Three houses, one home

As the wall calendar nears its end, my heart fills with a sense of anticipation and longing for spring.

Wrapping banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes) in preparation for Tet (Lunar New Year) - Photo: Provided by the author

The chill of the last days of the twelfth lunar month always carries the scent of Tet (Vietnamese New Year) through the smell of incense smoke, the smell of welded plastic sandals, and the aroma of the kitchen fire. The scent of Tet guides me from the bustling city back to the poor countryside of Central Vietnam - where three generations of my family have built houses together, creating a warm and loving home.

The scent of Tet (Vietnamese New Year) takes me back to distant memories, to the first home where I was born. That thatched-roof, mud-walled house was built thanks to the sweat and hard work of my grandparents. It was a small two-room house with a smooth, earthen floor, cool in summer and warm in winter. The side room was where my Aunt Rot (the youngest aunt) lived.

In our first home, during the last days of the year, a large bonfire was always lit in the middle of the house, burning day and night. Around the crackling fire, all seven of us would gather to roast corn and potatoes, boil sticky rice cakes, and reminisce about the past year, discussing farming, rice, pigs, and chickens.

During the difficult Tet holiday, my grandfather skillfully used a red-hot sickle to mend the torn parts of my old, faded plastic sandals, sitting by a crackling fire, so that my siblings and I wouldn't feel inferior to our friends during the three days of Tet.

The crackling sound of the fire and the pungent, unpleasant smell of burning plastic at the time later became unforgettable memories.

Then my aunt got married and built her own home, leaving only six people in the simple thatched house. That house bravely withstood the storms of Central Vietnam for another two years until my parents rebuilt it.

The house was built with lime mortar, the walls no longer the yellowish-ivory color of dried mud but instead the greenish-red hue of cicadas. The floor was tiled and the walls were more windproof, so during Tet (Lunar New Year), even though it was cold, there was no need to light a fire in the middle of the house to keep warm.

To pay off the house construction loan, my father had to work as a laborer in Hai Duong , only returning home for Tet (Lunar New Year). My mother worked as a hired tractor operator in the fields, regardless of rain or shine, winter or summer.

My grandparents were getting old, but they were always busy in the garden tending to the tomatoes and cilantro to sell and earn a little extra money to help my parents. My siblings and I were just kids then, carefree, studying and playing, unaware of how hard the adults in the house had to work to build us a sturdy home.

The author's family during the Lunar New Year 2025, with their porch full of flowers and sunshine - Photo: Provided by the author

On New Year's Eve, the whole family of six followed my grandfather to the courtyard to light incense sticks and offer prayers to heaven, earth, and our ancestors, hoping for a year of favorable weather. In the light of fireworks, the lingering scent of incense, and the joy of the new year, I didn't realize that my grandparents' hair had turned white, and the wrinkles on my parents' faces were becoming more numerous.

In that house, my grandmother quietly left us for a place far away. Almost a year after her death, a road construction project passed through, leveling the house and garden. My parents used the compensation money and borrowed more to build a more solid two-story reinforced concrete house.

My grandfather was getting old, and while his house was being built, my uncle took him in to live with them. He said he would come home when the house was finished, but before the smell of cement and paint had even faded, he passed away, leaving us with an empty spring in our new house.

My grandchild happily enjoys the mini banh chung and banh tet (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes) that were individually wrapped - Photo: Provided by the author

My brother later got married and settled in Binh Phuoc , I struggled to make a living in the city, and my father continued to travel far away. That sturdy, spacious cement house was left with only my mother, toiling away with the pigs, chickens, and garden. It seemed that only during Tet (Lunar New Year) did the house become lively and bustling.

My joy during Tet now isn't about new clothes or delicious food anymore, but about being home and seeing all my family. It's about seeing my parents healthy, my siblings busy cooking Tet dishes together in the kitchen, and hearing my nieces and nephews babbling, "Uncle Trung, Uncle Trung, carry me, carry me…" Three houses, one warm home, giving me a constant anchor amidst the worries of daily life.

No one truly leaves their home; whenever I have free time, whether it's a weekday or a holiday, I always stop by, sometimes just to say a few words before going back.

Hidden within the fragrant incense smoke of Tet, I always feel my grandparents there, their gentle smiles witnessing their children and grandchildren gathering together. And as the days draw to a close, I know that my mother is waiting in that warm home, and my heart is filled with longing to return and rekindle the flame of spring with the whole family.

We invite readers to participate in the "Springtime Home" writing contest.

As a source of spiritual nourishment during the Lunar New Year season, newspapers Youth Together with our partner, INSEE Cement Company, we continue to invite readers to participate in the "Springtime Home" writing contest to share and introduce your home – your warm and cozy haven, its features, and unforgettable memories.

The house where your grandparents, parents, and you were born and raised; the house you built yourself; the house where you celebrated your first Tet (Lunar New Year) with your small family... all can be submitted to the competition to introduce to readers nationwide.

The article "A Warm Home in Spring" must not have previously participated in any writing competition or been published in any media or social networks. The author is responsible for copyright, and the organizing committee has the right to edit the article if it is selected for publication in publications. Youth They will receive royalties.

The competition will take place from December 1, 2025 to January 15, 2026, and all Vietnamese people, regardless of age or profession, are welcome to participate.

The article "A Warm Home on a Spring Day" in Vietnamese should be a maximum of 1,000 words. Including photos and videos is encouraged (photos and videos taken from social media without copyright will not be accepted). Entries will only be accepted via email; postal mail will not be accepted to avoid loss.

Entries should be sent to the email address maiamngayxuan@tuoitre.com.vn.

Authors must provide their address, phone number, email address, bank account number, and citizen identification number so that the organizers can contact them and send royalties or prizes.

Newspaper staff Youth Family members may participate in the "Springtime Warmth" writing contest but will not be considered for prizes. The organizing committee's decision is final.

The Springtime Shelter Award Ceremony and the Launch of the Youth Spring Special Edition

The judging panel included renowned journalists, cultural figures, and representatives from the press. Youth The judging panel will review the entries that have passed the preliminary round and select winners.

The awards ceremony and launch of the Tuoi Tre Spring special issue are scheduled to be held at Nguyen Van Binh Book Street, Ho Chi Minh City, at the end of January 2026.

Prize:

1st prize: 10 million VND + certificate, Tuoi Tre Spring issue;

1 second prize: 7 million VND + certificate, Tuoi Tre Spring issue;

1 third prize: 5 million VND + certificate, Tuoi Tre Spring issue;

5 consolation prizes: 2 million VND each + certificate, Tuoi Tre Spring issue.

10 Readers' Choice Awards: 1 million VND each + certificate, Tuoi Tre Spring Edition.

The voting points are calculated based on interaction with the post, where 1 star = 15 points, 1 heart = 3 points, and 1 like = 2 points.

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LE DINH TRUNG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ba-can-nha-mot-mai-am-20260112143637018.htm