When it was late at night, the competition also entered the awarding stage, and the piano category was announced first.
In the villa where there was no longer a distance between the mistress and the maid.
Mai Hoang held Thi San's hand and anxiously waited for the important moment.
The awards were announced in order from lowest to highest. The list started with three consolation prizes and then third and second prizes.
Every time the MC called the contestant's name to receive the award, both of them had a drop in blood pressure.
- They gave the second prize to the contestant but Thang Vu's name has not been called yet. Maybe he failed. - Mai Hoang was worried like a child.
Thi San looked at the person next to her and she couldn't believe that Mai Hoang was the leader of Thang Minh Company after her husband passed away.
According to Tam Lan said Thang Minh Company was a very successful and famous company specializing in construction and real estate trading in this city.
- I think he will win first prize. Thi San said confidently.
Finally, the moment to announce the first prize came.
The female pianist who won last year's award solemnly stepped up from the delegate seats at the invitation of the MC to announce this year's champion.
Thi San looked at that girl and her heart skipped a beat.
- This year's first prize in the piano category went to...
The female pianist smiled brightly and then she was silent for a long time, making the two spectators sitting in front of the TV screen unable to breathe.
Mai Hoang clicked her tongue and secretly blamed the girl for her procrastination.
- Congratulations ... the artist ... Thang Vu Truong.
At this moment, the entire audience seemed to burst into emotion. Everyone stood up and applauded this year's new champion.
Thang Vu humbly stepped onto the stage and bowed to everyone, then he said a few words of thanks and his feelings. He also did not forget to thank the mother who gave birth to him, raised him, taught him, and encouraged him.
Mai Hoang choked and cried, then she turned to hug Thi San.
When Thang Vu won the award, she was just happy, but when she heard her son's thanks on television, her emotions overflowed and she couldn't hold back her tears.
- Thang Vu won the first prize. - Mai Hoang removed her hand from Thi San's body and she quickly wiped away her tears.
- Congratulations to you and him. Thang Vu is so good, I admire him very much. - Thi San smiled and said.
- Yes, Thang Vu will return home in two days. Okay, I'm going to my room. You should go to sleep too. It's already too late. I'll take you to the market tomorrow.
- Yes.
Thi San waited for Mai Hoang to enter the room before she carefully turned off the light and went back upstairs.
Although she was not blood-related to Mai Hoang and Thang Vu, she felt happy and proud when she lived with them.
His handsome and gentle face next to the piano reminded her of the princes in the dreams of young girls.
She secretly envied Nha Tien, his childhood friend.
In the large room on the other side, Mai Hoang happily chatted and praised her talented son.
After Thang Vu received the award, he went out and called his mother.
- Mom, don't praise me anymore, it's just luck. - Thang Vu said softly.
- If my child is good, I will praise him. Luck is only one percent. Don't blame luck.
Thang Vu smiled when he heard Mai Hoang's sulky and humorous words. He knew that her health was not good. Her blood pressure went up and down erratically, so he wanted her to always be happy, not sad, or worried about anything.
He wished she could live with him longer. Fortunately, his mother was the one who always kept her composure in front of everything.
- Ok. I will book a plane ticket for tonight. Well, I have to go inside. I have to go on stage again to finish.
After a gentle "yes" on the other side of the phone, Thang Vu hung up the phone and went inside.
When he just turned his head, he saw Nha Tien's sparkling eyes.
She smiled and congratulated him.
A few minutes ago, she followed him and she heard he was calling Mai Hoang, so she waited quietly.
- Congratulations to you. Is it because this morning's breakfast was delicious? I guessed right, and you won first prize.
- Nha Tien, you are still young. Try to practice more and then return to this arena. Do not give up. - He gently encouraged.
- Yes, I will try. If the next contest doesn't have you, then I will win the prize.
Thang Vu felt more secure when he heard Nha Tien say that. She did not win any prizes in this contest.
The International Piano Competition had a rule that not everyone who entered the final would win a prize, big or small like in other competitions, so there was no consolation.
He didn't know that for Nha Tien, the trophy, the certificate of merit, or even the fame was not important. She just wanted to own his heart. She just wanted to be with him day and night, and the two of them would become a happy couple.
This dream of Nha Tien was not a moment of infatuation when she stood in front of the bright sunlight, but it was nurtured from the days when she did not know how to love.
She could even give up everything to obediently stay at home, became a good wife, and did jobs such as cooking, washing, ironing, and taking care of children for him.
- We'll go out to eat after the show ends. Let's quickly go inside.
He hurriedly walked back inside as soon as he finished speaking.
Nha Tien happily followed behind him. She just needed him to shine, and she walked beside him and she also benefited from this bright aura.
When glittering flares covered the stage and fell on the contestants' hair, the show ended.
