On the second day of Tet, many traditional markets, shops and services in Vinh City reopened.
(Baonghean.vn) - On the second day of Tet, many traditional markets and shops have reopened. Some types of services have a large and regular customer base, with prices varying depending on the item...
Eat eel, buy salt at the beginning of the year
Eating eel at the beginning of the year has long been a custom practiced by many people in the Central region, hoping to bring luck, "smooth sailing"to be prosperous all year round, everything goes smoothly. That's why, while eels are sold a lot in the countryside markets, in Vinh, eel porridge and eel soup shops are always bustling from the morning of the first and second days of Tet.
Selling eel porridge right at Vinh Railway Station gate for over 20 years, every year Ms. Vu Thi Huong, Block 4, Quan Bau Ward, sells throughout Tet, without a single day off. Besides train passengers, there are also "locals" who come to eat a bowl of eel porridge at the beginning of the year for luck. However, this year, according to Ms. Huong, the number of customers has decreased significantly.
“Every year, just during the Tet holidays, I sold 300 kg of eel, but this year, even though I only took 100 kg, I still haven’t sold it all, only over 70 kg. Previously, at noon on the 1st day, there were already many customers, but this year, there were almost no customers all day on the 1st day. On the morning of the 2nd day, I sold nearly 100 bowls of porridge and eel soup, but compared to previous years, it has decreased significantly. There are few boat passengers, fewer diners, but because the price of eel, vegetables, and spices has increased sharply, and the labor cost has also increased, a bowl of porridge and eel soup has had to increase from 40,000-50,000 VND to 70,000 VND,” Ms. Vu Thi Huong shared.
At traditional markets such as Ga Market and Cau Kenh Bac Market, the buying and selling atmosphere has been quite busy since the morning of the second day of Tet. There are not only foods and necessities, but also goods to serve spiritual needs at the beginning of the year.
Normally, they only sell ham and sausage of all kinds, but on Tet holiday, Ms. Trinh Thi Hoa (Ga market) also sells salt and matches. According to her, customers do not buy many hams, but many people buy salt and matches according to the price.New Year customsFrom morning to noon she also sold 60-70 packs of salt.
“In previous years, on the morning of the second day of Tet, Ga market was quite busy, with all kinds of goods displayed in two long rows, but this year there were only about a dozen vegetable and meat stalls and few buyers,” said Ms. Hoa.
Many services keep the same price, no increase
Opening a grocery store at home, Mr. Thai Van Quang on Le Duan Street opened the door on the afternoon of the first day of Tet. “Customers mainly buy candy, gifts for Tet, and pagodas,” said Mr. Quang.
Buying some bags of candy, while paying, Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong in Dong Vinh ward happily said: During Tet, all the necessary goods have been purchased, today I went to buy cakes towish a Happy New Yearin-laws, then go to the temple. The store is open for business during Tet but prices do not increase, goods are abundant and complete.
Not entirely for profit, these days, although open during Tet, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Cam, Director of Dinh Cam Trading Joint Stock Company, gives workers full wages instead of calculating daily wages as before. “We do not take any days off, we are open every day from 6am to 7pm. Customers mainly change tires, patch tires, change oil, change windshield wipers…”
Currently, his facility maintains 2 workers on duty, and on the 5th day of Tet, it will return to 8 workers as usual.
Although the car is regularly serviced, on the morning of the second day of Tet, before leaving for a spring trip in Quang Binh, Mr. Nguyen Trong Dat in Hung Binh ward came to weigh and re-inflate the tires. Mr. Dat said that since he was traveling far, he had to check the car again for peace of mind and safety. Although it was Tet, the attitude of the mechanics was very cheerful and comfortable, especially the price was absolutely not higher than usual.
On the second day of Tet, many supermarkets in Vinh city such as Go!Vinh, WinMart... also reopened.
The economy is difficult, people are saving on spending, however, essential and spiritual services at the beginning of the year still attract customers, and many vendors choose to open during the Tet holidays, accepting to "sacrifice" gatherings and spring outings to take advantage of opening sales and have more income.
