That night passed very quietly.

  No one mentioned the events of the afternoon again.

  Thuong Sinh still built the fire as usual, checked the traps, walked a round about the familiar forest. But his footsteps were slower than before, his eyes often stopped for a long time at things he had never noticed before: the moss on the rocks, the wind direction, the distance from the dwelling to the stream.

  Lam Thanh Moc sat by the fire, lulling Thuong An to sleep. The boy slept well, his breath even, his small hand clutching the hem of her shirt.

  The first day.

  They still lived as before.

  Picking tubers, checking traps, drying food.

  But both knew that it could be the "as before" for the last time.

  Lam Thanh Moc quietly arranged the belongings. Not much. A few sets of old clothes, a small knife, a little herbal medicine she had accumulated. She did not ask, Thuong Sinh did not speak. Only when she finished folding, did he quietly place the sword that had been wrapped in cloth more neatly, tying it firmly behind his back.

  The second day.

  Thuong An was a bit fussy at dawn.

  No fever. No illness, just a very slight discomfort.

  But Lam Thanh Moc lost sleep the whole morning.

  Thuong Sinh said nothing, only held the child longer than usual. He stood by the stream, letting the cold water flow over his hands, his eyes deeply darkened.

  In the afternoon, he took the initiative to speak first.

  "If we go, we leave right tomorrow."

  Lam Thanh Moc did not ask why. She only nodded.

  The third day.

  The sky was cloudy.

  They woke up very early. Extinguishing the fire, erasing footprints around the dwelling, checking one last time. The wooden house still stood there, silent, as if no one had ever lived there.

  Before leaving, Lam Thanh Moc turned her head to look back once, her eyes lingering; the beautiful memories of her, Thuong Sinh and also Thuong An all lay in this place.

  Thuong Sinh stood beside her, not urging.

  "When you regret it." he said very softly.

  "I will go back with you."

  She shook her head.

  They left the forest, following the old stream, heading toward Iron City.

  The road leaving the deadly forest was longer than the time entering.

  Not because of the distance, but because each step carried something left behind.

  At noon that day, they looked at the outer edge of Iron City.

  Rusted metal towers rose up like the spine of a giant steel monster. Thin smoke drifted hazily, the sound of machinery echoed far away; not noisy but never stopping.

  They began to follow the flow of people, through the north guard gate; when Thuong Sinh and Lam Thanh Moc stood in line to enter at that time, there was a man who was sleepy in the glass room looking at the flow of people submitting materials to enter, then he saw Thuong Sinh.

  Thuong Sinh still dressed as before, Thanh Phong Leather Armor was still draped outside with thorny black-green color; Trach Huyet Sword was wrapped in cloth placed at his hip in a familiar position.

  The man saw him and immediately woke up completely; because he recognized the person in front, the right eye had a scar, behind the hip wore a sword wrapped in bandages; one year ago he had met this person once and never forgot that moment.

  He immediately stood up and hurriedly went outside; at this time Thuong Sinh was paying the entry fee, the toll collector was a fat man whose eyes glanced over Thuong Sinh and Lam Thanh Moc behind who was holding Thuong An in her heart.

  "The goods are enough, but…"

  Thuong Sinh slightly narrowed his eyes; the words of the man in front suddenly made him remember an unpleasant memory.

  "Let them pass!"

  The guard went outside, hurriedly spoke to the fat man, making the fat man confused; he intended to say something but was startled by the guard's angry eyes looking at him; the fat man hurriedly opened the gate for the two people to pass.

  Thuong Sinh and Lam Thanh Moc went through the gate; before passing, he looked at the guard a bit then shifted his eyes, then moved forward, not turning his head back.

  When the two figures went far away, then the guard breathed a sigh of relief.

  The fat man was curious, immediately spoke softly.

  "Brother, who are they?"

  The guard immediately turned around to look at him, eyes of pity.

  "I just saved your life, you fat man!"

  "...." The fat man was dazed not understanding, looking at him.

  "Is he a big shot? Why did I not see anything special."

  "One year ago…"

  What?

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  "One year ago… also at this north gate."

  "That day there were two people entering the city. One male, one female."

  "That man… also carried a sword wrapped in bandages like that. Right eye had a scar."

