Chapter 18 — Old Street Corner Gold Shop

Twenty days from receipt of the legal notice, there are only ten days left until the deadline. Vy and Khoi worked almost non-stop, taking advantage of every free moment to complete the presentation for the upcoming meeting. In the midst of the most tension, an unexpected call from Mr. Dong brought a new clue.

"I happened to remember that a former colleague of mine, now retired, once researched the history of wealthy merchant families in the Southern region before 1975," Mr. Dong said over the phone, his voice full of excitement. "He has a rather large collection of personal documents, which may contain information about the Uong family that you are looking for. I contacted him in advance, and he agreed to meet with you."

Vy and Khoi immediately arranged a time to meet a retired scholar, named Mr. Ban, who lived in a small house filled with old books and documents on the outskirts of the city. Mr. Ban, even though he is over eighty, still retains an amazingly clear memory, especially about the city's socio-economic history through the ages.

"Uong Khai Tuong's family," Mr. Ban mused as he listened to Vy and Khoi present their story, searching through his pile of documents. "I remember hearing this name. If I remember correctly, this was a fairly large cloth trading family in that area before 1975. After liberation, business became increasingly difficult because economic management policies changed."

After a while of searching, Mr. Ban took out a yellowed old newspaper and carefully flipped each page. "Here it is," he exclaimed when he found what he was looking for. "This is a local newspaper published in early 1980. There is a short article about the economic crackdown at the end of 1979, which lists a number of typical cases handled. Although it does not directly mention the name of the gold shop or your family, it does mention 'discovering and severely handling a number of officials who took advantage of their positions during the inspection process and confiscated assets not in accordance with regulations, affecting the reputation of the authorities'."

Khoi attentively read the passage taught by Mr. Ban, his eyes lit up. "This can be important indirect evidence, confirming that the situation of corrupt officials and illegal confiscation of property did exist during that period, consistent with what Mr. Doan recounted." He carefully asked Mr. Ban's permission to photocopy this newspaper page and keep it carefully in his briefcase like a precious treasure he had just found after many days of searching.

"That's right," Mr. Ban nodded. "At that time, this was not uncommon, although it was not always handled openly and transparently. Many families unjustly lost property during raids, but were not always adequately compensated or exonerated later."

Vy felt a surge of emotion when she heard these words. Her grandfather's story, now, is no longer a single incident, but part of a larger picture of a tumultuous historical period, where not only did the Uong family lose, but her grandfather was also a victim of an imperfect system, suffering the consequences simply for trying to do the right thing.

"Do you know anything more about the fate of the families who left during that period? Especially if anyone still keeps in touch, or is there any channel to learn more about their journey after leaving Vietnam?" Khoi asked, hoping to find more clues.

Teacher Ban thought for a moment. "I don't have specific information about each family, but I know there are some overseas Vietnamese community organizations that often keep documents and stories of those who passed away during that period, as a way to preserve historical memories. If you can contact through some channel, maybe you can find more information about the Uong family's journey after leaving, or even about what Mr. Uong Khai Tuong went through before his death."

Before leaving, Mr. Ban also told them more about the general context of that period - families had to sell off their assets, hide gold in the soles of their shoes, in the lining of their shirts, and even swallow it in their stomachs to take with them on risky cross-border trains. "There are trips that go smoothly, there are also trips that get into trouble in the middle of the sea, never reaching the other shore," he said, his voice low and full of sadness. "An entire generation had to bet their lives and that of their families for an uncertain future. If the Uong family was lucky enough to reach a safe shore, it would be understandable that they would not return to look for the jewelry, even if it was heartbreaking — they also had to worry about settling into a new life, learning a new language, rebuilding everything from scratch, not to mention the fear of political implications if they contacted the country for many years afterward."

Mr. Ban's story helps Vy better visualize the historical context behind her family's story, which is not just a simple property dispute, but a small part of the big picture of so many Vietnamese families who went through that tumultuous period, each with their own story full of loss and sacrifice.

After thanking Mr. Ban, on the way home, Vy and Khoi discussed this possibility. "If we find more information about the Uong family's journey across the border, it may help us better understand why they never returned to receive the jewelry, even though Mr. Chi Thanh's father is probably still tormented about it," Vy said.

"I will try to contact through a few channels I know, although I'm not sure if the results will be in time before the deadline," Khoi replied. "But whether we find more or not, I think what we have is enough to present a convincing picture." He glanced at the clock, realized it was late at night, and quickly urged Vy to go home and rest to preserve her strength for the important days ahead.

That night, when she returned to the shop, Vy compiled the entire story into a coherent report, from the fateful night in 1979 recounted in detail by Mr. Doan, to Mr. Tan Phat's arrest, his assets confiscated by corrupt officials, to the fact that he kept a small part - the earring - as a testament to his intention to always return it if given the opportunity. She writes carefully, choosing each word with empathy for both sides, not to justify or blame, but to present a complete, complex, and human truth.

Mr. Thinh, even though he went upstairs to rest, still came down to watch his daughter work when he saw the light was still on. He sat down next to Vy, reread the report she had just completed, and nodded in approval. "You write very well, reading it makes me feel like I see my entire childhood again, the fragmented memories are now assembled into a complete story." He stopped, his voice choked. "I believe, if your grandfather were still alive, he would be very proud of you, Vy. Not only because you are good at your job, but because you were not afraid of difficulties to find and protect the truth, protecting the honor of your family."

Vy held her father's hand, feeling speechless. She looked back on the entire journey that had passed — from the initial vague signs, to the tense confrontation, to the nights of diligently searching for documents with Khoi, and now a complete report, containing both truth and empathy. She feels she has grown a lot through these challenging days, not only as a jeweler, but also as the keeper of the memory and honor of an entire family.

Reading the report one last time under the desk lamp, Vy felt a strange peace creeping into her heart, even though there were still many challenges ahead tomorrow. She put down her pen, looked up at the black and white photo of her grandfather hanging on the wall, and smiled slightly.

“I think I understand your story now, Grandpa,” she whispered. "And I will tell it, exactly as it happened, without adding or subtracting, so that both my family and Mr. Chi Thanh's family can find the peace that should have been there forty-five years ago."

She carefully folded the report, put it in a new folder, along with the old receipt, the museum's appraisal, and a copy of the newspaper Mr. Ban provided, arranged in the exact order discussed with Khoi. Everything is ready. Now, the only thing left is to find the right time and way to proactively contact Mr. Chi Thanh, inviting him to a meeting that she believes, this time, will be completely different from the tense confrontation that happened between them.