Visiting the home of "the valedictorian with expressive eyes"

In the recent university entrance exam, the top student from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities also achieved the highest score in the C subject group nationwide (27 points). Vu Thi Phuong – a simple name, yet one that sparks my curiosity.

With just over a week left until the start of the school year, I decided to take advantage of the weekend to visit the home of "the top student with the expressive eyes."

The student from Hung Vuong High School for the Gifted comes from Thanh Ba town, Thanh Ba district, Phu Tho province. After some calculations, I was surprised to find out the total distance, round trip, was nearly 280 kilometers. After some deliberation, I still decided to choose a motorbike for more flexibility.

At 9 a.m., I arrived in Thanh Ba town. I called, but the line was busy. However, it wasn't difficult to find the house of the valedictorian of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities.

Even though I had called the night before, the whole family seemed surprised. "I thought someone was calling to play a prank," explained Ms. Mai (Phuong's mother).

After a few minutes of introductions and getting acquainted, I asked permission to begin my work and didn't forget to ask the whole family to feel free to make themselves at home.

Phuong's family's modest, single-story house sits on a quiet street in Thanh Ba town. In front of the house is a row of tables where her mother makes drinks. For over 10 years, almost all of Phuong and her siblings' expenses have depended on this. Phuong's father is a low-paid machinery installer who is often away from home, so he only occasionally sends a small amount of money back to his wife and two daughters.

Today, Phuong's family is holding a feast to celebrate her achieving the top score in the entrance exam. The outer room suddenly became cramped; they had to stack the entire set of tables and chairs in a corner just to make enough space to walk through.

Phuong's nickname at home is "Chè" because she talks a little too much, but it was only when we sat down at the table that Phuong "interviewed" me:

Uncle, is it very difficult to study at university?
Oh, only four departments offer high-quality classes? That's a shame my department doesn't have one...
- Does our school have many extracurricular activities?
- I've heard that it's difficult to find a job with a social science degree. Is that true at our school?
- I really like living in the dormitory, could you please help me get a place there?

And only after being reminded by their parents did the frequency of the questions decrease.

After dinner, while Phuong was busy washing the dishes, I took a closer look at the rest of the house. The inner room was about 1 meter lower than the outer room, connected to the kitchen, with a temporary layer of insulation foam on the roof. Another meter lower was the well area with a courtyard of about 10 square meters.

Thấy tôi đang chăm chú nhìn giá sách, Phương giải thích ngay:

- Cháu học nội trú nên chỉ sau khi thi tốt nghiệp mới học ở nhà. Cháu tự ôn đấy, vì đi ôn thi ở trung tâm không hiệu quả bằng. Lớp cháu cũng có nhiều bạn tự ôn, có 30 bạn đã thi đỗ, còn lại 2 bạn là đang đợi xét nguyện vọng 2.

- Thế sách vở của Phương cất đâu hết rồi?

- Cháu thi xong là cho hết, chỉ giữ lại ít tài liệu môn Văn, nhưng hiện tại thì cũng cho mượn rồi ạ.

- Nói vậy thì Phương chắc chắn sẽ thi đỗ ngay sau khi thi à? Lúc đấy Phương nghĩ mình sẽ được bao nhiêu điểm?

- Không hẳn vậy ạ. Cháu chỉ mong mỗi môn được khoảng 7 điểm thôi. Trong thời gian đợi kết quả cháu lo lắm. Nhất là hôm bạn ở nhà đối diện khoe là mình thi được 24 điểm, cả nhà cháu còn sợ cháu bị trượt cơ.

- Phương thấy đề thi môn Văn thế nào?

- Cháu thấy câu 1 là kiến thức cơ bản, câu 3 không khó. Còn câu 2 là đề mở thì chúng cháu rất thích. Đi thi, chúng cháu chỉ mong được làm những câu như vậy, tha hồ mà thể hiện suy nghĩ của mình.

- Lí do để Phương chọn Khoa Quốc tế học? Tại sao không phải là Báo chí trong khi Phương là đã có khá nhiều tác phẩm được đăng trên báo Thiếu niên Tiền phong?

- Cháu thấy nghề báo vất vả quá, không phù hợp với mình, chỉ dám mơ ước thôi. Khi chọn Khoa Quốc tế học, cháu không được bố mẹ ủng hộ lắm. Nhưng cháu vẫn quyết tâm để tạo sức ép cho mình phải học thật tốt ngoại ngữ và có cơ hội được đi nhiều nơi.

I was about to ask the top-scoring student for more details about her study methods, but my family suggested I take a nap to avoid getting tired. Anyway, Phuong had already shared her experiences in the newspaper, and the journey home was still long, I lazily thought, and decided to quickly look through some photos I'd taken before drowsiness set in.

At 1 PM, I went out to the front of the house to take pictures of the coffee shop. The streets were deserted at this time, with only the occasional car passing by. One more photo was still missing: a portrait of the valedictorian. I always try to avoid being manipulated, but in this situation, I was truly flustered. A relative of Phuong invited me to visit her house and the spacious garden, over 3500 square meters, right behind Phuong's house. I immediately agreed, knowing this was my last chance.

- Hey, Phuong "the magpie," those birds look hungry.

- I'll try giving it a rambutan... This one doesn't seem to like it... Okay, I'll eat this last one, I won't give any more to any other birds.

So I still had to resort to some "tricks" to get a portrait photo that would complete the set.

After nearly five hours at the valedictorian's house, I still hadn't gotten a satisfactory photo. Perhaps I was too complacent before the trip. Staying any longer would only inconvenience everyone. Around 2 PM, the sun began to shift direction, and I said goodbye to the family of the 2009 valedictorian of the humanities and social sciences stream. I promised to see them again on September 5th, the enrollment day, in front of the Faculty of Humanities.