Ms. Van *

1 Speed!
The order to march to support the battlefield in the South.The soldiers still in their miner's clothes put down their hammers, took up their guns and crossed Truong Son to save the country.

Luc Dau Giang ferry terminal, American planes bombed fiercely day and night, smoke and bombs filled the air. The mining town on the shore of Ha Long Bay, houses were ruined, desolate, returning to the Stone Age. The US President proudly declared so!

Not afraid of falling bombs or exploding bullets, the army of miners lined up to cross the ferry, stretching for kilometers. Last night, they emerged from the mine, their faces still covered in coal dust, rubbed the head of their child sleeping on the bed, kissed their wife on the cheek, and hurried away.

At the top of the coal floor, next to the full trolleys, Mr. Nguyen Duc Binh, an electrical repairman, had invited his girlfriend out here for some quiet, holding her hand and whispering: "Wait for me to come back! We will have a big wedding on the vast and windy Bai Tu Long beach, honey!". Ms. Huong, a teacher and lover, quietly gave him a small scarf embroidered with two seagulls flying in the blue sky. Stroking the stray hair on his cheek, she softly sang:

"In the past, the sea had no sand like it does now. In the past, the sea had no waves lapping the shore... And the wind, the wind sang so softly. And the clouds, the clouds drifted so gently. The sea was innocent and the sea was not like it is now... Then one day you came, the sea sang for me to hear. The song had joy, so much joy...".

Not knowing which composer this song was, she sang the lyrics in a jumble, slowly, softly, with overflowing emotions. Mr. Nguyen Duc Binh lifted her hand to wipe away the tears, then slowly let it go, gently released it, following the footsteps of his comrades moving further and further away...

Twenty-two-year-old Bui Ngoc Diep, a mine technical officer and the only child in the family, had just been married for 10 days. He refused to study mining engineering in Poland and packed his backpack to set off. "Cut through Truong Son to save the country."

2 Engineer Vu Thanh Thien, from Thai Binh, received the news like a thunderbolt yesterday afternoon: "Mom is seriously ill, come back immediately to get married before she closes her eyes...".
A wedding to escape the funeral?War?Who to marry?So many questions.When studying in the countryside, Thien only knew Mai Hoa was the most beautiful in the class, but she was a bad student and couldn't pass any university entrance exams.Ngoc Lan wasn't very pretty either, but she was good at literature and was arrogant.Her father worked in the province, so Lan followed the political path.The other three children were all mediocre, none of them were to his liking.But mom called her back to get married, everything was in chaos.Last year, when she came home on leave, the eldest sister had chosen a place in the next village, this girl was two years older.She said: "Hue, the daughter of a martyr fighting against the French, is very virtuous, two years older for a girl, one year older for a boy, is beautiful".

Thinking about it, I realized that the eldest sister was smart. There were four siblings in the family. The second brother was a martyr who had no wife or children. The eldest and third sisters got married in a neighboring commune. Thien was the youngest and had to work far away, now he was in the army, who would take care of his old and weak mother? Marrying Hue, everything would be fine, only when you are older can you take care of it. Nowadays, young people are very different, if you are not careful, you will raise other people's children. The eldest sister learned from her own life experience, her first husband was also a martyr. He died in a battle with American planes at Ham Rong bridge. Widowed before she had a child of her own. She endured her pain and took care of her husband's family and fulfilled her duty as a wife. "Moving the sand" to give her husband "a peaceful grave", it was also the time to reduce the payroll so she quit her job, with a few lump sums of allowance.

After a while, her husband's family met again. They advised her that her life was still ahead of her... She remarried, but unexpectedly, her war martyr's wife benefits were cut off when she remarried. No matter how much she asked, she couldn't get any answers. She had to accept it, the law was the law. Her second husband was lazy, drank, and gambled. In such a situation, how could she support her mother?

