Chapter 26 — Back Before The Wedding Day

Three months after officially leaving Bao Tin Group, a small design studio named "Tam Viet" opened in the alley where Khanh Linh grew up, right next to her father's old garment factory. The space was renovated from an abandoned warehouse, harmoniously combining traditional rustic features and modern sophistication - the exact spirit that Khanh Linh always pursues in each of her designs.

"Do you believe it, in just three months we turned this place into such a proper design studio," Bao Ngoc said, standing in the middle of the new workshop space, his eyes filled with pride as he looked around at the fabric racks, sewing tables, and the first design display area.

"It's all thanks to the efforts of the whole team," Khanh Linh replied, smiling and looking around at the space that she had put all her heart and soul into building. "You, Bao, Thu Ha, my parents — without any of you, I couldn't do this."

The early days of starting a business were not easy. Limited capital forces the team to do a lot of work on their own, from design, tailoring, to book management and marketing. Lam Quoc Bao, with his financial experience, has helped build a lean but effective business model, focusing on product quality and authentic brand stories instead of chasing massive scale from the beginning.

"We should focus on a made-to-measure product line first," he suggested in a small group meeting, "combined with a limited quantity ready-to-wear product line, inspired by Tam Viet's own story. This will help us build a loyal customer community, instead of racing with big brands right from the beginning."

"I agree," Khanh Linh said, nodding in agreement. "Quality and authentic stories will be what sets us apart."

Tam Viet's first collection, titled "Back to Home", was launched on a warm autumn afternoon, on a small but meaningful scale - only about fifty guests, including close friends, some fashion journalists that Thu Ha had connected with, and even the first customers who trusted and placed orders through word of mouth introductions.

The collection is directly inspired by Khanh Linh's own journey — from traditional brocade motifs combined with modern tailoring, to the story of her journey from a small garment factory in an alley to the wider world. Each design comes with a small story, telling the inspiration behind it, creating a deep, sincere connection with customers.

"This is really something very different from what I've seen on the market," a fashion journalist commented after the launch, taking careful notes in his notebook. "Not just beautiful clothes, but also soulful, deep stories."

Not everything goes smoothly from the start. The second week after launch, a batch of fabric ordered from the supplier was delivered with the wrong material, forcing the team to work overnight to find a replacement source in time before the delivery deadline to customers. Bao Ngoc, the person in charge of sourcing raw materials, blamed himself a lot for this negligence.

"I'm sorry, this is my fault," she said, her voice worried when she saw that Khanh Linh had to call to apologize to the customer for possibly delaying the order.

"Error "It's inevitable at the beginning," Khanh Linh reassured, placing her hand on her friend's shoulder. "The important thing is that we work together to find a way to fix it, not blame each other."

The whole team worked together, contacted familiar suppliers, and finally found a suitable replacement fabric source overnight, completing the order on time. That experience, although stressful, became a valuable lesson about teamwork, about how to overcome difficulties together instead of letting it engulf the whole group.

After the unexpectedly successful launch, orders began to pour in. Although the quantity was still modest, it was enough for the whole team to feel full of hope for the future. Khanh Linh, Bao Ngoc, and two additional hired tailors, work tirelessly to complete each order with the best quality possible.

Late one evening, when the whole team was busy completing the last order of the day, Mr. Tai stopped by, bringing a pot of hot tea to energize everyone. "Looking at my children working so hard, I'm so proud," he said, his eyes sparkling with joy when he saw the name "Tam Viet" — the name of his small garment factory — has now become a brand that many people know and love.

"I learned all of this from dad," Khanh Linh replied, stopping sewing to hug her dad, her voice choked with emotion. "The meticulousness and dedication to every stitch, I learned from my father."

That night, when everyone had left, only Khanh Linh and Lam Quoc Bao remained in the workshop to complete the final work. He sat down next to her, looking around this small but warm space, full of life.

"You've done a wonderful thing," he said, his voice filled with sincere admiration. "Not everyone is brave enough to give up a stable, safe position to pursue their own dreams."

"I'm not alone on this journey," Khanh Linh replied, leaning her head on his shoulder, feeling the peace and warmth spreading throughout her body. "There's you, there's Bao Ngoc, there's your family, there's Thu Ha - it's everyone who came together to make this dream come true."

The two of them sat quietly together in the small workshop space, the warm yellow light illuminating the fabrics and unfinished sketches, creating a scene of complete peace and happiness - a living testament to the fact that sometimes, the best things in life come from the simplest, most humble beginnings.

A few days later, Khanh Linh received a handwritten letter from a customer who ordered the first dress in the "Back to" collection — a middle-aged woman who had just gone through a difficult period in her life, looking to rebuild her confidence after a traumatic divorce. “This dress is not only beautiful,” she wrote, “it makes me feel seen and appreciated for who I am. Thank you Tam Viet for creating something more meaningful than fashion."

Reading the letter, Khanh Linh could not hold back her emotional tears. She showed it to Bao Ngoc and Lam Quoc Bao, and the three of them reread each line together, clearly feeling the true value of what they were building - not just a fashion brand, but a place that spreads confidence and self-esteem to experienced women. through difficulties, just like the journey that Khanh Linh went through.

“This is why we do this,” Khanh Linh said, her voice filled with emotion, holding the letter tightly in her hands like a treasure. "Not just to make a living, but to create something truly meaningful for the people around us."

Lam Quoc Bao nodded, his eyes also shining with emotion. "I think we should keep letters like this, maybe one day, they will become inspiration for the next collections."

"Great idea," Bao Ngoc said, her eyes also red with emotion. "I will make a separate scrapbook for stories like this, so that every time we feel tired, we can read it again and remember why we started."

That evening, when the three people cleaned up the workshop together before leaving, the air was filled with a special warmth and connection - not just a relationship of colleagues or business partners, but a second family, built on the foundation of trust, understanding, and the same ideal of pursuing good values in life.

On the way home, Lam Quoc Bao drove Khanh Linh home. The two silently enjoyed a rare moment of peace after a long, busy day. "Are you tired?" he asked, glancing at her with concern.

"Tired, but a happy tiredness," Khanh Linh replied, smiling, resting her head lightly on the car seat. "I have never felt so satisfied at work, neither in my previous life nor in my first days working at Bao Tin in this life."

"That's because this time, you're doing something that truly comes from your heart, not because of pressure or other people's expectations," he said, his voice gentle and understanding.

Khanh Linh turned to look at him, her eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you, for always understanding me more than I know myself."