Chi Pheo returns to Vu Dai village after years away in prison, looking completely transformed into a hardened and intimidating ruffian covered in tattoos. Drunk and furious, he marches straight to Ba Kien's estate and begins shouting abuse at the powerful family, eventually drawing out Ba Kien's arrogant son, Ly Cuong. After a violent scuffle where Ly Cuong beats him, Chi Pheo dramatically rolls on the ground, cuts his own face with a broken bottle, and threatens to ruin the family by playing the victim of an assault.
As a massive crowd gathers to watch the spectacle, the influential Ba Kien arrives and immediately sizes up the situation with seasoned cunning. Understanding how to handle reckless vagrants rather than escalating the conflict, Ba Kien adopts a surprisingly warm and hospitable tone, inviting the bewildered Chi Pheo inside for a drink. The sudden shift in attitude disarms Chi Pheo, who finds his anger melting away as his fear of isolation and the authority figures takes over.
Inside the house, Ba Kien reflects on his long history of manipulating dangerous men in the village, recalling past turbulent figures like Nam Tho and Tran Van Chuc whom he successfully co-opted or neutralized through strategic compromises and calculated kindness. Ba Kien realizes that oppressing vulnerable villagers too harshly often creates uncontrollable outcasts, whereas befriending or utilizing reckless men serves his own political dominance. By the end of their meeting, Ba Kien successfully turns a potential enemy into a manageable tool for his own influence.
Chi Pheo returns home delighted with his new wealth and a silver dollar from Ba Kien, quickly spending his money and burning a tavern owner's roof in a drunken rage when refused credit. He soon retreats to his shack by the river, drinking cheap wine with green bananas and raw salt. Driven by his perpetual drunkenness, Chi Pheo wanders back to Ba Kien's estate demanding to be sent back to prison because his life outside has become unbearable. Amused by his antics, Ba Kien cleverly assigns him to collect a long-standing debt from a powerful rival named Doi Tao, hoping to use Chi Pheo as a weapon.
To Ba Kien's surprise, Chi Pheo successfully intimidates Doi Tao's household into paying the fifty dong without violence, as Doi Tao is bedridden and his wife prefers peace. Rewarded generously with both money and a small patch of riverside land, Chi Pheo settles into a permanent home, though his continuous cycles of heavy drinking completely erode his sanity. He becomes a feared, mindless instrument of local terror, obeying any command given to him while remaining completely unaware of the suffering and destruction he inflicts on the village.
One moonlit night, after an unusual evening of drinking and laughing with the eccentric fortune teller Tu Lang, Chi Pheo walks down to the riverbank to wash. There, he discovers the foolish and notoriously ugly woman named Thi No fast asleep and half-clothed near a banana grove. Overwhelmed by sudden desire, Chi Pheo approaches her quietly and grabs hold of her. Thi No wakes up in a panic, struggling and threatening to call the villagers, while a laughing Chi Pheo continues to hold on to her.
Bát cháo hành định mệnh
Thi No and Chi Pheo spend the night together after an unexpected romantic encounter by the river, and the next morning, a recovering Chi Pheo wakes up completely sober for the first time in years. Hearing familiar sounds from the village awakens a deep, long-dormant desire within him for a simple, honest family life and a peaceful existence. Moved by pity and affection after saving him the previous night, Thi No brings him a steaming bowl of onion soup. Nourished by the warm food and heartfelt care, Chi Pheo experiences deep remorse for his violent past and desperately begs Thi No to let him live with her so he can finally become a decent, law-abiding man.
Their happiness is short-lived when Thi No visits her elderly aunt to announce her intention to marry Chi Pheo. Enraged and deeply humiliated, the aunt viciously scolds and insults her niece for considering a union with such a notorious outcast and scoundrel. Hurt and angered by her aunt's harsh words, Thi No turns her fury back onto Chi Pheo, angrily rejecting him and throwing his past criminal reputation in his face. Left devastated and heartbroken by her sudden betrayal, Chi Pheo tries to drown his sorrows in wine, but the alcohol only brings back painful memories of the onion soup and his unfulfilled yearning for goodness.
In a drunken and desperate rage, Chi Pheo grabs his knife and storms directly to Ba Kien's house instead of seeking out Thi No. Confronting the wealthy landowner, Chi Pheo bitterly declares that he no longer wants money or revenge, but simply demands to become an honest man and asks who will remove the physical scars of his ruined life. When Ba Kien arrogantly mocks him and dismisses his plea, a furious Chi Pheo attacks and slashes the old man to death before turning the knife on himself. As the village reacts with a mixture of celebration and quiet apprehension over the violent demise of the two notorious figures, Thi No gazes down at her belly and privately wonders what will become of her future.
The Final Shadow Of The Abandoned Kiln
As the narrative reaches its quiet conclusion, the character stands alone and looks down toward her own body with a sudden shift in perspective. The stark reality of her circumstances brings a profound realization about the cycle of her impoverished life and the burdens she carries forward.
Amidst these heavy thoughts, a distinct vision flashes before her mind involving an old abandoned brick kiln located far away from human dwellings and isolated from the busy paths of everyday travelers. This lonely structure serves as a silent reminder of origins and destinations rooted in deprivation and neglect. The lingering image casts a somber tone over the final moments, leaving the future shrouded in uncertainty and quiet despair.