Chapter 29 — The Lantern That Never Goes Out

The full moon night of Mid-Autumn Festival has finally arrived. Right from early morning, the whole Nguyet Giang ancient town was bustling in a festive atmosphere, groups of tourists from all over flocked in, much more numerous than any previous festival season. News about the story of the Van Nguyet workshop, about the night of the once famous lantern parade, and about the reconciliation between the two families have spread widely through the media, causing this year's festival to attract unprecedented attention.

Uyen Chi spent the whole morning checking all the preparations one last time, from the main exhibition area where the new version of the Cuu Lien lamp is being solemnly displayed, to the booths of each craft household, to the parade route that will take place in the evening. Everything went smoothly, beyond what she had dared to dream of in the early days of initiating the plan to fight the wave of industrial plastic lamps.

In the afternoon, when the sunlight began to subside, Uyen Chi returned to the workshop to prepare her outfit for the evening. She chose a turquoise silk ao dai, tailored by herself, with intricately embroidered lotus motifs along the hem, inspired by the Cuu Lien lamps that her family has been attached to for three generations. She carefully placed the silver lotus-shaped brooch that Thien Vu gave her into her hair, looking at herself in the mirror with an indescribable satisfaction and pride.

Mr. Khoan, when he saw his daughter appear in that outfit, could not hide his emotions. “You look so much like your mother and father,” he said, his voice choked up. "Exactly like the photo hanging on the wall, same charisma, same determined eyes."

Uyen Chi hugged her father, feeling the warmth and pride spreading between father and son. "I hope, tonight, you'll be proud of what we've accomplished."

When the sky began to get dark, the whole Nguyet Giang ancient town lit up in the brightest lantern light ever. Thousands of handmade silk lamps are hung throughout the streets and awnings, creating a sea of warm light stretching throughout the old town. The parade officially departed from the communal house yard, this time on a much larger scale than the previous night of the lantern parade, with the participation of almost all craft households in the street, along with the participation of many folk art troupes invited from surrounding areas.

Uyen Chi, in the role of representing the Van Nguyet workshop and also the initiator of the movement to protect the craft, was invited to walk right after the lion dance troupe opened the show. Her hand cradled the new version of the Cuu Lien lamp. The light from the candle inside emitted a warm golden halo through the thin layer of silk, creating a splendid image that made the crowd on both sides of the street constantly admire.

Thien Vu walked beside her, no longer holding a camera like before, but this time, he wanted to fully enjoy the moment with her, leaving the recording to the professional media team he had arranged in advance. The two walked together amidst a sea of cheering people, amid sparkling lights throughout the street, feeling the full fruition of a long, arduous yet meaningful journey.

When the parade arrived at the river wharf, where the main stage had been magnificently set up, Mr. Dai Quang Minh stepped up to give an official opening speech of the festival, not forgetting to mention the inspirational story of Van Nguyet workshop and the entire craft village as an important highlight of this year's festival season. After that, the new version of the Cuu Lien lamp was carried onto the stage, placed in the center for the entire audience to admire before the official lamp-releasing ceremony began.

Uyen Chi was invited on stage to share a few words before the lamp-releasing ceremony took place. She stood in front of thousands of eyes watching, her hands shook slightly but her voice still echoed, full of emotion.

"Dear people and guests," she began, "not long ago, our Nguyet Giang ancient town was at risk of losing its very soul. But thanks to the solidarity and perseverance of everyone present here today, we have together proven that traditional values, when properly appreciated, still have more vitality than anything flashy but lacking in depth."

She looked towards Thien Vu, who was standing under the stage, his eyes filled with pride and love. "The Nine Lotus Lamp that you see here," she continued, "is not only a work of art, but also a symbol of a story of reconciliation, of the belief that, no matter how painful the past, we can always choose to write a better future."

