Making a living at dawn

While many people are still asleep, the roads, markets, and ports throughout the province begin to bustle with the footsteps of workers. From the sound of ship engines docking, the trucks loaded with vegetables and fruits, to the yellow lights emanating from roadside stalls, everything creates a lively and energetic early morning rhythm.

Many people make a living at dawn at the Rach Gia wholesale agricultural market. Photo: THUY TIEN

Around 3 a.m., the wholesale agricultural market in Rach Gia ward is bustling with people and vehicles. Trucks from various localities continuously bring goods to the market. Under the electric lights, the porters quickly unload the goods, preparing them for distribution to markets and retail outlets. Having worked as a porter at the market for nearly 20 years, Mr. Nguyen Van Tan, a resident of Rach Gia ward, shared: “This job requires accepting an unconventional sleep schedule. While others are sleeping, we are awake. While others are working, we are preparing to go home. Although it's hard work, I earn an income every day to support my family.”

Not far away, many small traders were busy sorting and weighing goods before loading them onto carts and motorbikes to deliver to nearby markets. Some traders said that the period from 3 to 5 a.m. is when buying and selling is most active. Therefore, staying up late and waking up early has become a habit for many years. A quick loaf of bread, a packet of sticky rice, or a cup of coffee is often their breakfast before starting their work.

Along the roads leading to the center of Rach Gia, many breakfast eateries and cafes light up very early. Owners are busy preparing ingredients, lighting stoves, and arranging tables and chairs to welcome customers. The customers are mainly freelance workers, drivers, motorbike taxi drivers, or those who have to start work at dawn.

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Ms. Hoa, a resident of Rach Gia ward who has been selling coffee on Hung Vuong street for decades, said: "My family wakes up early to prepare the ingredients for sale. Around 3 a.m., motorbike taxi drivers and freelance workers stop by for a drink. This job requires an early start, but it provides a steady income."

Along with restaurants and beverage stalls, street vendors also begin their livelihoods before dawn. The image of Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Tuyen, a resident of Rach Gia ward, pushing her sticky rice cart through the streets and residential areas has become familiar to many. “Having been selling sticky rice for over 5 years, I’ve hardly had a full night’s sleep. I wake up at 2 AM to steam the sticky rice, grate the coconut, and make sesame salt. At exactly 5 AM, I push my cart around the Rach Gia Commercial Center. By about 8 AM, I’ve sold all the sticky rice. When I get home, I take a short rest before preparing the next day’s batch. Each day, I earn a few hundred thousand dong,” Ms. Tuyen shared.

In coastal areas, the early morning work rhythm is closely linked to fishing activities. Before the sun rises, many fishing boats return after a night at sea. The atmosphere at the fishing ports is bustling with shouts and lively exchanges of goods. Fresh catches of fish, crabs, and squid are passed ashore by fishermen. Waiting traders quickly weigh, sort, and load the goods onto trucks to be transported to markets or supplied to local people. Mr. Le Van Thanh, a resident of Ha Tien ward, shared: “We fishermen usually leave the port the previous afternoon, fishing near the shore and then rushing back at dawn to be ready for the market. This profession depends heavily on the weather, so we have to make the most of each trip. If a trip is favorable, we earn more money; if not, we just make enough to cover our living expenses.”

For fishermen, staying up all night at sea has become a familiar routine. Despite the hardships and dependence on weather conditions, fishing remains a vital source of livelihood for many coastal households. The boats that dock at dawn not only bring back the fruits of their labor after a long night but also contribute to supplying fresh food to the market.

As the dawn light illuminated the streets, many workers had already completed most of their tasks. From porters at wholesale markets, small traders, street vendors to fishermen, each with their own profession and circumstances, they all shared diligence and a will to improve their lives. It was they who contributed to the vibrant rhythm of daily life and wrote stories of ordinary, yet resilient, lives.

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THUY THAN

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/muu-sinh-luc-rang-sang-a488154.html