CHAPTER 7: THE SUPERMARKET
The door opened wider. Thanh An leaned to one side to make room.
“Come in.”
Tú Linh pulled her suitcase through the door, still too stunned to process what was happening. If she’d known the person she was going to stay with was Thanh An, she might have prepared herself mentally in advance. Instead, from the moment she got out of the taxi to the moment she stood in front of the apartment, she’d still thought this was just the niece of an old friend her mother knew. When the door opened, every thought in her head became meaningless. Her mind was completely blank.
Thanh An closed the door, then looked at the suitcase beside her.
“Let me carry it.”
“No, it’s okay. I can carry it myself.”
“Give it to me.”
Her voice wasn’t harsh, but it had the familiar decisiveness Tú Linh knew all too well from the hospital. So Tú Linh had no choice but to let go and allow Thanh An to do whatever she wanted. Thanh An carried the suitcase inside, walked down the hallway, and stopped in front of the last room.
“This room is yours.”
She set the suitcase down.
“The bathroom is right next door. There’s a closet and a desk in here. The air conditioner works fine. If anything breaks, tell me. You’ll have to excuse the place—I’ve lived alone for a long time, so I don’t always notice when the appliances in the room need fixing. Just let me know.”
Tú Linh stood in the doorway, looking at the neatly prepared room.
“Yes.”
Thanh An pointed toward the room across the hall.
“My room is over here. The living room, kitchen, and balcony are shared, so make yourself at home.”
“Yes... Are there any house rules about schedules or anything?”
Thanh An thought for a moment.
“I usually get home late because of the hospital. You have classes and your internship, too, so we can both just live according to our own schedules. Just make sure you lock the door carefully whenever you go out. Here... this is your spare key.”
Linh took the key in both hands and bowed her head in thanks.
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“Mm.”
Thanh An turned around.
“Come out and have some water. We’ll talk for a bit.”
“Yes.”
The two of them returned to the living room. Thanh An went into the kitchen, took out a glass, poured some water, and set it in front of her.
“Drink.”
Tú Linh held the glass with both hands.
“Thank you, ma’am.”
Thanh An sat down in the chair across from her.
“My aunt told me a little about it. Your dorm caught fire? What’s the situation now?”
Tú Linh set down her glass.
“Dormitory Block A caught fire, so the school sealed off Block B too because the connected electrical system was affected. We can’t go back yet. The school is helping students financially so they can find temporary housing, but there are too many students and they haven’t been able to arrange places for everyone. They’re prioritizing the new students first, so students from earlier classes like us were advised to rent rooms off campus.”
Thanh An nodded.
“What about your two friends?”
“They went home. Quân and Khánh live in the men’s dorms, so they weren’t affected.”
“Mm.”
“Yes.”
Thanh An leaned back in her chair.
“Either way, I live here alone. The spare room would just sit empty, so you can stay here for a few months.”
Tú Linh looked up, wondering if she’d heard correctly. Thanh An was surprised by what had just come out of her own mouth, too, but whatever. It was the truth.
“Really?”
“Yeah. You can go back once the school has arranged proper housing.”
It was a perfectly ordinary thing to say. But to Tú Linh, it felt as if someone had just turned on a light. She forced herself to keep a calm expression and only nodded slightly, even though she was overjoyed inside.
“Yes.”
Living in the same house as Thanh An. The thought had barely appeared before Tú Linh had to lower her head and take a drink to hide the smile trying to spread across her face. Thanh An didn’t notice. She was terribly sleepy—she’d just finished a night duty shift, and because she’d had to wait for this girl who was staying with her, she’d barely gotten any sound sleep before coming to pick her up. Tú Linh hesitated for a moment, then said,
“But since I’m staying at your place... can I help pay for the electricity and water?”
Thanh An looked at her, resting her chin on one hand.
“No need.”
“But—”
“What would I do with the few pennies you have?”
Tú Linh felt a little embarrassed.
“But...”
“No buts.”
Thanh An picked up her glass.
