Chapter 27 — Tailor Shop at the End of Third Alley

The last shift before the survey begins with checking all door locks. Ms. Van gave the key to three different people, each of whom could only open one part. Ngoc made the list, Khoa posted the labels, An kept the back door key.

The generator works fine, but must be placed at least one meter away from the fabric. Chau drew a line on the floor, Khoa stood wrong and was pulled back by the whole class. He said he was attracted to the tape measure.

The inspection unit requested that the fabric board be removed from the path. Ms. Thao asked to take pictures before cleaning, then put each strip into a box. No one throws away the cut part; Every piece is numbered.

Father An and Tung checked the pile together. They no longer argued, just reminded each other to write down the number. Hanh is in charge of calling witnesses, knowing who is free at what time. Ngoc said this is the first time the neighborhood has a work schedule that does not depend on one person.

An received news from the car repair shop and was invited to do a trial job. He told Chau, she congratulated him, then asked if he needed to change shifts. He said he would study in the morning and return to the shop in the afternoon. Chau said that he still needs to sleep. An replied that he would write it on the board.

On a rainy night, Chau fell asleep on the table. An covered her with his coat and did not wake her. When she woke up, she saw that the thread in her hand had been tied by An. She asked him to do it. He said the machine did it itself.

Three days before the relocation deadline, the store had a tighter schedule than the school schedule. Chau asked Ms. Thao to let her do the homework at the store. Ngoc sent a photo of the assignment, Khoa copied the questions on the board. Ms. Van said that a tailor shop should not become a drop-in place, so each shift is only two hours.

New generator arrived but heavy. Dad An and Tung carried it together, two people who were on opposite sides of the contract. When he put the phone down, Tung asked An if he needed more people. An said yes, but there was no need to say it at length.

The inspection unit requested to clear the path. The company wants to put a temporary fence around the stake, residents are afraid the fence will turn into a wall. Tung proposed a see-through mesh fence, clearly stating the date of removal. Hanh gave the condition of not locking the back door. Both sides sign.

Chau made the shift nameplate. Each person chooses the fabric color, don't use the full name if you don't want to. Ms. Sau chose yellow, saying it was the color of the towel; Khoa chose purple because he was so familiar with daisies. Ngoc chose blue, saying the spreadsheet needed a calm color.

An has to go to the car repair shop in the morning. Chau did not ask him to quit. He promised to return at noon to take the minutes. The factory owner said that if An worked enough hours, he would reserve a position for him after the exam.

An's father repaired the generator and realized that a piece of wire had been replaced with a poor quality wire. He did not blame the delivery person, just wrote it down and asked for an exchange. Chau saw that he was learning how to correct his mistakes publicly.

The night of An's duty, there was a little rain. He sat next to the stake, reading the measurement book. Chau brought two raincoats, one for you. He said she would be wet. She replied that the shirt was large enough for two people. The two stood under a yellow raincoat. Khoa looked through the camera and was then pulled inside by Ngoc.

Near morning, the company car arrived. The driver said there was an order to transfer materials, but there was no paper. An called Tung but did not stop himself. Tung came, read the document number, and wrote down the license plate number. The car left.

The inspection unit arrives later. They set up equipment and asked everyone to stand outside. Chau held the purple cloth, Ngoc recorded the time, Khoa filmed the entire scene. Each landmark was measured three times. The error between times is no more than two millimeters.

Preliminary results show that the new version is skewed at four points. The inspector said he needed to compare the original records, but the old mold had matching physical marks. Mrs. Van was not happy; She just asked for that sentence to be clearly stated.

In the afternoon, the company announced that Tung was suspended. He received the paper and kept it into his pocket, continuing to testify. Hanh said she could also be disciplined. Tung said they chose to stand where the paperwork needed them.

Chau received news from the coastal town: Khai agreed to send the original map, but wanted someone in the shop to sign for it. Mrs. Van chose Chau.

On the envelope was a purple ink stamp, the date Tuesday and a sentence: **Don't open it alone.**

Three days before the relocation deadline

The store's electricity was cut off right when the old generator broke down. Mrs. Van removed the lid, Chau kept the flashlight, An found a replacement cord. Khoa read the instructions but held them upside down. Ngoc took the book out of his hand.

“You can record a video and someone else can edit it.”

“I'm learning to self-correct.”

“So start by reading in the right direction.”

The generator runs for a while then turns off. They moved the small generators to Ms. Thao's house, but there was not enough electricity for generator number three. Mrs. Van said it was okay, the hand sewing still existed in front of the machine.