Never mind, all the work at home is taken care of by my uncles, aunts and sisters. The road to the battlefield is a straight one, turning left and right means getting hit by stray bullets and a lifetime of criticism - "Roasted veal". Thien sat down and wrote a letter to his mother. Asking her to forgive him and set a date for victory, no matter who his sisters told him to marry, he would listen. By morning he had finished, put on his backpack and left without having time to put it in the post office box.

3 Two thousand miners of the Northeast Coal Basin trembled as they marched to the battlefield, honoring the tradition of "discipline - unity" of the heroic sons of the mining land.
Together they sang songs that "drenched the sound of bombs", fighting songs, songs of the beloved Fatherland.The oath resounded: "We will not return until we defeat the American invaders."

The women and mothers in the mining town rushed out to give gifts, sticky rice cakes, square glutinous rice cakes, and dried rations to eat gradually. The girls were busy giving each person a scarf. One embroidered with a pair of birds of peace. Another embroidered with two fighting cocks, the symbol of Ha Long Bay. Another with a notebook and a fountain pen. Tight handshakes. Warm kisses carrying the scent of soapberry to the battlefield.

Many letters from soldiers who had left in a hurry and had not yet been sent home were sent to someone who stayed behind to deliver them. Ms. Van, a postal worker, was in tears as she held a hat full of letters still smelling of ink, written the night before. Vu Thanh Thien put the letter in the hat and said softly: "Sister! My mother is calling me to get married. Should I do it now?". "You should go! I and all the girls of Vietnam will wait for you all our lives!".

Sister Van put her arms around Thien's neck, holding him tightly, tears waiting, slowly rolling down both of their cheeks. Thien said softly: "My mother is waiting to see the letter. Please send it on time, sister. Thank you very much". "See you on the day of victory, in Ha Long Bay".

Sister Van walked along the line of soldiers. She kissed each soldier on the cheek to say goodbye. Those were deep kisses on behalf of the mothers, wives, and lovers who had not had time to caress them before they hurriedly left.

Soldiers who did not receive letters wrote down their relatives' addresses, mailboxes, and hometowns in her notebook. All their faith and hope were placed in the hearts of love and humanity. Ms. Van...

4

The miners who went to war became legends, and once "frightened" the enemy. Foreign radio stations reported that "The special forces of the Vietnamese army, including all miners from the Mining Region, were marching to the South, an elite army". So the US army tried its best to drop bombs to destroy the marching route, hoping to stop a special force, highly disciplined, full of morale, on its way straight to the front line. The soldiers on the battlefield were elated, the people in the mine rear were even more confident with their hammers and guns. The large workers' cinema, with seven hundred seats, was still not enough for the audience. The cultural department organized outdoor film screenings, and every night thousands of people eagerly went to watch, following the footsteps of the miners on the battlefield through the documentary "War Diary". On the screen, each group of soldiers hurriedly climbed mountains and waded through streams. The battles were filled with bombs and bullets. The children sat down on the grass, looked up at the screen and shouted loudly: "Hey guys, there's my dad, gun in hand, charging, dad...". Another kid shouted loudly: "This is my dad, covered in camouflage leaves... there". In a flash, those images disappeared, no one could tell if they were right or wrong. Well, just let the soldier be your father, your uncle, your miner.

Unbeknownst to them, someone had eavesdropped on the "Chieu Hoi" program of Saigon Radio, the theme song was the song "Ngay Ve" by musician Hoang Giac. A Northern voice groaned: "Hey, liberation soldiers who are holding guns to fight for a blind ideal, put down your guns and surrender to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. Our homeland, old mothers and young children are waiting, our blood shed is the blood of the nation flowing. I was once a liberation soldier who crossed Truong Son to save the country, but I mistakenly stepped into the pool of blood of the nation, calling on everyone to quickly return, before our eyes is a beautiful, wide and open road...".

The next morning at the construction site, while waiting for the shift change, the conveyor belt drivers Hien, Hop, Cai... gathered together and whispered to each other. Hop quickly said:

- The one broadcasting on Chieu Hoi radio is Phung, the youngest son of the Phung family.It's him, still with the deep voice of a teenager, his face full of acne.
"Eggs are smarter than lice".Cai added:

- The day of the marching ceremony to the front, he hid in the bushes to hide, using the excuse of going to pee. He was so scared that he peed himself.

