Piggy Bank

---

When she got back to her rented room, the clock had struck eleven at night. Gently opening the aluminum door, she slowly led the bike into the small room. He was washing clothes, the red plastic basin was full of soap suds. He had just finished washing his hair, so his hair was still wet, drops of water running down both sides of his ears and the back of his neck. She put down the kickstand, carefully wiped the tire marks on the floor, then pulled out a towel and bent down to dry his hair. He had just finished washing his daughter's uniform, smiling and asking her:

- Do you want to take a shower now or wait for me to finish washing clothes?

- You wash it, I'll take a shower later.

While she was attentively drying his hair, she saw a silver strand among his black hair.

- Oh, you have gray hair.

- Yes, my paternal side's hair turned gray very early. My uncle is only in his fifties but his hair is as white as an angel's.

She strained her eyes to pluck out a white hair and clicked her tongue:

- From now on, don't stay up late anymore. If the housework is not urgent, we can do it together early in the morning...

He just smiled without saying anything, filled the basin with water, wrung out the clothes, then stood up to collect the hangers on the pole. He tried to be gentle, afraid that the sound of metal clashing and running water would wake up the little girl sleeping on the mezzanine. Hanging up the towel, she gently climbed the iron ladder. Little Sen was still fast asleep. She pulled the blanket up to her chest, bent down to kiss her forehead a few times, then sat quietly watching her sleep.

She and her husband moved from the countryside to the city to make a living more than ten years ago. She gave birth to Sen in the city, the child is nine years old this year, in fourth grade. Sen is obedient, hard-working and loves her parents. Every day she walks to the school near her boarding house, after school in the morning she eats lunch and rests at school, and in the afternoon she returns to her boarding house alone. Whenever her father or mother picks her up, Sen is so happy that she jumps for joy, sitting in the back of the car, chirping like a little starling.

She is a garment factory worker, he is a carpenter in a furniture factory. The couple has worked hard and saved for many years, planning to buy a small house in the suburbs soon. Having a roof over their heads and not having to squeeze into a rented house anymore must make little Sen very happy. She will be comfortable in her own room. She will buy a study table, a bed, a wardrobe, and sew her a beautiful bed sheet and pillowcase. Her books will be neatly arranged on wooden shelves instead of piled up in this very low mezzanine.

Gently stroking her cheek, she looked over at the folding table where her child was studying, on which was placed a small cloth bag and a bright red piggy bank. Little Sen asked her to buy this piggy bank for her during a trip to the market. She told me that there was a classmate who had been saving money in a piggy bank for years, and when he had to slaughter the piggy bank, it was enough to buy a bicycle. The homeroom teacher also encouraged children to raise piggy banks to learn how to save and value money. Little Sen has been raising this piggy bank for a year now. The money her grandparents gave her when her siblings brought her home to visit, the lucky money during Tet... little Sen did not buy any candy but put it all in the piggy bank. Sometimes she saw her tenderly shaking the piggy bank a few times as if weighing it to see if it was heavy or light, then whispering secrets as if confiding in a friend. She planned to break the piggy bank at the end of this school year to buy clothes and books, and if there was any left, she would buy a small teddy bear. Hearing her child calculate like an adult, she felt funny but tried to hold back, seriously supported her child and promised that if she liked, she would contribute more money so that she could shop comfortably.

The child was still sleeping soundly, breathing evenly, her tiny mouth smiling, not knowing what she was dreaming about. He hung out all the clothes, boiled a pot of hot water and poured it into a bucket for her to bathe. After bathing, she cleaned the room, looked at the clock, it was almost twelve o'clock. He was already asleep, lying on the old mattress, his breathing was heavy, his eyebrows were furrowed. She turned off the light, lay down next to him. The street light filtered through the narrow gap, casting a faint light into the room.

There is a lot of work these days, she works overtime until late at night every day. The housework and taking care of Sen are all done by him after work. Some afternoons when he picks up the child from school, he takes Sen for a walk. Sitting behind his father, the child eagerly watches the streets, her childish soul filled with silent joy. The school year ends, Sen is ranked as an excellent student. He and his wife are very happy, on the weekend they take the child to the park and stop by a fried chicken restaurant. Returning to the rented room, the child happily climbs up to the mezzanine, struggling to carry the piggy bank down and puts it on the tiled floor.

- Now I'll smash the pig! - The baby looked up at his brother and sister with big round eyes, eagerly saying.

She nodded slightly, naturally feeling excited. Her happiness was contagious to her and to him. The sound of clattering rang out, the rolled up bills came flying out. Little Sen carefully arranged the small bills neatly, asking him to count them. She used a broom to sweep up the broken pieces, wrapped them in several thick layers of newspaper, and then took them to the trash can. After counting the money, he returned it to her, asked her what she wanted to buy, and he would take her there right away. Surprisingly, little Sen said she would use the money she had saved to donate to support students in the highlands.

- Why did you decide that? - She stroked my hair and kissed me gently on the cheek.

- The other day during homeroom, the teacher showed our class a film about the children in the highlands. The children there have to travel very far to get to school, and they lack many things compared to us...

- Then I will help you deliver this gift to your friends - He picked up his child and said excitedly.

Little Sen laughed loudly, her clear laughter filling the rented room. Looking at the father and son, her mouth smiled but her eyes were filled with tears. Little Sen's heart was so happy and precious. This summer, when she brought her child home to visit, she would tell this story to her grandparents. Surely everyone would exclaim that their baby was so talented. Now, she had to go into the kitchen to cook a delicious dinner and tomorrow morning, she would buy her child some beautiful clothes. She wouldn't tell her child, so that she would be surprised by her gift, just like she was surprised by her child's little secret...

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/con-heo-dat-a185862.html