Chapter 28 — Medicinal Garden After Hospital

In the following weeks, the medicinal garden became busier than ever. The team of engineers and architects sent by the Department of Health to survey and draw up detailed designs for the Center for Research and Treatment combining Eastern and Western Medicine, are regularly present here, exchanging and consulting directly with Quyen, Bao Nam and especially Mr. Loc, who has the deepest experience on the growth characteristics of each type of medicinal plant, on how to arrange space so that it is both scientific and traditional.

"This area must remain in place, not be moved," Mr. Loc told the architect team, his hand pointing to the bed of honeysuckle that Bao Nam accidentally uprooted during the first afternoon of his apprenticeship. "This is a precious plant that has been domesticated by Mrs. Sen diligently for many years. It cannot be moved arbitrarily without affecting its development." The architect team, after listening, adjusted the drawing, ensuring the core planting area was kept intact, while the new construction items would be arranged harmoniously around, without infringing on what had existed before.

Mr. Thanh, throughout this process, has become an indispensable factor. With the knowledge he has accumulated over the past few months, along with his understanding of every corner of the garden from his years of helping his wife, he takes on the important role of bridge between the design team and the specific requirements of a traditional medicinal garden. "I never thought I could contribute so much," he shared with Quyen one evening, when both father and daughter reviewed the latest design drawings together. "But now, every time I see a drawing, I can imagine what this garden will look like in a few years, and I feel extremely happy to be part of that process."

Quyen smiled, took her father's arm, and they both looked out at the garden engulfed in sunset. "I think this is the best way for dad to continue to love mom," she said. "Not by living in the past, but by building together a future worthy of what mom left behind." Mr. Thanh nodded, his eyes shining with a deep pride, different from the sad, closed look he had carried for more than a year after his wife's death.

One afternoon, while with the design team discussing the area where a modern pharmacy was expected to be built, Mr. Thanh suddenly proposed an idea that surprised the whole group. "I think we should set aside a small corner as a place to display the history of the garden's formation, from the first days my wife reclaimed it alone, to the development process through each stage," he said, his voice full of enthusiasm. "Not only to commemorate, but also so that future generations, when they come here to study, work, and understand, all today's achievements originate from the perseverance and dedication of those who came before."

That idea received absolute agreement from everyone. Quyen, especially moved by his father's proposal, realized that he was not simply participating in construction work, but had actually become a keeper, telling his family's story for future generations, a role that perhaps he himself never thought he had the courage to take on.

Mr. Loc, despite his old age, is still present at the garden every day to monitor progress, not forgetting to pass on to Mr. Thanh every smallest detail in how to identify and classify rare herbs. "This plant, at first glance, looks very similar to a common weed, but if you pay close attention to the leaf veins, you will see a clear difference," he explained, his hands shaking but still meticulously showing Mr. Thanh each small vein on the leaf blade. Mr. Thanh took notes attentively, with a serious and demanding attitude, no different from a young student diligently absorbing knowledge from his respected teacher.

"I see, Thanh is progressing very quickly now," Mr. Loc commented to Quyen during a break to drink water. "Perhaps, my mother's blood, the love for medicine, has always silently flowed through the veins of the whole family. It just needs the right time, the right opportunity for it to awaken." Quyen smiled, her heart was filled with happiness as she witnessed her father's growth every day, a maturity that she believed, her mother, if still alive, would also be extremely proud and touched.

Also during that busy time, the design team proposed adding a small area dedicated to organizing tours and experiences for pupils and students in the area, with the hope of sowing the seeds of love for traditional medicine in the young generation right from the time they are in school. Quyen enthusiastically welcomed this idea. She remembered her childhood afternoons when she used to follow her mother to the garden, learning to recognize each type of leaf and each unique scent of medicinal herbs, and she hoped that other children in Yen Son would also have the opportunity to experience similar precious moments.

Meanwhile, Bao Nam is equally busy with building a training program for the young medical team who will work directly at the new center in the future. He spent many evenings with Mr. Loc, synthesizing all the knowledge from the handbook that Quyen and Mr. Loc had previously compiled, adding the latest scientific research, building a complete curriculum that both retains the traditional essence and ensures the necessary science and modernity.

"I want, when the center officially goes into operation, we will have a team that truly understands and truly believes in the value of this combination, not simply following instructions from superiors," Bao Nam shared with Quyen late one night, when they both sat down to review the final pages of the curriculum. "That is the way for this model to be truly sustainable and develop in the long term, not just a trendy project that blooms early and fades."

Quyen nodded, leaned her head on his shoulder, clearly feeling the enthusiasm and responsibility he was putting into this job. "I believe in you, in everything we're building together," she said, her voice warm. "And I also believe, with a team like you, like Mr. Loc, like everyone who has accompanied us all this time, this center will definitely become something truly meaningful and sustainable."

The last days of autumn gradually passed in that busy but exciting atmosphere. Each work item is gradually being completed - the final design drawings have been approved, the first investment funds have been disbursed, and the staff for the new center has also begun to be selected and trained. The garden, although still retaining its inherent rustic and simple beauty, has begun to show signs of change, preparing for a new, larger, more professional look in the near future.

One evening, when work was temporarily put aside, Quyen and Bao Nam walked around the garden under the sunset, watching the signs of preparation for change gradually appearing. "Do you feel regretful that the garden will no longer retain its simple appearance as before?" Bao Nam asked, his voice gentle.

Quyen shook her head, her eyes looking far away at the rows of trees fluttering in the afternoon breeze. "Not at all," she replied. "I think, my mother would not want her garden to forever stay at the same small scale as before, when it can completely grow bigger and help more people. The important thing is not to keep the old shape, but to keep the spirit and core values that mother has put into each tree and each remedy. And I believe, no matter how much it grows, that spirit will always be fully preserved, by all the people who are working together to build the place. These people all deeply understand that."

Bao Nam nodded slightly and squeezed her hand tighter. "I think so too," he said. "Perhaps, the best way to pay tribute to those who have gone before is not to keep everything standing still like a museum, but to continue to nurture and develop it, so that those values can continue to be alive and useful for many future generations." The two stood quietly together, watching the last sunset of autumn gradually fall behind the distant mountains, filled with hope for a new spring approaching, bringing with it many good changes for the garden, for both of them, and for the whole community that had gone through a long and meaningful journey together.