Chapter 9 — Fascinated by the Rooster Farmer Raising His Children

One morning, when Khanh Vy was reviewing the farm's expense records at Vinh Khang's suggestion, she realized a serious problem: although his farming techniques were superior, the way he sold vegetables was completely ineffective. He only sold through intermediaries at low prices, did not have a stable contract, and did not have his own brand, so his investment in farming technology did not generate adequate profits.

"Mr. Khang, I think we need to change the way we sell." Khanh Vy spoke during dinner, her voice full of enthusiasm of someone who used to work in the field of strategic investment. She had started saying "you" to him a few days ago, a small change that marked the gap between them gradually narrowing. "Your vegetables meet organic standards and have a scientific moisture and nutrition monitoring system, but you sell them at the same price as regular vegetables through traders. This is a big waste."

Vinh Khang nodded, a bit shy. "I know, but I'm not familiar with business or marketing. I only know how to grow crops."

"Then let me help you." Khanh Vy said, her eyes lighting up with the idea forming in her head. "I can help you build a brand story for the farm - clean agricultural products, applying technology, grown by an excellent agricultural engineer graduate. We can directly approach supermarket chains, high-end restaurants, and even sell online at a much higher price than selling through traders."

In the following days, Khanh Vy put all her energy into building a business plan for the farm. She took photos of the lush vegetable beds, recorded Vinh Khang's scientific farming process, and wrote honest introductions about his story - an engineer who gave up his research career to return to his hometown to apply technology to clean agriculture.

She also contacted some old relationships in the investment industry, learning about the clean agricultural product market trend that was increasingly popular in large cities. With her financial knowledge, she helped Vinh Khang recalculate the cost structure, optimize the harvesting and transportation process to minimize loss.

"We need a direct meeting with the purchasing department of the Xanh Viet supermarket chain." She said after completing the detailed proposal. "I know their purchasing director through several previous collaborations at the group."

During the preparation process, Khanh Vy realized she was reliving the feeling of excitement she had when she first entered the investment industry, a feeling that had gradually faded after many years of just hanging around with numbers and dry financial reported in the corporate office. Here, every business decision she made was directly tied to tangible valued — the quality of meals for thousands of families, the real livelihood of a dedicated farmer, the future of a child to whom she was growing increasingly attached.

Vinh Khang also quickly learned the basic business knowledge that Khanh Vy shared every night, from how to read simple financial reports to how to price products based on added value instead of pure production costs. He took careful notes in his familiar notebook, unable to hide his admiration for his wife's sharp thinking.

"You're really good." He said one night, when Khanh Vy had just finished explaining how to build a revenue forecast model for the next three months. "I thought such complex business knowledge was only for large corporations, but I didn't expect that applying it to my small farm would be so effective."

"Business principles are the same everywhere, Mr. Khang." Khanh Vy replied, smiling. "It's just a different scale. The most important thing is always creating real value for customers, and I've been doing that since before you appeared."

*

The meeting with the supermarket chain representative was tense but promising. Vinh Khang presented his farming process, giving specific data on nutritional content and testing results for almost zero pesticide residue, while Khanh Vy added market analysis and proposed a long-term cooperation model.

"We are impressed with the quality of your products and your brand story." The purchasing director said after carefully reviewing the file. "We agreed to sign a three-month trial contract, providing clean vegetables to five branches in the city area. If the quality is stable as committed, we will expand long-term cooperation."

When walking out of the office, Vinh Khang could not hide his joy, holding Khanh Vy's hand tightly in an excited moment. "We did it! Thank you, without you, I would never have thought of approaching such big customers."

Khanh Vy smiled, feeling the warmth from his hand, a feeling of safety and happiness spreading throughout her body. "We can do it, it's not just you. Your knowledge and enthusiasm are the most important foundation. I just help you find the right way to get that value recognized properly."

*

Returning to the farm, they immediately began expanding production scale to meet the first order. Vinh Khang redesigned the greenhouse system, installed additional automatic sensors, while Khanh Vy was in charge of packaging, creating professional packaging and labels under the brand name "Binh Xuyen Farm — High-Tech Clean Vegetables."

Neighboring farmers, initially curious and then gradually convinced by Vinh Khang's initial success, began to come to ask about new farming techniques and business models. Mr. Ly Van Ben, head of Binh Xuyen village, who had great prestige in the area, was especially interested.

"Mr. Khang, I think your method is very good." Mr. Ben spoke at a village meeting, stroking his gray beard in thought. "If our whole region follows this model, maybe we can build a common agricultural product brand for the whole Tan Hoa commune, not just your farm."

Vinh Khang and Khanh Vy looked at each other, a bigger idea gradually formed in both of their minds — not just the success of their farm, but the sustainable development of the entire farming community in the area. This idea, even though they did not know it yet, would become an important foundation to help them deal with a large-scale land acquisition plot that was silently forming in the dark.

"If you want, Khanh Vy and I are willing to share all our experiences, not hiding anything." Vinh Khang said to Mr. Ben, his eyes were sincere. "I believe that if the whole region develops together, we will all have a much stronger voice than if each family does business individually."

Mr. Ben nodded in approval, his eyes shining with the confidence of someone who had witnessed generations of farmers struggling with poverty. "I'm very happy when you say that. Let me discuss with my relatives and see who wants to participate so we can do it together."

That night, as they sat together and recalculated the expansion plan by the light of an oil lamp — because this area often lost power in the evening — Khanh Vy felt an increasingly deeper connection with Vinh Khang, not just a forced marriage, but a real companionship, where they both shared a common goal, a common dream.

"Do you ever regret this marriage?" Vinh Khang suddenly asked, his eyes under the oil lamp light became unusually deep.

Khanh Vy stopped calculating and looked at him for a long time before answering. "At first, I regretted it, felt humiliated and unfair. But now..." She paused, smiling slightly. "Now I think, maybe this is the best thing that ever happened to my life, even though it started with a lie."

Vinh Khang said nothing, just looked at her with eyes filled with an emotion that neither of them dared to name, but was growing stronger every day, far beyond what a normal arranged marriage could bring.

The flickering oil lamp reflected the two people's silhouettes on the wall. The warm yellow light created a simple but strangely cozy scene. Outside, the sound of frogs croaking in the quiet countryside night, mixed with the sound of the wind blowing through the banana left behind the garden. Khanh Vy gently closed the notebook and leaned her head on Vinh Khang's shoulder naturally, not forced like the fake intimate gestures she had to show at social parties when she was in the city.

"Thank you for giving me a reason to believe that life sometimes takes unexpected but good turns." She whispered, her eyes closed slightly, enjoying this rare peace.

Vinh Khang gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders, a gentle gesture but enough to convey everything he did not have the courage to say out loud. They both sat quietly like that for a long time, letting that simple moment become a memorable memory in their journey of gradually understanding and loving each other.