Illustration: VU NHU PHONG
The people in Na Pai village, where Tinh lives, grow a lot of chili peppers. The soil here seems more suitable for chili peppers than rice; the fields get plenty of sunshine, and water flows in from the mountain streams, so the peppers are usually fleshy, spicy, fragrant, and retain their beautiful red color. The adults in the village jokingly say:
- Although chili peppers are spicy, they nourish the stomachs of the people in my hometown.
Tình's family owns three chili pepper fields located right next to the stream. These are their most valuable assets. The money from selling chili peppers is used to buy fertilizer and pay for Tình and his brother's school fees each year. In years with high prices, Tình's parents even manage to save a little to buy a pair of piglets and furnish the house. His mother said that if the chili peppers fetch a good price this year, they will replace the old tile roof with heat-resistant corrugated iron, which has been there for over twenty years.
Since Tinh was a child, he had seen his parents leave early and return late during chili harvesting season. Every summer , the whole village of Tinh was bustling with activity, revolving around picking and selling chili peppers, with prices fluctuating daily. Tinh didn't understand why so many chili peppers were grown when they were so spicy and you couldn't eat much of them. Tinh's mother explained that traders bought the chili peppers for export. In some years, when prices were good, trucks would come right to the edge of the village every afternoon to wait for the villagers to pick chili peppers and weigh them for the traders; sometimes they would even wait at the edge of the fields. The villagers would say to each other:
- Even if chili peppers only fetch ten thousand dong a day, it's still better than growing rice or corn. If the price is high, people can even put the money in the bank.
But chili plants are also the most laborious. From the moment they are planted, each plant must be watered individually to help it take root. Without plastic sheeting, weeding is impossible, but if it's too dense, root rot occurs. When the chili peppers ripen, the plants are as short as an adult's waist or a child's chest, and harvesters have to bend over from morning till evening. The worst part is grabbing a rotten red chili pepper on the plant; the fruit will crumble and stick to your hand, burning like a burn. On scorching hot days, the damp air rising from the fields is stifling, stinging your eyes and nose.
It's only the beginning of summer, but it's already scorching hot. The sun blazes down on the fields by the stream. At noon, the heat radiates from the fields, burning the air. The chili peppers are still bright red, their branches laden with fruit. This should have been a cause for joy, but Tình's father broke his arm after falling while carrying a sack of fertilizer at the edge of the field. His broken right arm is in a cast, and he can't do much work; he can only do a few odd jobs with his remaining arm. His mother said:
- I guess we'll have to hire more people to pick chili peppers this year.
Father Tình shook his head:
- Where would we get the money to hire people? If we calculate the daily wage, it's several hundred dong a day. Will the money from selling chili peppers be enough to hire people? If we calculate the labor cost for picking at several thousand dong per kilogram, who would be willing to do it? Besides, during chili season, everyone goes to the fields; nobody would hire anyone.
Tình sat eating, silently watching her father's left hand, which was not his dominant hand, tremble as he held the spoon to scoop rice.
That evening, amidst the crackling sound of the wood-burning stove in the sweltering summer night, Tình overheard her mother talking to her father in the kitchen.
- Tình is in sixth grade this year, and he can help with the work now, so this year he should be the one to pick chili peppers in the fields, otherwise I can't pick them all by myself.
"He picked so much!" Dad replied to Mom.
- Well, we'll just have to harvest as much as we can, because all the hard work we put into tending the plants would be wasted if we couldn't harvest them in time. Besides, we need money for medical expenses, school supplies for the two kids after the summer, and so many other things to spend money on…
Then neither his father nor his mother said anything. Tình's mother went upstairs and spoke to him:
- This year Dad broke his arm and couldn't help Mom with the farm work. Now that it's summer vacation and you don't have to go to school, and you're a little older, you can help Mom with the lighter tasks. Go to bed early, and tomorrow morning Mom will wake you up early to go to the field and pick chili peppers with her.
"Yes!" Tình replied reluctantly, then went to bed.
