Reporter VTC News returned to Thach Thanh district (Thanh Hoa) in the last days of April 4 to learn about the life of the family known locally as "yin soldiers".
After a conversation at the headquarters of the People's Committee of Van Du town, we were led by Mr. Le Van Dung - Vice Chairman of the town's People's Committee - to visit the garden of Mrs. Thanh's family, which was once considered "inviolable".
Following Mr. Dung, we couldn't help but shudder when recalling the encounters nearly 6 years ago.
Mid-July 7. With the desire to go to her house to see what the life of Mrs. Thanh's family is like, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Dung - Secretary of Thanh Van Forest Protection Station - accepted to take us away. Before deciding to step into the "mystery garden", we also received many warnings from people in the area.
Someone said that Mrs. Thanh had built a strict protection system around the garden. In addition, members of Mrs. Thanh's family often hide in the groves to listen. If anyone breaks into the garden, they immediately appear with knives, sticks in hand...
Because danger was always lurking, when she heard that we had entered Mrs. Thanh's house, Ms. Bui Thi Muoi - Secretary of Thach Thanh District Party Committee at that time - 3 times called reporters to advise: "You must be very careful, you must feel very safe before you can enter. If you are not prepared, absolutely do not go in there".
Fearing that something might happen, Ms. Muoi directed the Thanh Van Commune Police and the Chairman of the Commune People's Committee - Mr. Le Van Dung - to support reporters. In addition, some officers of Thanh Van forest management and protection station were also dispatched to support when something unusual happened.
At the end of the afternoon, the sky was overcast, and Mrs. Thanh's garden became more and more cold. Before deciding to set foot in the garden from the sugarcane field next door, the group deliberately talked loudly so that the members of Mrs. Thanh's house could hear her voice. Not only that, Mrs. Dung also raised her voice. She called out all the members of the family, but the only response was the rustling of leaves.
No one answered, but Mrs. Dung still decided to lead us into the garden by the main entrance. This path is far but less trees. "Sister Thanh, sister Dung, I come to visit you", while walking, Mrs. Dung called out loudly as if she wanted to let the members of Mrs. Thanh's house know that an acquaintance was coming.
The deeper you go into the alley, the more lonely the scene becomes. Mosquitoes are like scattering rice husks, spreading out, oozing in the ears. Any noise in the nearby trees and bushes also startled us. When the group approached the first tiny hut in a total of 8 huts, they were busy looking around when suddenly shouted "Stop!" shocked the whole group.
Just then, a figure suddenly stepped out from among the maggots, blocking the path. Looking at that person's strange attire, the faint of heart would probably faint.
Mai Thi Thanh, the first daughter of Mrs. Thanh.
He was wearing a hat made of tarpaulin, almost completely covering his face, listening to his voice, we couldn't tell if it was a woman or a man. However, after a pause, Mrs. Dung realized that it was Mai Thi Thanh, the first daughter of Mrs. Thanh.
Different from what you imagine, besides the ragged appearance and sloppy hat, and the same gray skin color due to living in the dark for many years, Thanh speaks with a beginning and an end. Thanh called her grandson, calling Mrs. Dung by her aunt very politely. However, when Mrs. Dung was about to step further, Thanh sternly said: "No orders, no one in!".
Although Mrs. Dung tried to persuade, Thanh was determined not to let anyone step over the iron wire blocking the entrance to the garden. When someone in the group was about to lean in, Thanh raised his stick in his hand to block it just like the old guard guarding the gate.
"Where is your mother, I want to see your mother, I have not seen her face in a long time, let me in, only me!", Mrs. Dung urgently. However, before Mrs. Dung's pleas, Thanh's face still did not change color. “No, no one can enter without an order, not even my aunt. There must be rules everywhere, auntie can't get in!, " Thanh said firmly.
Convincing Thanh failed, we had no choice but to withdraw. Ms. Dung said, usually Thanh stops at the first "guard station". Whoever intentionally crosses this "barie", just needs to go about ten meters more, Toan will suddenly appear. Totally healthy and stubborn. Facing this guy is definitely not good.
