The old man is about to peel the Tet Chung cake for the 104th time.

(Baonghean) - Having passed the age of 100, Mr. Lu Van Tum still remembers many things, from his youth to the days when he gave up his house and fields for the Ban Ve hydroelectric project. In his new hometown, he is a "big tree", a support for his children, grandchildren and people in Noong village, Ngoc Lam commune (Thanh Chuong).

The appearance of the stranger seemed to have interrupted Mr. Lu Van Tum's train of thought. We asked: "Hello, sir! How old are you this year?" Mr. Tum leisurely replied: "In the past, Thai people did not count age, nor year, but counted how many times they peeled the Chung cake for Tet. Up to now, I have peeled the Chung cake for Tet 103 times."

Mr. Lu Van Tum is still quite lucid and can move around the house by himself.

Mr. Tum appeared to be quite alert, able to walk around the house without a cane, but his ears were a bit hard of hearing and his eyesight was not clear. In fact, at first we did not believe he was at that age, because people in the highlands in the past often did not remember their age accurately. Reading the visitor's thoughts, Mrs. Lu Thi Tan (born in 1960) - Mr. Tum's third daughter searched for her father's related documents.

“When moving from my hometown to here, some of the documents got wet, some were lost and could not be found, only these things remained,” said Mrs. Tan. Among those documents, there was one thing that proved Mr. Tum’s words: the Cooperative Membership Card issued by the Central Council of Vietnam Cooperatives in 1971. The color of time had deeply imprinted on the card, only 2 covers were folded together, the inside page was gone so the information about the members’ names was also lost.

Other information such as card number, name of the cooperative, date of joining the cooperative and the signature of the cooperative member were not recorded or because nearly half a century had passed with the wind and dust of time, the ink was no longer there. The only information left was the line stating the current residence is Kim Tien commune, and the age at that time was 57. If this age is added to the number 47 (counting from 1971 to 2017), then Mr. Tum's statement that he had peeled Chung cake 103 times for Tet is correct.

Membership card issued in 1971 by Mr. Lu Van Tum.

Mr. Tum talked happily and enthusiastically, telling about his life since moving to the resettlement area, about the Tet holidays in his new hometown. More than 10 years ago, when he heard that his village would have to move to a resettlement area more than 200km away, all the way in Thanh Chuong, at first he was not happy at all, more than worried. Because he had been attached to the land of Kim Tien for so many years, from the stream to the forest he was familiar with.

But then, the commune and district officials came to persuade him to give up the mountains, forests, and villages to the state for hydroelectric power generation to unleash the potential of his homeland. He felt it was right and agreed. He remembered the day more than 10 years ago, the day the house was dismantled and made into a raft to go down the Nam Non River. When the raft left the dock and went down the river, Mr. Tum sat and looked back at the old house foundation. The raft had drifted far, far away, but he still looked back...

That year, the first Tet in the new hometown was hard to describe. There was a feeling of nostalgia, a yearning for the old hometown, and a lot of anxiety when life was still full of troubles. Many people were discouraged and returned to their old hometown, but Mr. Tum thought differently. He knew this was an opportunity to change their lives, so he encouraged his children and grandchildren to be steadfast. Everything is difficult and hard at first, but if you persevere, you will succeed.

The joy of Mr. Lu Van Tum when his children and grandchildren reunite.

Now, everything has started to fall into place, like the waterwheels in the highlands starting to turn. “I don’t have a son but I have 5 daughters, all of whom love their father and mother, and always listen to my teachings. Many people say I am happy, happy because I am healthy and live long, happy because my children and grandchildren are filial and kind” - Mr. Lu Van Tum shared. To date, he has 12 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and 6 great-great-grandchildren (also called “chật”), meaning his family is now a five-generation family (5 generations living together in one house).

The 5th generation was born and raised in Ngoc Lam, and will be attached to the countryside that previous generations came here to explore. Currently, Mr. Tum lives with Mrs. Lu Thi Tan's family. Life cannot be said to be full, there are still many things to worry about, but the family is always happy and warm.

Asked about the secret to longevity, Mr. Lu Van Tum replied: “Honestly, there is no secret. When I was young, I was poor and had a hard life. When I grew up, I went to war and then returned to work on the farm. Now I live with my children and grandchildren. I only know how to work hard like a bee building a nest, always love my children and grandchildren, help others in difficult times and not drink too much alcohol...”.

This Dinh Dau Spring 2017, Mr. Lu Van Tum will be peeling off the Chung cake for the 104th time, the 10th Tet in his new hometown. No longer having the strength to go from house to house, Mr. Tum will listen to the sound of gongs and the smooth melody of the panpipes, listen to the five-line verses and the stream-like tunes to make his heart more excited and joyful. Although he is very old, his soul is still fresh and green, like a big tree sprouting new leaves when Spring comes.

Cong Kien