Tình was thin and tanned from the sun, as he and his friends in the village, outside of school hours, always came up with all sorts of games. His friends were eagerly awaiting summer vacation to swim in the streams, catch fish, or fly kites on the grassy fields at the edge of the village in the afternoons. As for Tình, he was thinking that this year he wouldn't be able to play like Cương and the others because he had to help his mother harvest chili peppers. For the first time, he understood that those red chili fields weren't just crops. They were the money for his father's medicine, for his books, and for all of his mother's worries… and then he drifted off to sleep.
The next day, at dawn, while the mist still covered the mountaintops, Tinh had to go to the fields with his mother. His mother drove her motorbike to the edge of the field, where she had prepared a clean, old paint bucket for each of them. She assigned Tinh the task of picking two buckets of chili peppers each morning. Initially, he was very enthusiastic, thinking picking two buckets wouldn't be too difficult, but once he started, he felt disgusted. The boy hated the feeling of stretching for hours under the sun, bending over and squeezing through the furrows, his straw hat becoming cumbersome; he hated the pungent, spicy smell that clung to his clothes. Thinking of his friends running around in the field with their colorful paper kites, his heart grew heavy. He muttered to himself:
- It would be so much better if we didn't grow chili peppers at home.
When his mother heard this, she told him:
- Growing anything is hard work, my child. "He who works with his hands eats, he who works with his hands goes hungry."
Tình looked at his mother, her face covered with a cloth and a hat to protect her from the burning heat. Her thin, calloused fingers moved swiftly among the rows of bright red chili peppers. Tình said nothing more; he wearily continued picking until the bucket was full. After picking for a while, feeling tired and with aching back, Tình would stop, sweat pouring down him. Sometimes he would sit down on the chili pepper bed covered with a tarp. Sometimes he would stand and look at the clear blue sky with white clouds in all sorts of shapes he imagined: a stuffed dog, an ice cream cone—how wonderful it would be to have an ice cream cone right now. Sometimes he would admire the chili peppers, the red peppers hot to the touch, as if holding all the summer sun within. The peppers were slightly curved, sometimes ripe and plump, curving like small fishhooks. The ripe peppers were bright red, shiny as if painted.
Tình had taken several breaks, but he hadn't seen his mother take a break even once. He noticed her shirt was drenched in sweat, so he asked her:
- Aren't you going to rest, Mom? Please rest!
- No! Mom is picking them quickly while the sun isn't too strong yet, because it'll be even more tiring closer to noon, son. Let's try to finish picking half of this field, and we'll continue picking the rest this afternoon.
Tình stood hesitantly by the furrow between the rows of chili peppers, counting how many rows there were in the field. He had been picking for a long time, but hadn't even covered a third of the field. Tình and his mother had been picking until almost eight o'clock; the sun was starting to blaze, bringing with it a scorching heat. He wore his father's straw hat, but it was no use; the heat was still radiating onto his face. Yet his mother still hadn't taken a break, saying it would get even hotter later. As every year, during the summer, he was assigned the task of looking after his younger siblings and the house, but he always complained about being bored and tired, only wanting his parents to come home so he could run to Cương and Quân's house to play. This was his first time picking chili peppers in the sun, and he felt so hot and tired, yet his mother said it was easy work. So what was really hard work? He pondered, but couldn't figure it out. He asked his mother:
Mom, is growing chili peppers difficult? How should I plant them so that they'll be ready to harvest?
- First, soak and germinate the seeds until they sprout, then arrange each seed on a bed of fine soil for sowing.
- Why do we have to sort the seeds? Wouldn't it be faster to just scatter them like we're sowing vegetables? Chili seeds are so small, how long will it take to sort them all?
- If you scatter the seeds, they won't grow evenly. Some areas will be too dense, causing the seedlings to grow crowded and weak, while other areas will be too sparse. Also, once the seeds have cracked open, you have to handle them gently and arrange them evenly on the seedbed so that the seedlings don't crowd each other or compete for nutrients, and they grow evenly.
So, planting takes a long time, doesn't it, Mom? It must be tiring for your back and eyes!
- Yes! It takes a long time, son! But we still have to do it this way so that the seedlings are good, healthy, and uniform.
- When the seedlings sprout, should we pull them out and plant them in the garden bed, Mom?
