'For those in need, we'll add more meat and sausage.'

Around 6 PM every day, on National Highway 13 (Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City), a small, thin woman named Vu Thi Nga (65 years old, residing in Binh Thanh District) continuously serves customers who come to eat bun rieu (rice noodle soup).

Carrying the burden of the whole family.

For the past 15 years, Mrs. Nga has sold beef noodle soup, broken rice with grilled pork, and even crab noodle soup. Beside the steaming pot of broth, pork leg and bean sprouts are neatly arranged in a glass display case. Customers affectionately call her "Grandma!". She shared that she thought her children would take care of her in her old age, but they have all gone away to work and are facing many difficulties in their own lives.

Mrs. Nga worked tirelessly to raise her three grandchildren.

Therefore, she had to fend for herself to earn money to support her three grandchildren. Because of financial constraints, the two older grandchildren had to drop out of school to help her, while the youngest is now in 7th grade. "I'm trying to hold on to selling rice noodle soup to support my grandchildren, doing as much as I can each day. If I don't let them go to school, they'll suffer even more," she said gently.

When we arrived, Mrs. Nga and her two granddaughters were busy preparing food so that customers wouldn't have to wait long. The price of a bowl of bun rieu (Vietnamese noodle soup) is 30,000 dong.

With so many customers, Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga - the person who lent the space to Ms. Nga - came out to help sell the goods.

Tran Minh Thuan (21 years old, a student at Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport) shared: "The bun rieu (rice noodle soup) she sells is affordable, so I always support her. Her bun rieu is very well-cooked and delicious. Knowing her family's circumstances, I often invite my friends to come and support her."

Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga (59 years old, Binh Thanh District) lent her space out of compassion for the poor woman, and on busy days she also helps the grandmother and granddaughter sell their goods. "Seeing that no one would rent to her, and that she would be chased away from anywhere else, I felt sorry for her and let her borrow the space to sell her goods. She's honest and raising her granddaughter all by herself; I feel so sorry for her."

A bowl of bun rieu (Vietnamese crab noodle soup) costs 30,000 VND.

"I may be poor, but my heart is not poor!"

Many times, when it was raining heavily or stormy, she would quickly run to a safe place to take shelter before continuing to sell. After finishing her business, she would return home to take care of her grandchildren, clean the house, rest for a few hours, and then continue to worry about her noodle stall, "the livelihood of the whole family."

Many customers came to eat out of sympathy for the grandmother and her grandchild's situation.

According to her account, her life has also been full of hardships. Six months ago, after saving up some capital, she rented a room on Nguyen Xi Street (Binh Thanh District), but unfortunately, a fire broke out, destroying all her belongings. "It was very hard back then. If you count 10 parts hardship, now it's 9 parts better. I tried selling in many places, but people spread rumors that I was unlucky and chased me away. Luckily, some people on this street saw my difficult situation and lent me space to sell rice noodle soup. I'm extremely grateful for their help; if they hadn't helped, my granddaughter and I wouldn't be sitting here like this now."

She said that every day, she wakes up at 6 a.m. to go to the market and prepare the ingredients. She prioritizes fresh ingredients, processing them immediately to maintain their freshness. She said that she wants customers to come back and buy again, not just sell once and then leave. For those in difficult circumstances, she always gives them extra meat and sausage without hesitation. "I don't have money for charity, but I have a good heart. I use my profession to sell things cheaply so people can have something to eat. We may be poor, but our hearts are not," she expressed.

As soon as she got home from school, the granddaughter went to the noodle shop to help her grandmother sell noodles.

Mrs. Nga sells her vermicelli soup from 6 PM to 1 AM. If she's too tired, she'll sit on a chair and take a short nap. She sells whenever someone comes to buy, day or night. Mr. Vo Van Non (55 years old, Hoc Mon District) is a regular customer of Mrs. Nga. He always stops by her stall to eat while delivering goods through this area, and he's been doing so for 4 years. "Her food is delicious, high-quality, and affordable. When I learned about her situation, even though it's not very convenient, I still regularly stop by to buy 3-4 times a week, as a way of supporting her because I feel so sorry for her!" Mr. Non said.

Truong Thanh Vy (17 years old, granddaughter of Mrs. Nga) shared that due to their impoverished circumstances, she decided to drop out of school last year to help her grandmother sell vermicelli. "I love my grandmother so much; she's the one who takes care of everything for me. I hope she sells a lot so we can afford to rent a place to live and not worry about the rain anymore. Every time it rains, my grandmother and I have to run around trying to escape." For Mrs. Nga, this vermicelli stall is her life's asset. In her twilight years, her only wish is to live healthily so she can continue to earn a living to support her grandchildren.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/ganh-bun-rieu-cua-nguoi-ba-tan-tao-nuoi-3-chau-ai-kho-minh-them-thit-cha-185231018111442549.htm