In the alley, people share sockets. The house has electricity for the house that doesn't have electricity, there is a battery that lends the battery, and there is someone who brings food. A bricklayer lent him a pedal sewing machine. When I tried pedaling, the engine made a sound like a duck. Chau says at least it has personality.

The inspection unit called to say they would arrive two hours early. The company said it needed to remove the material to ensure safety. Tung objected, but was asked to hand over his card. He sent a photo of the confirmation letter to Chau, saying he would come even though he no longer had the right to enter the warehouse.

Chau split shifts to protect landmarks. Students are on duty during the day, residents are on duty at night, each shift has two people and a record. Ms. Thao reminded us not to confront, to only record if there was a violation.

An takes the last shift. Chau intended to stay with her, but he told her to sleep. She said he had no right to give orders. He replied that she also had no right to let herself be exhausted. The two of them fought for five minutes and then sat next to the old stake.

The night was quiet, only the sound of the distant transmitter and the sound of cloth rubbing against the clothesline. An took shirt number 32 and fixed the stitches on the shoulder. Chau asked him if he knew where the person receiving the shirt was. An said no, but knew the promise didn't disappear just because the recipient didn't show up.

Near dawn, a truck stopped at the beginning of the alley. Two people came down and said they needed to move materials. An called Ms. Thao but did not stop herself. Tung arrived ten minutes later, bringing a suspension letter. The car left.

The inspection unit arrives. They measured each milestone, compared old versions, and listened to witnesses. Chau kept a roll of purple fabric as a visual standard. Ngoc recorded the time, Khoa filmed the whole thing with three devices.

Preliminary results show that the new version is off at four points, a total of 1.14 meters. The inspector said it was necessary to review the original records before making a conclusion, but the old mold was consistent with the physical mark.

Tung received a call from the company, informing him that he was suspended. He put away his phone and continued to sign the minutes as a witness.

Ms. Van gave Mr. Thanh an old shirt. The two of them sat at the door, together removing the faded purple thread. Mr. Thanh apologized for being silent. Ms. Van said she could not return the apology for ten years, but she could open the door tomorrow.

That afternoon, Hanh came with a new file. She said she found the name of the person who edited the map in 2014. That name is not Khai, not Thanh.

That is the name of a person working on the current accreditation board.

That person is Mr. Le Quoc Hung, head of the inspection team. Hanh found his signature in three different reports, each using a different landmark location. Ms. Chi confirmed that Hung was present at the station in 2014, but she did not know whether he directly edited the map or not.

Hung was invited to school. He goes with an assistant, carrying a briefcase and a tired look on his face. Before the meeting, he suggested talking privately with Ms. Thao. She refused, saying that all exchanges must be recorded.

“I only signed according to the lower level records,” Hung said.

“So where do the subordinate files come from?” Tung asked.

Hung did not answer. Chau placed the purple cloth and a copy of the shift handover book on the table. He looked at them, his hand clasped on the strap of his bag. Finally, he said the person who originally edited the map was Duc's brother, but the change was approved by a superior he did not name.

“I thought it no longer affected anyone,” Hung said.

Mrs. Van put down the red scissors. "A wrong needle still tears the shirt. It's just that the wearer doesn't see it right away."

Hung agreed to submit his computer to save the old report and withdraw himself from the inspection group. The supervisory agency made a seizure record, and Ms. Thao asked him to send a written apology to the neighborhood.

During the break, Khoa secretly asked Chau if an apology could fix four meters. Chau said no, but it shows that people have stopped pretending that those four meters don't exist.

An waited for Chau outside the gate. He said his father wanted to hand over the jacket he used to carry things to Khai, because there might be fibers in the pocket. Chau asked if he was sure. An said sure, just a little afraid that dad would be silent again.

“You didn't force him to talk,” Chau replied. “You were only around when he spoke.”

Two people walked through the alley. On the wall, the red paint has been covered with a new layer of lime, but still shows its shine. Ms. Van told her not to paint more until the police finished taking photos.

That afternoon, the shop received an order to make a wedding dress. The person who placed the order was Mr. Duc's daughter. She wanted a shirt with purple stitching, as a way to return something her family had kept for so long.

Ms. Van accepted the application but asked her to sign the book, clearly stating that the purple line was a voluntary choice. The girl laughed and said she didn't want to erase her family's history, she just wanted to learn how to wear it without feeling embarrassed. Chau heard that sentence and suddenly saw that the wedding dress was like a gentle confession.