Chapter 29 — Unnamed Perfume Shop

Bao Nghi chose the twenty-second anniversary of her grandmother's death to officially hang the new sign on the store - a day she considers the most meaningful, when the whole family traditionally gathers to burn incense to remember her, now there will be another important event to celebrate together. During the previous two weeks, she had quietly ordered a new wooden sign to be made by the same veteran carpenter who repaired the old wooden furniture in the shop, based on the exact size and style of the blank sign that had been hanging for more than fifty years, only this time, it would have a name.

Finally, after many nights of pondering, Bao Nghi chose the name she thought was the most complete: "Hoai Huong" - keeping her grandmother's original wishes intact, not because she did not want to have her own mark, but because through the whole journey, she realized that her story, her mother's, Bach Nguyen's story, and the entire Hang Diep street community, have all become an inseparable part of those two words. Hoai Huong is no longer just the unfinished wish of a deceased woman, but has become a living symbol of everything she has experienced and learned - remembering the past, but not being held back by it, but using that memory as a foundation to move forward.

She considered a lot before making the final decision. There were even nights when she went back through the entire list of names she had thought of, reading each one out loud to see which one made her heart flutter the most. But in the end, it was Nha Truc's advice - to keep the word Hoai, letting the rest tell its own story - that helped her realize, "Hoai Huong" did not need to be changed to another name to become "her own", because the journey she went through to find it again, to complete it, made those two words a part of her own flesh and blood, no less than her grandmother's or her mother's.

On the morning of the small ceremony, Hang Diep Street was unusually bustling. Nha Truc decorated the entire front of the shop with pots of jasmine and white carnations, reminiscent of her grandmother's favorite flowers during her time. Mr. Ta Khac Nguyen arrived early, wearing his most formal clothes, carrying a tray of five fruits and a bunch of fragrant incense to light before the official sign-hanging ceremony began. Mr. Vinh Khang was also present, standing next to Uncle Bat, Mr. Vinh Vuong, and many other familiar faces in the neighborhood who had followed Bao Nghi's journey for many months.

Mrs. Bich Van, whose clothes were carefully taken care of by Aunt Xuyen, sat in a familiar rattan chair right in front of the shop. Her eyes that day seemed more alert than usual, perhaps because the bustling atmosphere around her aroused a part of her subconscious about the importance of today. Bao Nghi knelt down next to her mother and held her hand. "Mom, today our store has a name," she said, her voice emotional. "Hoai Huong, exactly what my grandmother wanted."

Mrs. Bich Van nodded, her eyes filled with tears. Although Bao Nghi was not sure whether she fully remembered the historical meaning behind that name or not, her emotional reaction was completely genuine. "It's beautiful, Nghi," she said, her voice trembling. "Mom is very happy."

Mr. Vinh Khang, standing in the crowd, could not hide his emotions, occasionally glancing at the old photo of his grandfather and Mrs. Anh Nguyet that Bao Nghi had enlarged and hung solemnly right next to the door as a tribute. "If my grandfather knew about this, he would be very happy," he whispered to Bach Nguyen standing next to him, his voice full of emotion at the magical cycle of fate that brought the two families closer together than ever.

At the auspicious hour, Bach Nguyen and two assistant workers carefully removed the tarpaulin covering the new sign, revealing the words engraved and painted in gold in the classic style: "Hoai Huong — Perfume Shop". The whole crowd standing below applauded enthusiastically. A few older people in the neighborhood could not hide their emotions, wiping their tears when they saw the name that many of them had been waiting to see for more than fifty years, since the day Mrs. Anh Nguyet first opened the shop.

"Mrs. Nguyet, your children and grandchildren have done it," whispered the old lady who had been a childhood friend of her grandmother, who had visited the booth during the festival, looking up at the new sign with a satisfied smile.

Aunt Xuyen stood behind, quietly wiping her tears with the hem of her shirt, while Nha Truc couldn't help but hug Bao Nghi right in the middle of the crowd, whispering "You did it, Nghi" in her ear, her voice as choked up as the master of the ceremony. The whole street seemed to be in the same rhythm, a collective joy that a small event like the hanging of a perfume shop's sign can rarely bring.

Bao Nghi stood under the sign, holding Bach Nguyen's hand with one hand, placing her other hand on her mother's shoulder sitting on the chair, feeling a strong emotion welling up in her heart - not just pride, but also a feeling of completeness, as if a circle had closed after many years of unfinished business. She looked up at the sign, read those two words again in her heart, and felt like she was hearing her grandmother's voice, even though she had never met her when she was awake, echoing somewhere, approving and proud.

Mr. Ta Khac Nguyen walked over, stood next to Bao Nghi, looked up at the new sign, tears rolling down his wrinkled face. "The day is finally here," he said, his voice choking. "I've been waiting for this day for more than twenty years, Nghi. Thank you, for not leaving her dream forever unfinished."

Bao Nghi hugged him, and they both stood silently for a moment under the new sign, amid the bustling congratulations of the people around them, amid the scent of jasmine and carnations wafting in the morning breeze, and amid the gentle sunlight of a morning that she knew she would never forget for the rest of her life. After the sign-hanging ceremony, everyone went inside to burn incense in front of a small altar in the corner of the shop, where a photo of Ms. Anh Nguyet was solemnly placed next to a completed Hoai Huong bottle, as a respectful report to the deceased that her will, finally, had been fulfilled by the people she loved the most.

At noon, the whole neighborhood arranged a small party right on the sidewalk in front of the store, each family brought a dish, from Nha Truc's pot of green bean sweet soup, to Aunt Xuyen's plate of fried spring rolls, to even a tray of Mr. Bat's own rice rolls from a familiar restaurant. The atmosphere was bustling and cozy like a miniature village festival, laughter echoed throughout the otherwise quiet street. In the middle of the party, Bao Nghi's phone received a text message - a congratulation from Au Kim Phuong, accompanied by an official proposal for a cooperation session to share traditional professional experiences that she had mentioned at the festival, and a bouquet of flowers delivered to her door immediately afterwards, making Bao Nghi surprised and touched by that unexpected sincerity.

The representative of the travel company that Bach Nguyen previously contacted also stopped by and announced that Hoai Huong restaurant has officially been included in the old town tour route for tourists, and is expected to welcome the first groups of tourists next month. The continuous good news made the whole party even more exciting, everyone kept toasting Bao Nghi, congratulating the entire Hoai Huong store on officially having a name and having a bright future ahead.

Late in the afternoon, when the guests had gradually left, only the small family and closest people remained, Bao Nghi sat down next to her mother, looking at the new sign under the afternoon sunlight that was dyeing the whole street yellow. "Are you happy, Mom?" she asked softly.

"Very happy, Nghi," Mrs. Bich Van replied, holding her daughter's hand tightly. "This is the most beautiful day I've seen in years."

Bach Nguyen sat down on the other side of Mrs. Bich Van, gently placing a thin scarf on her shoulders as the afternoon wind began to cool. "Mom, do you want to go inside and rest?" he asked, his voice was kind like a true son-in-law, making Bao Nghi look at him with eyes full of love.

"Not yet," Ms. Bich Van shook her head and smiled. "I want to sit here a little longer and look at this beautiful sea a little more." The three of them sat together in silence, watching the last rays of the day gradually disappear behind the curved tiled roofs, leaving a bright orange sky on the horizon, reflecting on the two golden words on the new sign, like a gentle goodbye to an important day, and also a welcome to a new chapter about to open for Hoai Huong shop and the people who built it together.