Listen, spring is coming.

(NB&CL) At the end of the year, when the cold seems to seep into every branch and leaf, I can already hear spring coming.

Spring arrives in my grandmother's reminders that the year is ending. Spring arrives in the rice paddies my mother sowed, a vibrant green of hope. In just a few days, she will joyfully plant those seedlings in neat rows, dreaming of a bountiful harvest. I hear spring coming when I see my grandfather preparing firewood to cook sticky rice cakes for Tet, and my father splitting bamboo strips to wrap the cakes… That is a moment that fills my heart with so many emotions—warmth, joy, affection, and deep emotion.

My hometown is in the midland region of Northern Vietnam. Seeing the loquat trees laden with creamy white blossoms on their trellises means spring has arrived. In the garden, tiny, delicate pale purple lemon blossoms peek through the leaves, a charming sight that evokes the warmth of spring, blending with the lingering chill of late winter. And the grapefruit blossoms, peeking out from the tender green foliage, seem to pull the branches down, a gentle fragrance of spring wafting through the air.

I saw spring vividly reflected in the rosy cheeks of the women in the village. Their eyes sparkled, sometimes gazing dreamily at something both distant and close. And I knew they dreamed of the village festival at the beginning of January. There, the gaze of the men carrying the palanquin from the upper village would be like a strange elixir, making their cheeks flush even more. I understood that, perhaps for the young men and women of my village, spring only arrived when the village festival began. The sound of the festival drums was like the throbbing of hearts, waiting and hoping… I suddenly remembered someone saying that the most beautiful spring is the spring in people's hearts. Perhaps that's true. Because the spring of nature comes and goes, only the spring in people's hearts remains beautiful and enduring through the years. That spring is complete, it harmonizes with the love between couples, it creates a longing and anticipation.

There was a young couple who fell in love at the village festival that year. But then the girl's boyfriend enlisted in the army, becoming a naval soldier. He had to leave his lover to go to the front lines, guarding the sea and sky. In each text message, he sent her the salty sea air and heartfelt words of love. She, in turn, sent him her longing and anticipation, along with the scent of the fields and the earth. The longing and separation seemed to have made their love stronger and deeper. Every time spring arrived and Tet (Lunar New Year) came, their yearning intensified, surging like waves. This longing did not weaken him, but strengthened his resolve, for he understood he was fulfilling a sacred duty. She did not resent him; she was proud to have a strong lover protecting the nation's seas and skies. Only the yearning to see him grew stronger each day.

Then, she had the opportunity to visit Truong Sa during springtime. The unexpected joy felt like a dream. After countless days crossing the ocean, she and her husband finally met on a sunny spring day. Their smiles mingled with tears of joy and happiness, their choked words echoing amidst the roar of the waves, creating something truly special in their lives. She suddenly realized how beautiful that spring was. She seemed to hear spring calling her with the most heartfelt words. Look, spring is arriving across the seas and skies of our country, and people like him are making this spring of our nation truly beautiful!

Source: https://congluan.vn/nghe-mua-xuan-dang-ve-10329460.html