Chapter 9 — Old Street Corner Gold Shop

On the first Monday morning of the week, Tan Phat gold shop welcomed a customer completely different from its usual customers. A middle-aged man, wearing a neat black suit, carrying a shiny leather briefcase, entered the store with a serious look, his eyes scanning the space before stopping at the counter where Vy was standing.

"Hello, I am lawyer Su Dinh Khang," the man introduced himself, his voice was calm but somewhat cold, holding out a business card with formal lettering. "I am the legal representative for Mr. Uong Chi Thanh, currently residing abroad but just returned home to resolve some family matters. I need to meet with the highest authority of this gold shop to discuss an important issue."

The name "Uong Chi Thanh" made Vy immediately tense and her heart beat faster. She invited lawyer Khang to sit down at a small table and called her father down from upstairs. Although Mr. Thinh had difficulty walking, she felt that this was an important matter and needed both of them to face it together.

When Mr. Thinh was seated, lawyer Khang opened his leather briefcase, took out a thick file, and placed it neatly on the table. "Let me get straight to the point so I don't waste your time," he said, his voice still coldly professional. "My client, Mr. Uong Chi Thanh, is the son of Mr. Uong Khai Tuong - who passed away two years ago overseas. Before his death, Mr. Tuong left a will, affirming that in 1979, his family kept a set of extremely valuable heirloom wedding jewelry for Mr. Khuong Tan Phat, the owner of this gold shop at that time, before his family was forced to leave the country in emergency circumstances."

Mr. Thinh clenched his hands on the chair, his face tense but still trying to stay calm. "So what do you want to say, lawyer?"

"According to Mr. Tuong's will, that set of jewelry has never been returned," lawyer Khang continued, his voice undeterred. "My client believes that his family has kept this property for the past forty-five years without taking any action to contact or seek to return it to the family of the rightful owner. Mr. Chi Thanh requests that you return the jewelry, or if it can no longer be kept intact, pay compensation of the equivalent value at the current price, plus a satisfactory moral compensation."

Vy felt like there was a cold stream of air running down her spine. She tried to keep her voice calm, even though inside she was seething. "Lawyer, I understand that Mr. Chi Thanh has reason to believe his father's story, but we need specific evidence before we can confirm anything. Can you show me the documents that prove this allegation?"

Lawyer Khang pulled out another copy of the papers and gave it to Vy. "This is Mr. Uong Chi Thanh's notarized affidavit, recording his father's statement before his death, describing in detail the jewelry set - including an antique necklace carved with dragon and phoenix images, a pair of bracelets, and a set of pure gold earrings, all of which were dowries passed down from his great-grandmother. There are also testimonies of several contemporaries, still living abroad, confirming that Uong's family owned this set of jewelry before leaving Vietnam."

Vy skimmed through the declaration and realized that although the content was detailed, it was completely based on one-sided accounts, without any official receipts or delivery documents from her grandfather. She looked at her father and saw that Mr. Thinh was also frowning and reading each line carefully, his expression both worried and indignant.

"This is just a one-sided story, there is no specific evidence that my grandfather received and kept this set of jewelry," Vy said, trying to keep her voice calm but determined. "We are also learning about this incident through family documents, and what we know so far is completely inconsistent with the allegation that my grandfather misappropriated the property."

Lawyer Khang frowned, seemingly dissatisfied with Vy's reaction, but still maintained his professionalism. "I understand you need time to consider, but I must make it clear that my client is very determined to seek justice for his family. If a reasonable agreement cannot be reached in the near future, he will consider official legal measures, including publicizing the case in the media to seek support from public opinion."

"You mentioned going public in the media, so does Mr. Chi Thanh have any solid evidence other than his father's story?" Vy asked directly, trying to keep her eyes steady even though she was trembling inside. "If a story that has not been fully verified is published, it could damage the reputation of both families, not just my family."

Lawyer Khang frowned slightly, seemingly not expecting the young shop owner to object so sharply. "My client absolutely believes in his father's last words before his death. To him, that is convincing enough evidence. But I must also tell the truth, Mr. Chi Thanh is not a hasty person. He gives you time to find out and verify again, before considering more drastic steps. This is the reason I came to meet you directly today, instead of sending the lawsuit directly to court."

"So how long do we have?" Mr. Thinh asked, his voice calmed down somewhat.

"I think a few weeks is reasonable," lawyer Khang replied, standing up to adjust his tie. "But I advise you not to delay. Mr. Chi Thanh has been waiting for justice for his family for too long."

The last sentence carried a clear implicit threat, making the atmosphere in the shop even heavier. Mr. Thinh, who rarely appears harsh, suddenly spoke up, his voice trembling with emotion. "You go back and tell your client that my father is the kindest person I have ever known. If he really kept someone else's property unjustly, I will be the first to demand justice for that family. But I don't believe that, and I will find the truth, no matter how long it takes."

Lawyer Khang nodded, did not argue further, just stood up to collect the files. "I will convey your words to my client. We will contact you again in the near future to hear your official response." He left a copy of the file on the table, along with his business card, and left the shop as coldly as when he arrived.

After the door closed, the shop space fell into a heavy silence. Vy sat down in the chair, holding her head with her hands, feeling like the whole world had just collapsed before her eyes. Thanh Tra, standing in the corner of the shop throughout the tense conversation, now dared to step closer, her eyes filled with worry.

"Miss Vy, what should I do now?" she asked, her voice shaking.

Vy looked up, trying to suppress the rising chaotic emotions to maintain her spirit in front of her student. "I will find out the truth, Thanh Tra. No matter what, I will not let my grandfather's honor be smeared so baselessly."

Mr. Thinh, still shaking with emotion, placed his hand on his daughter's shoulder, his voice low. "I believe you can do it. Your grandfather is not a bad person, I'm sure of that, even though I don't know the whole truth yet."

That afternoon, Vy immediately called Khoi and recounted the entire meeting with lawyer Khang, her voice unable to hide the panic. Khoi listened attentively, did not interrupt, only when she finished did she speak, her voice was calm but full of determination.

"Don't worry too much," he said. "We already have initial clues that show that the situation is much more complicated than what the other side presents. I will try to find more evidence as soon as possible. Believe me, we will find the truth before things go too far."

Hearing Khoi's steady voice on the phone, Vy felt somewhat calmed down, even though she knew clearly that the road ahead to prove her family's innocence was still full of thorns, and time was not on her side.

That night, after hanging up the phone, Vy sat alone at the workbench, looking at the black and white photo of her grandfather hanging on the wall. She took the copy of the file lawyer Khang left behind, read and reread each line, trying to find some loophole in the other side's argument. But the more she read, the more she realized that the problem was not simply finding out who was right and who was wrong — but how two families, which had been divided by historical events forty-five years, could reach a complete truth together without anyone having to suffer further pain. She thought of Mr. Chi Thanh, a man who had carried his father's last words with him for many years, perhaps as painful as she was right now. That thought calmed the anger in Vy's heart somewhat, giving way to a calmer determination - the determination to find the truth, not to win a dispute, but to heal a wound that had been smoldering for too long.