A month later, Ly announced she was pregnant. Only then did I understand what she and Ly had discussed that night.
Ly was more cunning than I thought. She knew perfectly well that if she met Thien at the bar and told him she was pregnant with his child, he would definitely force her to have an abortion. She took a gamble and went straight to Thien’s house, meeting his father, Mr. Bau Nhat, to seek protection.
Mr. Bau Nhat was wealthy, but not as cold-hearted as those other big shots. Seeing Ly’s pain and tears, he promised to make his son fulfill his responsibilities.
And perhaps he did, because that night Thien came to my bar and caused a huge commotion, to the point that Nam, the owner, had to rush over from home to sort things out.
Thien had his henchmen chase all the customers away, cursing loudly, then he waved his hand for the thugs to smash tables and chairs. Just then, Nam rushed in from outside, his voice booming: “My tables and chairs have four legs; if any leg is missing, you guys leave the rest to replace it.”
Hearing that, the aggressive thugs didn’t dare lay a hand on him. Thien angrily shouted: “Smash them for me! I’ll take responsibility!”
Nam glared: “Smash them, then call home and tell your parents, wife, and children to come and take your body away. This place is mine, remember that!”
This was the first time I’d met Nam, and I never expected to see him at his most terrifying. Outwardly, I was terrified, but inwardly I was screaming at the cool, gangster-like shop owner.
I thought Thien would back down, but if that were all, nobody would call him “little god.” He pulled a wad of money from his pocket and threw it down where Nam was standing. He clicked his tongue: “Consider it a drunk customer causing trouble, Nam.”
After Thien’s furious yell, the sound of broken tables and shattered dishes continued without interruption. Vu and Ly wanted to intervene, but Nam simply said, “Go inside.”
Then Nam turned to Doan and said, “Please get me some new tables, chairs, and dishes to replace them. Wait until they’ve finished smashing things, then we’ll clean up and close early.”
Nam left wearily, but Thien wasn’t going to let it go so easily. He said, “Where are you going? This isn’t settled yet!”
Nam paused, calmly asking, “So you want to raze this place to the ground?”
Thien replied, “Even smashing this place to pieces isn’t enough for me. Your employees conspired to trap me, and now you’re not going to say anything or do anything about it?”
Although Nam wasn’t at the restaurant, he wasn’t unaware of what was happening. Moreover, he was well aware of Thien’s philandering nature; his drunken antics with women were nothing new to him.
Nam sneered, “Aren’t you ashamed of saying that? Can you remember how many girls you’ve slept with while drunk before? It’s not the first time, so why are you saying they set you up? Everyone only has one life, who would dare touch you?”
Thien retorted, “Don’t try to cover for me. That day, after drinking the lemonade, I was burning up with fever. I was drunk, but I’m not crazy enough not to know I was drugged! And I ask you, I was wearing a condom, how could this girl be pregnant?”
I remembered, it was true that Ly was carrying the condom full of Thien’s semen out. Could she have gotten herself into it?
Ly cried, trying to clear her name, “Boss, I’m being unfairly accused. I didn’t make that lemonade, boss…”
Nam asked, “Then who? Ms. Doan?”
Ms. Doan shook her head, “No, Phuc.” A chill ran down my spine, giving me goosebumps. I never imagined I’d be dragged into this.
Everyone’s eyes were on me. I was still flustered, not knowing what to say, when Thien yelled, “Ah, you bastard! I remember now! You’re holding a grudge from when I insulted you the other day, so you’re playing a trick on me, aren’t you? Beat the hell out of him!”
Nam glared, making no one dare to rush forward. He asked, “Phuc, did you do it?”
I shook my head frantically, “I swear I didn’t.”
Nam turned to Thien and asked, “Do you have proof?”
Thien cursed, “Damn it, I swallowed the proof already! Ask this guy and that girl over there!”
Ly vehemently denied it: “I don’t know anything, boss. I’ve never had a boyfriend, never flirted with anyone before. If you don’t believe me, ask everyone in the shop…”
All eyes turned to me again, dozens of ears perked up to hear my rebuttal. I could only look at Nam, shaking my head and saying, “I didn’t do it.”
Uncle Trung suddenly spoke up: “Phuc didn’t do it. I’m the one who hired him here. If he did, I’d quit my job too.”
Ly burst into tears: “Uncle, are you saying I made it all up? How could I dare touch Thien? And if my parents find out I’m pregnant without a husband, how can I ever face anyone again?”
