Chapter 22 — Tailor Shop at the End of Third Alley

After the talk, class 11C had more questions. Ngoc set up an anonymous mailbox, but clearly stated whether messages could be made public or replied to privately. A student asked if my parents were wrong, do I have the right not to repeat it? Ms. Thao said that right needs to go along with saying not to make others unsafe.

An sent a letter to Khai via the town address. He didn't tell his father's story, just said he was learning to repair machines and wanted to know why Khai chose T-buttons. Khai gave a short answer: T-buttons are "optional", because a person needs to be able to decide on his own shirt.

Mrs. Van placed the letter next to her old letter. The two wrote on the same day, but did not send it. Chau asked if she was afraid that Khai wouldn't answer. She said she was afraid that she was writing to get answers rather than to say what needed to be said.

The store's electricity was cut off, so the group used flashlights. Khoa told the story of the camera's battery running out, making everyone laugh. An stepped on the generator, Chau held the fuse. When the light came on, the appendix on the table showed red ink stains.

Ngoc realized that the red mark was the mark of someone who had crossed out the name of a recipient, not a signature. Tung asked for it to be examined, Hanh signed the handover record.

An didn't want his father to tell the story of the money in front of the whole class. But when rumors spread to his sister, he realized that silence could no longer protect anyone. His father agreed to go to school, bringing the contract and payment slip.

Ms. Thao arranged the talk in class, did not broadcast it live, and did not record video. There are only tables, chairs and a box of paper for people to ask anonymous questions. Complaining about not being able to film, Ngoc said that this time he had to learn to be present without turning everything into an image.

An's father read each clause. He said he trusted the middleman and received money for house repairs but did not know what the other money was used for. When Khai objected, he thought Khai wanted to keep the job for himself. Then Khai left, and he was kept under contract.

A friend asked him if he apologized to Khai. He said no, because he didn't know where to send it. Chau gave him the address of the coastal town, but did not tell him where to go. He wrote a letter instead of coming unexpectedly.

An read a letter in front of the class. He didn't change his father's words, just said he didn't want to be called the son of an alley seller. You are the son of the person who made a mistake and is correcting it, but you are not his debt.

The class was silent. A friend put a piece of paper in the question box: "If adults are wrong, do children have to stand up?" Ms. Thao answered no, but children have the right to ask adults to take responsibility.

After the talk, An went to get water. Chau followed, but stood far away from a tree stand. He asked her if she was going to comfort her. She said she didn't know. An said so just go next to him.

Mrs. Van and Ha met at the shop. Ha asked to sew the children's shirt again, this time with Mrs. Van. The two didn't talk about the company, just about sleeve length. Chau realized they were doing a seemingly small thing to open a big conversation.

Tung sent a scanned copy of the archived records. There is a line in there that says "received money to adjust shirt hem" and the signer's name, P. Phuc, has not appeared, but the letter P is present.

Ngoc searched the transfer history and discovered that the money went through a dissolved subsidiary. Hanh said the person in charge of the subsidiary could be a current accreditation board member.

Chau did not want the incident to turn into a human hunt. Ms. Thao said they just need to hand over the documents to the competent unit, not judge themselves.

That night, the store's electricity was cut off. An and Chau use it Bicycle lights continue sewing. He stepped on the pedal, she held the fabric. In the dark, the purple thread appears more clearly than the color of the fabric.

An asked what they would do if the shop lost. Chau said to open another store. He asked if there was no money left. She replied that she should learn how to fix things from what she has.

Outside the door, a person knocked three times and then left. On the background is an appendix with the company seal.

The debt is not An's

The list in the envelope left An speechless. Nguyen Van Khai's name is at the top, next to an amount of money larger than any other item in the file. Vu Thanh's name is at the bottom, with a note "received on behalf, not yet paid".

An's father came to the store, looked at the paperwork, and admitted that he once received money from a middleman. He thought it was money for house repairs, but didn't know the rest was used to buy autographs. When he found out, he returned half but it wasn't enough. The intermediary holds the contract, turning the loan into debt.

An stood next to machine number three, holding the T button. "So dad didn't betray Khai?"

