“So, what’s this guy’s name?” Phi Nhung asked as she gently brushed powder onto Minh Tuyet’s rosy cheeks.
“Bang Kieu,” Minh Tuyet replied with a sigh.
“Wow, I wonder why you always meet guys with such nice names,” Phi Nhung joked.
“Well, he seems like a cute guy.”
“You know, ma’am, Lord Tuan Ngoc would never approve of this…You sneaking out to meet a guy that you bump into? Especially if he’s a peasant!”
“Yeah, well, you’re not gonna say anything, and I’m definitely not saying anything; he’ll never find out.”
“Well, what if you get caught?”
“I’ll be careful, I promise,” with that, Minh Tuyet stood up hastily and quietly snuck out the front gates. It was a good thing that all the guards and maids were on break and they were in the kitchen eating, because that was an advantage for Minh Tuyet. She walked out onto the roads made of stone and walked down to the river; she was wearing a raggedy dress that she pulled out of her closet earlier. When she got to the river, she saw Bang Kieu throwing rocks into the river.
“Hi,” Minh Tuyet said softly, tapping Bang Kieu on the shoulders.
“Oh, hello; sorry, I didn’t see you,” he replied.
“It’s alright…so…um…what did you wanna talk to me…about?”
“Well, really, I just wanted to apologize about what happened. But I guess I couldn’t call you out just for that … so I’ll treat you to some noodles?” Bang Kieu said, scratching his head. Minh Tuyet let out a chuckle.
“Sounds great,” she said, and they both walked to a little food shop.
Both were both enjoying their bowls of noodles and watching little kids running back and forward as their mother chased them, holding onto a basket filled with that night’s dinner.
“So, are you new here?” Bang Kieu asked suddenly, making Minh Tuyet choke.
“No, I…uh… work around here,” Minh Tuyet replied after sipping her water.
“Oh, I see. Unlike you, I don’t have a job yet. I just arrived for about two weeks, and already, I’ve heard so much about the city’s businessman, Tuan Ngoc. Do you know him?”
“Me? Of course, I’m his dau-,” Minh Tuyet stopped abruptly; she wasn’t supposed to expose her identity. She thought for a while and then continued,
“Of course I have. You have to be living under a rock to not know who Tuan Ngoc is.”
“Oh. Hehe, yeah, I guess. To tell you the truth, I don’t really like this Tuan Ngoc guy,” Bang Kieu started, “I don’t know, I just think he’s too arrogant, don’t you think?”
Minh Tuyet reluctantly nodded, trying to hide her face as she drank her water.
“Well, I’m not saying that he’s acting off the line or anything. He just sounds really mean, that’s all.”
“I’ve been living here my whole life, and I can assure you that he has done nothing but good things for this city.”
“That’s your opinion, but I’ve been hearing a lot of people talking about him.”
“Like what…?”
“I’m not sure, I’m just sure it’s not good things.”
“Oh,” Minh Tuyet said and continued drinking her water.
“Well, thanks for coming out here today. Hope I can see you again,” Bang Kieu said, standing up. Minh Tuyet stood up and they both walked down the road again. They were both engaged in a conversation that Minh Tuyet didn’t really notice where they were going, but of course, her feet always drag her to her house even though she’s not in control. When they were in front of Tuan Ngoc’s mansion, Minh Tuyet suddenly started to feel nervous.
“You live here?” Bang Kieu asked anxiously.
“Uh…no…well, yeah. I … uh … I…,” Minh Tuyet stuttered.
“This road only leads to the mansion.”
“Yeah, it’s … because … I … uh … I work here,” Minh Tuyet lied.
“You work here? Like a maid?”
“Yeah…I’m a maid here,” Minh Tuyet stammered. Just then, the front gate opened and Tu Quyen walked out. Minh Tuyet gasped and pulled Bang Kieu behind a bush. She waited until Tu Quyen was out of sight, then she pulled Bang Kieu back onto the road.
“What’s going on?” Bang Kieu asked.
“That was my cous-. I mean, that was Tu Quyen…madame Tu Quyen. I don’t really like her that much, that’s why. If she saw me outside, she would’ve started yelling at me…again.”
“Oh, I see. Well, I guess I’ll see you later.”
“Yeah, okay. Bye!” Minh Tuyet yelled as she ran into the front gate and quietly closed it behind her. On the other side of the wall, Minh Tuyet stood with her back to the wall. What was I thinking? she thought. If that stupid Tu Quyen saw me with Bang Kieu, she would’ve laughed and then snitched on me. Ugh, now I have to be careful when going out! She quietly walked across the field and into her building, where Phi Nhung sat waiting.
“I was wondering when you were coming home!” Phi Nhung cried, pulling Minh Tuyet into the room and closed the door.
“Why are you so late? My heart was racing when I heard Lord Tuan Ngoc’s voice going pass the room. I sat in here the whole entire time!” Phi Nhung said.
“Don’t worry. I told you I would be careful; I didn’t get caught! But Tu Quyen almost saw me,” Minh Tuyet replied, going behind the curtains and changing into a more decorative gown.
“Well, let’s get your ready for dinner,” Phi Nhung said.
“Dinner? I just saw Tu Quyen left.”
“I think she went to tell the guards to get someone.”
“Once again, a simple boring dinner with the two same people…just like any other evenings.”
“Actually, you’re having dinner with three people today.”
“Three? Who’s the other person?” Minh Tuyet said, walking out behind the curtains and sat down on a chair, gracefully brushing her hair.
“Sir Luong Tung Quang is joining you.”
“Ugh, him again?”
“What’s wrong with him?”
“He’s too … arrogant.”
“I’m sure you’ll find a way to get along with him.”
“This might sound silly, but I wish I could be my other identity tonight,” Minh Tuyet said with a smile, and walked off towards the dining building, leaving Phi Nhung in confusion.
