Chapter 17 — The Lantern That Never Goes Out

News about many craft households in the city being pressured in terms of raw materials and customers spread quickly, making the atmosphere preparing for the parade night more tense than ever. Some households, fearing it would affect their long-term business, began to waver, some even offered to withdraw from the plan. Uyen Chi realized that if this situation continued, not only was the parade night at risk of failure, but also the spirit of solidarity that had just been rekindled in the craft village could be broken.

Faced with that situation, Mr. Dai Quang Minh decided to convene a public meeting, inviting both representatives of craft households and representatives of Han Phat company to dialogue, hoping to find a compromise solution before things go too far. The meeting took place in the familiar large hall, but this time the atmosphere was much more tense than previous times, everyone felt the increasingly obvious confrontation between the two sides.

"I convened this meeting," Mr. Minh began, his voice somewhat tired after many days of standing in the middle of two bullets, "because I realized that the situation is becoming unnecessarily tense. I hope the two sides can sit down and find common ground, for the common good of the whole old town, instead of continuing to confront each other like now."

Uncle Sau Dong stood up first, his voice unable to hide the frustration that had accumulated for a long time. "What's the point of having a common voice when one side is using financial power to strangle the other? Van Nguyet factory's silk supplier is being pressured, customers are being enticed with unfair discounts. This is not fair competition, but intentional suppression."

Mr. Han Vinh Vuong, sitting in the opposite row, spoke out in protest, his voice still remaining calm but somewhat tougher than usual. "I don't know what specifically you are talking about. Our company operates completely in accordance with the law, all pricing policies, all agreements with partners are based on market principles. If any supplier arbitrarily adjusts prices, that is their own business decision, and has nothing to do with us."

"You say that without feeling embarrassed?" Uyen Chi stood up, unable to contain her rising anger. "The owner of the silk weaving factory told us clearly that someone from your company came and threatened to terminate the contract if she continued to sell silk to us at preferential prices. You can deny responsibility with words, but the truth cannot be hidden forever."

The whole hall was stirred by that direct accusation. Mr. Vuong frowned slightly, glanced at the assistant standing next to him, then turned back to answer, his voice still trying to stay calm but a bit shaken. "I will re-check this information. If any company employee acts improperly, we will handle it seriously."

"Check and then treat, or is it just a way to delay time while the damage has already been done?" Ms. Nham interjected, her voice filled with bitterness. "We don't need empty promises, we need real action, now."

Thien Vu, sitting in a corner, finally stood up, his eyes looked straight at his father, not avoiding him at all. "Dad, I think it's time for you to stop. What you are doing not only affects business interests, but is directly pushing many families into hardship. This is not how a responsible business should behave."

Mr. Vuong looked at his son, his eyes flashed with surprise and anger at being publicly criticized right in the middle of the hall. "Thien Vu, this is not the place for you to express your personal opinion."

"This is exactly the place to tell the truth," Thien Vu replied, his voice unflinching. "If you don't stop, I will be forced to make public everything I know, including things related to the history of my company that you have always tried to keep private."

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly slackened, many people did not understand the hidden meaning of Thien Vu's words, but only Mr. Vuong, his face turned pale for a moment, his eyes fixed on his son as if trying to probe how much he knew.

"We'll talk privately later," Mr. Vuong said, his voice lowered, trying to stay calm in front of the crowd but unable to hide the confusion that was creeping in.

The meeting ended in an unprecedented tense atmosphere, no specific agreement was reached, but at least the public denunciations caused Mr. Vuong and Han Phat company to face more obvious public pressure. Uyen Chi left the auditorium with Thien Vu, both carrying a complicated mood - both relieved that they dared to speak up and worried about what would happen next.

"You just said that in front of everyone, your father will definitely be angry," Uyen Chi said, her voice filled with worry for him.

"I know," Thien Vu replied, taking a deep breath. "But I have no regrets. It's time for me to choose to stand on the right side, even if it means I have to directly confront my own family." He looked at her, his eyes both tired and determined. "I think, tonight I will go home, talk frankly with my father, bring everything I know with me. The time has come when I can't delay any longer."

Uyen Chi grabbed his hand, wanting to say something to reassure him, but found that all words of comfort at this moment were pale in light of what he was about to face. "Be careful," was all she could say, her voice choked. "Whatever the outcome, I will be here."

On the way back to the factory, they passed by an afternoon market that was gradually becoming less crowded. The late sunlight dyed the ancient tiled roofs yellow, creating a strangely peaceful scene, in complete contrast to the turmoil that had just taken place in the hall. Uyen Chi looked at Thien Vu and saw that his face was still tense, his normally calm lines were now filled with an anxiety that was hard to hide.

"Are you scared?" she asked softly.

Thien Vu was silent for a moment before responding. "Yes. I'm afraid of losing the already fragile relationship with my father. But I'm more afraid that if I keep silent and let the wrong things continue, one day, I won't recognize myself in the mirror anymore." He stopped walking and turned to look at her. "You know, from the day I met you, from the day I re-learned the craft of making lamps at the Van Nguyet factory, I realized that true value does not lie in how much power or money you have, but in how much you dare to stand up for what you believe is right."

Uyen Chi looked at him, her heart filled with deep admiration mixed with inconsolable worry. She knows that tonight will be a difficult night for Thien Vu, but she also believes that, regardless of the outcome of the conversation between him and his father, he has proven the true bravery and maturity of a person who dares to live according to his conscience, something that not everyone born into a powerful family has the courage to do.

Returning to the workshop, she recounted the entire meeting's events to her father. Mr. Khoan listened in silence, his eyes shining with both worry and a hard-to-name pride when he heard about the way Thien Vu stood up to confront his father directly in the middle of a crowd of people. "That boy," he said, his voice low, "perhaps inherited your grandmother's spirit more than he thought. In the past, my mother and father also stood up and said frankly what others did not dare to say, even at the cost of isolation."

"Dad, how do you think Mr. Vuong will react when Thien Vu comes back to talk tonight?" Uyen Chi asked, unable to hide the anxiety gnawing in her heart.

Mr. Khoan pondered for a long time before responding. "I'm not sure. A person like Mr. Vuong, who is used to controlling everything, may react violently before he can calmly listen. But I believe, if Thien Vu is patient enough, sincere enough, then even if it takes time, the truth will still have a way to reach a father's heart, no matter how tough he is."

Uyen Chi nodded, but in her heart she still couldn't stop worrying about Thien Vu all that evening. She sat at the drawing table, trying to focus on her work, but her mind kept going towards the big house of the Han family, imagining Thien Vu facing her father's anger, and silently praying that everything would go more smoothly than she feared.

It was almost midnight, her phone was still silent, there were no messages or calls from Thien Vu. She put down her brush, walked out into the yard, sat on the familiar steps, eyes looking out into the dark alley as if waiting for a familiar figure to appear. The cool night wind blew through her shirt, carrying moisture from the river, but her heart was still burning like fire because she didn't know how the conversation between father and son of the Han family was going.

She remembered every word Thien Vu said before saying goodbye that afternoon, the steadfastness in his eyes, and told herself that no matter what the outcome was tonight, she would always be by his side, just like how he had not hesitated to stand by her and the whole village's side all these days. The night gradually grew late, the dew began to spread lightly on the tiled roofs, but Uyen Chi still sat there, patiently waiting, believing that no matter how dark the night was, dawn would eventually come, bringing with it the answers they were both waiting for.