A widow lived alone in a hut by the sea. She sold tea to travelers to live. One day, a traveler went in her hut. After he drank, he went away but left his bag at there. The widow opened the bag and realized it was full of silver. Therefore, she took the bag and stored it in her bed room. Few days later, the traveler came back in hurry. His face turned white. She immediately knew what he want, she brought the bag and returned him. All things were still in the bag as the traveler checked. To show his grateful, the traveler divided the silver in two and gave her a half. But, the widow shook her head.
“I won’t take it”, she said, “I will not take anything without working to have them”.
He insisted but she refused.
“You know, if I was greedy, I will not sell tea to have each coin”, she added.
The traveler seemed not to give up. At last, he said:
“I don’t want to hide you I am a geomancer who walked around and find area which spread mysterious energy. Anyone who was buried in the area will have their offspring successful, being mandarins or rich men. You are a woman who is kind and besides, you is not greedy. Therefore, I want to help you have a rare area. Now, you can lead me to your parent’s tomb, I will do the rest”.
“You can see I was old and alone so how can I have something successful or give birth to any child at this age. I feel satisfied with things I have at moment”, she said.
“It doesn’t take you much time I just found a rare are near. The area will help your offspring be powerful mandarin. Is it not good, if you will have a mandarin taking care of you when you are older?”
She didn’t want much but he continued convincing her. At last, she agreed leading him to her parent’s tomb. He helped her reburied her parent. Before he left, he told her that helping others would bring the fortunate early.
Some months passed. A night, it rained violently.
“Knock, knock”, someone knocked on her door. She opened the door and saw a fisher who was wet, trembling because of cold.
The fisher was a person who lived in neighbor village. That night, he went to sea to fish but he met the rain and couldn’t go back home because of cold. Therefore, he went there and requested to stay a night.
She felt sorry as she saw the man trembling, going pale under rain. She helped him to go in home, burned the fireplace for him to warm. Later, she cooked some food and gave him. That time was winter it was very cold so the kindness woman let the man lay on her only bed while she lay on ground. But she couldn’t sleep because of cold so she went to bed and helped herself lie next to the man.
The man woke up after a fast sleep. That was midnight. Two people, a man and a woman, lay on the same bed. Couldn’t prevent themselves, they had sex with the other. Unfortunately, he died after having sex.
She was forced to bury him in that night to avoid all notices because she couldn’t explain how he died. She turned back home and lived her normal life as previous days.
But, she couldn’t have days like the previous because she was pregnant. Her belly turned bigger each week and gave birth to a son after forty weeks. She ignored all rumors curses others gave her to take care of her son.
The son grew up prettily and healthily. One day, when he was walking along the shore, finding some conchs, a man approached him and had a conversation with him. The man really liked the little boy front his face, pretty and clever. Therefore, he convinced the boy to go on his boat. He brought the boy away after they went on boat. That time, the boy was four years old.
The widow, on other side, ran to anywhere she could think about to find her son but he couldn’t find. At last, she thought her son had died in water so she stopped finding, came back home and lived the rest of life lonely as before.
The kidnapper was a trader. His last name was Giap living in Dinh Ke village. Because he didn’t have any son, he kidnapped the son. He gave the boy his last name Giap and besides, he named him Hai. He forced the boy, now Hai Giap, to call him dad and treated him like his real son.
When Hai Giap was six years old, he went to school. He was intelligent that when he was nine years old he was the second person passing local contest but he failed the contest which was used to choose candidates to participate in the contest held by the king twice. Therefore, his father sent him to capital to follow a famous teacher there.
One day, while he was on the way going to his class, he met a fisher who caught a turtle and intended to sell for people to slaughter. Suddenly, he felt sorrow for the turtle so he asked the fisher to buy it. He gave the fisher money then brought th turtle away. He took the turtle to the inn he was staying, put it into his drawer. He went to his class every morning and came back the inn at noon. He cooked and shared the turtle his lunch.
Several days later, when he came back after class, he was surprised as he saw delicious dishes had been on his table but he didn’t think much he sat down and enjoyed them. The tomorrow and the day after the tomorrow the thing still happened like that. He felt curious so he decided to find out who was helping him. One day, he went to class but he turned back when he was at half way. He stood outside the door, looked through the hole on it. That was the turtle which went out his drawer then a beautiful girl appeared in a smoke cloud, left the empty turtleshell on ground. Hurriedly, he broke in, took the turteshell, put it in his drawer and locked so the girl couldn’t hide herself. She bowed her head in shyness.
“I am a princess who lives in castle on bottom of sea. I was caught by a fisher and you are so kind saving me. Therefore, I decided to stay here and help you something to thank you”, she said.
They lived together like a couple from that time. One day, she told him.
“My parent must remember me so much. I want to go back home and also want you to visit to my home”
“How can I if I was only a human?”, he asked.
