Wedding challenge

Hoan smiled as she walked. Her cheeks were red, burning from Manh's passionate kiss earlier. Today Manh proposed to Hoan. Looking at the ring of dried wildflowers on her hand, a romantic feeling suddenly filled her heart.

Manh was a soldier who had been discharged from the army and returned to the village a long time ago. He worked in the local economy , working in the production team with his teachers. His teachers were the captains of the fish farming team, and Manh was his soldier. Every day, Manh would come to his house to discuss work with him. Occasionally, he would bring a bottle of rice wine and a plate of dried freshwater fish with chili sauce. That was the captain's favorite dish.

Illustration: Le Quang Thai

Seeing the teacher happy today, Hoan was about to choose her words to talk about something private when the neighbor came to visit, so she had to go to the field to weed the rice. When she returned at noon, she still saw the neighbor nodding to the teacher in a very friendly manner. Hoan was startled and guessed that there must be something very important, that's why he was sitting there for so long. Hoan was impatient:

- It's noon, teacher. Mom should be home by now. I'll cook rice, you can go to the infirmary to pick her up.

Hearing Hoan, Mr. Chien nodded but still whispered to his neighbor for a while before standing up.

- Mr. Cuc brought the chicken over. You make some fried meat with ginger for your parents to eat. I'm going now.

Before Hoan could say anything, Mr. Chien had already reached the alley. Hoan looked at the fat, plump hen and was delighted. Lately, her aunt's health had deteriorated due to overwork. Having given birth to and raised her three children during years of economic hardship, she now suffered from heart disease. Because she loved her mother, Hoan had been delaying getting married, wanting to stay home and help her.

Hoan quickly cooked the chicken as the teacher instructed, fried some with ginger, and cooked a pot of fragrant rice porridge for his grandmother. But after finishing the bowl of porridge, seeing that his grandmother was not happy, Hoan worried:

- Is the porridge I cook not delicious, mom?

- I am worried about her. Other people her age have several children and she...

- Oh, I have someone to pick me up, are you happy?

Hoan leaned over to whisper in her ear. Her face relaxed and brightened, but then she frowned slightly. She leaned into Hoan's ear and whispered, "Your father is a patriarch and always makes everyone in the family follow his will. You choose your words well."

Hoan knew that in the past, in all matters big and small in the family, the teachers always had the right to decide. Bu aunt was gentle and sick all year round, so she had to obey her husband in everything. He had an autocratic personality, but when it came to caring for his wife, he was extremely thoughtful. He always did everything himself to take care of his wife, without needing his children to help.

He often said: "When I can't do it, I'll ask you guys. If you love your mother, let me come home and play with her often." In this regard, Hoan admired his teacher. He had two older brothers who were already married, and only Hoan was a prostitute, so he was also pampered by his teachers.

However, just like the way he treated his wife, he never let Hoan decide anything in the house. Everything had to be his way. In fact, sometimes she felt a little annoyed by his monopolistic and somewhat stubborn, eccentric, and different personality, but Hoan was a person who admired and loved her father very much. She never dared to disobey him.

This afternoon, he told her to prepare a pot of green tea for the fish farming team to meet and discuss work. Hoan said yes and prepared everything for him to pick the tea. Her tea garden was quite large, the trees were tall, and her teachers had planted them for decades, even older than her. However, every time they picked the tea, the teachers did not allow anyone to climb the tree trunks. He had always been the only one responsible for this task. He had a three-tiered chair placed around the tea tree to pick the leaves. Therefore, it was very hard work and somewhat dangerous. But this would never change for him.

The tea from Mr. Chien's garden is very rich, and because of his skillful tea brewing, it always has a special flavor. Therefore, every team meeting is full of people. Besides work, everyone is also excited by the delicious bowl of green tea, which is served by his beautiful, well-behaved and polite daughter.

Mr. Chien's family's economy was only average in the village, but his children had stable jobs. Mr. Chien was always proud of that. Although he did not say it, he was also proud of having a daughter who was both beautiful and virtuous. Many young men in the area had their eyes on Hoan, but they were still hesitant because they heard that Mr. Chien's dowry was not in money but required the future son-in-law to do three things. Many young men shook their heads and stuck out their tongues when they heard the first thing.

* * *

Hesitating for a long time, Hoan softly said:

- Are you going anywhere tonight? I have something to tell you.

She guessed that the little thing Hoan wanted to tell his teacher was about Manh, so she was a bit nervous and worried.

Mr. Chien nodded:

- Oh. Go wash the dishes and then come up here to talk.

He turned to his wife:

- Take your medicine and go to your room to rest. I'll come in and massage your neck and shoulders later.

She looked at him with emotion. In their relationship, he was always absolutely devoted. At work, there were people who criticized him for his autocratic nature, but she understood that even though he was a patriarch, he always thought carefully before making the final decision. He was sure of his actions, so she completely trusted her husband's decisions. Knowing that he would not let her interfere in what Hoan had just said, she lay in the room listening to the father and son talk:

His voice was deep:

- What's the matter? Say it. Why are you so quiet today?

