Chapter 94 — Shrimp Street Without Name

The day the court announced the retrial verdict came on a rare chilly morning in Ca Mau, as if the weather was also sharing the solemnity of this important moment. Hai Yen woke up early, wearing the simple ao dai she had chosen specifically for today, a symbolic choice, reminiscent of the image of her mother standing on the witness stand many months ago.

The courtroom, although not as crowded as the previous two criminal trials, still had the full presence of everyone who had accompanied Hai Yen throughout the long journey - Ms. Sau, Kien, lawyer Hoang, Mr. Tam, Ms. Tuyet, Mr. Son, Ms. Ut Phuong, Minh Khang, and many other familiar faces, all came to witness the moment that they believed would completely end the journey of seeking justice that had lasted for nearly a year.

When the judge entered, the entire courtroom stood up in a solemn silence. She began by summarizing the entire review process, emphasizing the seriousness and caution that the jury applied in re-evaluating a judgment that took effect ten years ago.

“After comprehensively reviewing the newly presented evidence,” she said, her voice ringing clearly in the quiet space, “the jury found that there were sufficient grounds to affirm that most of the initial sentence for Mr. Do Van Tien, specifically the charge of intentional mass poisoning through the provision of a batch of goods contaminated with toxic chemicals, was based on intentionally falsified evidence, orchestrated by other individuals for the purpose of appropriating financial resources. property of Kenh Ba cooperative.”

A collective sigh rang out throughout the courtroom as the first words of the verdict were announced. Hai Yen held her mother's hand tightly, both holding their breath waiting for the next part of the verdict.

"Therefore," the judge continued, "the jury decided to drop the charge of intentional mass poisoning against Mr. Do Van Tien, and officially exonerated him of this serious crime. However, based on the evidence and truthful testimony presented by his family, the jury noted that he had violated quality control regulations by accepting to export a small batch of goods that did not meet full standards, a violation. administrative offense of a low level, has been dealt with proportionately given the time he has wrongly served over the past ten years, and therefore there is no need to impose any additional penalties.”

The verdict, balanced and fair, was exactly what Hai Yen had expected, bringing a deep sense of relief that filled the courtroom. Tears rolled down Hai Yen's cheeks, not tears of pain, but tears of liberation after ten years of carrying the burden of an unjust judgment that weighed heavily on the honor of the entire family.

Mrs. Sau hugged her daughter tightly, her voice trembling in indescribable happiness. “Your father has been exonerated,” she whispered through her tears. “After ten years, his name has finally been cleared.”

The judge continued reading the final part of the judgment, which included the decision to officially reinstate Mr. Do Van Tien's honor, publicly recorded in the mass media, along with consideration of compensation. often damages the family according to the provisions of the law on wrongful death in criminal proceedings.

When the trial ended, Hai Yen stood silently for a long time in the middle of the gradually empty courtroom, looking up at the courtroom where the verdict had just been announced, fully feeling the meaning of this moment. This is the final destination of the journey she started from the day she received the order to audit Dai Duong's shipment, not knowing in advance that it would lead her through a long journey full of hardships and dangers, but in the end she reached the place she always wanted - complete truth, complete justice, for her father and for her whole family.

Kien walked forward, embracing her in mutual joy, without saying another word, just letting that silent moment speak for itself of everything they had gone through and achieved together.

Outside the court, a crowd of reporters waited to record the family's first reaction after the historic verdict was announced. Ms. Sau, usually reserved in front of the camera, this time stepped in front of the cameras with a new confidence.

“Ten years ago, I lost my husband,” she said, her voice shaking but clear. "Not because he died, but because an entire system turned its back on him, turning an upright man into a criminal in the eyes of the entire community. Today, justice has finally been served. I want to thank everyone who believed in my daughter and accompanied her throughout this difficult journey."

Minh Khang, standing in the crowd of reporters but this time without holding a camera, just quietly observed and recorded in his mind the complete ending moment of a story he had followed closely since the first days. When Hai Yen passed by, he nodded to her with a warm smile, no interview needed, no further questions needed — simply a quiet recognition between two people who had witnessed an extraordinary journey together.

Lawyer Hoang, when interviewed by the press, emphasized the broader significance of this ruling. “This is not just a victory for one family,” she said. “This is proof that our justice system, although it may make mistakes, still has the ability and courage to correct those mistakes when there is enough evidence and the perseverance to pursue justice from those affected.”

That afternoon, the group held a small, simple but meaningful ceremony at the old pond area of Kenh Ba cooperative. This is the first time in ten years that Hai Yen's family and her companions stood in this place not to commemorate a tragedy, but to mark a new beginning.

Mrs. Sau, with trembling hands, carried Mr. Tien's photo, placed it on a small table temporarily set up in the middle of the pond, surrounded by simple bouquets of field flowers picked by Hai Yen and Kien themselves on the way here. "Grandpa," she whispered, her voice choking, "your name has finally been cleared. My daughter did it, did you know?"

Hai Yen knelt down next to her mother, placing her father's familiar notebook on the table, next to the photo. “I fulfilled my promise, Dad,” she said, her voice trembling but filled with pride. "The truth has been fully told, justice has been fully served. Now, I will continue, not to fix the past, but to build a future worthy of what you have dreamed of.”

All those present stood silently in an emotional moment of remembrance, each carrying their own memories and emotions about the long journey that had passed. The afternoon breeze gently blew across the pond, bringing with it the familiar scent of land and water in the West, like a welcome from the very land that had witnessed both tragedy and the resurrection of a family, a community, and a belief in justice that had been fully restored.

Mr. Tam, whose son pushed his wheelchair to the place despite the bumpy road, held Hai Yen's hand as the small ceremony gradually ended. “I have lived through many ups and downs of this land,” he said, his voice trembling with both age and emotion. “But I have never witnessed anything as meaningful as what you have done. Not only did you give justice to your father, but you also gave back faith to all of us, who have lived for too long in fear and silence.”

Mrs. Tuyet, standing next to her daughter, could not hide her emotional tears. “I thought I would have to carry the sins of the past with me for the rest of my life,” she said. “But seeing justice being fully served today, I feel like I am also somewhat liberated.”

When the sunset began to fall on the pond, dyeing both the sky and the water in a warm orange color, Hai Yen stood silently looking at the surrounding scenery - familiar faces, the abandoned pond area but waiting to be revived, and in the distance, the Ba Canal still flows quietly as it has for many generations, witnessing all the ups and downs of the people who rely on it.

She felt a rare sense of completeness, a sense that, although the journey ahead still had a lot of work to do — restoring Channel Three, building a community testing laboratory, continuing her life with the people she loved — the most important chapter, the chapter of finding and reclaiming the truth for her family, had finally come to a complete and worthy close.