Mother and Vu Lan

Rubbing my hands together, I shivered from the lingering chill of the recent rain. Suddenly, I found myself drawn to a tranquil garden café, as if it weren't in the middle of the city, as if the hustle and bustle outside couldn't penetrate the bamboo grove surrounding the entrance. Curious, I stepped inside to explore this unusual space. The interior was simply furnished: bamboo chairs, bamboo tables, and small clumps of bamboo planted in the café's grounds. It looked small, charming, and intimate, like wandering back to a small village from days gone by...

The owner must be a refined and gentle person to have decorated the place like this. The scent of natural essential oils is subtly pleasant. The music is soft and just right. Relax in the cool, tranquil atmosphere, drifting into childhood memories of afternoons spent sneaking out of naps to cut bamboo to make blowpipes. The "ammunition" consisted of ripe jute leaves stuffed inside the bamboo tube, then forcefully pushed out by a sharpened bamboo stick. The "ammunition" was compressed through the long tube, so when it exploded, it made a fun "pop" sound.

Around early autumn, we would always go hunting for ripe guavas to eat. Sitting perched on the branches of a guava tree, we'd eat and toss the guavas into the pond with a "plop, plop" sound – what could be more fun? Our boisterous laughter echoed throughout the neighborhood. Our mothers would then chase us home with whips. Once, fearing being caught and punished, I slipped and fell, scratching my calves with dry branches. My mother washed them with salt water and then made me lie face down for a good beating. I cried uncontrollably, blaming her for not loving me and only ever scolding me. As I grew older, I distanced myself even more from her, thinking she only knew how to impose her will on her children. I always argued with her, always defending my own ego. My mother could only cry helplessly. Seeing her cry, I not only didn't feel sorry for her but also became angrier, believing she was using her tears to force me to obey. And so, I gradually drifted away from my mother's embrace.

Alas, the little bird was so excited by the vast sky that it didn't realize the many difficulties that awaited it ahead.