The Fateful Curse and a Fragile Life

I transmigrated. A peculiar transmigration that placed me into a period novel set on a remote island in the 1960s. I wasn’t the protagonist or an important character, but **Dương Minh Châu**—the half-sister of the notorious villainess, **Dương Chiêu Đệ**, in the story.

Chiêu Đệ in the original plot was the embodiment of trouble: stubborn, selfish, envious, she framed the “White Lotus” female lead and forced the affection of the educated male lead, **Trần Kính Quân**, ultimately meeting a tragic end in the cold deep sea.

The family background was a classic combination for creating a villain. My father was addicted to alcohol and abusive. My mother—who was lured here—successfully ran away and was never heard from again. As for me, the illegitimate daughter of that abusive father, I was placed by my birth mother at Chiêu Đệ’s doorstep, who turned and walked away without a backward glance. By all accounts, my life should have ended in the third month after birth.

That year, Chiêu Đệ was only 14. Her face was dark, her eyes cold, devoid of any kindness, even finding the addition of a baby annoying. “Fend for yourself,” she said coldly, slamming the door shut with a heavy *thud*.

The night wind on the island bit through my thin swaddling. My warmth and strength slowly depleted, until eventually, I didn’t even have the energy to cry. Yet, in my daze, a warm, faintly fragrant liquid flowed into my mouth. Instinctively, I pursed my lips and began to suckle. When my stomach was lined with something, I managed to open my eyes.

The person in front of me was Chiêu Đệ. Her face was so grimy you couldn’t tell her skin color, and there were a few feathers stuck in her hair. She glared, pretending to be fierce: “What are you looking at? Drink your milk. If it weren’t for getting this milk, would I need to climb over Aunt Vương’s wall in the middle of the night?” Aunt Vương was the most famous livestock owner on the island, raising cows for milk.

Seeing her thin, sallow appearance, I pushed the bottle towards her: *Who wants to drink this bland stuff? You drink it all.* Chiêu Đệ lied again: “You finish it.” But I clearly saw her secretly swallowing several times. I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep. She called me a few times without a response, then grumbled quietly: “This smelly little head, the milk will spoil if left out. Don’t do that next time.” After that, I heard a quiet, satisfied gulping sound. Only then did I feel safe enough to fall asleep.

The next morning, I was awakened by loud curses from next door. “Who stole my cow’s milk? How could anyone be so heartless?” Aunt Vương walked around her yard checking, but quickly noticed the small fish and shrimp neatly arranged on her doorstep. That specific way of bundling food, only one family on the entire island did it.

Chiêu Đệ held me, hiding behind the door. Seeing Aunt Vương head straight for our house, she turned to run but was called back. Aunt Vương didn’t say much, simply thrusting a few bottles of warm milk into her hands: “Next time you want to milk the cow, just use the front gate, don’t sneak around and scare people.”

Long after Aunt Vương left, Chiêu Đệ remained rooted to the spot. I looked up curiously and saw her face scrunched up from crying, the tears falling onto my face cold.

From then on, the 14-year-old Chiêu Đệ had to support not only herself but also me. She learned how to feed an infant, how to change a diaper. Many times, I saw her so frustrated she would fiercely pinch her own thigh, but as soon as she calmed down, she would quickly change my diaper. By day, she went to the beach to scavenge discarded seafood. By night, under the flickering candlelight, she sat knitting fishing nets. Every penny, every dime was carefully saved. Just like that, my sister raised me.

When I was four, Chiêu Đệ named me **Dương Minh Châu**. She said my eyes were the brightest thing she had ever seen, even brighter than a luminous pearl (*Dạ Minh Châu*) at the bottom of the sea.

Three more years passed, and the calendar finally turned to the day the educated male lead, **Trần Kính Quân**, and the wealthy female lead, **Liễu Vân Dư**, set foot on our island.

That day, a ship docked at the harbor. Stepping off the ship were several well-dressed young ladies and gentlemen, the most prominent being Trần Kính Quân and Liễu Vân Dư. My sister and I were sitting at the dock sorting the seafood we had collected that morning. The excitement on the other side quickly drew the attention of the fishermen. My sister was no exception, even craning her neck to peek. I was terrified. I feared she would fall in love with the male lead at first sight and step onto the road of no return.

In desperation, I quickly grabbed her sleeve: “Sister, I pooped my pants.”

