Chapter 22 — Old Street Corner Gold Shop

Mr. Chi Thanh asked permission to go out for a while to calm down, leaning against the porch pillar in front of the shop, looking out at Ngan Lu street, which was gradually bustling with passersby on the weekend morning. Vy did not follow him out, respecting the private space he needed, just quietly observed through the glass door, seeing his figure standing there, his shoulders shaking intermittently as if trying to suppress a great emotion.

Fifteen minutes later, he returned, his face still red but his eyes somewhat calmer. He sat down, was silent for a moment, then suddenly opened the leather briefcase he was carrying and took out an old envelope, the handwriting on the outside had faded over the years.

"There's something I've never shown to anyone, not even lawyer Khang," he said, his voice hoarse with emotion. "This is a letter my father wrote to me, but not for me to read immediately, but he told me to open it only after he passed away. I have read it many times in the past two years, but there is a part I always deliberately ignore, because it does not match what I want to believe."

He opened the envelope, pulled out a yellowed piece of paper, and read slowly in a trembling voice: "'Son, I know you will find a way to reclaim justice for your family after I pass away. I support you in doing so, because the property left by my great-grandmother deserves to be found again. But I also want you to know something I never dared to say when I was healthy - in my heart, I sometimes wonder whether the young goldsmith that year really intended to usurp it or not. Or simply another victim of the times, like my family. I don't have a definite answer, and I'll probably take that question with me to the grave. If you have the chance, research carefully before acting, don't let resentment obscure the truth, even though that truth may not be what you expected.'"

Mr. Chi Thanh's voice choked on the last sentence, his hands shook, causing the paper to shake slightly. The whole room was in absolute silence, everyone was moved by the humane and wise last words of a father who had experienced so much loss but still maintained his integrity until the last moments of his life.

"I chose to only remember the first part of my last words — the part about demanding justice," Mr. Chi Thanh said, his voice full of regret. "Because that part was easier, it gave me a clear direction to vent my anger, to feel like I was doing something for my father. But I deliberately ignored the second part, the part my father told me to research carefully and be fair. I'm sorry for letting my anger and pain cloud my reasoning."

Vy felt a deep emotion rising in her heart when she heard these words. "You don't need to apologize, sir," she said, her voice gentle. "Everyone needs time and a path to process their pain. The important thing is that today, you are ready to face the whole truth, including the most difficult parts to accept."

Mr. Thinh, equally moved, spoke up, his voice full of sympathy. "My father, Mr. Khuong Tan Phat, also lived the last years of his life in similar torment, even though he did not say it. Perhaps our two fathers, even though they never saw each other again after that fateful night, still carry each other in their minds, like a common obsession that cannot be named."

Lawyer Khang, who from the beginning of the meeting still played the role of professional observer, now could not hide his emotions. He put down his pen and closed the legal documents he brought along, as an implicit gesture showing that he understood that this meeting had gone beyond the scope of a normal legal dispute.

"Mr. Chi Thanh," lawyer Khang spoke up, his voice completely different from the initial toughness, "with what I just witnessed, I think you should decide for yourself the next direction, not necessarily following the rigid legal framework anymore. This is no longer simply a legal issue, but a matter of the heart."

Mr. Chi Thanh nodded, raised his hand to wipe the remaining tears from the corner of his eyes, then looked at Vy, his eyes had completely changed from the initial hostility. "Miss Vy, I'm sorry for treating you and your family harshly all this time. I let my pain hurt people who didn't deserve to be hurt."

"You don't need to apologize," Vy replied, her voice also choking. "We are all people trying to find truth and justice for the people we love. There's nothing wrong with that."

Mr. Doan, witnessing this entire emotional moment, smiled slightly through his tears, whispering to himself as if talking to a long-dead friend: "Mr. Phat, finally everything is clear. You can rest assured and close your eyes now."

Mr. Chi Thanh, hearing that whisper, turned to look at Mr. Doan with grateful eyes. "Grandpa, I really thank you for having the courage to tell this story, even though it may bring back your own painful memories. I know this is not easy for someone your age."

"It's okay, dear," Mr. Doan replied, his voice warm. "She has lived to this age, witnessed so many changes, and only hopes that before she closes her eyes, she will see the old injustices resolved. Today, she seems to have fulfilled a great wish in her life."

Khoi, observing the entire development with the carefulness of someone who always pays attention to every detail, gently spoke up, breaking the emotional atmosphere to direct the story to the necessary next steps. "Mr. Chi Thanh, I understand that this is a very personal and meaningful moment for you. But if you feel ready, perhaps we should discuss further about the next path, so that everything can be closed in the most complete way, not only legally but also emotionally between the two families."

Mr. Chi Thanh nodded, dried his tears, trying to regain composure. "You're right. I think the first thing I want to do is officially withdraw all accusations and legal demands against Ms. Vy's family. What I've heard and seen today is enough for me to believe that my father and your grandfather are both victims of a period of history full of injustice, and none of them deserve to be blamed."

Lawyer Khang nodded and pulled out a blank piece of paper from his briefcase. "If you have decided, I can immediately draft an official withdrawal document, signed by you, to send to the gold shop as evidence, avoiding any legal trouble later."

"Yes, do it now," Mr. Chi Thanh said, his voice much more decisive than the tense expression when entering the shop.

While lawyer Khang drafted the document, Mr. Chi Thanh held back the earring and looked at it for a long time, his eyes filled with many mixed emotions - both pain for the family's losses, relief because he had finally found a part of the family heritage, and gratitude for the sincerity of Vy's family throughout this journey to find the truth.

"This earring," he said, his voice deep and thoughtful, "I want to keep as a souvenir, to commemorate both my father and my mother, who had to sacrifice so much that fateful night. But I also want to do something more meaningful, not just simply receive an item back."

Vy listened, her heart rising to a new hope. She remembered the conversation she had with Khoi on the riverbank a few days ago, about the idea of creating a new symbolic piece of jewelry. But she decided not to rush to propose right now, wanting to give Mr. Chi Thanh the space to first express what he was thinking in his heart.

"Just say what you're thinking," she encouraged gently. "We are willing to listen and work with you to find a way to do it, if that is within our family's ability."

Mr. Chi Thanh pondered for a moment, his eyes looked around the shop space, stopping at the old jewelry tools on the workbench, and at the black and white photo of Mr. Tan Phat hanging on the wall. “I think,” he said slowly, “I would like to have your shop create a new piece of jewelry, combining the style of this old earring with a more modern design, as a way to commemorate both my father and your grandfather — two men whose fate bound them together over a fateful night, even though they never had the chance to meet again to say sorry or forgive.”

That suggestion made the whole room silent for an emotional moment. Mr. Thinh, eyes filled with tears, nodded speechlessly. Vy felt her heart pounding, as if Mr. Chi Thanh himself had read the thoughts she was still cherishing in her heart.

"That's a wonderful idea, sir," she said, her voice choked with emotion. "My family will put all our heart and soul into creating a work worthy of the sacred meaning you just mentioned."