After a bout of crying, she turned to me again: “Phuc, I didn’t do anything wrong to you, why are you doing this, Phuc? You hate Thien so much that you’re letting me bear all the consequences? I’m a girl… how can I live after this…”
I stared at her in disbelief, unable to believe she could be so deceitful. I glared at her and said sternly, “I didn’t do it!”
Thien retorted, “How are you going to resolve this now, Nam?”
Nam remained completely unmoved. “Oh,” he said, “Now, if you have evidence, bring it out, and we’ll settle this in court. I don’t know if my staff drugged you or not, but everyone saw you getting completely drunk at this place. You’re a man, I hope you’ll take responsibility for your actions.”
Thien pointed at each person, his voice harsh: “I remember all your faces.”
Then Thien left, and only then did the people in the quán breathe a sigh of relief. Ms. Doan asked Nam: “The peaceful days are over.”
Nam, however, showed no sign of worry, calmly replying: “Do you think I’m afraid of him? I’ve always been busy with other things, so I didn’t bother with him. Now, let him cause trouble again, I’ll make his father not recognize him anymore.”
Saying this, Nam picked up a broom and started cleaning. Seeing this, Vu immediately rushed over: “Let me do it, boss.”
Nam clicked his tongue: “There’s plenty over there, if you want, go clean over there. Hurry up.”
In that instant, all the menacing aura around Nam vanished. When Nam smiled, he was incredibly warm, truly a handsome, wealthy young man that everyone would adore.
After cleaning up, Nam called Ly to his private room to talk. Sister Đoan nudged my shoulder and whispered, “Hey, what did you do to offend him that he’s putting fire on your hands like that?”
I sighed dejectedly, “I don’t know either. I didn’t expect him to say that to me.”
Sister Đoan replied, “Luckily you were making drinks that day, otherwise I would have been in trouble with him. He looks innocent and naive, but he’s a devil in disguise.”
Uncle Trung said, “Well, if we didn’t do it, then so be it. Next time, don’t wander around outside unless there’s a reason; running into that guy again would be troublesome.”
Since that day, I haven’t seen Ly come to work at the shop anymore. These past few days, Nam has been coming here every day, helping with customers and keeping an eye out for Thien bringing people to cause trouble.
As dusk was falling, Ms. Doan rushed in, her wooden clogs clattering on the newspaper. Seeing Mr. Ly, she held the newspaper up to him and exclaimed, “Read it! Read it! It’s shocking!”
Mr. Ly stood with his hands on his hips, snapping, “Are you kidding me? I can’t read, and you’re showing me pictures?”
Ms. Doan shoved the newspaper into my hand, running inside while saying, “You can read, so read it to him. I’ll come back and get it back later.”
I was curious to see what Ms. Doan was so excited about. But when I looked at the black and white newspaper, I froze.
“Mr. Bau Nhat’s son abandons his child; the child’s mother comes to seek help from her father-in-law.”
The newspaper even had a picture of Ly with tears streaming down her face. I was truly surprised that she could “set up” such a well-planned scheme. She even managed to lure a journalist to Thien’s house; this time, Thien wouldn’t be able to escape no matter how hard he tried. Seeing Ly’s picture, Ly anxiously asked, “What does it say in there, Phuc?”
Knowing they had some connection, I chose my words carefully and told him, “Ly is afraid Thien won’t acknowledge the child, so she went to Mr. Nhat’s house and caused a huge scene, even bringing reporters along.”
Ly blurted out, “That’s clever!”
I turned sharply to him and asked, “Huh? What’s clever?”
Ly explained, “Well, Ly is clever. Only the journalists can scare Thien. Now the whole of Saigon knows he got someone pregnant; he can’t refuse to acknowledge the child.”
Before I could discuss it further, Doan finished putting on her makeup and clattered out in her wooden clogs to retrieve the newspaper. She clicked her tongue, “This time, Ly should be offering you a sacrifice, Phuc! She blamed you and now she’s on something. Thien can’t refuse to acknowledge the child even if he wants to.” Nam arrived, pulled over, and immediately understood what was going on. Seeing the newspaper, he understood even more, and simply said, “Thien won’t receive it, but Mr. Nhat will.”
I felt sorry for Mr. Nhat. I heard he was a kind, virtuous man, always doing charity work to help the poor. Yet, for some reason, his son was no different from those uneducated ruffians on the streets.