The words had barely left my mouth when I regretted them. Why use such a baseless and embarrassing excuse? Sure enough, Chiêu Đệ spun around and looked at me with an expression of disbelief: “Dương Minh Châu, you’re seven years old!” Nevertheless, she still took me home. Once home, upon realizing I had lied, I was given a good spanking.

Even after the punishment, I did not give up on preventing Chiêu Đệ and Trần Kính Quân from meeting. No matter where my sister went, I stuck to her like a shadow, monitoring her every move. I created all sorts of trouble to ensure they cleverly missed each other.

Aunt Vương, seeing this, laughed at me while holding her newborn calf: “Still can’t leave your sister for a second at this age?” I stuck out my tongue at her, and looked up to meet Chiêu Đệ’s scrutinizing gaze: “You smelly brat, you’ve been clinging to your sister too much lately.” I blinked my innocent eyes, using a foolish smile to let the matter pass.

Thanks to my relentless efforts, nearly a year passed, and my sister didn’t even know what the male and female leads looked like. Just when I felt everything was going well, I came down with a high fever one night.

The nearby clinic was closed. My sister had no means of transportation, so she could only carry me on her back and walk to the hospital several kilometers away. It was the rainy season on the island, and the roads were muddy. Chiêu Đệ wasn’t careful and fell flat on the ground. I was thrown off as well.

Since I became conscious, this was the first time I saw my sister cry so fiercely. She screamed hoarsely for help while limping and picking me up again. The sound echoed far, but there was no response.

And **Trần Kính Quân** appeared in this very moment of despair. He had just finished his evening class and was riding a bicycle. “Get on quickly.”

Thanks to his help, I was quickly taken to the hospital and escaped danger. As I was leaning against my sister during the IV drip, Chiêu Đệ’s somewhat shy voice sounded from above my head: “Thank you so much, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you on the island. What is your name?”

The man opposite smiled faintly: “My name is Trần Kính Quân, I’m an educated youth from Bắc Bình.”

In an instant, a flock of a thousand cawing crows flew before my eyes. *Damn it, I guarded against heaven and earth, but couldn’t guard against my own troublesome body.*

The doctor said my fever was caused by standing too long at the harbor in the sea breeze. Therefore, no matter how much I cried and pleaded, my sister absolutely refused to let me near the harbor again: “You must stay home after school, understand? If I find out you’re sneaking out to the harbor, I won’t pay attention to you anymore.” Because of our deep sisterly bond, I had to agree.

On the 100th time I was sitting on the doorstep counting ants, Aunt Vương secretly approached me: “Want to go find your sister?” I widened my eyes at her. “If you get caught, just blame Aunt Vương here.” With this assurance, I happily accepted.

At the harbor, my sister was still sitting in her usual spot, with a pile of messy seafood in front of her. She was chatting happily with the neighboring fisherwoman until Trần Kính Quân and Liễu Vân Dư walked up to her. Perhaps this was the first time in her 21 years of life that my sister felt a mixture of inferiority and shyness. I watched her repeatedly wipe her hands on the clean part of her clothes before daring to take the hand Liễu Vân Dư was offering.

They were both in their twenties. One hand was pampered since childhood, so smooth you couldn’t even see the fingerprints. The other was weathered and rough, looking like the hand of a 60-year-old woman. Chiêu Đệ leaned towards me, half her face hidden in the shadows. I couldn’t see her expression, only her lips tightly pressed together. My nose stung, and I didn’t want to look anymore, so I turned and left.

Aunt Vương called after me, asking where I was going, I just waved her away, *collecting scrap, saving money to buy hand cream for my sister.*

If my sister knew I was collecting scrap after school every day, she would surely lock me in the house. So I acted like a secret agent. At 4 PM after school, I would collect scrap for four hours and rush home before my sister returned. At 5 AM, after my sister had left the house, I would drag the pile of scrap to the collection point a few kilometers away to sell for money.

But working at such a high intensity was not something an eight-year-old child could endure. Gradually, I started frequently nodding off during class at school. Liễu Vân Dư happened to be my substitute homeroom teacher.

After class, she kept me back alone. “Are you Chiêu Đệ’s sister?” I bowed my head, not daring to look at her. In my heart, she and Trần Kính Quân were always the executioners who would kill my sister. Suddenly, a warm hand rested on my head, gently stroking my hair. “Children at this age are prone to sleepiness. Next time you’re sleepy, you can come to the office to find me, okay?” Seeing no reaction from me, Liễu Vân Dư continued: “I can lend you a reclining chair to sleep on, sleeping face down on the desk is not good for your spine’s development.”

