Chapter 14 — The Lantern That Never Goes Out

The next morning, Uyen Chi woke up earlier than usual, with the determination to find Thien Vu to talk clearly. But before she could carry out her plan, she saw him standing in front of the factory gate, holding a file of documents, his face showing fatigue as if he had stayed up all night.

"I found a way," he said as soon as he saw her, his voice somewhat urgent but also full of hope. "I have drafted an official proposal, clearly stating that the night of the lantern parade is not an event in opposition to the main festival, but an extension of the cultural program that I am in charge of. I will be the main responsible person, so the Management Board can approve it faster without having to worry about violating the terms with Han Phat."

Uyen Chi looked at him, both surprised and touched by that thoughtful preparation. "Are you doing this all night?"

"I can't sleep, I keep thinking about what you said," Thien Vu replied, his eyes looking at her with sincerity and a bit of guilt. "I'm sorry for making you think yesterday that I was wavering, standing in between two sides. The truth is, I'm just trying to find a way to support you in the most effective way, not half-heartedly."

Uyen Chi felt her heart sink at that sincerity, the anger and disappointment from the previous day almost disappearing. “I'm sorry too,” she said, her voice softening. "I was too hasty, not thinking that you were under pressure from many sides at the same time. I shouldn't blame you like that."

The two looked at each other, the awkward distance of the past few days gradually disappearing in their eyes of mutual understanding. Thien Vu showed her the document, they both sat down at the table, reviewed every detail in the proposal, adding new ideas to make the plan more convincing.

"I think, I should name the event 'Night of Lantern Parade'," Uyen Chi proposed, "simple, easy to remember, but still exudes the spirit of the festival - a night for handmade lanterns to parade and shine in their own right."

"I like that name," Thien Vu nodded, taking notes on the proposal. "We can organize a small parade along the riverbank, each craft household brings its most beautiful lanterns, ending with the ceremony of releasing the lanterns into the river, like a message to the whole old town that the light of craftsmanship will never go out."

While the two were passionately discussing, Uyen Chi suddenly realized that it was moments like this — when they both built something meaningful together, overcoming disagreements to find a common voice — that were the strongest foundation for any relationship, whether it be friendship, love, or collaboration at work.

At noon, when the proposal was completed, Thien Vu prepared to bring it and submit it to the Management Board. Before leaving, he stopped and looked at Uyen Chi with serious eyes. "I want you to know, no matter what the outcome, I will always stand up for the values that you and everyone here is trying to protect. That's not because of pressure, but because I truly believe in them."

Uyen Chi smiled and held his hand for a moment. "I know. And I believe in you too."

That afternoon, while waiting for a response from the Management Board, Uyen Chi took the opportunity to stop by Mr. Bay Tuyen's house, not to ask more about the past, but to invite him to participate in the night of the lantern parade with a special role - storyteller, sharing with visitors the history of lamp making in the old town, the stories behind each technique, each traditional motif.

"Are you willing?" she asked, after presenting the idea.

Mr. Bay nodded immediately without hesitation, his eyes shining with enthusiasm rarely seen at his age. "I've been waiting for this opportunity for a long time, my dear. For many years, I could only stand by and watch my profession gradually being forgotten. Now that I have the opportunity to tell the young people about it, I am willing to do my best."

Uyen Chi thanked him, then on the way home, she stopped by each house in the craft village, announced the plan, and invited more participation. Throughout the old town, a new vitality is gradually spreading, replacing the gloomy atmosphere of previous days. People began to talk about the night of the parade of lights with excitement instead of worry. Their hands, which were already hanging down due to discouragement, now enthusiastically started preparing.

Late that night, when Uyen Chi had just returned to the factory, her phone rang, it was a text message from Thien Vu: "The Management Board has agreed to approve, with the condition that the scale is not too large and must ensure safety. We have ten days to prepare." Uyen Chi read the message, a bright smile appeared on her lips, a feeling of relief and happiness filled her heart. Ten days is not a lot, but ten days are enough for her and the whole old town to prove to everyone that the fire of handmade lamp making, no matter how hard it is pressed, will never die out.

She immediately texted the good news to Bao Chau and the craft households that had committed to participating, then sat alone at the drawing table and began making a list of tasks that needed to be completed in those ten short days. First is the number of lights that need to be prepared - not only enough for display, but also beautiful and impressive enough to create a real resonance. She calculated that with the current working speed, Van Nguyet workshop could complete about thirty medium-sized lamps in that time, not to mention having to spend time helping other households who lack experience in organizing large-scale events.

The next morning, the whole factory started working quickly. Mr. Khoan, although his hands are no longer strong enough to do the delicate work, still takes advantage of his remaining ability to help select materials and check the quality of each slat before handing it over to Uyen Chi and the newly hired helpers to keep up with the schedule. Thien Vu, in addition to taking care of paperwork with the Management Board, also spends most of the remaining time at the factory, helping with simple tasks such as drying silk and arranging finished lamps in display order.

In the midst of those busy days, one afternoon, Thien Vu received a call from his mother, Mrs. Lu Dieu Hanh. He walked out into the yard to answer the phone, his face gradually becoming serious as the conversation lasted longer than usual. When he returned, he told Uyen Chi about it.

"My mother said, my father knew that I sponsored the parade," he said, his voice a bit worried. "He was not satisfied, but my mother told me to continue doing what I thought was right, and she would find a way to talk to my father to ease the tension." He paused for a moment, his eyes flickering with a new ray of hope. "My mother also said that one day she would like to stop by the factory and meet aunt and uncle Khoan. I feel like maybe my mother knows more than she ever told me."

Hearing that, Uyen Chi had a new hope in her heart about finding more clues to the past story, but she also put that aside, focusing all her strength on the urgent preparation days ahead. Regardless of how the Han family's story turns out, the next ten days will decide a lot of things for the future of the entire village, and that's what she needs to focus all her energy on right now.

The following days passed in unprecedented haste. Uyen Chi stayed up almost every night to complete the stages of drawing lights. Her eyes were dark because of lack of sleep, but her spirit did not decrease. Bao Chau took advantage of the breaks between selling tea to help. Even though she didn't know how to draw, she could still help with tying strings and gluing edges, simple but time-consuming steps. The whole craft village seemed to blend into a common rhythm, the sound of sawing bamboo, tapping frames, and bustling laughter echoed throughout the small alleys every afternoon.

Mr. Bay Tuyen is equally busy. In addition to providing the necessary amount of bamboo, he also takes advantage of his free time to compose old stories and prepare for the storytelling part on the night of the lantern parade. He brought to the Van Nguyet workshop a stack of old papers, writing down in shaky handwriting what he could remember about the history of lamp making in the old town, about previous artisans, and about the happy and sad stories associated with each alley, each old house in the neighborhood.

"Please help me see if there is anything that needs to be edited," he said, handing the stack of papers to Uyen Chi. "He's old, his memory is sometimes confused, he's afraid of telling the wrong story and losing the beauty of the story."

Uyen Chi read through it and couldn't help but be moved by the affection and enthusiasm that the old man had for his profession and for the old town. She commented on a few small details, then returned it to him with sincere thanks. Watching Mr. Bay languishing carrying a stack of papers home, her heart became even more determined that the upcoming night of the parade of lights would not only be a simple promotional event, but also an opportunity to honor all the silent people like him, those who have spent their entire lives attached to the profession, even though not all of them are remembered by name.