Rice flowering season

In the tranquil countryside afternoon, the lush green fields stretch endlessly like a carpet. The boundless green, brimming with the vitality of young rice plants, invigorates the viewer with a powerful surge of life. The sweet, gentle fragrance of young rice mingles with the breeze, lingering in the air. Along the small village road, Mạnh quietly takes slow steps, his heart filled with nostalgia for his childhood, once intertwined with the arduous life of the fields. Time has flown by in the whirlwind of life, so quickly that the red dirt road that once ran through the village fields has been paved with asphalt without him even realizing it. The ditches where he and his friends used to build mud dams to catch fish are now reinforced with sturdy concrete embankments on both sides.

Illustration: PV

Manh was an abandoned baby found in a village square. Ms. Lien, the head of the health station in Van hamlet, brought him to the station for care, but no relatives came to claim him. People inquired if any family in the hamlet could afford to take him in, but no one came forward. This was understandable, as the people of Van hamlet were very poor at that time. Everyone was struggling to make ends meet, so how could they possibly raise a newborn baby who needed milk?

On the tenth day, Ut Nhien – a small woman with disabled legs – hobbled towards the village health station. No one thought that the poorest disabled woman in Van hamlet would dare to take in that newborn baby. Yet, Ut Nhien dared to do it, and she succeeded. Van hamlet couldn't understand why a woman who had never been a woman before would have the maternal instinct to raise a newborn baby. She named the boy Manh, thinking that he would always be strong and overcome all obstacles in life, just as he had miraculously survived that stormy night to endure the world.

Út Nhiên raised Mạnh with everything she had: a handful of rice cooked into thin porridge with a little sugar added, replacing breast milk when Mạnh was a baby. Later, it was a bowl of rice mixed with potatoes, eaten with small fish and shrimp that Út's mother caught from the river near their house. Watching Mạnh grow up innocently, taking his first steps, babbling "Mom... Mom Út," Út Nhiên's heart was filled with the sacred emotions of maternal love. When Mạnh reached school age, Út's mother sent him to school like all his peers with the money she saved from sewing for hire. Mạnh grew up in the loving embrace of Út's mother, like a strong young rice sprout rising from the mud, thriving and flourishing in life despite the harsh conditions.

One day, when Mạnh came home from school, his mother was surprised to see him covered in dust and dirt, his face bruised and swollen in many places as if he had just been in a fight. She quickly called him over and pressed him for an explanation, but Mạnh only bit his lip and bowed his head, as if trying to suppress all his resentment. His mother hugged him, comforting him softly:

My child! No matter what happens, I will always be by your side. We will always be each other's support, okay?

At that moment, Mạnh burst into tears. All the pent-up frustration now erupted like a raging flood. He said through his tears:

- Minh and Dung, my classmates, said I wasn't my mother's child... They called me a bastard. So... I fought with them.

Hearing Mạnh's words, Út's mother was momentarily stunned. Very quickly, she regained her composure, gently wiped away Mạnh's tears, and softly offered words of comfort:

- You're wrong. Mạnh is Aunt Út's son. Doesn't Aunt Út love Mạnh very much? You just need to know that your mother loves you very much. As for other things, you'll understand when you're a little older. My child!

The mother and son hugged and comforted each other until their emotions calmed down and Mạnh was no longer angry or hurt. In the evening, his mother told him to stay home while she went out for something. She found her way to the teacher's house. It's unknown what the mother and teacher discussed, but the next day at school, Minh and Dũng spoke to Mạnh privately and apologized. From then on, the other students in the class never teased Mạnh like that again.

As he grew older, Mạnh became more understanding. Out of love for his disabled mother who toiled day and night to care for him, Mạnh studied diligently and consistently excelled in his studies. Outside of class, he often collected scrap metal, caught fish, and gathered crabs and snails to sell to help his mother. He gave all his earnings, plus any school bonuses, to his mother. The villagers of Vạn praised Mạnh for his diligence and were overjoyed that his mother, Út, was blessed by heaven and rewarded with such a filial son. On the day he received his university acceptance letter, Mạnh ran straight from home to the market to share the good news with his mother. Moved by her son's achievement and determination, his mother, Út, teared up and gave him some words of encouragement:

- You must study hard. I will always be here to support you.

Driven by his determination to overcome hardship and his mother's advice, Mạnh left his hometown for the city to study and work diligently. During the day, he attended classes, and in the evenings, he worked part-time at bars and cafes to earn a living and gain experience. Hardships and difficulties didn't discourage him; instead, they strengthened his knowledge and resolve. On weekends, he often visited areas with many foreigners living and traveling to proactively communicate and improve his foreign language skills. Four years of university passed quickly, and finally, he graduated with honors and was offered a job at a foreign-invested company with a salary many would envy. On his first paycheck, he bought his mother a mobile phone so they could easily stay in touch.

Every day, working in a modern, well-equipped high-rise building, Mạnh never forgot the small thatched house in the remote village where he had grown up. He always called his mother every day to check on her, asking how she was eating, if her legs still ached as they used to, and reminding her to take her medicine regularly. Mạnh secretly resolved to buy an apartment in the city so he could bring his mother to live with him, making it easier to care for her in her old age.

Manh returned to his familiar hometown on an early summer day, when the rice fields were in full bloom, lush and green. Van village had transformed thanks to the new rural development program; it was no longer the impoverished land of the past. Yet, the villagers still lived with the same warmth and kindness as when they welcomed, rescued, and sheltered Manh on that rainy night. And his mother, the disabled woman with a kind and compassionate heart from the past, was still in her thatched house by the river, waiting and longing for him every day, just as she had when he was a child. The only difference was that now, her hair had turned much whiter. Seeing her sitting there, small and lonely in the twilight, her wooden crutches neatly propped up beside her, Manh couldn't help but feel deeply moved. He ran to her, took her thin hands, and said with emotion, "Mom! Today, I'm taking you to live with me in the city. So I can take care of you every day."

Seeing her son grown into a strong, mature, and successful man, Mother Ut couldn't hide her emotion and pride. She agreed with Manh, saying she would prepare several meals to invite the neighbors from Van village to celebrate before leaving the village for the city. Everyone was happy for Manh and his mother.

Late in the afternoon, Mother Ut and her son rode in the car to the city. The car slowly made its way along the familiar village road, flanked by lush green rice fields, their stalks reaching maturity and blossoming, stretching vigorously after days of careful tending by the farmers. Mother Ut took Mạnh's strong hand in her wrinkled hand, her heart overflowing with love. She hadn't been able to raise her son in wealth and luxury, but she had nurtured Mạnh with all the love and protection of a mother. And now, her Mạnh had truly become a solid support for her in her twilight years. Like the rice stalks out there, Mạnh grew from the fertile soil of the fields and the diligent care of the farmers, matured through storms and heavy rains, and powerfully conceived, blossomed, and finally yielded a heavy load of white rice, offering its fragrance to the world.

Source: https://baophuyen.vn/sang-tac/202505/mua-lua-tro-bong-d92156e/