It’s true that parents give birth to children, but nature gives them their character.
I suddenly blurted out a question: “But why didn’t Ly look for Mrs. Nhat? Why suddenly go looking for her father-in-law? It seems strange.”
Ms. Doan gestured with her hands in a circle and said, “If you want to find her, go down to the underworld, explore the eighteen levels of hell, and you’ll meet her if you’re lucky. When she was alive, she was just as fierce as Thien is now; like mother, like son.”
It turned out that Thien’s mother had passed away. Ms. Doan told me she died when he was very young. Suddenly, I felt that his rebellious nature was still somewhat understandable. Perhaps it was because we were both orphans.
That evening, I worked as usual until all the customers had left, when someone inside suddenly said, “Could you help me get my motorbike home, please?”
I looked at the empty parking lot, my heart pounding. Clearly, the last customer’s motorbike had left twenty minutes ago; only Nam’s was left parked alone.
Before I could say anything, he started shouting, “Oh my God, where’s my motorbike? Why is it empty? Where’s my motorbike?”
Everyone in the shop was cleaning up, so they all came out. I racked my brain: “You were riding that Honda motorbike with the banana-green sticker earlier, right?”
He nodded: “Yes, yes! Where did it go now?”
I grasped a glimmer of hope: “Ah, your friend took your motorbike earlier.” “He ran off. He even took the keys with him!”
He frowned: “Oh my God, what’s going on? I came here alone, where are my friends?”
I couldn’t help but tremble. Losing that car would probably mean I’d be in debt for the rest of my life. He continued: “Now that you’ve lost my car, what are you going to do?”
I stammered: “Uh… But that guy clearly had the car keys, how can you say you’re going to take mine?”
He quickly changed his attitude: “You’re a security guard, you should remember which customer owns which car. Pickpocketing is rampant in this bar, and you’re arguing with me? Where’s the owner? Where’s the owner?”
Seeing he had lost his temper, Nam immediately ran over to resolve the situation. Nam said: “Hello, sir. I’m the owner. No one wants to lose their car, but it wasn’t stolen or robbed; you lost the keys yourself. Half the blame is on you.” “The keys were in my pocket, not given to your staff. Now that it’s lost, if you blame us, it’ll sound very bad,” Nam said.
Seeing Nam’s assertive demeanor, the other man immediately back down. He clicked his tongue: “If the boss has said so, then fine, I guess I went to the wrong bar. The car cost forty million, now that it’s half, I’ll pay twenty million!”
I felt dizzy hearing that number. I hadn’t even managed to raise half that amount in a whole year. Nam calmly said: “Alright, alright, you can go now. Come back in three days and I’ll settle it.”
He arrogantly added: “You promised, so you have to keep your word. Otherwise, if I bring reporters here, it’ll be very difficult to do business.”
He left, and I, unable to stand any longer, slumped to the ground. In just one night, I’d accumulated a debt equivalent to ten years’ worth of savings from my previous jobs.
Uncle Trung came out to throw away the trash and then pulled me up, warning me, “Remember to be careful next time.”
Sister Đoan said, “But how come this guy came out completely sober after drinking?”
Brother Vũ said, “He ordered several bottles of beer, and they’re still untouched on the table. He didn’t drink a single drop, so how could he be drunk?”
Lý clicked his tongue, “Bad luck, I think he’s really staging this to extort money.”
Nam frowned, “That’s why we told him to come back in three days. Tomorrow, I’ll ask the police to check where he hid the car.”
After finishing the cleaning, Nam called me up to his office to talk.
I’d never been so nervous before. I’d seen Nam angry before, and I never expected to see it again, worse, this time it was directed at me.
I walked in and saw Nam sitting at his desk, writing something with a pen. I guessed it was a termination letter, like the one Ly had taken with her when she left the other day.
Anyway, I was partly to blame for this. I said, “I’m sorry. I’ll find another job and gradually pay you back.”
Nam stopped writing, looked at me, and asked, “Why go work somewhere else? Isn’t this place good enough?”
I looked at him and replied, “I lost my motorbike, and you still let me work here?”
Nam clicked his tongue, “If you lose your motorbike, you have to pay for it, and the debt will be deducted from your salary. If I fire you now, you’ll just leave and I’ll lose everything, right?”
