Hydrangeas bloom on the plateau.

The girl, just twenty years old, hobbled towards the window beside her bed. She looked out and caught a glimpse of an elderly woman carrying a basket of freshly picked vegetables from the hill. The woman, small in stature with a forehead full of wrinkles, entered the house and called out:

"Honey, Mom just picked some really fresh green vegetables! Do you want me to make soup with them, boil them, or stir-fry them?"

"Yes, Mom, please boil them."

"Okay, then let Mom boil them."

"Oh, I almost forgot, there are a few tiny shrimp Mom caught in the stream. Later, she'll stir-fry them with vegetables; it'll be delicious."

As she spoke, her hands moved swiftly, picking and washing vegetables before cooking soup. She poured the nearly empty bottle of fish sauce into the pan where garlic was simmering. The aroma of the dish wafted on the breeze, reaching where Nhớ was standing.

"It smells so good, Mom!"

"Are you hungry yet?"

"I was a little hungry at first, but now the food smells so good I can't stand how hungry I am."

"I'm hungry too... hungry... my stomach is rumbling," another voice chimed in, belonging to a thirteen-year-old girl. She had suffered from autism since childhood, so even in her teenage years, she still thought and acted like a child.

"Wait a minute, Mom. Coming right away!"

Illustrative image

Nho usually helped her mother cook, but today her legs hurt too much to go down to the kitchen. Seeing this, her mother told her to rest and avoid moving around too much. She set the meal on the round table in Nho's room, where the oil lamp flickered. Electricity hadn't reached this area yet, so they had to rely on the light of the fire at night. The three of them sat down to eat. Nho picked up some hot shrimp with her chopsticks and put them in her mother's bowl. Then she turned to her younger sister, watching her clumsily try to pick up the shrimp, which slipped and fell.

"Can you pick it up yourself, Mai? Let me pick it up for you."

"I can pick it up. You go ahead and pick yours."

"Yeah... yeah" - Remembering the look on the little girl, I felt both amused and sorry for her.

"Take your medicine after you finish your meal, okay?"

"Mom, did the doctor say when my leg would heal this morning?"

Hearing her daughter's question, the chopsticks in her hand unconsciously dropped. She knew that her daughter's leg would be very difficult to recover. She had also saved up some money to buy her a wheelchair because soon Nho would no longer be able to walk with crutches.

"The doctor didn't tell your mother. But I think it's okay. Try to take your prescribed medication so you can recover quickly, my child."

"Yes".

In reality, the medicine only relieved the sudden aches and pains that afflicted the young girl's weak legs; it couldn't cure her as her mother had claimed. But out of love for her daughter and not wanting her to be hurt, she didn't want to reveal this bitter truth yet.

From a young age, Nhớ and Mãi were unfortunate children, lacking the love and affection of a family. These two orphans were taken in by a woman from the Southwest of Vietnam, who had no husband or children, and who had traveled to Da Lat to make a living. Having lived in this area for over twenty years, through various jobs and charitable work, she found these two children's circumstances the most pitiable, so she took them in. They weren't biological sisters, but because of the kind woman's care, they became as close as siblings. Working alone to raise her two sick children, she accepted selling off her possessions to pay for their medical treatment. But she never complained; she was content with what she had done. The small, makeshift house on the hill is her only remaining asset, providing shelter from the rain and sun. For her, all material possessions cannot compare to her two adopted daughters.

Remembering the pine-covered hill lying still in the wind. Tonight there was no moon, only the light of an oil lamp and a few tiny twinkling sparks from fireflies calling to their mates. Her eyes gazed into the distance, endlessly. She was feeling the beauty of nature, the mysteries of the night, and reminiscing about a time when her legs were still healthy. Five years ago, Remember was a brilliant young track and field athlete who had won many medals. Her biggest dream was to one day compete for the national team. But that dream remained just a dream when, one beautiful morning, her legs became paralyzed. Thinking about that, tears welled up in Remember's eyes. A girl with so many dreams and ambitions had to put them aside. She felt useless and lived in despair. Fortunately, she met her grandmother, whom she now calls mother, who gave her so much motivation to live.

"The city of Da Lat, situated on the Lam Vien plateau, is a paradise of many kinds of flowers: roses, chrysanthemums, gladioli, hydrangeas..." - little Mai's voice rang out. She was reading the words on the newspaper wrapped around the packets of sticky rice that her mother had gone down to the town to buy that morning.

"Mai, can you read me again that part about roses, chrysanthemums, gladioli, and carnations... or whatever it was?"