“Keep your money and focus on your studies.”
Tú Linh fell silent. Thanh An knew she was embarrassed. Her young student was awfully shy. After a moment, Thanh An suddenly asked,
“Do you know how to cook?”
Tú Linh raised her head.
“Huh?”
“Do you know how to cook?”
“Yes... I do.”
“Then how about this? Since you’re staying at my place, just cook for me every once in a while.”
Thanh An said it as naturally as if it were nothing.
“I live alone. A lot of days, I’m too tired to cook after work, so I just eat whatever.”
She set the glass on the table.
“If you don’t mind, cook enough for both of us.”
Tú Linh answered almost immediately.
“Sure!”
Thanh An was slightly surprised by how quickly she agreed.
“You don’t have to force yourself.”
“I’m not.”
Tú Linh quickly shook her head.
“I love cooking.”
“Mm.”
Thanh An nodded.
“Then it’s settled.”
At that moment, Tú Linh was so happy that the corners of her mouth kept threatening to turn up. Not only was she living under the same roof as Thanh An, she even got to cook for her. If this wasn’t a dream, Tú Linh couldn’t imagine anything luckier happening to her. Had someone set the school on fire? If so, then thank you so much, Linh—ha-ha!
Thanh An glanced at the clock.
“You just moved your things in. You’re probably tired.”
“Yes.”
“Get some rest while you can. You have an internship shift this afternoon, right?”
“Yes, but I’m off today.”
“Even better.”
Thanh An stood up.
“Take some time to get settled. If you’re missing anything, tell me.”
“Yes.”
She had taken a few steps when she turned back.
“Oh.”
Tú Linh immediately looked up.
“Yes?”
“If you need anything, just tell me.”
Tú Linh looked at her for a few seconds, then smiled faintly.
“Yes.”
Thanh An nodded and went back to her room. The door closed, leaving Tú Linh alone in the living room, holding her glass of water with both hands. She looked toward the door that had just shut, then lowered her head and tried to hide her smile. The dorm fire was certainly something no one had wanted. But at least for her... it had brought about a change she’d never dared to imagine.
She slept straight through until dusk, and Thanh An didn’t wake up until then. After an entire night on duty, her sleep was never particularly deep, but today she’d slept surprisingly well. The moment she stepped out of her room, she heard a very soft noise coming from the living room.
Tú Linh was bending down to put on her shoes.
A canvas bag sat beside her, and she was holding her phone in one hand.
Thanh An stood in her doorway, her voice still hoarse from sleep.
“Where are you going?”
Tú Linh jumped and turned around.
“Huh?”
“Where are you going?”
“Oh... I was going to buy some things.”
Thanh An looked at the bag.
“What are you buying?”
“Food and seasonings.”
“You’re cooking?”
“Dinner.”
Tú Linh thought Thanh An’s question was genuinely ridiculous. Thanh An stared at her for a few seconds, then asked,
“Is the kitchen completely empty?”
“Pretty much, ma’am.”
Tú Linh answered honestly, while Thanh An felt extremely awkward. It wasn’t as if she ever cooked. That was why she hadn’t even bothered buying basic seasonings, much less run out of them.
“I’m going to buy some meat, vegetables, eggs, and whatever else we need. I’ll cook dinner tonight.”
Thanh An nodded.
“Okay.”
She looked at the clock.
“How are you getting there?”
Tú Linh froze.
“Um...”
She looked down at her shoes.
“By bus. If there isn’t a bus route, I’ll take a Grab.”
Thanh An said nothing.
Tú Linh was silent too.
A few seconds later, she looked up.
“But...”
“What?”
“I don’t know which bus routes run around here.”
Thanh An looked at her. Tú Linh continued as if this were a perfectly ordinary problem.
“I usually take the bus to school. But I don’t know my way around here yet.”
Thanh An stood still. She looked at the college student in front of her, who had just dragged a suitcase into the apartment and didn’t know the roads or the bus stops, yet was perfectly prepared to grab her bag and go find a supermarket by public transportation. Thanh An raised a hand and gently rubbed the space between her eyebrows.
