The Mountains Sing(78)

I was stunned. “But . . . I rescued you. I saved your fortune.”

“Yes, but saved for what? Who knows if you’re planning to take it yourself. My husband is a very successful man. He’d be a fine catch for any woman. Especially for a poor destitute woman, down on her luck.”

“That’s not true, Madam.” I remained polite but was very angry.

“Oh, come on, you think I’m stupid? I’ve seen the way he looks at you . . . and who can blame him? Those big eyes of yours, the smooth skin and long legs, those large breasts. I’ve also seen the way you flaunt yourself at him.”

“That’s ridiculous!”

“Oh yes, of course. Innocent little Di?u Lan. Wouldn’t hurt a fly. But I’ve seen the way he looks at you. I’m sure you know the old saying, ‘Nu?i ong tay áo.’ I can’t raise bees in my shirtsleeve. So, Di?u Lan, I have to let you go.”

“You’re firing me?”

“Let’s just say I’m taking care of my family. Here’s your final salary. Take it and never come back, or else I’ll make your life miserable.”

She threw a tiny cloth bag onto her bed. I bent to pick it up. It was light. What would I do with the few coins she’d given me?

Mr. Toàn was downstairs serving a customer when I quietly walked past him. I didn’t say good-bye, to avoid more trouble with Mrs. Chau. She was a Hà ??ng lion, a woman who’s unreasonably jealous.

Back at my living quarters, I sat with Sáng on our straw mat. What would I do now, without a job? When would I be able to gather my children into my arms?

Sáng wriggled away, crawling toward the cloth bag, which I’d thrown onto the mat without any thought. As he pulled it open, some glittering metal coins fell out.

I held them up, gasping.

Mr. Giáp the goldsmith stared at me, his face full of questions after I’d showed him the coins. “Where did you get these?”

“Master Th?nh’s relatives gave them to me, Uncle. Are they real?”

He narrowed his eyes at me. After asking his wife to look after the shop, he told me to wait outside, picked up the bag, and left in a hurry. I had no idea where he was going, but the furious look on his face stopped me from asking any question.

Out on the pavement, my insides felt like they were being roasted. If the coins were real gold and silver, my fate would be changed. But what if Mrs. Chau was playing games with me? I looked around. No sight of Mr. Giáp. It was a busy time of the day, people hurrying about.

Sáng reached for my face. “Mama, Mama,” he babbled.





The Country Bumpkin Boy

Hà N?i, 1976

The shrill of cicadas rolled through the sky. The air swelled with summer blaze. Sweat streamed down my face. My schoolbag was a boulder on my back. I leaned forward, pedaling. I had to get home quick, to avoid the midday heat.

Grinding noises rang up from under my feet. I pushed against the pedals. An ominous snapping sound.

I led the bike up onto the pavement, leaning it against a tree. The chain had fallen away from both cogs, exposing jagged metal teeth.

I wriggled my hands through the frame, reaching for the chain, trying to lift it up. It refused to budge. Black oil clung to my skin. The sun beat relentlessly down on me. I pulled harder. Nothing happened.

“Need help?” I looked up to see Tam, his face framed by a red canopy of flamboyant ph??ng flowers above him. I hadn’t talked to him for months. My heart pounded.

I hid my black hands behind my back and mumbled my hello.

“Oh, I see. The chain.” Tam squatted down next to me and studied the bike.

Men are bad, a voice in my head said. Don’t let yourself fall for Tam.

You can like him, argued another voice. He’s as kind and generous as your father, Uncle ??t, and Uncle Thu?n.

I stayed glued to the pavement as Tam stood up, walked away, and came back with a twig. He broke it into two. “Try not to use your fingers next time.” A smile lingered in his eyes. “This oil is hard to get rid of.”

He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. I found myself gazing at the muscles of his arms. I wondered if he’d gained his muscles by hoeing in the ricefields. In a swift movement, Tam flipped the bike upside down and lifted the chain with the two halves of the twig. He released the part that was stuck, slipping the chain back onto its cogs.

“I fix bikes with my uncle in the afternoon.” Tam spun the pedal. “This chain is much too loose. It’ll give you trouble again.”

“Happened twice this week.” Heat rushed into my face. The girls in my class had been whispering about Tam. Quite a few of them had a crush on him. I wondered if he knew.

Tam returned the bike to its wheels. “Let’s get it fixed then.” He looked straight ahead, his face suddenly brightened. “See over there?”

Squinting, I saw a man a distance away from us. He was squatting on the pavement, hunching over something that looked like a tin basin. “A bicycle repairman?”

Tam grinned and nodded. He pushed my bike. We walked side by side. A cool breeze rushed at us, unfolding a sweet fragrance. Across the road, giant leaves and pink flowers brimmed a pond. Lotus. Why hadn’t I noticed them before?

“You seem to have settled down well.” I tucked a hair lock behind my ear, hating myself for trying to charm Tam.