Unable to get inside Mrs. Thanh's house, we returned to Mrs. Dung's house with the question of whether Mrs. Thanh was alive or dead. Does the girl named Thanh speak accurately about the health of family members?
Talking to us, Thanh Van commune officials, Thach Thanh forest protection station officers all told strange stories related to members of Mrs. Thanh's family. According to them, for many years now, whenever they hear rumors about the life and death of this or that person in Mrs. Thanh's family, they immediately come to find out the truth.
However, like us, they are only allowed to "stand on the outside". Seeing someone coming, someone from the garden gave a creepy warning, so no one dared to step further.
While talking, Mr. Pham Van Ho - Director of Thach Thanh Protection Forest Management Board, Mrs. Dung's husband - returned from the agency. Sympathizing with our enthusiasm, Mr. Ho said he would return with the reporter to Mrs. Thanh's house again.
Sitting behind the motorbike, Mr. Ho confided:In the past, we have tricked her into going to a mental hospital, but she refused and asked to return. Even if she bought medicine, she wouldn't take it and put it away. Until the death of a child but still refuse to wake up".
At the alley, Mr. Ho did not get off, but rushed straight to the gate of Mrs. Thanh's house. At this time, seeing someone turn around, Ms. Thanh ran out to stop her. When meeting Mr. Ho and Mrs. Dung, Ms. Thanh was a little apprehensive. Although she was very upset, Ms. Thanh still did not dare to act with Mr. Ho.
After she couldn't stop it, Thanh ran to call her brother to help. At this time, the rain had stopped and it was brighter than I could see their faces clearly. The two of them were dressed exactly the same – ragged and patched flying suits. On their heads, each person wears a hand-knitted raincoat. They look very similar to the soldiers of the feudal period.
Mr. Ho said:Why are you dressed like this? Similar to a demon? I'm a good student but I don't know how to advise my parents to do the right thing. Do you see anyone living like that now?".
"Studying well is a thing of the past. Now you are different. The old story is over. You have also changed now. I went from a security guard to a boss. Rich people have changed, no need to care about my family anymore", Ms. Thanh's words were very sharp when answering Mr. Ho.
Advised Mr. Ho not to, at this time, the Thanh sisters approached and dragged Mr. Ho out. They were carrying two sticks, so we didn't dare to approach. It was only when Mr. Ho was able to enter the courtyard, standing next to the wall of our house, that he dared to speak up.
When he learned that we were journalists, the youngest son of Thanh's family shouted: "Why did the press come to this poor place? Don't spin around lest the gods here get angry again. If you are educated, listen to me and get out of here".
While Mr. Ho tried to distract Ms. Thanh's two children, we took the opportunity to observe the strange architecture of the house. Among the luxuriant hills, in addition to the corrugated iron-roofed house in which Mrs. Thanh's family lives, they also set up huts around.
These huts are so low that even a child cannot get inside. The inside of each hut is strung with steel ropes. The special thing is a cane with two teeth placed in the middle.
I don't understand what these things mean to them, but even the stick in their hand has the same shape. Here, if you are not careful, you will be tripped by the 6-enclosed iron system.
In addition to chili, Mrs. Thanh's family has grown cassava and melon rigs. I also observed some chickens running in the garden. Perhaps, this is the food that serves their life. But the loofah here is also very strange. All truss rods are plugged in backwards. That is, the base goes up and the top goes into the ground.
I asked my son Nguyen Van Toan why he did such strange things. At first he was silent, but after a while he also mumbled: "There is a new reason to do so. I don't understand the explanation".
Again I asked:Where is Tam's grave?". At this time, Toan's face sank, remained silent and continued to be taciturn and did not speak.
I stood right next to a rather large pole, built with hundreds of plowshares. Even the pole was built higher than the ancient trees in the garden.
"See, in the past, I went to a tiny cypress tree, now the tree is as big as this. However, the mother and daughter are still so confused, they refuse to wake up. The two children obeyed, then let him in to see his mother's advice. You don't want to get married, get married to continue the family line? We have to let them live differently, not miserable like this".