I looked up in surprise, my eyes meeting hers. That sincere, gentle gaze, like water, I had only ever seen in my sister. She asked me again: “Minh Châu, is that okay?” As if by a twist of fate, I nodded to her.

Gradually, the rainy season on the island finally passed, and only one day remained until Chiêu Đệ’s birthday. For my sister’s birthday, I specifically asked Aunt Vương, who was going to the city to buy things, to bring me back a tube of hand cream. “Aunt Vương, I want the most expensive, best kind.”

As the sun set, Aunt Vương indeed brought me back a beautifully packaged tube of hand cream. I had seen it on Liễu Vân Dư’s desk—it smelled of jasmine.

In the evening, after finishing a simple bowl of Longevity Noodles, Chiêu Đệ turned her back to me to change the bedsheet. Due to nervousness, a thin layer of sweat covered my palms. I took a deep breath, thinking about how to present this gift to her.

“Sister!” I called out softly. She turned around and asked what was wrong. Gathering all my courage, I held out the tube of hand cream in front of her. “Sister, this is the birthday present I bought for you.”

It wasn’t until Chiêu Đệ took it that I dared to open my eyes to observe her expression. Good, my sister wasn’t repulsed by the gift. Under my eager gaze, Chiêu Đệ finally spoke: “Where did you get the money?”

“It’s the money I earned from collecting scrap metal.” In my self-congratulatory excitement, I failed to notice Chiêu Đệ’s increasingly darkened face, and still rattled on about my achievements. “Do you know, Sister? I feel much stronger these past few months. After all, I have to pull dozens of pounds of scrap metal to the collection point every day.” I spread my palm for her to see the scars caused by the rope.

The small room was filled with my excitement, but gradually I noticed Chiêu Đệ’s strange silence. “Sister, why aren’t you saying anything? Don’t you like this gift? What do you like? I will—”

Her voice suddenly pitched high. She threw the tube of hand cream straight to the floor, her voice filled with uncontrollable anger. **”Who needs this kind of stuff?!”**

I was stunned, taking a few steps to pull on Chiêu Đệ’s sleeve but was pushed away. Chiêu Đệ was so angry her whole body was shaking. **”Dương Minh Châu, did I work myself to death raising you so you could go collect scrap metal?!”**

My tears streamed down uncontrollably. I shook my head violently: “No, Sister, I was wrong. I won’t do it again. Don’t be angry, please.” Normally, she would soften and comfort me the moment I cried. But now she ignored my tears.

“You really are a little liar. How can you expect me to trust you anymore?” Chiêu Đệ didn’t listen to my explanation, slammed the door shut, and walked straight out, leaving only one sentence: **”Had I known, I wouldn’t have raised you in the first place.”**

In the silent room, I fell and sat on the floor, my ears filled only with the abnormally fast beating of my heart. Each beat plunged me further into an ice cavern. *What should I do? She really doesn’t need me anymore. What should I do?*

I usually slept with Chiêu Đệ. Though thin and small, her body was warm like a heater. Now I shivered alone under the cold blanket, my eyes fixed on the main door, hoping she would suddenly open it. Unfortunately, even when the first rays of morning light shone in, my sister had not returned. Finally, I couldn’t fight off the sleepiness and closed my eyes.

When I woke up, I was overjoyed to find my sister sitting at the head of the bed, her back to me. I was about to apologize properly, but the words that came out were mixed with sobs: “Sister, I’m sorry. You’re right, if you hadn’t raised me, you definitely would have lived better now. Sister, I’m the one who implicated you.”

My sister still sat there motionless, and I cried even louder. In my daze, I heard her gentle sigh. At the same time, she turned around and hugged me tightly, as if wanting to melt me into her bones and flesh.

**”That’s not it, Minh Châu, you’re not wrong, it’s because I’m too useless. If I had tried a little harder to earn more money, it would have been better.”**

In that eighth year, I realized that loving someone means always feeling at fault. *If my sister were a little stronger, I could have been carefree like other children, I wouldn’t have had to grow up so fast.* It turned out my sister knew everything, understood everything. I clung to her collar, and we both burst into tears, sobbing together.

Finally calming down, I retrieved the tube of hand cream she had thrown on the floor last night. I carefully squeezed out a little and applied it to her hands. There was no jasmine on this island. It was the first time my sister and I smelled a scent other than the salty smell of the sea. Sweet and intoxicating, making one want to inhale it a few more times.

“Later, I will take you to the big city and buy lots and lots of hand cream. We will buy every scent and fill the room with them. How about that?”

