Chapter 29 — Sunlight on the Red Book

Three months after the wedding, Ha Vy and Dang Khoa's married life gradually entered a stable routine, smoothly blending professional work and family life in Con Sen. Every morning, Ha Vy still regularly goes to the commune cadastral office to work, while Dang Khoa spends most of his time taking care of the garden and developing an experiential tourism model that is increasingly attracting a large number of tourists from near and far.

One morning, when Ha Vy just arrived at the office, Mr. Tran Quoc Hung was there early, his face unusually radiant. "Miss Vy, I have important news to report," he said, his voice filled with excitement. "The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has just officially approved the pilot project for the process of reviewing and handling historical land deviations that you proposed, based on practical experience from the incident at Con Sen. The project will be piloted in five different provinces and cities next year."

That news made Ha Vy deeply moved. This is not only recognition of her personal efforts, but also a testament to the fact that a small story starting in a poor commune in the Mekong Delta can create much more positive and far-reaching changes than she ever dared to dream of. "I am truly honored by this news, sir," she replied, her voice choking. "I hope this project will help many other families find justice, like what happened in Con Sen."

"That's why I want to ask you to take on the role of professional consultant for this project, in addition to your current work at the commune," Mr. Hung added, his eyes full of confidence. "She will need to periodically travel to pilot provinces to support and train local officials, but I believe, with her experience and dedication, this will be an extremely meaningful contribution."

That evening, when Ha Vy shared the good news and new proposal with Dang Khoa, she could not hide her confusion. "I really want to accept, because this is an opportunity to help more people," she said, her voice thoughtful. "But I'm also worried that having to go on business trips often could affect my family life, especially when your work also needs a lot of support from me here."

Dang Khoa held his wife's hand, his eyes full of understanding. "Honey, I never wanted you to give up your passion and ideals just because of family life," he said, his voice sincere. "We have overcome many difficulties together to get today, am I now the one stopping you from pursuing the values you always believe in? I believe we will find a way to balance, just like we have always done up to now."

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Ha Vy asked again, her eyes still a little uncertain. "I will have to be away from home quite often in the near future."

"You have your job here, with your mother and Mr. Phong to help you, it will be okay," Dang Khoa reassured, smiling slightly. "Besides, every time you come back from a business trip, I hear new stories about the lands and people you helped. That's also a way for me to accompany you on this meaningful journey, even though I'm not directly present."

With full support from her husband, Ha Vy decided to accept Mr. Tran Quoc Hung's offer to officially take on the additional role of professional advisor for the ministerial-level project. In the following months, she began her first business trips to pilot provinces, bringing with her practical experience from Con Sen to support and train local officials in reviewing and handling cases of historical land boundary deviations.

Every time she returns from long business trips, Ha Vy always feels the warmth and warm welcome from her small family in Con Sen. Dang Khoa always takes the time to go to the ferry port to pick her up, sometimes even bringing her favorite dishes that he prepares himself. "Welcome home, my dear wife," he often said, a familiar warm smile clearly appearing on his face, making all the fatigue of the trip seem to disappear.

Along with work, the Lam family's model of ecological agriculture combined with experiential tourism is also growing strongly, becoming a familiar destination known to many domestic and foreign tourists. Dang Phong, as a business manager, has built many more diverse experience packages, from garden tours, learning how to prepare rustic Western dishes, to experiencing a day of being a real farmer with local people.

"Revenue this month nearly doubled compared to the previous month," Dang Phong reported at a family meeting, his voice filled with excitement. "We are considering expanding the homestay area to be able to welcome more groups of guests staying overnight."

Dang Khoa, although busy with taking care of the garden and researching new organic farming techniques, also takes time to directly guide visitors and share about his family's journey to restore the garden. "When many tourists hear my family's story, they are very moved," he shared with Ha Vy after a long day of welcoming visitors. "They said, this story gives them more faith in good values, that honesty and steadfastness are always rewarded."

Ha Vy and Dang Khoa's life passed peacefully and happily, mixed with the daily busyness of work, but always full of understanding, trust, and complete companionship between the couple. They both realized that true happiness is not the absence of difficulties and challenges, but rather having each other to overcome all those difficulties and challenges, on the very land that they both chose together as their second home.

One weekend evening, when the whole family gathered around the dinner table, Mrs. Gam suddenly announced another good news. "I just heard the news that our commune is about to be recognized as a typical agricultural tourism destination at the provincial level," she said, her voice filled with pride. "It's all thanks to the efforts of our whole family, along with the consensus of our neighbors over the past time."

That news made the whole family happy, raising a glass together to congratulate the good results they had built together over the past year, since the day Ha Vy first set foot in this sunny and windy land of Con Sen.

Around the same time, Ha Vy received a surprise call from Nguyen Van Hen, son of Mr. Sau Tam, the person who filed the complaint that year. "Miss Vy, I wanted to tell you the news," he said, the joy in his voice difficult to hide. "My father has just decided to use part of the returned land to plant a new longan garden, combined with Uncle Khoa's family's tourism model. Dad said, this is the way to turn the land that was once associated with so much suffering and injustice into a new, brighter beginning."

Hearing that news, Ha Vy couldn't help but feel emotional. To her, this is the clearest proof that justice does not just stop at returning the correct boundaries on paper, but is also an opportunity for people who have suffered disadvantages to truly move on and build a better future on their own land. "I'm so glad to hear this," she replied, her voice warm. "She believes that with her family's hard work and sincerity, the new longan garden will soon bear sweet fruit, bringing a more prosperous life for the whole family."

That weekend, Ha Vy and Dang Khoa visited Mr. Sau Tam's house, seeing with their own eyes that the land that had been the center of dispute for more than twenty years had now been plowed and prepared for new longan varieties. Mr. Sau Tam, his hands still dirty with dirt, his face beamed with a smile when he saw the couple visit. "Look, this land is now about to be planted with trees and bear fruit," he said, his voice full of joy. "I believe, in just a few years, this place will be green and prosperous again like it should be."

Looking at Mr. Sau Tam diligently, slowly cultivating each seedling under the gentle afternoon sunlight, Ha Vy and Dang Khoa could not help but feel their hearts filled with peace and deep satisfaction. That was the most beautiful image they could hope for after all they had gone through - a land once filled with so much injustice, now gradually reviving, preparing to welcome the first sweet fruit seasons under the devoted care of its true owner.