"Dad was wrong for not asking. But he doesn't sell mold."

Chau wanted to say something, but Mrs. Van stopped her. She said there are apologies that are only meaningful when the listener is not forced to forgive immediately.

Tung and Hanh verified the list. Elderly man named Le Binh, former surveyor. He said Khai refused to sign the revised version, but then his name still appeared on the list of recipients. Khai tried to send a letter of protest, but the letter was returned.

“Where is he going?” Chau asked.

Binh said Khai left the city to find a person who had received the number 32 shirt. He believed that person held the original copy of a transfer right of passage. Khai doesn't want to win with words; he wanted to bring back something that could be put on the table.

Ngoc compared the dates and realized that Khai left three days after An's father's contract was signed. An looked at his father, understanding why he always avoided questions.

At school, rumors spread that An's father took money from the company. One friend called him "the son of an alley seller". An stood in the bathroom, punched the door but did not break it. Chau found him, but didn't ask if he was okay. She gave him a towel to dry his hands and told him to return to class because Ms. Thao was holding his seat.

“I don't want people to look at me as proof.”

“Then say your own part before they speak for you.”

An returned to class and talked about the debt during activity time. He did not clarify that his father was completely innocent. He said his father took the money, didn't read enough, and is responsible for repaying the debt. You also said that doesn't make a wrong map right.

Ngoc writes main ideas on the board. Khoa asked if filming was needed. An shook his head. “Today I'm speaking for the people in class, not for the video.”

After hours, he received a text message from an unknown number: **Khai hasn't passed away. But he didn't want to meet Van.**

Chau asked what to do. An put away his phone and said he would find the person holding the number 32 shirt first. Because if Khai is still alive, he has the right to decide how to be found.

That night, Mrs. Van opened the iron box and took out an unsent letter to Khai. She wrote in 2015, with only one line: **If you want to come back, the back door is still open every Tuesday.**

Chau looked at her. “You never sent it?”

“Because he knows.”

Outside the door, the sound of the company's generator rang out. The store's electricity has just been temporarily cut off, even though the moratorium has not yet expired.

The generator ran for another ten minutes and then turned off. Mrs. Van opened the door and saw that the electric meter had a red piece of paper stuck on it. There is no cutter signature. Tung called the number on the notification, and the other end said he was "checking the system." Ms. Thao requested to make a record on the spot.

Chau did not touch the patch. She took pictures of both the front and back, recording the time and witnesses. Phuc stood behind Mrs. Van, asking if he could sew a shirt for her tonight. Ms. Van can speak using a foot pedal.

The ward cultural house has prepared a small room for the meeting with Chi. She came alone, wearing a gray coat, her hair tied low. When she saw red scissors, she didn't sit right away.

“Do you remember the third stitch?” Chi asked.

Mrs. Van nodded. “The third stitch always hides the knot. Khai taught me that.”

Chi took out a piece of old shirt from her pocket. The purple thread on it has exactly three stitches, but the last stitch is half-cut. She said she was an intern and was shown the original map by Khai. After Khai was forced to leave the project, Chi signed an incomplete report for fear of losing his job. Years later, she became an inspector and learned the bias was still there.

“Why didn't you say so sooner?” Hanh asked.

“Because I don't have the original. I only have memories.”

Tung put the envelope on the table. Chi read the list, her face turned pale when she saw her name. She said she would withdraw herself from the inspection, but at the same time send her testimony and old landmark coordinates to the supervisory agency.

An asked about Lien. Chi said Lien once asked her to keep the number 32 shirt. After being followed, Lien sent the shirt to a friend in another province. She doesn't know the current address, only remembers what Lien said: "If they want to delete the street, we have to let people on the street remember it."

On the way home, Chau received news that electricity had been temporarily restored. Mrs. Van was not happy; She said a switch cannot solve big problems. But that night, when the sewing machine started again, the steady sound of the needle sounded like the breathing of the entire alley.

Phuc sat next to the pedal, counting each stroke to avoid falling asleep. I asked Mrs. Van if a small shop could fight against a big company. She replied that the shop was not against anyone; The shop just keeps its job, and the truth will find those responsible.