Chapter 25 — The Man Behind the Rain in Old Street

In the eighth month of pregnancy, Bao Ngoc's belly was noticeably rounder, making each step she took slower and heavier than before. Nhat Quang, since the day he learned of his wife's pregnancy, has become a man so careful that Bao Ngoc sometimes has to laugh at his excesses — he checks the temperature of the bath water before she enters the bathroom, always brings a small chair so she can sit and rest whenever she feels tired, and never lets her carry anything heavier than a book by herself.

"Honey, I'm pregnant, not sick," Bao Ngoc said, laughing and gently pushing Nhat Quang's hand away when he tried to grab her small handbag. "I can still do a lot of things on my own."

"I know," Nhat Quang replied, but still firmly held the bag. "But I want to make sure you and the baby are as safe as possible. It's the least I can do for the two most important people in my life."

That weekend morning, while the two were having breakfast at Mrs. Bay Lieu's familiar restaurant, an unexpected guest arrived - Captain Hoang Minh Duc, who directly solved the Nhat Lan case nearly a year ago, has now been promoted to Lieutenant Colonel after his achievements in solving the case spanning thirty years.

"Hello Ms. Bao Ngoc, hello Mr. Nhat Quang," he said, sitting down at the table at Ms. Bay Lieu's invitation. "I stopped by to tell you two important news. Yesterday, the Procuracy just completed the execution supervision file for Ton Bao Long. He is currently serving his sentence in prison, his health is stable, and according to regulations, there will not be any special sentence reduction consideration for at least the next eight years."

Nhat Quang nodded, his face briefly pensive before returning to his familiar calm expression. "Thank you for the news. However, I no longer feel the same hatred or torment as before. Justice has been served, my sister has been given a proper rest, and that is the most important thing."

"That's what makes me always admire you two," Lieutenant Colonel Duc said, his eyes filled with sincere appreciation. "Not everyone can let go of hatred after experiencing such a great loss, to move towards a more positive future."

He also shared another good news - the renovation of the Ton family mansion into the Yen Lang Old Town historical museum has been completed, and the official inauguration ceremony will take place at the end of the month, right on the one-year anniversary of Bao Ngoc's first reportage being published.

"The organizers invited you to cut the ribbon, as the person who has contributed most to bringing the whole story to light," he said, smiling. "Of course, they understand that you are in the final months of pregnancy, so the ceremony will be scheduled to be short and suitable for your health."

Bao Ngoc felt a surge of emotion. "I'm honored to attend," she replied. "This will be a meaningful milestone, not only for Yen Lang Old Town, but also for both me and Nhat Quang's journey."

***

The museum inauguration ceremony took place on a beautiful sunny morning, attracting a large number of city residents and cultural officials to attend. The garden behind the mansion, where a secret was buried for thirty years, has now been transformed into a solemn memorial space, with a small stone stele engraved with the name Vuong Thi Nhat Lan, along with the words: "Where the truth finally finds its way back to the light."

Bao Ngoc, even though her stomach was quite heavy, still stood with Nhat Quang in front of the stone stele during the memorial ceremony, her hand holding his hand tightly as the white flower bouquets were placed on the ground that had witnessed the tragedy in the past.

"Finally, she has a proper resting place, remembered and respected by the whole city," Nhat Quang said softly, his voice choked but calm. "Thank you for leading me to Bao Ngoc, to the truth, and to a new family waiting ahead."

After the ceremony, Bao Ngoc was invited to speak to the crowd in the main display area of the museum, where artifacts related to the street's history are kept, including a small corner dedicated to the story of Nhat Lan, with a copy of Bao Ngoc's diary, old photos, and the entire series of reportages on display.

"When I began writing about the legend of the white shadow, I had no idea that I was standing on the threshold of a great truth, hidden for thirty years under the dust of time," she said, her voice ringing clearly, full of emotion. "This museum is not only a place to preserve the history of a street, but also a living testament to the fact that, no matter how long the truth is buried, it always finds its way back, as long as there are people brave enough to pursue it to the end."

The crowd applauded warmly, many people were moved to tears by that heartfelt speech. Ms. Bay Lieu and Mr. Tuan, standing in the front row, could not hide their pride when witnessing the results of the journey in which they also played an important part.

***

On the way back from the ceremony, while sitting in the car with Nhat Quang, Bao Ngoc suddenly felt a sharp pain in his lower abdomen. She frowned, placed her hand on her stomach, trying to breathe evenly to ease the pain.

"Are you okay?" Nhat Quang asked immediately, his eyes filled with worry when he noticed the unusual expression on his wife's face.

"Maybe it's just a fake contraction," Bao Ngoc replied, trying to reassure both herself and her husband. "The doctor said that during this stage there may be mild contractions, nothing to worry about."

Even so, Nhat Quang still did not feel secure, immediately changed the direction of the car and took her to the hospital to check to make sure. After the examination, the doctor reassured her that these were just normal Braxton Hicks contractions, a common phenomenon in late pregnancy, not a sign of real labor, but advised Bao Ngoc to limit strenuous activities and spend more time resting in the last weeks before giving birth.

"See, the doctor also said you need to rest more," Nhat Quang said, his voice both relieved and serious, as they left the hospital. "From now on, I will take on all the heavy work at the bookstore, and you just need to focus on resting and waiting for the baby to be born."

"Do you really think I'm going to sit still for the last few weeks?" Bao Ngoc asked, laughing at her husband's excessive but adorable worry.

"I know it's not easy," Nhat Quang replied, smiling helplessly. "But I still hope you will defer to me, at least during this important period."

Bao Ngoc nodded, resting her head on his shoulder as they walked out of the hospital together under the gentle afternoon sunlight. "Okay, I promise to be more careful," she said. "Because I'm just as anxious to meet our baby as you are."

That evening, when they returned to the apartment above the bookstore, they sat together in the small room that had been prepared for the baby, looking at the small wooden cradle, the neatly arranged newborn wardrobe, and the picture that Baby Su had drawn as a gift hanging right above the head of the bed.

"Only a few more weeks," Nhat Quang said softly, his arm around his wife's shoulder. "I'm so nervous and excited that I can't express it in words."

"Me too," Bao Ngoc replied, placing her hand on her belly, feeling her baby's familiar gentle kicks. "But I believe, no matter what happens, we will overcome it together, just like how we overcame all the challenges together during the past journey."

Outside the window, the lights of Yen Lang Old Town sparkled in the peaceful night. The street has now completely taken on a new look - no longer a place hiding secrets and fears, but has become a symbol of revival, of justice, and of a love that has been built from the pain of the past, waiting to welcome a new little life, who will continue the meaningful story of the whole family.

Before turning off the light to go to sleep, Bao Ngoc lingered beside the wooden cradle for a long time, her hand gently touching the tiny blanket that had been neatly folded inside. She thought about the nearly two-year journey, from a seemingly simple reportage, to a shocking case, a wedding, and now, a little life about to be born. She thought to herself, perhaps it was Nhat Lan who, somehow, led all these good things to her and Nhat Quang's lives, as a final gift from someone who did not have the opportunity to live her own life to the fullest.

"Good night, baby," she whispered, placing her hand gently on her belly before leaving the small room, leaving behind a warm, quiet space, waiting for the first cries of birth in the coming weeks.