“Don’t worry. You only need give back me the turtleshell, I will bring you”, she said.
“You see I am studying for the next contest so it is not time to go”, he said.
“Oh! Don’t worry! We had a guest who was valedictorian. He will help you in studying”, she said.
Had nothing satisfied more he followed her to the shore. She changed into a huge turtle went toward the sea. Water was parted, showed up the bottom. He walked after her on the bottom. They arrived to the castle under the sea after few hours. The king of sea was very happy as he saw his daughter again. He ordered servants to hold a party, treated him very well, his daughter’s saver. The party lasted for few days. He was led to Luong, the valedictorian, after that. He was happy because Luong was a good teacher. Luong helped him very much in learning.
Time crossed. He had been in castle under sea for three years. One day, king of sea called and hurried him to go back ground to participate in contest in time. He heard that year the king would organized a contest. Hai Giap had no time to come back his home he immediately came back his inn and prepared for the contest. That time he passed the candidate-contest and continued in the king-contest. He became the valedictorian of the king-contest. That was enough 11 years from the time he went to castle under sea to the time he was valedictorian.
His father thought that he was missing that he had cried so much. But, one day, he heard the name of the valedictorian who was none but his son. Hurriedly, he requested servants to decorate house and waited for his son to come back. That was an old custom the valedictorian would come back his hometown, make a ceremony to show his gratitude to his ancestors, his family and also let people know that he had passed the king-contest, before the king appointed him. But, when he came back, a rumor was spread.
“He was not born here. Giap is not his father. Here has nothing, his hometown, his family or his ancestors”.
The rumor made him doubt. Course, he could easily realized that he looked different to his recent family but he didn’t want to ask his father. Therefore, he ordered his servants to find the truth privately. Then, a neighbor whispered to him that Giap had no son but he always wanted one so he was kidnapped to bring to there. Hai Giap turned more confused ever.
One time, he went to coastal area he met an old woman who was over seventy years old but alone. He ordered his servant to approached her and asked about her family. The servant came back and let him know that the woman had only a son but he was missing when he was four years old so she lived alone.
Though he didn’t know if the woman was his mother, he asked the servant to turn back, invite her to his house.
“My master wants to invite you to our house, being our guest. He wants to take care of you. Do you want to go with us?”
“I'm so grateful”, she said.
Then, she followed them to their house. She was served food, clothes and other things she needed. That meant she was treated as if she was mother of Hai Giap. One day, she suddenly bursted into tears when she saw him, Hai Giap.
“Why do you cry?” asked people.
“That is the mole. My son also has a mole like you on his right leg. I remember him”, she said, looking at Hai Giap.
That time, Hai Giap was sure that the woman front his face now was his mother. He called her mom and hugged her in his arms. They both bursted in tears. On other side, his recent father knew that he couldn’t hide anymore so he admitted his sin. Hai Giap didn’t punish him because he had taken care of him for years that made him grateful. Therefore, Hai Giap still took care of his false parent as his real parent.
Years later, Hai Giap followed the king’s words going to Son Nam and choosing candidates who would participate in king-contest. The questions he gave them were too difficult that almost of them couldn’t pass. Therefore, they planned to break up the exam location. He immediately changed the questions to prevent them and besides, ordered soldiers to find out who was leader of them. Later, soldiers got the student. Though the plan was not yet done, he forced the student to die. The parent of the student went and begged him to forgive their son. They cried so much but he was in strong anger so he didn’t hear them.
Short time later, his son, Phong Giap, died without any disease that made him very sad. He had invited wizards to his house and did magic to bring him to the hell to meet his son one more time but none could make him satisfied.
One day, a mage went to his house, asked guard to meet him. The mage looked lowly in his shabby clothes. He really hated people who called themselves mages, cheated to have money so he didn’t meet him. But, the mage insisted that he would leave only if he met him. When they met, the mage stared at his eyes.
“Still want to meet your son, don’t you?” said the mage.
“Yes, I do”, he said.
The mage took out a paper and read something that people around there all didn’t understand. Later, Hai Giap was surrounded by darkness he didn’t know where he was. The mage led him toward the light. Later, the broke in an area which looked like a human city, full of light, people and houses. They continued walking hours that he felt tired but didn’t dare to stop. At last, they arrived to a mansion which was guarded carefully. They slowed down. The mage led him to a corridor which led to the back of the mansion. From distance he could see his son who was playing chess with someone but guards prevent. He asked them to meet his son. A guard walked toward his son and the other. His son ignored the guard. Till the chess match finished.
“Do you know the man?” said the other.
“Yes, I know. I have ever stayed in his house for 20 years but he has ever killed a student so didn’t want to stay there more I left”, said his son.
Hai Giap suddenly woke up. He realized his son’s death seemed to be the result of the thing he had done before. He called the parent of the student he had killed to his home, gave them money and help them do a feast for their son.
THE END
"Translator: Hung Nguyen"
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