Thang Vu shook hands to say goodbye to everyone, then he and Nha Tien got into a taxi and moved to a nearby restaurant to have a meal because he and she were both hungry.
- I want to go home with you, but because my friend begged me to stay here for a few days, she is the minister's daughter, so I couldn't refuse her. - Nha Tien said sadly while her hand was holding the knife and cutting the meat, but the piece of meat was still intact.
- Let me help you.
Thang Vu reached out his hand to take Nha Tien's plate, then he carefully cut the meat into small pieces.
Although Nha Tien's heart was touched at this moment, it was accompanied by a feeling of extreme sadness.
He didn't take care of her in the first place and that proves he didn't care about her as a man cares about a woman.
- Your food is here. - Thang Vu said and returned the plate to its original place.
- Thank you. - She smiled and replied.
After the two of them finished eating, they went back to the hotel together.
Thang Vu took a shower, then he took a quick nap so that he could go to the airport at night because he did not want to appear in front of his mother with a tired, emaciated appearance. He was afraid that she would be heartbroken and worried, which affected her health.
Time passed and the hand of the clock turned faster than expected by Thang Vu.
When he heard the ring of the preset alarm, he woke up dreamily.
After a long sleep, he still felt tired and lost his balance. He thought to himself that maybe because of the time difference between the two countries, his body was not used to it and became weak like this.
Thang Vu packed his things into a small suitcase, and then he looked around the room. He whispered goodbye to inanimate objects and turned his back to walk away.
He was always like that. Others looked at him and thought he was indifferent, but his heart was extremely sensitive and very profound. Even he admitted that if he loved someone, he would love her until his last breath.
- I will see you off to the airport. - Nha Tien suddenly appeared in front of him and enthusiastically proposed.
- Why don't you rest? - Thang Vu lowered his voice and asked.
- Because I'm going to have a meeting with friends near the airport, I followed you. Please agree. - She made a hurried face.
- If convenient, let's go together. I thought you were going there just to see me off.
Thang Vu gently nodded. His loose hair fluttered slightly, causing the opposite girl to vibrate.
Nha Tien knew that his action was instead of a signal telling her to come along, so she was happy and immediately followed him.
She was exhausted and her appointment with the Foreign Minister's daughter was tomorrow morning, but because she wanted to be closer to him, she lied.
After Thang Vu put all his luggage in the taxi, the two of them quickly opened the door and entered.
The taxi went straight to the international airport.
The flight that Thang Vu had purchased tickets for would take off and leave the runway at eight o'clock at night.
Nha Tien knew that when both of them arrived at the airport, Thang Vu would take care of the formalities, and then he would leave because it was already seven o'clock.
- Brother, next month is Mr. Thanh Phong's birthday. On that day, please come to my house to pick me up. - Nha Tien spoke up.
- Okay. I will come and pick you up. The time is still long.
Thang Vu replied, but his eyes were still directed to the two sides of the road as if he wanted to save this fast-moving film. He loved the city of thousands of flowers and lights, but deep in his heart, he loved the peaceful countryside more.
Although he knew he had to continue the unfinished business that his father had built in this bustling metropolis, he still dreamed of living his whole life in a small house in the countryside beside his wife and children.
He would take care of that house by himself and he would plant a lot of sunflowers around the house so that early in the morning they would simultaneously turn to the East to catch the sun.
On the morning of the first day of the week, Thi San got up early and followed Mai Hoang to the market because Mai Hoang had an appointment with a customer at seven o'clock. Although the company was still off today, Mai Hoang could not refuse their invitation. Thi San saw that Mai Hoang was very professional with the steering wheel, so she admired the mistress very much. She wished someday she could do it like Mai Hoang. The distance from the villa to the market was not too far. On the way to the market, Thi San attentively noticed and memorized the names of the signboards of large centers or small shops so that she wouldn't get lost when she was alone. - The market is here. Mai Hoang smiled and quickly unbuckled her seat belt, then she opened the door and walked out. Thi San also hurried to do the same as the mistress and she did not forget to hold the plastic basket in her hand. This decades-old market had all kinds of goods, including necessities, household goods, and fresh g
The car lights flashed at half-past eight at night, and the bell rang. Thi San quickly took the key and ran out to open the gate for the young master. Because when the door opened, she was standing in the dark, so Thang Vu couldn't see her. He slowly drove straight into the garage. When he pulled his suitcase down and turned around, he realized that a petite girl in a blue dress was running toward him. The young man's brow furrowed slightly. He sighed softly because he thought his mother brought this girl home to match him. - Let me help you carry the suitcase up to the room. - Thi San suggested in a low voice. Her round face and shoulder-length hair had a few ripples from her hair tie, and her words made him realize she was a new maid from the countryside. - Let me carry it. You're wearing a skirt. It's not convenient. Thang Vu pointed the key towards the car and pressed the door lock button, then he leisurely left. Thi San quietly looked behind him for a few seconds and the