Applause echoed throughout the riverbank. Thien Vu stepped onto the stage, stood next to Uyen Chi, his hand holding her hand in front of thousands of people. "I also want to say one more thing," he said, his voice echoing through the speaker system. "Tonight is not only a night to honor craftsmanship, but also a night I want to publicly express my feelings. Uyen Chi, you are not only the one who saved my family's craft, but also the one who showed me the way back to myself. I love you."

The whole riverbank burst into cheers and endless applause. Uyen Chi, so emotional that she was speechless, could only nod, tears of happiness rolling down her cheeks as Thien Vu gently hugged her amidst the bright lantern light and the congratulations of the entire community witnessing that sacred moment.

After that emotional moment, the lantern releasing ceremony officially began. Mr. Khoan, brought to the water's edge in a familiar wheelchair, personally lit the first candle in the new version of the Cuu Lien lamp. Although his hands were shaking, his eyes were extremely steady. Uyen Chi and Thien Vu together lifted the lamp and gently placed it on the water in front of thousands of people.

The lamp slowly drifted out into the middle of the stream, warm yellow light passing through the thin layer of silk, shimmering and reflecting on the gently rippling water surface. Immediately after that, hundreds, thousands of other lamps from all craft households, from people, and from tourists were also released one after another, creating an endless river of light, more splendid than anything that Nguyet Giang ancient town had ever witnessed in its history.

The sound of festival drums and traditional music resounded bustlingly, mixed with the happy cheers of thousands of people present, creating a lively symphony of joy and pride. In the sky, the full moon shined gently, as if immersing ourselves in the festive atmosphere, witnessing the moment when an entire community came together to write a proud new chapter for the story of their homeland.

Mr. Vuong and Ms. Dieu Hanh stood in the crowd, hand in hand, watching the river of light drift away. "We did the right thing," Mr. Vuong whispered to his wife, his voice filled with a contentment he rarely showed. Mrs. Dieu Hanh just smiled, squeezed her husband's hand, without saying another word, because they both understood that tonight marked the complete end of a story that had lasted for more than thirty years.

Bao Chau, standing with a few young friends in a corner near the stage, could not hide his joy when witnessing the moment Thien Vu publicly confessed his love to Uyen Chi. She clapped enthusiastically, cheered and cheered with the crowd, her eyes also filled with tears because of the happiness transmitted by her closest friend. "Finally," she whispered to herself, "there's a happy ending to everything they've been through."

Mr. Bay Tuyen, standing next to Mr. Khoan near the water's edge, both old friends looked at the stream of lights drifting away, their eyes shining with deep emotion. "I still vividly remember the day Uyen Chi was little, running around the factory, holding a few pieces of bamboo slats to play with," Mr. Bay said, his voice full of nostalgia. "Unexpectedly, she has now become the leader of such a great movement."

"My mother must have seen this a long time ago," Mr. Khoan replied, his voice equally choked. "Perhaps, that's why she always trusts and passes on everything she knows to Uyen Chi, even though she was still young when she left. She knows that the fire will continue, no matter how long it takes."

On stage, Uyen Chi and Thien Vu were still standing together, hand in hand, looking down at the joyfully congratulating crowd, looking out at the river glowing with lights floating far away. Uyen Chi looked up at the night sky, where the full moon shone perfectly, feeling a rare completeness in her heart, as if every piece of her life, from the pain of losing her grandmother at a young age, from the pressure of having to live in the shadow of a legendary artisan, from the days of tirelessly fighting to keep her family's profession, all had now crystallized into a brilliant, more meaningful festival night than anything she had ever dared to dream of.

"Thank you," Thien Vu whispered in her ear, his voice just loud enough for her to hear over the noise of the crowd, "for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this wonderful story."

Uyen Chi turned to look at him, the brightest smile ever on her lips. "Thank you, for not giving up, even when the road ahead was the hardest."

They stood there, amidst the bright lanterns throughout Nguyet Giang ancient town, amidst the happy cheers of an entire community, under the fullest full moon of the year, fully enjoying the moment that they had woven together with all their love, perseverance and courage.