Hien smacked his lips: - Oh my, your daughter sells rotten shrimp paste mixed with young bricks, sells fish sauce mixed with water. Hundreds of people were poisoned at a wedding, three died. When caught, she escaped into the deep forest of Siu Man. Her whole family is traitors, they have the same genes.

Vu Thanh Thien was familiar with Phung, once Thien was unfairly beaten. Tuyet was running the pump in the pit. Thien went to check the technique and saw that the pump was not running, the water in the pit was rising, some equipment was about to be flooded. Tuyet lay sprawled next to the machine, unconscious.

Thien hurriedly carried her to the ambulance. When she was admitted to the hospital, her appendix had ruptured. The doctor from the province came back to wash her intestines for two hours. That night, Thien stayed to take care of her. After finishing her apprenticeship, Tuyet went to work at the mine, without any family or relatives. Late the next morning, the hospital room door slammed open, Phung rushed in, grabbed Thien's collar and punched him repeatedly in the face and stomach. Unable to resist, Thien fainted, blood filled his mouth. Everyone tried to stop him, words came and went loudly. Phung shouted loudly: "He's having an affair with my fiancee. Teach him a lesson." No one listened to the crazy guy, the security guard threw him out of the gate. After leaving the hospital, Tuyet declared that she had broken up with him and cut him off. The day Thien left for the battlefield, Tuyet arrived, the car had already left. Sitting in the car, looking back, Tuyet disappeared behind the coal wagons full of coal on the port.

The story of Phung, the son of the governor Phung, "carrying a roast" and surrendering to the enemy spread everywhere. Tuyet added more to make it complete. The truth was that we had to wait until the day of liberation, but we didn't know if we would still be alive, so we could carry our bodies back empty-handed? What a coward. After hearing the story, everyone said the same thing. Shameful!

The loudspeaker system of the Workers' Radio Station was brought to every house so that everyone could hear the daily victory news of the People's Army radio broadcast. Everyone was happy and convinced that the miners had captured Ta Con airport, Quang Tri, and then the Road Nine and Khe Sanh campaigns. In the "War Notebook" section, the announcer reported and commented eloquently: "The Nha Be fuel depot was on fire, tens of thousands of liters of fuel were burned. All reinforcements were surrounded, stopping the enemy's attacks all over the battlefield. Our soldiers returned safely, especially soldier Nguyen Duc Binh who was awarded the title of Brave American Destroyer...".

The whole Hoa Binh camp, everyone was shouting: "Is that Binh from the mechanical workshop?". "Who else, it's true, go find Huong and tell her."

While evacuating with the students in the bunker, teacher Huong and the students ran up and cheered: "Victory, victory! Brother Binh, come back quickly, Bai Tu Long is waiting, singing - so much fun...". Everyone pressed their straw hats to the ground, hugged each other and danced. Teacher Huong's heart gently vibrated with a low note of soldier's love, her heart felt warmer...

5 The good news from the rear of the Mining Region was as bright as the red sim flowers blooming in the forest.
The "Coal Production Campaign for the Beloved South" and then "Two hundred thousand tons of coal for the Unification of the Fatherland"...excited the whole country, helping the soldiers advance deep into the enemy's heart.

The passionate kisses and the image of the beautiful, gentle Van always followed Vu Thanh Thien, on every road of the country. Outside was the war and bombs, in his heart was a burning dream - Van. The first letter he received after the battle was from Van. Tears fell down, blurred, he read:

"...I have forwarded your letter to my mother. I miss you so much. Bombs are still exploding and destroying mines even after you are gone. I can hear your victory cheers in the distance amid the rumble of gunfire. The South has won, come back! I'm waiting."

