Chapter 97 — Shrimp Street Without Name

Three months after the sentence for Tran Quoc Vinh was announced, the mandatory restructuring process for Coastal Mien Hai Group and Ocean's satellite companies completed the first phase under the strict supervision of regulators. According to the official decision, a significant portion of the pond area and export licenses, assets that have been collected by illegal means over the past ten years, will be returned to the former households according to a clear legal roadmap.

Hai Yen, now officially the head of the temporary coordination council for the Canal Ba restoration process, spent weeks working closely with authorities to ensure the land return process was fair, transparent, and in accordance with the legitimate rights of each household.

“This is a much more complicated process than I ever imagined,” she shared with Kien one evening after a long day of working on land records. "After ten years, many boundaries have been confused, many documents have been lost or altered. We must carefully compare each case to ensure no injustice occurs in the refund process."

Kien, who also assisted as a liaison between the coordination council and the authorities, nodded in agreement. “But we are doing it the right way,” he said, “step by step, carefully and fairly, in the same spirit that you have followed throughout this journey.”

The first official land return ceremony took place in the Kenh Ba area itself, attracting the participation of dozens of households, representatives of authorities and a number of reporters who continue to follow this meaningful story. Each household, when their name was called to receive the land use right certificate for the pond that once belonged to their family, brought special emotions, from emotional tears to proud, radiant smiles.

Ms. Hong, who was the head of the quality department at Dai Duong and had quietly supported Hai Yen during the early stages of the investigation, was also present at the ceremony, now in a new role — volunteer technical advisor to the coordination council, using her expertise to assist in the process of assessing soil and water quality for soon-to-be-restored ponds.

“I used to feel guilty for not daring to speak up sooner,” she told Hai Yen in a private moment at the ceremony. “But now, being able to contribute to this recovery process, I feel like I am atonement for some of the mistakes of the past.”

Hai Yen held her hand, her eyes full of understanding. “You don't have to blame yourself too much,” she said. “What matters is what we do now, to build a better future for everyone.”

When the land return ceremony ended, the representative of the fisheries management agency made an important statement, confirming that the model of restructuring and returning assets at Kenh Ba will be studied as a reference model for other similar cases in the province, where illegal land and property acquisitions have occurred in the past.

This news, when widely reported by Minh Khang, further reinforced the meaning and influence of what Hai Yen and the community her mission was achieved — not only restoring what was lost for herself, but also opening a new path, an important precedent for justice and fairness elsewhere.

Among the households receiving their land back at the ceremony, there was a special case that made Hai Yen emotional. That was Mr. Bay Correct's family, who provided important testimony about Mr. Tien's visit to investigate the polluted water source at his pond many years ago. His son, who left the countryside to work in the city many years ago after the family lost most of its land, specially returned to attend the ceremony.

“I didn't think one day I would be able to stand here, receiving back the land my grandfather had been attached to all his life,” he told Hai Yen, his voice choked up. "Thank you, Ms. Yen. Not only for the land, but for giving my family a reason to believe in justice again."

Hai Yen held his hand tightly, deeply feeling the meaning of this moment. “This is the effort of many people, not just me,” she said. “Your father, and all those who dared to speak up, are the ones who truly deserve to be thanked.”

After the ceremony, when everyone gradually returned home with new land documents in hand, Hai Yen and the coordination council held a short meeting to review the entire past process and plan for the next stage - initial technical and financial support so that households can restore farming activities on the lands they just received.

"We need to ensure that the return of land is not just symbolic," Kien said during the meeting, "but actually helps households restore their livelihoods in a sustainable way. I propose that we work with the bank for social policies to seek preferential loan packages to support initial capital for households in need."

Hai Yen nodded in agreement, taking note of this proposal along with many other ideas raised during the meeting. She realized that the journey ahead, although no longer as stressful as before, still required the same dedication and caution, now that her responsibility was to ensure that the justice she had just won would actually be transformed into concrete and lasting benefits for the whole community.

That evening, when she returned home, Hai Yen shared with her mother about what had happened during the day, about the emotional faces of the households receiving their land back, and about the profound meaning of the work she was pursuing. Mrs. Sau listened with undisguised pride, occasionally interjecting with questions about the families she had known since the days when Canal Ba was still active.

“You are doing exactly what your father dreamed of,” she said when Hai Yen finished telling her story. “Not just justice for my family, but justice and opportunity for an entire community that has endured so much suffering together over the years.”

Hai Yen smiled, feeling a deep satisfaction at her mother's sincere words of encouragement. She knows that there is still a lot of work to be done on the road ahead, but with each step forward, each piece of land returned, each family's livelihood restored, she feels more clearly than ever that the dream that her father has cherished for a long time is now gradually becoming a reality, not just in her memories, but in her own heart. the daily lives of the people who have trusted and accompanied her throughout her long journey.

A few days after the land return ceremony, Kien received important news related to his own career. The authorities, after completing the process of reviewing his role in the entire case - especially previous suspicions that he may have acted beyond his authority when supporting an independent investigation with Hai Yen - officially decided to fully reinstate him to his position and honor, and at the same time recognized his important contributions in solving the case.

“They also proposed to promote me to a higher position,” Kien shared with Hai Yen in surprise mixed with joy, when he received the official decision. “A management position at the regional fisheries inspection department, with much broader supervisory responsibilities than the previous inspector job.”

Hai Yen hugged him and shared her sincere joy at this news. “This is what you absolutely deserve,” she said. “After all you have sacrificed, risking your life to help me find the truth, this is a fitting recognition of your contributions.”

But along with that joy, a practical question also gradually appeared in both of their minds - Kien's new position may require him to move to another area, farther away from Nam Can, where Hai Yen is devoting all his energy to rebuilding Canal Ba. It is a reality that both of them will need to face together and find a solution in the near future, a new challenge but different from what they have overcome together during the past journey - no longer a threat from the outside, but a question of how two people can build a common future together, when each person has their own responsibilities and dreams waiting ahead.