Chapter 4 — The Ao Dai Shop at the End of the Street

Two weeks later, the city officially organized a meeting to collect people's opinions on the urban beautification project, taking place at the ward's cultural house. The whole ancient street of Hoai Xuan was in an uproar many days ago, when news of the meeting spread everywhere, bringing with it both hopes and worries of every household at risk of being affected.

"Have you prepared what you want to say?" Ms. Ngoc Huong asked Doan on the morning of the meeting, her voice could not hide the tension.

"I've written down everything I need to say, mom," Doan replied, her hand tightening the stack of notes she had prepared for several nights in a row. "I will talk about the history of the shop, about the cultural value it brings, not only to my family but to the whole community."

The ward cultural house was full of people when Doan's family arrived, most of them were residents of the old town, everyone's faces carried worry mixed with fragile hope. Above the stands, representatives of the city government and the project team, including Mr. Dang Huu Tai, project director, and Quang Duy, sat waiting to present the plan.

When the meeting began, Mr. Huu Tai stood up to present an overview of the project. His voice was fluent and professional, using many complex planning terms, making many people present confused.

"This urban beautification project aims to improve the quality of infrastructure and promote sustainable tourism development for the area," Mr. Tai said, projecting onto the screen modern perspective images, completely different from the street's current ancient appearance. "We are committed to having a satisfactory compensation plan for affected households."

A stir of discontent spread throughout the auditorium when many people realized that those perspective images completely erased the old houses, replacing them with rows of modern, uniform shops that no longer retained any of the historical appearance that had made the street unique.

***

When it came to the part where people could express their opinions, Doan was one of the first people to raise her hand to speak. Her voice trembled with nervousness but still maintained the necessary steadfastness.

"Ladies and gentlemen," she began, standing in front of the microphone with a stack of notes in hand. "I am Pham Thuc Doan, owner of Vinh Xuan ao dai shop, a shop founded by my grandmother more than fifty years ago. I want to ask, in this renovation plan, how is the cultural and historical value of the street considered, or is it simply a matter of area and economic efficiency?"

That straightforward question made the entire auditorium silent, waiting for an answer. Mr. Huu Tai, although trying to maintain a calm and professional appearance, was somewhat confused by this direct question.

"We certainly consider cultural factors," he replied, his tone somewhat evasive. "But urban development requires certain trade-offs to serve the common good of the community."

"Whose common interest?" Another resident loudly protested from below the auditorium. "Is it from us, who have lived here all our lives, or from certain investors behind this project?"

The meeting atmosphere became more tense than ever, with many harsh objections being raised continuously. Doan glanced at Quang Duy and saw him sitting silently, his face carrying a complex and contemplative look, as if he was having a fierce internal struggle over what he was witnessing.

***

After the tense meeting, when everyone gradually dispersed, Quang Duy went to meet Doan in a deserted corner outside the cultural house.

“You speak very well,” he said, his voice filled with sincere admiration. "Your question has made me think a lot."

"So what do you think?" Doan asked directly, her eyes gauging his reaction.

Quang Duy was silent for a long time before answering. "I think, there's something wrong with the way this project is going," he admitted, his voice low with worry. "The numbers on the cleared area and the compensation plan have many points that do not match what I was initially informed when I first took the job."

"Are you going to do anything about that?" Doan asked, a faint ray of hope rekindled in her heart.

"I need to learn more before drawing any conclusions," Quang Duy replied, his eyes steady. "But I promise, if something unusual is going on, I won't stay silent, even if it might affect my job position."

That promise, even though it was still vague about what would happen next, gave Doan a new belief that perhaps, the fight to protect the Vinh Xuan shop and the entire Hoai Xuan ancient street would not be as lonely as she once feared.

***

On the way home, Doan met the neighborhood leader and several neighbors gathering to discuss excitedly about the meeting that had just ended, everyone's faces carrying both anger and determination.

"We can't let them do whatever they want," the grocery store owner up the street said, his voice filled with frustration. "There needs to be some kind of collective action, not just expressing opinions in a meeting."

"You're right," Doan agreed, stopping to join the conversation. "Maybe we should form a representative group, collect protest signatures together, and seek legal support to protect our rights."

"Do you have any relationship with a lawyer?" the leader asked, his eyes full of hope.

"I'll find out," Doan replied, her mind already starting to map out specific next steps. "But first, we need to gather enough information about the history and cultural values of the street to have a solid basis when fighting."

That evening, Doan convened a small meeting at the Vinh Xuan store, inviting the most interested households to discuss an action plan. An atmosphere of tension but also full of determination pervades the small space of the shop, as each person shares their worries and memories attached to the street that has nurtured them for many generations.

"I think the first thing we need to do is to fully document the historical value of each house in the area," Doan proposed, quickly jotting down ideas on a small board. "If we can prove that the heritage value is great enough, we have a basis to request recognition as an area in need of conservation, instead of clearance."

"My grandmother kept many old documents about the street's history," an elderly neighbor commented. "We can start there."

The meeting lasted until late at night, with many ideas and specific work assignments given. As everyone left, Doan felt a new ray of hope rekindled in his heart — not hope based on luck, but based on concrete actions, on the solidarity of an entire community sharing a common goal of protecting what they cherish most.

Before going to bed, she received a text message from Quang Duy: "I have started to dig deeper into the project files. There are some unusual things I need to verify more before I can share specifically. Trust me, I will do everything I can to find out the truth." Doan read that message over and over again, feeling a new warmth and hope, knowing that, even from within that questionable project, there are still people willing to stand on the right side.

She texted him back: "Thank you for everything. Regardless of the outcome, I appreciate that you dared to ask questions, instead of silently accepting everything as pre-arranged." Putting down the phone, Doan looked out the window, where the late moonlight was gently illuminating the sleeping old street, bringing with it so many stories, so many destinies waiting to be written in the coming days.

She thought about her grandmother, about her mother, about Bich Ngan, about all the neighbors who sat with her tonight, sharing the same determination to protect the place that has nurtured so many generations. And she thought about Quang Duy, the man who had entered her life in a completely unexpected way, and was now facing an not easy choice between his career and his own conscience.

Although the road ahead is still uncertain, Doan feels only one thing is certain - she will never give up, no matter what difficulties she faces, because Vinh Xuan shop is not only her family's legacy, but a part of the soul of the entire Hoai Xuan ancient street that she loves more than anything in the world.