- Yes, teacher, Mr. Manh…

- How is it?

- He proposed to me.

- So what do you mean? tell me.

- I love him too.

- Affection is not love.

- Yes, I mean... that... we love each other.

- If you love someone, you have to ask the teacher for permission, right?

- I want to tell you in advance so that the teacher agrees to let him come to our house to talk.

- Okay. But you need to think carefully. Entrusting your whole life is not simple, right?

Yes, I know!

- You have to take it slow. There are many families in the village who want you to marry your daughter to their son. You are choosing...

- Oh, I'll let you decide.

- “Smartness does not come with youth, health does not come with old age”. The teacher must consider carefully before deciding who will be the son-in-law. He cannot raise his brothers and sisters for decades and then marry them off haphazardly.

Yes, I understand.

- It's good to understand. I have to consider carefully the matter of your life together. Both the daughter-in-law and son-in-law must meet the standards of talent and virtue. Tell them to come see me tomorrow.

* * *

Manh in the faded military uniform did not overshadow his handsome and strong features. Although he was very happy about meeting Mr. Chien today, he could not help but feel heavy with worry. In his daily work, he always interacted with Mr. Chien in a very carefree and comfortable manner, but tonight, looking at his cold face, his heart suddenly beat wildly, his face flushed, his mouth stammered. It seemed that Mr. Chien realized this, poured water, and spoke:

- How is your love life, tell me?

- Yes, please have some tea. Your tea smells so good…

- You're smart. Today I brewed a special kind, only used to entertain distinguished guests.

Manh felt less worried:

Thank you for your concern.

Mr. Chien's face suddenly became serious:

- But don't be too happy. If you want to know my daughter, you have to pass a test. Consider it my dowry. People often ask for dowry with money, buffaloes, pigs, chickens... I don't need those things. I require my future son-in-law to pass three tests. If he passes the three tests, I will let him marry me immediately. What do you think?

Listening to Mr. Chien's words, Manh was a bit stunned, thinking to himself: "My future father-in-law is truly someone from a fairy tale." Manh mustered up all his courage and boldly said:

- I agree.

- Good! So the first challenge is: In my tea garden, the tea trees are very tall but when picking, you cannot climb them, you cannot use a ladder, you have to use a three-tiered chair to rotate around to pick them. Currently, only I dare to do that. And that is my first challenge for my future son-in-law. What do you think?

Illustration: Le Quang Thai

- Yes. Well, I'll tell you that when Hoan and I were in love, he told me about your tea picking. I realized that at your age, picking tea like that was very dangerous, so I asked Hoan to let me try and tell you that I'm quite good at picking tea with that three-tiered chair now - Manh changed his tone humorously - so that when my father-in-law gets old and weak, he can continue to maintain the family's traditional tea picking method.

Mr. Chien was startled but seemed touched. He did not expect this guy to be so thoughtful and thoughtful. However, he still turned his face into the room, where he knew Hoan was listening in:

- Hoan come here.

Hoan timidly stepped out.

- Teacher called me.

- Is what Mr. Manh just said true?

- Yes. That's right, sir. The last few market days, when you were taking care of the infirmary, the tea leaves I brought to the market to sell were picked by Mr. Manh.

Mr. Chien nodded:

- Thank you. Well, I guess you passed the first round.

Manh and Hoan were overjoyed. Hoan smiled. She had probably never seen a teacher so easy-going.

Mr. Chien grabbed the pipe and smoked it, put it down, and looked at Manh:

- I'll tell you the second challenge. This is a challenge of intelligence, not just strength and courage like the previous one. You just praised my tea as delicious and having a special taste. So you have to explain, explain scientifically , why it's delicious? Think carefully and then come here to answer.

- Yes, I will try. Just give me a chance and I'm happy.

Manh felt relieved. Mr. Chien's challenge was not too difficult. He just needed to read books and learn from practical experiences to be able to answer. Especially when he had Hoan as his backer, he believed that he would easily pass this second round.

***

The weather changed to the northeast monsoon, and Mr. Chien had to take his wife to the district hospital again. He called his second daughter-in-law for help. After all the procedures were completed, he breathed a sigh of relief. She had a narrowed heart valve, and this time she would have to be put on bed rest. His daughter-in-law said that he only had to look after his mother, because he did not agree to let his son look after his father, and that the two of them should take care of the money. Hearing his daughter-in-law say that, he felt relieved.

At home, he left it to Hoan to manage. Knowing that Manh was helping, he felt more secure.

The day he picked up his wife from the hospital was also the day Manh asked to answer his question. Manh poured him a cup of tea that he had personally made. Mr. Chien brought the cup of tea to his mouth, sipped, and nodded:

- You answer.

