Reluctant to leave on the day of return.

(Baonghean) - After returning to their hometowns for Tet (Lunar New Year), laborers, workers, students, civil servants, and others are now embarking on a journey back to cities, industrial zones, and export processing zones for work and study. Even on the 5th and 6th day of Tet, crowds of people are already lining up and sitting in dense throngs at train stations, bus terminals, and along National Highway 1A to buy tickets or catch North-South buses. After Tet, they will set off again, beginning months away from their hometowns and families.

In the early days of the Year of the Horse, the weather was dry and sunny, but early morning fog still covered the area, especially in the highlands. At just 4 a.m., the horns of passenger buses blared in the center of Quynh Tan commune, Quynh Luu district. Every year, after Tet (Lunar New Year), many young people from the commune set off for the South and North to work. With bags and belongings in hand, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Ut and her daughter bid each other farewell, reluctant to part. Ms. Le Thi Nga, Mrs. Ut's daughter, a garment worker in the Linh Trung Export Processing Zone (Thu Duc District, Ho Chi Minh City), had only returned home for Tet on the 28th of the lunar month and now had to leave for the South. Having been away from home for a whole year, and then being ill during her few days back, she couldn't visit many relatives. Mother and daughter's conversation was cut short before they had to say goodbye. Watching her daughter get into the car, Mrs. Ut's eyes welled up with tears: "I really wanted her to stay home because she's a young woman alone in a foreign land. But we only have a few acres of barren land, and even working the land all year round won't be enough to feed us, so we had no choice but to let her go."

Go to the bus station.

Holding his young child and his wife's hand as they waited for a ride on National Highway 1A, Nguyen Van Hung from Quynh Xuan Ward, Hoang Mai Town, was filled with emotion, as if he didn't want to say goodbye. Working as a construction worker far away in Tan Uyen, Binh Duong, his meager salary meant he could only manage a few days during Tet (Lunar New Year) to visit his wife and children. The child clung tightly to his neck, and his wife, Hoa, tried to comfort him, but he wouldn't let go. With trembling hands, Hoa tearfully advised her husband, "You go there and focus on your work, don't fall into bad company gambling or drinking, or you'll make me and the children sad. Just go and stay healthy; I'll take care of your parents and the children at home." Hung hugged his child, kissing him all over, then tightly grasped his wife's hand. Tears welled up in his eyes, making the morning's farewell even more poignant.

For many years, the districts of Quỳnh Lưu, Diễn Châu, Yên Thành... have seen a surge in the movement of people going south to work, especially in industrial parks and export processing zones in Bình Dương and Đồng Nai. Therefore, every Tet holiday, thousands of people leave their families and wives and children behind to "head south" to earn a living. At only 17 years old, Phạm Minh Tài from Diễn An commune, Diễn Châu district, has already spent two years struggling in Saigon. After saving up and being frugal all year, he returns home to visit his parents and grandparents for Tet. Standing on National Highway 1A in Diễn Châu district, waiting for a bus with his friends, Tài confided: "Earning money in a foreign land is very hard, sir. But I have little education; without an education, what would I do to make a living at home? Being able to visit my family like this during Tet makes me so happy." After saying this, Tài took some sticky rice cakes and candies his mother gave him and stuffed them into his backpack. The bus with a Saigon license plate arrived and then rolled away, carrying many sons and daughters of this poor land south to find work. Fathers and mothers hurriedly held their children's hands, their eyes welling up with emotion, their parting words of advice interrupted by tears. The weather was warm and sunny at the beginning of the year, but there was a chill in the hearts of those staying behind and those leaving.

Along National Highway 1A, in the districts of Nghi Loc, Dien Chau, and Hoang Mai town, thousands of people crowded the roadside waiting for buses. Because many bus companies chose to depart on even-numbered days at the beginning of the year, the number of passengers stranded on odd-numbered days increased dramatically. Mr. Phan Van Le, a resident of Dien An commune, Dien Chau district, anxiously said: “I’ve been waiting here since the 4th day of Tet (Lunar New Year) and still haven’t been able to catch a bus. The prices are unbelievable, almost double last year’s fare. I get to go home for Tet for a week, but I lose 3-4 days traveling back and forth.” While waiting for her bus, Ms. Nguyen Thi Nhu from Dien Bich commune, Dien Chau district, took the opportunity to chat and give advice to her younger siblings. Due to difficult economic circumstances, she has to take long-distance buses every year when she returns to Ho Chi Minh City for work. “Where would I get the money for trains or planes? Going back and forth would cost me several million dong already,” Ms. Nhu explained.

North-South passenger buses are packed with passengers, with people spilling out into the aisles. Normally, even if the bus conductors shouted themselves hoarse, no one would board, but now that the buses are full, the operators are being very arrogant and charging exorbitant prices. Nguyen Duc Nam from Quynh Thach commune, Quynh Luu district, said: "Because most of the workers are from the South and the Central Highlands, the buses are extremely crowded these days." Sleeper buses, despite their sky-high prices, are all sold out in advance, while seated buses, though cheaper, are crammed with extra seats and aisle space, making them incredibly cramped.

At the train station, there were also many passengers, with all the waiting seats occupied. Hoang Anh Tuan, a passenger waiting at Vinh Station to buy tickets, said: “We’ve been standing here since morning and still haven’t been able to buy tickets. It’s the same every year; at this time, tickets are always sold out.” As in previous years, trains heading north were very empty, but those heading south were always packed.

In the days following the Lunar New Year of the Horse, not only long-distance buses and trains but even airlines were completely sold out. As a businesswoman, Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Ha from Nam Dan district struggled to buy a Jetstar Pacific ticket to Ho Chi Minh City for 2.9 million VND because she hadn't booked in advance. At Vinh Airport, passengers crowded the streets, queuing for check-in. Mr. Nguyen Van Dung, a civil servant working in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, said: "Due to my irregular work schedule, I didn't book a return ticket. So for the past few days, I've had to call and ask friends to help me buy an early ticket."

Every year, after spending the Lunar New Year with family and neighbors, the people of Nghe An leave their homeland to work far away. The journey home for Tet is arduous, but the journey back to work is even more difficult. However, amidst the joyful atmosphere of the new year, everyone shakes hands, greets each other warmly, and wishes each other well. And in the luggage of those who leave home, a pair of banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes) and Tet gifts for friends and colleagues are indispensable.

Triều Dương