“I retired in 1993, and since I had free time, I opened a tea stall to sell to the children around the neighborhood. Later, I closed the tea stall and opened a general store. I don't remember exactly, but this general store has probably been around for about 25 years,” Mrs. Thien began her story. Mr. Tran Dinh Hiep (born in 1945) – Mrs. Thien's husband – openly added: “We're old now, so we opened a general store selling odds and ends for fun. Every day, neighbors and children run back and forth, so it's a bit noisy and brings in some extra money.”
The house of Mr. Hiep and Mrs. Thien on Nguyen Son Street was built in 1985. Over the past 40 years, the streets have changed considerably, but the small house and the general store in front have largely retained their original appearance. The low awning, the glass display cases lining the sidewalk, the worn paving stones bearing the footprints of passersby, and the few stone stools in front of the store where neighbors sit and chat each afternoon.
A sign made of white foam with blue ink, meticulously written by Mr. Hiep himself, hangs on a tree trunk in front of the shop. Inside the glass are small slips of paper listing the items: "Face towels," "Contains F in the packet and vermicelli," "Chicken eggs available," "Wheat flour available," "Adhesive tape 10,000 VND"... Everything is arranged by the couple habitually, without any standard display method.
For over two decades, Mrs. Thien's convenience store has been a part of the neighborhood's tranquil life. She sits watching the shop, observing the passersby, and chatting with regular customers. Life at this convenience store is slow-paced, unhurried, and unconventional. Therefore, she is surprised to see so many young people coming to take photos and lingering in front of the store for quite a while.
“I didn’t know anything about the internet. That morning, I woke up to find my grandchild in America calling, saying that my grandmother had become famous online. A photographer had taken pictures of my convenience store and posted them, and many people liked them!” – Mrs. Thien recounted. She and her husband have four children and ten grandchildren; some live nearby, while others study and live in the US, France, South Korea, and other countries. The fact that Mrs. Thien’s convenience store went viral on social media with many loving shares brought joy to the family members, who considered it a memorable event.
Ms. Thien said she doesn't understand what people like about the convenience store, but she finds it very simple and unremarkable, "but if people like it, they just come. Some days, dozens of people come to take pictures, and we warmly welcome and chat with everyone." Despite its "fame," for Mr. Hiep and Ms. Thien, the store remains just an ordinary place, everything is the same as it has been for years: opening in the morning, packing up in the afternoon, closing in the evening, a slow and familiar rhythm of life.
The fact that many young people flock to Mrs. Thien's convenience store to take photos is not simply a random trend. Behind the shared photos lies a need to rediscover a sense of familiarity, a slow pace that has been somewhat absent in today's life.
“The kids say sitting here feels like being a child again,” Mrs. Thien said with a gentle smile. Perhaps, her small convenience store has unintentionally become a place that “sells tickets” back to childhood – a place where people find a sense of peace amidst an increasingly hectic city. Many people were born and raised when the traditional convenience store model gradually shrank, giving way to modern retail formats. However, through the stories of their grandparents and parents, through books, newspapers, and films, the small convenience store at the end of the street still exists as a part of their collective memory. Taking photos there is their way of connecting with the stories of previous generations, even if those memories may not be entirely their own.
In the context of increasingly abundant material life, people's needs are gradually changing. Besides convenience and modernity, people are beginning to seek more spiritual values. Mrs. Thien's general store meets this need with its authenticity, simplicity, and everyday life. From the story of this general store, we can clearly see a broader trend in urban cultural life: the return of simple, ordinary values.
The attention given to Ms. Thien's small convenience store also raises questions about preserving everyday spaces in urban areas. Amidst increasingly grandiose modern structures, the story of Ms. Pham Thi Thien and her small convenience store reminds us that urban culture is not solely created by large projects or glamorous spaces. The fact that many young people stop, take photos, and sit quietly in front of that convenience store shows that, deep down, people still need moments of quiet, simple spiritual anchors to balance the hectic pace of digital life.
Source: https://baonghean.vn/quan-tap-hoa-ban-ve-tro-ve-tuoi-tho-10316377.html
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