“Were you planning to stand on the street asking people where the supermarket is, then look for a bus stop?”
Tú Linh stared blankly.
Seeing that expression, Thanh An finally didn’t know what to say.
“Never mind.”
“Yes?”
“Wait here a minute.”
With that, Thanh An turned and walked straight into the bathroom. Tú Linh stayed exactly where she was. Less than ten minutes later, Thanh An came back out. Her short hair was neatly tied back, and her face looked much more alert. She’d changed into a simple outfit, put on rimless glasses, and was holding her car keys.
Tú Linh looked at her.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m taking you to the supermarket.”
“Huh?”
Thanh An put on her shoes.
“Did you really think I was going to let you go by yourself?”
Tú Linh hurried to her feet.
“I can take the bus.”
Thanh An opened the door.
“Oh, please.”
Tú Linh immediately fell silent.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
She quickly grabbed her bag and followed Thanh An to the parking area. Thanh An pressed the key fob, and a car parked not far away flashed its lights.
Tú Linh stopped short. It was a Mercedes-Benz GLC 300, and the key fob chirped.
“We’re going by car?”
Thanh An looked at her.
“Yeah. If I have a car, why wouldn’t I drive?”
“Wow.”
Tú Linh gazed admiringly at her rich-girl doctor. Thanh An opened the car door.
“Get in.”
Tú Linh sat in the passenger seat and carefully fastened her seat belt. Thanh An started the car. As it pulled away from the parking lot, Tú Linh looked out the window. She suddenly realized something. Just yesterday, she’d thought she’d only found a temporary place to stay. But less than a day later, the person she secretly admired was personally driving her out to buy groceries.
Tú Linh lowered her head, the corners of her lips curling up without her realizing it. Thanh An glanced over—but only to check the rearview mirror.
The car stopped in front of a large supermarket just as the sky began to darken. Even from outside, they could hear people talking, shopping carts bumping into one another, and advertisements playing over the speakers in the ceiling. The inside was so crowded that merely standing by the entrance gave Thanh An a headache.
She unfastened her seat belt, sat there for a few seconds, and only then opened the car door.
Tú Linh looked over.
“You don’t like crowded places?”
“I don’t.”
Thanh An answered very frankly.
“I could’ve gone by myself. You didn’t have to come.”
Thanh An looked at her.
“You don’t know the way.”
Tú Linh stared at her for two seconds, then smiled.
“Yes.”
The two of them went inside together. Tú Linh quickly grabbed a shopping cart and started moving from one aisle to the next. At first, Thanh An walked beside her, but the farther in they went, the more crowded it became. Thanh An already disliked noisy places, and after a night on duty, her expression grew increasingly calm in the very specific way that meant she wanted this over as soon as possible. Tú Linh didn’t notice at all. She stood in front of the produce section, carefully choosing each bunch.
“What vegetables do you eat?”
“Anything.”
“Fish?”
“Anything.”
“Pork?”
“Fine.”
“Beef?”
“Fine.”
Tú Linh turned to look at her.
“Do you have a favorite dish?”
Thanh An thought for a few seconds.
“No.”
“You don’t have a single favorite dish?”
“Anything’s fine. You don’t need to ask me. Just pick whatever you like.”
Tú Linh looked at the woman beside her and finally decided to give up.
“Then I’ll choose.”
“Mm.”
And so the shopping cart gradually filled with meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruit, cooking oil, fish sauce, soy sauce, and all kinds of seasonings. Tú Linh picked things out while quietly calculating what she should cook for dinner. Thanh An simply walked beside her, occasionally pushing the cart whenever the crowds became too dense.
When they reached the chili sauce display, a sales clerk quickly approached.
“Ma’am, would you like to try our chili sauce? It’s made from fresh, natural chilies and carefully selected ingredients, so it’s very safe for your health. It also contains antioxidants that help prevent cancer.”