That night, Thien hurriedly wrote: "Dear sister far away!
Can I call you that?Your mother must be very happy to receive the letter.She cried!I know she is emotional.The moment I put the letter in your hand, I liked you, believed in you.You helped me walk.War can destroy lives, but love remains forever.All day today I only traveled about two kilometers because the enemy dropped thousands of bombs to destroy Truong Son.I am sitting on a tree trunk in the burning forest, writing this letter to you.Life and death are not determined by days but by hours.All our lives, all our strength, what have we given to the country?

I will tell you more in the next letter.
I love you and miss you so much!"

After a long time, a comrade in the military post came through the forest, Thien hurriedly wrote back.The comrade in the military post took it and said: "Oh my!The smell of bombs, bullets, dirt and sand is the battlefield.Give it to me".Thien was stunned, standing and waiting."You have a new letter.Read it!".Overjoyed, Thien skipped to the stream bank, the soldiers who did not have letters ran after him to read.Here was Van's neat handwriting: "Dear brother!
Mom passed away!...".His eyes were dizzy, Thien did not know anything anymore, softly called "Mom, Mom...".

A soldier continued reading: "I have returned to my mother.
She was so happy!Before closing her eyes, she saw her daughter-in-law.Knowing that she was longing for me, I took the risk of not asking for your permission.I wore a mourning scarf and took her to her final resting place.Forgive me, my brother.After you return victorious, whether you love me or marry me is up to you.That's how it must be, my brother.Mother passed away peacefully.You are at peace on the battlefield.It's not just me, everyone in this country is the same.Tears fall for the sorrow and anguish.Tears fall for the longing for Peace...".

The whole squad was in tears, in the middle of the deep forest there was not a single stick of incense. The squad leader read the letter out loud like an order. A minute of mourning, heads bowed in silence. In the sky the planes were still roaring, bombs and bullets were still rumbling. The squad followed the army to the Central Highlands.

The war was getting more and more fierce, the soldiers had to go deeper and deeper into the battlefield. The post office could not keep up, communication was interrupted, there were no incoming letters, and outgoing letters could not be sent. After that painful letter, Thien wrote a letter every week, put it at the bottom of his heavy backpack, climbed mountains, waded through streams, carried "her" on his back, held a gun in his hand and aimed it at the enemy - Shoot.

It was not yet dawn in the Central Highlands, the rain was pouring, bombs and bullets created green flashes of lightning, and loud explosions. From afar, an ethnic woman suddenly appeared, hurriedly running down the mountain, carrying a child on her back. Overhead, helicopters were chasing after her, bullets whizzing past her and her child.

A few minutes ago, we were discovered while marching here. We hid on the hillside waiting for orders. The helicopter circled back, the child's screams echoed over the continuous gunfire. Thien saw clearly that she had taken the child out of the bamboo basket and held it tightly in her arms. When the gunfire stopped, Thien and the Tam Tam team were ordered to charge forward, heading towards the mother and child. The soldiers carried her and ran down the hill to the village. She mumbled and spoke in broken Kinh: "Is there anyone dead in the army?"

Surprisingly, she did not ask her children, but asked the soldiers. Thien comforted her: "Let us bandage you and your child. How can a soldier die?" "I'm not hurt at all." With just a few sentences, everyone hurriedly carried them down to Pre village. The Chu Ru people live on the lowest slopes of the Central Highlands. The houses on the hillside, under the shade of ancient trees, facing the fields stretching to the foot of the mountain. They live peacefully and harmoniously like the character of the owners of the mountainous region, still eating "forest blessings", enjoying the sweet fruits of the land and always knowing how to preserve the quintessential, pristine values ​​for their people.

The scent of ripe, "heavenly" coffee beans wafted from the unpicked orchards. The doors of the houses in the Pre village were locked. Everyone went into the forest, down to the bunkers, to avoid planes and bombs. Only the figure of village elder Ya Loc remained behind, living and dying with bombs and bullets, warming the kitchen fire in the freezing winter days of the sacred land. Seeing the soldiers carrying the mother and child into the village, Ya Loc said: "It is the Hieng".

