Page 147 - Thorn In The Heart

Chinh Nguyên

sound over his head. The aircraft was flying high in the sky over
the South side of Bai-Vang village and made Nguyen had a little
scare after he paid attention at the situation on the area.

Nguyen walked on the main road that communicated onto
all the villages in the area and hurried running toward Bim
market after he crossed the sweet potato field.

It was an opened air market and about five hectares, where
the people came from all the villages around as Cham-Thuong,
Cham-Ha, Van, Bai-Do, Hoang-Nguyen, Chau-Mi, Te and
Thanh-Lap villages. They brought any farm produces and
domestic animals to sell or exchange under the shadow of the
large trees or the tents in the market.

Nguyen stood on the domestic animal zone at the Southside
and took a look on over the market. He saw the people running
out the market in any directions in a hurry. Their faces were
extreme of worry and stamped of afraid to die. Some people left
their goods, animals behind on the ground. Few grocery stores in
Northside had closed, and others were trying to clean up the
goods before they shut the door.

Nguyen heard the rumor of the people in the market, which
French militarist was operating in the large-scale area over few
villages. Also, the images of the dead by the war in his village
appeared in his mind, at the same time he felt empty, lonely, and
afraid.

Nguyen would not wait for anything next. He took a quick
look all over the area to find the safe place for hiding. Suddenly,
Nguyen's eyes opened wide in surprise and fear to die, after his
range of vision just saw the few dozens Vietminh troops moving
on the main road at the North of the market. Quickly, the
Vietminh troops lot behind the banana bushes. They had
wormed their way through the undergrowth, while an aircraft

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