Street, end of year

A corner of Vinh street on New Year's Eve. Photo: Duc Anh

His brother-in-law, named Trung, has just entered the age of thirty this year. Originally from Vinh, but he also "owned" a rather bumpy and difficult youth. At the age of 10, Trung became a player of the Song Lam Nghe An Football Club. He competed in all the children's, youth, U13, U15 tournaments, and also followed the team and the group to fight in the South and the North. Just after the age of 17, Trung was subject to contract termination due to an irreversible injury. The dream of football, not only Trung's but also his whole family's, was extinguished. After a long time pursuing a career in shorts and jerseys, when football refused, Trung became unstable.

There are many people making a living with different jobs during Tet. Photo by Le Thang

With no job or job, Trung was bored and followed his friends with the same fate to learn to play and drink. But the football career was in his blood and he could not stop. There was no place for Trung on the football field even though he had made many people crazy with the strength of his legs. Trung applied to the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports, Da Nang University. With his intelligence and innate talent for playing football, he easily passed the exams in the pedagogical environment.

After graduating from school, life was still a series of challenges for Trung. Holding his diploma, he knocked on doors everywhere, from schools in the plains to the mountains, but no one accepted him. He was alone and had no support big enough to find a job, so Trung continued to struggle. During this time, he played street football. Sometimes people saw Trung playing for hire for this or that business. Also, thanks to his "familiarity" on the evening soccer fields, people also got to know him better as a soccer graduate. A few years ago, his friends saw Trung as a coach for a children's and youth soccer team in a district near the city. The soccer career is a thankless one, among thousands of people chasing the ball, only a few players became famous and became stars. However, people talk about soccer players and soccer as if it were a profession with a lot of glory and money.

For Trung, he understands all too well the price that football brings, his legs still ache every time the weather changes, on his shoulders there are still pins and nails driven deep into his bones. However, as Trung said, once you follow football, you can never leave it for the rest of your life, one way or another it still lurks in every meal and sleep. Trung was accepted as a seasonal contract coach for the locality, the money is just a little bit but it satisfies his passion.

Selling peach blossoms for Tet. Photo: Sach Nguyen

So this year he “went digging”. “Take advantage of the opportunity to earn some money for Tet, and buy milk for the children” – Trung said in his muddy clothes. The first year of selling peaches, not knowing who told him to go all the way to Nam Can commune, Na Ngoi (Ky Son), to the Mong people’s fields to cut peaches. Not knowing what profit he would make, the whole family, from his parents, wife, brothers, uncles, aunts, all went out to help sell. It was Tet, so everyone felt sorry for their nephews and younger siblings who were having a hard time, so they all helped. Luckily, Trung’s peaches were wild peaches, with bright flowers, thick petals, and many buds, so they were not picky about customers. Then, thanks to an acquaintance who bought each person a branch to encourage them, after only a few days in the city, nearly half of the 100 peach branches were sold. “That’s enough capital, bro” – Trung said excitedly of the remaining peaches: “If we sell them here, we will make a profit.”

Yellow apricot blossoms were brought from the South to Vinh to welcome spring. Photo: Le Thang

Hearing my younger brother say that, I suddenly felt happy. Who said that city people are bored with Tet, hate Tet. That's right, the whole street is usually quiet, but in the last days of the year, it suddenly seems to change into a lively outfit. Starting from December, from nowhere, people come to clear the bushes, level the ground, set up tents, spread tarps, and then bring in countless goods. No need to be a merchant or a market researcher to know that Tet is the time to do business and trade. From thread, needle to silver, gold, precious stones... everything is in demand. That's why the whole Lenin Avenue running all the way to Xo Viet Nghe - Tinh Street down to Cua Lo is filled with Tet goods everywhere. City people are always considered the most gourmet, so countless specialties, delicious and strange things from all regions come here. In the mountains, there are young pigs, black chickens, wild boars, and sticky rice. In the coastal areas, there are catfish, tuna, shrimp, and crab. The best, most unique, and most delicious things are all bought by city dwellers on this occasion to treat friends and to show off their sophistication.

But in the vibrant picture of the streets filled with flowers and sparkling lights, there are still the shadows of the poor people struggling to make a living. I met a man named Thai, whose age was hard to guess, sitting on a cyclo. Every time he smiled, his face was covered with countless wrinkles, looking miserable. With a Northern accent, he said that he usually worked for a building materials store, customers called for cement to be delivered, and steel to be delivered.

Choosing apricot blossoms for Tet. Photo by Duc Anh

On the last day of the year when the shop was closed, Thai took advantage of the opportunity to go to the peach market, doing whatever job anyone hired him to do. Having no customers, asking about his life, he told them that he was from Ninh Binh, an orphan of both parents, and had wandered everywhere since he was 9 years old. Then on an uncertain train journey from North to South, he was taken in by a kind woman who fed him, clothed him, and adopted him as her son. The thatched house had only the two of them, but for Thai, it was a real home. His adoptive mother did not have the means to send him to school, but she gave him the opportunity to grow up. Every day, she went to the market while he worked as a construction worker and worked for hire. Later, she bought a cyclo to make a living.

But during the peaceful days in Vinh, Thai could not bear to return to his hometown, where he had a younger brother who had also wandered aimlessly after his biological parents passed away. His mother fell ill, and before it got worse, she used all the money she had saved to give to her adopted son and asked him to return to his hometown to find his younger brother. Thai traveled for nearly a month, and luck smiled on him when he found his younger brother who was also adopted by a family in the district. At his hospital bed, Thai showed his mother a photo of the two brothers and the whole family that had taken care of his younger brother. Before he died, his adoptive mother told Thai to return to his hometown and find a way to make a living, but he did not listen. He said: "In Vinh, I have a mother and a family, this is my hometown." While we were talking, an elderly woman came to see him. Thai said that she was his wife, then he reached into his shirt pocket and took out a stack of nearly 300,000 VND from his pocket and gave it to the woman. He smiled, the wrinkles on his cheeks furrowing: "Go buy things for the kids. Tet is coming soon."

As a habit for many years now, on the last day of the year I walk around the streets, not buying or selling anything but just walking. Walking to blend in with the bustling, noisy atmosphere of the last day of the year, to see people bring Tet home and nurture the hopes of the new spring.