Three pretty flowers - Short story by Trang Hieu (Thua Thien

Today Dieu got married. The guests came in droves to congratulate the newlyweds. They were radiant. Excited. Thrilled. Flowery words poured out and Dieu knew they were sincere so she felt somewhat comforted.

Ba nụ hoa xinh xinh - Truyện ngắn của Trang Hiếu (Thừa Thiên - Huế) - Ảnh 1. — Illustration

Khang walked side by side with Dieu, his face flushed red. Wherever they went to clink glasses, they would all pour beer and invite each other to finish their drinks. Khang had a bright smile on his lips, so busy was he having fun that he forgot about his slight limp. Dieu glanced at him softly, feeling the love pouring in, gentle and endless.

Dieu's parents were toasting their relatives over there. The hairpin Dieu had given them the day before was peeking out from behind Mom's salt and pepper hair. Dad was laughing heartily at an acquaintance's joke. The wrinkles on his forehead were gradually smoothing out. His smile was less forced. So happy...

Dieu knew that this marriage had made her parents sad, her father's eyes were pensive and her mother kept sighing. Dieu's decision to hold Khang's hand, a young man whose steps were not normal like everyone else's, was a difficult one. Kind people praised Dieu for being brave. Unkind people criticized Dieu for being foolish to tie her life to Khang.

A rare disease almost knocked down a tall, bright young man. When Khang was about to graduate from university, his leg was aching and he staggered a few times, his parents immediately took him to the doctor, because Khang had a younger brother who had been sick since the fifth grade, and was getting weaker and weaker to the point of being bedridden. He went all the way to the capital to see a good doctor and received the same sad head shake as before: Muscular dystrophy caused by two rare genes in the parents' bodies meeting will erode health to a certain limit of life expectancy.

Seeing the desperate faces and the sad eyes of his parents, Khang suppressed his pain and smiled, joking around. From that day on, he vowed to take his parents' happiness as the reason for his life. Optimistic and confident. Loving life and radiant. He became a village teacher trusted by his colleagues and loved by his students.

Dieu met Khang when her legs were already limping. On the day she took office, the naive city girl, with many dreams of a white chalk podium, was surprised to see a young teacher with a bright face walking slowly and high on the school yard. A group of students quickly came to help carry the teacher's bag. The teacher teased, the students shouted loudly, resounding throughout the yard. Becoming colleagues, they became close and loved each other because of their honest and simple personalities. Then, with the bustling Union activities, Dieu had long admired Khang. Like a spring breeze gently caressing a flower bush in full bloom, Dieu's heart was filled with sweet emotions.

The only wall separating the two souls who were turning towards each other was the muscular dystrophy and the handicapped steps that made his self-consciousness and inferiority complex prevent him from looking lovingly at her, and from smiling affectionately. Then the third person appeared, that handsome and virtuous young man who planted a tree of love every night, very much loved by Dieu's parents. And when Khang's eyes were agitated, his heart was in turmoil, Dieu decided to take the initiative to hold his hand. He silently squeezed that small, warm hand...

Two hearts afraid of hurting each other finally beat together. But the thorny journey also began so that the love could bear sweet fruit. After much hesitation, he asked Dieu to take him home to meet his parents. Dieu couldn't sleep for several nights, not because he wasn't good enough but because she was worried that her parents would be sad and worried. Even though she had prepared herself mentally, her father's disappointed eyes were enough to make Dieu nervous. Still welcoming him warmly, asking him all sorts of questions, telling him to drive carefully home, but her father told Dieu softly but firmly: "Please consider your life's decision carefully!".

The initial storm temporarily calmed down when Dieu persistently convinced her parents about Khang, a kind, affectionate, and loving boy who always supported every step of the poor student on the path of learning. For three long years, Khang used his sincerity to prove his love for Dieu. From firmly opposing, Dieu's parents started to love Khang since when...

The meeting between the two families was arranged to discuss the marriage of the young couple. Dieu was overjoyed, Khang was extremely excited. Then the joy suddenly fell silent when Khang's younger brother was introduced. Dieu's father was stunned to see his son, who had been teased by fate early on, lying on the bed smiling and greeting the guests... That muscle wasting disease would not stop... One day Khang would be struck down by illness... The burden of the family fell on the shoulders of his weak wife... That night, Dieu's father entered the room, closed the door tightly, and was deep in thought. The electric light cast shadows on the window frame, Dieu knew that her father had stayed up all night worrying and feeling sorry for his beloved daughter.

Today's wedding is the effort of many people to overcome the psychological barrier of building a bond in their hearts. Dieu is happily walking slowly next to Khang. He smiles brightly for his dream happy day. Khang's parents lovingly look at their virtuous daughter-in-law who chose their disabled son to support each other. Dieu's parents are also satisfied with the present, an honest and filial son-in-law.

