In the yard, the atmosphere was so joyful, this scene only takes place during the last days of the year, the sound of pounding meat, the sound of knives and chopping boards clanging, the sound of people talking and laughing, it seemed like all the hardships and difficulties that come to each person would not fade away, so that the emotional laughter would linger in these days.
It spread quickly from house to house.
across the neighbor’s land, a few dozen meters from my house. I hear pigs squealing because those houses also share the same Tet meat, now the pot of water is just boiling,
The sound of pigs squealing echoes throughout the garden. Tet comes and makes people forget everything. The elderly get a bowl of soup, and children get new clothes. Tet in my hometown has been the same for thousands of years and will continue to be the same forever.
I sat with the handsome man turning over the tray of meat, on the cutting board, the handsome man had filtered out a large piece of meat.
He told Tu that he’s grown up now and should cut the meat himself. The meat is still hot, so cut it quickly to make the filling more delicious.
I was clumsy holding a knife and cutting board for the first time, the mute girl standing behind me kept smiling.
Mrs. Binh said that being a son is like that, son. A man must know everything.
The meat mortar made ham after a while of huffing and puffing, in just over ten minutes, the meat was soft and tightly knitted together, Mr. Khai said this pig had delicious meat, a lot of lean meat, this year’s ham at Mu’s house is very delicious.
On the other side of the yard in the shade under the jackfruit tree, my mother, my mute aunt, and my aunt were spreading out a flower mat, arranging dong leaf cakes around, fragrant sticky rice, and cleaned mung beans waiting to be sliced for the filling.
Anh Tuan said, “You’re so clumsy at cutting meat, when will we have meat to wrap cakes?”
I gave him the knife, in just a moment half the bowl of filling was done, the meat was cut into straight pieces, half lean half fat, he said that would make the filling more flavorful.. he added a little salt and seasoning powder.. then he said
look next year i will do it myself
I remember the old days, you went around the wedding singing vulgar lyrics… it turns out the impulsive time has passed
Mr. Khai bundled the ham, bent the corners to a right angle, and used bamboo to tightly tie each corner around so that the boiled ham would be firm.
I kept looking at my two healthy sons, the descendants of Mr. Duong and Mr. Luong, left for Mrs. Binh, handsome, tall, gentle, after all the hardships and sufferings, today Mrs. Binh has fragrant flowers and sweet fruits.
Mrs. Binh spoke and laughed happily, those were difficult times, the time when she used swearing to survive in life.
Now it’s over. That’s her fate. On New Year’s Day, she’s young, innocent, entering the passionate spring of her life.
I looked at her, remembering the day at Mr. Dam’s house, his eyes were quiet, as if he wanted to ask how it was today because Mr. Dam said she had run to heaven. I wonder if this competition between two people and two experts has taken place yet.
On the porch my grandmother smiled gently
My grandmother said, “Come to my house today to have a bowl of porridge.” Grandma Binh said, “Yes, let’s all come today so everyone can be there.”
She smiled and said, “Sister, sister, for so many years I’ve been waiting for a moment like this.”
My grandmother smiled and said, it is everyone’s fate, we just need to try hard to overcome it.
I looked over there
Two baskets of rice were placed in the corner of the yard. My mother, aunt Tham, and the mute girl quickly wrapped them. Each person had a turn, one wrapping and one stretching the string around the long, thick banh chung. I just silently observed, occasionally doing the errand boy laughing and talking in the corner of the yard.
My grandmother’s voice rang out again, “Later, go to Mr. Dam’s house and invite his family and the youngest uncle’s family to come over and eat congee.”
I obeyed her and looked out the gate.
Oh look, at the end of the alley, someone’s shadow
Miss Hong and little Mai are walking in
Miss Rose’s voice
Oh…so happy, hello grandma, hello aunt, our family both slaughtered pork and wrapped cakes.
my grandmother said, hong came to visit
so happy, the pink girl’s voice rose
My grandmother asked if your family had wrapped the cakes yet.
My family has two mothers, my son and I wrapped some yesterday afternoon luc65 with the last batch of wine of the year, Mom.
The red lady wrapped the cakes, her aunt’s voice rose with a clear laugh.
