The story of the 'first wife and second wife' couple who lived over 100 years old

Village teacher

At that time, Mr. Pham Viet Chinh worked as a "teacher", the name associated with the job became the name of both him and his first wife: Mr. and Mrs. Giao.

Teacher Pham Viet Chinh was born in 1900 (died in 1960) in a wealthy family in Dong Son village, Nam Kim commune. He was intelligent and quick-witted and his parents sent him to a good school.

A corner of Dong Son village in the past, Khanh Son today. Photo: Hai Vuong

He studied at the National School in Hue and passed the Ninth Grade exam under the Nguyen Dynasty. Therefore, he was also called Mr. Cuu Chinh. After a period of teaching in Hue, Mr. Giao returned to his hometown and taught in many places such as Con Cuong, Hung Nguyen, Nam Dan, etc.

He taught both Vietnamese and French. Every time he went to teach far away, someone would follow him, carrying his books and belongings. With a calm and dignified demeanor, neat dress, kind heart, and a reputation for being talented and intelligent, he was loved and respected wherever he went.

Villagers also said that Mr. Giao was almost the only person in the area who owned the first bicycle. Every time he rode his bicycle, passing by the women going to the market who were carrying heavy loads on their shoulders in the village, he would stop his bicycle, lead them a long distance before getting on his bicycle to go. He also had the largest bookshelf in the area, which contained many French books, possibly novels. Unfortunately, during the flood years, when the whole family had to pack up and go up the mountain to take shelter from the flood, the bookshelf gradually depleted due to loss, damage, and destruction.

The horizontal plaque of the reign title of Bao Dai given to Mr. Giao. Photo: Le Thang

According to Mr. Pham Viet Thanh, a resident of Hamlet 8, Khanh Son, who is 90 years old this year, everyone in his village used to bow when they met Mr. Giao. “He was the teacher of most of the people in our village at that time. Throughout his life, he was devoted to his profession. He was never heard raising his voice, even with his own children.

And when talking about Mr. Giao, we cannot help but mention Mrs. Giao. All her life, her husband was always busy with his studies, and she single-handedly took care of the family, not only raising her own children, but also her grandchildren and raising the children of her second wife. In this whole village, everyone thought that Mrs. Giao was an extremely special woman. Not only was she graceful, skillful, kind, and knew how to manage things, but she was also the one who went out of her way to find a second wife for her husband.

Two wives live to be over 100 years old

Mrs. Giao's real name was Ha Thi Gam, she gave birth to Mr. Giao 5 children, including 3 daughters and 2 sons. Unfortunately, 2 sons and 1 daughter died early. She discussed back and forth with Mr. Giao, should he go find someone pleasing to the eye and heart, and marry her as a concubine? Mr. Giao absolutely refused.

The remaining photo of Mrs. Giao. She lived to be 100 years old and lived under the same roof with Mrs. Di, Mr. Giao's second wife. Photo: GĐCC

At that time, Mrs. Giao thought that she had to "take action" to find a wife for him. The villagers said that she had worked very hard. She thought that Mr. Giao was a literate, knowledgeable, and intelligent man, so she had to choose someone who was beautiful, knowledgeable, and talented.

She went to ask around and finally heard that in the South Central region, there was a girl named Nguyen Thi Di who had been married once (and was raising a child), very beautiful and intelligent, good at repartee, sang very well in the fabric guild, and was always the "leader" of the female singing troupe in that region. Several times, she took her hat and went there to get to know her, talked to her, and finally married her to Mr. Giao and Mrs. Di.

Ignoring the usual jealousy, she took care of and taught the “new person”, and then the children of the second wife were born one by one. Loving and taking care of her children, the two grandchildren of Mr. Giao’s brother, and Mrs. Di’s three sons equally, the children in the family always considered Mrs. Giao as their great mother. Later, when Mrs. Giao fell ill, the nephew who had been taken care of in the family since childhood quit his job for 3 months and came from Hanoi to take care of her.

Mr. Pham Viet Thanh, 90 years old, a resident of Dong Son village, told many village stories and expressed his respect for Mr. Giao's family. Photo: Hai Vuong

Mrs. Giao was also famous for being skillful and good at organizing. She organized the work, worked hard, not only did her family have food and clothing, but she also created conditions for others to come and work (by the hour). That is why, during the land reform period, some people accused her of being a "landlord", but it was the upright people who were grateful for her work and many villagers who stood up to protest and she "escaped the sentence".

Mrs. Giao sewed skillfully and was famous for making the best soy sauce in the area. “The soy sauce Mrs. Giao made was always dark red, not pale white or dark brown. The soy sauce did not break, the liquid was naturally sweet, and there was no need to mix anything else when eating. She grew mulberry trees, and the mulberry trees were always lush and green. She raised the most silkworms in the neighborhood.

When she had a son, Mrs. Hai also sometimes "pretended" to Mrs. Giao, but Mrs. Giao was always tolerant and gentle. As for the children in the house, seeing their eldest mother like that, they loved each other without any distinction between whose children they were. Then when Mr. Giao passed away early (1960), the two women still lived together under the same roof, Mrs. Giao passed away at the age of 100, and Mrs. Di passed away recently, at the age of 103" - Mr. Pham Viet Thanh, a resident of Hamlet 8 Khanh Son, recounted.

Ms. Pham Thi Binh (currently living in Vinh city) is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Giao. She still remembers that despite her old age, her grandmother was always used to working, tidying up the house, sewing skillfully and teaching her children and grandchildren to maintain the family tradition. She always said, no matter what you do, wherever you go, no matter how you behave, remember that you are Mr. Giao's grandchild. As a human being, try not to "eat first and pay later", "smartness comes from measuring your thoughts".

Mr. Giao's fourth son and his wife, the son of his second wife, lived in the same house with both mothers and took care of them until their last moments. Photo: Hoang Tuan

Before returning to her ancestors, Mrs. Giao was seriously ill. At that time, it was harvest season and villagers came to visit. Although she was tired, she still reminded each person: "Come back quickly and finish the harvest in time." And on the day she passed away, the whole Nam Dong region, people left their farming work to come and see Mrs. Giao off.