Chapter 26 — Cartographer of Lost Roads

Three months after the public consultation, the interdisciplinary working group completed an inspection report, more than two hundred pages long, with clear conclusions: the entire process of land acquisition in Van Dang Hamlet in 1994 was carried out against the procedures, compensation records were edited to reduce the number of households and compensation levels, original documents were destroyed or intentionally lost on purpose. The report also confirmed that the transfer of land use rights through many layers of intermediaries then showed signs of non-transparency, even though the statute of limitations for criminal proceedings had passed for most of the individuals involved, including Mr. Diep Khac Bon, who voluntarily admitted full responsibility before both the inspection council and public opinion.

Van Khue read that report in her office at the archives center, where now, after many stressful months, she could sit and work without having to secretly hide anything. Mr. Khai, now officially a public companion in the entire process, sat across from her, rereading each page of conclusions with a clear sense of relief on his face.

Those three months were not easy. Van Khue had to come to work with the inspection team many times, provide additional documents, compare every small detail, and sometimes have to answer the same question many times from many different angles to ensure the rigor of the investigation file. She also has to balance official work at the center - which is now much busier because many new digitization projects have been prioritized after the Van Dang story attracted the attention of the entire archives industry - with continuing to support the inspection team and accompanying the former families while waiting for the conclusion.

There were nights when she was so exhausted that she fell asleep right on her desk, only waking up when Duy Khanh called to remind her to go home and rest. But looking back on that entire journey, now holding the official conclusion in her hand, she feels all the hard work was worth it.

"Finally, there is an official confirmation," he said, his voice both emotional and proud. "Thirty years, finally someone dares to put pen to paper and tell the truth."

According to the recommendations of the working group, the City People's Committee issued an official decision to correct all planning documents related to the eastern riverbank area, restore the historical name "Van Dang Hamlet" in the city's place name database system, and at the same time request Hai Nguyen Group to readjust the design of the Kim Xuyen Riverside project, reserving a significant portion of the land area - including the entire area around the ancient banyan tree and the old temple foundation - to build a new temple. public memorial park, no commercial construction is allowed on this land.

The decision also requires the entire digital map system of the archive center to be updated, attaching a historical annotation at the correct location of Van Dang Hamlet, clearly stating the process of formation, existence, and the liberation event in 1994, so that anyone who looks up the map of this area in the future will know of its existence, no gaps will be left open like before. This is the task that Van Khue, as a draftsman, was personally entrusted to perform - the job that she considers the most meaningful in her entire career up to this point.

She spent many evenings, after official work hours, carefully drafting the caption, consulting with Mr. Tuyen, Ms. Net, and Kha Duy Thinh, ensuring that each sentence accurately and completely reflected what really happened, without adding or subtracting, without embellishing, but also without avoiding any painful details. "I want it to be as accurate as a map must be accurate," she told Mr. Tuyen when she showed him the first draft. "But I also want it to have soul and emotion, so readers not only know the events, but also feel what the people here have experienced."

Mr. Tuyen read the manuscript very slowly, his eyes turned red when he read the description of the lanterns that light up the river every night. “You write very well,” he said, his voice choked. "Just like what he still remembers, exactly what he always wanted to tell someone one day."

For families who have been inadequately compensated, the city pledges to review each specific case and consider adding appropriate support policies within the budget, although Van Khue understands that no amount of money can truly compensate for what has been lost - childhood, homeland, community relationships that have been torn apart and cannot be completely repaired.

As for Hai Nguyen Group, although it avoided direct criminal prosecution thanks to the legal statute of limitations, the company still faced a serious media crisis, its shares dropped, and some investment partners withdrew. Mr. Diep Nhat Binh, in a hastily organized press conference after the inspection conclusions were announced, had to publicly apologize, pledging that the company would "seriously implement all regulatory requirements of the city, and contribute funds to build the memorial area as part of its corporate social responsibility".

"I don't know how much to trust him," Duy Khanh said as the group sat back to watch the press conference video again. "But at least this is a public commitment, recorded, witnessed by the press. If he doesn't do it, there will be enough evidence for the whole community to continue to pressure."

Lawyer Hoa, also present at the group meeting that day, added a legal perspective. "The city's decision is binding, not just an empty recommendation. If Hai Nguyen Group does not comply with the design adjustment deadline, the construction permit will be completely revoked, and they will lose all the investment they have made so far. It is a binding strong enough to force them to seriously implement it, whether the motive comes from true goodwill or simply economic calculation."

Bao Nghi, who has now become a familiar face in reporting on the incident, announced that the group "Van Dang Memories" had received the attention of a provincial museum unit, offering to cooperate in building a permanent display corner on the history of Van Dang Hamlet, using the same artifacts that the old families had kept for the past thirty years - Mrs. Net's tin box, the lantern weaving kit of the man she met at the consultation. Counseling, and many other memorabilia were gradually proactively contributed by other families after the story became public.

Mr. Tuyen, when hearing the news about the memorial area about to be built, was silent for a long time, then asked Van Khue a question that surprised her. "Do you think, would they agree to let me contribute the original map to the display? I think, it's time for it to no longer need to be hidden in a locked cabinet. It should be seen, known, as a part of history, not a secret."

"I think they'll be happy to receive it, grandpa," Van Khue replied, taking his hand. "It will be the most valuable artifact in the entire exhibit."

Mr. Tuyen's decision, although simple, had a profound symbolic meaning for Van Khue - it was the moment he officially let the map, the evidence that had been associated with his obsession and guilt throughout his life, transform into a common heritage, a testament to the truth that had been restored, no longer belonging to his personal pain, but to an entire community that was gradually healing.

That weekend, Duy Khanh took Van Khue to revisit the old Van Dang land, now that the corrugated iron fence had been partially dismantled, making way for a new, clean notice board, clearly stating: "Van Dang Hamlet Memorial Park Planning Area — The project is being redesigned according to the decision of the City People's Committee." The ancient banyan tree still stands there, its foliage green in the afternoon sunlight, its secondary roots swaying with the gentle breeze blowing from the river.

"The first time I came here, this place was just a wasteland with a rusty no-trespass sign," Van Khue said, standing silently looking at the scene before her eyes. "Looking back now, I didn't expect things to go this far."

Duy Khanh took her hand, they both walked closer to the banyan tree, placing their hands on the rough bark, warm in the afternoon sun. “This is just the beginning,” he said. "There's still a lot of work to be done — designing the park, building the memorial, supporting the old families. But I believe, with all we've been through together, no difficulty is insurmountable anymore."