- Yes, sir, after a while of getting to know Hoan, I went back to her house and drank tea. I saw that the difference between our family's tea and the tea of ​​other families in the village is due to the way we take care of the tea. Good tea must be taken care of properly, picked at the right time, and given the right amount of nutrients so that the plant can grow well. Another thing I'm interested in is that when drinking tea leaves, the plant will not be cut down, so it will grow tall and big. You did the right thing by never letting it climb for fear of affecting the health of the plant. Only when the plant is healthy and lush will it produce the highest quality. Many families in the village don't think about this thoroughly, so they can't have the same flavor as your tea garden. Sir, your affection for the tea plant is like that, so the tea you brew is unique.

He had to hold back from praising: "This guy is good. It's like he knows my mind." He kept his voice calm:

- What makes you say that?

- Because I think of it like the grapefruit tree or the guava tree. When they first bloom, all the fruit is sweet and fragrant. A few years later, the tree grows big and people keep climbing up to pick the fruit, so the fruit gradually becomes sour and is no longer as sweet as before. Trees are like people. They need love to bloom and bear sweet and delicious fruit.

Mr. Chien chuckled, thinking that this guy had hit the nail on the head. Climbing and tormenting the tea tree like that would cause the tea tree to suffer, and how could it produce the exquisite fragrance of its leaves and flowers? That was also the secret to taking care of tea that no one in the village paid proper attention to. That was why his tea was always number one.

He looked at Hoan and smiled happily:

- Your family doesn't have tea, but you understand that, that's great. From now on, you must take care of and pick tea properly. When tea has just drunk the night dew, the tea leaves are full of nutrients. The best tea leaves are picked early in the morning, they will have the purity of water, leaves, and dew. Old people like us call it jade tea.

- I just heard this word now.

Mr. Chien raised his hand and declared loudly:

- You passed the second round of challenges.

Manh leaned over:

Yes. Thank you future father-in-law.

- If you pass this round, I will agree to ask my ancestors to let your parents come over to discuss the marriage.

Yes, please tell me.

- However, I am a progressive and modern thinker, so I wonder if you can meet this third challenge? It's difficult, but for the future of my family, I still have to say it.

Manh looked at Hoan. Why is your teacher talking so much today, and even beating around the bush? Hoan shook his head slightly, indicating that he didn't understand what his teacher was trying to say. Only Mr. Chien's wife, sitting quietly in the room, understood what he was trying to test his future son-in-law with. When discussing this test with her, she tried to persuade him, but he refused to listen.

He cleared his throat and said in a low voice:

- Listen carefully - then he leaned close to Manh's ear and whispered - "I understand your family situation very well so I won't ask for money, just give me a grandchild before we get married."

Manh opened his mouth in surprise. He stood up and paced back and forth, confused, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. He had never seen anyone make such a dowry, especially to someone who always valued traditional values ​​like Mr. Chien. He understood that this challenge of his could not be done hastily or hastily. Manh asked permission to leave, leaving Hoan bewildered.

After the evening of the third challenge, Mr. Chien always kept an eye on his daughter to see if she showed any strange behavior. But two months later, he saw that she was still normal. His face showed a bit of tension but his mouth smiled.

His wife also showed concern, once questioning:

- What dare you to let them look like they are sleeping together?

Or you think his family is poor...

- Nonsense. Am I that kind of person?

This morning, Mr. Chien called Manh to his house. After the opening drink, he asked Manh meaningfully:

- How are the fish? Have they been released into the pond yet? Is that what I challenged him to do?

Yes, I understand, but…

- But what? So you couldn't pass the third test?

- Yes. This is too easy for me but…

Mr. Chien tried to hide his joy, but still said firmly:

- You don't want to do it?

- No. It's not like that, but it's... a matter of ethics, so I won't violate it for personal gain, I hope you understand. Or... please give me another challenge. No matter how difficult it is, I will overcome it.

Mr. Chien suddenly raised his hand and said loudly:

- I declare, you have passed the third test spectacularly.

Manh surprised:

- But… but I haven't done that… thing…

Mr. Chien laughed:

- If you intend to do that, you will fail miserably. Secondly, my daughter Hoan will not let you do that. I know my daughter. So, both in talent and virtue, you have everything to be my son-in-law.

Manh broke out in a cold sweat. It turned out that it was a trap set by his father-in-law to test his morality. Luckily, he did not risk his future father-in-law's cruel challenge.

***

In the middle of the eighth lunar month, Mr. Chien's house was filled with laughter. Hoan, in her elegant white ao dai with a little makeup, stood out among the village girls. The engagement day was bustling and bustling, the ladies were noisily chewing betel leaves, the others were exclaiming in their hands about the bowls of green tea with white, fragrant tea petals. The ladies sitting around Hoan kept praising:

- Mr. Chien chose the most gentle and understanding son-in-law in the village.

She just smiled proudly:

- Yes, my family is happy with that.

At the end of the following year, Mr. Chien’s family happily welcomed their first-month-old grandchild. Manh happily climbed onto the three-tiered chair to pick tea leaves to boil water for his wife’s bath. Mr. and Mrs. Chien looked at Manh and nodded with satisfaction when they saw the pure white camellia flowers in the basin of water.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-nghe-thai-nguyen/202509/thach-cuoi-aa903fd/