Chapter 21 — Fascinated by the Rooster Farmer Raising His Children

The atmosphere in Binh Xuyen village was still tense after what just happened at the auction yard. Two weeks after the tumultuous auction, the investigation agency announced its official conclusion on the case. Tuong Bach Uy was prosecuted for market manipulation, property appropriation through illegal pressure tactics, along with charges of property destruction related to the sabotage of the electrical system at Binh Xuyen farm, facing a strict sentence according to the law. Dai Thinh Agriculture Group suspended operations in many provinces and cities to serve the expanded investigation, after Dang Nhu Quynh's reportage was published, leading to a series of denunciations from other farmers who had been victims of this group.

Kieu Dac Nhan, thanks to her role as an important evidence provider and active cooperation with the investigation agency, was considered to have reduced joint liability. He sent his sincere thanks to Khanh Vy and Vinh Khang for giving him the opportunity to correct what he had participated in, even though he was forced by his job position.

"I know an apology cannot erase the damage I helped cause." He said during his last meeting with Khanh Vy and Vinh Khang, his voice was full of remorse. "But I hope, from now on, I can live more true to my conscience."

"We recognize your courage in testifying." Khanh Vy replied, her voice sincere. "Not everyone has the courage to choose the right thing when facing the person who pays their salary."

After the incident, Kieu Dac Nhan decided to leave the large-scale agricultural business and switch to working as an independent consultant for small cooperative models, seeing it as a way to atone for what he had participated in.

*

For Chu Nha Dinh, the consequences of what she had done spread faster and were more devastating than she could have ever imagined, sweeping away everything she had once proudly built. Immediately after the incident was made public in the press, news that she colluded with Tuong Bach Uy to sabotage the farmer alliance, including her own sister's farm, spread throughout Saigon's upper class at breakneck speed.

To Khai Van, as soon as he learned that his wife was being investigated for her involvement in the case, without hesitation filed for divorce, trying to get rid of all related responsibilities to protect what was left of his career that was on the verge of collapse. He even proactively contacted the press, declaring that he was completely unaware of his wife's wrongdoings, trying to separate his personal image from the spreading scandal.

"You were just using me from the beginning, right?" Nha Dinh asked during the last meeting, her voice had lost all the pride of the day, her eyes were red and swollen from crying for many nights in a row.

"We all use each other, have you forgotten what I said?" Khai Van replied coldly, without hesitation signing the prepared divorce papers, not even bothering to raise his eyes to look at her. "Now you're even a legal burden to me."

Nha Dinh stood dumbfounded when she realized that the man she had sacrificed her sisterly love to win, finally left her without mercy as soon as she was no longer useful.

She returned to the apartment, which was now emptier than ever, sat crouched in the corner of the room, looking back at the diamond engagement ring that once made her so proud. Now, it was just an empty symbol of the illusions she once pursued. She remembered her best friend's warning before the wedding, remembered her father's worried eyes when he tried to prevent her from borrowing money for Khai Van, and realized she had ignored all those warning signs just because of blind pride and ambition.

*

At the Chu family villa, Mrs. Chu Le Phuong convened an emergency family meeting as soon as news about Nha Dinh spread. Her face was pale, her hands trembling as she held the newspaper that reported the incident.

"What did you do, Nha Dinh?" She asked, her voice filled with disappointment and pain, her hands shaking with both anger and pain. "You colluded with the enemy to harm your own sister?"

Nha Dinh knelt down in front of her grandmother, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry, grandma. I just... I'm just jealous of her, I don't want her to be happier than me..."

"Jealous?" Mr. Chu Trong Nghiep spoke up, for the first time in his life he showed clear anger in front of his youngest daughter, whom he always pampered. "You almost destroyed the livelihoods of dozens of farming households, almost put your sister in danger, just because of your jealousy?"

Mrs. Le Phuong sat silently in the armchair, her eyes looking into the distance as if recalling the entire chain of events from the day she decided to exchange the engagement between the two sisters. She realized that it was her wrong and selfish decision that year that sowed the seeds for all the tragedies that followed - if she had not tolerated Nha Dinh's jealousy since childhood, if she had not viewed her children's marriage as just a tool to serve the family's interests, perhaps things would not have gone this far.

"You will have to take responsibility before the law for what you have done." She said, her voice was stern but no longer had the inherent coldness like before. "I will not use the family's influence to hide or minimize your sins. This is a lesson you need to learn, no matter how painful."

Nha Dinh bowed her head, having no words to justify herself. For the first time in her life, she faces directly the consequences of her selfish choices without any protective shield from her family.

*

The Chu family decided to temporarily suspend all roles of Nha Dinh in activities related to the group, and at the same time required her to bear full legal responsibility before the investigation agency for abetting organized business sabotage activities. Public opinion, which once admired her beautiful and lucky appearance, now turned away harshly, and articles criticizing her act of betraying her siblings flooded social networks, making her not dare to step out of the house for weeks.

Meanwhile, in Binh Xuyen, far from all the noise of Saigon's elite, news of the investigation results made the entire farming community burst into joy. The alliance officially won the right to use the auctioned public land at a reasonable price, ensuring a stable long-term irrigation water source for the entire region. The reputation of the new cooperative model built by Khanh Vy and Vinh Khang spread throughout the media, becoming an inspirational story about the power of solidarity and knowledge in the face of seemingly irresistible forces. Many working groups from neighboring provinces came to visit and learn from the model to apply to their localities.

"We did it." Mr. Ly Van Ben spoke, his voice trembling with emotion, his eyes filled with tears, his hands clasped Vinh Khang and Khanh Vy's hands in the presence of all the farmers. "Thank you both for not giving up, for giving this whole region a chance to stand on its own feet."

Khanh Vy looked out at the sea of people cheering and holding Vinh Khang's hand tightly. Her heart was filled with a deep sense of satisfaction that she had never felt during the years working at her family's corporation. She knew that even though the story with her sister was still painful and could not be resolved immediately, at least she had protected what was truly important - her small family, and the future of a community that trusted her absolutely.

Dang Nhu Quynh, after a series of high-profile reports, was nominated for a prestigious journalism award on the topic of agricultural economics. She still kept in regular contact with Khanh Vy and Vinh Khang, becoming a reliable companion in the next development journey of the Tan Hoa farmer alliance.

That evening, when returning home, Tieu Yen ran to greet her parents with a bright smile, completely unaware of the turmoil the adults had just experienced. "My parents are home! I helped the neighbor cook for my parents!"

Looking at that peaceful scene, Khanh Vy and Vinh Khang exchanged a look full of understanding. After all the recent events, this was what they cherish the most - a small but loving home.