Chapter 22 — Fascinated by the Rooster Farmer Raising His Children

Time passes quickly like the monsoon winds passing through the rice fields. Six months after the incident at the auction, Binh Xuyen village had taken on a completely new look. Lush green vegetable fields stretch to the horizon, interspersed with dozens of high-tech greenhouses built according to the standard model designed by Vinh Khang. Each greenhouse was equipped with an automatic sensor system to monitor humidity, temperature, and soil nutrients.

Tan Hoa High-tech Agricultural Cooperative, the official name of the farmer alliance, now had nearly fifty member households, with a total farming area of more than two hundred hectares, double the original scale when it was first established. Products branded "Binh Xuyen Farm" were available in more than thirty supermarket branches nationwide, along with the first trial export contract to the Japanese market thanks to achieving international clean agricultural product standard certification, a milestone that no one in the region ever dared to think of.

"Mr. Khang, this quarter's growth exceeded expectations by thirty percent, a number beyond my imagination." Khanh Vy said, placing the financial report on the common desk they had just built in the house, a spacious room full of computers and tables, different from the simple small room when she first moved in. "If we maintain this pace, we can expand the model to two neighboring communes next year."

Vinh Khang smiled, his eyes now always shone with confidence and satisfaction. "It's all thanks to your business vision. I only know how to grow crops, it's you who turn it into a sustainable ecosystem like this."

Mr. Ly Van Ben, now officially taking on the role of honorary advisor of the cooperative, regularly stops by the small office to discuss expansion plans. "Mr. Khang, Miss Vy, I never thought that one day I would see the whole Tan Hoa area change so much." He said, his voice filled with pride. "The children in the neighborhood now no longer want to leave the countryside for the city, because they see the future right in their own land."

"It's thanks to the efforts of everyone, not just us." Khanh Vy replied, smiling modestly. "Together we have proven that Vietnamese agriculture can develop sustainably without sacrificing the independence of farmers."

*

Tieu Yen, now seven years old, was much taller than when she first met Khanh Vy, and was no longer the shy, scared girl she once was. She often follows Khanh Vy to cooperative meetings, proudly introducing to her classmates that "Vy's mother is very good at business" and "my father grows the best vegetables in the region".

One afternoon, when the whole family harvested strawberries together in the new greenhouse area, Tieu Yen ran to Khanh Vy, holding a ripe strawberry. "Mom Vy, I give you the biggest fruit!"

Khanh Vy received the strawberry, her heart filled with warmth. The word "Vy's mother" had now become a natural part of her life, no longer an embarrassing title like in the early days. "Thank you, honey. Do you want to eat with me?"

"Yes, I want it!" Tieu Yen smiled brightly, sat down next to Khanh Vy, mother and daughter ate strawberries together under the gentle afternoon sunlight through the membrane roof, crisp laughter echoed throughout the small garden.

Vinh Khang stood from afar observing that scene, his arms crossed over his chest, a happiness rising in his heart that he had never dared to dream of since the day Thuy Trang passed away. He knew that, although he cannot replace the position of his deceased mother in his daughter's heart, Khanh Vy had created a sincere and deep love in her own way, a love that did not need to be compared or replaced by anything. That was exactly what Thuy Trang, if she were still alive, would also wish for her daughter.

*

The Tan Hoa cooperative model was interviewed by many television stations and major newspapers, invited to participate in seminars on sustainable agricultural development, becoming a familiar name in the agricultural world nationwide. Vinh Khang, who was once considered the "least valuable farmer" on the Chu family's list, was now invited to be a speaker at a national high-tech agricultural conference, sharing about his journey of turning scientific knowledge into practical value for the community.

"Many people ask me why I gave up a promising research career to become a farmer, accepting to be looked down upon by people for so many years." He spoke in front of hundreds of delegates attending the conference, his voice calm but full of pride. "I always answer that the value of knowledge does not lie in where it is recognized by a title, but in where it actually creates change. And I am lucky to have a life partner who helps me turn those small changes into something bigger and more pervasive."

Khanh Vy sat in the audience, watching her husband speak with confidence and bravery that she had never seen in any speaker at the high-class business conferences she had attended before. She realized that the true value of a person, as she had learned throughout her past journey, could never be measured by external assets or status.

After the conference, many representatives of businesses and agricultural management agencies came to shake hands and exchange business cards with Vinh Khang, expressing their desire to cooperate or learn from experience. A representative from a central ministry even offered to invite him to join a national high-tech agricultural development policy advisory council.

"I'm just an ordinary farmer." Vinh Khang humbly responded to the invitation, but his eyes could not hide his pride. "But if my experience can help many other farmers across the country, I am happy to contribute."

On the way back to Binh Xuyen, sitting next to each other in the car, Khanh Vy held her husband's hand, her eyes shining with undisguised pride. "You know, listening to your speech today, I suddenly remembered the image of you standing quietly in the corner of the room at a family meeting in the past, looked down upon and overlooked by everyone. Looking back now, it's hard to believe how much has changed."

"It's all thanks to you appearing in my life." Vinh Khang replied, squeezing her hand. "If it weren't for you, I would probably still be just a quiet farmer, never daring to dream of bigger things."

*

As for Chu Nha Dinh, after many months of facing legal consequences and society's rejection, she gradually found peace in quietly working at a small branch of the family corporation, completely away from the frivolous glory that she once pursued. She no longer tried to contact her sister, realizing she needed a longer time to truly make amends, not just with words.

Occasionally, through her father's words, she heard news about her older sister's growing success. Instead of feeling jealous like before, now she only had a deep regret and a fragile hope that one day, when she had truly changed, she could face her sister without having to look down in shame.

The last night of the biggest harvest season of the year, when the last trucks filled with agricultural products left the village, the whole Binh Xuyen village held a small festival to celebrate the success of the cooperative. Lantern lights hung throughout the courtyard, bustling laughter echoed everywhere. Khanh Vy stood in the middle of the crowd, hand in hand with Vinh Khang, Tieu Yen ran and played with the children in the neighborhood.

"Are you happy?" Vinh Khang asked, his eyes gently looking at her under the shimmering lantern light.

Khanh Vy looked up at him, a bright smile on her lips. "I've never been so happy in my life, Mr. Khang. And the most amazing thing is, this happiness started from the very thing that everyone thought was my unhappiest."

Small fireworks prepared by the people shot into the night sky, bright light reflected in the happy eyes of the whole small family. Tieu Yen ran over, grabbed both her father's and Khanh Vy's hands, and pulled them both into the dancing circle of children in the neighborhood.

"Dad, mom, let's dance with everyone!" The baby exclaimed, his face beaming with happiness.

All three people joined the stream of people dancing under the lantern light, their laughter mixed with the bustling folk music. It's a fulfilling moment that no amount of profit or fame could buy — the feeling of belonging to a community, of being loved and appreciated for who you were.