu Truc stuffed the bowl of noodles into my hand and lowered her voice.
"She said you haven't had many good meals in the past years. Before you go, fill your stomach."
I hugged the bowl of noodles, my palms warmed by the heat. Thu Truc looked at me again, wanted to speak but stopped. After a while, she took out a small cloth bag from her sleeve and stuffed it into my luggage.
"This is five taels of scrap silver I saved. It's the monthly money my wife gave me, I saved it for half a year. You can take it on the road and use it."
I shook my head.
“Take it!”
Thu Truc panicked and immediately held her hand.
“How can a woman like you travel alone without money?”
“Thu Truc, thank you very much.”
Thu Truc's eyes immediately turned red. She turned away, wiped her face casually, waved at me, then turned around and quickly left.