Once upon a time, in a certain household, there were two brothers. The elder was named Tân, and the younger was Lang. What was remarkable about them was that Tân and Lang had identical faces and builds, to the point that even their family members often confused them for one another. Their father, the tallest and strongest man in the region, was once summoned by King Hùng to Phong Châu to be rewarded, and the king gave him the name “Cao.” From that day forward, everyone in the family took “Cao” as their surname.
When the two brothers grew up, both their parents passed away, one after the other. As a result, the brothers became extremely close and couldn’t bear to be apart. Before their father passed, he entrusted Tân to a local sage from the Lưu family. However, when Tân went to study, Lang couldn’t stand being home alone, so he begged the sage to allow him to study with his elder brother. In the sage’s household, there was a daughter, around the same age as the brothers.
This daughter from the Lưu family wanted to figure out which of the two was the elder and which was the younger. One day, she came up with a small trick to test them. When both brothers were hungry, she brought out food but only served one bowl of porridge with a single pair of chopsticks. She then hid behind a wall and watched closely. She saw one of them offer the bowl of porridge to the other. She whispered to herself:
– Ah, so the elder brother is the kind and cheerful one!
From that day on, Tân and the Lưu family’s daughter had more and more meetings, and gradually, love blossomed between them, growing stronger over time.
Seeing this, the sage was pleased and happily gave his daughter’s hand in marriage to Tân. Afterward, the couple moved into a new home, and naturally, Lang lived with them as well.
From the day he married, although Tân still treated his younger brother kindly, he was no longer as affectionate. Before, Lang had always received Tân’s careful attention and care, but now, many days passed where Lang felt lonely and abandoned. Moreover, Lang began to realize that sometimes Tân seemed to avoid him, filling him with frustration and sadness:
– It’s understandable, he thought. He’s so infatuated with his wife now that he’s forgotten about me!
One day, Tân and Lang went to work in the fields and returned home late in the evening. Lang arrived home first. As soon as he stepped through the doorway, Tân’s wife, mistaking him for her husband, rushed out from the bedroom and hugged him without a word. Startled, Lang cried out. This confusion embarrassed them both deeply. Just then, Tân entered the house.
From that moment, Lang noticed a new side to his brother’s character. Tân became jealous of his younger brother. This jealousy only intensified Tân’s coldness towards Lang, which left Lang feeling both angry and ashamed. He began to consider leaving home to ease his resentment.
One morning at dawn, Lang decided to set out on a journey. He followed a winding path, feeling deeply frustrated and resentful that the brother who had once loved him so dearly could change so much.
Lang walked for days, eventually stopping at the bank of a vast river. The river’s strong current made him hesitant. The area around was so remote that not even the sounds of dogs barking or roosters crowing could be heard. Still, Lang was determined not to return home. Heartbroken, he sat by the riverbank and wept. He cried so long and so bitterly that even the birds foraging late into the night could hear his sobs. By morning, Lang had become lifeless. He had turned into stone.
Back at home, Tân initially didn’t notice his brother’s absence. But as time passed and Lang still didn’t return, Tân began to worry. He searched every home they knew, but there was no sign of Lang. Tân realized that his brother had left out of anger, and he was filled with regret.
The next day, with Lang still missing, Tân was overcome with panic. Leaving his wife behind, he set off to find his brother. After days of walking, Tân reached the banks of the great river.
Unable to find a way to cross the river, Tân walked along its edge until he came upon the stone that had once been his brother. Standing silently beside the stone, Tân wept bitterly until the only sound left was that of the rushing river. Tân then passed away and transformed into a tall tree that stood next to the stone.
Back at home, Tân’s wife waited endlessly for her husband to return. Unable to bear it any longer, she set out to find him. Eventually, she too was stopped by the great river. She sat by the tall tree and cried until she had no tears left. She died and transformed into a vine that wound itself around the tall tree.
After a long time without hearing from either brother, the sage and his wife asked the villagers for help in searching for them. When they reached the riverbank and saw the stone and the two strange plants, they could only build a shrine to honor the three of them. The villagers named the shrine “Harmonious Brothers, Loyal Wife.”
Years later, a severe drought hit the region, causing all the plants to wither. However, the two trees by the stone in front of the shrine remained lush and green. Everyone believed this to be a divine sign.
One day, King Hùng passed through the area. Surprised by the unusual trees and scenery near the shrine, he asked:
– What deity is worshiped at this shrine? I’ve never seen trees like these before.
The local official summoned the village elders, who recounted the ancient story. The more King Hùng listened, the more touched he became.
The king climbed the tree to survey the surroundings and then ordered a guard to pick the fruit for him to taste. He found it bitter at first, but when he chewed it along with the vine’s leaves, a strange yet delightful flavor filled his mouth—spicy, fragrant, and sweet.
Suddenly, a courtier cried out:
– My goodness! There’s blood!
Everyone was astonished. The pulp of the fruit mixed with the leaves had turned red, like blood, when spat onto the stone.
The king then instructed his men to chew the fruit, vine, and lime together. He felt a warm sensation spreading through his body, his lips turning bright red, and his face glowing with vitality. He exclaimed:
– Truly miraculous! Their love is deep and vibrant, like the red of this mixture.
From that day on, King Hùng ordered the widespread cultivation of these two plants. He also decreed that when men and women marry, they must bring together three things—areca, betel leaves, and lime—as a symbol of love that would never fade.
And thus, the Vietnamese custom of chewing betel was born.