Dieu announced her pregnancy to her husband's joyful laughter, the joy multiplied many times over. The doctor had said that the rare muscle atrophy disease would not bring tragedy to the girl's life but would leave more defects in the boy's fate. Luckily, luck smiled on that happy little family, Dieu gave birth to a daughter. Then the twin pregnancy gave birth to twins: two more beautiful daughters.

From that day on, Dieu's "4G" family was filled with laughter. Dieu was extremely happy with her role as a wife and mother. "Dad is the most handsome in the family!" - the three daughters flattered while massaging Khang's back and legs and exclaimed when he promised to reward each of them with a cup of milk tea. Dieu was outside in the yard drying clothes and clearly heard her husband and children's laughter. "I am very peaceful and content with my current happiness!" - Dieu texted her best friend at that moment.

The teaching profession is not rich, Khang works hard to tutor and take on online jobs to increase his income. He does not mind any work, for him earning money to take care of his wife and children is the greatest happiness. Khang often criticizes Dieu for not having an aesthetic eye, he personally chooses each shirt and dress for his wife and three beloved daughters. Khang criticizes Dieu for not cooking well, leaving him and his three daughters to take care of the kitchen. Khang's father fries fish, his daughter picks vegetables, his daughter washes dishes, his daughter cooks rice. The kitchen is full of arguments, but why does Dieu see everyone's face shining?

There has never been any disadvantage in Dieu's unstable marriage as many people have warned and warned. Maybe in the near future, Khang's legs will be weaker, the muscles in his body will weaken, Dieu will have a hard time. But Dieu accepts it because the happiness of the present is full, overflowing in the small house. Dieu still has three beautiful buds accompanying her on the road ahead.

Khang's little princesses are screaming in the kitchen. Dinner under the magnolia tree will be filled with laughter like every other day...

Dieu is living fully for the happiness of the present. And Dieu increasingly believes that she was right to hold Khang's hand!

Rules

Live beautifully with total prizes up to 448 million VND

With the theme Loving Heart, Warm Hands, the 3rd Beautiful Life contest is an attractive playground for young content creators. By contributing works expressed through various forms such as articles, photos, videos ... with positive content, full of emotions and attractive, vivid presentation suitable for different platforms of Thanh Nien Newspaper.

Submission period: April 21 - October 31, 2023. In addition to the forms of memoirs, reports, notes, and short stories, this year the contest has expanded to include photos and videos on YouTube.

The 3rd Beautiful Living Contest of Thanh Nien Newspaper highlights community projects, volunteer journeys, good deeds of individuals, entrepreneurs, groups, companies, enterprises in society and especially young people in the current Gen Z generation, so there should be a separate contest category sponsored by ActionCOACH Vietnam. The appearance of guests who own works of art, literature, and young artists loved by young people also helps the theme of the contest spread strongly, creating sympathy among young people.

About the contest entries: Authors can participate in the form of memoirs, reports, notes, reflecting real stories, real events and must have accompanying character images. The article must express the content about a character/group that has taken beautiful, practical actions to help individuals/communities, spreading warm, humane stories, optimistic and positive living spirit. As for short stories, the content can be composed from real or fictional stories, characters, events... of beautiful living. The contest entries must be written in Vietnamese (or English for foreigners, the organizers will take care of the translation) no more than 1,600 words (short stories no more than 2,500 words).

About the prize: The contest has a total prize value of nearly 450 million VND.

In the category of articles, reports, and notes, there are: 1 first prize: worth 30,000,000 VND; 2 second prizes: each worth 15,000,000 VND; 3 third prizes: each worth 10,000,000 VND; 5 consolation prizes: each worth 3,000,000 VND.

1 prize for the article most loved by readers (including views and likes on Thanh Nien Online): worth 5,000,000 VND.

For the short story category: Prizes for authors with short stories participating in the contest: 1 first prize: worth 30,000,000 VND; 1 second prize: worth 20,000,000 VND; 2 third prizes: each worth 10,000,000 VND; 4 consolation prizes: each worth 5,000,000 VND.

The Organizing Committee also awarded 1 prize to the author with an article about entrepreneurs living beautifully: worth 10,000,000 VND and 1 prize to the author with an outstanding charity project of a group/collective/enterprise: worth 10,000,000 VND.

In particular, the organizing committee will select 5 honored characters voted by the organizing committee: award 30,000,000 VND/case; along with many other prizes.

Articles, photos and videos to participate in the contest, readers send to the address: [email protected] or by post (Only applicable for the Article and Short Story contest categories): Thanh Nien Newspaper Editorial Office: 268 - 270 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Vo Thi Sau Ward, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City (clearly write on the envelope: Works participating in the 3rd LIVING BEAUTIFULLY contest - 2023). Detailed information and rules are posted on the Living Beautifully page of Thanh Nien Newspaper.