Chapter 17 — Medicinal Garden After Hospital

Two days after the tense meeting at the hospital, when Quyen was alone rearranging the medicine cabinet at the pharmacy counter at the end of her shift, she received a text message from an unfamiliar phone number, asking her to meet privately at a small cafe outside town, with the brief content: "I am Truong Gia Bach. I think, we should talk frankly with each other, instead of constantly confronting through intermediaries." Quyen hesitated for a while, but finally decided to meet, thinking that knowing what the other person thinks is also a way for her to better prepare for the next steps.

The cafe is hidden in a small alley, quiet and discreet space. Truong Gia Bach was already sitting in the back corner when Quyen arrived, looking calm and elegant in an ash gray suit. "Thank you for accepting to meet me," he said, his voice courteous, not at all harsh like Quyen imagined. "I think it's time for us to talk frankly and as adults."

"I'm listening," Quyen replied, her voice remaining calm, even though she couldn't help but feel wary.

Truong Gia Bach slowly poured more tea into his cup, his eyes observed Quyen for a moment before speaking. "I must admit, you are a formidable opponent, intelligent, determined, knowing how to build alliances," he said, his tone laced with sincere praise. "That's why, I want to make another proposal, instead of continuing this tug-of-war. Kim Thai Company is planning to open a large-scale medicinal research and processing center in the province. I am ready to invite you to become the director in charge of research, with a salary five times the current salary, and full authority to make professional decisions."

Quyen was surprised by that suggestion, but she quickly regained her composure. "I see, this is a generous offer," she replied, her voice frank. "But I don't think, you're inviting me because you believe in my abilities. You're trying to take me out of the fight to protect the garden, right?"

Truong Gia Bach smiled slightly and did not deny it. “You're really smart,” he said. "But I think this is still a win-win proposal. You will have a more open career, no longer limited to a small, backward garden in a poor mountainous district. As for me, I will have the land I need to develop a modern, industrial-scale medicinal herb processing model, bringing economic benefits to the whole region, creating hundreds of more jobs for local people."

"You sound very convincing," Quyen replied, her voice still calm but determined. "But you forgot one thing - that garden is not just land, an asset to be bought, sold, and transferred. It is the place my mother spent thirty years of her life building, where hundreds of families in the area have found healing, it is an intellectual ecosystem that, once leveled, will be impossible to restore."

"You're romanticizing the issue," Truong Gia Bach said, his voice a bit colder. "In business, emotions cannot solve any problem. Data, profits, and economic efficiency are decisive. I advise you to think more realistically, for the long-term benefit of yourself and your family."

"I thank you for taking the time to meet me," Quyen replied, standing up, her eyes firmly looking straight at him. "But my answer is no. I will continue to protect my mother's garden, with all I can, until my last breath."

Truong Gia Bach watched Quyen leave the restaurant, his eyes flashed with something unpredictable, maybe anger, maybe also a bit of hidden admiration. But right after that, his face returned to its usual cold, calculating expression, as if he had anticipated the possibility of rejection, and had another backup plan.

Sure enough, just a few days later, a wave of rumors began to spread throughout Yen Son town. People whispered about the case of an old man in the upper village. After taking herbal medicine from the hospital's medicinal herb garden, his illness not only did not improve but also got worse, and had to be transferred to the provincial hospital for emergency treatment. The story was embroidered with many thrilling details, spreading quickly through chat groups and market meetings, causing many people to begin to be skeptical about the quality and safety of the remedies from the garden.

"I've heard that some people even say that the garden has been cursed since Mrs. Sen passed away. The trees are now growing wild and their quality is no longer inspected like before," an elderly patient told Nhung when she visited the pharmacy, her voice filled with worry. "Is that true, miss?"

Nhung, although trying to reassure and explain clearly, still couldn't help but worry when she saw the rumors spreading so quickly that it was difficult to control. She immediately called Quyen to tell Quyen the news during her lunch break. "The situation seems more serious than I thought," Nhung said, her voice urgent. "You need to do something now, before this rumor spreads further, affecting the reputation of both the garden and the hospital."

Quyen immediately met Bao Nam to find a way to verify the story. After questioning and looking up medical records, the two discovered the truth was completely different from what the rumors spread. The old man mentioned in the story actually had chronic diabetes for many years, but voluntarily stopped using the medication prescribed by the doctor, only using a type of leaf of unknown origin as told by an acquaintance, completely unrelated to the hospital's medicinal garden or the remedies that Mr. Loc and Quyen were preparing according to the correct process and with clear testing.

"This is clearly a deliberate smear campaign," Bao Nam said, his voice filled with frustration after carefully reviewing the file. "Someone deliberately distorted the truth, associating this old man's story with our garden, to sow doubt in people's hearts, right at the most sensitive time."

"I think, we need to clarify this truth as soon as possible," Quyen said, her voice determined. "We cannot let baseless rumors shake the trust we have worked so hard to build for so long."

Bao Nam nodded in agreement. "I will draft an official medical document, clarifying the real cause of the elderly man's illness, with all the signatures of the relevant doctors," he said. "We should also ask Ms. Quynh Nhu to help post accurate information, to promptly quell the rumor before it spreads further."

The next morning, Quyen and Mr. Loc decided to go to the old man's house in the story to find out the truth, and invited him to the hospital for a thorough health check. When it became clear that the story had been distorted and falsely attributed, the old man couldn't help but feel upset. "I didn't tell anyone that I took medicine from the hospital garden," he explained, his voice shaking with anger. "I just heard from my nephew that I picked some leaves from the field to drink, it has nothing to do with Mr. Loc or the garden behind the hospital. I don't understand why people are spreading such bad rumors."

Mr. Loc held his hand, his voice was calm but full of sincere concern. "Don't worry, we will take you for a thorough examination and clarify everything before the people in the neighborhood, so that no one will misunderstand again," he said. The old man nodded, his eyes filled with trust for the physician who had been attached to the town for decades. It was his agreement to cooperate, along with clear medical records, that became the most important evidence to help Quyen and Bao Nam have enough grounds to refute the rumors in a convincing and undeniable way.

That night, when sitting together to draft a correction document, Quyen couldn't help but feel tired of the increasingly sophisticated and drastic tricks from her opponents. But looking at Bao Nam, seeing that he was still patient and meticulously reviewing every word to ensure absolute accuracy and objectivity, she felt more reassured. "Thank you, for always accompanying me in every situation," she said, gently resting her head on his shoulder for a moment.

"We're protecting the right thing together," Bao Nam replied, his voice firm, his arm around her shoulder gently. "No matter how sophisticated the opponent is, the truth, once presented clearly and transparently, will ultimately prevail." That affirmation, along with his steady presence by her side, gives Quyen the strength to continue facing the challenges that lie ahead, in the battle to protect the garden that seems to be becoming more and more fierce.