I knew Nam was a warm person, but I never expected him to accept such a huge mistake. I was so moved I burst into tears. Nam got up from his desk and hugged me.
He said, “Don’t cry. We’re grown up now; we have to face challenges in life. Crying won’t solve anything.”
Seeing that I had calmed down, Nam returned to his desk and said, “If you can’t find the car, I’ll pay you back upfront. But you have to leave your ID card here. Give me anything valuable you have too; I’ll return it to you when you’ve paid off the debt.”
I knew Nam wasn’t afraid I’d run away, but this was already the rule at the shop, and I didn’t object. The problem was, I didn’t have anything valuable to give you.
I replied, “I can give you my ID card, but I don’t have anything valuable on me to give you.”
Nam’s gaze scrutinized me from head to toe, stopping at my crotch, and he said half-seriously, half-jokingly, “You’re hiding your precious thing in your pants, it’s bulging out like that, and you say there’s nothing there?”
Even though I was upset, I forced a smile: “Don’t tease me.”
Nam said, “Just kidding, but I think that necklace you’re wearing is quite valuable.”
I suddenly remembered the necklace Sang had given me; its value could probably pay off my debt. But because I’d been given a deferral, I decided to keep it a secret: “It’s a fake, I bought it at the market for a few tens of thousands of dong.”
Nam clicked his tongue: “You want to fool me, huh? I can tell it’s real just by looking at it. Let me tell you, I’ve been into jewelry since I was fifteen, I can tell if something is valuable or not just by looking at it.”
I had no choice but to take out the necklace. I usually wear it, but I never let the pendant show. As soon as he saw it, Nam jumped up, not even adjusting his posture, his foot bumping into the table and making it shake.
Nam rushed towards me, his eyes fixed on the necklace, making me terrified. A second later, I saw his chest heave, as if his heart had just been struck by a shock. Nam choked out, “Where did you get this necklace?”
Seeing Nam like that, I knew the necklace had an extraordinary history. I replied, “My brother-in-law gave it to me; he said to keep it with me.” “I kept it as a self-defense item.”
Hearing that, Nam suddenly paused for a moment. Then he said, “This necklace… it was originally mine!”
At this point, I was the one who felt nervous. I protested, “My brother-in-law really gave it to me. It must just be a coincidence that it looks like yours. How could something worth a few tens of thousands of dong be yours?”
Nam returned to the table, rummaging through something in the drawer, searching as he replied, “I know you won’t believe me. But I challenge you to find a necklace exactly like this in all of Saigon.”
After emphatically stating this, Nam took out a magnifying glass. He handed it to me and said, “Here, put the pendant behind the magnifying glass and look closely.”
I immediately did as instructed, and then couldn’t help but gasp when I saw the writing inside…
Nam calmly said, “‘Ly Ngoc Nam’ is my name.”
My whole body was covered in goosebumps, because indeed, the necklace I was wearing had inscriptions inside, and they were indeed the three words “Ly Ngoc Nam.”
I was flustered and didn’t know how to explain, so Nam said, “Of course I know you didn’t steal it. You said the person who gave it to you was your brother-in-law, right?”
I nodded, “Yes. My sister is pregnant, she’s due in less than a month.”
Ngoc Nam sighed, “Then it’s probably not him. But when you go back to your hometown, let me go with you. I’ll go ask a few questions, maybe I can hear some news.”
The next morning, I hurriedly asked for time off when Sang told me that Hanh had gone into labor the night before. I was going to ask Vu to drive me to the bus station, but Nam had already sent his private driver to pick me up.
It was my first time sitting in a car, and I couldn’t help but feel excited watching the people go by. It’s true that when people are rich, life becomes so colorful and vibrant.
I don’t know why, but I saw Nam was so happy, and I couldn’t help but ask, “You look so happy today! Did you win the lottery?”
Nam replied, “Of course. For years I’ve been searching for someone, but there’s been no trace of them. Now, thanks to your mishap, I’ve accidentally found some information.”
I retorted, “So you’re happy because of my pain, huh?”
Nam cheerfully replied, “If you get any useful information on your way home today, I’ll immediately reduce your debt.”
We laughed and joked, and after a while, I learned that the reason he hadn’t been at the shop much these past few years was because he was busy searching for an old friend. I didn’t feel comfortable asking too many questions, but I understood that person was very important to him.
After three or four interrupted naps, I finally arrived back home. I left early in the morning and arrived in the mid-afternoon. Before I even got there, my mother called to tell me that Hanh had given birth to a baby boy.
