Chapter 24 — Unnamed Perfume Shop

The second day of the festival started more smoothly than expected. News about the unnamed perfume shop's booth spread quickly after the opening day, causing the number of visitors to skyrocket. Many people lined up just to hear Bao Nghi talk about her special abilities, to try smelling small sample bottles bearing the names of unfamiliar memories, and many people, after hearing the story of Hoai Huong, had tears in their eyes, sharing about their own losses.

A local television station even sent a reporter to film a short report about the store, interviewing both Bao Nghi and Mr. Ta Khac Nguyen, who came to help at the store early in the morning, telling the story of Ms. Anh Nguyet with a proud tone. Bach Nguyen stood in a corner, quietly observing everything, his heart filled with an indescribable joy when he saw the efforts of both of them, along with the cooperation of the whole community, gradually bearing fruit.

In the middle of the morning, an old woman with white hair and a cane tremblingly walked up to the booth and introduced herself as a classmate of Mrs. Anh Nguyet's elementary school more than sixty years ago, although after that they went their separate ways and had little contact. "I heard on the radio that there was a booth telling the story of Mrs. Nguyet. I had to go see it," she said, his voice trembling with emotion. "When we were little, she and I often skipped school to play by the river. She liked to smell all kinds of flowers and grass. At that time, we even teased her that she had a dog nose." He laughed softly, then burst into tears again. "I didn't expect that love of smelling would turn into such a big career. Mrs. Nguyet must be very proud of her grandchild."

Bao Nghi held her trembling hands and was so moved that she was speechless at this unexpected memory of her grandmother from her childhood, a completely new image that she had never heard of before. She quickly wrote down his story in a small notebook, carefully as if she were adding a precious gem to her family's treasure trove of memories.

But by mid-afternoon, the sky suddenly turned gray, dark clouds quickly gathered from the horizon, and within half an hour, a huge thunderstorm suddenly descended on the entire square area. Strong winds and torrential rain forced the organizers to hastily notify booths to reinforce their roofs and move perishable goods to a safe place.

"It's dangerous!" Nha Truc screamed when she saw the tarpaulin covering the booth begin to be blown away by the wind, and rainwater began to pour in, threatening all the precious bottles of essential oils, especially the bottle of pure cork flower essential oil - the only remaining result after the last harvesting trip, unable to be lost again.

Bao Nghi rushed forward and tried to hold the canvas tightly with both hands, but the wind was too strong, she alone did not have the strength to fight it. "Bach Nguyen, help me!" she shouted over the howling wind and rain.

Bach Nguyen immediately ran over, holding the canvas corners together with her, while Mr. Ta Khac Nguyen, despite his old age, tried his best to shield the area where essential oil bottles were displayed with his own jacket. Nha Truc ran to the next stall to borrow more rope, along with a few neighboring stall owners, who were strangers before but now did not hesitate to roll up their sleeves to help, together tightening the corners of the tarpaulin and setting up more poles to protect against the wind.

In the midst of that chaos, Uncle Bat also appeared, riding his bike regardless of rain or wind, carrying a large plastic tarp that he happened to have at home. "I heard on the radio that there was a thunderstorm. I was afraid that Ms. Nghi's store would be in trouble, so I ran over immediately," he said, panting as he cycled and worried all the way. At the same time, Mr. Vinh Vuong, who was originally near the square, also came with a limp cane and stood under the nearby awning. He could not help much in terms of strength but still persistently stood to encourage everyone's spirit.

It took nearly twenty minutes of struggling in the wind and rain for the group to finish reinforcing the entire booth, keeping most of the precious essential oils undamaged, with only a few small unimportant sample bottles getting wet and having to be thrown away. When the storm gradually subsided, leaving behind an unusually clear sky and a cool mist rising from the ground, the group of people stood looking at each other, their clothes soaked, but everyone laughed with relief because they had promptly saved the situation.