  "At that time I stood behind the checkpoint, only in charge of bookkeeping, not directly collecting fees."

  He laughed bitterly once.

  "There was a fool, who wanted to play tricks with the woman going with him."

  The fat man was startled.

  "Immediately had one hand cut off by him, hit by poison and died shortly after."

  The fat man heard that, his spine went cold, the sweat on his forehead flowed like rain; he just had a stupid intention to do something with the woman beside him.

  "Probably next time I won't dare look at women anymore."

  The guard did not answer that teasing word. He only glanced at the fat man once, eyes cold.

  "It is good to remember that."

  The fat man smiled wryly, reached out to wipe the sweat, not daring to say anything more.

  —

  This side Thuong Sinh and Lam Thanh Moc had stood before the main gate of Iron City; the smell of machine oil, the smell of human sweat hit them when the two of them began to enter the main gate.

  "In a blink it has been one year." Lam Thanh Moc looked up around sighing.

  "Let's go."

  Thuong Sinh walked beside holding her hand leading her through the flow of people; the two of them relied on the address on the piece of paper that the other person gave, he asked around knowing where it was, then stopped at a large old wooden house; seemingly a large inn, he pushed the wooden door stepping in, inside was a low lobby, the wooden ceiling was dark because of oil smoke accumulated for many years.

  The smell of thin wine mixed with the smell of rusted metal and human sweat hung in the air.

  He just stepped in and saw a table, three people were sitting at a table, as if they were waiting for them.

  The middle-aged man was sipping tea, suddenly saw them, his face was happy putting down the small tea cup.

  He stood up, stepped to the front of the two people; not stepping fast, also not appearing in a hurry. Just a very natural movement, as if having waited for this moment to happen.

  "Finally you have come." His voice was not loud, not small just enough.

  Thuong Sinh did not answer him.

  Lam Thanh Moc only slightly nodded as if answering him.

  "Sit down, we will depart after eating this meal."

  The two people respectively went to the seats opposite the two young men in front; the middle-aged man sat in the middle at the head of the table.

  Cough… cough…

  "First I introduce a bit." He said hoarsely to Thuong Sinh and Lam Thanh Moc.

  "My name is Tran Tinh Gia."

  "Those two are respectively Tran Tu Binh and Tran Huy Thong."

  That Tran Tu Binh was a thin tall man, long face wearing glasses. As for the other one, a man of average height, he had a mole right at the right edge under the mouth.

  The two people heard the captain introduce, both looked at Thuong Sinh and Lam Thanh Moc nodding.

  Lam Thanh Moc also nodded greeting.

  Thuong Sinh looked at the two people in front.

  Greeting

  Tran Tinh Gia smiled nodding looking at that scene, then called the shop owner to bring food up.

  After ordering the food, he looked over Thuong An in the arms of Lam Thanh Moc; he smiled looking at Lam Thanh Moc.

  "I also did not expect, the little girl I held when young now has a child already."

  "The child, is a boy or a girl?"

  Lam Thanh Moc looked at him, smiled softly saying.

  "It is a boy."

  Good

  Tran Tinh Gia's face, the smile became even more intense; very satisfied looking at Thuong An, then looking at Thuong Sinh who was sitting with a cold face, sipping the tea cup in front.

  A while later the food was brought up; a plate of thin boiled pork not much, a plate of vegetables, and finally a bowl of thin porridge.

  A meal looking seemingly simple, but in the end times right now it was already a luxury item.

  "Eat, eat don't be shy."

  Tran Tinh Gia moved the chopsticks first, picked a thin piece of pork and put it into the bowl of Lam Thanh Moc; he looked at her like a niece that he had not met for a long time.

  Lam Thanh Moc did not refuse, only nodded thanking him.

  Thuong Sinh also picked a piece of vegetable and put it into her bowl.

  "Eat."

  "Um, thank you."

  Tran Tinh Gia sitting beside seeing that scene, the smile on his face became even more intense, looking at the two young couple.

  When they finished eating, Tran Tinh Gia looked at the person beside; Tran Tu Binh understood the meaning, stood up going to the counter to pay, a stack of thin supply papers was given to the shop owner.

  "Alright, our car is outside let's go."

  He led the way speaking to the four people behind, then went outside; a military-standard Jeep car in shiny black was parked outside the inn nearby.