Aunt Vương often said: “My sister is like the seaweed offshore, incredibly tenacious, no difficulty can ever defeat her.” I looked into my sister’s bright, twinkling eyes and wholeheartedly agreed with Aunt Vương’s view.

Since then, my sister worked even harder. In the morning, she was the first to arrive at the harbor, and in the evening, the last to leave. To lessen her burden, I learned how to stand on a chair to stir-fry vegetables, and I learned the unique bundling method of the Dương family.

Besides those chores, my sister continued to associate with Trần Kính Quân and Liễu Vân Dư, even more frequently than before. She often brought seafood to the educated youths’ dormitory. Whether they accepted or not, she would turn and run away as soon as she delivered it.

Gradually, rumors started spreading on the island. Some said my sister didn’t know her place, others said she wasn’t content, and some even said she wanted to be a mistress, interfering between Trần Kính Quân and Liễu Vân Dư. Whenever I heard these words, Aunt Vương and I would grab the broom in the corner to retaliate. *Mouths on your butts! Why do you talk so foully?* A few swipes were enough to send those people scattering.

One evening, my sister suddenly turned to me and asked: “Minh Châu, do you trust me?”

I slowly moved closer and hugged her tightly: “No one in this world trusts you more steadfastly than I do, Sister.”

When I observed that there was no hint of romantic affection in my sister’s eyes when she looked at Trần Kính Quân, I was certain she would not meet the tragic fate described in the book. As for what she wanted to do, I supported her unconditionally.

However, one evening, I was sitting by the window doing my homework when Aunt Vương rushed in in a panic. **”Minh Châu, something terrible has happened! Your sister poisoned that educated youth girl and ran away into the sea!”**

*Even if the process is completely different, will it still lead to the predetermined outcome?*

The emergency light outside the operating room stayed on all night. Trần Kính Quân and I stayed outside, not moving an inch, our eyes bloodshot. Early in the morning, the door finally opened, and my sister and Liễu Vân Dư were wheeled out. The doctor said they were temporarily out of danger and needed rest.

I sat at the head of the bed, my eyes tracing every line on my sister’s face. *Thank goodness, thank goodness, it’s not the worst outcome.*

A few days after the surgery, my sister still hadn’t woken up. I took advantage of the nurse changing the medication to go out for lunch. But when I returned to the room, my sister was not in bed. “Dương Chiêu Đệ? She just woke up and went to another patient’s room. To Liễu Vân Dư’s, I think.”

Liễu Vân Dư’s room was packed with people. I, being small, managed to squeeze through. Liễu Vân Dư’s face was pale, and her hands were covered in needle marks. Trần Kính Quân stood on one side, his brows tightly furrowed, lost in thought. I looked around for a long time before finding Dương Chiêu Đệ, wearing a patient’s uniform, curled up in a corner, looking extremely pathetic.

“Is there still a need for investigation? The seafood was delivered in the morning, the dish was eaten at noon, and by evening, the person started having diarrhea. Yes, isn’t that Dương Chiêu Đệ woman jealous of Vân Dư’s good family background and educated youth boyfriend, and that’s why she poisoned her? Didn’t she run away to sea because she was afraid of the crime? I say, just send her straight to prison.”

The patient room was filled with whispers, and many people sided with those accusers. I stomped hard on their feet twice. “Did you people see it with your own eyes that you’re talking nonsense here? Is it because my sister didn’t give you food that you’re jealous?”

After seeing me, the dim light in my sister’s eyes flickered faintly. “Minh Châu!” I shielded her, gripping her cold hand.

Those people were still not convinced. “Then, Dương Chiêu Đệ, tell us who the culprit who knocked you out was?”

I refused to back down, retorting: “Are your eyes growing out of the back of your heads?”

“Stop arguing, I will investigate thoroughly with the island chief. I will not let the person who harmed Vân Dư get away with it.” Trần Kính Quân’s gaze swept over everyone present, finally resting on my sister and me.

“Alright, alright, everyone please leave the room and give Comrade Liễu some space to rest.” The island chief also left with everyone, but my sister let go of my hand. “Minh Châu, you go home first, I have something to discuss with Trần Kính Quân.”

With that, she ran towards Trần Kính Quân. The two looked at each other and tacitly walked towards a secluded area. I thought that Trần Kính Quân guy wasn’t behaving either; his girlfriend was still in a coma, yet he was going off with the suspect. I heard that Liễu Vân Dư’s family has an official. Could it be—ouch, who threw something at me? That person rubbed their forehead, feeling something wet and warm, and was scared stiff. I hid behind a tree and silently made a scary face.

