Long ago, in a small village, there were twin brothers named Tân and Lang, who resembled each other so closely that even their own family often mistook one for the other. Their father, a tall and strong man, was once summoned by King Hùng to the royal court, where he was honored and given the surname "Cao." Since then, their family had been known as the Cao family.
After their parents passed away, Tân and Lang remained inseparable, caring for each other deeply. Seeing their diligence, a young woman from the Lưu family admired them and wished to marry the elder brother. To determine which one was the elder, her father devised a test: he served them two bowls of porridge but provided only one pair of chopsticks. Lang respectfully let Tân eat first, revealing that Tân was the elder. The young woman and Tân soon fell in love and were married.
Though Tân deeply loved his wife, he became preoccupied with household duties, unintentionally neglecting Lang. Feeling lonely, Lang grew increasingly sorrowful. One day, as Lang returned from the fields, Tân’s wife mistook him for her husband and embraced him. At that very moment, Tân arrived home and, seeing his wife in his brother’s arms, became furious. Though nothing inappropriate had happened, Tân's misunderstanding drove him to distance himself further from Lang. Heartbroken, Lang decided to leave.
Not knowing where to go, Lang wandered aimlessly until he reached a large river. Exhausted and overcome with sorrow, he sat down by the riverbank and wept. He cried for so long, under the scorching sun and heavy rain, that he eventually turned into a lifeless stone.
Realizing his mistake, Tân became anxious when Lang did not return. He set out to find his brother and finally arrived at the river, only to discover the stone. Overcome with grief, Tân wept beside the stone until he, too, perished and transformed into a tall, slender tree.
When Tân’s wife learned of her husband’s disappearance, she left home to search for him. Following his trail, she also arrived at the river. After crying until her tears ran dry, she too passed away and turned into a vine that wrapped itself around the tree.
Villagers who witnessed this tragic fate built a shrine by the river in their honor, calling it the "Shrine of Brotherhood and Faithful Love."
The Birth of Betel Chewing Tradition
One year, a severe drought struck the region, yet the tree and vine by the stone remained lush and green. When King Hùng passed through the area, he noticed the shrine and the unusual plants growing beside it. Curious, he inquired about their origin. The local elders recounted the tragic tale of the Cao brothers and Tân’s wife, which deeply moved the king.
Intrigued, he ordered his attendants to pick a leaf from the vine, a fruit from the tree, and a piece of the stone. As he chewed the leaf and fruit together, their spicy fragrance filled his mouth, and when he spat onto the stone, his saliva turned a deep red. Seeing this, the king instructed the villagers to cultivate these plants widely and burn the stone into lime. When combined, they created a special mixture that became the foundation of a time-honored tradition of chewing betel leaves with areca nuts and lime with areca nuts and lime.
Since then, betel chewing has become an essential part of Vietnamese culture, symbolizing love, respect, and social bonds, particularly in weddings and formal ceremonies.
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