I said thoughtfully: "Our village still has food reserves. It's too dark today, so we won't make it back in time. Tomorrow morning, Bang and I will return, then we'll go through the neighboring villages to see if we can gather a bit more for you."
Hearing this, Fat Bang looked at me in surprise, then his eyes darted around before he added: "Right, right, just leave this to us. We guarantee we'll complete the mission."
The sorrow on Vu's face lessened somewhat. He stood up, bowed to us, and then raised his hand in a military salute.
The iron man would rather shed blood than tears, yet in this resilient man's eyes, we saw the glint of tears. This time, too, he was not crying for himself.
Fat Bang solemnly returned the salute. I was also moved by the atmosphere.
Vu suppressed his emotions, a smile appearing on his face: "This is a lot of trouble for you all. Please get a good rest tonight. If you need anything, just come find me, or you can find Khang."
The man chuckled, clearly aware that we were all acquainted.
The issue of their drinking water was still weighing on my mind, so I asked directly: "What about your water source?"
Vu smiled and said: "We found and dug a well at the foot of the mountain on the outskirts of the city. There isn't a lot of water, but it's enough for now. You don't need to worry."
I nodded. It was for the best that they had found a water source.
Seeing that we had no other matters, Vu said: "Please make yourselves at home. Tonight, a young man named Thanh will show you to your quarters. I still have things to attend to, so I'll take my leave."
After Vu left, the three of us no longer stood on ceremony. Khang had been silent all this time. I could see he seemed unhappy and could guess his worries.
Fat Bang was very perceptive and quickly realized that Khang and I wanted to speak privately. He spoke up:
"You two go take a walk. Comrade Vu showed me around earlier, so I know the way. I'm going to visit my sister for a bit. Let's meet at the main gate tomorrow morning, man."
After speaking, he vanished like a puff of smoke, the fat on his body jiggling, which was quite comical.
A hint of a smile appeared in Khang's eyes: "How come I don't see any of Bang's fat falling off?"
I walked outside with him, laughing teasingly: "It's not like he got that fat from just one meal."
Khang smiled until his eyes curved, his mood seeming much better.
The two of us walked aimlessly along the boundary of the encampment. The sun was about to set, and the temperature had cooled down a bit.
Just when I thought we would continue walking in silence, Khang stopped, raised his head to look at me, his gaze very gentle.
"Phuong, saying you'd gather food from other villages was just an excuse for my cousin, wasn't it?"
I fell silent, acknowledging it. From the beginning, I never thought Khang would believe that excuse. He had finally asked.
"Yes. If I didn't say that, your cousin would definitely not accept it, and he would feel guilty," I said honestly.
Khang giggled and looked at me, his eyes sparkling like a thousand stars: "Phuong, thank you."
I shook my head: "It's nothing."
My gaze softened unconsciously: "Let's go, show me to the living quarters."
Khang beamed: "Alright, follow me."
His whole demeanor became lively again; the Khang who always smiled no matter what happened had returned.
"Please, sirs, let me in. I know someone in here, Tran Thanh Phuong. I'm his aunt-in-law. Let him come out, he'll definitely recognize me."
"Ma'am, Phuong really isn't here. Please don't cause a scene."
"Hey, what kind of way is that to talk? Where am I causing a scene..."
"What's going on?" Khang stepped forward and asked the young soldier who looked troubled.
I followed him. The woman, who had her back to us, turned around upon hearing the voices.
I looked at her face, and a myriad of feelings churned within me. Childhood memories related to this woman suddenly flooded my mind.
My father's slightly stooped back, her hateful gaze, and her sharp, cruel words still seemed to echo in my ears.
[Look at your pathetic, poor self. My family doesn't have dirt-poor relatives like you. Get lost before dawn, and don't let the people in the neighborhood see you.]
[Tran Vinh Khiem, don't you drag your chaotic bunch of relatives here anymore. You may have no shame, but I do.]
...
I had thought I had forgotten. It seems I had overestimated myself.
The moment I saw this woman, things I could never forget in my life came rushing back. After that day, my father's already slightly stooped back seemed to bend even more. He aged visibly, exuding an air of ruin.
From then on, aside from my mother and me, my father never smiled at anyone again. The gentle eyes of the past became gloomy and cold until the day he closed them for good.
"Phuong…" The woman ran up to me, a cunning glint flashing in her eyes: "You see, your uncle isn't in good health, and your younger brother is still so young. He was always worried about you, so we couldn't rest easy and rushed back to see how you were. Who would have thought we'd run into you here."
She looked much older. Half of her hair had turned gray, and her once plump body had become withered. The arrogant, disdainful gaze of the past had now become servile.
Khang noticed my unease and worriedly took my hand. I looked at him, trying to force a reassuring smile, but I feared it was just a crooked grimace.
I squeezed Khang's hand tightly, suppressed the surging rage within me, and let out a cold laugh: "I don't know you."
I looked into her eyes, where the enthusiasm was gradually fading, and enunciated every word: "I have no such destitute relatives."