Okay..
I can do this cake wrapping thing, she glanced at me and said
Hey, this wine is a gift from my family. It’ll probably be enough for the Tet holiday, so come back to my house to get it.
he died let me send money
Okay, just a little bit, but all this year my business has been going smoothly thanks to the teacher and Tu here taking Mai to and from school. Besides, when I’m sick and you don’t come to help, Tu has to deliver wine for me… then my mother and I will die, Mom.
I hope you accept my help, just a little sincerity.
Thank you, I receive it. I hope you continue to have a prosperous new year.
Mrs. Binh said..
Sister, my family will never forget your kindness in this life. Look at me when I was in trouble and no one cared. If it weren’t for you, I would have died. Where would those two guys be today, tall and strong, going out to help around the neighborhood and village on Tet holiday.
Mrs. Binh smiled and said, “When the ham is done, let the kids mark it so they can bring it home to boil with our ham.”
They bring the cooked ham over tonight so they don’t have to display another pot and waste firewood.
Oh, and later on, my nephew Tu should practice pounding his legs to get stronger. If a boy is weak, he will fail. Mrs. Binh glanced at me and smiled.
Come here and get some cake.. Auntie Tham’s voice rang out.
I looked at the two mats spread out in the corner of the yard… the image of the mute girl sitting on a high chair because her belly was a bit big… aunt Tham, aunt Hong, sitting cross-legged. next to the spread out mat… just in the past few months, the hidden beauty, the soul of each person… has gone through many steps with me.
think…in there, how big and beautiful is that thing
My heart silently keeps the memory of this Tet, Tet in my hometown, peaceful Tet with loved ones forever and ever… forever remembered
…..
After 4 pm, the charcoal stove was blazing, the New Year dishes and trays were almost ready, Mrs. Binh’s two sons were rotating the fragrant grilled meat skewers. I drove up to the yard.
My grandmother asked if anyone would come over later.
I told the priest and his wife to come back this morning, and the two uncles later, ma’am.
The afternoon sun was setting on the mats spread on the floor. Mrs. Binh’s two sons and the priest kept bringing out the hot drinks, and the women at the table also brought up their glasses, their eyes sparkling as if on fire. The mute woman and the priest’s wife kept talking, the two of them talking and laughing through the pen.
The priest’s wife said… Mu, take a sip of this wine, I’ll drink it all as if to thank you for the days my husband and I were away… my father-in-law was sick and without you and Tu taking care of him, I don’t know what would have happened. Then she turned to the mute girl, only people with a heart like her… a heart can have a place to stay in life.
My grandmother said…well, whatever you can do, just do it, consider it as buying happiness for your next life.
I saw her smile but still had tears in her eyes.
Only aunt Tham is still young and innocent
Aunt Tham said..
Today the three of us will stay up late to boil banh tam. Who lets the old man watch the banh tam pot every year?
She nodded mutely.
She winked at me..I didn’t understand what she meant.
After a few cups of Miss Hong’s sticky rice wine, everyone’s cheeks are red and their breath is fragrant. I’m tipsy because of the two glasses of wine toasting the new year from the handsome descendant of the old man. The night after tomorrow, on New Year’s Eve, firecrackers will explode… now there are only a few hours left, after 12 o’clock tonight I will pass 16.
cold last night of the year
The stove was red hot, the big pot of cake was boiling, every now and then my aunt added water, the fire was big, the water was rising, the firewood was sizzling. It was almost 9 o’clock… my grandmother told my father to let my aunt and the young man watch the cake.
I was drunk and lying on my side on a mat spread on a pile of straw in the kitchen. The fire was warm, boiling the pot of cakes. Every now and then, my aunt would bring some hot water to the bathroom to wash my body.
This afternoon, my aunt was wrapping cakes in the corner of the yard. When I entered the house, I saw her coughing. I told her I have this medicine. If you let her suck on it, her cough will go away.
I poured my aunt a small cup…after a while I saw her cheeks were red.
now aunt come in gasp..so cold
then she smiled and said happily..