The car parked in front of the hospital, and I quickly threw open the door and rushed inside. Hanh was lying next to our son, and my mother was tending to him.
Seeing her lovingly looking at our child, I looked at her and gave her a thumbs-up. The doctor didn’t allow too many people in, so Sang and I could only wait in the hallway.
I teased Sang, “So, how does it feel to be a father?”
Sang put his arm around my shoulder and replied, “It’s alright. But I have to go back to work soon, I’m so fed up.”
I replied, “Bored? Want to work at my place? We’re short on staff and can’t find anyone.”
Sang leaned close to my ear and said, “Three rounds a day is enough. I’ll give you all my salary.”
I pushed his shoulder away, pretending to hit him a few times for his cheeky mouth.
Sang leaned into my ear again, “But give me a few rounds when we get home, okay? I’ve been holding back for a whole month knowing you were coming home, I’m practically dying of lust!”
I glanced around, shushing him, “Oh my god, we’re in the hospital!”
Sang continued his teasing, “Huh? You want to do it at the hospital? Then come to the restroom with me!”
I was terrified by his words. Suddenly, I remembered Nam was waiting outside, and I yelled, “Oh no, I forgot! Come see my boss!”
Sang suddenly became serious, “Huh? What do you mean? Your boss followed you here?”
I nodded, but Sang kept refusing, “No! I’m not going to see him, what do I know?”
Sang and I were bickering back and forth when suddenly a voice behind me, sounding like a cry, rang out, “Truong Hieu Sang… how long do you want to keep hiding from me?”
I turned around in surprise; Nam was standing to one side, tears streaming down his face. I didn’t understand what was happening, and Nam continued, “For years, I haven’t had a moment of peace or good appetite. Why did you disappear for so long?”
I felt I shouldn’t be here, so I tried to back out: “You two talk slowly, I’ll go outside for a bit.”
Suddenly, Sang said, “Phuc, stay here. I have nothing to say to this person.”
Sang turned to Nam and said, “Hello, Uncle, it’s been a long time. How are the owners and the young masters and ladies at home?”
Nam approached Sang, took his hands, and slowly said, word by word, “Are you still angry with me? Can you come back to me? I promise to make it up to you with everything I have. Things aren’t like before; I won’t mind telling others that we’re in love.”
Sang gave a weak smile and shook his head, “Uncle, what strange things you’re saying. I can’t go back with you. I… I have a wife and children now.”
Sang stood up, pointed into the room where Hanh and the child were lying, and said, “Look, that’s my wife and child. Our story is over.” “Okay, I’m not angry with you anymore. You don’t need to make amends; it was my own choice back then.”
Sang opened the door and went into the room, leaving Nam slumped dejectedly on the stone bench. He looked up at the ceiling, tears streaming from the corners of his eyes.
I took Nam for a walk, because I knew Sang was also in a difficult situation. He didn’t love Hanh, but he used Hanh and her child as an excuse to reject Nam. There must be something more to this story that I don’t understand.
Nam and I sat on the stone bench outside the hospital; the sun was fading and a gentle breeze was blowing. I couldn’t bear to see him like a dead man, so I blurted out my sister’s situation.
“That child… isn’t Sang’s child.” “The photo shows my older sister and I, but we’re only husband and wife in name only…”
Hearing that, Nam looked up at the sky, holding back tears. He understood that Sang’s rejection was probably still due to the past.
I asked, “Do you trust me? If you do, tell me about your relationship. I’ve already told you everything about my family.”
Nam sighed and said, “What do you know about Sang?”
I replied, “I know he used to work in Saigon and spent a few years in prison for manslaughter.”
Nam asked again, “So, do you believe Sang could kill someone?”
I shook my head, “I think it was an accident. With his strength, if he accidentally hit someone in a vital spot, they’d die.”
Nam nodded, “Yes, it was an accident. But it was me, not him!”
Nam recounted that Sang used to be his family’s gardener. Although an orphan, he was very kind-hearted. From a young age, he had worked as a servant for Mr. Bau Phu, and that’s how he and Nam met and grew up together, being roughly the same age.
They didn’t know when, but feelings developed between them, a kind of feeling that no one recognized at the time.
