Street vendors make a living in Hac Thanh ward.
For 10 years or so, Ms. Le Thi Ly (Hac Thanh ward) has been wandering around on an old bicycle with 2 small plastic boxes of banh troi and che khoai, and she cannot remember how many alleys and street corners she has wandered through to make a living. Ms. Ly shared: "To make ends meet, when my first child was 6 months old, I decided to go to the city to find a place to sell banh troi and che khoai. However, after learning that the rent was expensive, I decided to open a street stall to reduce costs. Fortunately, business was favorable, so I not only had to pay for my children's education but also renovated the house to be spacious for my family.
Since starting her street selling, Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan (Thieu Tien commune) has been rolling from small alleys to the main road. The familiar cry "Who wants hot leaf cake!", although not loud, is not "strange" to her regular customers, because just at that time or at first hearing, customers recognize her voice. Ms. Lan shared: "I usually sell by area and time, so my customers seem to open the door at that time, if they want to eat leaf cake, it's already waiting. There are also regular customers who ask for my phone number to call and order in advance around this time, bringing me 3-4 cakes. The income from selling cakes is not much, only 200-300,000 VND per day, but this is also a stable source of income for me to cover my living expenses."
In the area of Le Loi monument, Hac Thanh ward, when the afternoon gradually darkens, amidst the bustling flow, it is still easy to see street vendors weaving through each sidewalk cafe. The items they carry are also very simple such as chewing gum, nail clippers, tissues, children's toys... Some people do not have capital, just take the goods to sell and earn a few thousand dong difference for each item. Although unstable, that is still the only source of income to support them and their families. Ms. Le Thi Van (Trieu Son commune), a person who specializes in selling compact household goods, put in plastic baskets to each restaurant and cafe, said: "There are evenings when I only sell a few tens of thousands of dong, but I always cherish every penny I earn. My wish is simply to quickly sell all my goods so I can go home early to be with my family."
After 11pm, the bustling crowd at Lam Son Square, Hac Thanh Ward has thinned out a lot. The shops have also dispersed customers and prepared to close. However, a corner is still brightly lit with grilled corn, corn milk, grilled sweet potatoes, sausages, grilled fish and squid of Ms. Nguyen Thi Vi (Hoang Hoa Commune) - a familiar address for young people. She sells from 6pm to 2am the next day.
Her small cart was parked on a corner of the sidewalk in the square. The cart was so old that the paint was peeling off. She displayed her goods very beautifully and attractively, with a charcoal grill and the food on the grill giving off a hot, fragrant smell. I stopped the car and ordered corn milk and baked sweet potatoes. Ms. Vi took a plastic chair and told me to sit and wait. It was now the end of November, the cold season. Seeing me shivering, she gave me a cup of corn milk and told me to drink it hot to keep warm. Seeing that the customers were also thinning out, I asked why she set up her stall so late. Ms. Vi shared: "There are usually more customers in winter than in summer, so I try to sell a little later to hopefully have more income to cover my family's living expenses."
No one wants to work hard early in the morning or get wet in the sun and rain, wandering all day if they can choose a "more leisurely" job with more money, but for those who work on the street, being able to earn money by honest labor is a precious thing. Each step, each cry, each turn of their bicycle not only contains love for their family, contains hopes, simple dreams about food, clothing, and money, but for each customer, each child who grows up day by day, street vendors are a part of the memories of childhood, of the streets, a quiet figure in everyday life...
Article and photos: Le Phuong
Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/rong-ruoi-muu-sinh-giua-long-pho-thi-270168.htm
Comment (0)