When I left the hospital, I turned back to look at where Chiêu Đệ had disappeared, my eyes filled with unconcealed worry. I naturally knew the culprit wasn’t my sister, but a sense of unease still lingered in my heart. I regretted not being able to interfere more with the plot.

The night sky on the island was always full of stars. I placed a stool in the yard. One star, two stars, three stars… 301 stars.

*Creak!* The yard gate was pushed open. Chiêu Đệ walked in with a tired face. “Sister, you’re finally back.” I pulled her to sit down on the stool. For a moment, we sat opposite each other, silent.

Finally, just as I was about to doze off, my sister spoke slowly. “The elders in Liễu Vân Dư’s and Trần Kính Quân’s families are influential figures in Bắc Bình. I befriended them because I wanted to rely on their influence to escape this small island. Trần Kính Quân has promised me that as long as I cooperate with him to investigate and find the culprit, when he returns to Bắc Bình, he will take both of us with him.”

Only today did I understand why Chiêu Đệ kept trying to get close to Trần Kính Quân’s group despite having no romantic feelings. Even when people spoke ill of her, she remained unfazed and saw it through. The answer to all the problems was **me**.

“Sister, you don’t necessarily have to go to Bắc Bình. I don’t want you to work so hard.”

She gently wiped away the tear at the corner of my eye. “But Minh Châu cannot be covered in dust. My sister cannot be like me, wasting her most beautiful years on this small, barren island.”

The investigation methods of the 70s were still rudimentary, and the poisoner’s methods were sophisticated. Chiêu Đệ left early and returned late every day; the time I got to see her was only a few hours in the evening.

That day, I was sleeping soundly when I noticed the candle on the table was lit. My sister was sitting there, pinching the skin on her arm with two fingers. Only when the area was bruised did she let go.

I was so frightened that I fell off the bed, hitting the floor with a loud *thump*. My sister, startled, rushed over to help me up, but I saw the multitude of pinch marks on her arm. “Sister… why did you…?”

She pulled down her sleeve and forced a smile to hide it: “Oh… I’ve been getting sleepy lately and keep forgetting clues, so I thought of this trick. Isn’t your sister clever?”

I coldly pushed her away, getting up to fetch the bottle of safflower oil from the cabinet. I forced her to roll up her sleeve. The cold safflower oil made her hiss in pain when it touched her skin. **”If you do this again, I won’t pay attention to you anymore.”** Seeing my serious expression, Chiêu Đệ obediently nodded in agreement.

The culprit was found on a clear, breezy morning. It turned out that his family and Liễu Vân Dư’s family were sworn enemies. He wanted to take advantage of this trip home to eliminate the sole heir of the Liễu family. He had learned about the rumors about my sister on the island. So, after poisoning Liễu Vân Dư, he knocked my sister unconscious and threw her into the sea, creating a false scene.

No matter how well he concealed it, my sister had lived on this island for over 20 years. She and Trần Kính Quân followed every clue and uncovered the truth. For some special reasons, this man needed to be escorted back to Bắc Bình for handling.

On the day the boat left the dock, even a weak Liễu Vân Dư managed to push herself to the harbor. As the boat slowly disappeared from view, everyone was about to leave when the sound of another motorboat engine rang out, and a strange ship docked.

Stepping off the ship was a couple; though tired from the journey, their demeanor was exceptionally distinguished. “Dad! Mom!” The moment she saw the couple, Liễu Vân Dư broke free from Trần Kính Quân’s grasp and rushed into their arms. “Why are you here?”

The middle-aged woman hugged her daughter tightly, her eyes filled with heartache at seeing her child thin. “We came to take you home. All the educated youths who went to the countryside can now return. Moreover, starting next year, the **university entrance exam will be reinstated**, and everyone can register to participate.”

As soon as these words were uttered, everyone present was stunned. **What is the university entrance exam?** It is what can help people transcend class, what can help children in the mountains step out of the great mountains, what can help children on the island leave the desolate island. It is what is enough to change a person’s entire life.

The warm glow of the setting sun shone upon everyone, making them look forward to a fresh new tomorrow. That very evening, my sister announced in front of me and Aunt Vương: “One year of studying, one year of passing the university entrance exam, at most two years, and I will take both of you to Bắc Bình.”