“Bang Kieu,” Minh Tuyet replied with a sigh.
“Wow, I wonder why you always meet guys with such nice names,” Phi Nhung joked.
“Well, he seems like a cute guy.”
“You know, ma’am, Lord Tuan Ngoc would never approve of this…You sneaking out to meet a guy that you bump into? Especially if he’s a peasant!”
“Yeah, well, you’re not gonna say anything, and I’m definitely not saying anything; he’ll never find out.”
“Well, what if you get caught?”
“I’ll be careful, I promise,” with that, Minh Tuyet stood up hastily and quietly snuck out the front gates. It was a good thing that all the guards and maids were on break and they were in the kitchen eating, because that was an advantage for Minh Tuyet. She walked out onto the roads made of stone and walked down to the river; she was wearing a raggedy dress that she pulled out of her closet earlier. When she got to the river, she saw Bang Kieu throwing rocks into the river.
“Hi,” Minh Tuyet said softly, tapping Bang Kieu on the shoulders.
“Oh, hello; sorry, I didn’t see you,” he replied.
“It’s alright…so…um…what did you wanna talk to me…about?”
“Well, really, I just wanted to apologize about what happened. But I guess I couldn’t call you out just for that … so I’ll treat you to some noodles?” Bang Kieu said, scratching his head. Minh Tuyet let out a chuckle.
“Sounds great,” she said, and they both walked to a little food shop.
Both were both enjoying their bowls of noodles and watching little kids running back and forward as their mother chased them, holding onto a basket filled with that night’s dinner.
“So, are you new here?” Bang Kieu asked suddenly, making Minh Tuyet choke.
“No, I…uh… work around here,” Minh Tuyet replied after sipping her water.
“Oh, I see. Unlike you, I don’t have a job yet. I just arrived for about two weeks, and already, I’ve heard so much about the city’s businessman, Tuan Ngoc. Do you know him?”
“Me? Of course, I’m his dau-,” Minh Tuyet stopped abruptly; she wasn’t supposed to expose her identity. She thought for a while and then continued,
“Of course I have. You have to be living under a rock to not know who Tuan Ngoc is.”
“Oh. Hehe, yeah, I guess. To tell you the truth, I don’t really like this Tuan Ngoc guy,” Bang Kieu started, “I don’t know, I just think he’s too arrogant, don’t you think?”
Minh Tuyet reluctantly nodded, trying to hide her face as she drank her water.
“Well, I’m not saying that he’s acting off the line or anything. He just sounds really mean, that’s all.”
“I’ve been living here my whole life, and I can assure you that he has done nothing but good things for this city.”
“That’s your opinion, but I’ve been hearing a lot of people talking about him.”
“Like what…?”
“I’m not sure, I’m just sure it’s not good things.”
“Oh,” Minh Tuyet said and continued drinking her water.
“Well, thanks for coming out here today. Hope I can see you again,” Bang Kieu said, standing up. Minh Tuyet stood up and they both walked down the road again. They were both engaged in a conversation that Minh Tuyet didn’t really notice where they were going, but of course, her feet always drag her to her house even though she’s not in control. When they were in front of Tuan Ngoc’s mansion, Minh Tuyet suddenly started to feel nervous.
“You live here?” Bang Kieu asked anxiously.
“Uh…no…well, yeah. I … uh … I…,” Minh Tuyet stuttered.
“This road only leads to the mansion.”
“Yeah, it’s … because … I … uh … I work here,” Minh Tuyet lied.
“You work here? Like a maid?”
“Yeah…I’m a maid here,” Minh Tuyet stammered. Just then, the front gate opened and Tu Quyen walked out. Minh Tuyet gasped and pulled Bang Kieu behind a bush. She waited until Tu Quyen was out of sight, then she pulled Bang Kieu back onto the road.
“What’s going on?” Bang Kieu asked.
“That was my cous-. I mean, that was Tu Quyen…madame Tu Quyen. I don’t really like her that much, that’s why. If she saw me outside, she would’ve started yelling at me…again.”
“Oh, I see. Well, I guess I’ll see you later.”
“Yeah, okay. Bye!” Minh Tuyet yelled as she ran into the front gate and quietly closed it behind her. On the other side of the wall, Minh Tuyet stood with her back to the wall. What was I thinking? she thought. If that stupid Tu Quyen saw me with Bang Kieu, she would’ve laughed and then snitched on me. Ugh, now I have to be careful when going out! She quietly walked across the field and into her building, where Phi Nhung sat waiting.
“I was wondering when you were coming home!” Phi Nhung cried, pulling Minh Tuyet into the room and closed the door.
“Why are you so late? My heart was racing when I heard Lord Tuan Ngoc’s voice going pass the room. I sat in here the whole entire time!” Phi Nhung said.
“Don’t worry. I told you I would be careful; I didn’t get caught! But Tu Quyen almost saw me,” Minh Tuyet replied, going behind the curtains and changing into a more decorative gown.
“Well, let’s get your ready for dinner,” Phi Nhung said.
“Dinner? I just saw Tu Quyen left.”
“I think she went to tell the guards to get someone.”
“Once again, a simple boring dinner with the two same people…just like any other evenings.”
“Actually, you’re having dinner with three people today.”
“Three? Who’s the other person?” Minh Tuyet said, walking out behind the curtains and sat down on a chair, gracefully brushing her hair.
“Sir Luong Tung Quang is joining you.”
“Ugh, him again?”
“What’s wrong with him?”
“He’s too … arrogant.”
“I’m sure you’ll find a way to get along with him.”
“This might sound silly, but I wish I could be my other identity tonight,” Minh Tuyet said with a smile, and walked off towards the dining building, leaving Phi Nhung in confusion.
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