Tú Linh had been about to walk past, but Thanh An stopped. She looked at the bottle of chili sauce, then at the advertisement behind it.
“Prevent cancer?”
The sales clerk smiled.
“Yes, ma’am. Our product is made with natural ingredients, so it’s very gentle on the body.”
Thanh An’s lips curled slightly.
“Natural ingredients prevent cancer?”
The clerk’s smile grew stiff.
“Um... what we mean is that it contains ingredients that are good for your health...”
“Which ingredients? The label doesn’t say.”
“Huh?”
“Which ingredients have human evidence showing that they help prevent cancer?”
The clerk froze.
“Um... I...”
A man’s voice came from behind them.
“What’s going on?”
A man in a dress shirt approached, a brand-manager name tag pinned to his chest. The sales clerk hurriedly explained, and after listening, the manager smiled at Thanh An.
“Please excuse us. What we mean is that the product contains natural ingredients and some components that are beneficial to health. It’s not a treatment.”
Thanh An nodded.
“I know.”
She pointed at the advertisement.
“But those are two different things.”
The manager faltered slightly. Thanh An spoke in an entirely calm tone.
“Research showing that an ingredient has biological activity doesn’t mean the product as a whole prevents cancer. And ‘natural’ isn’t evidence that something prevents disease, either. Advertising food by saying ‘natural, therefore safe’ is already imprecise. Adding ‘prevents cancer’ requires even stronger evidence.”
The manager fell silent.
Thanh An looked at the bottle of chili sauce.
“If it’s food, call it food. Don’t turn it into medicine with advertising.”
The atmosphere immediately became awkward. Standing beside her, Tú Linh began to feel that something was wrong. The four people gathered around the chili sauce display looked less like shoppers and more like an impromptu case conference.
She checked the time, then looked at the checkout lines in the distance. She put the bottle of chili sauce in the cart.
“Ma’am.”
Thanh An turned to her.
“Hmm?”
“Why don’t you go get in line for us? I just need to pick up a few feminine products, and I’ll be right out. The lines are really long. If we don’t get in line now, we’ll be waiting forever.”
Thanh An looked toward the checkout counters. Sure enough, the lines stretched nearly the entire length of the aisle. She was silent for a moment, then nodded.
“Okay.”
Thanh An pushed the cart away. Tú Linh breathed a sigh of relief, then turned to the manager. He gave her an awkward smile.
“Sorry about that. We’ll take the customer’s feedback into consideration.”
“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”
Tú Linh smiled.
“She’s just got a little occupational hazard.”
The manager laughed.
“Occupational hazard? What does she do?”
“She’s a doctor. Google Dr. Đinh Thanh An and you’ll find out. Goodbye!”
“Ah, goodbye.”
After Linh ran toward the checkout counters, the manager pulled out his phone.
“Wait...”
He opened a browser and quickly typed a few words. The sales clerk leaned over curiously too. The two of them looked at the screen, and the air fell silent for a few seconds. Slowly, the manager raised his head.
“Deputy Head of Oncology... Ha Nam Central Hospital... Doctor of Medicine, Level II Specialist... ĐINH THANH AN.”
The sales clerk swallowed. They looked at each other again, and finally she reached over and patted the manager lightly on the shoulder.
“Boss.”
“What?”
“If you’d said a little less earlier...”
She pointed toward Thanh An.
“...you probably wouldn’t feel quite so embarrassed now.”
The manager was silent for a moment, then could only sigh.
“Yeah.”
He looked at the bottle of chili sauce on the display.
“Good thing she didn’t ask about every single ingredient.”
The sales clerk burst out laughing.
“Otherwise, we’d probably have had to retake the entire biochemistry course.”
Up ahead, Tú Linh hurried back to Thanh An’s side.
“Ma’am.”
“Done already?”
“Yes, I got everything.”
Thanh An looked at the shopping cart.
“Are we missing anything?”
Tú Linh thought about it.
“No.”
“Then let’s check out.”
“Yes.”