At five o'clock in the morning, Thi San woke up and started working. After she finished brushing her teeth and washing her face, she quickly carried her basket to buy food. The early morning road between the villas was quite deserted because the houses were still closed. Thi San followed the signs of the shops and she easily reached the market. Pity for her. Yesterday, she and Mai Hoang came here at six o'clock in the morning and the umbrellas used to block the sun had already been moved, so the junction was empty, but now there are many umbrellas, so the strange sight made her bewildered. She didn't know the location of the beef seller. Thi San walked back and forth for a while, then asked the chicken saleswoman to show her the way to the beef stall. Fortunately for Thi San, the chicken saleswoman was very enthusiastic. She immediately asked her husband to look after the stall and then she took the country girl to the place. - This is where your mother-in-law usually buys. - The
The interview took place as a normal conversation. The two of them did not create any pressure on each other. Thang Vu told Tan Vinh about his journey to the professional music path that brought him to this glorious peak. Thang Vu was born into a family that did not follow the artistic tradition, but because of his endless passion for the piano and he realized that this art field was very large, he volunteered and toddled on the first notes. There were days when he sat all morning just to play a piece of music continuously. - I've noticed that your piano-playing style has changed over the years. – Tan Vinh happily said. - Right. I use my mind and think more, not following the instinctive gameplay like before. I aim for a professional performance style. Tan Vinh nodded slightly. The brilliant profile with countless achievements and awards that Thang Vu achieved had proven his long strides on his journey to the world today, where professionalism had always played a central role be
Two shiny cars left the cafe one after another and ran straight to the luxury villa area. When the car arrived, Thang Vu immediately got out of the car and reached out to ring the bell twice. Then he leaned back against the pillar and turned his face to the street to wait. Thanh Phong was busy texting Thanh Tra. He told her to call him fifteen or twenty minutes before she wanted to go home because he was worried that if she called him too late, she would have to wait a long time. A few minutes later, the unlocking sound rang and Thi San appeared. The gate was designed in the way of pulling inward, so it completely covered the girl behind the iron bars. Thi San waited for the two cars to pass through the gate, then she quickly closed the gate and hurried back into the house because she was still cooking. When the two men were still chatting in the garage, the girl was already in the kitchen. - Thi San, today a friend of mine came to my house to have lunch. Please prepare food for
Thanh Phong talked with Thang Vu for about twenty minutes when Thanh Tra called to ask him to come to pick her up. Although no one told anyone, both men simultaneously shrugged their shoulders and shook their heads because they understood the nature of that lunch. - Remember to come to my birthday party. It's about a month away. I have already invited you. If you say busy on that day, I will be angry with you. - Thanh Phong winked, spoke, and stood up. - I know, Nha Tien has also reminded me. It's your birthday, but she remembers it very well. Thang Vu replied and followed in his friend's footsteps. Nha Tien was close with Thang Vu and Thang Vu was close with Thanh Phong and they share the same roof as the Academy of Music, so people often say that they are a trio when walking side by side. When the two men walked down to the living room and saw Thi San in the front yard pruning leaves for the potted plants, both of them stood still and stared at her for a few seconds. A little
At five o'clock in the afternoon, Thi San had just finished cooking when Mai Hoang returned. When the car door just opened and her feet touched the ground, she repeatedly waved her hand to signal the maid to quickly approach her. Just now, Mai Hoang stopped at a clothing shop on the street and bought some clothes for Thi San. These clothes can be worn at home or out on the street, plus three more dresses the same size as the one she gave Thi San to wear on the day Thang Vu returned and two pairs of jeans and a T-shirt. - What do you need me to do? - Thi San politely spoke up. - Come into the house with me, see what I have for you. Mai Hoang grabbed Thi San's small hand and pulled the maid to follow her. Her dream from the past was to have a little daughter so that when she saw beautiful clothes, hats, or shoes, she would buy them for her daughter to wear and when her daughter grew up, they would do makeup, walk, go shopping, and going to coffee shops together. However, she only
After the night rain, the trees in the garden and the tamarind trees along the two sides of the road seemed to be young again, and the surrounding was covered with a green color that made everyone feel fresh when looking at them. As soon as Thi San came back from the market, she put down the basket and put the blankets and clothes she washed separately by hand in the basket and brought it to the terrace to dry. The early morning wind still carried the cold air and blew against the tanned skin and made Thi San shiver a little. The white sheets of the bed covered her surroundings and made her not realize that someone was standing still, watching her. It wasn't until she reached out to straighten the blanket that she saw Thang Vu peeking behind the white cloth, and he was also wearing a white shirt. - Mr. Thang Vu - Thi San said softly. - Yeah. Thi San, early this afternoon, please follow me to a place. - Thang Vu softly suggested. - Where will we go and what will we do? - She hesi