I shouldered my hoe and went out to till the soil. Like a gust of wind, Khang ran over, squatted by the vegetable bed, and grinned at me, his eyes sparkling as if he had just witnessed something miraculous.
Being stared at so intently made me feel a bit uncomfortable. Looking at his fair, almost glowing skin, I wondered if he wasn't afraid of getting even more sunburned under this scorching sun.
"You shouldn't sit here. Go inside."
Khang shook his head, still sitting there with a grin. "Phuong, have I discovered another one of your skills? I never expected you to look so devastatingly handsome even while farming."
I rolled my eyes and ignored this fool.
To be honest, Khang was the very good-looking type, perhaps a different kind of handsome from me in others' eyes. At this moment, from being in the sun for so long, his fair cheeks were flushed pink, his high, straight nose was dotted with tiny beads of sweat, and his large eyes were watery.
After staring for a moment, a scorching feeling rose in my chest. This temperature was really too high.
I threw the hoe to the ground and strode forward.
Khang looked up at me, his eyes slightly narrowed, his long lashes trembling gently. His rosy lips were slightly parted, revealing just the tip of his tongue.
I tried to remain calm, suppressing the searing heat that was spreading through my body. I bent down, heaved the disobedient person onto my shoulder, carried him into the house, and set him down on a bamboo chair. I stood a short distance away from him.
Khang pouted, his cheeks seeming to turn even redder. "Tran Thanh Phuong, you're such a brute."
I paid him no mind and brewed a pot of cooling herbal tea. The cool sweetness of the spring water flowed into my stomach, a cold current soothing my hot body. Seeing that I was ignoring him, Khang quietly got himself a cup and poured some water to drink. He lowered his head, unusually silent.
After a long silence, I thought we would both just close our eyes and rest.
Khang's voice suddenly rang out, a vague anxiety in his tone. "Phuong, the temperature is getting higher and higher. This afternoon, someone came to our house asking for water."
I nodded. "From now on, the number of people coming to ask for water will only increase."
Khang's eyes darkened, and he said no more. I had a feeling something was on his mind, but since he didn't want to say it, I didn't press him. Doesn't everyone have their own secrets?
After some careful thought, I decided to reinforce the fences, both inside and out. I never wanted to assume the worst of people, but unfortunately, the experiences of the past few years had taught me that people's hearts are hard to fathom.
For the next few days, I was busy with the vegetable beds. Khang continued to cheer up my grandfather every day with his cheerful grins. According to Grandpa, Khang was even learning to cook from him. It was good that he was finding things to do on his own.
Despite his cheerful demeanor, a hint of worry clung to him. Several times, he hesitated as if he wanted to say something to me, but in the end, he would cover it up with another topic. I didn't want to force him, but I could guess what he wanted to do. During meals, he had casually asked my grandfather several times about the passenger bus to town.
Thinking that we also needed to buy a few more things for the house, I called him over after dinner. "Tomorrow, I'm going to town to buy some things. Do you want to come along?" I chose my words carefully, trying to speak to him as gently as possible.
Khang, who had been looking anxious, immediately brightened up at my words. His eyes, which had been clouded with worry, finally filled with a joyful light again.
"Phuong..." His voice was a little choked up. "Thank you."
He lowered his head and casually wrapped his hand around my arm. I stood silently without pushing him away, and we remained like that for a moment.
The night began to grow unbearably stuffy. Unable to sleep, I sat up. In the pitch-black yard, I could make out the movement of human figures.
I gave a cold laugh internally. As expected, someone was up to no good.
The first-floor window frame made a "creak" sound. There were about three of them. I clenched my fists and tiptoed downstairs.
A cold gleam of light flashed before my eyes. I tilted my head slightly to avoid the oncoming dagger. Seeing this, the man lunged forward. I spun around and kicked him in the back, then rushed forward, grabbed him by the throat, and lifted him clean off the ground. His face turned red as he begged for mercy.
A terrified cry from upstairs—"Phuong, save me..."—startled me. I threw the person in my hands aside and said coldly, "Get out. Don't let me see you again."
The man scrambled to his feet, called to his accomplices, and they all fled for their lives.
I rushed up to the second floor, only to find Khang standing dazedly on the staircase landing, a silly tuft of hair sticking straight up. When he saw me, he launched himself at me like a small cannonball. My face went blank as I held the "ornament" hanging off me.
My grandfather had been woken up by his scream and was standing at his bedroom door. I awkwardly untangled Khang's grip on me.
Khang composed his tear-streaked face. Seeing my grandfather, he also felt a bit embarrassed. He rubbed his nose, his eyes darting around, and even the rims of his ears turned a suspicious shade of red.
Just as the sky was beginning to lighten, I lay in bed and felt the faint warmth of the person beside me. Khang was still fast asleep, even snoring softly like a little kitten.
I rubbed my temples, unable for the life of me to understand how this person had managed to crawl into my bed.
Downstairs, I squatted by the well to wash up for the morning. My grandfather was already up. I finished in a flash, then went out to the garden to pick a few cucumbers and pull up a handful of tender green bok choy. All the bok choy needed was a brief blanching in boiling water before I tossed it in a wok with fragrant garlic, a bit of seasoning, and oyster sauce.