He turned to Hieng and spoke in the Chu Ru language. That is, Hieng went to plant corn in the fields and saw a large number of soldiers in the forest. The planes were rumbling in and shooting down. The soldiers didn't know the way out and died. Hieng risked his life to run for the planes to chase. His mother and child would die more than the soldiers would die. Who will fight the enemy for him? Who will catch the wild animal in the forest so that the villagers can plant corn and cassava?

Suddenly, a bomb and then two time bombs exploded in the coffee garden, Ya Loc and everyone else fell to the ground. Thien quickly hugged the mother and child, a piece of shrapnel hit him. The mother and child were saved. Thien bled profusely and was unconscious. Ya Loc, who was knowledgeable in treating illnesses in the village, used a Cu Li cotton plant to bandage them tightly, brought them into the house and closed the door.

The order to march was urgent, the soldiers hurriedly set off, without hesitation, Ya Loc urged: "You guys go quickly, leave him here for me, Hieng give him medicine and food, aren't you afraid he'll die?".

The wound was so severe that he was in a coma for months. The medical soldiers of the Regiment searched for the wounded and quickly transferred Thien to the Field Hospital. A few days later, his comrades carried him through the forest to the North for treatment. Thien never saw Ya Loc and Hieng and his mother again to say thank you.

6 After leaving the hospital, returning to the old place of the ferry at Cua Luc River, asking everyone, they all said that there were many Vans in this area, such as Van the sieve maker, Van the coal picker (in the hold of a ship).
Van the bridge maker...Every Van had a husband in the army, as for Van the post office, go to the post office and ask.On the way to the post office, a girl passed by, quickly turned around, and asked: - Is that you, Thien?
It's Tuyet!
Hesitating then recognizing, Thien exclaimed: - Tuyet, do you recognize me?

- You're much more mature.
- The battlefield, bombs and bullets trained me.
- How is your Phung?
- Why do you mention it?She really followed the enemy, she was blown to pieces when the plane went to call for help.Served her right.Have you heard the news yet?
- Not yet!
- Van is a martyr!...

7 Wiping away the tears from the corners of his eyes, Thien read the stone tablet in the city's Martyrs' Cemetery: "Martyr Ngo Bach Van heroically sacrificed himself while transporting ammunition and reinforcements to the anti-aircraft hill."

Tuyet said: "At that time, the attacks were very fierce, all the male and female militiamen had to support the artillery positions on the high hills. Sister Van and I carried ammunition up the high hills together. When it was quiet, the two sisters talked, it turned out that she had returned to her hometown to become her daughter-in-law, to make your mother feel at ease and at peace in the afterlife. She also told me that if I had to sacrifice myself, I would try to find you and apologize for her. Please forgive your sister! Promise me."

With tears in his eyes, Thien opened his backpack, took out hundreds of unsent letters, and read them to Van. Ordered by date. The last letter was read first:

"It's been so many days since I wrote to you. I was injured. My comrades carried me through the forest to the North for treatment. Now I'm fine. Tomorrow I'll be discharged from the hospital and I'll come back to you. Are you happy? Come pick me up. We'll go home to burn incense for Mother. Please let me have our wedding night and honeymoon, and together we'll take the Crossing Waves boat to Ha Long Bay. You are the sky (Thien) and I am the cloud (Van). Blue sky, white clouds..."

Unable to finish reading the letter, Thien burst into tears. Tuyet slowly read each word, each letter for him. Many passages were as powerful as an army marching under the flag. Many passages were sad and sobbing, missing Mom, missing Van. Many literary passages were like bombs falling and bullets exploding, tearing the enemy apart. Tuyet's hands trembled, sweat soaked, tears streaming down her face, leaning on Thien's shoulder without them knowing.

Lighting the fire, Thien thought that somewhere far away, Van would read it. Even though someone said: "don't burn it because there is fire in every letter"**, he still burned it, warming up the love - Immortal!

*Short story in the novel: "Northeast Coal Basin" by writer Dang Huynh Thai ** Dang Thuy Tram's diary

(Posted in the special publication Lao Dong Xuan At Ty).