Chapter 9 — Old Painting Restoration Workshop

Half a month after receiving the painting "Vong Nguyet" back to the workshop, Mien Thu still has not reported anything unusual to Ms. Quach Thien Kim. She continued the surface restoration work openly and transparently, cleaning each small part according to standard procedures, taking photos and taking full notes to submit weekly progress reports as required by the contract. But at the same time, every night, after Thuy Chi returned, she spent time talking with Nguyen Vu over the phone or in person, piecing together each piece of information that was gradually being revealed.

That Friday evening, Nguyen Vu arrived at the workshop later than usual, carrying a thick briefcase. He looked tired but his eyes lit up with excitement.

"I found more information about the early Tinh Hoa gallery." He said, opening the briefcase, displaying copies from different archives on the table. "Chau Boi Long, Chau Vinh Thinh's father, started out as a small picture frame shop in the fifties, then gradually moved into selling and brokering paintings. His career really took off in the mid-sixties, right around the time he began introducing a series of 'newly discovered' works by deceased artists, including Tu Binh Son."

"That means he built his entire career on selling these works?" Mien Thu asked, her eyes scanning the documents.

"Exactly. And not just 'Vong Nguyet'. I found at least four other works introduced as 'late works' by Tu Binh Son, all of which first appeared through Chau Boi Long's gallery between 1964 and 1968. All of these works, decades later, became the foundation of the Chau collection — and are also the reason this family is considered the most powerful 'gatekeeper' for Tu Binh Son's legacy in today's art research world."

Mien Thu sat quietly, trying to visualize the entire big picture that was gradually emerging. "If the other four works had the same problem as 'Vong Nguyet'... if all were completed after his death..."

"Then this is no longer a story about a painting." Nguyen Vu said, his voice lowered. "This could be the story of the entire reshaping of the final phase of a famous artist's career, through the hands of one or more others, legitimized and marketed by a commercial gallery over the course of many years."

He pulled out another photocopy — an old catalog page from a small 1970 auction where one of the other four works sold for a pretty high price at the time. The buyer, according to a side note, was "an anonymous private collector", but the signature confirming the transaction, though faint, could still faintly read the words "Bach Nien".

Mien Thu picked up the photo, her hands shaking slightly. "This is my grandfather's signature."

Nguyen Vu nodded and was silent for a moment to give her time to calm down. "It's possible that your grandfather was the one who bought one of those works, for some reason. Maybe to keep it away from the market, maybe because of personal feelings for the deceased teacher. We can't be sure of the motive, but it's clear that your grandfather had direct and continuous contact with these works, not just once with 'Vong Nguyet'."

Mien Thu put the photo on the table, held her head in her hands, trying to sort out the chaotic emotions in her heart. "Every time I find out more details, I see that my grandfather appears more complicated than the person I knew. I always thought of him as an exemplary restorer, a person who lived an honest life, not involved in anything shady in this profession that is full of temptations."

"Maybe your grandfather is still the same person." Nguyen Vu spoke gently, placing his hand on her shoulder naturally, as a comforting gesture without thinking. "Integrity does not mean never facing difficult choices. Sometimes, it is because of living with integrity that people have to shoulder the heaviest secrets, because they cannot let the truth hurt the people they love."

Mien Thu looked up at him, feeling the warmth of his hand on her shoulder, a quiet comfort that she realized she really needed in that moment. "Thank you," she said softly, "for not judging my grandfather, without knowing the whole truth."

"I have no right to judge anyone, especially someone I have never met, living in a turbulent era that I only know through books." He withdrew his hand, somewhat embarrassed, but his eyes still did not leave her. "Our job is to find the truth, not to condemn anyone, but to understand the true story of what really happened."

They sat for a while longer, planning their next step together. Nguyen Vu proposed to find out whether Tu Dieu Lan, the famous artist's daughter, was still alive, and if so, where she was now.

"I will ask about some old relationships in the world." he said. "This will take time, and care must be taken, for if she were still alive, she would certainly be of a very advanced age, and may have deliberately lived in seclusion to stay away from all the noise regarding her father's legacy."

"What about the scientific analysis sample?" Mien Thu asked, remembering their original plan. "Have you contacted the lab yet?"

"I've had preliminary talks with them." Nguyen Vu nodded. "They agreed to accept the sample, but emphasized the need for written consent from the owner of the work, that is, the museum, or at least the unit that is legally managing the painting during the restoration period. This is the issue I'm most worried about right now — if we ask for official permission, the news will definitely reach Tinh Hoa Auction House before we're ready."

"Can I talk to Mrs. Kim privately?" Mien Thu thought for a moment. "In the restoration contract, my workshop has the right to take microscopic samples to check preservation techniques, that is a standard clause. I can take samples for that reason first, just do not clearly state the real purpose is for dating by radiocarbon dating or pigment spectroscopy analysis."

“Is that okay with your professional conscience?” Nguyen Vu asked, his eyes searching but not judging.

Mien Thu pondered for a moment. "I didn't lie to her about anything — taking a sample for technical testing is something I normally do. I just haven't told her the whole reason. But I promised myself, as soon as I have a solid enough confirmation, I will be the first to report honestly to her, without hiding anything."

Nguyen Vu nodded, seemingly satisfied with that answer. "Okay. Then let's stick to that plan. I'll prepare a specialized sample box and bring it to the workshop this weekend."

Late at night, when Nguyen Vu was preparing to leave, he stopped at the factory door and turned to look at Mien Thu for a long time under the pale yellow light.

"Are you okay?" He asked, sounding genuinely worried. "This is a huge burden for a person, especially when it directly concerns his family."

Mien Thu smiled, even though her eyes were still a little tired. "I'm fine. Maybe I'm better because I don't have to face all of this alone."

He nodded, was silent for a moment, then spoke, his voice somewhat hesitant. "If you need anything — not just professionally — just call me. Any time."

She looked at him, feeling a warmth spread in her heart, different from the stress and anxiety that had surrounded her these past few days. "I'll remember that." She said, her voice softer than she thought she could have.

After he left, Mien Thu stood alone in the workshop, looking out the window where the crescent moon was hanging in the Hanoi night sky. She thought about the faded signature photo "Bach Nien" in the old catalog, about the diary pages with the name "Dieu Lan" repeated over and over, about the number 1965 hidden under the fake signature on "Vong Nguyet". And amidst all those chaotic thoughts, she realized a new feeling was creeping into her heart — not just a fear of the truth about to be revealed, but also a warm belief that, no matter how difficult the road ahead was, she would not have to walk alone.

She sat down at her desk, took out her notebook, and wrote down everything they had just collected into a clear timeline: in 1963, Tu Binh Son passed away while "Vong Nguyet" was still unfinished; In 1964, the memorial exhibition catalog mentioned plans to complete the remaining works; in 1965, the number is hidden under a fake signature on the painting; In 1966, "Vong Nguyet" first appeared publicly through Chau Boi Long's gallery; In 1970, another work in the "final stage" series was auctioned, with a signature confirming the transaction bearing the name Bach Nien. Looking at the series of events lined up on the page, she felt a strange thrill — as if for the first time, she was seeing the full outline of a secret that had been carefully hidden for generations, just waiting for a pair of hands patient enough to uncover each clue.

She closed the notebook, turned off the light, but before leaving the workshop, she lingered for a while in front of "Vong Nguyet", placing her hand on the wooden frame like a habit she had formed in recent nights. “We'll find it all, both of you,” she whispered, not sure whether she was speaking to her grandfather or to the dead artist in the painting. "Whatever the truth is, I promise to tell it as fairly as possible."