Your back hurts, go rest, leave the girls alone, count to eight and then take the cake out…if you have a strong guy rolling the cake, tomorrow the cake will be delicious, I’m sure
She flicked my nose and said…do you remember, baby?
aunt laughs…
Remember to wait until after 1:30 am to pick it up.
My soul has been strange these past few days, the feeling after several months of going through many levels, childish and adult emotions mixed in my heart..
the life of the mute girl, aunt Tham, aunt Hong
then a few days ago at Mr. Dam’s house, Mrs. Binh was happily showing off
and then the suspicious look of mother that day…the intuition of the creator has not been expressed in words..
Now I am floating on the mat in the haystack, around the big pot of cakes the red fire is still smoldering, smoke billowing..
The pot of banh chung was boiling. I pulled the blanket over my head. My aunt sat next to me with rosy cheeks. On the other side, the mute girl lay on her side. My aunt kept rubbing her butt.
caressing..I opened my eyes to look over..my aunt said this girl’s butt is really good to touch
my aunt looked at me and smiled
I opened the blanket and asked
what are you laughing at
secret…hehe
Aunt’s breath was fragrant with alcohol
high on alcohol, I also drifted off to sleep, the sound of my aunt coming in and out to tend the fire, adding more water to the pot of cakes that was still boiling.
The sounds of the village late at night fade away. Every now and then, my aunt’s back gets tired and she lies down between me and the mute girl on the mat.
straw nest in the kitchen
The smell of my aunt, the smell of alcohol, the smell of rosy cheeks, the faint smell of a girl floating in my mind since the night my aunt told me about her candy. She never held my hand.
Now my aunt put her legs on both sides of my buttocks, I lay there mute with my face turned away.. inside me there was a low moan, remembering the time my aunt put her hands on my thighs in the field the other day..
I don’t know what time it is, only the mute girl on the other side is still breathing lightly.
The sound of my aunt’s footsteps coming from the yard into the kitchen…my aunt had placed the big tray on the kitchen floor, probably preparing to take the cake out.
Tu Tu…wake up, wake up
oh oh.. sleep well..
Do not stay up to watch the cake, sleep well
My aunt pulled the blanket off my head… pressed down on half of my body and rolled me over..
She kissed me lightly on the cheek and woke me up.
I sat up, the mute girl was also tying her hair up. I held a lamp and looked at each cake that Aunt Tham took out.
Each cake was rolled, I held the wooden stick and rolled it, tapping it lightly.
The sound of the cake being cooked echoed in the quiet night. My grandmother woke up to check on her aunt and niece to see how the pot of cakes was doing.
Now it’s all tidied up… aunt Tham said the banh chung smells of dong leaves mixed with sticky rice from the village of Deo Queo, it’s very fragrant.
It was probably past 2 o’clock. My grandmother looked at them and said…you guys are great…go to sleep.
Aunt Tham smiled..
Then she said, “This year you have the Thai Bach star, next year you have the Thien An star, you will definitely have a noble person helping you. I don’t know why these past few days I’ve been feeling restless.”
aunt said yes i hope so too
I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and went to bed… I felt shivering from the cold from last night until now, lying in the warm kitchen, taking a nap, now my mind is filled with thoughts… from the day with Ms. Nu until now… now it’s past 2am and I’m already a 16 year old boy.
In there, aunt Tham, she was mute, the room was silent, the door was half-closed like an open door to the soul.
I wish..at this moment, I remember the story on the raft
two people in one bed must be falling asleep
Suddenly the sound of someone’s slippers was very light… walking in the deep, quiet year-end night at the end of the village
I was dreaming, feeling buried…like that night…the sound of someone’s footsteps near the bed
quiet space
Someone gently lifted my mosquito net
who leaned over, gently leaned… shoulder
aunt’s voice drifted through the night ..
Tu Tu..are you asleep yet, my candy..my breath is whispering in your ear..
aunt wishes her candy a happy birthday
I turned my body slightly..
yes aunt..thank you aunt
She lay on her side, put her arms around my shoulder and kissed me on the cheek.
fragrant aroma of wine
I feel somewhere in my body tense up…like ants are crawling
aunt gently rubbed my shoulder..
you ..
Yes..
bring the blanket to the bed
aunt reward..