Chapter 26 — The Bookmobile Through the Mountains

The two weeks of waiting after the hearing passed slowly but not idlely. Nghi still continues his regular running schedule, although he is always anxiously waiting for the official decision from the District People's Council. The bookmobile, after Mr. Bon Senh temporarily replaced some spare parts ordered from the South, was able to operate more stably, although he still warned that this was only a temporary solution.

Finally, on a Tuesday morning, Nghi received a call from the District Committee office, announcing the official results from the People's Council meeting that had just taken place. She stood in the middle of her yard, her hands shaking holding the phone, her heart pounding when she heard the familiar voice of the office secretary.

"Miss Nghi, I would like to announce that the District People's Council has officially passed a resolution to maintain the budget to support the Anh Duong mobile bookmobile program, and at the same time approved an additional investment to support replacement means of transportation," the secretary's voice rang out, clear and solemn.

Nghi stood silently for a few seconds, not daring to believe what he had just heard, then burst into tears, tears of happiness after many stressful days of waiting. "Thank you, thank you so much," she said, her voice choking up uncontrollably.

She immediately called to inform her mother, who was struggling to clean up the tea stall in front of the house. When Mrs. Dung heard the news, she dropped the tablecloth she was holding in her hand, ran to hug her daughter, and both mother and daughter cried in unspeakable happiness. "Your dad did it, you did it, Nghi," Mrs. Dung said between tears, her voice shaking with emotion.

The news spread quickly throughout the villages on the bookmobile route. Just that afternoon, Nghi's phone kept ringing, with call after call from acquaintances on the route, all expressing great joy at the news that the program was saved.

Nam was the first person to run to Nghi's house as soon as he heard the news, even though the road from Nam Cay town was not close. He hugged her as soon as he entered the door. They both stood there, hugging each other tightly in a burst of happiness that words could not describe.

"We did it, Nghi," Nam whispered in her ear, his voice unable to hide his emotion.

"We did it," Nghi repeated, tears still rolling down her cheeks but now they were tears of complete joy.

However, that joy also came with a reality that Nghi and Nam had to face soon after - when carefully reviewing the specific number of the approved additional budget, they both realized that, although this was a significant amount of support compared to before, it was still not enough to cover the entire cost of replacing a new vehicle that was completely suitable for the harsh terrain of the route.

"The approved district budget is enough to cover about sixty percent of the cost of a suitable small truck," Nghi said, sitting at his desk, eyes still glued to the numbers in the official notification document he had just received by mail. "The remaining forty percent, I still have to find a way to manage it myself."

Nam sat next to him, reviewed the numbers, and nodded thoughtfully. "This is good news, even though it's not completely complete. At least, I have a solid foundation to start from, instead of having to start from scratch like before."

"But the remaining forty percent is still not a small amount of money," Nghi said, her voice lowered. Although the joy of victory was still there, the financial reality was still a difficult problem that had no complete solution.

"I think I should immediately take advantage of the attention the program is receiving from public opinion," Nam proposed, his eyes flashing with a new idea. "Yen once said that several organizations and businesses had contacted them to inquire after the article. This may be the right time for me to proactively approach them, specifically present the need to replace vehicles, turning this into a community fundraising campaign with a clear goal."

Nam's idea makes Nghi feel more hopeful. She realized that the victory at the hearing was just an important milestone, but there is still much work to do ahead to ensure the program can continue to operate sustainably, not only in the present but also for many years to come.

That weekend, Nghi decided to drive to visit all four stops in the same day, even though she knew it would be more difficult than usual, just to personally tell the good news to each family that had accompanied her during the past eight weeks of the campaign. In Seo Lu, when he heard that the program was being kept, Mr. Sung A Chinh stood up, clapped his hands and laughed loudly, called the whole village out to celebrate right at the cultural house yard. The ladies quickly brought out some corn wine and some cakes, turning that afternoon into a cozy little party in the middle of the mountains and forests.

"Miss Nghi must stay and eat with the village first," Mr. Chinh said, his voice unable to hide his joy, "today is a happy day for the whole village, not just yours."

Vang Thi My ran over, hugged Nghi, and immediately showed off a new painting, this time an image of a bookmobile running among a forest of colorful flowers. "I drew to celebrate the program being saved," the girl said, her eyes sparkling. Nghi hugged the little girl, so touched that he couldn't speak, he could only hold her tighter in his arms.

In Khuoi Tra, Mrs. Ban Thi Nai welcomed the good news with a rare bright smile, carrying baby Senh, now completely healthy, to the end of the alley to welcome Nghi. "I know right away that God will not disappoint good people," she said, her voice full of emotion, "Miss Nghi, don't worry, from now on if you need help from people, just call, this whole village will always stand behind your program."

Arriving at Dong Soi, Truong Van Nhiem was so happy that he personally brewed a pot of the best tea for Nghi, while Khoi excitedly showed off that he had just finished reading the latest science book and had begun assembling a small engine model with recycled materials according to the instructions in the book. Looking at the radiant joy on the faces of each person and each family, Nghi feels more deeply than ever that this victory belongs not only to her, but to all the people who have contributed together and contributed throughout the past journey.

The last stop of the day was Nam Cay, where Nam and Ms. Ngan held a small ceremony to celebrate the good news right at the school yard, with the participation of all students and some parents in the village. Lo Van Pao stood up to speak, the boy's voice was now much more confident than the first time Nghi met him. "I would like to thank Ms. Nghi, Mr. Nam, and everyone for not giving up. Thanks to that, my friends and I here will still have books to read and the opportunity to dream big dreams."

Nghi stood and looked at that scene, his heart filled with emotion. She remembered the first time she set foot in this place, when Nam was still full of doubts and reservations, afraid that she was just one of many charity groups that came and went. Now, after all she has been through, Nam Cay is no longer just a stop on her route, but has become a flesh and blood part of her life, where she found love, found companions, and found a part of the path that her father had wished to set foot on but had not yet had time to do.

On the way back home later that day, even though her body was exhausted after a long day of continuously traveling through all four stops, Nghi still felt full of energy, as if she had never known fatigue. She took out her notebook and wrote a short but meaningful line: "The program is saved, dad. But I think, this is just the beginning of a new chapter, not the end."

When she got home, Nghi told her mother about the problem of forty percent of the remaining cost to replace the vehicle. Ms. Dung thought for a moment, then proposed an idea. "How about you try organizing a community fundraiser right in town? Mom can borrow the large yard in front of the village communal house, invite people, small businesses in the market, and even former students of the old program, to organize a small fair, auction a few items, and donate directly."

Her mother's idea made Nghi see a more specific direction. She noted that she plans to discuss it further with Nam and Yen in the next few days, to turn this idea into a clear action plan, combined with approaching potential sponsors that Yen has connected with through the article. That night, even though it was very late, Nghi was still awake, not because of worry like the previous nights, but because of a new excitement at the possibilities that lay ahead, a future that she believed that, with the consensus of everyone around her, would certainly become a reality.