Chapter 21 — The Inn at the End of the Pass

A week after Khai Dang left, Mrs. Ha finally returned to Vuc Suong Pass, after three long years of absence. The passenger car carrying her stopped right in front of the inn on a sunny afternoon, and when the car door opened, the image of a thin woman, with more gray hair than her children remembered, stepped down with a timid, fearful appearance like a stranger returning to a place that was unlikely to be welcomed.

Nhat Minh was the first to run out, although the memory of his mother in his mind had faded a lot because he was only nine years old when she left. But a child's instinct still told him that this was the woman the whole family had been talking about all these days.

"Mom..." The boy called, his voice still hesitant, standing a few steps away from her, not knowing whether to come closer or not.

Mrs. Ha knelt down, tears rolling down, reaching out her hand but not daring touch her child, afraid of the possible reaction. "Minh, you're too old, mom... I'm sorry."

Nhat Minh, after a moment of hesitation, rushed to hug his mother, sobbing. That scene made Thuy Duong and Gia Binh, standing on the porch watching, unable to hold back their tears, slowly walked down and approached.

"Mom." Thuy Duong called out, her voice trembling, standing face to face with the mother she had both missed and resented for the past three years.

Mrs. Ha looked at her daughter, her eyes filled with mixed regret and love. "You've grown so much, you're so beautiful, just like mom when you were young." She spoke, her voice choked, then turned to look at Gia Binh, her eldest son standing still, his eyes complex and unpredictable. "Binh, I..."

"It's good that Mom is home." Gia Binh said, his voice was still a bit tough but not at all harsh, just the necessary caution of a person who is too used to being abandoned. "I don't ask why you left, we already know the reason. I just hope that this time when you come back, you won't go again."

Mrs. Ha burst into tears at that simple but emotional statement, nodding repeatedly as if unable to speak. Thao stood from afar observing the reunion scene, her heart filled with a feeling of relief mixed with indescribable emotions, as if an important piece had finally found its right place in this patchwork family picture.

That evening, the whole family gathered around the largest dinner table in the past three years. Mrs. Ha, although still shy and shy in her behavior, gradually became more open when she saw that her children did not show any resentment as she had feared.

"I'm sorry for letting you guys shoulder everything alone for the past three years." Mrs. Ha said, her voice still shaking. "Especially you, Thao. You are not my biological child, yet you sacrificed your entire youth to raise your siblings and take care of the inn. I owe you a lot."

"Don't say that." Thao replied, her voice sincere. "I do those things not out of obligation, but because I consider them my real family. You too, even though you didn't give birth to me, took care of me when I was young, after my mother passed away. We are a family, even though we're not completely related by blood."

Thao's words made the whole table silent in an emotional moment. Mrs. Ha looked at her husband's stepdaughter, who had silently shouldered the responsibility that should have belonged to her for so many years, and was filled with gratitude and even a bit of shame that was hard to put into words.

After the meal, when everyone had dispersed, Thao told Mrs. Ha in detail about the situation of the mountain tunnel project, about the "heritage road" project that she and Khai Dang were trying to complete, and about the time pressure that was weighing on both her family and the community of Back Deo hamlet.

"So how long until the deadline comes?" Mrs. Ha asked, her eyes shining with genuine concern for the place she once called home.

"About three weeks left." Thao replied, her voice a bit worried. "But I think this is the time when the whole neighborhood needs to unite and organize something truly powerful to attract attention and convince the authorities to seriously consider our project."

Mrs. Ha pondered for a moment, then suddenly spoke, her eyes flashing as if she had just thought of something. "I remember, when I was still working at a garment factory in the city, my factory once held a small exhibition to promote its products, inviting the local media to report on it, thanks to which orders skyrocketed. Who knows, you and everyone else can do a similar event - inviting the media, inviting social media influencers to visit the pass, directly experience the beauty and cultural value of this place, and create supportive public opinion before the final decision meeting takes place. out."

Ms. Ha's idea was like a new ray of light flashing through the deadlocked days. Thao sat up straight, her eyes bright. "That's a great idea, miss! If we organize a festival to experience the pass and invite the media to report on it, it will definitely create enough public pressure for the authorities to consider it more seriously."

That same night, Thao called Khai Dang, even though she knew he was probably busy with a new job, to share the idea that had just come up. His voice rang out with excitement over the phone, unable to hide his excitement at this potential plan, promising to take advantage of the nearest weekend to help prepare, despite the distance of nearly three hundred kilometers.

That night, for the first time in a long time, Thao went to bed with a feeling of relief and hope, sensing that her patchwork family, now more complete than ever, was moving together toward a common goal, ready to fight hard for the home and pass they all loved.

The next morning, Mrs. Ha got up early with Thao and rolled up her sleeves to help in the kitchen like the days she was here before. Her hands, now much more calloused after three years as a garment factory worker, still clearly remember every familiar cooking step at the inn.

"I miss this sour soup very much." She said, tasting the seasoning and smiling nostalgically. "Back then, my husband often praised this dish the most, saying that only Thao and her mother's skills could cook such a unique taste."

Thao smiled, feeling the warmth gradually returning to the kitchen, which had become so familiar with the absence of an older woman by her side for the past three years. She told Ms. Ha more about the details of the project, about the households that agreed to support, and about the households that chose to leave because they did not have the patience to wait.

"She thought, I should visit every house in the neighborhood, not to persuade more signatures, but to apologize for being absent for so long, and at the same time encourage everyone's spirit before the upcoming event." Mrs. Ha proposed, her eyes filled with determination of someone who wanted to make up for lost time.

"I think that's a good idea, auntie." Thao replied, touched by her stepmother's unexpected enthusiasm. "Mr. Bay will probably be very happy to see you return and join everyone like that."

That afternoon, mother and daughter went together throughout Back Deo village, visiting each household, listening to their thoughts and wishes about the future of the pass. Many people were initially hesitant about Ms. Ha's sudden appearance, but gradually, upon hearing the true story behind her absence, they all opened their hearts to accept it, seeing it as a living testament to the power of truth and tolerance.

Visiting Mr. Bay Trinh's car repair workshop, Ms. Ha stood silently for a moment before saying hello, her voice still hesitant because of shyness. Mr. Bay looked up, looked at her for a long time, then nodded slightly, without blaming, just saying a simple sentence but enough to make her cry.

"It's good to go back. This pass still has room for those who want to return, Mrs. Ha."

On the way back to the shop, Mrs. Ha held Thao's hand tightly, her voice choked up. "I didn't expect that after everything I've done, people are still willing to accept me like that. I'm truly grateful to you and this entire Vuc Suong Pass."

"That's because everyone here understands that everyone has moments of weakness and sometimes makes mistakes." Thao replied, squeezing her stepmother's hand. "What's important is whether or not I have the courage to go back and fix it, miss."

That evening, upon returning home, Thao immediately began drafting a detailed plan for the festival to experience the pass, drafting a list of activities — from scenic walking experiences, to enjoying local cuisine, to booths introducing traditional handicrafts of households in the neighborhood. Mrs. Ha sat next to her, giving enthusiastic suggestions based on her little but valuable event organizing experience, while Nhat Minh excitedly offered to draw a tour guide map for guests, continuing the passion that Khai Dang had aroused in him from the first days of their acquaintance.