A couplet presented to the restaurant owner.

(Baonghean) - In Yen Thanh town, Mrs. Duyen's eel porridge stall is famous throughout the region. Located on a small street in Block 2, Mrs. Duyen's stall is always crowded with customers enjoying her porridge in the morning. Most of her customers are regulars. Some groups of visitors from further away, having heard about Mrs. Duyen's porridge, also come to Yen Thanh to enjoy it...

In 1986, Yen Thanh district invited poet Tran Huu Thung to the district to translate some documents after his field trips. Out of sympathy for the poet's hard work staying up all night, the cafeteria staff would order eel porridge from Mrs. Duyen every morning to serve him at the office. However, this only lasted for the first day; on subsequent days, the poet and his colleagues would stroll to the restaurant, partly to ease the burden on the staff and partly to enjoy the atmosphere of the countryside.

One morning, the poet invited several fellow poets, including Phan Tuong Hy, Nguyen Xuan Phau, and Ho Huu Nai, to the district to enjoy Mrs. Duyen's eel porridge. Upon arriving at Mrs. Duyen's house, the group was shown a large jar of eels, about several tens of kilograms, reserved for the following day. Seeing how plump and golden each eel was, everyone praised it enthusiastically.

The Oil Lamp Inn. Oil painting by Thai Vinh Thanh.(Yen Thanh)

That day, I was assigned to serve the guests. On a whim, I asked Mrs. Duyen to prepare a few plates of braised eel with bananas. Out of respect for the poets, Mrs. Duyen selected the largest eels and prepared them quickly to treat the guests. The fragrant rice wine, the steaming hot braised eel with bananas, the crispy rice crackers, and sitting with close friends, the conversation flowed like popcorn popping.

Personally, I was a little worried because I only had enough money for the porridge, but I was short on money for the snacks. I could eat on credit with Mrs. Duyen for as long as I wanted, for as many days as I wanted, but I felt a bit embarrassed being the first group of customers to arrive and running out of money. I whispered something to Phan Tuong Hy, but unexpectedly, Phan Tuong Hy honestly told Mr. Tran Huu Thung, who immediately declared: "There's trouble here!" I thought Mr. Thung was displeased and was a little worried, but he immediately came up with a couplet: "Eat Mrs. Duyen's porridge without leaving any debt." Nguyen Xuan Phau slapped his thigh in admiration. Ho Huu Nai said: "It's good, but difficult to complete!" After a moment of contemplation, Phan Tuong Hy finally blurted out: "Speaking of biased things is not for the sake of being a snake." The whole table applauded. The person who came up with the couplet was talented, and the person who completed it was also clever, responding immediately, fitting the situation and the people, and even using wordplay. Mr. Phau eagerly invited Mrs. Duyen and her husband, and Mr. Can, to hear the couplet.

- Don't get into debt when you eat Mrs. Duyen's porridge;

- Speaking biased opinions is not for the sake of being a snake.

The restaurant owners were delighted and offered to treat the poets to a breakfast feast. The group happily emptied their pockets and gave the owners enough money...

For decades, Mrs. Duyen's eel porridge stall in Yen Thanh town has been bustling with customers every morning. Tran Huu Thung, Nguyen Xuan Phau, and Ho Huu Nai have become part of the past. Phan Tuong Hy, retired in Dien Chau, visits his poet friends in Yen Thanh a couple of times a year thanks to his son. Every day, passing by Mrs. Duyen's stall, I remember them. The karmic debts of each person's life, the debts of literature—when can they ever be repaid?!

Ngo Duc Tien