- It takes a lot of effort to get there, my child! After sowing the seeds, you have to water them regularly. They grow quite slowly. When the seedlings are about 5cm tall, you start preparing the soil. The soil must be plowed and harrowed thoroughly, left to dry in the sun, then made into ridges, covered with plastic sheeting, and holes drilled. When the seedlings are about 10cm tall, you start planting them. Planting chili peppers at the end of the year, when it's dry, is very hard work carrying water for irrigation. Then there's weeding, fertilizing, not to mention constantly monitoring the plants and treating any diseases promptly.
- Which step is the most tiring, Mom?
- Plowing, making furrows, and watering when first planting are the hardest tasks because they are all strenuous work.
- I thought that was all there was to it.
- Growing chili peppers for harvest requires hard work under the sun and in the rain; it's not a simple task, my child.
Tình fell silent, lost in thought. He realized that picking chili peppers was indeed the easiest task. He had never cared about what his parents cultivated, or how hard it was; he only saw them leaving home at dawn and returning under the scorching sun, then going to the fields while the sun was still shining and coming home at dusk. As he picked, Tình pondered. His father was the main laborer, but he had broken his arm. His mother had too much work to do, so it was right for him to help with the lighter tasks. Picking chili peppers was the easiest part of the chili-growing process. He felt happy and started picking faster. Tình hadn't yet filled the two buckets his mother had assigned him, so he continued. His mother had already filled a sack and carried it to the roadside, placing it next to the motorbike. Tình's sack was only a full bucket. Tình told himself he had to be faster, no more breaks. This time, he didn't hate picking chili peppers anymore. He started competing with his mother to see who could pick faster. His mother just smiled as she diligently picked, saying:
- Okay, let's have a contest! You still have half a bucket left, Mom, I'm just starting. Let's see who fills their bucket first!
Seeing that his mother had already been very kind to him by giving him half a bucket, he decided he had to fill the bucket before her. He began picking enthusiastically, no longer talking to his mother, concentrating intently on picking. His hands became more nimble, and he even practiced picking with both hands like his mother. In no time, he had filled the bucket before his mother, and he happily exclaimed:
- So, I've won against you, Mom!
His mother smiled and said:
- There! When my son gets involved, he always wins! Great job, you've met your target for this morning, I'll reward you with an ice cream when you get home.
Hearing his mother's words, Tinh felt encouraged. His mother helped him carry the bucket of chili peppers and pour them into the sack. Tinh took a sip of water to rest, then stood counting the remaining rows. He realized they hadn't harvested half the field yet, and the sack wasn't full, so he helped his mother continue harvesting. They harvested until the second sack was full, then took a lunch break. Tinh's first day picking chili peppers with his mother was both tiring and enjoyable. After the morning's work, his mother sold the peppers and bought ice cream for the two of them. Tinh was happy not because he got to eat ice cream, but because, for the first time, an ice cream cone felt like a reward for doing something useful to ease his mother's burden.
At lunchtime, while eating, his mother praised him for helping her pick chili peppers that day. Although tired, she said he'd get used to it after a few more days. Tình was very happy because he felt more mature, especially since he was about to enter secondary school. But yesterday, Cương and Quân invited him to go kite flying again this afternoon. Yesterday, he tried flying a new kite, but it didn't fly very high before it fell into the field because the string broke. Cương said it was probably because the kite was too heavy or the string was old. He said that after fixing it today, the kite would probably fly higher. But Tình still had to go pick chili peppers; would he have time to fly the kite? Tình asked his mother:
- What time can we come home after picking chili peppers this afternoon, Mom?
- We'll go home when we've finished harvesting this field, because tomorrow we have to go to another field.
- Then we have to leave early this afternoon so the kids can come back and fly kites with Cương and Quân.
- It's too hot early in the morning, and we'll be too tired to pick them quickly. If we finish early, we can go fly kites instead. Chili peppers ripen quickly in the sun, and if we don't pick them fast enough, they'll all spoil.
Tình said nothing and continued eating, but he felt disappointed because he had thought he would get to go kite flying that afternoon as usual.
In the afternoon, while Tình was picking chili peppers in the field, he saw a kite soaring in the sky above the grassy field at the edge of the village. He looked up; the white paper kite was full of wind high in the sky. It was definitely Cương's kite. He stood there, lost in thought, watching the kite bob up and down like a fish swimming against a strong current. He just stood rooted to the spot in the field, gazing at the paper kite soaring in the sky. His mother urged him:
- Hurry up and pick them, son, if you finish early you can go home and fly your kite.