"Roses, chrysanthemums, gladioli, hydrangeas."

"That's right! Hydrangeas."

He asked, still bewildered, "What's wrong, sister?"

"I don't know either. I don't understand why I feel so special when I hear the name of this flower. I find it beautiful."

Although she lived in Da Lat, for some reason, Nho had never seen a hydrangea flower before, so when she heard the name of that flower, she found it strange and really wanted to see it.

"Does the newspaper have a picture of that flower? Can you show it to me?"

Remember to quickly grab the newspaper Mai handed her. A bitter disappointment: the newspaper didn't have a picture of the flower, or if it did, it would only be a black and white photo, obscuring its true colors.

Remember to ask Mai: "Do you know what hydrangeas are?"

"I don't know," the girl replied curtly, because she really didn't know.

"Okay, go to sleep. It's getting late."

That night, Nhớ tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She pondered the name of the flower and longed to see it.

The next morning, when she woke up, Nho asked her mother about the hydrangeas. Strangely, her mother not only didn't answer her but also walked away. For the first time, she was shocked by her mother's behavior towards her. Normally, her mother would answer her questions thoroughly, so why not this time? Nho began to feel stressed. Day after day, Nho occasionally asked her mother the same question, but her attitude remained unchanged. She felt resentful, not understanding what her mother was angry with her about.

One day, Mai pulled out a worn-out notebook from her bed. The notebook was strange; it had been in the house for so long, yet this was the first time she'd ever seen it. She flipped to the first page and saw the words "First-Time Mother's Diary." Curious, she began reading page after page. At this point, tears welled up in her eyes: "I remember! My little princess. Although I didn't give birth to you, I've always considered you the treasure of my life. I only wish I could have met you sooner to make up for what you lacked before. Oh, I also heard Ms. Huong, the head of the orphanage, tell me that when she was walking past the hydrangea field on the hill, she heard the crying of a baby girl lying in a Styrofoam box. She went closer and quickly picked the baby up. At that time, you were very well-behaved in Ms. Huong's arms. You stopped crying and smiled. The morning sunlight shining down on the hydrangea field, along with your innocent smile, looked so beautiful. Hearing Ms. Huong's story made me love my little angel even more. You were abandoned among the hydrangeas, so I don't want those flowers to be associated with your life later on because they don't bring you good luck."

Remember to turn the pages and read, until she reached the last page. She paused and carefully read each word: "Remember, it seems that what I've been thinking all this time was wrong. I truly love you, but I shouldn't hide things from you anymore. Today I went down to town to order a wheelchair for you. Your legs are very weak now, and it's difficult for them to recover. It's better for you to sit in a wheelchair than to use crutches. I will push you around; wherever you want to go, I will take you. Although I'm old, I still have enough strength to protect you. Please trust me. This afternoon I'll bring the wheelchair back, and I'll give you a gift. It may not be of material value, but it will bring you a lot of spiritual value. I think you'll like this gift."

Reading this part, Nhớ suddenly no longer felt sad or ashamed about her legs; she had anticipated this long ago. She felt proud of her mother and curious about the gift she would receive this afternoon. The diary also mentioned her mother's affection for Mãi and her upcoming charitable plans.

Evening was falling over the windy Lam Vien plateau. The slanted sunlight cast shadows of the mother and her two children on the hill. The fragrance of beautiful flowers filled the air. Sitting in the wheelchair her mother pushed, Nho took a deep breath to enjoy the natural atmosphere. But she couldn't see anything because her eyes were covered with cloth until she saw the gift.

Hearing the sound of the wheels stopping, she guessed that something truly magical was about to happen.

"We've arrived, you can take off your blindfold now."

A magnificent field of flowers unfolded before her eyes. The flowers were round and full, in a variety of colors: pale pink, light blue, pure white. Some flowers were a hybrid of two colors, truly captivating. She burst with joy; it was the first time in her life she had ever seen such beautiful and lovely flowers.

"Do you like it?"

"I like it very much."

"Do you know what kind of flower this is?"

"What kind of flowers are those, Mom? They're so beautiful."

"These are hydrangeas, a gift that your mother has been cherishing for you. And this is also the answer to the question you've been asking me for the past year. I'm sorry for causing you worry all this time."

"Yes, I'm very grateful to you, Mom."

It turned out that Nhớ's mother had secretly sown the seeds and planted these flowers. She hadn't said anything all this time to create a surprise for her daughter.

