Chapter 22 — Between Two Worlds: A Bride Exchanged for a Dumpling

Half a year has passed since the day Ma Dac Uy was escorted from Bai Tro village, the land that was once engulfed in famine and darkness has now taken on a completely different look. The rice fields stretch green as far as the horizon, replacing the dry, cracked soil of previous years. The sounds of children playing echoed throughout the alleys, the sound of roosters crowing, the sounds of cattle calling each other in the fields - all the simple sounds of life that just over a year ago, no one dared to believe they would hear again.

The business of Thua An and Tieu Mien, from a secret business that started in the midst of despair, has now developed into a large-scale, well-organized commercial system spreading throughout the region. They officially named their business "Hoa Thinh Duong" - meaning to pray for harmony and lasting prosperity for all those associated with it. Under that name, they established a purchasing and distribution network spread across more than ten neighboring villages, creating stable jobs for hundreds of people who had struggled due to hunger.

Tieu Mien, as an overall manager, had built a bookkeeping system and operating procedures so strict that even experienced traders from other regions had had to come and learn. She also organized a free literacy class for poor children in the area every afternoon, with the thought that knowledge was the most sustainable asset that can be left to the next generation, avoiding repeating the plight of lowly educated people who were easily exploited and oppressed by people like Ma Dac Uy.

Tieu Ha, now in charge of the entire purchasing network throughout the region, not only searches for antiques and specialties to exchange through the gate, but also establishes regular trade relationships, helping Bai Tro village become the busiest trading hub in the whole region. She also organized the construction of two new water wells, a small clinic with a permanent healer, and used part of the profits from her business to invest back in the community that supported her in her most difficult days.

As for the gate, since the incident at the trading market, it has become more stable than ever, expanding in both frequency and scale of exchange. Thua An and Pham Dinh Nam, now close friends even though they have never met in person, established a strict two-layer confirmation process as proposed by Tieu Ha, ensuring that every shipment is thoroughly checked from both sides before the gate opens, completely eliminating the risk of being taken advantage of by bad guys like before.

In modern times, after the complete collapse of Kieu The Vy, Pham Dinh Nam's Van Nien Antiques Shop became even stronger, gaining absolute trust from collectors thanks to its honest reputation that had been proven through trials. He used a significant portion of the profits to establish a small scholarship fund called "Van Nien", supporting students studying history and archeology in difficult circumstances - a way for him to be grateful for the miracle that had come to his family, and at the same time spread good valued to others, just like Thua An always did on the other side of the gate. The first student to receive that scholarship was a young girl who was passionate about studying ancient ceramics but had a difficult family background and had to quit her studies because she did not have enough money to pay for it. When she heard that she had been chosen, she burst into tears right at the store, making Pham Dinh Nam emotional, thinking that this was exactly what his grandfather wanted when he told him to cherish this miracle - not only keep it for himself, but also spread good valued to the wider community.

He wrote a letter telling this story to Thua An, and when he read it, Thua An couldn't help but smile, feeling a strange harmony between two people in two distant eras, sharing the same wish: to turn what they are lucky enough to have into opportunities for others, instead of just keeping it for themselves.

One morning, the representative of the district government - who witnessed all the events at the market - visited Bai Tro village to check the situation after the new village chief took office. He couldn't help but be amazed at the rapid changes in the whole land. The once muddy dirt roads are now paved with smooth stones, the small clinic always has people coming in and out for medical check-ups, and Tieu Mien's literacy classroom resonates with the sounds of children reading poems every afternoon.

"I have passed through countless villages in this area," the official told Thua An, his voice filled with emotion, "but I have never seen a place revive as quickly and firmly as Bai Tro. The young man and his wife not only brought wealth, but also planted sustainable roots for an entire community. This is truly precious."

Thua An replied humbly, but in his heart he could not hide his pride when hearing those compliments, not because of himself, but because he knew that the efforts of the whole family had truly brought positive, lasting change to so many people.

As for Ga Tu, after the incident was revealed, he fled the area and no one heard any more news. There are rumors that he wandered to another land, living in poverty, regretting what he had done. Thua An, even though he was a little angry about his betrayal, did not pursue it further, only taking it as a lesson about the necessary caution in using people.

One afternoon, when work was temporarily put aside, Thua An and Tieu Mien walked together to the old warehouse area - which has now been rebuilt spaciously and solidly, becoming the headquarters of Hoa Thinh Duong. They stood in front of the small room where the parallel wooden cabinet was kept, now solemnly placed in a separate room, always locked carefully, with only the couple holding the key.

"Do you remember the first night you found it?" Tieu Mien asked, leaning her head on her husband's shoulder, looking nostalgically at the wooden door that had been associated with so many of their ups and downs.

"I remember," Thua An replied, his voice warm. "That night, I thought I was going to die, with no hope for tomorrow. Who would have thought that most desperate night would be the beginning of everything we have today — not just wealth, but a family, a resurgent community, and most importantly, you."

Tieu Mien smiled and squeezed her husband's hand. "And it all started with just one dumpling."

"That's right," Thua An nodded, his eyes filled with love. "A small dumpling, but it opens up a whole new world for both of us."

They stood there for a long time, watching the sunset fall over the strongly revived Bai Tro village, filled with gratitude for the journey that had passed, and a firm belief in what was still waiting ahead - not only for themselves, but for all the people who had overcome the Year of the Great Hunger together to find a new life, fuller and more meaningful than ever.

On the way back to the main house, they passed by the small clinic and saw the carpenter - now the village chief - standing and chatting with a few people, holding his youngest child, who was completely healthy, with no trace of the most fatal fever he was born in. He waved goodbye to the couple, a bright smile clearly visible on his face once austere due to famine. That simple scene, to Thua An and Tieu Mien, was more precious than any wealth they had accumulated - it was the most vivid proof that all the efforts, all the dangers they had gone through, were worth it.

That evening, while sitting together on the porch, Tieu Mien opened the year-end summary book and read to her husband impressive numbers: the number of households that had escaped poverty, the number of children attending literacy classes, and how agricultural output had recovered compared to the pre-drought period. But for both, those numbers were just a small part of a bigger picture — a picture of a community that had learned to bounce back from adversity, and a love that had proven its strength to overcome even the harshest challenges. Closing the notebook, Tieu Mien leaned her head on her husband's shoulder. The two of them silently looked at the starry night sky, feeling more relieved and at peace than any night since their story began, ready to welcome any new chapter of their lives with an unprecedented calmness.