They continued their clandestine affair. During the day, Nam would call Sang into his room, and at night, when he missed him too much, Nam would sneak out to Sang’s hut in the garden. The more they interacted, the more Nam admired Sang’s genuine nature, and they had shared the “forbidden fruit” countless times.
That night, Nam sneaked out to the garden at midnight. As soon as Sang saw him, he pulled him into his arms and kissed him to ease his longing. Nam sat on Sang’s lap, and before long, he felt something pressing against him. They couldn’t wait any longer; they immediately stripped off their clothes and threw themselves at each other amidst their burning passion.
Nam lay on top of Sang, taking his penis into his mouth. Meanwhile, Sang playfully licked and sucked at the entrance of her vagina. Their clandestine lovemaking made them even more aroused, especially in the master-servant style of those romance novels.
After a while, having had his fill of licking and sucking, Sang, as before, inserted his penis into her vagina. Each thrust made Ngoc Nam moan softly. Even when Sang sealed her mouth with his lips, the moans still echoed in the late night.
Sang’s hut was only lined with wooden planks and rubber, so the rustling sounds came out with each thrust.
Nam’s slender, graceful waist made it impossible for Sang to let go. Each thrust from Sang made Nam unable to hide her long, lustful sobs.
In the midst of her ecstasy, Nam opened her eyes to gaze at the face of the man beside her, the man she secretly loved day and night. She didn’t realize that above the rubber walls of the hut, another pair of eyes was staring intently at them.
Nam screamed in alarm, and the person outside also… Startled, he fell. He was standing on the wall of the shack next to the ditch, so when he was startled, he slipped and tumbled down.
Before that, he tried to grab onto anything his hand could get his hands on. A deafening “rip” sound rang out, and he tore the rubber wall of the shack to shreds. The two naked figures inside and the lurking in the ditch were now face to face.
Knowing for sure he was a thief in the garden, Sang put his pants back on and dashed out to chase him. The other man, after falling into the ditch, struggled to crawl out and ran for his life.
Nam was the most panicked. He didn’t know what he had seen from beginning to end. If this got out, not only Nam, but his entire family would be disgraced.
Nam also quickly put on his clothes and ran outside, carrying a large piece of wood that Sang always kept with him in case of a thief.
The thief wasn’t as strong as Sang, and he wasn’t familiar with the area. Sang quickly caught him. He kicked him in the back of the knee, forcing him to his knees, and pulled his hands behind his back.
The thief begged, “Please, sir… Please spare me…”
Sag asked, “What did you see? If you don’t tell me, I’ll kill you.”
The thief, terrified, confessed, “I only saw it from the moment Uncle Ut knelt for him, I didn’t see anything before that… Aaaaaaaaaa…”
The thief’s scream was deafening as a heavy piece of wood struck the top of the trunk. He fell to the ground, writhing as if electrocuted. Sang, startled, snatched the piece of wood from Nam’s hand and anxiously asked, “What are you doing, Nam?”
Nam then realized he had used too much force; the thief lay motionless. Nam knew he had committed a terrible crime in a moment of losing his composure. He could only stand there trembling. He burst into tears.
Inside the house, the lights were on; surely the thief’s ear-piercing screams had woken everyone.
Sang looked at Nam anxiously and said sternly, “Hide, quickly. Don’t come out even if you hear anything, understand?”
Nam was paralyzed with fear, not knowing what to do, so he just followed Sang’s instructions and found a place to hide. Very quickly, another servant came out with a lamp and saw Sang shirtless with a piece of wood in his hand, while the thief lay on the ground with blood dripping from his head.
The servant immediately shouted, “Master and Madam, Sang has killed someone!”
He ran back inside the house in terror, shouting the same thing repeatedly. Sang could only helplessly watch as everyone in the house rushed out, staring at him with a mixture of horror and suspicion.
Mr. Bau Phu asked, “What happened, Sang?”
Sang replied, “This fellow broke into our garden to steal… I accidentally… accidentally…”
Mrs. Bau Phu, knowing Sang was a gentle person, choked up and said, “Why were you so harsh? We should have caught him and questioned him slowly. Husband… what should we do about this now?”
The servant, who disliked Sang because he was always well-liked by everyone, pointed at Sang and said contemptuously, “Put him in jail, masters! He’s just pretending, but orphans like him are really vicious thugs. Now he’s killed someone outside, who knows, maybe tomorrow he’ll kill someone in our house and steal from us too!”
Nam really wanted to run out and explain for Sang, but because Sang had warned him, and partly because he himself lacked the courage.