  Tran Huy Thong immediately went to the front opening the door for Lam Thanh Moc and Tran Tinh Gia.

  "Thank you." Lam Thanh Moc holding Thuong An looked at Tran Huy Thong, then went in first; then Thuong Sinh leaned his body into the car following.

  When everyone had all gotten into the car, the car engine started; the car shook violently roaring up, the big wheels began to roll, heading straight toward the outer gate of Iron City.

  Inside the car, the atmosphere was a bit quiet; Tran Tinh Gia sat in the front seat beside the driver, occasionally he looked in the rearview mirror looking at the two young people in the back.

  Lam Thanh Moc gently tapped Thuong An, making the child sleep without being startled.

  Thuong Sinh sat beside, following Thuong An bit by bit; he was afraid the boy could not adapt in the car, because when being outside and in the car it was very different.

  Not disappointing Thuong Sinh's worry, when the car began to turn left, shifting wheels going to another direction; Thuong An in the heart of Lam Thanh Moc suddenly woke up.

  Suddenly the boy burst into tears crying loudly, echoing in the car space.

  Waa…waa…

  Thuong An's crying voice tore through the quiet atmosphere in the car; Tran Tinh Gia in the front turned his head back looking at Thuong An in the heart of Lam Thanh Moc.

  He glanced at Tran Huy Thong a bit.

  Tran Huy Thong immediately felt a gaze beside looking intently at him, making him break out in a cold sweat.

  "Go slower."

  Yes

  The crying voice of the child was like drilling into the eardrum in the narrow space of the Jeep car. Tran Tu Binh heard the order, immediately braked; the car speed slowed down clearly, the engine sound also shifted to a dull sound, less roaring to avoid making Thuong An more panicked.

  Lam Thanh Moc was a bit flustered, she hurriedly hugged the child tightly; one hand tapped gently on Thuong An's back, voice trembling: "Good boy, mother is here... it's okay, mother is here..."

  Tran Tinh Gia sitting in the front, his eyes looking at Thuong An did not have any sign of being uncomfortable; on the contrary also carried a bit of worry.

  He saw Lam Thanh Moc holding Thuong An incorrectly, he glanced at her; he also sympathized with the girl, he hurriedly spoke to Lam Thanh Moc.

  "You are holding him in a way that makes the boy uncomfortable."

  Lam Thanh Moc was soothing Thuong An, suddenly looked at him; ashamed a bit, indeed this was the first time she was a mother, not having much experience or being taught.

  "Give the boy to me."

  His voice was not grumpy, gentle.

  Thuong Sinh sitting beside, he looked at him a bit also did not speak to prevent; the deep violet-black eyes looked at him a bit more deeply.

  Lam Thanh Moc was a bit hesitant, she looked at Thuong Sinh as if to ask for opinion. Seeing him not objecting, she then carefully gave Thuong An to the front seat side.

  Tran Tinh Gia received the child with big hands, full of calluses; he turned his body slightly, placed Thuong An lying tilted on his arm, one hand supporting the nape, the other hand tapped gently on the child's butt according to an even rhythm.

  "The boy had the pressure change when the car accelerated so the ears rang." Tran Tinh Gia explained, voice low and unusually warm.

  "Don't hold pressed against the chest too much, he will find it hard to breathe."

  He slightly swayed his body according to the car rhythm; his mouth mumbled some old melody that perhaps only people of the old generation knew.

  Thuong An who was wailing suddenly sobbed a few times; the eyes wet with water looked intently at the haggard face in front. Just a few minutes later, the crying voice smaller then fell silent; the child began to doze off again under Tran Tinh Gia's even tapping rhythm.

  Lam Thanh Moc breathed a sigh of relief, eyes looked at him with gratitude: "Thank you uncle,... I am really not very used to it."

  Tran Tinh Gia smiled, his eyes showed a look of nostalgia.

  "It's okay, I also have several children… so I know clearly how to take care of children."

  The black Jeep car at this time went out of the main gate of Iron City running fast through the far northern direction.

  Thuong Sinh sitting beside Lam Thanh Moc, from beginning to end he did not say anything; only looked at him a bit more, it seemed outside him and Lam Thanh Moc then probably there was a person truly caring about the boy.