"You know, when I planted these flowers, I was very hesitant because they bring back unpleasant memories for you. But it was your longing to see these hydrangeas that made me decide to plant them. Sometimes, even if things in life aren't good, we shouldn't avoid them forever. Just try facing them, because who knows, sadness can be transformed into joy."

"I know everything, Mom."

"Who told you that?"

"I'm sorry for reading your diary, Mom."

"It's alright, you'll find out sooner or later, it's just a matter of time."

"Why didn't Mom just pick flowers that were already growing for my older sister instead of planting them?!" - I kept asking my mother, puzzled. The little girl looked naive, but occasionally she had some pretty good ideas.

"Because Mom wants Nho to live a new life like this flower. Initially, it was just a pristine seed, and over the years, it has become a beautiful, radiant flower. Do you see those honeybees? Thanks to them, the flower is easily pollinated, and conversely, thanks to the pollen, the bees have a food source. It's the same with us humans; we help others, but unintentionally, we help ourselves as well."

Listening to her mother's heartfelt words, Nho looked down at her feet. Now she thought that the miracle wasn't about whether her legs were healthy or not, but about what she had learned from her mother. Living beautifully and positively each day was the essential baggage she needed. In the not-too-distant future, she and her younger sister would follow in their mother's footsteps, doing volunteer work in their wheelchairs. She would help those less fortunate see the flowers they most longed for, just as today, for the first time in her life, Nho had been able to admire the hydrangeas blooming on the Lam Vien plateau.

Rules

Live beautifully with total prizes up to 448 million VND.

With the theme "Loving Heart, Warm Hands," the 3rd "Living Beautifully" contest is an attractive platform for young content creators. By contributing works in various formats such as articles, photos, and videos , with positive and emotional content and engaging, lively presentations suitable for the different platforms of Thanh Nien Newspaper, participants can create engaging content.

Submission period: April 21 - October 31, 2023. In addition to essays, reports, notes, and short stories, this year the competition has expanded to include photos and videos on YouTube.

The 3rd "Living Beautifully" contest organized by Thanh Nien Newspaper emphasizes community projects, charitable journeys, and good deeds by individuals, entrepreneurs, groups, companies, and businesses in society, especially targeting young people of Generation Z. Therefore, it has a separate competition category sponsored by ActionCOACH Vietnam. The presence of guests who own works of art, literature, and young artists beloved by young people also helps to spread the contest's theme widely and create empathy among young people.

Regarding entries: Authors can participate in the form of essays, reports, notes, or reflections on real people and events, and must include accompanying photos of the subjects. The entries should depict a person/group that has performed beautiful and practical actions to help individuals/communities, spreading heartwarming, humane stories and an optimistic, positive spirit. For short stories, the content can be based on real-life stories, characters, or events, or fictional. Entries must be written in Vietnamese (or English for foreigners, with translation handled by the organizers) and should not exceed 1,600 words (short stories should not exceed 2,500 words).

Regarding the prizes: The competition has a total prize value of nearly 450 million VND.

Specifically, in the category of feature articles, reports, and notes, there are: 1 first prize: worth 30,000,000 VND; 2 second prizes: each worth 15,000,000 VND; 3 third prizes: each worth 10,000,000 VND; and 5 consolation prizes: each worth 3,000,000 VND.

1 prize for the most popular article among readers (including views and likes on Thanh Niên Online): worth 5,000,000 VND.

For the short story category: Prizes for authors with short stories submitted: 1st prize: 30,000,000 VND; 2nd prize: 20,000,000 VND; 2 3rd prizes: 10,000,000 VND each; 4 consolation prizes: 5,000,000 VND each.

The organizers also awarded one prize of 10,000,000 VND to the author of an article about exemplary entrepreneurs, and one prize of 10,000,000 VND to the author of an article about an outstanding charitable project of a group/organization/business.

Specifically, the organizing committee will select 5 individuals to be honored, each receiving 30,000,000 VND; along with many other awards.

Entries (articles, photos, and videos) for the contest should be sent to: songdep2023@thanhnien.vn or via postal mail (only applicable to the Article and Short Story categories): Thanh Nien Newspaper Editorial Office: 268 - 270 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Vo Thi Sau Ward, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City (please clearly indicate on the envelope: Entry for the 3rd SONG DEP (Beautiful Life) Contest - 2023). Detailed information and rules are posted on the " Living Beautifully" section of Thanh Nien Newspaper.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/cam-tu-cau-no-tren-cao-nguyen-truyen-ngan-du-thi-cua-nguyen-thai-bao-tphcm-185231021132108172.htm