Chapter 13 — The Inn at the End of the Pass

In the days after the meeting, Thao and Khai Dang began survey work for the "heritage road" project that they both cherished. Every afternoon after official working hours, Khai Dang uses his own measuring equipment, not owned by the company, to record the coordinates of beautiful viewing spots along the pass, while Thao synthesizes stories and typical cultural features of Back Deo village through the words of the elders.

Work progressed slowly but steadily, giving Thao a sense of hope that she had not felt for a long time. But right at this moment, when everything seemed to have some light, another incident happened from within her family.

One evening, while Thao was synthesizing documents at the wooden counter, Gia Binh suddenly came home with an unusually tense expression, holding a thick envelope of paper.

"Sister, I need to talk." He said, his voice serious, placing the envelope on the table in front of Thao.

Thao opened the envelope to see, inside was a pre-printed contract, stamped by a real estate company in town, the content mentioned the acquisition of land and assets belonging to Gia Binh's inheritance in the area of Back Deo hamlet at a clearly stated price, much higher than the expected compensation from the state project.

"What is this?" Thao asked, her voice beginning to shake from shock.

"An acquaintance introduced me to a real estate broker. They said, if they sell before the official land recovery decision, the price will be much higher than the state compensation later. They are gathering land in this area to invest in anticipation of the planning." Gia Binh explained, trying to keep his voice calm but his eyes did not dare to look directly at her.

"But this land and shop are not yours and you have the right to sell them?" Thao asked, her voice rising uncontrollably.

"Legally, after father's death, the property belongs to the common inheritance of all children, including me and Duong, even though we are not biological children." Gia Binh replied, his voice much firmer. "I have researched carefully. As for me, I have the right to decide."

The answer was like a bucket of cold water poured straight into Thao. She never thought that this family, although not completely bound by blood, could be separated by such cold legal terms.

"So since when have you been secretly looking into selling land, without telling me a word?" Thao asked, her voice choked with hurt.

"I was going to say it, but I couldn't find the right time. Besides—" Gia Binh stopped and took a deep breath, "—I knew that if I said it, you would object and find a way to stop it, so I wanted to decide for myself first, then announce it."

"Gia Binh, this is not just about money! This is home, this is all of our childhood!" Thao stood up, her voice no longer able to be suppressed. "I'm trying my best to find a way to keep this place, for you, for Duong, for Minh, but you're secretly planning to sell off your share to outsiders?"

"You always think everything you do is right, it's for us, but have you ever asked us what we really want?" Gia Binh shouted, his pent-up memories suddenly bursting out uncontrollably. "I don't want to spend my whole life stuck with an inn that could collapse at any time because of a new road. I want to have money and capital to do my own business, build my own life, and not have to rely on your pity anymore!"

"Pity?" Thao repeated, her voice shaking with pain. "Do you think I raised you all these four years out of pity?"

"So that's not it? We're not your biological children, we're not related to you by blood! You only kept us because of the promise you made to your father, right?" Gia Binh shouted, tears began to flow even though he tried to hold it back.

The atmosphere in the dining room became so stuffy that it could be cut. Thuy Duong, who had just run down from the room and heard the argument, stood frozen at the door, not daring to intervene in the tense confrontation between the two people she loved the most.

Thao stood still for a long time, trying to control her rising anger, took a deep breath before speaking, her voice had calmed down but was still shaking.

"I can't stop you from deciding on your life, Binh. If you really want to sell, that's your right. But I hope you think carefully, not for me, but for yourself — will those few coins make up for it if you regret it later and want to go back and have nowhere to return to?"

Gia Binh did not answer, just stood still, his breathing still rapid with emotion, then turned around and walked into the room, closing the door so hard that the entire wooden wall shook.

Thao sat down on the chair, her hands covering her face, the tears she had held back for so long finally fell. Thuy Duong ran to hug her sister, both sisters hugged each other and cried in the quiet dining room, amidst the unfinished bowls and chopsticks of the meal that had not yet been finished.

"Don't be sad, Mr. Binh is just talking in anger." Thuy Duong whispered, even though her voice was filled with tears.

"I know. But there are words said, even in anger, that still leave real wounds." Thao replied, her voice choked up, wondering if the patchwork family she had tried to preserve for so many years, now, in the middle of the storm called "the new tunnel," still had the strength not to fall apart.

That night, no one in the house slept well. The sound of sighs and tossing and turning echoed through the thin wooden walls, mixed with the sound of the night wind whistling through the door, like a sad song signaling even bigger storms that were waiting ahead, not only coming from the outside, but also from the cracks that were smoldering and spreading inside the small house on top of Vuc Suong pass.

The next morning, Thao woke up early as usual, her eyes were still red and swollen from crying last night, but she still tried to get up and prepare breakfast for the whole family like an unbreakable habit, even though her heart was full of chaos. Gia Binh's room door was still closed, there was no sign that he had woken up or left the house early.

When Khai Dang stopped by mid-morning to continue the survey work, he immediately noticed the unusual tiredness on Thao's face.

"What's wrong? You don't look well." He asked, his voice filled with worry, naturally placing his hand on her shoulder as a reflex of concern.

Thao recounted the entire story of last night, her voice monotonous as if she was trying to stay calm even though the pain was still intact inside. Khai Dang listened attentively, his face gradually becoming serious.

"I have heard about buying and consolidating land in advance of this planning in the industry. It is not uncommon." He said, his voice low. "Those brokers often take advantage of people's confusion when there are planning rumors, forcing prices lower than reality but pretending to be offering a bargain price. Mr. Binh probably did not fully understand the legal risks if the project later changes plans, or if the company does not fulfill its commitments in the contract."

"Do you think I should talk to her about it?" Thao asked, her eyes flashing with hope.

"Maybe you should ask someone who understands land law to look over that contract for you, so that you have a basis to convince him with reason, not just emotions. Sometimes, with a hurt and stubborn person like Mr. Binh, solid arguments are more convincing than prayers." Khai Dang suggested, his eyes gently looking at Thao, trying to give her a little more stability amid the turbulent days.

Thao nodded, remembering the advice, but in her heart she still felt the pain of Gia Binh's words last night - "we are not related to you by blood." She wondered if, over the past four years, she had really done enough to make her brother feel the love that transcends blood ties, or if she was just deluding herself with one-sided efforts that never truly touched his wounded heart.

"Maybe the problem isn't just with that contract." Thao spoke softly, her voice thoughtful. "Maybe what she really needs is not money, but the feeling of being a real part of this family, instead of just being the one being taken care of."

Khai Dang was silent, didn't have an immediate answer, just gently held Thao's hand, a silent gesture of encouragement but enough to make her feel less lonely amid the confusing emotions surrounding her.

"Don't be so quick to blame yourself." He spoke after a moment, his voice firm. "Raising a child with childhood trauma is never easy, even for the most experienced biological parents. You've done more than a twenty-three year old could ever do, you don't have to be perfect to be worthy of being called their older sister."

Those words, although simple, touched the deepest place in Thao's heart, where she always blamed herself every time something bad happened in the house. She took a deep breath, tried to regain composure, then nodded slightly in thanks, silently vowing to find a way to talk to Gia Binh again at a more appropriate time, when both were calm enough to truly listen to each other.