Chapter 24 — Sunlight on the Red Book

Three months after the high tide, work to strengthen the dyke system at Con Sen officially began, marking an important turning point in the journey to ensure long-term safety for the community. The groundbreaking ceremony was held solemnly, with the participation of government representatives at all levels, along with a large number of local people, who have been waiting for this day for a long time.

"This is a project of special importance, not only for Con Sen alone, but also a valuable lesson for natural disaster prevention in the whole province," the representative of the province's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said during the ceremony, his voice solemn. "We appreciate the sense of responsibility and dedication of the local staff, especially Ms. Do Ha Vy, who persistently discovered and pursued this issue to the end."

When her name was mentioned in front of the entire ceremony, Ha Vy couldn't help but feel a familiar sense of pride mixed with humility. She looked around and saw the radiant faces of Dang Khoa, the Lam family, Mr. Sau Tam and many neighbors, all of whom were watching with eyes full of pride and trust.

After the groundbreaking ceremony, the project was implemented at an urgent pace but still ensuring quality, under the strict supervision of the technical team and Ha Vy himself, who always closely followed each stage of construction to ensure that all items complied with the set technical standards.

While the project is under construction, Ha Vy continues to spend time supporting the provincial working group in handling remaining land deviation cases in other localities. Work is busy, but she always finds a way to balance her professional responsibilities and personal life, especially her increasingly close relationship with Dang Khoa.

One evening, when the two of them sat together watching the dyke project gradually take shape under the construction site lights, Dang Khoa suddenly took out a carefully rolled up drawing. “I have something to show you,” he said, his voice a little nervous as he spread the drawing out in front of her.

That is the detailed design for the ecological agriculture model combined with experiential tourism that Dang Khoa has long cherished, and has now been fully completed and much more professional than the original ideas. “I spent a lot of time perfecting this plan,” he explained, his voice filled with enthusiasm. "He wants to turn his garden into a model, not only bringing economic value, but also contributing to promoting the cultural beauty and people of Con Sen tourists from near and far."

Ha Vy attentively examined every detail in the drawing and could not help but be impressed by the meticulousness and enthusiasm that Dang Khoa had devoted to this project. “This idea is really doable,” she commented, her voice filled with admiration. "Especially the combination of ecological agriculture with local cultural experiences, I believe, this will be a very effective highlight to attract tourists."

"I want you to accompany me on this project," Dang Khoa said, his eyes looking at her meaningfully. "Not only as a lover, but also as a true companion in building and developing it."

"I'm very happy to be with you," Ha Vy replied, a bright smile clearly appearing on her face. "This will be a meaningful journey, and I believe that together we will write beautiful new pages for both of us, and for this beloved land of Con Sen."

In the following days, the two began implementing small steps in the plan, from expanding the intercropping area, to building beautiful small leaf huts as a place to rest for tourists, designing tours to experience fruit picking, and learning about the traditional farming process of gardeners. Dang Phong, with newly accumulated business experience, also enthusiastically supports building online sales channels and promoting the model to more customers.

"You see, now all three of us can contribute to a common project," Dang Phong said during a family meeting to discuss plans to develop the garden. "Something that I never dared to think about before, when I was still engrossed in chasing immediate benefits."

Mrs. Gam, sitting and listening to her children discuss, could not hide the happiness evident on her face. "I never thought that one day I would witness the two of you unite and build something so meaningful together," she said, her voice emotional. "This is what my father, if he were still alive, would definitely be most proud of."

The model of ecological agriculture combined with experiential tourism gradually took shape, attracting the attention of not only local people, but also tourist groups from neighboring provinces and cities, curious to learn about Con Sen's inspiring recovery story, as well as experience the honest, simple garden life.

"We are building not only an economic model, but also a story to tell to future generations," Ha Vy shared in an interview with a local television station, when they came to learn about this new development model. "A story about honesty, about love for the homeland, and about the power of solidarity in community."

Dang Khoa, standing next to her during the interview, also shared more about her future plans. "We hope that this model will not only stop at the scale of one family, but can become a source of inspiration, helping many other households in the area develop towards sustainable ecological agriculture, associated with preserving the traditional cultural values of Con Sen land."

After the interview, the film crew spent time recording real-life footage of daily life at the garden, from the scene of Dang Khoa instructing on organic plant care techniques, to the image of Ha Vy and her neighbors harvesting ripe, golden longans under the early morning sunlight. Those simple but realistic footage, after being broadcast, attracted great attention from audiences across the country, turning the story of Con Sen into an inspirational phenomenon known to many people.

Mr. Sau Tam, when invited to participate in a short interview in the report, could not hide his pride when sharing about the journey he had gone through. "If it weren't for Ms. Ha Vy's honesty and steadfastness, I probably would never have known the truth about the land I've been living in for so many years," he said to the camera, his voice sincere. "My story, I think, is also a reminder for everyone, that the truth, even if it comes late, is always worth waiting and fighting for."

Those sincere words of sharing, along with the entire story of the journey to find justice at Con Sen, have become a strong source of inspiration, not only within Tan Hoa district, but also reaching out to many other localities, contributing to raising community awareness about the importance of transparency in land management.

The attention of public opinion also brought an unexpected positive effect - many tourists from neighboring provinces began to come to Con Sen, not only to experience the new ecological agriculture model, but also to witness with their own eyes the inspirational story they had seen on the small screen. Small restaurants and motels in the neighborhood also began to welcome more customers, bringing significant additional income to many households in the commune.

"I really didn't expect that things could spread so far," Ha Vy told Dang Khoa when they both witnessed the positive change taking place throughout Con Sen. "From a small land dispute, it has now become a driving force for economic development for an entire community."

"That is the true power of truth and integrity," Dang Khoa replied, smiling slightly and looking at her proudly. "When people dare to face and correct the mistakes of the past, the best things always have the opportunity to flourish and bear fruit."

Mr. Tran Quoc Hung, when witnessing these positive changes, could not hide his satisfaction. "I believe, Con Sen's development model will become a typical example, replicated in many other localities in the province," he said in a year-end summary report. "This is truly a living proof that justice and sustainable development can always go together and complement each other on the same journey."