A blessed and fortunate life

Eleven spring sunshines have visited our doorstep and then departed since my wife and I moved in together under the same roof.

Our wedding day - Photo: Provided by the interviewee

This is also where our two children grew up, surrounded by the love of my wife and me. It's a small house, initially rented out, but later my wife's parents let us live there separately.

The house was built with brick walls, a wooden attic, and a corrugated iron roof. Because it was built quite a long time ago, it gradually deteriorated. The walls cracked, and the attic sagged. When night fell, the branches and leaves of the large tree in front of the house repeatedly struck the corrugated iron roof with every gust of wind.

Sleep was restless and dreamlike. In front of the house was a small road, muddy in the rain and dusty in the sun. To the side of the house was a narrow alleyway, making it very uneven – a suburban home by the standards of that time. At the same time, it was always filled with the smoky aroma of evening meals and the laughter of children.

"Your parents are getting old, so they don't have much to give you and your wife except this small house. You two should focus on your work, and later, when you have money, you can renovate it to make it more presentable," the children's grandmother told my wife and me when we visited her house after we had just moved out on our own.

I replied to my mother-in-law, "Thank you so much, Mom. Whether it's small or large doesn't matter; having a place to shelter from the rain and sun is precious enough."

My wife and I work in the hospital, serving patients, and we're away all day, only getting home in the evening. So, we spend most of our time working at the hospital than at home.

The two children are growing bigger every day, but the house is still small. It's not as spacious as it was when it was just the two of us. The house needs a makeover, but where will we get the money to renovate it properly? The question keeps swirling around in my head because I know neither of our families is well-off enough to offer financial support.

Fortunately, the agency was about to build several new treatment areas, so land clearance was proceeding quickly. There was a considerable amount of discarded corrugated iron, rafters, and construction materials. I submitted a proposal to the department head and the board of directors requesting their approval to purchase a small amount of these materials as liquidated stock.
Besides getting married, renovating the house is now the most important thing in our lives. My wife is quite worried because the estimated cost is quite large, exceeding what we've saved up over the years.

The old house is being demolished - Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

"Mom saw a stranger measuring your house with a ruler and taking pictures from front to back. What were you doing that you didn't tell Mom about?" - my mother-in-law asked my wife and me as evening fell.

The couple finally told their mother the truth: they planned to renovate their house to make it more spacious, airy, clean, safe, and provide a place for their grandchildren to play.

My mother-in-law sat silently, listening to my wife and me confide in her, her eyes as pensive as my own parents' when I explained things. My wife and I had saved a little money and mortgaged this house to borrow more in order to renovate this small house.

The groundbreaking ceremony took place, and old memories, both happy and sad, were relegated to the couple's recollections. Each hammer blow echoed, leaving behind only the bare earthen foundation that had witnessed the happiness of the young couple for so many years. The house's architecture was chosen to be as minimalist as possible, using the most common materials, and they had to reuse all the materials that the agency had provided when it was liquidated.

Each day passed, filled with a mix of happiness and anxiety as the house took shape. The work had to be completed quickly before the spring sunshine returned to the doorstep.

Dream house - Photo: Provided by the owner

The housewarming party was near the end of the year, and only close family members and friends came to celebrate. Both sides of the family were happy because my wife and I had finally fulfilled our promise from years ago to make the house more spacious and comfortable.

The new house, with its fresh coat of paint and many new amenities, will surely be warmer when the weather changes and cooler in the summer. My wife and I are overjoyed, because we never imagined that today, our dream home would be built from the days we worked together to build our own house.

The New Year is just around the corner, and the early-blooming yellow apricot blossoms, carried on the wind, signal the return of spring. This is the first time my small family and I have celebrated our first Lunar New Year together.

My family is blessed with good fortune. A brighter future awaits, and we will have more time to serve society alongside our colleagues. My wife and I are grateful to our families and to life itself for giving us the opportunity to build a new home of our own.

We invite readers to participate in the writing contest.

A warm spring day

As a source of spiritual nourishment during the Lunar New Year season, newspapers Youth Together with our partner, INSEE Cement Company, we continue to invite readers to participate in our writing contest. A warm spring day To share an introduction to your home – your sanctuary, its features, and the memories you will never forget.

The house where your grandparents, parents, and you were born and raised; the house you built yourself; the house where you celebrated your first Tet (Lunar New Year) with your small family... all can be submitted to the competition to introduce to readers nationwide.

Article A warm spring day Entries must not have previously participated in any writing competitions or been published in any media or social networks. The author is responsible for copyright, and the organizers have the right to edit and select entries for publication. Youth They will receive royalties.

The competition will take place from December 1, 2025 to January 15, 2026, and all Vietnamese people, regardless of age or profession, are welcome to participate.

Article A warm spring day Entries must be in Vietnamese, with a maximum of 1,000 words. Including photos and videos is encouraged (photos and videos taken from social media without copyright will not be accepted). Entries will only be accepted via email; postal mail will not be accepted to avoid loss.

Entries should be sent to the email address maiamngayxuan@tuoitre.com.vn.

Authors must provide their address, phone number, email address, bank account number, and citizen identification number so that the organizers can contact them and send royalties or prizes.

Newspaper staff Youth and family members can participate in the writing contest. The "Warm Home for Spring" project was not considered for the award. The organizing committee's decision is final.

Awards Ceremony A warm spring day and launch the special edition Youth Spring

The judging panel included renowned journalists, cultural figures, and representatives from the press. Youth The judging panel will review the entries that have passed the preliminary round and select winners.

Award ceremony and magazine launch Youth Spring It is scheduled to be held at Nguyen Van Binh Book Street, Ho Chi Minh City, at the end of January 2026.

Prize:

1st prize: 10 million VND + certificate, newspaper Youthful Spring ;

1 second prize: 7 million VND + certificate, newspaper Youthful Spring ;

1 third prize: 5 million VND + certificate, newspaper Youthful Spring ;

5 consolation prizes: 2 million VND each + certificate and newspaper. Youthful Spring .

10 Readers' Choice Awards: 1 million VND each + certificate and newspaper. Youthful Spring .

The voting points are calculated based on interaction with the post, where 1 star = 15 points, 1 heart = 3 points, and 1 like = 2 points.

Back to the topic

Bui Thanh Tuan

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/duyen-phuoc-tron-day-20260101072651864.htm