Hearing Mr. Ho's eloquent voice in the yard, at this time, Mrs. Thanh in the house spoke up: "Uncle Ho is back. My uncle can't know about my housework. Please don't make me angry. You take your people out of my house. We can take care of my housework".
Mr. Ho had to be excited until Mrs. Thanh would speak up. When Mrs. Thanh spoke, he also knew if she was alive or dead. For the past ten years, no one had seen or heard of Mrs. Thanh, so he was afraid to know how she lived or died. Scared like Tam, dead but no one in the family and neighbors knows.
Mr. Ho turned to Thanh and asked:So where did dad go? Let me in and talk to dad!". After waiting for a long time, still did not see Mr. Thai speaking, Ms. Thanh replied: "My father is not at home, he is gone. He went back to his hometown to get a salary".
At this time, the woman inside the house continued to say in a harsh voice: "Get out of my house now. Don't make me angry".
Mr. Ho is softer: “I was worried about your mother and daughter, so I came to visit. I am happy to know that you are healthy. She promised to meet my husband and I in 2010, but until now, we have not met. Today I come back, another day I come again".
Before leaving, I extended my hand to shake hands with the sisters Thanh and Toan, but they quickly withdrew their hands. "Shake hands to do. Poor people don't shake hands with rich people. Our hands are dirty and your hands are ruined. Come on, go home, don't come back here again", Thanh said sulkily, but his voice was still the quality of a good student in Literature that day, Mr. Ho said.
Nguyen Thi Thanh's two children share about their current life.
The memory of my encounters 6 years ago ended when there was a loud call from Mr. Le Van Dung in his ear: "Toan, Thanh, are you at home?".
"Mr. Dung? What are you doing today? Who do you bring along?". A series of questions from the nearly 40-year-old man as soon as we entered the garden, along with a questioning look, made the atmosphere tense. That is Mai Van Toan - the third child of Mr. Thai, Mrs. Thanh.
"There are these 2 uncles who want to come and ask how your sister's accommodation is". Dung just finished speaking when another woman appeared in front of our eyes - it was Mai Thi Thanh (Toan's sister).
The way sisters dress Mai Thi Thanh and Mai Van Toan is still as strange as it was 6 years ago. Still wearing a baggy yellow long-sleeved shirt, in the middle of the sun over 30 degrees Celsius, but they still covered their heads with hats knitted from monofilament, wearing hats outside.
They still seem to be wearing a lot of wire and even iron. The biggest difference between the two sisters is that the formerly gray skin has been replaced by a rosy look, they look younger than their years.
We expressed our desire to go deeper into the garden. Thinking that the proposal would be rejected as fiercely as the time we met 6 years ago, however, we received the consent of Thanh and Toan quite quickly.
After 6 years, the dense orchards interspersed with dozens of low-leaf huts were replaced by peanut beds and green corn fields. In the middle of the land is a green corrugated iron house. In addition, there are 3 cottages, according to Mr. Toan, the kitchen and the place to raise chickens.
Sharing with us about the current life of the two sisters, Toan is open-minded, in addition to planting and raising more than a dozen chickens in the garden, he also works as a hired worker. Some neighbors hired him to harvest acacia trees in the forest with a salary of 300 VND/day.
"Harvested fruit trees will be brought to the market or to agents for people to buy. In the past, my parents had a salary, but now that I am dead, I have to go to work. In the past, the family of 4 people had to eat 20 thousand VND/day, mainly eating rice with salted fish sauce. Now go to the market, have meat and fish to eat. Life is not rich but healthy is okay", Toan said.
The image of Mr. Toan pointing at each row of corn, peanut fields, and chickens as if showing off the results of the two sisters after days of hard work made us quite surprised. Perhaps without the strange way of dressing, it would be difficult to recognize the two guards of the forbidden land in the past.
When asked if he intends to get married, Toan laughed loudly:To tell you the truth, people think they're poor, so they run away".
Welcome to part 3: 'Treasure' of the 'underworld' family
Approaching the garden of the "yin soldier" family, besides learning about the current life of sisters Mai Thi Thanh and Mai Van Toan, the reporter wants to see the "treasure" hidden in the garden.