Mr. Bau Phu thought for a moment, then told the servant, “Go to the police station and report the crime, tell them to come down here immediately.”
The servant replied loudly, “Yes!” and then triumphantly ran off. Mrs. Bau Phu’s eyes welled up with tears: “Sir, are you really planning to imprison the boy?”
Mr. Bau Phu sighed: “This can’t be kept secret for long. Confessing is the wisest course of action. Besides, this was a burglar breaking into our house. I’ll have a lawyer defend Sang on the charge of manslaughter. Sang, when you go to court, you must claim that the burglar fiercely resisted, understand?”
Sang nodded in agreement. Afterward, Mr. Bau Phu had several of his servants beat Sang with large pieces of wood. Only then would people believe that he had truly struggled with the burglar.
The next morning, Sang was taken to the police station. Worse still, reporters swarmed Mr. Bau Phu’s house.
In the days that followed, Nam felt restless. He felt guilty for unintentionally harming a life, and even more remorseful for having to let the woman he loved go to jail in his place.
Finally, Nam mustered the courage to tell his parents, though of course he didn’t dare mention their romantic relationship.
Out of gratitude for Sang taking the blame for their son, his parents gave him a lot of money. However, they also suggested that after his release from prison, Sang should go somewhere far away to start over. As long as Sang was still in the house, people would say that the Ly family was harboring a murderer.
Nam wiped away the tears still clinging to the corners of his eyes and softly said, “Sang was granted early release from prison six months early, and he left without saying a word to me. At that time, I was busy studying abroad, and when I returned, the prison guard gave me a handwritten letter. It only contained one line: Don’t look for me anymore! Live well for yourself…”
Seemingly unable to control his overwhelming emotions, Nam propped his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his hands: “But how can I live well without him…?”
“The day I returned to the country was also the day he was released from prison. He promised to come and pick me up, but…”
I patted Nam’s shoulder to comfort him, saying a few words of solace: “Sang is a good person, that’s why he didn’t want you to suffer.”
Nam took a deep breath and softly said, “Not having him is the biggest loss I have to bear.”
I smiled, feeling admiration for the affection they shared. Looking at Sang, always so cheerful, no one knew how many long, agonizing nights he had endured. Perhaps even now, seeing Nam standing right in front of him, he had to restrain himself from rushing to pull him into his arms and crying his heart out to release all his longing.
Having finally spoken, I saw Nam feel a great sense of relief. I turned to tease him again: “Why did you tell me? Aren’t you afraid I’ll report you to the police or spread rumors that you’re gay?”
Nam clicked his tongue: “Do you think I’m that bad at judging people, my dear?”
I nodded and smiled, because that remark was referring to Sang.
That evening, Nam got on the bus back to Saigon. He told me to tell Sang that he had given up. He was afraid that if he pushed too hard, Sang would leave again and go somewhere else, causing him to suffer again searching for him.
As for Sang, after that day, although he tried to appear cheerful on the surface, I sensed that he had become quieter than usual. That night, lying next to me, he kept calling Nam’s name and sobbing. During the time we hadn’t seen each other, perhaps he had deceived himself into thinking he had truly let go.
I had been home for over three days, but Sang hadn’t asked me to have sex with him again. But that was better for me; if he had asked, I would have been incredibly awkward.
Late at night, Sang couldn’t sleep and went down to Uncle Bay’s riverside to smoke. I crept down and sat beside him, whispering, “You still have someone in your heart, why do this and make both of us suffer?”
Sang puffed on his cigarette, his feet splashing in the water. “Looking down from the river, he replied, ‘So what do you want me to do now?’”
I immediately said, “Just let her go, and we’ll both be happy!”
Sang turned around and playfully hit me on the head, growling, “Is there any wife like you? Someone’s trying to steal your husband, and you’re still encouraging him to go with her?”
I chuckled, “You’re already her husband. Besides, I know… You like me because I look like Nam, right?”
Seeing I’d caught him, Sang admitted, “I’m sorry.”
I laughed, “You’re crazy! What’s there to apologize for? If Nam were afraid of being taken advantage of, he wouldn’t have traveled to the ends of the earth just to find you. He’s been searching for you for years, and now that he’s met you here, it’s like you two still have a connection.”
