Man does unexpected thing in the heart of the old town on A80 training day

(VTC News) - Amidst the sea of ​​people watching the National Day parade, rows of wooden chairs, flags and free glasses of water appeared, bringing warmth and sharing to the national festival.

Yesterday (August 24), Hanoi seemed to put on a festive coat.

From early morning, streams of people from all over poured into the central streets to wait for the parade and march to celebrate the 80th anniversary of National Day. Trang Thi Street, which was usually small and narrow, suddenly became a dense stream of people, tightly packed on both sides of the sidewalk. Everyone was eagerly awaiting the moment when the solemn troops passed by.

The sturdy benches were made by the pottery shop owner and are provided to the public for free.

We squeezed through the crowd, feeling the excitement. There were old men leaning on their canes, eyes squinting from the sun but still patient. There were children on their fathers’ shoulders, waving small flags. Pride rose in every eye. But to get to that awaited moment, thousands of people had to stand for hours, jostling in the heat.

And then, something unexpected appeared that made us stop. Along the small street, there were two rows of wooden benches, enough for about 50 people to sit. The elderly leisurely fanned themselves, women holding their children sat down, and children chattered and waved red flags with yellow stars. Those flags were not bought hastily from street vendors, but were given out for free by the owner of the small pottery shop on this street.

His name is Khoi, about 45 years old, with a strong figure. We approached him to ask him questions, but at first he waved his hand and smiled : "There's nothing to report, I just do it because I find it fun." Only after much begging did he agree to share a few words.

Mr. Khoi - Shop owner.

He said that a few days ago, during the first General Training Session, he witnessed the elderly and children sitting crowded and tired in front of his store. The idea flashed through his mind: “I will make a few rows of chairs to make it easier for them, and to accommodate more people.” So, taking advantage of the time when the store was empty, he personally sawed, built, and assembled two rows of long chairs. Not only that, he also ordered hundreds of small flags to hand out to everyone.

"At first, my intention was to buy small flags to sell to people at a reasonable price, and let my employees make them. I saw people selling them for 10,000 VND each, which was too high. Wholesale would cost 2-3,000 VND. I sold them for 5,000 VND each, and if you buy 3, you get 1 free," he said.

But then, when he saw people happily gathering in front of his store, he changed his mind and stopped selling them and... lent them out. He distributed about 200 small flags to people.

When we asked "What if people borrow and don't return it?", he chuckled and replied "If it's lost, that's it!".

Cute pictures at the store.

Not stopping there, he also opened the shop, allowing people to use the restroom for free. Then he prepared bottles of cool filtered water for everyone to drink. A middle-aged man emotionally told us: "In the sweltering heat, drinking a sip of cool water without spending a penny, I feel so moved by his kindness."

Young people were excited about the wooden ladder that Mr. Khoi brought out from the shop, so that anyone who wanted to film or take pictures could climb up to find a higher angle. Laughter and chatter filled the air as young people climbed up one by one, the ones below holding up their phones, the ones above holding up their phones.

More importantly, Mr. Khoi's actions also spread to the nearby bar. Seeing the meaningfulness of his actions, the bar owner also opened the restroom for people to use for free.

In the crowded crowd, those small actions turned out to have great value. An old man sat down to rest, his hands trembling as he placed the flag on his lap, his eyes filled with tears: "I never thought that one day I would sit here, watch the parade, and have a stranger take care of a place to rest." And the children innocently showed off their flags: "He gave it to me, I will wave it hard when the procession passes by."

Hundreds of flags were distributed to people for free by him.

Amidst the bustling music and the rhythmic marching footsteps on the road, the image of the man silently standing behind the rows of chairs and flags became even warmer. Mr. Khoi did not speak much, nor did he expect recognition. He just smiled and said briefly: "I do it because I like it, because I feel happy, that's all."

We left Trang Thi when the parade had ended, but the echoes still echoed. The troops had passed, the cheers had died down, but in the memories of many people, the image of simple wooden benches and small flags became unforgettable memories.

In the midst of a national festival, the seemingly small action of a potter contributed to making the community's joy more complete. Nothing grand is needed, sometimes just a few chairs, a flag, or an open toilet door is enough to depict the humane beauty and spirit of sharing of the Vietnamese people.

And perhaps, that is what creates lasting strength. Solidarity, kindness, and humanity from the simplest actions.

Vtcnews.vn

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/nguoi-dan-ong-lam-dieu-bat-ngo-giua-long-pho-co-trong-ngay-tong-hop-luyen-a80-ar961707.html