The hardships of making a living as Tet approaches.

As New Year's Eve approaches, everyone eagerly awaits this sacred moment to gather together, bid farewell to the old year, and welcome the new. While people around are excitedly shopping for Tet (Lunar New Year) and enjoying the spring festivities, there are still those struggling to make a living. Their only wish is to sell their goods quickly and finish their work so they can return home to their families.

It has become a habit; every year, Ms. Thu sells her goods until New Year's Eve before going home. Photo: TĐ

For many years now, Ms. Thu (from Khoai Chau, Hung Yen) has been familiar with the dust of the roads.Vinh CityAt night, with her bicycle featuring a long kickstand and a variety of colorful toys, she hoped that parents bringing their children to the square would stop and buy a few items. But this year, due to hesitation...pandemicBecause there were so few children playing in the square, sometimes she would sit all night without selling a single toy, and she would have to trudge home on her bike.

When asked when she would return home to celebrate Tet with her family, Thu sighed and said that she had already taken a few days to go back to her hometown before Tet and then returned to Vinh. In the days leading up to Tet, she didn't take a single night off selling, even on the night of the first day of Tet she would ride her bicycle out on the streets hoping that the increased number of people going out during Tet would lead to better sales.

Even though it was almost midnight, the pot of steaming corn was still full. Photo: TĐ

Despite selling all kinds of goods, Ms. Hang, from Nghi Xuan (Ha Tinh province), sitting at the corner of Kenh Bac bridge, is not doing much better. It's 10 PM, and her pot of boiled corn is still full. Ms. Hang buys the corn from local farmers in her hometown; each ear sells for 8,000 VND, and after deducting labor costs, she only makes a profit of 2,000 VND. The profit isn't much, but it's become a habit; for several years now, she's been setting up her stall and selling until late at night. Ms. Hang shared that she spends her days preparing for Tet (Lunar New Year) for her family, and her nights selling her wares. She hopes that during Tet, people will want a change of taste and seek out more snacks at her stall.

Sitting at a tea stall, sipping a cup of green tea and enjoying grilled corn has become a familiar routine for many young people around Vinh University. Photo: TĐ

Choosing a location near Vinh University, Ms. Trinh Thanh Hien (Trung Do, Vinh City) targets young people who enjoy iced tea and boiled corn every night. For the past four years, she sells from her home during the day and pushes her cart loaded with tea, boiled potatoes, and grilled corn out to the roadside at night.

Ms. Hien said that she usually packs up her stall at 11 PM, when there are no more customers. Every year, she sells until the night of the 30th before closing.

Every year, when New Year's Eve is mentioned, Ms. Hien immediately thinks of the moment she stops her car, takes a break, looks up at the sky to watch the fireworks for a moment, and then plunges back into work. (Photo: TĐ)

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the city, there's something special: while most people are resting, sanitation workers are out on the streets working. Ms. Nguyen Thi Hien, from Thanh Chuong, has been doing this job for over three years, working until 1 or 2 a.m. every night, sometimes even later. Celebrating New Year's Eve? That's a luxury she can't afford.

Ms. Hien recounted that every year, as soon as the New Year's Eve countdown arrived, the women in her team would stop their vehicles, gaze up at the sky to watch the fireworks, and then get back to work. They would arrive home at dawn, shower, and rest to regain their strength for work in the evening. And that was the end of the Lunar New Year. "This year, I heard there won't be any fireworks, so I'll probably hurry up and finish so I can go home to my family," Ms. Hien shared.

Although she only sells tea, Mrs. Lam has shared nearly 20 years of joys and sorrows with Vinh City at night. Photo: TĐ

Working from home during the day, being driven to town by her son at night, the mother sells drinks while the son watches the cars – that's how Mrs. Lam (Nghi Hai, Nghi Loc) has managed to cling to this street corner for nearly 20 years. She stores her tables, chairs, and cups at a nearby office. She only brings back goods when they run out. Calling them goods sounds fancy, but in reality, it's just a teapot, a few packets of sunflower seeds, and a couple of bottles of pre-packaged soft drinks.

Ms. Lam said that in the summer people go out a lot, but on Tet night, many people just go out and stroll around the streets, and very few people sit down to enjoy iced tea. In the end, only a few regulars walking at night stop by the shop to chat with her to relieve boredom.

As night falls and Tet (Lunar New Year) draws near, the figures of those collecting scrap metal slowly move away from the city center, heading back to their homes. (Photo: TĐ)

As night falls, the streets thin out. Under the brightly lit decorative lights, the silhouettes of urban workers and vendors selling grilled corn with their flickering charcoal stoves shine in the darkness. Despite their hardships, their eyes still hold hope; they diligently save every penny to provide for their small families.