Sang took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He threw his cigarette into the river, scooped up some water to wash his hands, and said, “I don’t want to go back to the city. Here I have a beautiful wife, good children, and a fiery mistress like this. If I leave, who will enjoy her?”
Sang said that, but I knew he was worried that if he returned to the city, neither he nor Nam would have any peace. If not for his family, then it would be because people still hadn’t forgotten the past.
At the end of the week, I hurried back to the city. The next morning, I saw Mr. Dau running to the bus station looking for customers, so I conveniently asked him for a ride.
Mr. Dau teased me, “To the bus station? Twenty thousand dong, okay?”
I hesitated, “What? Even if you don’t take me, you’re going out there anyway?”
While I was arguing, my aunt came down to the riverbank and said, “Phuc, go carry that basin of charcoal inside for your older sister. I was busy and the little boy pooped all over the place. Hurry up, or your sister will get cold.”
Hearing about the baby made Dau very happy. If only he had married Huong last year, he would probably have a baby to hold by now. He asked my mother, “Can I go in and see the baby for a bit, Auntie Hai?”
My mother, who was washing diapers by the riverbank, looked up and replied, “Yes, go ahead. But don’t shout too loudly, or the baby will wake up. He was fussing Hanh all night and only just fell asleep.”
I went in and placed the charcoal brazier under Hanh’s bed, while Dau also poked his head in to look at the little one sleeping soundly. I accidentally knocked the brazier across the floor, the rattling sound startling the baby, who burst into tears.
Hanh was so tired she didn’t even notice the baby crying. I was flustered and ran off to call my mother. When my mother and I returned, the crying had stopped, and Dau was holding the baby in his arms, soothing him back to sleep.
My mother praised him, “You’re so good! Your wife will have a much easier time when you have children.”
I asked curiously, “How did you manage to soothe him?”
Mr. Dau calmly replied, “I’m the master at soothing children, don’t you know? I soothe my sisters’ children!”
After looking at the little one for a while, he neatly placed him on the bed next to my sister. Thanks to the little one’s good fortune, he didn’t ask me for the taxi fare anymore.
Mr. Sang had just returned from the market, carrying a basket of vegetables, fish, and meat. Sang handed the basket to my mother, then turned to me and said, “Going to the bus station? Why didn’t you wait for me to pick you up?”
I looked into the distance and saw a car approaching. Although I’d only ridden in it once, I couldn’t be mistaken; it was definitely Mr. Nam’s car.
I said, “Let Mr. Dau drive me. You stay home and entertain your guests!”
The car stopped in front of my house, and the person who got out was, of course, Ngoc Nam. But this time it was a little different because he had brought several suitcases with him.
My mother heard the car and ran out. Ngoc Nam ignored Sang, knowing that even if she greeted him, he would just show a dismissive look.
Nam went straight to my mother and sincerely said, “Hello, Auntie Hai! I’m a friend of Phuc’s. I just came back to our hometown to buy land, but I haven’t had time to build a house yet. Auntie Hai, can I stay for a few days until the house is finished?”
My mother didn’t know what to do, and looked at me, signaling for help. I nodded, and my mother mumbled, “Okay, okay, you can stay. But where did you buy the land?”
Nam pointed directly at the old house foundation of my mother and me, and replied, “Over there, Auntie Hai! Luckily, I don’t know why I bought a piece of land right next to it. It’s convenient for me to stay next door and watch them build the house.”
Sang, with a cold expression, said, “My house is very cramped because I have a small child. I’d appreciate it if you could rent a hotel room at the district market.”
Nam was not one to give up easily: “Auntie Hai has already given permission, how dare I, as her son-in-law, disobey my mother-in-law? Besides, if Phuc can stay, then I can too.”
My mother didn’t know the inside story, she only saw that Ngoc Nam had traveled all this way and feared he was in trouble, so she couldn’t bring herself to chase him away. My mother said, “Just bear with it, son. Renting a hotel is expensive anyway. Building a house will only take a few days.”
I whispered in Sang’s ear, “Just bear with it, brother. Let him stay here. I owe him twenty million dong. He promised to let him stay for a few days and he’ll forgive my debt.”
Finally, Sang had no choice but to compromise. I gave Nam the necklace before leaving in Ngoc Nam’s car because the driver had to drive back to the city anyway.
The day before, after hearing me recount Sang’s words, Nam had made a decision for himself.
If Sang doesn’t want to return to the city, that’s perfectly fine, because Nam can absolutely come back here to live with him.