Chapter 16 — Pottery Kiln Fire Keeper

The meeting between Mr. Chiem Vinh Truong and his son Chiem Dac Nguyen took place at the villa at the end of the village, where Mr. Truong had lived in seclusion for many years. Khang took Van Khe with him, although both of them were not sure whether her presence would make the situation more tense or not, but Mr. Truong specifically asked her to be present, as a witness to the final confession of his life.

The villa is large but cold, with almost no signs of the warm life usually found in a reunited family. Mr. Nguyen sat opposite his father in the living room, his face cold, his eyes full of caution when he saw Van Khe walk in with his son.

— What did you call me here for? — Mr. Nguyen asked, his voice harsh. — If it's to continue to persuade you to stop the lawsuit, I'll say it first, I won't—

— Sit down, Nguyen, — Mr. Truong interrupted, his voice trembling due to old age but still exuding a fatherly authority that Mr. Nguyen had not heard for a long time. — I have something important to say, and you must listen to it all, whether you like it or not.

Mr. Nguyen reluctantly sat down, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes still full of defense. Mr. Truong took a deep breath, then began to tell the whole story about the stormy night thirty-five years ago - about how he himself had arbitrarily opened the air vent earlier than scheduled, about how Mr. Tuyen tried to stop him but couldn't make it in time, about how his younger brother Tan had an accident right at that fateful moment, and about how Mr. Tuyen silently admitted all his mistakes to protect him from the impossible burden of guilt.

Mr. Nguyen sat as still as a stone statue throughout the story, his face gradually changing from discomfort to shock, then to a state of almost complete paralysis as the truth was gradually fully revealed.

— Impossible, — he muttered, his voice trembling. — Dad lied. All my life I've been telling you that the Thach family is the cause, that Mr. Tuyen miscalculated—

— Dad lied, — Mr. Truong admitted, tears rolling down his wrinkled face. — Dad lied for thirty-five years, not because he wanted to harm anyone, but because he was too cowardly to face the truth that it was he who caused his brother's death. I let resentment guide your whole life, letting you grow up with a false story, and I'm sorry, Nguyen. I'm sorry for being too weak to tell the truth sooner.

Mr. Nguyen stood up, walked back and forth in the living room, holding his head with both hands as if trying to rearrange his entire perception that had just been completely turned upside down.

— So everything you did, all the years you hated Vong Nguyet furnace, hated the whole Thach family, were all based on a lie? — he asked, his voice cracking.

— Not a simple lie, — Mr. Truong said, his voice choking. — It's the sacrifice of a friend, who accepted to be unjustly named all his life to protect his father from the pain he should have suffered. Mr. Tuyen did not lie out of malice, he lied out of friendship, out of love. It is a debt of gratitude that I have carried with me all my life, and now, I want you to know, so that you can choose a different way of life than the way I did — a life not imprisoned by resentment.

*

Van Khe stood quietly observing that scene, her heart filled with an indescribable sadness. She looked at Mr. Nguyen — the cold, powerful man she once considered her mortal enemy — now standing there, trembling like a child who had just lost the entire foundation of his faith.

— Uncle Nguyen, — she spoke, her voice gentle, — I know this is very difficult to accept. But I think this is also an opportunity. An opportunity for me to let go of a burden that has been on my shoulders for many years, not for you or your family, but for yourself, for your own life.

Mr. Nguyen looked at her, his eyes were complex and unreadable, then he turned to look at his father, his voice had softened somewhat, although it was still heavy.

— You need time, — he said. — You can't accept everything in just one evening. But... I will reconsider the lawsuit. I promise.

It was not a complete apology, nor a complete reconciliation, but for Van Khe and Khang, it was a significant step forward, a glimmer of light amid turbulent days.

*

On the way back, Khang held Van Khe's hand tightly, his eyes were still filled with emotions after the heavy conversation they had just had.

— Thank you for coming with me, — he said. — I don't think I could face that scene alone.

— I believe, Uncle Nguyen will understand eventually, — Van Khe said, her voice full of hope. — It takes time, but I believe in it.

When they returned to the factory, it was late at night, but Mr. Vong was still awake, waiting on the front porch with a surprise guest - the representative who had supplied pine firewood to Vong Nguyet furnace for many years. His face had a look of guilt that was hard to say.

— Uncle Vong, — the man said, his voice hesitant, — I sympathize, but the batch of firewood you ordered for the next batch of firewood, my family... my family can no longer deliver it. Someone paid a higher price and bought out my entire supply.

Van Khe and Khang looked at each other, both immediately understanding who was behind this move, even though this afternoon's reconciliation meeting seemed promising. Perhaps, Mr. Nguyen's decision to "reconsider the lawsuit" does not mean that he has completely abandoned the other economic moves that he had secretly arranged in advance, and the special firing batch to perfect Nguyet Bach enamel that they had planned, now faces the risk of not being able to execute as planned.

— Have you found another source? — Van Khe asked, trying to keep her voice calm even though her heart was confused.

— I know a few joints in the neighboring district, but the price is much higher, and the quality of pine firewood is not as consistent as the one I used to supply to Mr. Vong, — the man replied, his voice still apologetic. — Besides, this time they bought the whole area, it will probably take time for me to find a stable source again.

After the man left, the whole family sat down to discuss. Mr. Vong, although tired, still tried to stay optimistic.

— If you don't have this source, find another source, — he said. — There is not only one place in our country that sells pine firewood. However, the price will increase and the preparation time will also take longer than expected.

— But the more you delay, the more time Uncle Nguyen will have to find a way to stop it, — Khang said worriedly. — I will try calling a few acquaintances in the ceramic industry in neighboring provinces to see if anyone knows a source of good quality pine firewood at a reasonable price.

Van Khe sat quietly, fingering her grandfather's diary on the table, feeling both worried and a new determination forming. She realized that, although Mr. Nguyen was somewhat shaken by the newly revealed truth, the business machines that he had operated for many years, the relationships, and the economic levers that he held in his hands, continued to operate according to the old inertia, as if completely separate from the personal emotions that had just arisen in his heart.

— No matter what, I must not give up, — she said, her voice determined, looking around at everyone in the room. — I still have to finish the firing of Nguyet Bach enamel, it may be later than expected, it may be more difficult, but I don't want my grandfather's wish to be left unfinished again just because of external barriers.

Mr. Vong nodded, his eyes shining with pride and determination no less than his daughter's.

— I will work with you to find a new source of firewood, — he said. — Even if I have to go further and spend more money, I still have to do it.

Khac Ben, who had just heard the news from outside, ran in and also contributed, his voice full of enthusiasm.

— Ms. Khe, I remember there is a distant cousin living in the opposite direction, who specializes in planting pine forests to get resin. I'm sure the pine firewood there is of the same quality as where I usually get it. Let me try to contact them to see if they can become a long-term acquaintance, without having to rely on a single source like before, so that if anything happens, I won't be as passive as this time.

— Good idea, — Van Khe said, her eyes shining with hope. — Please contact us immediately, as soon as possible. I don't have much time to hesitate.

That night, the whole family, Khang and Khac Ben, sat together, made a list of contacts, recalculated the budget, and adjusted the schedule for the special batch. Even though there are still many uncertainties ahead, the atmosphere in that small house is still filled with a common determination, a consensus that perhaps, the continuous difficulties unintentionally become the glue that binds everyone closer together than ever, preparing for a still thorny road ahead.