But ideals are rosy, and reality is harsh. Chiêu Đệ hadn’t read a book in nearly 10 years; picking up a book again, the formulas inside were like alien language. Once again, when a test with a perfect score was only worth 10 points to her, she threw her pen down on the table. “Aah! I’m not taking the exam anymore, I’d rather go collect fish, that suits me better.” She said, grabbing the fishing net in the corner to head out.

“Sister! You said you would take me away from here.” I appeared behind her, my voice faltering.

Chiêu Đệ stomped her feet a few times, then resignedly returned to her seat. Seeing her miserable look, I felt a pang of sadness. “Sister, how about we go ask Teacher Liễu for tutoring?”

Liễu Vân Dư was indeed worthy of her years of education. For Chiêu Đệ’s academic shortcomings, she even specifically drew up a plan. “I know you have to go to the harbor during the day, so this is the evening study schedule. Hmm, Trần Kính Quân will also open an evening class this year. If you have time, you can attend his lecture.”

My sister tearfully accepted the precious schedule. I also repeatedly said thank you. “Work hard, okay? Who knows, we might even become classmates at the same university in Bắc Bình.”

Just like that, Chiêu Đệ poured all her energy into studying every day, working hard to the point of “tying her hair to the beam and stabbing her thigh with an awl.” Unfortunately, one short year was not enough for someone with only an elementary school education to pass the university entrance exam. My sister failed.

The day the results came out. It was pouring rain and windy on the island. My sister stood by the door, not saying a word for hours. Aunt Vương and I looked at each other, not knowing how to comfort her. *Sister, failure is the mother of success…* The words of comfort were choked back by the burning fire in Chiêu Đệ’s eyes.

“It’s just one university entrance exam, isn’t it? I don’t believe I can’t beat it.”

I was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter with her. Sure enough, Chiêu Đệ would never accept defeat.

Another year came and went. Liễu Vân Dư and Trần Kính Quân, after passing the university entrance exam, decided to get engaged right on this small island. The engagement ceremony was grand, with nearly half the people on the island attending. My sister and I were seated at the main table with both their parents. While waiting for the ceremony to begin, under the gaze of everyone, my sister took out her exercise book. Not only that, she leaned close to Liễu Vân Dư’s mother: “I heard you’re a university professor, could you please help me look at this problem?”

Liễu Vân Dư couldn’t help but laugh out loud at this sight. She put her arm around my sister’s shoulder: “You will definitely pass the exam.”

Thanks to her good wishes, my sister became the **first university student from this small island.**

The moment the acceptance letter arrived, a red carpet was laid from the harbor all the way to our doorstep. The island chief held a bundle of firecrackers in his hands, smiling so widely his mouth nearly reached his ears, announcing loudly: “The ancestors of the Dương family must be smoking green smoke!”

I put my hands on my hips and couldn’t help but correct him: “It’s clearly because of my sister’s efforts, why are you crediting the whole Dương family?”

The island chief paused for a moment, then immediately changed his tune, nodding rapidly: “Right, right, right, I was confused, this is all the credit of Chiêu Đệ and this clever little girl.”

After receiving all the guests, my sister finally walked towards me and the island chief. Her voice was calm yet resolute: “The university in Bắc Bình will arrange dormitories for us. Perhaps Minh Châu and I won’t be returning to the island for the next few years.”

The island chief nodded incessantly, showering us with praise. Just then, my sister spoke up again: **”There’s one more thing, I want to bring Aunt Vương along too.”**

This time, the island chief couldn’t maintain his composure. He repeated my sister’s words several times as if he couldn’t believe his ears. “Take her to Bắc Bình?”

Aunt Vương, who was helping in the kitchen not far away, also heard and quickly turned around. “Take me along too, really?”

My sister and I looked at each other, nodding in understanding. Aunt Vương was stunned for a long time, then took out a handkerchief to wipe away the large, rolling tears. Her eyes, which had been cloudy for years, now shone with a rare brilliance, like they did in her youth. “Why take this old body of mine?”

My sister walked over and tightly grasped her hand. “If it weren’t for your cow’s milk that year, my sister wouldn’t have survived. In my heart, you are our reborn parents.”

The day we left the island passed quietly like any other. Only the boat that once took Dương Chiêu Đệ out to sea to fish was now carrying the three of us towards a wider world. We stood at the bow of the boat, waving goodbye to everyone on the island. We didn’t know when we would meet again after this farewell.

At the end of the story, my sister became Liễu Vân Dư’s junior in university. I attended the elementary school affiliated with the university. Aunt Vương returned to her old profession, finding a relaxing job at a livestock farm in the suburbs.

Time silently passed, and each of us was stepping toward a brighter future.

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