He continued picking the fruit, occasionally pausing to look up at the sky and follow the kite.
Then he saw the kites gradually descending; Cương and his friends were probably pulling in the strings and not playing anymore. Tình continued picking, after all, he had only filled one bucket, and there was still another one left. While picking chili peppers, Tình saw Cương, Quân, Vinh, and Huy approaching the stream near their rice fields in the distance, chattering excitedly. He wondered why they had changed their kite-flying location today. When they got closer, Tình quickly called out:
Cuong! Are we moving the release point?
- Hey, Tình! Want to go fly a kite? We've been looking for you!
Looking at the unfinished chili field, and seeing his mother still hunched over in the afternoon sun, Tình intended to run after his friend as usual. But then, suddenly, he saw his mother stop working, stand up straight, one hand massaging her back while the other wiped away the sweat. Tình froze, and after a moment, he shook his head.
- I'll pick the rest first!
Cương was surprised:
- Since when did you become so obsessed with picking chili peppers?
- I'm not really into it... but my dad broke his arm and can't go pick them, and my mom can't pick them all by herself, she's too tired.
Tình said that and then bent down to continue picking, but his mind was still following the kite. Cương and his friends were still chattering on the grass by the stream. After a while, Tình was surprised when Cương and Vinh came up to Tình's field. They said:
- Let us pick them for you, you go down and put them down for a bit!
"What a surprise!" he exclaimed happily.
- Wow! You're such good friends! Thanks guys, I'm going down to relax a bit to ease my longing, then I'll come back up.
Tình rushed down to the grass, taking the kite string from Quân's hand. He looked up at the kite; it was strange, the kite curved like a chili pepper flying in the sky. He looked up at the field, Cương and Vinh were picking chili peppers for him, while his mother stood resting, smiling brightly at the children, seeing their innocence and solidarity in helping each other.
Tình returned to the chili field to continue harvesting, his friends always helping him take turns until the field was finished. Only two rows of chili peppers remained to be harvested when Tình's father arrived. Tình was very surprised because his father had walked to the field, holding a red kite in his left hand. His father called Tình and his friends, saying:
- After picking the chili peppers, let's fly a kite! Dad ordered it online a long time ago, but it didn't arrive in time for Children's Day. This is also a gift Dad is giving you for entering 6th grade. Remember to study hard and work diligently, my child.
The children excitedly rushed to the field to help Tinh finish harvesting so they could fly his new kite. Tinh was both happy and proud because he was the only one who received a gift, and it was exactly the gift he wanted; his father understood his feelings so well. His gift made all the children eager, and they urged Tinh to fly the kite quickly so they could all admire it. The sun had set, the summer wind was blowing strongly, and white clouds drifted slowly across the clear blue sky. Tinh held the kite in his hand and ran quickly across the grass beside the stream. When the kite flew high, it tilted and then soared into the vast sky. The two wings, full of wind, curved, and this time he saw the kite looked exactly like a ripe chili pepper. He exclaimed:
- Doesn't it look like a chili pepper?
They all gasped:
Wow! It looks like a giant chili pepper!
Then the sound of the kite's whistle began to rise, a clear, melodious sound. The children cheered because their homemade kites didn't have whistles, but this kite was beautiful, had a whistle, flew high, and had a strong string. For them, today was Children's Day, and they were sure that the following days would be their holidays as well.
The wind blowing from the stream carried the pungent scent of chili peppers across the fields. The clear, melodious sound of kite whistles filled the summer air, mingled with the cheerful laughter of children, their voices, and the murmuring of the stream, creating a vibrant yet familiar symphony. Looking at the giant chili pepper in the sky, Tình understood for the first time that while the red chili pepper was spicy on the tongue, it left a sweet taste in the heart. It was from those arduous chili pepper seasons that his family gradually became more prosperous and comfortable. And Tình also saw his own innocent childhood, filled with laughter and simple joy, soaring like the red kite in the sky of his homeland. Tình looked up at his parents in the fields; they too stood watching the kite, smiling brightly along with the children.
Source: https://baolangson.vn/mua-ot-5094855.html