"Thank you everyone," Bao Nghi said, her voice still shaking because she had just gone through a stressful moment, but her eyes lit up with deep emotion. "If it weren't for everyone, I would have lost everything."

"Don't be polite," Uncle Bat smiled, brushing the rainwater off his shirt. "This shop has nurtured so many memories in our whole neighborhood for many years. Now it's time for the whole neighborhood to give you a helping hand. There's nothing to be thankful for."

Mr. Ta Khac Nguyen, who was still standing and shielding the display area with his wet jacket, laughed, even though his breathing was still rapid from exertion. "Even though I'm old, I can still run in the rain like when I was young, it's very memorable," he joked, making the whole group laugh, dispelling some of the tension they had just experienced. Bach Nguyen quickly took a dry towel and gave it to him, kindly telling him to go inside the porch to rest to avoid catching a cold. A thoughtful gesture made Mr. Ta Khac Nguyen nod in satisfaction, glancing at Bao Nghi with a meaningful smile.

At that moment, Au Kim Phuong, who was also visiting the festival as a guest of the organizers — Belle Époque is one of the event's sponsors — happened to pass by, witnessing the entire scene of strangers not hesitating to roll up their sleeves to help each other in the middle of the storm. She stopped for a moment, observed, then approached Bao Nghi. "I just witnessed everything," she said, her voice a bit different from her usual cold professionalism. "This is something I've never seen anywhere I've worked — a community that's truly willing to protect each other. Perhaps, that's what no amount of investment capital can buy."

Bao Nghi smiled, even though she was still breathing heavily because she had just gone through a hard time. "Thank you for saying that," she replied. "I think, that's what makes the difference between a store and a home."

Au Kim Phuong nodded, her eyes thoughtful, then smiled, a sincere smile she rarely showed in public. "Wishing your booth the remaining days of the festival go smoothly," she said before leaving, leaving Bao Nghi standing there, feeling a warmth spreading inside, not only because the booth had been saved, but because she realized that the line between those she once considered her opponents and her supporters, was perhaps never as clear as she thought.

That evening, after the festival took a break to prepare for the last day, the whole group - Bao Nghi, Bach Nguyen, Nha Truc, Mr. Ta Khac Nguyen, and a few neighbors who helped in the afternoon - gathered around the neatly cleaned stall, ate a simple meal brought from home, and shared happy and sad stories all day long. Mr. Ta Khac Nguyen, even though he was tired from standing all day, still could not hide his satisfied smile. "It's been a long time since I've seen this street so crowded and warm," he said, taking a sip of hot tea brewed by Nha Truc. "If Ms. Anh Nguyet saw this scene, she would be very happy."

Bao Nghi sat among everyone, looking around at familiar faces, feeling her heart filled with a gratitude that was hard to describe in words. She looked at Bach Nguyen, who was laughing and chatting with Uncle Bat about the afternoon thunderstorm, and thought of the long journey that had passed - from a lonely girl shouldering all her worries in silence, today, surrounded by a network of people ready to extend a helping hand at any time. Tomorrow would be the last day of the festival, and the day she planned to officially announce the completion of the Hoai Huong formula to the public, and although she still had worries about Mr. Vinh Khang's final decision, she felt like she was ready to face whatever was to come, not alone, but with all the people sitting around her right now.

Before everyone dispersed, Bach Nguyen grabbed Bao Nghi's hand and pulled her to a quieter corner of the empty square. "Tomorrow," he said, his voice serious but his eyes filled with warmth, "no matter what happens to the formula, to the sign, to my uncle's decision, I just want you to know, I'm proud of what you've accomplished. Not because of the results, but because of the way you've faced all those difficulties over the past few months."

Bao Nghi leaned her head on his shoulder, looking up at the night sky that had just been washed clean by the rain, the rare stars sparkling through the remaining clouds. "Thank you," she whispered, "for always being there, no matter how rough the road gets."