The old man is about to peel a traditional Vietnamese rice cake for the 104th time.

(Baonghean) - Having surpassed 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 homeland, he is a "great tree," a pillar of support for his children, grandchildren, and the people of Noong village, Ngoc Lam commune (Thanh Chuong).

The arrival of the stranger seemed to interrupt Mr. Lu Van Tum's train of thought. We asked, "Hello, sir! How old are you this year?" Mr. Tum calmly replied, "In the past, we Thai people didn't count age or years, but rather how many times we peeled sticky rice cakes for Tet. To date, I've peeled them 103 times."

Mr. Lu Van Tum is still quite alert and able to move around the house on his own.

Mr. Tum appeared quite lucid, able to walk around the house without a cane, though his hearing was a little impaired and his eyesight was failing. Actually, at first we didn't believe he was that old, because people in the highlands used to misremember their ages. Sensing our thoughts, Mrs. Lu Thi Tan (born in 1960) – Mr. Tum's third daughter – searched through her father's relevant documents.

“When we moved here from our old hometown, some documents got wet, others were lost and couldn't be found, only these few things remain,” Mrs. Tan said. Among those documents, one item that proved Mr. Tum's words was a Cooperative Membership Card issued by the Central Council of Vietnam Cooperatives in 1971. The passage of time had left its mark on the card; only the two folded cover pages remained, the inner pages were gone, so the information about the member's name was also lost.

Other information such as the card number, the name of the cooperative, the date of joining the cooperative, and the member's signature are missing, or perhaps the ink has faded due to the passage of nearly half a century. The only remaining information is the current address in Kim Tien commune, and the age at that time was 57. If we add this age to the 47 (calculated from 1971 to 2017), then Mr. Tum's statement that he had peeled sticky rice cakes for Tet 103 times is accurate.

This membership card was issued in 1971 to Mr. Lu Van Tum.

Grandpa Tum chatted cheerfully and enthusiastically, recounting his life since moving to the resettlement area and the Tet holidays he celebrated in his new homeland. More than 10 years ago, when he heard that his village would have to relocate to a resettlement area more than 200km away, all the way in Thanh Chuong, he was initially very unhappy and worried. He had been attached to Kim Tien for so many years; everything, from the streams to the forests, was familiar to him.

But then, local and district officials came to persuade him, saying that he should give up his mountains, forests, and villages for the state to build a hydroelectric dam to unlock the potential of his homeland, and he felt it was necessary to agree. He vividly remembers that day more than 10 years ago, when he dismantled his old house and built a raft to float down the Nậm Nơn river. As the raft left the dock and drifted downstream, Mr. Tum sat gazing back at the foundation of his old house. The raft drifted far, far away, but he still gazed back...

That year, the first Tet (Lunar New Year) in their new hometown was filled with indescribable emotions. There was a lingering, poignant longing for the familiar scenery of their old home, and a great deal of anxiety about the complexities of life ahead. Many people gave up and returned to their hometowns, but Grandpa Tum thought differently. He knew this was an opportunity to change their lives, so he encouraged his children and grandchildren to stay strong, emphasizing that everything is difficult and arduous at first, but with perseverance and dedication, success would eventually come.

Mr. Lu Van Tum's joy at having his children and grandchildren gathered together.

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

The fifth generation, born and raised in Ngoc Lam, will remain connected to the homeland that previous generations settled here to cultivate. Currently, Mr. Tum lives with the family of Mrs. Lu Thi Tan. Life is not yet abundant, and there are still many things to worry about, but the family is always happy and warm.

When asked about the secret to his longevity, Mr. Lu Van Tum replied: "Honestly, there's no secret. I was poor and struggled when I was young, then I fought in the war and returned to farming. Now I live with my children and grandchildren. I just know that I work diligently like a bee building its hive, always love my children and grandchildren, help others in need, and don't drink too much alcohol..."

This Spring of the Rooster Year 2017, Mr. Lu Van Tum is peeling the traditional Tet rice cake for the 104th time, marking his 10th Tet in his new homeland. No longer strong enough to visit every house, Mr. Tum will listen to the sounds of gongs and the smooth melodies of the bamboo flute, and the folk songs and dances, filling his heart with joy and excitement. Though very old, his spirit remains vibrant and youthful, like a towering tree sprouting new leaves in the spring.

Cong Kien